《Reincarnated As A Wolf With Cheats》 Chapter 1 [Prologue] *Aooooooooo* The sound of many wolves made the earth tremor. The humans who hade to hunt them ran as far as they could due to fear. It was something unimaginable. A pack of wolves was hunting humans which was quite the opposite of the usual. Amidst them stood a giant ck Wolf which seemed to bemanding them. "Run! We are no match for them. We need to retreat immediately!", some of the humans who weremanding immediately shouted the moment they sensed an even greater danger approaching. It was tremendous energy that was surrounding the entire area which was generated due to mana. However, this was the mana emitted by a beast rather than any humans so they had to flee immediately as it was recognized as an S-Rank threat. "The beast will kill all those wolves! No need to worry!", saying this, all of them ran away as far as they could from the area. All the wolves who felt the tremendous amount of mana immediately howled and bowed for reason unknown. Even the giant ck wolf that was supposedly thrice the size of an average man bowed in front of this pressure. Someone or rather something was walking towards them. It was too foggy to look at anything clearly but the dark shadow waspletely visible. Just by looking at that, it seemed as if a beast that was ten times the size of an average human was walking their way. Suddenly all the mist that was covering the forest was blown away and the beast that was seening was - A WHITE WOLF. Due to the moonlight behind him, he looked huge but in reality, he was the size of any normal wolf, perhaps even smaller. "Tsk looks like all of them ran away again just by feeling my aura...", the white wolf spoke. "Greetings Your Majesty, we have been awaiting your presence.", the ck wolf greeted him humbly. "Haha, you didn''t have to wait for me Deoras! You could have led the pack till the West Terrain." "I wish I could do that but I am not worthy of being given such an important role yet, Your Majesty." "Hmm, it indeed looks like you have to grow a bit stronger, only then I guess you can lead them!" "Thanks for the praise Your Majesty and I apologize for theck of my strength. I will try my best to grow stronger." Then the white wolf took the lead and all the other wolves followed him after giving a big howl. *Aoooooooooooo* ''Sigh, you all might be wondering about me but let me rify one thing, I WAS A HUMAN!'' "I have been born in this world as a wolf and that too with a peculiar color - ''white'' which depicts the strength of a wolf. The darker the color, the stronger the wolf is." "However, that logic isn''t applied to me." He grinned, "Ah! Don''t worry, I''m speaking in humannguage which these wolves won''t understand." He looked towards the starry sky which looked extraordinarily beautiful. All the remaining wolves just rested and fell asleep while he and the ck wolf Deoras were the only ones who were awake and keeping an eye on the surrounding. "s, it looks like I have been reincarnated as a WOLF, and that too with ''CHEATS''!" = Note: 1] Fourth wall break is limited to only this chapter ¨C [Prologue] 2] You may continue this novel at your own risk as in the first free chaps, the plot armor is everything. 3] **-> to represent sounds. '''' -> to represent thoughts. ""-> saying out loud/murmuring. 4] I''m improving continuously, so do correct if there are errors here and there. 5] This book ain''t perfect so if you came here to read a book that is of God tier, then you will be disappointed. While the story is interesting, I think you need to go into too much of a fictitious world with a bit less logic than usual. 6] Let''s all have fun reading new things! = Chapter 2 Death [ Warning: This chapter contains some incidents that might turn you off, but if you want to know the backstory or the reason, then you can go to chapter 82 and read till 87 or 88 after reading chapter 2, without getting spoiled perhaps. Up to you~ ] *yawns* A middle-aged man who was unemployed just woke up from his sleep. He looked at the clock that was hanging on the wall which had many cracks on it. ''Tic Tok Tic Tok'' The sound was clearly audible since it echoed which marked that the room was entirely empty. "It''s 12 PM already?", the man sighed with sadness which was clearly seen on his face. It seemed as if he didn''t want to wake up but in the end, he was forced to do so. "Let''s get some fresh air." Immediately after saying this, he rushed outside while opening the door. A gush of warm wind blew past him which made his annoying morning a bit more ufortable. "Uhhh... I hate this heat!" He seemed to have some sort of weird taste. He didn''t like hot or warm things and always consumed things that were rather cooler. He immediately closed the door of his so-called small balcony and rushed back towards the washroom where he washed his face with cold water. "Phew, this is good." The water was cold enough to give him satisfaction. He immediately wiped his face and went towards the empty kitchen to find something to eat. "Uhhh, I don''t think I''ll find anything here..." The only things that were left were some cockroaches and some dead mice which had rotten long ago and gave out a foul smell. He immediately rushed back towards his bed to sleep again when suddenly he tripped and fell. "Ouch! That hurt!" He looked at the thing that made him trip and found that it was his old-fashioned cell phone. Did he rally trip or did he just slip because of the phone? Well, not that it mattered. What actually mattered was it was his phone due to which he fell. He looked at that carefully only to find that its screen had a crack. He realized that he had slipped instead of tripping. He picked up the phone to see if it was working. "Thank god! It''s just a crack! It is still working and perfectly fine...", and that was the moment when the phone suddenly switched off. "Argh! What happened!?" He immediately tried to turn it on but realized that its disy screen had been destroyed due to his weight. "Damn, my luck can''t be worse!", immediately after saying this he got a call from the bank from which he had taken a loan 6 months ago. It wasn''t a proper bank anyway, it was those thugs called loan sharks who set up a bank, which was more likely a fake bank. Since he couldn''t see the name or number because the disy was broken, he picked up the call. Then he was insulted in the most horrible way possible by the people of the bank and was forced to listen to many humiliating words. They asked him to return all the money within 1 month or else they would be filing an arrest warrant against him. He agreed for the time being and cut the call instantly. "Sigh, I will be dying today then when the heck would I even have the time to return the money?" He didn''t have any more energy left to say anything and just kept quiet. He took a look at his wallet and found that he had a 500 yen coin and some more change which he had been saving for a long time. He immediately rushed to the shop to buy some instant noodles, ice cream, and cigarettes for smoking without which he didn''t live even a single day. It was quite hot and probably that is why he intended to buy ice cream but that wasn''t the actual reason. It was in fact quite simply because he liked cold things more. Even the instant noodles that he bought would be eaten with cold icy water instead of hot water! He rushed immediately since he didn''t like to be under the sun and returned as quickly as possible. He was very hungry so he immediately took out the noodles and ate them with cold water and ice cream mixed in them which was the weirdestbination that he had tried so far. After finishing the food within ten minutes, he started smoking immediately. He went back to bed and started to think about his life as to where he had gone wrong. "Haha, so my death hasn''t even been made public?" "..." "Thepany went bankrupt and my uncle was the one who got the loan. so why the hell should I pay?" "Just because I was thepany''s sessor?" "..." "If I had listened to my parents and studied well, I wouldn''t have been in this situation." "Ha..." "But, I did listen to them." "No, that is a different topic entirely. If only I had given more thought behind that action which Imitted..." It was indeed fate that he med more than himself. He was an extraordinary student until he reached high school where he got spoiled due to his friends. Did he really, now? Or maybe that was just a rumor. His parents had expected him to be a national topper, however, he failedpletely which was the exact opposite of their expectations. "I wish... I could die peacefully..." "Or maybe I don''t deserve a peaceful death..." All he wished now was to die and that too peacefully since all his life, he never experienced peace. He was bullied and forced to do many things which he didn''t want to and that was basically that ruined his mind which led him in killing his own parents when he was just 16 - this was the statement issued by the court. He was sentenced to death but seeing that he had a sister for whom he had to work hard, his penalty was decreased and only 10 years of imprisonment was given as punishment. However that spoiled him even more since he mingled with other criminals and finally when he got out of jail, he murdered his one and only sister who cared for him. - and this was their conclusion. He was again arrested and was now given a death sentence immediately however he asked them to fulfill hisst wish which was giving him one month''s time. Normally no one would listen to such a thing because one could escape during that time, but they agreed probably because his father''s friend was one of the higher authorities in Judicial cases. So why would someone help a person who has murdered his friend? - this was a mystery that the court was confused with as well, but perhaps those corrupt people knew the reason he was being helped. Of course, they did nothing and kept quiet because the sentence was issued even after many attempts. The government agreed and kept him under supervision for one whole month where he was given a house of his own. And today was thest day of that extended time that was given. "Haha, it''s better if I die on my own instead of being killed by those bastards..." Among the food items he had bought, there was rat poison too which he had mixed with the food and ate. On top of that sleeping pills were mixed too to make it less painful and die during his sleep. Well, normally poison wouldn''t be given to the prisoner since there would be supervisors watching over them. But they allowed it despite knowing that because if he were to kill himself earlier, then that would only reduce their own trouble! Unfortunately, he wasn''t able to sleep as his whole life shed in front of his eyes. "Where did I go wrong?", was the only question that he kept on asking. Well, was there a reason for killing his family? Or did he do it purely because he enjoyed it? Regardless, the fact didn''t change that he was a murderer and one thing is for sure, crimes can''t be hidden from God. Nature wouldn''t forgive such a bastard in the first ce. However, he realized at least. But it was toote to reflect upon that and he had finally fallen asleep just by asking one small wish, "If I were to born again... I want to be the strongest and live a good life... I don''t want to be bound by anything..." And those were hisst words after which he fell asleep from which he wouldn''t be able to wake up... in this world that is! But the question was still unanswered, was it really him who went and killed his parents, or was he just used? Did someone else kill them and he was just present at the crime scene or was it his teammate that killed them? Well, whatever it may be, one thing was for sure, he was now going to some other ce, far away, probably because he had some unfinished job that God wanted him to do or perhaps he had to receive a punishment. Chapter 3 Reincarnation ''I wish I could be born again and be the dominant one, not bound by anyone else and live as peacefully and carefree life as possible...'' "Uhhh... that was the wish I had asked for, but what the heck is happening right now!!?" A young white wolf opened his eyes only a little bit and looked around the trees while he said this. He waspletely confused as he didn''t know anything about this ce. Though his eyes weren''t fully opened he could easily sense something. "Hot... it''s too hot!! What the fuck!!!?", he finally opened his eyespletely and observed his surroundings keenly only to find a huge forest fire in which he was trapped. "Now I understand why it is so hot here...", he sighed but then immediately realized that he was surrounded by fire on all his side. "W-what do I do now!!?" He immediately turned back to take a look at his escape route only to find a big white female wolf lying in front of him. "Eh? What the heck is this big white thing?", of course, he wasn''t able to recognize it since he couldn''t see itpletely. He was just a tiny wolf pup who was barely 4-5 days old. He couldn''t possibly see the big she-wolf lying in front of him. It just looked like some white bag. "Uhhh... I''m hungry!" He suddenly felt hunger. He wanted to eat as soon as possible. His stomach was in pain too for some reason. "Damn, What is going on? Didn''t I eat poison? Shouldn''t I be dead by now?" He still hadn''t realized who he was. It seemed as if he was just a small wolf pup but for some reason, his calmness was on a whole other level. Even in this forest fire he waspletely calm and didn''t Panic since all he thought about was food but that didn''t mean that he would just jump into the fire and die or wait for the fire to reach him and burn him to death! "I am hungry... but I have to run away for now... this fire..." He immediately started to run when he suddenly felt something was off. "Weird... something is different...", the way he was running was making him feel weird. There was a smallke ahead which he found while he was running. He finally thought that he was safe since he could jump into it and escape from fire but little did he know that some humans would block his path! ''SLIDE'' He immediately stopped the moment he saw some humans standing ahead of him. They were huge, just like walls that separated him and theke. "Did the humans turn into giants!?", was his first question the moment he saw them. He slowly walked towards them when suddenly some arrows came flying towards him and pierced one of his legs. "Arghhhh!!! What was that for!!!?" Blood sshed all over his leg. The wound was a bit severe since the arrow hadpletely pierced his leg! "Are you crazy!? How can you shoot it towards me!!!?" He was quite angry and in pain at the same time. But regardless of that, he looked at them again when he saw them aiming another arrow at him. "What the... you want to kill me or what?" Even before he could realize what was happening another arrow was shot by them which came at a high speed. "I will die...", was the only thought that came to his mind since the arrow was aimed at his head. He closed his eyes tightly when suddenly he heard a strange voice. ''AOOOOO'' He immediately opened his eyes only to find that a big white wolf was being pierced by the arrow. But even after that happened the wolf was standing firm. However, it was bleeding seriously since the arrow had pierced a ce that was close to its heart. The wolf immediately turned his gazes towards the young wolf pup who was unknown of anything and was just staring at him. "Runnnn!!!!!!", the big wolf shouted on hearing which the small white pup ran subconsciously with all its might and jumped towards theke. Another arrow was aimed at it while it was jumping which was blocked by the big white wolf from earlier. The young pup saw the arrow being pierced exactly at the wolf''s heart. He had many questions!, "Why did a wolf help me? And why were the humans attacking me?" But before he could find their answers he fell in the cold chilling water of theke and kept on going towards the bottom. "I... I can''t breathe! The water is too cold!" He didn''t know how to swim in his earlier life. Also, a young wolf cannot possibly swim in water so there was almost no way for him to survive. "A-am I going to die...? Is it for real this time?" His eyes felt heavy even though he wasn''t sleepy. They were closing slowly. He struggled as much as he could but that much effort wasn''t enough for him to be alive. He left everything in the hands of fate and epted the death even before he hadpletely died when suddenly a miracle happened. ''Ding'' ========== [SUPREME PREDATOR SYSTEM] has been activated. - collecting all information about the host. - detecting irregr physical conditions. => Activating Emergency Safety Mode ========== Suddenly arge amount of wind blew and there was a tornado which rose from the water. It was like a whirlpool that waspletely mixed with two elements - Wind and Water. It spun like a cyclone and moved towards the opposite side of the forest fire and soon dissipated. "W-what was that!!!?", the humans screamed. One of them said, "W-was that a water dragon!!!?" The others immediately got scared and ran away with all their might since they were no match for something that was a dominant water type and an S Rank beast based on their ssification system. But little did they know that it was the pup of a white wolf who had used something so strong to survive. To be continued... Chapter 4 [ Supreme Predator System ] "Huff huff...", the wolf pup was barely alive. It seemed as if some of the water had entered it''s respiratory tract but thanks to the system, it was removed. However, the pup of the white wolves waspletely drenched in cold water and was shivering due to the chillness of the night. ''Ding'' ========== [Initiating Synthesis Of Thermoregtory hormones] -> 0/6 of the given hormones have been synthesized. -> Estimated Time: 00:00:30:00 [30 minutes] ========== Thermoregtory hormones, especially the hormones required to increase the internal body temperature, had started to be synthesized. The newborn pup who was barely 4-5 days couldn''t possibly handle the chillness. Its body was weak and fragile so utmost care was to be given, but unfortunately, it was forced to experience both - hotness and coldness. Now it was somehow respiring while being unconscious. But there were many beasts roaming in the forest and that was the reason why the forest was known to be one of the deadliest forests of the continent. So basically the pup was not safe entirely but since the nearby forest was set on fire, most of the beasts had run away from the ce where the pup was resting currently. ''Ding'' ========== [Thermoregtion has started] -> Internal heat is being restored. ========== It seemed as if the system was working perfectly and his thermoregtion had also started. His body had started to get warmer and now he wasn''t being affected by the cold. The process had ended but suddenly another notification popped up which gave him something valuable. It was something that would be with him all the time and would eventually help him achieve great heights. ''Ding'' ========== [New Skills Gained] 1] Heat Resistance [Lv.1] -> Passive Skill ? -> Host will be resistant to extreme heat conditions. 2] Cold Resistance [Lv.1] -> Passive Skill -> Host will be resistant to extreme cold conditions. ========== These were some essential skills which he got. Right now the wolf pup waspletely normal and was just asleep. It could wake up anytime soon only to find this and be surprised. MEANWHILE... "Run! You all must survive no matter what!", one of the white wolves that seemed like a leader howled and said to every other wolf. All of the white wolves started running in packs in order to save themselves. "Damn... why did the humanse so suddenly here?", the big white wolf murmured to itself. He looked here and there and decided to escape too after seeing that all the white wolves had been evacuated. "Yes! Now me too...", after saying this to himself, he too started running. It was quite dark despite the forest fire which was a bit far off. The wolf ran with all it''s might in order to rejoin with the packs. "Huh? Light...?", the wolf was surprised to see light being emitted from the outside of the forest when suddenly his sixth sense warned him of something. The moment he came out of the forest, he saw something which made it trembled. All the wolves of its n that had departed in order to escape from the cruel humans were lying dead with their heads chopped off. Only one or two of them were hardly even breathing because they were somewhat stronger and their heads were intact. "No....", the tribe leader couldn''t possibly see this. "I won''t forgive you!!!!!" ''AOOOOOOO'' It howled and rushed towards the humans who were standing there only to get himself killed with a clean sh by an adventurer. "Tsk... that was the leader? It was pretty weak...", was what the humans said andughed. The wolf''s neck was split apart and it was dead. Its body was now lifeless. The other wolves who were still alive were also mercilessly killed. Even young babies weren''t spared. One of the elder wolves who had aged a lot before dying said, "Only he... he can bring us true salvation. I hope you will be blessed by our Gods..." It seemed as if the prayer was heard due to which the young white pup gained the system miraculously which was only possible in Manga and animes! But regardless of that, it was true that the man who was a murderer in hisst life had died and was now in a small wolf''s body. He had all the knowledge so it too was a cheat for him. Soon it was morning again. The sunlight shed brightly towards the humans'' faces which had a unique smile on their faces because of their joy of hunting the wolves. But little did they know that they had brought a big misfortune upon themselves. Just by leaving a single wolf alive, they had put the existence of humanity on the line! ''Waaaa'' The young wolf pup which was lying near the edge of the forest and was initially drenched was now perfectly fine and was yawning. "It seems like it''s already morning...", as usual, he walked towards the water source in order to wash his face. "Huh...!? Who...?", he looked at the water only to find the reflection of a white wolf pup. "A white puppy? Dog?", he was confused on looking at it. He tried to run his eyes and then looked towards the river again. "N-no... is this reflection... mine!!!?", he shouted. ''Woof woof'' ''Eh? This sound is literallying from me!?'' He was totally confused at what had happened when he recalled the events of the previous night. "Ya... the humans shot arrows... a wolf helped me...", suddenly something was being understood by him. "No, it''s can''t be possible!", it was hardly believable. "I have already died and have been reborn as a freaking WOLF!!!?", he grabbed his head with a small paw of his and looked at the water again. "This is fucking ridiculous!! Why the heck will I get reborn?", his eyes werepletely open and he was too shocked to think anything else. "This is weird... too weird...", he couldn''t possibly ept it as if it while thinking that this was some dream because the pain that he felt earlier was too real to be a dream. Also, he could feel the sunlight and the warmth that was being derived from it. He could feel the gentle breeze that was blowing and when he touched the water, the gentle coldness was also felt. "This is all real! I have literally be a wolf pup!" He was suddenly happy because he wasn''t restrained anymore. Human logic didn''t apply to him and he could do whatever he wanted in the jungle. "Yes! That''s fucking awesome!", it was definitely a boon for a murderer who gets thrilled by the sight of blood at least that''s what was to be told. But he was not the one to me. The circumstances had forced him to do those things. But right now it was his turn to enjoy life. "I''ll definitely live this life to the fullest...", just as he had told this, he heard a weird sound as if the bush a bit ahead of him was moving. ''ZZZD ZZZD'' "Huh...? What''s there? A rabbit?", he looked towards there and started to move when suddenly he felt a tremor in his heart. His heart was preventing him to take any more steps towards that area. "What''s happening? Why am I not able to..." He couldn''t finish what he wanted to say since he was forced to shut his mouth the moment he saw a beast popping out from the bushes. "That''s..." ''Ding'' ========== [GRIGARD] LEVEL: 7 RANK: E AGE: 53 days HP: 3/50 MP: 0/18 -> An advanced forest lizard that hunts Goblins specifically. -> May hunt other weaker monsters too. SKILLS: 1] Poison Jaw [Lv.2] -> A furious bite that can inflict poison immediately. -> High Poison resistant monsters will be unaffected. 2] Camouge [Lv.3] -> blends perfectly into the natural surroundings by changing its color. 3] Taunt [Lv.5] ->Monsters that are weaker than it will get provoked to attack it. 4] Regeneration [Lv.2] -> Regenerates the specific list parts of the body such as tail, limbs, etc. 5] Thermo detection [Lv. 4] -> Uses its tongue to detect heat around it at the range of 3 meters from its body. ========== "W-what the heck is this!!!?", he waspletely confused when he saw the flying texts since this was the first time he had seen something such as this. Not only that, he was already tensed by seeing the monster in front of him. "The fucking hell... I am sure to die again..." To be continued... Chapter 5 Mission 01 The pup was shocked just by seeing the stats of the monster that appeared in front of him. "What''s with this damn!", he couldn''t think anything else. Even his legs seemed to have been paralyzed because of fear. But the huge green lizard seemed to be living too slowly. He had closed his eyes thinking that he would be eaten by the lizard but when he opened his eyes, he found that he was still alive and the lizard was approaching him in slow motion. "Eh? What''s wrong with it?" He took a look at its status again because everything was op so it should have been instant death for the wolf pup. "Huh...? It''s HP?", the man whose soul was inside the wolf knew what HP and other stats meant since he wasn''t dumb. Those were all in the games that they used to y during their childhood. [ HP: 3/50 ] [ MP: 0/18 ] After seeing both of those important stats he said, "Did it get attacked by some monster or something?" It seemed like the lizard wasn''t able to understand the wolf''s words so there wasn''t any problem with his saying it all loudly. "Yes... it''s best if I take the opportunity and escape.", just as he thought this and started walking slowly towards the other side in order to escape, a message popped up suddenly with a loud spun that was reverberating in his head. "Arghh!! What''s this!?" ''Ding'' ========== MISSION 01 [Kill The Grigard ] -> kill the grigard in front of you. ->pulsory -> Failure Will lead to appropriate punishments. -> Appropriate rewards will be given onpletion. TIME LIMIT: 00:00:02:00 [ 2 minutes ] Timer starts in - 00:00:00:05 [ 5 seconds ] ========== ''The fu*k!!!? What''s with this thing!!!?'', he thought. He was confused totally after looking at what was written but he knew one thing, that he had to kill the monster in front of him. "Uhh!!! I don''t care!", saying this he ran towards the lizard in order to kill it after looking at its low HP but the lizard sensed the wolf''s presence and immediately moved its powerful tail in order to hit the wolf. "Huh!!!" The pup saw the tailing towards him clearly but wasn''t able to dodge. He got a direct hit from the tail. ''BAM'' "Arghhhh!!!", the hit was so powerful that he got thrown from the spot to the river that was just ahead. ''SPLASH'' The wolf pup fell in the river which carried him towards the other areas. "No! The way it''s going... there must be a waterfall ahead!", he was no wolf? He had the thinking of a man so he knew about it clearly. He somehow managed to swim towards the nearest bank and got out of the river. "Huff huff...", he was panting a lot and also there were some blood marks on his body. It seemed to be mixed blood. Some amount was of the wolf pup''s and others were of some different monsters that probably had been killed by the lizard. But the pup wasn''t aware of that. It thought that it was his own wound. "Damn, what the heck!", he regretted his decision of attacking it. His stomach was paining because of the strong attack that his him and he was about to sit and take some rest when suddenly a notification popped up. ''Ding'' ========== MISSION 01 [ Iplete ] [ Kill The Grigard ] Punishment: -> the host will be given a 100 volt shock for 5 seconds. TIME LEFT: 00:00:00:05 [ 5 seconds ] The Shock will be given in - 00:00:00:05 [ 5 seconds ] ========== "Huh? W-wait a second... this..", the pup was shocked the moment it saw that. "I''m already wet and if I get the shock then...", by the time he said that the timer was up and the shock started. ''ZZZDDDZZDD'' "Wooffff!!!" He shouted because of the sudden pain that was felt. ''ZZZDDDZZDD'' "Stop it already!!!", he shouted and finally after aplete five seconds the current shock stopped. He was already wet since he had fallen in the river so the current shock that he received was too strong for him. "T-that was...", his eyes were too heavy. He felt double the amount of shock including the pain from the wound. As he was cussing, suddenly a notification popped up. ''Ding'' ========== [Skill Gained] -> Shock Resistance Lv.1 - -> The host will be resistant to thunder/lightning and mental shocks. - -> passive skill ========== "I cannot be luckier than this...", he was shocked because he wouldn''t feel anything when he doesn''tplete a mission. However, the pain that he felt was real. "But wait... this is somewhat like the system from those games, right? If that''s the case then can I see my stats too?", he wondered for a minute and then immediately asked the system to show the stats. "System, show profile!" ''Ding'' ========== [ SUPREME PREDATOR SYSTEM ] -> A system with artificial intelligence of its own. -> works without any channels and only relies on mana and energy from nature. -> Modified 3 times based on host''s body and... ..... .... ========== A lot of useless pieces of stuff were written in that which was the introduction about the system. "Supreme predator system? You want me to be the supreme predator? Haha.", the wolf pupughed a bit while imagining himself as a predator. "Sigh looks like the system is as stupid and myself, haha!", he kept onughing after seeing the texts again. "I asked for my profile and not yours but then again I forgot to mention ''my'' haha", for no reason he wasughing at his own stupidity which meant that he was literally stupid at times. "Ouch...", but due toughing too much, his abdomen region was hurting a bit. The wound was not deep and it seemed like most of it had been healed, but still, there were some cut marks and a bit of pain. "Oh well, System, open my profile!", he said. The moment after that a notification popped up yet again. ''Ding'' ========== [PROFILE] Name: ??? Sex: Male Age: 6 days Weight: 0.4 Kg (1 Pound) Race: Lupus (wolf race) Rank: E || Max. rank: ??? Level: 01 || Max. level: 05 HP: 8/20 || Max. HP: ??? MP: 10/10 || Max. MP: ??? Exp: 0 || Max. Exp: 20 Atk: 10 || Max. Atk: ??? Def: 25 || Max. Def: ??? Speed: 19 || Max. Speed: ??? Int: 35 || Max. Int: ??? [SKILLS GAINED] -> ACTIVE SKILLS 1] Bite Lv.1 2] Dash Lv.1 3] Copy Lv.1 -> PASSIVE SKILLS 1] Cold Resistance Lv.1 2] Heat Resistance Lv.1 3]Shock Resistance Lv.1 ========== "..." "Huh...? I''m 6 days old? And 1 pound??" "..." "And where''s my name?" "..." "What''s with the question marks?" "..." "..." "WHAT THE FU*K IS GOING ON!!!?" To be continued... Chapter 6 [Heal] And Mission - 2 "What the heck is happening?", the wolf pup waspletely shocked. He wasn''t even aware of the situation. He was just staring at the texts that were seen on the screen that was only visible to him and no one else. "W-what should I even do with this data?", he asked himself. Just as he was thinking, another message popped up and this time without any noise. ========== SELECT A NAME: ========== "A... a Name?", he thought about it. "My name is... Shin. Ya, I''m Shin Adonis!", immediately after he said that, the name appeared on the screen from earlier. It seemed as if the ce had a question mark because it hadn''t been decided. With this observation, he confirmed that all other ces that have question marks would get reced when the appropriate value would match them. "It''s really shocking... have I really been reincarnated?", he asked himself the same question again. "Hmm, I am an animal right now so my job is to hunt and eat...", he said this after hearing his stomach growl since he hadn''t eaten anything since long ago. "Sigh... let me just drink some water...", his abdomen was still in pain. He could hardly even bend his body properly in order to drink water but somehow he managed to lick some of the water from the river using his tongue. "I''m literally drinking it like a DOG!", he said. "Damn, this fucking pain! Can''t you just disappear?", he asked when suddenly a system message popped up. ''Ding'' ========== [New Skill Gained] -> HEAL Lv.1 - -> A skill that would allow the user to heal most of the minor injuries. - -> Time duration varies based on the amount of wound required to heal. - -> costs 0.5 MP per minute. ========== "Huh...? Heal? That''s good...", he said this after reading the texts. ''Okay then... HEAL!'', he said in his mind immediately after which a green-colored light appeared and his wounds started to heal. "Oh my GOD! This is...", he was shocked because it was literally working. His pain was disappearing slowly and steadily and he was feeling better as time passed. Soon he stopped using the Heal skill because he started to feel weak too for some reason. His wounds had been healed but the reason for weakness was unknown. He checked his stats again only to find that his MP had almost beenpletely drained. "Oh fu*k... I should take a look at all these things... maybe that was why I felt some weird weakness...", Shin said. He was nowpletely healed and didn''t feel any pain that was being inflicted since earlier but right now his stomach was grumbling. Basically, he was too hungry because of which he wanted to eat whatever came to his sight. "Uhh, I want food..." Just as he had said that and walked a bit further, he felt a weird presence from the area ahead of him. The forest was too thick due to which it waspletely dark and because of that it was inconvenient to see anything clearly. "It''s weird... it''s like the same feeling that o got back there.", Shin said to himself. ''DING DONG'' ========== MISSION - 02 [HUNT THE SWAMP RULER FENDAS] -> kill and eat the swamp Ruler Fendas. -> Compulsory. -> Failure will lead to appropriate punishments. -> Appropriate rewards will be given onpletion. TIME LIMIT: 00:00:03:00 [ 3 minutes ] -> The Mission will automatically start as soon as Fendas appears in front of you. ========== Shin stared at the system for a while after reading the texts. "....", he didn''t even have any words to describe the feeling which he was having after looking at what was written. "You!!! You want me to die right!!? YOU WANT ME TO KILL A RULER!?", he shouted at the system. The monsters that rule a specific ce or a specific terrain have higher sand stronger skills whenpared to others of their kind. So obviously this was like a suicidal mission for shin. It was as if the System was also mocking him. "Fuck...", he was already able to feel a weird presence but now he understood What the was. The ruler of swamps was actually walking towards him and his presence was quite strong. That was what Shin had been feeling all along. "This is dangerous...", he was taking a few steps back since that was what his instincts were saying him to do. ''ZZZDDDZZZ'' Suddenly the bushes moved and from it arge lizard came out. It was at least 10 times the size of Shin. It waspletely greenish-brown in color and had thick pointy fangs. It somewhat resembled the Grigard which Shin has seen earlier but was quite advanced too. "I''m as good as dead...", he said to himself the moment he saw it appearing in front of him. But for some reason, the lizard didn''t move any further. It seemed as if it had paused its marching and was waiting for something. "Huh...? What''s it doing?", Shin was doubtful. For an instant he thought that the lizard died in front of him so he walked a bit closer and immediately as he did that, arge tail was swung with great force towards Shin. It was somewhat simr to what the previous lizard-like beast had done and thanks to the extraordinary memory of Shin and his awesome reflexes, he was sessful in dodging the attack by living a few steps back. "Phew, that was close... my body acted on its own...", was what he said to himself. He took a look at the lizard again only to find that it was immobile yet again but this time he couldn''t bring himself to walk forward. ''I won''t fall into the same trap twice'', was what he thought. ''I wish there was a way to confirm its skills and...'', just as he was thinking this, he remembered that he had a system that could have helped him right now. "Am I an idiot? I should have used it from the start!" Immediately after saying that, he analyzed the opponent that was standing in front of him. To be continued... Chapter 7 The First Hunt ========== [FENDAS] LEVEL: 13 RANK: C AGE: 196 days HP: 37/297 MP: 11/89 -> An advanced forest lizard which hunts Hob-Goblins and other beasts of rank C and lower. SKILLS: 1] Poison Jaw [Lv.5] -> A furious bite which can inflict poison immediately. -> High Poison resistant monsters will be unaffected. 2] Camoge [Lv.4] -> blends perfectly into the natural surroundings by changing its colour. 3] Taunt [Lv.4] ->Monsters weaker than it will get provoked to attack it. 4] Regeneration [Lv.3] -> Regerates the specific list parts of the body such as tail, limbs etc. 5] Thermo detection [Lv. 6] -> Uses its tongue to detect heat around it at the range of 3 metres from its body. 6] Killer sh [Lv. 2] -> Uses it''srge tail to hit the foe. 7] Paralytic Vision [Lv. 1] -> Paralyses the foe for 30 seconds. => The title ''Ruler Of The Swamps'' enhances abilities and triples the attacking power and recovering of HP. ========== ''The heck!!? It''s too powerful! As I thought, I might literally die if I face it!!!'', was what Shin thought in his mind. He instinctively knew that it would have been the best to run away but he was tired of doing that. He wanted to be the strongest predator and to be strong he had a simr system too. It was upto him to utilise the system efficiently. He was thinking for a while when suddenly Fendas marched towards Shin with its mouth opened. It was as if it was using poison Jaw. ''Dash!!'', Shin immediately used the skill dash due to which he was able to barely dodge the giant lizard. ''Fuck! First of all I don''t even know why such a Ruler and that too the one who belongs to swamp is doing here...'', he thought. ''On top of that, it''s attacking me mercilessly...'', Shin was joe aware that if he weren''t able to dodge the lizards attack, then he would most likely be dead. The lizard again rushed towards him while using the poison Jaw. "Fuck!!! You wanna nite me!!?", Shin shouted and jumped on top of the lizard while dodging its attack. He then used the skill ''BITE'' and pierced his small yet pointy fangs inside the lizards skin. ''SQUEAKKKK'' The lizard squeaked at the top of its voice as if it was suffering from immense pain. ''DING DONG'' ========== [You have used the skill Bite] -> Damage done to the foe will be doubled for 10 seconds. ========== He kept on biting the lizard who seemed in pain. The lizard then used ''Killer sh'' attack by which it''s tail was swung with great force and was aimed towards its top part of the neck as that was were Shin had bitten it and was still continuing to bite. ''Huh? Again the same move?'', Shin got to know the attack in advance as he knew the pattern in which the attack woulde. First the tail will be pulled to one side and only after that will it be swung due to that he was able to evade the attack with ease. ''BAM'' But regardless of that, the attack hit. Shin waspletely safe and the lizard who was the almighty ruler of the swamps seemed to be unconscious as the attack literally hit its neck and broke most of its bones that were present around that area. Shin was already on the ground and was staring at the lizard only to find that the lizard wasn''t moving at all. "Huh? What''s wrong with the lizard...?", he asked himself. Then he took a look at its stat and gotpletely surprised by it. ========== HP: 2/297 ========== "Holy shit! It''s attack hit himself and dealt so much of damage?", he waspletely awed by what had happened. He walked a bit closer to it in order to check if it was just acting but he found that it was literally unconscious. "Wasn''t this too easy...?", he asked himself. He was just staring at it when suddenly another notification popped up. ''DING DONG'' ========== MISSION - 2 [HUNT THE SWAMP RULER FENDAS] -> kill and eat the swamp Ruler Fendas. -> Compulsory. -> Failure will lead to appropriate punishments. -> Appropriate rewards will be given onpletetion. WARNING: TIME LIMIT: 00:00:00:30 [ 30 seconds ] -> The Mission will automatically start as soon as Fendas appears in front of you. ========== He immediately looked at the time that was left and then took a look at what the conditions were. He not only had to kill it but also had to eat it, only after that would the mission get cleared. "Fuck!!!!", he immediately dashed and used the bite skill on it due to which all of its HP finished and it died. And now the great problem was about eating. He was worried that he wouldn''t be able to eat all of the lizard so he didn''t know what to do. He took a look at the timer and very little to no time was left. He was previously a human so he was getting a weird feeling just by thing about eating such a disgusting creature that lived in the swamps but in order to survive he had to do that. "Hyaaa!!!", then immediately bite again and this time pierced its neck even deeper and tore out some of its flesh and started eating and swallowed in one swoop. A message appeared which he had no time to check. "Uhhh!!!", the meat stuck in his throat due to which he ran and drank the water that was avable at the river. And while he was drinking and trying to prevent the choking, he got another message form the system. ''DING DONG'' ========== [You havepleted the mission - Hunt The Swamp Ruler Fendas] -> Rewards - -> You have received 10 stat points. - -> Growth rate has increased by 10% - -> You have been bestowed the title ''Ruler Of The Swamps'' - -> You have received the title ''Reptile Killer'' ========== Shin didn''t check it for a while and after drinking a sufficient amount of water he took a look at it. "Cool... the rewards are definitely cool...", he was about to get satisfied by this when suddenly many more notifications popped up. ========== [You have killed a High Ranking Lizard] You have leveled up. You have leveled up. You have... ========== "Uhh... now do I have to literally take a look at all the notifications?", he asked himself. ''I don''t know if this was due to luck or was fate... but I am certain that this was fun... basically this was my first hunt... my first prey!!!'', he thought. TO BE CONTINUED... Chapter 8 The First Evolution - Part 1: Selecting A Job "Huff huff...", Shin was panting heavily after finishing the First Hunt. He sat down for a moment and looked towards the body that was lying in front of him. There was a lot of blood flowing from the body and some of the blood stains was on his body and mouth too. "I still can''t believe that I hunted a Ruler!!!", he was still doubting his sess but regardless of those things, he had hunted and now had something to eat. He was salivating heavily because his hunger had nowhere subsided. He wanted to eat the lizard right now. Previously he wasn''t able to taste it and just swallowed it, right now he somehow walked near it in order to take another bite. He immediately moved his jaw and took another bite from the body and ate it. "Wow!!! This is really tasty!!!", he smiled the moment he tasted it. Earlier he thought that it would be disgusting but after having a bite from it, he couldn''t stop salivating. The temptation of eating more increased and it started eating each and every part of the lizard and even before he knew it, he had finished everything. The only things that jow remained were its bones. "Haaa... that was satisfying...", he sat at the same ce and smirked. The hunger which he has until just now had now subsided and his stomach was quite full. He drank a bit more water and stood there looking himself in the water. ''It really is weird, the young wolf pups in our world wouldn''t even open their eyes or stand until they were 5-10 days old and here I am hunting in this world...'', it was indeed remarkable. He couldn''t even believe this happening so he didn''t care much right now. "Okay, now what do I do next...?", he was wondering as there was literally nothing else for him to do. It was not the old world where if he was employed he had to run to office and if he were unemployed, he would run to find a job. He had to do a lot of bootlicking to boss, or even work over times. But there was nothing like this in the world. He could literally rest for an indefinite period of time and bezy as much as he wanted. So for some reason he liked this world but at the same time he had many fears. Because he was a beast like others, not only would others monsters hunt him, but also the humans would not hesitate to kill him. ''Oh well, let''s check the system a bit...'', was what he thought. "Hmm..." ========== Level: 05 || Max. Level: 05 -- ========== "Huh?", while he was checking his own profile once, he could see a Leveling stat which showed that it was already maxed out. It meant that the moment he reached the maximum level, no matter what happened he wouldn''t level up anymore. "Damn... that''s bad...", he was sad for a minute and was a bit annoyed. If he couldn''t level up them he wouldn''t be able to hunt or protect himself. This time he was lucky since the lizard was not in its habitat and it had been weak since earlier for some reason. Also, he had won because of the lizards own attack where he almost yed no role. After thinking all these things, the proudness which he has about hunting his first prey was broken into pieces. "Tsk, it feels like I''m useless and worthless...", he said to himself while sitting near the bones of the lizard. He was about to go and check the next stat when suddenly he saw another button like thing just near the Leveling stat. ''What''s that...?'', he wondered. ''Can I click it?'', he asked himself in mind and then slowly moved his small paw towards it and pressed it. ''DING'' ========== [The process of evolution has started] -> Choose a job for the evolution to proceed: - -> Healer - -> Sage - -> Necromancer - -> Beserker -< Choose within the time limit, otherwise random job will be given >- TIME LIMIT: 00:00:00:10 [ 10 seconds ] ========= ''Huh? I need to choose one of them?'', he wasn''t sure as what those jobs meant and he didn''t know what to choose either as it was asked all of a sudden. On top of that there was a time limit due to which he wasn''t able to concentrate properly. "What''s should I choose?", he asked himself. "It would be best if I Choose Beserker since that will increase my power...", he said. His decision wasn''t wrong. Since he was quite weak right now, having the Beserker job might increase his strength by several times and he might be able to run away or fight in a better manner. But the greatest fault of that job was that the intelligence would bepletely nil while using the power of Beserker which he wasn''t aware about. He literally would be like a tyrant who would attack any and all if he would be hungry. He could kill everyone who would even appear in front of him. ''Yes... Beserker is the best!'', he thought. "Alright! I choose-" Just before he couldplete saying about his choice, the time was up. ========== [The process of evolution has started] -> Choose a job for the evolution to proceed: - -> Healer - -> Sage - -> Necromancer - -> Beserker -< Since nothing was chosen before the time limit was over, a random job will be given to the host >- ========== "Argh!!! Dammit!!!", he was regretting the fact that he took too long to think. Even if he was a second faster, he could have chosen the beserker job. ''I don''t want the Healer job... just give me anything other than the Healer job!'', he started wishing for other jobs. He didn''t want the Healer job since he thought that having that job would only provide him haling abilities. In battle, healing ability would be practically useless as he would get killed in an insitant even before healing himself. "Anything other than healing!!!", he kept on repeating this after tightly closing his eyes. He continued to pray and wish for some other job for around 5 minutes after which a notification appeared. ''DING DONG'' TO BE CONTINUED... Chapter 9 The First Evolution - Part 2: A Single Job And Dual Class ''DING DONG'' ========== [ Specific Job With Dual ss Confirmed! ] - JOB: Ruler - - DUAL CLASS: - - -1] Hunter - - -2] Predator ========== "Huh?", Shin waspletely surprised when he read the notification. He didn''t have any words to describe the feeling that was emerging from his body. He was initially given 4 jobs from which he had to select one but unfortunately he failed to do so in the given amount of time. So he was bestowed a chance in which an automatic job would be chosen, but never in his wildest dreams could he had imagined that he would get something other than what was given earlier. "Wh-what the heck is thissss!!!?", he couldn''t believe his eyes at all. "What''s with this specific job and Dual ss?", he asked himself. "Ruler? Isn''t the somewhat simr to the titles?", he was indeed right. A while ago the Ruler Of the Swamps had the title of ''Ruler'' in its name. So instead of that being a job, it would be better to call it a title. So it was indeed weird that he got something like that. "Hold on a second... what''s this Ruler Job exactly?", he asked himself but the system responded to it. ''DING'' ========== JOB: [ RULER ] -> It is a specific job bestowed to only a few individuals. -> Allows the user to rule over anything and everything it desires! [ CONDITION ] -> The host should be stronger than the being which should be ruled over. RANK: ??? ========== Thanks to the system, his doubts were somewhat cleared. He could now understand the job which he had got. ''I have to rule over others? Sounds interesting...'', he thought. For a moment he could imagine all the beasts in the world under him and he sitting on the throne. All those beasts were praising him and were saying - ''All Hail SHIN! All Hail the Ruler!!'' But his little toplete useless dream broke the moment a drop of water fell on his head. It seemed as if it had started to rain all of a sudden. "Argh! That''s bad!", he immediately ran towards the nearest tree and took the shelter under it. ''Weird, it was sunny just a while ago, how did it start to rain so suddenly?'', he thought. But then again he was in a weird ce where normal logic wasn''t applied anyway so he dropped the idea of needlessly worrying about suchmon things as rain. Right now he wanted to focus on the system message that was being shown. He somehow understood how the system worked and thought about testing it again. "Okay system, tell me what the Dual ss is about...", he asked. ''DING'' ========== [ DUAL CLASS ] -> sses are the categories that determines the talent of individual. -> It builds the foundation and allows and makes opportunities that would allow the specific skills to grow. -> Dual ss is the rarest of among rare urrences in which 2 sses are given under a job. ========== Shin was somewhat convinced by the details that was provided by the system for the time being. He understood what was written on it and read it at least twice. ''Hmm, so you could say that I''m lucky...'', that was what he thought. He was lucky enough to be given another chance to survive and thus this luck wasn''tparable to that in the first ce. It appeared as if he had used up all his luck in reincarnating and getting the system as a cheat. Joe that he understood what the dual ss meant, he wanted to particrly focus on the two sses which he had acquired. The ss Hunter and the ss Predator were almost the same. He wasn''t able to spit any difference in them other than the spelling and pronounciation. "Argh, I guess it might be some bug which just have the synonyms...", was what he thought initially. But it was onlyter that he understood the importance of both the sses when he asked the system. "System, tell me what this hunter ss is that I''ve got?", he asked quite politely. ''DING'' ========== CLASS: [ HUNTER ] -> Can Hunt any monsters or beasts or being. -> A ss which allows the popping up of normal, rare, super, epic, legendary and unknown grade items when monsters or beasts are hunted. -> Provides 10% extra growth. -> The monster hunted cannot provide any skills when consumed. ========== "Ah? That''s indeed good... items will pop up?", he was excited when he read the info that was written. It was simr to the game system which he once yed when he was young. It seemed that the hunter ss was an amazing ss and thus it was without a doubt like a boost to him. But now the biggest question which he had was the difference between hunter and Predator ss and to know that he had to check on the details of the Predator ss. ''System, disy the details of the Predator ss.'', he said in his mind as he wanted to test if the system worked just by thinking and it indeed did work! ''DING'' ========== CLASS: [ PREDATOR ] -> can hunt only those monsters which are considered to be prey. -> Provides Specific skills and stats on hunting or consuming the monsters or beasts. -> Intimidation increases by 10% ========== Shin was finally able to understand what the Predator ss was and now that he looked at both the sses, amon small difference was visible in them. The hunter ss would allow to hunt any beasts or monsters or beings whereas the Predator ss would allow only to hunt those things which would be like preys in his eyes. Also the addition of stats or popping up of items was another different that could be seen in them. "Hehe, that''s good... I feel like I''m some protagonist and this all is happening to me! It''s fucking cool!", he was overly excited and failed to notice the river which had started to overflow due to the excess of filling up of water. It was only when the water touched his paws that he felt the river''s chill water and turned that way. "Holy shit! I take it back!", while saying this he ran a bit far away while staring at the system when another message popped up. ''DING'' ========== [ Second Phase Of Evolution ] -> Hunt three... ========== TO BE CONTINUED... Chapter 10 The Second Phase Of The First Evolution - Part 1 ''DING'' ========== [ Second Phase Of Evolution ] -> Hunt three Marieus Squirrels [ 0/3 ] -> Eat three Marieus Squirrels [ 0/3 ] -> Attain one ss [ 2/1 ] TIME LIMIT: 00:03:00:00 [ 3 hours ] [ WARNING ] -> Failure ofpletion of second phase would lead to major changes in the process of evolution. ========== He could clearly see the text in which one of the missions was alreadypleted. ''Ah? I need to eat 3 Marieus Squirrels?'', he asked himself. He didn''t have any problem with that since he had already eaten a giant lizard. The mission didn''t feel that tough when he just thought about he, but little did he know that it was one of the toughest missions that he could have faced. He paused near a tree which was quite far away from the river and was taking a look at the missions again when he spotted a squirrel on the tree that was just ahead of him. "Huh? I didn''t think about it..." The Squirrels usually preferred to remain in the tall trees on which he couldn''t possibly climb as he didn''t have any such ability. That was the main problem that he was about to face. More than that, the Squirrels would indeede down the trees once a while, but right now it was raining due to which there was 1 to 0% of channel that a squirrel woulde down. ''Damn, even the nature is against me...'', he thought in his mind. It was not a wrong thought by any means as it''s couldn''t have be any worse timing when he got such quest. ''Now... how do I climb the trees?'', that was the only question that lingered in his mind. "Tsk...", now all he could do was grit his teeth and sit down on the ground that was wet due to the very few drops of rain that had been escaping the shelter of the trees and falling down. ''I should try to climb it...'', he thought for a moment about it but it seemed quite impossible. He gave up on the idea the moment he looked at his paws that he had instead of humans hands and legs. "How bothersome...", he waspletely frustrated because all the trees surrounding him had the Squirrels which he wanted to hunt. The white coloured text was continuously flying above their heads and thus it seemed to be an easy Hunt but unfortunately his fortune kept face pping him again and again. But one thing was good that he was given at least of 3 hours and it was nowehere mentioned that the evolution would get suspended if the second phase wasn''t able to getpleted. ''Argh.... what do I do?'', he kept wondering the whole time and even before knowing it, 2 hours already passed by. The rain had also stopped and the sky became a bit clear so there was some hop that the squirrel woulde down but the hope was very less. He couldn''t wait for that long because he had to hunt 3 Squirrels which wouldn''t be easier by any means. "Let''s try!!!", he couldn''t sit anymore while doing nothing so he thought about at least trying. He ran win all his might and jumped on the tree trunk and tried to climb it. ''SLIP'' Even before knowing it, the amount of height that was covered thanks to the jump was reduced to nothing as he just slid down because of the wet surface. "Come on! What else do you expect me to do?", he disyed his utter difort and displeasure. He couldn''t find of another way by which he could reach the Squirrels. He started ring at them as if he really wanted to hunt them and eat them. And when he hadpletely fixated his gazes in the squirrel that was sitting right above him, a system notification popped up. ''DING'' ========== [ ss Predator has been activated. ] [ The Marieus Squirrel has been confirmed as Prey ] [ All stats increased by 5 ] [ Senses sharpened ] [ Intimidation increased by 10% ] ========== All of a sudden his eyes started to glow with bluish green light. He himself was shocked when the view of the surrounding seemed somewhat different. ''What the heck?'', everything was viewed as if it was painted by a blueyer which was weird to him because it was the first time to happen. ''The squirrel has been identified as a prey?'', he read the system notification and then almost instantly looked at the squirrel. "Holy shit!? This can''t be real...", he was shocked when he saw the squirrel. His mouth started watering all of a sudden and arge amount of saliva was being generated just by the nce of the squirrel. He started wagging his tail subconsciously without even realising that he was somewhat behaving like a real wolf or dog. It was not his fault either because the so called squirrel that was in front of him was now looking like a ''Chiken Leg piece'' which was his favourite food back on earth. ''Am... am I hallucinating?'', he asked himself. It wasn''tpletely wrong but it could be said that it was an effect of the Predator ss. "I want to eat it!!!", he shouted and ran with great velocity away from the tree. He wanted to create some distance and after doing that he ran back with all his might. Since his agility was increased, his speed also increased sharply due to which he covered therge distance within a few seconds. "Hyaaaa!!!", he mustered all the strength in his hind limbs after lifting his fore limbs and jumped as high as he could. This time because his strength was more than before and so were his senses, the jump was twice the height whenpared to before. ''I will eat it!!!'' ''I wonder if it will be juicy!'' ''Will it be crispy!!!'' Those were the only thoughts that were wandering in his mind. ''Almost there... a bit more...'', the distance between shin and the squirrel was a matter of one metre that was left but unfortunately that was as far as he could go. The squirrel too got alerted and was running away to the higher branch that was ced. ''No!'' ''Losing that will be as good as losing my life!'', was what Shin thought. For some reason it seemed as if he didn''t want topromise with the food. "Where do you think you are going!!!!?", he shouted with all his might. But he had now started to fall towards the ground, however he didn''t give up. He forced his paws to the trunk so that he would stay firm at that ce but unfortunately because he was too young, he didn''t have any ws and thus he started to slip. "Arghhh!!! I won''t give up! Chicken! Chicken!!!", that''s what he said. Then he suddenly looked towards the squirrel that was running away. It seemed as if his dream would remain a dream and he was slowly falling when all of a sudden his wild instincts worked. ''RAWR'' He gave out a cute rawr and growls immediately after which he did something which was indeed good. ''CRUNCH'' He bit the trunk with his small and almost no teeth thanks to which his fall stopped and he was now attached to one ce without slipping any further down. ''DING'' ========== [ You have used the skill BITE ] -> Dexterity of the jaws has been doubled. -> Power of the jaws has been doubled. -> Dexterity of the teeth has been doubled. ========== TO BE CONTINUED... Chapter 11 The Second Phase Of The First Evolution - Part 2 ========== [ You have used the skill BITE ] -> Dexterity of the jaws has been doubled. -> Power of the jaws has been doubled. -> Dexterity of the teeth has been doubled. ========== The message was surely intriguing but it wasn''t something that he could enjoy while looking at. Right now his eyes were already fixated on one thing and that was squirrel. Even though it ran away, he didn''t give up and stayed firm at the same ce by using bite. However he was still a small pup and not some giant adult wolf. It''s body weight couldn''t have been handled by the small jaws that he had. His entire body was literally facing towards the ground and all the pressure was being forced into his jaws which would have broken easily. But they didn''t break yet because of the advantages of the skill bite which was provided. In fact such a thing was like a boon to him at a time like this. Though his jaws and teeth which were not fully grown yet had started to pain, he didn''t let go of his wish of eating the prey as his Predator ss was still active. ''I want to eat it...'', that was thoughts that were circting in his head due to which he basically sighed his own grave. ''BAM'' He slipped and fell on the ground despite the bite skill. It was because he started to salivate when he thought about the food and due to that the barely managed friction between his jaws and the tree trunk got destroyed. He didn''t have some huge fangs that could actually pierce into the tree trunk and that was why it was only a bit of contact and nothing else. "Ouch... that hurt...", he hurt his body after falling from a 8-9 feet. After that fall, his eyes returned to normal and soon after that two notifications popped up one after the other. ''DING'' ========== [ ss Predator has been deactivated ] [ All stats restored ] [ Senses restored ] [ Intimidation restored ] ========== He had just finished reading when all of a sudden another notification popped right away. ''DING'' ========== [ The Skill Bite has leveled up ] => Lv.1 -> Lv.2 [ Dexterity will be risen by 3 times on each usage of respective parts ] ========== He grinned the moment he read the second message because something good did happen and it seemed like he figured out the way to level the skills up. ''I have to continuously use them...'', that''s what he concluded with which was indeed correct. He thought about it for a while and then decided to level his skills before attempting to hunt the squirrels again but his dedication was a matter of seconds when he looked at the time that was left. ========== [ Second Phase Of Evolution ] TIME LEFT: 00:00:32:56 [ 32 minutes 56 seconds ] ========== All his excitement and joy about the Leveling up of the skill disappeared in an instant when he looked at the time that was left. "Hardly 30 minutes is left... I need to hunt 3 Squirrels... then that means I have only 10 minutes for each one of them!?", he was shocked after thinking that and thought about hunting immediately. He didn''t want to give up on any and all chances that came by because these small chances were the ones that would ultimately make him grow stronger! "Yes, j need to rush now!", after saying that he looked at the surroundings to find it anymore such Squirrel was left. ''But what had happened to me? I can''t believe I wasted so much of time... I was literally seeing a chicken piece?'', he wondered in his mind. But he feared to have that thought at the earliest and kept searching for the Squirrels. ''I can most definitely find as many as I want, but how will I hunt them if I can''t go near them?'', he thought. He had already found many squirrel in the surrounding trees that were just nearby. The only problem was that he couldn''t climb and when he thought a bit about it, he got an idea which was somewhat simr to the solution of the problem. "Bait... yes! That''s it! I need to bait them out! If I can''t go near them, that doesn''t mean that they can''te near me!!!", he grinned while saying that to himself. ''Hehe~ Just you wait, you will be my meal soon!", after saying this he looked for some nuts that had fallen on the ground. He gathered a few of them and made 4-5 bunches of them. Then he slowly moved them to the sight where it was visible to all of them and immediately ran and hid himself while waiting to ambush them at once. ''Come my dear kitties... what are you waiting for? A once in a life time offer of so many nuts are kept in front of you...'', was what he thought. The Squirrels has a weird habit of collecting nuts that had already fallen on ground. It was probably because they wanted to most mature one in which they would require less force to crack it open; but no matter what one thinks, it was quite weird. Regardless, Shinid in await for the Squirrels to make their moves because he had already yed his turn. He kept on waiting and 20 minutes had already passed by, only a few minutes were left. However he didn''t feel the need to go and hunt right now and try something else because he could see the Squirrels slowlying down if the trees. ''I won''t leave them for sure...'', he slowly bent his body and prepared himself to rush at any moment. ''DING'' ========== [ ss Hunter has been activated ] [ Every beast hunt will give one item based on its rank ] [ No skill boost will be provided during this time ] ========== This time his eyes shined with yellowish golden light. Everything around him too seemed yellow but that wasn''t half bad because he was basically able to see their ranks just beside their names. He forced his muscles of limbs and mustered all his strength. ''RAWR'' He gave out another cute growl and ran towards them with all his might. There were more than 20 Squirrels that had been umted at the ce and thus the chances of missing was less. "Hyaaa!!!" ''SPLASH'' ''CRUNCH'' ''DING'' ========== [ Skill Bite has been activated ] -> Dexterity of the jaws has been tripled. -> Power of the jaws has been tripled. -> Dexterity of the teeth has been tripled. ========== ''SPLASH'' ''CRUNCH'' ''SPLASH'' ''CRUNCH'' It was literally a feast of Shin who killed a lot of squirrels and ate them right away by chewing them. There was a small pool of blood formed there and the blood stain was also on the wolf''s mouth. ''DING'' ========== [ No items gained due to the low level of the beast ] ========== That was the message he got first but he didn''t say anything because despite not getting that, he was able to taste the squirrels which were extremely delicious to him. ''DING'' ========== [ The Second Stage Of Evolution has beenpleted ] -> Hunt three Marieus Squirrels [ 11/3 ] -> Eat three Marieus Squirrels [ 10/3 ] -> Attain one ss [ 2/1 ] ========== He smiled after looking at the first message. He was about to eat the remaining squirrels when suddenly he got another message. ''DING'' ========== [ Proceeding To Final Phase ] -> raise ''BITE'' to Level 2 [pleted ] -> raise ''DASH'' to level 2 [ iplete ] -> hunt Purple Poison Sting Spider (Rank E) [ iplete ] ========== TO BE CONTINUED... Chapter 12 The Final Phase Of Evolution - Part 1 ''DING'' ========== [ Proceeding To Final Phase ] -> raise ''BITE'' to Level 2 [pleted ] -> raise ''DASH'' to level 2 [ iplete ] -> hunt Purple Poison Sting Spider (Rank E) [ iplete ] Time Limit: 00:03:00:00 [ 3 days ] ========== Shin took a look at the message that was disyed right now by the system. ''Nice! The final stage...'', he somewhat felt happy when he took a look at that. Although one of the missions that was shown was alreadypleted, he wasn''tpletely satisfied since there were two more to go. He was nowpletely sure that the purpose of the system was to help him and that was why he stopped cussing. He almost immediately finished the rest of the feast that was right in front of him and then walked towards the bush where he was hiding earlier. ''Hmm, so I need to raise the skill Dash?'', he asked himself and was lost in deep thoughts. He somehow knew that by actually using the same skills again and again, he could actually let them level up. That was why he wasn''t worried about it. The thing that was bugging him was the rank E monster or beast that he had to hunt. "Ya, I guess I really have to face off a much more stronger opponent this time..." The ranks of a monster depicts its strength and without a doubt a rank F and rank E monsters are in different leagues. Rank F included some lower animals examples of which were the squirrels which he hunted earlier. They were easily killed because of their lower ranks and thus weren''t even considered a major part of the food chains! The rank E monsters were without a doubt much more stronger than a rank F monster. Shin himself started the journey as a rank E rather than rank F and that was quite shocking, but that could have been expected since he had already survived a huge massive fire and had escaped from his death. The Grigard, which was the first lizard like monster that he meet in the forest was also E rank but despite that he failed to hunt, whereas he had just hunted a rank C monster which had the title of the ruler. Thanks to that he had a lot of confidence right now which wasn''t an issue to him. "A spider...? Rank E...?", he thought a bit more about it while liking his own mouth with the long tongue that he had. "..." He was thinking too deeply and this was probably the first time he thought in such a way. And for what he was thinking, it was only known after he said, "I wonder if spiders taste better when roasted..." He was literally salivating and was already imagining himself eating the spider after hunting. "But..." All of a sudden his expressions turned gloomy when he actually imagined how spiders are. "Their tiny bodies won''t satisfy me no matter how many I hunt!", he shouted at himself. He then stood up and walked away from the bush. He thought it was in his best interest to clean the blood stain from his mouth because he didn''t want to attract any unwanted danger towards himself. Since it had rained earlier, small pools of water were found all over the ce and in of those pools, he thoroughly cleaned his mouth and face including his paws. ''I guess I should try upgrading the skill Dash first...'', he thought in his mind. Since he had 3 days of time, he had no rush toplete the mission right away. He knew that the 3 days time was given for either of the 2 reasons - It could be because of the difficulty of the mission or it could be because of some other hidden mission. Either way, he thought that it was the best to fully use the time and that too wisely. "Alright then, I guess it''s better to use the skill Dash right now...", he said to himself and then posed in such a way that he was about to run a 100 m rally! His expression also changed and he became quite serious at the moment. He then mustered all the strength that he gained from eating so many squirrels to his limbs. ''RAWR'' He started to run right after he gave the cute roar when suddenly a message popped up. ''Ding'' ========== [ You have used the skill Dash ] -> Your speed is raised by 2 -> Dexterity of the limbs is increased by 5% -> Fatigue will start to get umted by 0.5 per second. -> Skill will get deactivated automatically the moment fatigue reaches 15 ========== He just started with a normal pace, but right after the message popped up, his speed increased significantly. For a moment he felt as if he was touching the clouds and was flying because of the strong gush of cold wind that he could feel blowing past his ears and body. He moved quite swiftly and elegantly. He could clearly see another text that was constantly floating right in front of his eyes. [ Fatigue: 04 ] It meant that he had already ran for 8 seconds and on seeing that he still could run for 22 more seconds, he increased his pace even more. He was basically having fun while running. It was an experience which he had never received. Soon a total of 30 seconds passed by and another notification popped up. ''Ding'' ========== [ The skill Dash has been deactivated ] -> skill cannot be used until Fatigue reaches 1. [ Rest of 5 seconds reduces fatigue by 0.5 ] [ Consumption of food reduces fatigue by 1 in 5 seconds ] ========== ''Huff huff'', he was panting heavily now just by running for a mere 30 seconds which seemed quite unusual. But then again, it seemed as if this was because he had been too busy to even take rest for a while now since he waspletely focused onpleting the missions. Although he could still run, he wouldn''t be able to use the skill dash since the fatigue count would continuously keep on increasing! "Ya, it''s best if I take a little rest...'', while thinking this he walked near a huge tree that was towards his right and then took a shelter under it. He was nowpletely rxed right now even though the day was slowly getting over. He thought quite highly of himself and thought that he would upgrade his skills and then hunt, but little did he know that not everything would go ording to his n since a pain of many eyes watched him from the dark parts of the tree. To be continued... Chapter 13 The Final Phase Of Evolution - Part 2 [ Fatigue: 02 ] The moment heid his eyes on this, he new that he was now ready to stand up and leave. That was probably because he could use the skill Dash again right after the fatigue count reached to 1. ''I guess running a bit more would raise the level of the skill.'', he thought right after which he stood up and was about to leave when all of a sudden he found himself immobile. ''Huh? What is...'' He turned his gazes a bit back only to find himself trapped in some weird web which appeared to be almost transparent. "The heck is this!" He was confused to see the webs here and failed to understand what was going on when all of a sudden he could se a group of red dots staring at him from the tree. "No way... that us..." ''Ding'' [ You have discovered a nest of Purple Poison Sting Spider ] [ Spider Count: 15 ] [ Average Rank: E ] [ Threat Level: C ] The moment he saw the texts, especially the part where it told that it was a nest with 15 spiders, his instincts told him to run away as far as possible. "Argh!" He mustered all his strength and was trying to free himself from the spider web, but all the efforts seemed to be futile. ''What the heck? I am unable to even run away from here?'', he asked himself. He then thought that the only way to run away was to cut the webs due to which he opened his small mouth and tried to tears the web using his small yet sharp teeth. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill ''Bite'' ] -> Dexterity of the jaws has been tripled. -> Power of the jaws has been tripled. -> Dexterity of the teeth has been tripled. Even after using the skill bite, he wasn''t able to free himself. That was because the webs ended up sticking to his mouth too probably because they were quite sticky. ''Damn, just what''s wrong with these webs?'' He was quite tensed now because if he hadn''t hurried then he would have ended up being a prey. He was now somehow positioned in such a way that he could see the movements of the spiders. His head was facing towards the tree so he didn''t have to worry about getting hunted by the spiders from his back. He waited for around 5-10 minutes but there was no movements shown by the spiders. ''Weird... what are they...'' He thought that they might have been asleep, however he could clearly see their red eyes as if they were ring at him and warning him that if he were to make even a slightest of the movements then he would be killed. ''Tsk, I guess I should also rx for a bit...'' He thought that it was a waste of his energy to be on guard when the spiders weren''t doing anything. He was about to sit and rest for a bit when all of a sudden one of the spiders started to rush towards him. Since he hadn''tpletely let his guard down he could see the spider making it''s move. ''No way...'' He saw a small spider which waspletely purple with some red spots on it''s body, swiftly moving towards Shin as if it wanted to eat him almost immediately. ''Damn, the way it''s moving towards me...'' ''It definitely thinks that I am a prey!'' The look of Shin''s face changed and all of a sudden he became quite agitated. ''A mere spider wants to hunt me?'' [ ss Predator has been activated. ] [ The Poison Sting Spider has been confirmed as Prey ] [ All stats increased by 5 ] [ Senses sharpened ] [ Intimidation increased by 10% ] Just when that happened, Shin started to give out arge amount of killing intent whichpletely paralyzed the spider which was advancing towards Shin. Since the spider was in a motion, it just fell down towards Shin''s legs right after being paralyzed. ''Huh...?'' He was confused to see that happen because he had no idea about what had just happened. Regardless, he could nowpletely another task of the mission of hunting the spider which was now right in front of him. More than that, he wanted to see how a spider tasted due to which he couldn''t help but salivate. The spider probably sensed that and was just staring at Shin as if it was asking for mercy. Shin didn''t stop salivating and was looking with the eyes of a predator. ''Please! Spare me!'' The spider was probably trying to say that, but Shin had no intention of doing that. He ignored the puppy like eyes which the spider showed and immediately used the skill ''Bite''. ''Crunch'' [ You have used the skill Bite ] [ Your... ] ''Crunch'' [ You have killed a Purple Poison Sting Spider ] [ You have earned 650 exp ] He didn''t stop to feast on the spider andpletely savored it. His mouth was now painted with a green color which was probably the blood of the spider. Regardless, he hadpletely finished eating the spider. Just a sting and the lower half was left behind. He could clearly see that the sting contained some sort of poison due to which he wanted to avid it at all costs, but then again he wondered if he could make a good use of it. ''Maybe... just maybe...'' While thinking that, he ended up using the skill bite on the hard sting which was probably made up of bone. But thanks to the skill upgrade that had happened quite some time back to level 2. he was able to break the sting and swallow itpletely. ''Ding'' [ You have been poisoned by Neurotoxins] [ You have been paralyzed ] [You have been poisoned by Neurotoxins ] [ You have been paralyzed ] [ You have been poisoned by Neurotoxins ] [ You have been paralyzed ] [ You have been... ] ''Ughh... really now? Tsk, now give me a skill quick!'' Shin was probably expecting the system to give a skill to poison resistance, but he had no idea how much time it would take. He thought he could wait, but little did he know that all the spiders had started to march towards him after seeing him poisoned! To be continued... Chapter 14 The Final Phase Of Evolution - Part 3 ''No way, I never expected them to make a move right when I''m paralyzed!'' It was indeed out of his expectations, but then again not everything would have gone as he wanted. ''Ding'' [ You have been paralyzed ] The notification kept on popping up again and again. It wasn''t helping Shin in any manner. ''No, don''te this way...'' For a brief moment, Shin felt as if death was approaching him. All this time he had been quite careless and was taking everything for granted. He had even got a system and was feeling as if he was the protagonist. But no matter how lucky he was, he has to fight for himself because right now this was not the world he knew about. The spiders all of a sudden threw webs at Shin which trapped himpletely from all sides. ''Ding'' [ Your agility has decreased by 80% ] [ You have been paralyzed ] The system said the same thing which he expected to happen. Although he was in a pinch, he hadn''t given up. He was constantly thinking of a way to ovee this and emerge victorious but unfortunately he couldn''t find any way out of this predicament. The only thing he could do now was struggle for survival. He mustered all of his strength and tried to get out of the web. But the paralysis was making his efforts fail again and again. The spiders were just 10 meters away from him. They were quite agile so obviously it wouldn''t take more than 2-5 seconds for them to approach him and start attacking with various poisons. "Argh!!!" "If only I was a bit stronger!" Despite the paralysis, he was trying to get out of the web. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ Error ] [ The skill has failed to get activated due to Paralysis ] ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ Error ] [ The skill has failed to get activated due to Paralysis ] ''Ding'' [ You have... ] Indeed, even his skill was failing him at the moment, but he was quite desperate to live. More than that, he was actually salivating as if he wanted to eat all those spiders that wereing towards him. "No matter what happens, I will definitely get out of here!", he howled at the top of his voice right after which a system notification popped up which showed the light at the end of the dark tunnel. ''Ding'' [ You have gained a temporary skill ''Paralysis Resistance'' ] [ You have gained a temporary skill ''Poison Resistance'' ] [ Your immunity has risen sharply ] The moment that happened, all the remaining strength that was present in his body started to gush out as if an outlet was provided for all the pent up pressure to burst out! ''Aoooooo'' ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Bite ] [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ The skill ''Dash'' has leveled up ] [ Dash Lv. 1 -> Dash Lv.2 ] "Perfecto!!!!" He shouted because all the leveling up and gaining of skills happened at the same time as if he was provided with the golden opportunity. Earlier he was trying to run away from the spiders by tearing off the webs, but right now he faced the spiders and used all the skills while dashing towards them. The webs tore as if they were nothing. Since his speed had increased thanks to the leveling up of the skill Dash, he was able to appear right in front of them in a mere second. ''Crunch'' ''Crunch'' [ You have killed a purple poison spider ] [ You have gained 150 exp ] [ You have killed a purple poison spider ] [ You have gained 150 exp ] [ You have... ] In a matter of few minutes, he finished off all the spiders and ended up eating all of them. Since he had gained resistance to poison and paralysis, there was nothing that could hinder him while feasting. "..." 15 minutester... ''Burp'' "Wow, that was quite splendid." "I never knew that the spiders could taste this way!" "They were indeed delicious." He was lost in his own thoughts as he rested just below the tree where they were present earlier. "Now then, what should I do next?", he asked himself after resting sufficiently. "Hmm, let''s see..." Just as he was thinking, a system notification popped up which made him d. ''Ding'' [ You have met all the requirements for evolution ] [ Please select your future evolved form - ] -> Midnight Wolf p -> Dark Wolf -> me Wolf -> Half-Dragon Wolf When Shin saw the texts, his eyes started sparkling. He was finally able to choose a form into which he had to evolve. All this time he was thinking about how he would look once he evolved, and now finally that opportunity arrived when he could evolve into a much stronger form. ''Hmm, indeed, the names do sound cool." "But it would have been better if I could see their abilities!" Just as he said that, the system started to disy all the characteristics of the options that was provided. [ Midnight Wolf ] -> One of the strongest predators among the wolf ns. -> Usually nocturnal. -> Due to the silver fur, it''s often confused with the inferior species of white wolf. -> They have extremely sharp fangs and strong limbs that allows them to run faster than any other wolf. -> Their strength increases by 500% during the midnight for 10 minutes. ( Duration may vary from one wolf to another ) -> Chance of evolution to this race --> 87% [ Conditions -> White wolf species with at least one titles ] Initially he got angry when he saw the texts saying that white wolves were inferior ones since he himself was one of them, but more than that he was quite surprised. "Wow! This one is so damn cool!", Shin shouted when he read the details about the midnight wolf. Indeed, the midnight wolves were considered to be one of the leading race in the wolf ns and thus could be easilypared with a royalty! He was almost ready to choose that but he held himself back and took a look at the other options that were provided. "Uh, it would be better if I were to see others too!" [ Dark Wolf ] [... ] To be continued... Chapter 15 The Hybrid Evolution "Yes, let''s take a look at the second one." [ Dark Wolf ] -> Higher Wolf Species -> Specializes in Dark Magic -> Power increases by 200% during night time. -> Power increases by 100% during day time in dark region. -> Chance of evolution to this race --> 53% [ Conditions -> White wolf species with at least one ss ] Compared to the previous one, it didn''t show any much of special characteristics but whatever it had was surely interesting. "Magic...?" "..." "Till now I have been using skills but not even once did I think of magic!" So the moment he realized that, this non-important thing also showed a great significance to him. "Cool..." "This form wouldn''t be half bad either..." But then again, he didn''t get swept away by his feelings and checked upon the details of the next form. [ me Wolf ] -> One of the rarest but strongest predator among the wolf species. -> Specializes in Fire magic. -> Strength increases by 300% in fire habitat. -> Weakness: Water element. (Can be fatal depending on the exposure amount) -> Immortal -> Chance of evolution to this race --> 95% [ Conditions -> White wolf species with Heat resistance ] The overall details were good enough however the weakness about water that was specifically mentioned bugged him a bit. "Sigh, how will I drink water if my weakness is that?" "Also, I can''t eat the wonderful fruits, berries or even different animals because their blood would also have water!" Even though it was evident that fire was one of the strongest element, he didn''t ant to choose it based on the conclusion he derived above. Also, he instinctively withdrew from choosing that because he disliked anything rted to heat! Despite all these things, he was fascinated by the info because of just one single word - ''Immortal''. He wondered what it actually meant. Did that mean that he would never die or did it mean that he would rise from the ashes after death like a phoenix? No matter what it was, he was now interested in this choice too though it was in thest order of selection. "Well then, the next and thest one..." [ Half - Dragon Wolf ] p -> Information cannot be provided due to the interference of Celestials. [ Enabling forceful extraction of the details ] [ Error code: 03015 ] [ Details cannot be provided due to the interference of the Celestials ] "..." Shin was speechless when he read those texts. It was rather confusing to someone who wasn''t even aware of what the choices were. "Celestials...?" "Who the heck are they?" ''Ding'' [ Answer... ] [ Celestials are the supreme rulers of this world who are otherwise termed as Mortal Gods ] "..." Suddenly chill ran down his spine when he read that. He understood that some God was definitely watching him right now who was probably trying to interfere with whatever he was doing. But he realized that there was some word called ''Mortal'' as prefix. "What''s... what''s the difference between Mortal Gods and Gods?", he ended up asking that in order to satisfy his curiosity. ''Ding'' [ Answer... ] [ Gods are the ones who made the world, otherwise termed as Supreme Celestials... ] [ Mortal Gods are the high ranking beasts/demons/humans/fairies/elves etc. who govern or rule the world ] Shin''s eyes widened when he read that. It was as if he was given some weird invitation of growing stronger. His heart beat began to grow stronger and his blood was boiling. "So you mean to say that anyone who bes the highest ranking of their respective race or species can be a celestial?" ''Ding'' [ Affirmative ] "That''s nice..." "Then..." His eyes sparkled and he out-rightly asked something which paved the path that he would take to be someone whose name would go down in history, whose name will be in everyone''s mouth and whose name would cause most to feel reassured and many to tremble! "..." "Can I be a Celestial too?" ''Ding'' [ Affirmative ] [ Chances -> 0.1% ] "Cool..." "It ain''t zero..." "That means even I can be someone who can rule the world!" He became quite happy probably because he finally found the dream which he could chase sincerely. "Then for the first step to realize my dream..." "I need to evolve..." He decided that no matter what would happen and no matter who woulde in his path, he would most definitely aim to dominate the entire world. "..." "Haha, now now, I can''t be that serious... let''s just enjoy for now..." "Firstes evolving..." ''Ding'' [ Specify what you want to evolve into ] "Sigh I wish I could evolve into all thebined forms..." "But it seems impossible..." "Then..." He was about to chose one of the four choices after looking at them again when all of a sudden the system started working on it''s own. [ Command epted ] [ Analyzing the chances of Hybrid evolution ] [... ] [Analysisplete ] [ Chances -> 0.01% ] [ Proceeding to Hybrid Evolution ] [ Combining all possible future forms ] [ Superior Hybrid form created ] ''Ding'' [ Entering Inactive state for 00:01:00:00 (1 hour) ] "Wait wait!" "What''s happening?" "What''s with the hybrid thing? Andbining?" "Just what kind of mixture are you preparing system!!?" The words which Shin had just uttered about evolving into thebined forms of the options provided was taken seriously by the system. There was definitely no option of ''All of these'' in the choices, but the system epted what Shin asked as if it was expecting such a situation. Regardless, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to tell that Shin was totally confused and surprised by such a change in the events. "No way, is the system really trying to do what I wished for?" "No... that''s..." All of a sudden he started to feel sleepy which was probably because of the system which was now forcing his body to be inactive for a period of 1 hour. The forest in which he is wasn''t to be underestimated. Here, each and every second of dy could cost ones life an at this time he was going to be immobile for a whole 1 hour! What would happen to him? Will he survive and sessfully evolve? Or will there be some change of events that would dy his Evolution? Next time, in Reincarnated As A Wolf With Cheats... "Who... who are you?" "..." "Me?" "Haha, I am..." To be continued... Chapter 16 Completion Of The First Evolution Shin had now entered a dormant state where he couldn''t do anything. It was as if his body was paralyzed but that was not the case. Something different had happened which was the better. Furthermore, his body was emitting a faint white light and was growing stronger every second. The forest was dense, so obviously hardly any light could enter the inner areas. It could easily be misunderstood to be night time due to this. But the moment Shin''s body started to glow, the darkness started to fade away. However, it seemed like he had lost his consciousness too so he was practically defenseless. "..." Since it was dark, many monsters and beasts would just roam around, but the moment they were exposed to light, they became aggressive and most of them started rushing towards the source of light that was none other than Shin. The first beast to appear near Shin was a huge centipede like beast. It was twice as big as a human and it had poison fangs in it''s mouth. Obviously, it''s agility couldn''t be underestimated. ''Ding'' [ Threat Level B detected ] [ Enabling Barrier ] ''Ding'' [ Error code: 10010 ] [ Failed to form a barrier due to evolution process ] The centipede wouldn''t show any mercy and would eat Shin in just a single bite. The system too failed to protect Shin at the moment so it was quite the dilemma. The beast was salivating and while doing that, greenish slimy substance was falling from it''s mouth which was without a doubt poison. The centipede waspletely green in color too. However it had red spots on it which marked that it was aa variant among it''s species! So right now, Shin''s luck was as worst as it could be. ''Gwarrr'' The centipede charged ahead swiftly in order to attack Shin when all of a sudden the centipede ended up getting cut into more than thousand pieces! ''sh sh'' The head, the body and the legs, all wherepletely shattered in just a blink of an eye. The centipede was totally confused as to what had happened, but it was no longer alive to figure it out anyway. "Sigh, looks like I stumbled upon something rather interesting...", a person with long white silky hair, a ckish cloak with jet ck clothes and while holding a huge stick in his right hand appeared out of nowhere. He took down a strong beast like the Centipede in a second which was indeed abnormal because no matter how you see, the person was definitely a human male! "Tsk, now do I have to take care of them too?" He looked ahead only to find many more beasts running towards him. Some were Spider, some Smanders and some centipede''s too. But no matter who it was, all of their ranks definitely exceeded ''B''. Despite that, it took him just another one second topletely eradicate all those monsters whose number couldn''t have been less than 20. ''Tap Tap Tap'' He then turned back and walked towards Shin who was currently in his evolving state. "Wow, would you look at that..." "A white wolf species is trying to evolve?", there was a mixed expression on his face. *gulp* ''This is probably the second time in history that this has happened...'', he thought in his mind. ''The first time was...'' He recalled the event which basically had happened 300 years ago when a Giant Wolf which had 9 tails and waspletely white in color went on destroying many human cities and civilizations. It was quite hard to stop it, in fact in order to stop it, heroes were summoned. It wouldn''t have been an exaggeration to call such a beast to be a cmity level or a dragon level threat! The interesting thing was that the beast had evolved from a white wolf species which shocked everyone when they came to know because white wolf species were the weakest. "Haha, I can''t believe I''m really watching a simr moment happening again with my own eyes...", he smirked. He raised the thin wooden stick with which he had just killed all the beasts and aimed at Shin. "But... I can''t watch this till the end..." "..." "You must die..." The man had a serious expression on his face and his eyes showed that he was dead serious. Earlier just a little flick of the stick was more than enough to actually kill all those beasts, so it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that just the touch of the stick could essentially kill Shin. The light continued to grow brighter and the man was about to make his move when all of a sudden he paused. "That..." His eyes were left wide opened when he took a closer look at Shin''s body. "No way..." "It can''t be..." The man waspletely shocked. His hands were shivering as if he had seen something extraordinary which was indescribable. "Why...?" "Why is your son here?", that was the first question he asked. There wasn''t some birth mark or anything that specified this, it was just pure aura that was being liberated from his body which seemed quite familiar to the man. "Such a young wolf pup shouldn''t be alone in this dangerous forest." "But now that he is here... does that mean..." The man didn''t say anything after that and paused the movements of his hand. He then turned back and took a look at some more beasts such as bears and tigers that were heading towards him. "Sigh, pests... don''t you dare try to harm him...", he said this and vanished from the area while swiftly appearing in front of them and killing them in a simr way as he had done earlier! The same thing continued and for a whole hour he guarded Shinpletely without allowing any beast approaching him. ''Ding'' [ Hybrid Evolution isplete ] [ Congrattion, you have evolved into Wolf Warrior ] [ Congrattion, you have gained the skill Transformation Lv.1 ] ''Ding'' [ Congrattion, you have gained the skill me Wave Lv.1 ] [ Congrattion, you have gained the skill Moonlight Warrior Lv.1 ] [ Congrattion, you have gained the skill Dark Maniption Lv.1 ] The messages popped up right after which Shin slowly started to regain his conscious. The man felt that and almost immediately approached Shin and was just staring at him. Shin opened his eyes a bit only to find quite a handsome man standing in front of him who seems to be in his mid thirties. "You..." "Who are you...?" "..." "Me?" "Haha!" "I am..." To be continued... Chapter 17 The Celestial Elf - Part 1 "I am..." The person paused just by saying that. His eyes were opened wide as if he was surprised by something. ''No way...'' ''Did this wolf pup just speak in Elvennguage?'' He stared at him for a minute and then said, "I am just an elf who was passing by..." Shin looked towards his ears which were pointy. He had missed this detail earlier and due to that he thought that the person might have been a human. But right mow he finally understood who he was. "An elf?" His eyes were sparkling because he had never seen such a race even once in this life. Of course, he knew about them a but in his past life while ying some games when he was a teen. "..." "Yes, I''m an elf...." Shin couldn''t cease the excitement just by hearing that, but then all of a sudden all his excitement was lost when he received a system message. ''Ding'' [ Warning ] [ Excess amount of blood lust detected ] "..." Shin paused when he read the text. He slowly yet steadily lifted his gaze towards the elf because he was the only one around. But all that he could see was just a smile and nothing else. However, instinctively he knew that the smile was fake. ''But... I don''t know if the blood lust ising from the elf for sure...'' That was true, one cannot just judge the book just by it''s cover and in a simr fashion, one cannot me anyone just with what he or she feels. ''Ding'' [ Would you like to use the skill ''All Seeing Eyes''? ] ''Ha? When the heck did I receive such a skill?'' ''Ding'' [ After evolving into Wolf Warrior Lv.1 the host has received 3 ss Specific skills namely ] 1) All Seeing Eyes Lv.1 2) Intimidation Lv.1 3) Bloody Fang Lv.1 [ Host can use the spells at any moment with least mana consumption ] [ After Evolution, host has received 4 Evolution Specific Skills namely ] 1) Transformation Lv.1 2) me Wave Lv.1 3) Moonlight Warrior Lv.1 4) Dark Maniption Lv.1 [ These skills consume arge amount of mana based on the usage ] "..." Shin was awed when he saw so many skills that he had gained. Of course, he was unconscious when he got so it was only now that he realized this. Furthermore, the names of skills sounded cool so he did think that he got something extraordinary! ''Yes, use all seeing eyes.'' Just after he said that, his eyes started to shin with faint green light. The moment that happened, he could clearly see a red color aura that was being emitted from the elf which confirmed what he was thinking. "Now way...", now that he could see the massive aura, he flinched. But since he was sitting, he couldn''t move back. Also there was tree blocking his path right behind him. Shin unknowingly had started to speak in elvennguage which was the main factor for the blood lust of the elf. Not everyone could speak elvennguage. The only ones who could do that were the Elves, the Dragons and the Supreme Celestials also referred to as the actual Gods and no one else. Even the Celestials of other race couldn''t learn theirnguage no matter what. And no matter what, a wolf species was seen as an insect. Thus, it felt really nostalgic when Shin ended up speaking the elvennguage. Though, he himself didn''t feel any difference. "Tell me... who taught you the elvennguage?", that was what the elf asked while continuously emitting blood lust and ring at Shin. *gulp* "Elvennguage? What do you mean?", of course, Shin wasn''t aware of it yet. "Don''t you dare lie...", the elf was losing his patience which was a bad sigh of Shin. ''Just what is he talking about?'', the moment when Shin asked this question to himself in his mind, the system responded right away. ''Ding'' [ The Elf Celestial is speaking about the elvennguage that host is speaking in ] [ Elvennguage is the second most difficultnguage to master ] [ Just after transformation, systemnguage was set to Elvennguage by default ] "Ha!?" Shin finally realized what was happening. "Then can you do something about this? I don''t want to surprise anyone and make enemies out of them..." He was telling to himself in a low voice, and of course that wasn''t audible to the elf no matter how sharp his ears were. "Just what the hell are you doing?", the elf asked. Shin ignored him and didn''t answer him. He was quite busy himself at the moment. ''Can''t you really do anything about this?'' ''Ding'' [ The feature of the system can be converted to Active skill ''Language Trantion Lv.1'' ] [ Would you like to proceed? ] ''Ah, if such a thing was avable you should have done it earlier...'' ''I ept it, do it quick!'' Right after he said that in his mind to the system, the skill started to generate. ''Ding'' [ The skill will be generated in 00:00:01:00 ( 1 minute ) ] After seeing the notification Shin grinned and said, "I will tell you everything in 1 minute duration..." "..." The elf who seemed quite agitated now calmed down after hearing that. Although he couldn''tpletely believe Shin, he could wait for at least one minute to find out of he was telling the truth or not. Shin also just sat calmly without even thinking about anything else. He didn''t even see how he looked after evolving nor did he try to think any difference in his powers other than the skills. He was pre-upied and thus he just sat calmly as if no one was standing in front of him because worrying about it could only make the matter worse. However, he took this case too lightly. He thought that the person standing before him was some random elf, but little did he know that the system itself had mentioned something about the elf earlier which Shin could have never imagined - ''The Celestial Elf''! To be continued... Chapter 18 The Celestial Elf - Part 2 ''Ding'' [ The skill has been sessfully generated ] "..." ''Ding'' [ You have gained the skill Language Trantion Lv.1 ] ''Ding [ You can speak and understand any and allnguage with only a few exceptions ] Shin grinned yet again and then started to speak. "Haha, I''m sorry I was lost in my own thoughts..." He was speaking Elvennguage rather fine earlier, but now whatever he spoke was perfect! The sudden change shocked the Elf who now red at Shin yet again. "Sigh, as for the answer to your question..." Shin didn''t want to tell the actual reason that he had some amazing skill like that. Thus, he ended up making some random lie. "I don''t know how but it seems like I am able to understand and speak in most of thenguages..." That was not convincing and of course it could end up increasing the Elf''s suspicion, but other than that Shin couldn''t say anything anyway. Furthermore, he knew that the elf wasn''t someone bad because he could have just attacked Shin without even asking so many questions. Instead of doing that, he waited patiently after Shin requested and thus his trust in the elf increased a bit. Shin was expecting the elf to argue or ask something to prove what Shin said, but instead the elf justughed it out. "Haha! Is that so?" ''Huh? Did I say something funny?'', Shin failed to realize the reason for hisughter. "So it seems... haha!" "Like father... like son!" "Haha!" The elf just kept onughing for a while after saying that but that was by no means funny for Shin. Rather, he was quite confused now when he mentioned the statement - ''Like father like son''. "Haha, tell me, where is Arnolius?", the elf asked. "..." Shin had no answer to that question. He didn''t even know who this Arnolius was in the first ce. "..." ''Who is Arnolius?'', he asked himself and expected the system to answer and the system did answer him in his head via voice. ''Ding'' [ Arnolius - The previous chieftain of White Wolves ] [ He is supposedly the host''s father ] "..." The moment the female like voice told Shin this, it became evident what the elf was asking. He now understood what ''like father like son'' meant. It might have been the case that his father could also speak othernguages and probably because of that the elf might have said that. Shin hadn''t basically seen what had happened but he knew this much for sure that the humans were hunting the white wolves. "..." He just kept quiet and said nothing after seeing which the elf asked, "Don''t tell me... the news about the White wolves hunt was true?" Shin just nodded his head because he was sure about that but after that, he couldn''t answer any other question which the elf posed about his father. "Wait, first tell me, how old are you?", the elf asked. Shin couldn''t answer that at once since he hadn''t been counting the days he lived anyway. ''How old am I?'', he asked the system. ''Ding'' [ 19 days 15 hours 46 minutes 57 seconds ] It seemed like the system had an exact answer to his question. "Haha, I''m 19 days old...", Shin replied quite humbly and innocently as if that was quite normal. "Hmm hmm, so you are 19 months..." "..." "Huh...?" "Can you repeat what you said just now?", the elf''s eyes were widened when he realized that the wolf had said something different. "Uh, I''m 19 days old...", Shin replied in a simr manner yet again. "What!?", yes now the elf heard it yet again and his reaction was note worthy. "Are you kidding me? How can you be just 19 days old!?", that was rather a normal reaction. The wolf pups are quite sensitive hence they don''t hunt or do anything at lest until they are a month old and here the elf found a wolf pup evolving when it''s just 19 days old! "Uh, is something wrong?", Shin asked because he was unaware of the fact that what he just spoke was quite abnormal. Of course, he had no interest on animals whatsoever and he had no idea about their life spans. Since this world was a fantasy one which was quite different from the Earth, he never once stopped to think if he was abnormal in any manner. ''That''s crazy...'' Suddenly the elf''s eyes started to shine with golden light as he stared at Shin. ''Just look at his power...'' ''You are telling me that he is just 19 days old!?'', the elf was totally awed. No amount of surprise could astonish him in such a way. ''If he continues to grow at this rate...'' ''Then within a few years he would be standing at the same level as me!'' *gulp* The elf got goosebumps as he thought about this. But at the same time he was sighing as if he was a bit sorrowful. ''Unfortunately, the life span of wolves are no more than 15-20 years...'' ''I wonder if he could really be a celestial and that too as strong as me!'' "Is something wrong?", Shin asked after seeing the elf sigh. The elf looked at him and asked out of the blue, "Do you want to be a celestial?" "..." Shin paused. He totally stopped thinking right now just as he heard the elf say that. "Oh, haha! Forgive me, you might have no idea what a celestial is..." The elf was going to exin what it was but Shin knew it already. Just before the elf celestial started to say anything about it, Shin said, "Yes, I would definitely want to be one but I will do that with my own powers..." The elf turned his gazes at Shin the moment he heard that. All of a sudden he could see Shin''s aura taking the shape of a dragon. ''A wolf''s and... a dragon''s aura?'', the elf was shocked to see that. But what surprised him even more was when he looked at the aura''s that were mixed with the said dragon''s aura. ''A demon...? A human...? And... an elf?'' He could see these 3 auras too at the same time which was so surprising that the elf might have ended up fainting if he had thought about this matter a bit more. "Who are you...?", the elf asked the question yet again. "Haha, I am Shin, just a normal wolf." "Nice to meet you Elf Celestial Elvion...", he stood up and passed the elf and continued to walk inside the forest right after he said that. The elf whose name was Elvion was left with his mouth open while his eyes were so widely opened that they could pop out at any instant. "I''ll ask again..." "Just who are you?" To be continued... Chapter 19 The Enormous Aura Shin just walked away without saying anything else to the elf. He too kept on staring as he was moving farther away. Elvion didn''t feel any more necessity of protecting Shin so he too stood in the same ce. But he was thinking many things while looking at Shin''s back which grew smaller and smaller and finally vanished. ''I wonder what kind of storm will this little pup bring to our world which is hanging on a thin thread...'', the elf thought and then vanished from the area suddenly just after a greenish light covered him. ''Wow, that was close!'' ''I left so arrogantly. If he had wanted to kill me, then it wouldn''t be that difficult of a task for him!'' Shin was also constantly thinking many things as he was walking along the path from where the beasts hade earlier and were lying dead. Their blood was definitely attracting arge number of beasts and probably that was why Shin was heading that was to have some meal since his stomach was already grumbling. ''Hmm hmm, I never expected to meet a Celestial!'' ''I would have never found that out if this message wouldn''t have popped up!'' He lifted his gazes a bit and stared at the greenish screen in front of him which had very few texts. [ The skill Copy has been activated ] [ You are eligible to learn the skill ''Golden Eye''] [ Would you like to learn the skill ''Golden Eye'' of the Celestial Elf Elvion? ] [ Y/N ] That was what being disyed and just by reading that Shin had understood that the texts were referring to the elf who was standing in front of him. But more than that, he was quite shocked with what the text was saying. It wouldn''t hurt him anyway if he were to learn a new skill. Instead, that would end up boosting his strength so it wasn''t a bad option for him right now. "Yes! I would like to learn." He gave a positive reply after thinking about it for a bit. Just as he said that, another system notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ You have learned the skill Golden Eye Lv.1 ] [ You will be able to see and measure the depth of power and aura of any individual ] Shin was quite happy when he read that and was now about to hide in order toy an ambush to hunt some beasts, however another system message ended up popping. p ''Ding'' [ The skill Golden Eye is inferior to the skill ''All Seeing Eye'' ] [ Skill Golden Eye will be thus merged with All Seeing Eye and will be ced in it''s category ] Shin didn''t exactly think that it mattered in anyway since he would be having the skill despite where it is ced so he maintained his calm. He hid behind a bush now and waited for beasts to appear but even after 1 hour passed, not even a fly could be seen around. ''Just what the heck happened? Did all the beasts got killed by Elvion?'', he asked himself in his mind. "..." He quietly kept on waiting for the beasts to appear but even after another hour passed by, there was nothing that came his way. "Sigh, it''s waste of time...", he said this and stood up. He was hungry, hungrier than ever but right now he wasn''t getting any prey so he decided to go forward and look for them. While walking, he soon reached a small stream which was half the size of a normal river. "Ah, let me drink some water and fill my tummy.", that was the best coarse of action he could take. In streams as small as this, one couldn''t easily find any fishes. On top of that, there weren''t any prey near by so he convinced himself to drink water and satisfy himself for now. *lick lick lick* He drank some amount of water while licking the surface of the said stream. *gulp* "..." He was continuing to drink water but then all of a sudden he paused. His eyes widened when he looked at the clean water in which he could see his reflection although faintly, but it was still visible. "What the..." "Didn''t I evolve? Then why do I look the same as I did before?", he asked himself but the system responded. ''Ding'' [ Due to the hybridization, the host''s characteristics has been modified while the form was failed to be chosen ] "..." "So I have grown stronger but I don''t look bigger...", he understood the simple statement which the system said. "Then system, can you say the reason why I wasn''t able to find any beasts while I was on my way to the stream? Is it because all the beasts of the forest have been killed or something?", he asked. ''Ding'' [ It is because of the enormous Aura that the host is emitting ] [ Wild beasts are highly sensitive to auras. They don''t usually appear in front of stronger auras unless and until they are agitated or have self-pride ] "The heck! You should have told that earlier!" "I''m releasing an intense aura!?" Shin was shocked when he heard that and wanted to see himself if what the system said was truth of not. He looked at his own reflection in the stream right after which his pupils started to shine with greenish blue light. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill ''All Seeing Eyes'' ] [ Your vision has been directed to all the Supernatural or Abstract forces or causes ] Right when he used that, he could suddenly see arge smoke like thing appearing from his body. It waspletely white and it continued to get emitted. Just by seeing that he got a bit of chill even when it was from his own body. "So... this is Aura, my aura?", he said in a low voice while staring at the white aura which was as huge as a tree. He grinned after seeing that and asked the system, can you suppress all the aura that I''m emitting. ''Ding'' [ Affirmative, the system can suppress the aura but the system advices the host to develop a skill to suppress the aura by himself with continuous practice ] "..." To be continued... Chapter 20 Hunt The Mariorack Deer! ''Ding'' [ Affirmative, the system can suppress the aura but the system advices the host to develop a skill to suppress the aura by himself with continuous practice ] "Hmm..." That was rather interesting. The system advised Shin something which would without a doubt would be much more beneficial that what he had initially thought. "Alright!" "Let''s give it a shot!" Shin then closed his eyes and tried to feel his own aura which had been liberating on arge scale. "..." "Argh, it''s so difficult!", he opened his eyes in just 2 minutes after he had closed. "Let''s try once again!" He closed his eyes again and then concentrated on his own body. ''Lub Dub'' ''Lub Dub'' He was clearly able to hear his own heart beat. Everything around him was quite calm. It was as if he was finally rxed. It was sofortable that he didn''t wanted to stop concentrating his mind. ''Huh...? What''s that?'' Suddenly, arge white me appeared in front of him. He was actually seeing that with his inner eyes since his actual eyes were closed. The me was emitting a bright radiance which was making him difficult to keep his inner eyes opened, but he didn''t falter and persisted despite this obstacle or whatever it was. The me was gigantic when it appeared, but as the time passed it started to look small. ''What''s happening?'', Shin failed to understand the situation he was in. The me was getting smaller and smaller and soon it felt as if it had be as tiny as an ant. But when Shin carefully looked at his own limbs and the surrounding, he could clearly tell that it wasn''t the me that had be small, it was he who berge! His surrounding was filled with other types of lights such as green lights and violet lights. Since their position remained unchanged, Shin could easily tell that it was him who was continuously growing. But that growth too came to an end and he ended up opening his eyes right when a system notification broke his concentration. ''Ding'' [ You have gained the passive skill Aura Control Lv.1 ] [ Your aura will be hidden forever unless and until the skill Aura Control gets deactivated under excess rage ] [ Your agility will increase by +1 when the skill gets deactivated ] Shin smiled and when took a look at himself via the reflection in the stream, he could no longer see his aura. He thought that this was a great achievement that he had got because now he could hunt easily. He was quite happy by seeing his progress, but there was one thing which still suffocated him. "Why the heck am I still small despite the fact that I evolved!?", he asked himself. ''Ding'' [ The hybrid Evolution is unpredictable and since the host has undergone hybridization, some traits were left behind ] [ From next evolution there would be increase in size depending on the host''s choices ] And Shin couldn''t talk back to the system. His stomach started to grumble now since he had been hungry for a while now. He wanted to eat the fishes that could appear near the stream whose possibility was minimum, but it seemed like the system had ns of it''s own. ''Ding'' [ Mission 0C4 ] [ Hunt a Mariorack Deer ] "Ha? Mario... what?", Shin failed to pronounce that but he understood that he had to hunt a deer now. It wasn''t that bad of an offer that was given by the system, but Shin could easily tell that something was fishy. First of all there was a weird code beside the word ''Mission''. The next thing was that till now Shin hadn''t encountered a single herbivore. He could make out from the missions that the system was making Shin move towards the interior of the forest. It is quite amon knowledge that Carnivores are mainly found in the center or interior of the forest. That would be the same for herbivores too, but considering Deer most of them would lie around the edge''s of the forest or the areas where Water supply would be present along with abundant grasses! "Oh well, I guess I should hunt something to eat anyway!" Shin was about to run to search the deer when all of a sudden another notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ Would you like to use ''Navigation''? ] [ Y/N ] "Huh...?" "Huhhhh!?" "There is a feature of navigating where the prey is!?", Shin was shocked when he saw that. *gulp* He recalled the fact that all this time he had been lucky in finding his preys. Or to be more precise, the system gave the tasks of the preys that were nearby. But now that it gave the info about the deer which are rather present in far away ces, it also provided a feature of navigation. Of course, it would have been way difficult for Shin to hunt in such arge forest just blindly. "Cool! Why didn''t you tell me about such a feature?", Shin asked. Shin was pouting and was a bit angry of the system. [ Navigation can only be used if the prey is at a range of 10-20 miles ] "..." And the system gave out a satisfying answer which left Shin speechless. "Sigh, alright then! Let''s go hunting!" "Start navigation." [ Navigating... ] [ Searching Mariorack Deer... ] ''Ding'' [ 6 Mariorack Deer found. ] [ Distance: 18 miles ] [ Direction: Due North ] Apass was shown which was possible the feature of the system as well. It depicted the north direction so it wasn''t a problem that could confuse Shin. "Alright then! Let''s go!", he shouted and then ran with all his might towards the prey. It was quite a normal thing for him, he had been hunting monsters and beasts till now to satisfy his hunger and now too he would hunt in a simr fashion. This hunt didn''t have any special significance for him other than satisfying his stomach and tongue, but little did he know that the fateful encounter that had to happen eventually, would take ce now during this hunt, and probably that was what the system was aiming for! To be continued... Chapter 21 Another Failure ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ Your agility has... ] The same old message appeared about him using the skill to run as fast as he could. If he were to upgrade it right now, it could probably help him but he had many things going on in his mind. Furthermore, he wanted to first satisfy his own body, so he didn''t care about anything else and just ran with all his might. [ Distance: 11 miles ] He was constantly staring at the system in which the distance statues was changing constantly. ''Soon...'' ''Very soon I will have another marvelous dish of this world!'', he was thinking about the deer and was salivating as he ran. One could easily confuse him with a mad bull who wanted to eat everything that he could. "..." One hour passed in a blink of an eye after which he had finally arrived at the destination. [ Distance: 0 miles ] ''Ding'' [ Distance: 3 miles ] However the distance suddenly changed from 0 miles to 3 miles! "Huh? What the-", initially he got confused when he saw that happen but then he almost immediately realized that the deer weren''t some stable objects. Perhaps, even they wanted to move to some other better ce due to which they might have gone a bit far from the ce. Of course, he couldn''t keep on using the dash skill for theplete one hour and probably that was what made him slow down. He continued to just walk slowly now because more than his stomach, his legs started to inflict pain. ''Ugh, I guess I shouldn''t just blindly run for too long...'', right after this he realized that it would have been best if he had given some rest. "Sigh...", he sighed and looked towards the dark shady areas of the forest towards which thepass was pointing. The sun was exactly on top of him which was probably draining even more energy, but thanks to the trees that drainage was minimized. [ Distance: 0.3 miles ] The distance that was left was very less and Shin forced himself to take a look at the so call deer that he had been chasing after. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill ''All Seeing Eyes'' ] [ Your vision has been enhanced by 10 times ] He could now clearly see through the darker areas that were present due to the shadows of the trees. "Holy!" Through his vision he saw something unfathomable. Perhaps this was the first time he had seen such beasts aftering to this world. Although he spotted only 3 of the deer, he could clearly see their white spots on their brown skin which made them look distinct. Their eyes were so perfectly curvy and beautiful that anyone would get mesmerized by it. The long and slender legs seem quite flexible which were probably quite strong to help them escape from their prey. Basically it was as if all the decorations was done to a single dish and it was as if a clear invitation was kept for the predators to rush and have them. Shin was no exception, he had already been salivating and now for some reason, it seemed as if there was a waterfall or rather saliva-fall from his mouth! Any longer and he would have already bathed in itpletely. ''I can''t wait anymore...'' He mustered a little amount of strength to his legs and then slowly started to walk towards them. It seemed as if he had grown to be a bit wiser. All this time he would just run towards the prey without thinking anything else and would just grab them. Probably due to this many of them would escape which was not a good sign for a hunter or a predator since only the weak would probably be left behind. Right now, he decided to slow approach them by which he could probably have a better chance at getting a better prey. [ Would you like to activate the sses? ] [ Y/N ] The sses as mentioned earlier could be considered as a bonus skill and since Shin had two such skills, the system would inevitably ask which to activate. "Yes..." [ Please select the ss which you want to activate ] [ ss Predator ] -Y/N [ ss Hunter ] - Y/N "Hmm..." It''s not as if he remembered specifically what the sses were supposed to boost. He didn''t have time either to have a nce at them since the deer could run away if even a slightest of sound was heard. Thus, he just ended up selecting the very first ss that was shown. ''Activate ss Predator!'' [ ss Predator has been activated. ] [ The Mariorack Deer has been confirmed as Prey ] [ All stats increased by 5 ] [ Senses sharpened ] [ Intimidation increased by 10% ] ''Ding'' [ Increase in intimidation contradicts the effects of Aura-Stealth due to the superiority of ss over skill ] [ 1% of Aura is leaked with ordance to intimidation ] Aura and intimidation went hand by hand. Basically intimidation meant that Shin would re at the beasts to denote his superiority. That way there would be a chance to make them get paralyzed since they would bepletely engulfed with fear. Because of that very reason, it was the worstbination to be used while Aura-Stealth was active. In this case too, the deer felt the intimidation and the aura, despite it being only %, they al ran away almost immediately. Now Shin was left there with nothing. His jaw was left open and he was trying to think about what had just happened. "Did I just..." "Chase them away!?", he shouted! "..." He was quite angry at his foolishness. Everything was going just fine, and if he hadn''t activated the ss, he could have even seeded in hunting them. But the notification ruined it all when it appeared. Basically that''s what he thought. "Damn, it''s all cause of you SYSTEM!", he shouted yet again. Indeed, it was his own careless decision, but in the end it was the system that was med by him. "Now what do I do other than epting the punishment for failing the mission?", not only was he hungry, but also his mood was in the worst case. Since the hunt was ruinedpletely, he was gloomy and just walked wherever he wanted while waiting for the punishment. 30 minutes passed by and no punishment was received whatsoever. "Huh...? That''s weird... shouldn''t I have been punished by now?", he asked himself. [ Mission 0C4 ] [ Hunt a Mariorack Deer ] The mission was still active which meant that he hadn''t failed yet, but more than that there was no timer and no punishment or reward mentioned. "Does that mean I can hunt them whenever I want...?" "..." To be continued... Chapter 22 The End Of Tutorial And The Beginning Of Main Scenario "Sigh, and why is there no rewards forpleting it?" Shin hadplete confidence that he would be able to hunt the deer due to which he was expecting to get a handsome reward, but it seemed like that wouldn''t be the case. ''Grumble'' ''Grumble'' Right now his stomach was hurting and was begging to eat something. He didn''t have time to think about anything and wanted to hunt anything and everything that came to his sight. The ss had already been deactivated and now he just looked here and there while trying to find a prey. "What do I do...?", while he was thinking that, all of sudden his eyes spotted something. "That is...?" ''Ding'' [ Climber Earthworm Lv.1 ] "..." Shin was speechless. Right now in front of him he could see a gigantic earthworm which was probably as big as him! It looked abnormally normal. The Earthworms were one of the preys which the wolves would eat in initial days but the size would most definitely be less. "..." That wasn''t the only thing that surprised Shin. The fact that it''s name had the word ''Climber'' was clearly made evident form the fact the the Earthworm was slowly climbing the bark of the tree. *gulp* But even before Shin had realized it, he had already started to drool over it. He almost immediately rushed towards it to eat it. ''Crunch'' [ You have used the skill Bite ] [ Dexterity of... ] [ You have killed the Climber Earthworm Lv. 1 ] [ You have gained 50 exp ] ''Crunch'' ''Ssh'' "Yum! It''s quite juicy." Indeed, his entire body was covered with the Earthworm''s blood. Furthermore, since it''s body was as big as Shin and the fact that it was quite soft, Shin treated it as some meat and hogged itpletely. After 5 minutes, Shin had already finished eating it. It didn''t matter to him that it was just a worm, all he cared was about the taste and filling his stomach. "Sheesh, now my tummy has bugled like a balloon..." Of course, he had eaten preys bigger than the earthworm, but never did he engulf them out rightly. Right now, he just swallowed most of the parts of the earthworm since it''s body was slippery due to which not all the parts were able to get chewed properly. "I guess I should rest a bit..", he thought about it and lied down at the same ce form where he had hunted the worm. It was obviously a shady area thanks to the tree. The coolness provided due to the shade made his fatigue vanish. His mind was clear now and he was calm and rxed. "Hmm, I should take a look at my own stats before I make any other moves..." He had some time now and while he was resting, he thought that it was the best to take a look at his own weakness and strengths. "System, show my profile..." ''Ding'' [ Profile ] Name: Shin Sex: Male Age: 20 days 00 hours 58 minutes 31 seconds Weight: 0.4 Kg (1 Pound) Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Evolved Warrior Wolf ] Rank: D || Max. rank: ??? Level: 05 || Max. level: 25 HP: 25/25 || Max. HP: ??? MP: 14/14 || Max. MP: ??? Exp: 190 || Max. Exp: 200 Atk: 20 || Max. Atk: ??? Def: 25 || Max. Def: ??? Speed: 29 || Max. Speed: ??? Int: 40 || Max. Int: ??? [SKILLS GAINED] -> ACTIVE SKILLS 1] Bite Lv.2 2] Dash Lv.2 3] Copy Lv.1 4] Heal Lv.1 5] Transformation Lv.1 6] me Wave Lv.1 7] Dark Maniption Lv.1 8] All Seeing Eye Lv.1 9] Aura Control Lv.1 -> PASSIVE SKILLS 1] Cold Resistance Lv.1 ? 2] Heat Resistance Lv.1 3]Shock Resistance Lv.1 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.1 7] Language Trantion Lv.1 "..." Shin smirked as he looked at the number of skills which he had. Although some skills were acquired when he evolved and were untested, it was still pretty cool that he had so many wide range of attacks which he could use. "Haha, now I really feel like the protagonist..." "All my wishese true and I can basically get everything that isn''t present in the system..." What he said was true, he evolved into a hybrid mixed variant even when that option wasn''t present. Basically he possessed the powers, skills and boosts of all the evolutionary sses that were initially provided and perhaps he wanted to do the same in the future. He was grinning in a rather unsightly manner and had already decided to take full advantage of the system in the future when all of a sudden all his dreams were shattered in the very next moment. ''Ding'' [ TUTORIAL - COMPLETED ] [ Age: 20 days 01 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds ] [ The End Of Bonus ] [ The Cheat-Hack function of the system will be terminated ] [ No extra boosts or options other than those disyed by the system will be permitted ] "What the-" "..." "You got to be kidding me..." Shin''s face was noteworthy. He was quite shocked when he took a look at the message. He never expected that the things that happened to him were beyond a system''s capabilities and were actually cheats. But somewhere in his heart he knew that whatever happened were indeed like gifts or bonuses. He thought that this would be never ending but it seemed like the cheat had ended. "So basically, all this time, what I have been doing was just tutorial?", he realized this when he read the message. Tutorial was the sometimes kept in order to have a basic understanding of the world functions in gaming simtors. Shin now somewhat realized that this world to which he had been transported to was basically done by some being who provided him with the system. It was probably the said person who provided the tutorial to him so that he could get some fundamental knowledge about the world. ''Ding'' [ The Main Scenario begins in 00:00:00:10 ( 10 seconds ) ] [ The free space will be activated ] [ All restrictions will be removed ] [ No extra support will be provided ] [ One rule exists now - Hunt or be Hunted! ] "..." To be continued... Chapter 23 The Fated Encounter "Is this for real?" "All this was just a part of the tutorial?" "..." Shin was bewildered by the thought that all this time he had been surviving in some easy mode. Without a doubt, the uing events would be far more dangerous. For a second he thought that he had been trapped inside a game rather than being reincarnated, but that soon became false because there was no such game ording to his memory. Furthermore, till now not even once was he mentioned that this world was game. "Interesting..." Despite the shocking revtion, he felt excited. Of course, more than this could have been provided to a murderer who enjoyed seeing blood. But in this world, more than killing and seeing blood, he enjoyed hunting and eating new varieties of beasts and monsters. ''Ding'' [ The Main Scenario has begun ] [ All restrictions are removed ] [ Complete ownership of the system has been transferred to the host ] The texts were not that satisfying but that didn''t mean that nothing good was shown. Obviously, Shin was the new owner of the system which could only mean that there wouldn''t be any intervention from any Celestial or any other being like earlier. Though, he could now evolve to only one particr kind, the fact that he was already a hybrid one didn''t change. "Hmm, let''s test it..." He thought about it for a bit and then asked the system to disy the information about the Transformation skill. "System, show the details of Transformation Skill." ''Ding'' [ Transformation Lv.1 ] [ A skill that allows the host to transfer between the four chosen evolutions ] [ Warning: Once Transformed into a specific evolution form, the abilities of other evolution form will be sealed ] [ Cool Down Count: 00:00:10:00 ( 10 minutes ) ] "That''s pretty cool..." The moment he read that, he knew that he could basically transform into other forms. Mainly his physical appearance will be altered and nothing else. That would be more than enough to scare most of the foes so it was indeed quite a good thing. He realized that right now he looked the exact same way as he looked 20 days ago. Other than a bit of growth, there wasn''t much of significant change. "Sigh, I guess all I can do now is..." "Prepare myself to hunt as many monsters as possible.", he grinned. He was giving off a sinister like aura as if he wanted to finish the entire forest. "Oh well, for that I need to check out the areas...", he said in a low voice. He stood up and then walked forward towards the direction in which the deer had run away. He walked quietly and slowly because he had a lot of time. Also, since the main scenario had started, it was the best to notice the changes first rather than going wherever he wanted on a whim. He was thinking about it while walking towards the deeper areas when suddenly a system notification appeared which made him feel nostalgic. ''Ding'' [ You have entered the White Wolves'' Terrain ] [ Your presence has been detected by the Territorial Lord ] [ Your presence has been detected by the Territorial Lord ] [ Your presence... ] When the message popped up, Shin was too confused to realize the significance of it. Furthermore, the texts were in ''Red''. All this time, the system showed only ''white'' colored texts on a green background but right now the texts were in red color. Shin noticed that and almost instantly his fur rose up as if his instincts were warning him of something. But he had no idea what it was. Of course, he believed that nothing would happen to him because he was also a white wolf so entering such a terrain would be actually advantageous to him but little did he know that the actual wild wolves'' didn''t share such a thought. Wolves are highly territorial animals and then live in packs. Their strength is usually in their numbers. They are highly self-caring which means that they wouldn''t want any other wolf or any other race to enter their terrain after all who would like a stranger to enter their home without their permission? ''Lub Dub'' ''Lub Dub'' ''What is this uneasiness?'' Indeed, his heart beat had be faster and his instincts were making him wary of something which was unforeseen until now. "Well... would the wolves actually ept me though?", fortunately he asked the question in need right now. He was alone, he had been alone all this time. There was no one to apany him neither in the past life nor in this life until now. Though the Elf Celestial was the first one with whom he spoke a few words, it wasn''t much. There were no friends or family, in fact he never felt a need of them. Regardless, right now all that was on his mind was the texts ''Your presence has been detected by the Territorial Lord''. That was the only thing that he was thinking about right now because the same text was literally spammed at least twenty times! Despite this, he didn''t stop even for a single second. He kept moving forward while being aware of his surrounding. ''Grrrr'' ''Roarrrrr'' ''Aooooo'' There were a lot of mixed noises heard. Although they weren''t that clear, but it could be said that those noises were increasing as he walked forward. "Just what the heck are these noises?" He could feel a weird chill that ran down his spine. He wasn''tpletely sure about it but he had already guessed that there was a bit of turmoil happening due to which the voices of different beasts were being heard. Shin paused for a second and was wondering if it would be the best to continue forward when all of a sudden the rustling of leaves of the bushes nearby was heard. "Huh?" Shi turned his gazes almost immediately towards his right. His eyes changed and showed a weird sharpness. He was thinking of what was going to appear in front of him and waited for a moment right after which, a small creature just walked out of the bushes. ''Tap Tap'' Shin was giving off a bit of killing intent but when he saw the small creature that appeared in front of him, all his fierceness disappeared. ''Ding'' [ A wild White Wolf Pup has appeared ] "..." To be continued... Chapter 24 The Natural Predator [ A wild wolf pup has appeared ] "..." Shin''s eyes were wide open when a white wolf pup appeared in front of him. The wolf pup looked quite simr to himself. Although it seemed as if the wolf pup wasn''t as healthy as Shin, it could be easily deducted that the wolf pup belonged to the same race as that of Shin, at least that was apparent from the pure white colored fur of the pup. ''Dub'' The pup fell on the ground right after it appeared in front of Shin. "Hey! Are you alright?", Shin asked reflexively. But unfortunately he didn''t get any response. He could see that the pup was breathing heavily and in an abnormal manner. ''System, give me the profile of the wolf pup that''s in front of me!'' ''Ding'' [ Profile ] Name: ??? Sex: Female Age: 18 days 00 hours 08 minutes 39 seconds Weight: 0.3 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ White Wolf ] Rank: E || Max. rank: ??? Level: 01 || Max. level: 05 HP: 03/10 || Max. HP: 20 MP: 10/10 || Max. MP: 20 Exp: 02 || Max. Exp: 20 Atk: 05 || Max. Atk: 20 Def: 05 || Max. Def: 20 Speed: 12 || Max. Speed: 30 Int: 08 || Max. Int: 20 [ Skills ] -< None >- [ Status Effect ] -> Unconscious -> Bleeding -> Traumatized -> Immobile -> Weakened "..." Shin saw the stats of the wolf pup and was awed by it. He couldn''t actually see the pup bleeding but since the system mentioned it, that could be the truth. He didn''t care about the low stats that were shown, all he looked at was the stats effect that was on the pup. ''Tap Tap Tap'' Slowly yet steadily, he walked closer and closer. The wolf pup was unconscious as mentioned by the system so he didn''t think of the chance of the wolf pup running away due to fear. Regardless, he approached the wolf pup and stood there for a few second. ''That...'' He noticed something after continuously staring at the pup. The region near the abdomen was a bit swollen for some reason and it was without a doubt not due to any sort of food. In fact, it seemed to be quite abnormal and probably that was what the system had mentioned about. ''Could it be...? Internal bleeding?'' That was the most obvious case since there were no signs of any blood on the outside. "..." The wolf pup was panting continuously due to pain which for some reason made Shin ufortable. He just slowly ced his paw on the abdomen gently since he had no intention of increasing the pain of the pup. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Heal Lv.1 ] [ The wounded part is being treated ] [ Estimated time beforeplete healing: 00:00:05:00 ( 5 minutes ) ] It seemed as if Shin knew exactly what he was doing. He probably remembered the Healing skill which he had gained somehow earlier from the system. No matter how he received, it was quite useful right now. He stood in the same manner on his three limbs while the fourth limb was being held on the abdomen of the pup. Indeed, he could see that the pup was getting healed. The swollen part was slowly disappearing. He didn''t know what exact mechanism did the healing spell follow, but it was evident that it was something rted to time as if the swollen area was getting reversed back to the same condition as it was before. Soon five minutes were up and as skill''s activation ended too. The system notification that Shin had been waiting for popped up too but along with that he received a small yet unique reward for what he did. ''Ding'' [ Estimated time before healing: 00:00:00:00 ] [ You have healed the wolf pup ] ''Ding'' [ Congrattion ] [ You have acquired the title ''Wolf Doctor'' ] -> When the skill Heal would be used for others, the effect will be doubled. -> 1 exp will be provided perplete heal. [ Your presence as a doctor/healer will be known to all the wolves in the territory ] "Huh?" "What!?" Shin was happy about the title and it''s effect but he was surprised by the veryst line about everyone knowing about him. Of course, he was already in the terrain of some other wolf so he couldn''t prevent himself from meeting them, but he never expected to see them in such a manner. [ Status effect ] -> Weakened That was the only effect that was left for the wolf pup which he treated. "Hmm, perhaps the heal skill doesn''t help the weakened body to get stronger...", he wondered. He was just thinking about that when all of a sudden the wolf pup which was healed by him woke up and moved a bit away from him. Then the wolf pup took a weird defensive stance which it had probably learnt while watching from of the other wolves. It started to re at Shin with it''s tiny cute eyes. Shin wanted tough while seeing this, but the situation didn''t let him to. But he did smile and try to exin everything to the wolf pup, however that attempt failed since the pup hadn''t reached a maturity where it could go with reasoning. It started to run towards Shin and then opened it''s toothless mouth wide and tried to bite Shin. But since there were no teeth, it didn''t hurt him at all. In fact, it gave him a weird sensation of pleasure. "Haha, what are you trying to do?", Shin asked. However the wolf pup couldn''t even speak. It just continued to bite Shin''s fluffy ears. Shin seemed to enjoy this. The pup was falling down and then getting up on it''s own and was biting some other part such as Shin''s tail. The moment that happened, he felt a weird chill. It felt ticklish too but it was way too indescribable since it was the first time Shin had felt something like this. "Haha, that''s enough..." Shin was stillughing at what the pup was trying to do when suddenly a system notification popped up. ''Bam'' Everything in the surrounding was now covered with the cloud of dust and the vision seemed to be blocked. When the cloud of dust settled down, everything was clear again. Shin could see a huge bear standing on two of it''s hind limbs and ring at him while giving out arge amount of killing intent. Earlier, it seemed as if the bear had used it''s destructive power to destroy the area and thankfully Shin was able to evade it in time with the pup. He was now carrying the pup with his mouth while looking at what was disyed in the system. [ Warning ] [ Huge amount of blood lust is detected ] [ Warning ] [ A wild Grizzly Bear is within the range of the host ] [ Host is asked to escape immediately ] ''Ding'' [ ss Hunter and ss Predator have be dormant for 00:02:00:00 ( 2 hours ) due to the presence of the host''s Natural Predator ] "..." To be continued... Chapter 25 [ The Warrior She Wolves ] [ ss Hunter and ss Predator have be dormant for 00:02:00:00 ( 2 hours ) due to the presence of the host''s Natural Predator ] Shin was astonished when he saw the notification. He knew for sure that he would be encountering some trouble but he had no idea that it would be so soon. Furthermore, he had met his natural enemy which was probably the worst possible case. He dropped the wolf pup which he was holding with his mouth. The pup seemed to move back slowly which was probably due to it''s natural instinct that was saying it to run away from the area. *gulp* ''System, show me the profile of the foe in front of me...'' ''Ding'' [ Profile ] Name: ??? Sex: Female Age: 13 years 296 days 23 hours 29 minutes 03 seconds Weight: 715 pounds ( 324.319 Kg ) Race: Ursus arctos horribilis [ Grizzly Bear ] [ Great Brown Bear ] Rank: B || Max. rank: A Level: 31 || Max. level: 50 HP: 300/410 || Max. HP: 500 MP: 157/180 || Max. MP: 500 Exp: 1496 || Max. Exp: 5000 Atk: 205 || Max. Atk: 500 Def: 200 || Max. Def: 500 Speed: 480 || Max. Speed: 800 Int: 56 || Max. Int: 200 [ Further details cannot be shown due to host''s low level ] This was probably the first time that Shin had seen such bizzaire stats. Of course, that was probably expected given the rank of the beast, but it was still quite astonishing. But now Shin was in no state to be awed with the stats. He knew for sure that the bear was quite enraged but the reason for it was unclear. Regardless, it was in Shin''s best opinion to run away from here, however after taking a look at the speed stat of the bear, he thought that running away would have been a bad idea! "..." "Umm... listen to me, actually I...", he was trying to do something foolish. He thought that the grizzly bear could understand what he was saying when he looked at the intelligence stat, but he was wrong. The bear was already enraged and any talking wouldn''t give out a peaceful conclusion. In the end, while Shin was still trying to talk, the bear swung it gigantic arm which had sharp ws that could even destroy the strongest tree of the forest with a single attack. ''Bam'' ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] Luckily, Shin was able to avoid it thanks to the usage of the skill. However, the shockwave that was produced due to the attack was more than enough to send Shin flying. ''What the heck was that?'' He was now ten meters away from the bear which was probably due to the shockwave. But the young wolf pup whom Shin had saved a while ago was much closer to the bear. "No...", Shin could see the bear withdrawing it''s arm again as if he was going to strike once more very soon. ''I have to save her!'' ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] Shin rushed as fast as he could and in a blink of an eye, he was already near the pup. That was the same with the bear too, although it hadn''t moved forward, it''s arm had already reached the pup. In a matter of second the attack would hit the pup and Shin who was right next to the pup would also fall victim of the attack. Needless to say, a direct hit from that attack would kill both of them readily. It would instantaneous due to which Shin would get no time to use Heal! At that very moment, he could see the ws of the bear nearing in a slow motion. That definitely didn''t mean that he had be fast. Just that, he was able to see the death that was approaching him. At that very moment, he got a thought in his mind. ''Why did I even jump to save some wolf whom I didn''t even know...?'' ''Why the heck am I even confronting this crazy bear when I could just run away?'' ''Why did I even enter this terrain?'' ''Why didn''t I run away sooner?'' ''Why did I...'' Hundreds of questions arose in his mind for which there were no answers. All he could do was regret because right now the death was indeed in front of him. The ws as mentioned, were so sharp that they could pierce through almost everything. ''Damn, if only I had ran away...'' ''Bam'' ''Ssh'' "..." The attack hit and there was a big ssh of blood, however that didn''t belong to Shin nor did it belong to the pup which he had saved. Shin had closed his eyes tightly due to which he didn''t know what had happened exactly, but the moment he opened, he couldn''t help but be awed. Seven wolves with silvery white fur had appeared out of nowhere. Two of the wolves'' had bitten the bear''s arms preventing it from moving freely due to which the attack missed Shin and the pup by a hair''s breadth. Other four wolves stood in front of Shin while trying to intimidate the bear. And thest wolf walked slowly towards Shin from behind while asking, "Are you both fine?" Shin was awed by seeing the wolves'' strength. Their bodies were big, bigger than any wolf that Shin had ever seen. Of course, the bear was thrice their size, but thanks to their numbers, the size difference was tackled too. Shin looked at the wolf who asked him the question, it was a female''s voice to which he replied instinctively by nodding his head. The wolf to whom Shin looked at seemed a bit bigger and stronger than other wolves. Plus, it seemed as if she was bossing them around when she said, "Okaydies, time to teach this bastard a lesson." "How dare she tries to invade our homnd!?", she howled at the top of her voice when she said that. It seemed like the howl gave a weird effect to the other wolves. They were now glowing with a faint white light which was almost invisible due to their own white color however the surrounding was a bit illuminated so Shin could notice this easily. Moreover, his all seeing eyes was not for a show. He used that to see the glow and the given effect. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill All Seeing Eyes ] "..." And with the help of it he finally saw the status effect which had been inflicted on the other wolves. [ Status Effect ] -> Courage -> Sharpened Instincts -> Enhanced Strength "..." To be continued... Chapter 26 The Territorial Lord Appears Shin was awed when he looked at the special effects of the howling. ''System, show her stats...'', he asked the system immediately after looking at the she-wolf who was having the aura of a leader. ''Ding'' [ Profile ] Name: Siara Sex: Female Age: 7 years 216 days 23 hours 11 minutes 30 seconds Weight: 70 pounds ( 31.751 Kg ) Race: Canis lupis [ Wolf ] [ White Wolf Warrior ] Rank: C || Max. rank: A Level: 20 || Max. level: 25 HP: 275/300 || Max. HP: 325 MP: 150/170 || Max. MP: 320 Exp: 1912 || Max. Exp: 3000 Atk: 190 || Max. Atk: 300 Def: 180 || Max. Def: 300 Speed: 430 || Max. Speed: 500 Int: 51 || Max. Int: 190 [ Further details cannot be shown due to host''s low level ] He looked at the details which were shown and just by that he knew that the wolf whom he was looking at was indeed special. Moreover, he was shocked when he spotted the words ''Wolf Warrior''. He was quite familiar with that word and without a doubt he had evolved into one of those types a while ago. "..." Shin''s mouth was widely opened as he was staring at the wolf. She slowly marched towards the Grizzly bear which had suffered heavy damage. Just in terms of weight, it could be easily told that the bear was at least ten times as heavy as the wolves, however it seemed like that was useless against the wolves'' fierce attacks. "Boy, close your mouth...", she said as she passed by Shin. Shin closed his mouth immediately as she told. His gazes were constantly upon her who walked further close to the bear. "Well well, we did warn you not to enter our terrain..." "Such a pity, this will be your death bed." Right after she said that, she bared her fangs and used almost all of her power to bite the bears abdomen with immense power. With just one bite, the bear''s abdomen was torn into pieces. The blood sshed out and painted the white wolves in red. ''Aooooo'' All seven of the wolves howled when the bear finally died as if they were rejoicing. Shin kept on staring at them as they did this and he could probably look at them for almost eternity but the system didn''t want that. A system notification appeared which dragged Shin''s attention towards itself. ''Ding'' [ The Territorial Lord has arrived ] The moment he read that, he instinctively turned his gazes towards his back. ''Tap Tap Tap'' "Good work in killing her..." "You did well Siara." The words with heavy tone resounded in the entirend as if the whole area was speaking. All the wolves turned their gazes towards the small yet raised piece of area where a wolf stood while looking down on them. It was exceptionallyrge, probably twice the size of the wolf Siara whom Shin considered as leader a while ago. The wolf''s shadow was covering the entire area as if he was blocking the sun light. "Yes dear...", Siara smiled a bit when he heard the wolf that appeared now praise her. It assured Shin that Siara was probably quite close to the gigantic wolf that appeared when she called him ''Dear''. He thought that the wolf was indeed powerful just by looking at it''s size and he was also aware of the fact that the system was mentioning him as the Territorial Lord, but no matter how hard he tried, he wasn''t able to understand as why the wolf that was in front of him waspletely red! "Greetings master!" All the wolves were bowing to him, of course out of respect but there seemed to be fear imbued in the very said respect. "You may rise.", the wolf said. The ones who were bowing stood up and then looked at the Lord. They were eager to return now and since the lord was here himself, they seemed a bit enthusiastic for some reason. However that was not the case with Shin. He was still confused with the wolf''s color because till now he had never spotted a wolf with any color other than white. He wanted to point this out and ask the wolf when suddenly he saw him licking his paw. ''No way...'' The ce where the wolf licked it''s paw, white colored appeared suddenly. ''He...'' ''He has bathed in blood?!'' Now this was something noteworthy. No matter how deadly a fight with a beast or predator is, ending up being drenched in blood is not something good however for the wolves or beasts it was probably a sign of victory in the battle or whatsoever. "Alright, let''s return...", he said with a low voice while licking his paw yet again. "As you wish master...", other wolves replied and walked towards the bear and dragged him towards their left. It seemed like the ces which they could call home was quite close by. They moved towards their left and soon vanished from the sight. Now the only ones that were left were the gigantic wolf who was none other than the leader, the female wolf Siara and the small pup whom Shin had saved. "..." Shin was waiting for an opportunity using which he could essentially escape from the area, but it seemed like the fate had ns of it''s own. "So, you are the doctor who entered my terrain?", the wolf asked quite arrogantly. "Y-yes!", Shin replied. "Hmm, our rules state that we don''t allow outsiders to ournd..." "And if anyone enters, they wouldn''t be able to get out alive." *gulp* Shin was sweating profusely. Indeed, that was because whatever the wolf said sounded like a threat or a warning. ''I knew it, nothing good coulde by saving someone...'', Shin mumbled. Until now, Shin had hunted many beasts to satisfy himself, but it was probably the first time that he had saved someone. He didn''t know why he did that since he never once thought about that. However it was already done. He had saved the small pup and now due to that he was going to get in bigger problems and would attract attention since the Wolf leader wouldn''t let him go just like that. "Hmm, there is one way.", the leader said. "Y-yes?", Shin closely listened to what the wolf was going to say. "You have to be a part of our n!" "Be the healer of our n and I would let you live!", was what the wolf said. "Eh?" "..." To be continued... Chapter 27 True Predators "Eh?" ''He wants me as a healer?'' Shin was speechless. Since earlier he could feel a weird chillness from the leader who appeared. He was clearly able to tell that there was something different about him. However he never expected him to be intelligent enough to make use of Shin. The leader probably knew that Shin couldn''t refuse this offer. That was because if he refused the offer, the leader would have killed him. So it was probably wiser to ept it without creating any fuss and just as he had anticipated, Shin was forced to ept. "I ept...", Shin epted only because he had no other way. In his mind, he had already decided to run away during the night when all the wolves would be fast asleep, but nevertheless, he epted now and that was what mattered to the leader. "Great!", Siara shouted when she heard this. "Huh?", Shin was confused when she saw her reactions. It was as if she was either relieved or was quite happy to see Shin ept the offer. "Good, let''s return then...", the wolf said. "Yes, um... your name...?", Shin asked. It would feel quite stupid to think that someone who has a system would ask for the name, however it wasn''t as simple as it seemed. Shin was forced to ask for the name too and that was because of the message that had appeared on the screen as a result of trying to see the leader''s profile. [ Profile ] Name: ??? Sex: Male Age: ??? Weight: ??? Race: Canin lupus [ Great White Wolf ] Rank: ??? || Max. rank: ??? Level: ??? || Max. level: ??? HP: ??? || Max. HP: ??? MP: ??? || Max. MP: ??? Exp: ??? || Max. Exp: ??? Atk: ??? || Max. Atk: ??? Def: ??? || Max. Def: ??? Speed: ??? || Max. Speed: ??? Int: ??? || Max. Int: ??? [ Further details cannot be shown due to host''s low level ] The chances were high that the lord didn''t have any name, but after seeing that almost all the stats were showing the same question marks, he had no choice but to think otherwise. "Kira..." "I''m called Kira.", the wolf said. The name sounded quite familiar to Shin for some reason. ''Kira...? Where have I heard that name again?'' He failed to recall but he waspletely sure that he knew that name. Of course, the name had no rtion to this world, at least ording to his knowledge. What he was trying to recall was something from the previous world where he was dead. The memories were still intact but most of it were fuzzy due to which it required quite arge amount of concentration to recall even the tiniest information from the previous world. "And you are...?", the wolf then asked after seeing Shin lost in his own thoughts. "I am Shin...", he said with a low voice since he was taken by surprise when the wolf asked him. "Huh!?", however the wolf was surprised more than Shin. That was the same with Siara. "What is your name!?", Siara asked while marching towards him. "Shin, that''s my name...", Shin flinched. Siara then made eye contact with Kira. Both of their eyes were widely open as if both of them were astonished by something. Such a reaction made Shin wonder too about the reason for such a behavior. *gulp* "And... who named you that?", Siara asked. It seemed like Kira also wanted to ask the same but didn''t get the opportunity since Siara asked away first. "Uh..." Of course, he couldn''t possible tell that it was he who named himself. That would sound too awkward. "Mom..." "Ya, she gave me that name...", he said. It wasn''tpletely true nor was itpletely a lie. In fact it lied in between of them. In the previous world, he was indeed named as Shin by his own mother ording to which it was supposed to be the truth, however in this world, he named himself that so it could be considered as a lie too. "Your mother...?", for some reason that wasn''t convincing enough. Siara seemed doubtful about what Shin said and that was the same with Kira too. *gulp* ''What''s going on?'' ''Why make a fuss over a simple name?'', that was quite an obvious thought that Shin was having, but it was not as simple as he thought it was. "Well, we will see to itter, for now let''s return...", Kira said abruptly. "...", Shin just nodded his head and followed their lead. Kira walked at the front as if he was leading them, Siara followed him while the wolf pup was just behind them. Shin was a little hesitant due to which he was a bit far behind them. However he never lost sight of them. Reluctant he may be, but he followed them until he arrived at the homnd where many wolves were present. ''Aooooooo'' When Kira reached the ce, he howled as if he was announcing his return. It was the same with other wolves. They also howled as if they were weing Kira with open arms and were congratting for his splendid deed. The moment Shin arrived there, he waspletely awed to see a lot of wolves with pure white fur bowing their heads in front of Kira. He could see many Bears'' dead bodies lying here and there. Probably they were hunted down too by the wolves. ''That''s why he was covered with blood...'' ''There were many Grizzly bears that invaded...'' Shin understood that just by looking at the 7-8 dead bodies of the bears lying around. When he was in front of just a single bear, everything he did was futile. In fact he wasn''t able to muster any strength to attack it since he was intimidated just by looking at it''s size and stats. ''Shame on me...'' ''I was going to enjoy this life by being a true predator, wasn''t I?'' ''Then why was I so pathetic out there?'' ''...'' ''I guess staying here would really help me, since I will be able to see how true predators work!'', after thinking that, Shin slowly walked ahead towards Kira. "..." To be continued... Chapter 28 A Death Flag? Shin was trying to reach out to Kira. He wanted to say that he didn''t want much of the attention and would want to peacefully live in some corner, however that didn''t seem to be possible. Just before he could reach out, Kira had already started to announce about Shin. "Listen to me...", Kira shouted. The moment he raised his voice, the entire wolves paid attention to him. Initially many of them were moaning in pain and some were even worrying about death and many more things, but the moment they heard the voice of their patriarch or the leader, they were forced to stop. Probably that was how it worked for them and they did it ordingly. "I have a good news for you all..." Right after saying this, he took a few steps towards his left side which gave space for Shin toe forward. Since he was standing in the front, Shin was as good as invisible due to his shadow. But now, everyone''s gazes were on him. Some were thinking of him as their enemy which was amon thought, while some were thinking of him as their prey. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to tell that young wolf pups usually get hunted by the adult wolves. Needless to say, they would be either from other ns or races. "This fellow here, he has joined us just today...", Kira said. That was not something anyone would ept. Of course they would be reluctant to ept some stranger. However when Kira specified Shin''s speciality, they were more than ready to ept him. "He is a Healer Wolf!", he shouted yet again. "Ha!?", all the wolves who had been looking down on him and were making understatement about him were forced to think otherwise. "A..." "A healer!?", shouted one of them who was standing in the first line towards Kira''s left. All of their eyes were wide opened as if they had heard something unbelievable. "Huh...? Is being healer that strange a thing?", Shin asked himself in a low voice and was expecting the system to answer, but on contrast Siara answered this after hearing his question. "Yes..." "It''s one of the rarest evolutionary forms." "...", Shin didn''t say anything and just listened to her soft and kind voice. "We wolves are indeed good predators, but their strengthes with numbers." "However many a times, even those very numbers wouldn''t be much useful against other beasts or monsters that would be stronger than us and formrger packs than us...", Siara said in a low voice. "Hmm...", Shin was thinking about what she was saying. "That was why, we too ended up evolving and possessing stronger traits..." "Though, the mostmon one was the ''Warrior Wolf'' ss." "Ah? Warrior wolf?", Shin didn''t know that it was a ss just like the dual ss ''hunter'' and ''predator'' which he had received. "Yes, however since it is way toomon, many of the wolf ns possess better Wolf warriors." "But now that a variable such as yourself, that is, a healer ss wolf is with us, we would definitely stand at the top!", was what she said. Shin could finally understand why they were asking him to join them. ''I see, so they are basically asking my help to make their n better and stronger...'', Shin thought. However, what surprised him was the fact that even beasts such as wolves were sharp enough to think about hierarchy. Also, there were such terms as ''ns'' and ''stronger ns'' which proved that the intellect of the wolves and any other beasts wasn''t to be underestimated. Probably that was because this was a different world, but despite that it was quite surprising! "So do you understand now?" "We need your healing powers to constantly help our kin survive...", Kira said in a low voice. "...", Shin just nodded his head and was lost in his own thoughts. ''So basically, if I help them, they would be my allies...'' ''And if I don''t, they wouldn''t let me out alive to ensure that I don''t get the chance to join any other Wolf n...'', Shin grit his teeth while thinking that. He took a look at all of them and then decided to join them because an ally is definitely better than an enemy and especially when the real scenario has started, he couldn''t possibly afford to create the death gs due to small errors. Shin walked another step towards the front and looked at all the wolves that were looking up to him. Since the ce where he was standing was a bit raised, all the remaining wolves seemed to be smaller than him despite the fact that he was the smallest! "I..." "On the request of Kira, I will join your ranks and help you in healing!", he said in a raised voice. Right after he said that, everything around the area waspletely quiet. It was as if all of them had lost their voice. ''Eh? Did I say something wrong?'', he looked a bit towards them only to find their mouths wide open and their eye balls popping out of their eyes. "Did... did he just call master with just his name?", asked one of them and right after them all of them started murmuring about this with each other. Shin failed to understand what was there to create a fuss about calling someone with name because that was prettymon in the old world, however he realized yet again that this was not the world which he was familiar with. *gulp* ''Is calling out other''s name a taboo?'', he asked himself in his mind. He slowly turned his head as if he wanted to see what Kira had to say in this matter right before which he got a glimpse of Siara looking at him with a fierce gaze. ''Damn!'' ''Her face is clearly saying that - "Even I haven''t been given the privilege to call him by his name and how dare a little pup like you call him with his name?" - and I think I might end up being killed by her fierce re!'' Then he turned his gazes a bit more and took a glimpse of Kira in order to see what his reactions would be. The moment his gazes fell on him, he could see a dark aura lingering around Kira. *gulp* ''Did I just raise a death g without even realizing it?'' "..." To be continued... Chapter 29 Name Crisis In this world, most of the monsters have names and it is those very names which they are proud of. Each and every name has a different meaning and as the time passes, the names may change too, though those are a rare instances. The Spirit of the world is what gives a name to the monsters. The names automatically get attached to their souls. When they reach a certain age, those names be evident and then they would be a named monster. Therefore, calling out the name of someone superior to you unless they aren''t really close or have given the permission, is simr tomitting a crime. However, a superior monster or a monster of equal rank could call out the names of the inferior ones or the ones that are equal to them. Shin was unaware of that. He just blurted that out while thinking that it would have been the best to say. *gulp* ''Oh God... why the heck am I doing such idiotic things?'' ''It would have been better if I had just stated something else instead of calling out his freaking name!'' Kira walked slowly towards Shin. His huge fangs were clearly seen despite him trying to hide it. ''He is gonna kill me!'', Shin closed his eyes while thinking that. He expected to get eaten or at least injured, but something unexpected happened. Kira raised his huge paw and slowly put them on Shin''s small back. "Haha, that''s right, he is going to join us and he indeed is a healer!", Kira said this while smiling. "Ehhhhh?", all the wolves where shocked by this. They never expected Kira to behave in such a way. They couldn''t even believe the fact that a little pup was allowed to call Kira by his name. ''D...dear...?'', even Siara was so shocked that she felt like crying. She thought that Kira would teach a good lesson but it seemed like he allowed him to call that. It essentially broke her heart and tears were about to leave her eyes. But she controlled herself since she was in front of her people. ''So does that mean...'' ''That pup is at a higher rank whenpared to His Highness?'', they started murmuring amongst themselves. All of them got chills running down their spines just by imagining someone as strong as their Lord joining them. All of them respected Kira, not because he was King, but because he was kind and strong. He helped all those that required help and treated everyone with a smile. He thought of them as his own family which the other wolves or other leaders couldn''t even imagine. He was the strongest in their pack. He could alone take down a ferocious Grizzly bear with just one attack and if he wanted, he could destroy other wolf packs quite easily. In the entire White wolf n, he was the strongest. Only two other white wolves of different ns were as strong as him regardless of which, he was seen as the mightiest one. So, just the thought of the addition of someone as strong as him or higher ranking than him gave all of them unimaginable strength from their insides. ''Phew, thank God...'' ''By seeing Siara''s face and everyone''s reaction, I thought that calling other''s name was some sort of taboo...'' ''I''m d that nothing happened...'' And just as Shin had thought about this, he could feel Kira''s ws in his back. "Ouch, that hur-" And when Shin turned his head towards Kira to say that, he could still find a dark aura lingering around him. ''You just survived today because of them, if you call me by my name again then you will be as good as dead.'' - those words seemed to have been clearly written on his face. *gulp* Shin nodded his head vigorously while sweating profusely as if he understood everything that Kira wanted to say. ''If I had opposed to him saying my name or if I would have killed him, it would have not only took away a potential wolf from us, but also could have lowered everyone''s morale.'', was what Kira thought. Despite being angry, he was quiteposed and thought it out clearly. Indeed, those are one of the few characteristics of a leader or a king. ''But I wonder, how will he fare...'' ''Even a healer can''t possibly heal everyone continuously, can he?'', Kira was indeed right. Despite being a healer, if the mana capacity or the mana pool is not big enough, then just after healing one or two minute injuries, the healer might end up fainting or falling asleep. That would be the characteristics of a bad healer, so Kira wanted to now inquire about that from Shin. "Let''s go inside...", Kiramanded. There were numerous dens in the nearby areas and the wolves preferred to live inside that. Since there were many wolf pups, it was the best ce to protect them. Among all the dens, there was a den which was three timesrger than others and was situated at a higher altitude, at least 8-10 meters higher than others. Kira was walking towards that very den. Siara was doing the same and the young wolf pup whom Shin had saved earlier also followed towards the said den. ''If this den was anyrger, it could easily be called as a cave..'', was what Shin thought. Regardless, all of them entered the den which was a bit dark but still everything was visible probably due to the shiny crystals that emitted light that were ced there. Kira went close to the raised tform inside the den and sat on it. While the den waspared to the pce where king lived, the raised t tform could bepared to the thrown. "Now boy, tell me about yourself...", Kira said. Siara went towards a corner with the young wolf pup and sat there while watching and hearing keenly everything. "Ahem..." "I am Shin and..." And just as he had said that, Kira interrupted and forced to pause by saying, "Stop right there..." "Your name..." "You keep on saying your name is... Shin..?" "..." "Yes? Is something weird with that?", Shin asked. "Weird you say... haha, what is normal about that name anyway?", Kira asked whileughing. ''Ugh, I have no idea what''s the issue with name...'' ''And this freaking world, why is a fuss created just for names!?'' ''I just escaped a death like situation...'' ''Now I can see another death g rising!'', Shin pitied himself while thinking that. "..." To be continued... Chapter 30 Shin: The Wolf God - Part 1 "Sigh, I don''t know anything about these things...". Shin cussed. On seeing that Kira took the privilege to exin him how this world actually worked and what the importance of a naming system was. "Listen young boy, Names are our pride and honor!" "A monster would go to any extent to get a name!" Kira seemed quite serious while exining all this, however to Shin who didn''t actually take any of these seriously thought of it as some idiotic job. But then again, he couldn''t possibly ignore all these because he didn''t want to raise a death g in some other situation. "Uh, just for getting names the monsters would go to any extent?", Shin asked. That indeed was a good question because one could just name itself and that would settle the thing. And even if anyone wanted to get the name, from whom would they take from or who will grant them? Many questions rose in his head while thinking about it the answers for which were none due to which he asked Kira. "Yes...", Kira nodded his head. "But can''t they just name themselves...?", Shin asked. "Hmm, indeed boy, they can do that, however that wouldn''t give them the privilege thates with gaining the names from the Supreme Celestials...", Kira said. "..." "Supreme Celestials...?", Shin''s eyes widened. Just those very words fascinated him. Although he had already set his goal to be a Celestial, he couldn''t just let the feeling of excitement go. In fact, since he heard the word yet again, the feeling which had settled down a bit rose up again. "Haha, you might not know what the Supreme Celestials are...", Kiraughed. ''Huh? Why does everyone assume that I don''t know anything?'', he had an awkward expression on his face. "Well the Supreme Celestials are the Gods that created everything...", Kira continued and said many things about them. However Shin was already aware of most of the things. "Actually, we monsters get named by the Supreme Celestials...", Kira smiled while saying that. "..." ''Hmm, I see, so the names of these monsters are from Supreme celestials...?'' ''Ding'' [ Affirmative ] ''Huh...? I almost forgot that you existed...'', Shin was surprised when the system answered that all of a sudden. ''Well anyway, tell me about the naming system of this world...'', Shin found what Kira was saying a bit confusing due to which he asked the system while expecting a better and easier exnation. ''Ding'' [ Naming System -> All living beings are assigned names in this world which acts as a proof that they exist ] [ For Humans -> The names have been associated with what their dear ones/guardians/ parents name them after getting the names from the Holy Churches via Spirit of the world which is controlled by the Supreme Celestials ] [ For In-humans -> The names are directly attached to their souls during their birth and get''s shown once a certain age is attained. However, those may be overwritten or shown early by the Celestials. ] [ Names can change, however that can only happen if someone with a higher authority than the person who gave the previous name, gives a new name ] ''Hmm, so that''s how it...'', Shin understood itpletely. He now had a brief idea as to how the naming system worked. He didn''t listen to anything details provided by Kira. "Yes, so that''s the gist of it.", Kira finally concluded. All this time he had been exining however Shin didn''t feel the need to listen to him. "So now do you get it? That''s why we were shocked when we heard your name...", Kira said. ''Ah, I get it, since parents can''t name their kids, then obviously the fact that I told about my mom giving me the name Shin would be false...'' Well, it was already done. He had already told that and now he couldn''t possibly back out. "Ya...", he just nodded his head. "To be frank, I really can''t believe that your name is Shi-" "Ahem, the name of our God...", Kira looked at Shin with suspicious look. "Huh?", and now Shin was also confused. "How can you be given the same name as our great God, Master Shin?", Kira said it out. It was out of respect so there wasn''t any harm but just by saying that name, the den got a bit colder. Shin felt the cool breeze blowing into the den suddenly which might have been some random coincidence, but it was this very coincidence that happened right now just when the name ''Shin'' was mentioned which was noteworthy. "As I mentioned earlier, an inferior beast cannot assume a superior''s name..." "So just how the hell could you have the same name as our God?", Kira asked. "...", Shin just kept his mouth shut. He waspletely speechless, after hearing what Kira said, Shin had started to think if his naming was indeed something special or was it some other coincidence too? "Haha, of course he must be lying!" "He just wanted attention maybe...", Siara said that after hearing their conversation all this time. *gulp* ''Are you kidding me...?'' ''I was able to reincarnate into this weird fantasy world...'' ''I was able to get my hands on a system...'' ''I killed many freaking huge beasts and ate raw meat...'' ''I met with a Celestial...'' ''I sessfully joined a wolf pack...'' ''And now I''m hearing that my name is actually the name of their God!'' ''Just what the f*** is happening with me!?'' "I got my name Kira, from the Supreme Celestial Yama, also known as God of Death..." "Kira originally means killer and since I am one of the top killer in this forest, I was bestowed with this name..." "...", Shin trembled when he heard that. It was as if Kira was threatening him. "Now tell me boy, what is your actual name and who was it that gave you that name?" Shin was at a loss in words, he could no longer think of any way to get out of this situation. Furthermore, he owed them an answer so he couldn''t just run away. Even if he wanted to, he couldn''t possibly escape since he would be killed by Kira instantly. So all he could do was frame some super badass lie in such a way that Kira and Siara would have no other choice than believing him. "..." To be continued... Chapter 31 Shin: The Wolf God - Part 2 ''...'' "Well, I don''t know why you aren''t believing me but my name is indeed Shin..." He didn''t want to change his name because that was the only thing that he could bring from the other world which was deeply attached to himself. "And ya, I lied about my mother giving that name to me..." "..." Shin was finally confessing but that didn''t mean that he would reveal everything. He couldn''t possibly tell that he was a human before and was reincarnated and thus he himself kept that name! While thinking he reached the best possible lie and said that which indeed convinced them. "A few days ago I met the highly esteemed Elf Celestial...", Shin said. "He was the one who gave me this name...", Shin said in a low voice. Indeed, Supreme Celestials are the ones that decide upon the name however many a times the Celestials who are under the Supreme ones, give the decided name to the designated monsters. It wasn''t thatmon because Celestials are like the Mortal Gods who have higher position whenpared to a King, that was why only a selected few would be named by the Celestials. All the deciding work is done by Supreme Celestials, but it is believed that since they don''t descend or perhaps can''t descend, they have left the Celestials to name. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, someone superior can also provide the name to the inferior one. Therefore what Shin said was very much convincing but at the same time it was quite surprising. "You..." "You met the Legendary Elf Celestial!?", Kira shouted with astonishment. "Yes...", Shin replied in a low and humble voice. Siara who was thinking low of Shin until now, waspletely surprised after hearing that. Even Kira was too surprised to think anything straight. "..." There wasplete silence for a few minutes when both Kira and Siara were constantly staring at Shin. However, he didn''t give any reaction because the lie was already told and now he couldn''t possibly back out. "That exins why you evolved into a Healer...", Kira said in a low voice. Siara didn''t argue with that and epted what Shin said when Kira made that statement. Elves are one of the Superior races who have one of the longest life spans. They are highly proficient in magic and many other things. Their knowledge surpasses most other races and their life style and sense of aging is way different from others. They live in environment where pure mana or at least fifty percent pure mana can be found. They can even live at ces which has inadequate mana that is below fifty percent but their life spans would decrease. Regardless, since they are very closely rted to nature, they can perform numerous types of magic however the one in which they are the best are Healing Magic! The Elf Celestial is supposedly the best doctor of the World and everyone knows how great a healer he is. Other than his strength, he can heal almost any type of disease or any type of wound, at least that''s what is believed but there might be some limitations too. On this context, when Shin mentioned about the Elf Celestial giving him the name, Kira and Siara understood that Shin might have undergone evolution which caused him to be a healer. "..." "But, I still don''t understand why a Celestial gave you the name of our God?", Kira was still thinking about it. "Umm..." "Your God... can I know something about him...", indeed, Shin wasn''t knowledgeable about this. But why did he ask Kira? Why couldn''t he just ask the system? The answer is quite simple, in fact, he had indeed asked the system about this long ago when Kira had first mentioned about the Wolf God Shin, but the system didn''t have any answer to that and just disyed - [ Common Folklore Or Tales Or Stories Or Ancient Myths aren''t stored in the System ]. "Hmm, well this is a famous myth passed down to all the wolves by their predecessors..." ,m "A small wolf pup, born in marshy area and fought countless predators..." "Many a times he was injured severely and he could have been killed too, but he never gave up and in some or the other way he would remain victorious in the end!" Shin was listening to the story quite keenly. That was because this was the first time he had ever heard to something as this. "He underwent thousands of evolutions and in the end, he became the strongest wolf..." "He even defeated the Celestials of that time who ruled over thisnd!" "He was strong enough to even ascend to the Great Heavens where he challenged the Supreme Celestials..." ''Sh*t, a wolf challenged the almighty Gods by Ascending to heaven without dying?'' ''That''s too crazy!'', indeed, Shin had hard time believing it. "Unfortunately, he died in the fight with the Supreme Celestials and the story about that is unknown, but without a doubt he was our God!" "Fenrir...", this name too sounded a bit familiar to Shin. It was the same case when he had heard the name ''Kira'' earlier. ''Just where the heck have I heard this names before?'', and just as he was trying to recall, Kira spoke in between and continued. "That was the name of our Wolf God, however that was soon changed to Shin..." "Because..." "He was the very first wolf who was able to transform into aplete HUMAN!" "What!?", Shin was baffled when he heard that. "..." The moment Shin heard that, he got chills running down his spines. Little did he know that other races could transform or evolve to some other race. "A Human...?" "A wolf..." "Was able to be a human!?" *gulp* Shin''s joy knew no bounds and that was because he could finally be a human. Even though he enjoyed the life of a wolf until now, inevitably there were thousands of limits to an animal''s body. A human could be much more free and could do numerous things. ''A human...'' ''Can I be a human?'', he was talking to himself in his mind after hearing that. ''Ding'' [ Chances of Evolving into a human from the Warrior Wolf [Hybrid ] is -> 0.14145% ] ''It ain''t zero... it''s definitely not zero!'' He was lost in his own world, he not only wanted to be a celestial, but also wanted to be a human now. ''Finally... I thought I would be stuck as a wolf for the entire life, but now I''m aware that I can be a human too in near future...'' ''Yes!'' ''I''m damn happy and excited to see what my life will turn into from now on!'' "..." To be continued... Chapter 32 The Reverse Naming? "Human!?", Shin was indeed astonished after hearing that. Moreover, he was quite surprised since the chances of evolving into a human weren''t Zero. Furthermore, the tale which Kira told was also quite baffling because just thinking about a wolf ascending to the heaven and trying to challenge the very Gods was quite thrilling. "Yes, he indeed turned himself into a human..." "But this is only a myth, I don''t think anyone other than the wolves will believe this, haha.", Kira made it sound like a joke but what he said was quite serious. Shin had no idea about this transformation and stuffs but now that he found out about these things, he couldn''t possibly ignore these chances. "Anyway, how old are you?", Kira asked. When he asked that, Shin took a look at his stats. [ Age: 20 days 02 hours 18 minutes 01 seconds ] "I''m twenty days old!", Shin replied almost immediately. "Hmm hmm, so you are 20 months ol-" "..." "Huh...? What did you say?", Kira''s eyes were widely opened and so were Siara''s. Both of them stared at Shin as if they had heard something unbelievable. "You are... twenty days old?", Kira asked. "Ya..." "Is something wrong?", until now, Shin had no idea that what he said was too abnormal. "Just what the heck is right in what you said!", Kira raised his voice and asked this. The pup which was near Siara flinched a bit but then went back to it''s sleep yet again. "Eh?", Shin failed to realize what Kira tried to say. "Impossible..." "No matter how I think about it, this is impossible..." "How the heck can a wolf pup evolve? And that too when it''s only twenty days old!?", this was way too much for Kira to understand. Of course, a normal wolf pup who is barely twenty days old would just rest and not do anything else. It would hardly even be able to walk properly, and here Shin was saying that he had evolved even before he was twenty days old. Furthermore, he was able to use magic to heal which could even rival the strongest Healing type wolf! "How... just how?", Kira was way too confused and on seeing him like that, Siara was also panicking. She was constantly turning her gazes from Shin to Kira and then from Kira to Shin and then so on! ''Uh, but I never said that I was an healer...'', Shin said to himself in his mind. The reaction which Kira gave was already was too much to ept and if Shin had said anything more, Kira might have ended up dying with the confusion. Also, he wanted to keep some secrets which could act as his trump card during a decisive moment. Therefore, it was wise of Shin to refrain from saying anything else. Kira had been in the state of confusion for more than ten minutes after which he finally calmed down. "Yup, I have concluded...", Kira said with a deep tone after the long awaited ten minutes. "Huh?", Shin was curious to hear what it was and so was Siara. "You are a... weird wolf!" "Nothing more, nothing less. I don''t want to hear anything more about yourself!", Kira said quite proudly as if he understood anything, but he basically ran away from whatever Shin said. Shin had a poker face like expression and was staring at Kira who was standing there proudly as if he had solved the greatest mystery of the world. ''Sigh, never mind...'', Shin also gave up on thinking anything more. "Well anyway, umm, Shin...", the moment Kira called his name out, again the same chill ran down his spine. The cool and silencing breeze blew throughout the entirend and the lightnings started to ur as if it was going to rain soon. However, there were no signs of rain clouds that could cause such loud thundering. "Damn..." "If I call you that way, it will be an insult to our ancestor..." "And I can''t possibly call you with a different name nor can I name you..." Kira was absolutely right, if he were to call Shin with different name then what would be the purpose of the name that he has been given? It would be an insult to the Celestials, especially the Elf Celestial! Furthermore, since the naming was done by a Superior and stronger species such as an Elf Celestial whilepared to Kira, he couldn''t possibly name Shin again and even if he did, it wouldn''t rece the already given name nor will it get bound to his soul. "Then the only thing that I can call you is..." *gulp* "Master Shin..." Yes, Kira utterly and bitterly epted the fact that he had to ce the word ''Master'' in front of Shin. It was to ensure that their God wouldn''t get angry. However, the fact that he had to call Shin who was inferior as master while Shin could call him as Kira, made him feel utter defeat or a type of unruly feeling engulfed him because not even once had he allowed any wolf to look down upon him! He was basically gritting his teeth when he called Shin as ''Master Shin'' and it was quite evident too. Siara was also feeling that it was quite opposite to what it should have been. But oh well, in the end, Shin had finally joined them and now the only thing that Kira wanted from him was his healing powers. "Please..." "Ahem..." "Master Shin, will you please heal all the wounded ones?", Kira asked. "Ya sure Kira, lead the way!", and Shin took the full advantage of the moment and started calling Kira as ''Kira'' without any ''Master'' or ''Leader'' word or anything else. Kira stood up and started walking in front of Shin as if he was leading the way. Siara too wanted toe but she couldn''t leave the small pup alone who was probably her own child. Kira was now out of the den from where many parts were clearly visible. The lightning and thundering did continue even now but it was much less. "This way...", he said that and started to walk towards his right while Shin followed him. "..." To be continued... Chapter 33 [ Healer ] Kira led the way and Shin followed him quietly. He was actually looking around as he followed since he was unfamiliar with how the surroundings were. He could see many red eyes from the dark dens which looked like that of a natural predators and Shin did flinch, but the moment the little light from the surrounding would enter the den, the wolves that would be lying in the dens would be clearly visible and Shin would feel less scared or he would be much morefortable. "First, I want you to heal them...", Kira said after stopping near another den which was probably the secondrgest over there. "Huh? By first... do you mean there are other dens too where the injured are waiting to be healed?", Shin asked. "Yes...", Kira nodded his head. There weren''t any system of building hospitals in fact, the wolves never thought about having separate sectors or ces for different things. They never required any shops or never required any ce for fun. All they had were dens which weren''t much different from each other. All the injured wolves were in their own respective dens that were provided and now Shin had to visit each and every den to cure all of them which was nothing more than a troublesome job! "Hmm..." "That''s..." Indeed, Shin wanted to heal all of them at once however they were basically scattered. The heal is not a skill that works only on individuals, it can be casted over a long range. Although the healing time will be increased a bit, that was something bearable over the end result of everyone getting healed. But, he didn''t want to do something like that right now. It would be too much for the once who are already injured. Therefore it was the best to heal them one by one as soon as possible. "Alright, let me heal them first...", while saying this he entered the den only to find many gigantic wolves who were definitely bigger than Shin and half the size of Kira. Their wounds were pretty bad and it was now Shin''s job to heal them. Of course, he could clearly see that their breathing was too heavy. He immediately rushed near then and closed his eyes right after which he lifted his right forelimb while his paw touched the injured wolf who seemed the owner of the den in which Shin had entered. [ Heal Lv.1 ] [ A skill that would allow the user to heal most of the minor injuries. Time duration varies based on the amount of wound required to heal. Costs 0.5 MP per minute. ] He took a look at the description and started to use the skill Heal. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Heal Lv.1 ] [ The wounded part is being treated ] [ Estimated time beforeplete healing: 00:00:08:00 ( 8 minutes ) ] A green colored light started to sh. The dark den was now well lit. Everyone was surprised on seeing that probably because this was their first time seeing a Healing spell. ''Ding'' [ The title Wolf Doctor has will decrease the time required to treat the wound ] [ Estimated time beforeplete healing: 00:00:04:00 ( 4 minutes ) ] The title was indeed of great help. Since it could decrease the total healing time by half of actual time, it could make it much more efficient. Shin continued to heal and soon when four minutes were up, all the wounds on the wolf had vanished. Needless to say, it was perfectly healthy and there were no side effects. ''Ding'' [ You have sessfully healed a White Wolf ] [ You have gained 1 Exp due to the title Wolf Doctor ] [ Your presence as a doctor/healer will be known to all the wolves in the territory ] The wolf which was healed got up immediately and took a look at it''s entire body. It jumped and checked itself again. "Master! I''mpletely healed!", the wolf said in a raised voice. The other wounded once who were also hurting from pain could saw everything that happened. They finally got the hop to get better pretty soon. The wolf who was healed seemed quite lively and Kira said so too. "Marwo, you are quite lively aren''t you? Haha, take a little more rest will ya?", Kira said in a jovial way. "Yes master...", he did as Kira said and lied down yet again. Now Shin looked towards the others and walked towards them and touched them in a simr manner. He healed all of them too and soon, everyone in Kira''s terrain werepletely healed. After that Shin came back and sat under a giant tree while catching his breath. That was probably because he waspletely tired of healing all of them. "Thanks a lot Master Shin, if it weren''t for you...", Kira was thanking genuinely this time and it didn''t seem like he had any problem in calling Shin as master this time. That was probably because he saw how amazing Shin was and probably respect built on it''s own. "Ah it''s fine...", Shin just nodded his head. "No it''s not! I need to give you some reward for healing everyone..." "Ask anything that you want!", Kira said. "Nay, I don''t want anything...", Shin shook his head. ''What...? He doesn''t want anything?'', Kira was shocked to see that. It was because, everyone was quite greedy and finding such a pure and honest soul among them made Kira''s heart waver. He was quite happy. "Haha, I have given my word so don''t hesitate." "You can ask meter after you have decided!", right after saying this Kira went back to see all of them even before Shin could deny again. ''Sigh, I really don''t want...'' ''That''s because, I have already got a pile of things from what I did...'' It seemed as if the system was waiting for him to finish the tasks because right after that, he was flooded with system notifications. [ Your name has been heard by everyone in the terrain ] [ Your MP has increased ] [ MP: 01/18 || Max. MP: ??? ] [ Due to continuous use, skill Heal is gaining a level ] [ Heal Lv.1 -> Heal Lv. 2 ] [ You have gained 78 Exp due to the title Wolf Doctor ] [ Exp: 190+78 || Max. Exp: 200 ] [ You have leveled up ] [ Lv.05 -> Lv.06 ] [ All stats will be raised by 2 ] [ Profile ] Name: Shin Sex: Male Age: 20 days 07 hours 58 minutes 51 seconds Weight: 0.5 Kg (1 Pound) Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Evolved Warrior Wolf ] Rank: D || Max. rank: ??? Level: 06 || Max. level: 25 HP: 25/25 || Max. HP: ??? MP: 01/18 || Max. MP: ??? Exp: 268 || Max. Exp: 300 Atk: 20+2 || Max. Atk: ??? Def: 25+2 || Max. Def: ??? Speed: 29+2 || Max. Speed: ??? Int: 40+2 || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Bite Lv.2 2] Dash Lv.2 3] Copy Lv.1 4] Heal Lv.2 5] Transformation Lv.1 6] me Wave Lv.1 7] Dark Maniption Lv.1 8] All Seeing Eye Lv.1 9] Aura Control Lv.1 [ Passive Skills ] 1] Cold Resistance Lv.1 2] Heat Resistance Lv.1 3]Shock Resistance Lv.1 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.1 7] Language Trantion Lv.1 To be continued... Chapter 34 Arrival Of Lan [ Level: 06 || Max. level: 25 ] Shin was happy just by seeing that he had leveled up while healing others. Indeed, the titles that one gets ends up adding extra boost to the growth and other things. In the end, it is these small things that gives the ultimate power and ends up making one extraordinarily strong! ''Yes, I was able to gain a level...'', Shin was indeed happy without a doubt the reason for which was the total development which included the increase in attack, defense and others too. Though he didn''t get any new skills, he was satisfied by the benefits that he received. *yawns* ''Looks like I need to have a small nap...'' His body was strained by using mana so many times. Although he held till now, that didn''t mean that he wasn''t tired! Of course, fatigue had been umted. So he wanted to rest a bit, on top of that the cool breeze that was blowing past thend due to the little rain and thundering that had ceased a while ago was quite soothing. *grumble* He was hungry at the same time too, but the tiredness took over and forced him to fall asleep. ''Tap Tap Tap'' While Shin was fast asleep, Kira approached him. He stared at him while standing just next to him. ''Just look at him sleeping...'', Kira''s eyes were sparkling. The expression on his face was noteworthy. Probably for the first time after many years he had such an expression. Indeed, the expression of caring about someone or something, that waspletely seen on his face. ''He is so small, yet he can do such great things...'', of course, Kira was referring to healing. ''He looks just like...'' He waited there for some more time while enjoying the cool breeze. Probably he wanted to speak with Shin about some other matter. A few hours passed by but Kira apanied Shin there without moving even an inch. He was nning something too in his mind. Sometimes his expression would be fierce while other it would have a weird calm. It was quite hard to imagine what Kira was thinking. "Master!" "Master!" Kira was still thinking something when suddenly he heard someone calling out to him. He lifted his lowered gazes only to find a wolf running towards him. He recognized the wolf right away. "Lan?", he was shocked to see him here. "Master..." *pant pant* He was way too tired and it seemed like he had ran for hours together. "What are you doing here Lan? Shouldn''t you be checking out the Melingior Valley?", Kira asked. *gulp* "Yes master, I have something to report about that ce...", Lan was sweating profusely. He seemed no different than the other white wolves other than the fact that he had a little longer legs whenpared to all. ? But in front of Kira, he was quite small so the legs didn''t even matter right now. Also, Kira was quite curious about the so called report which Lan had to present for which he rushed all the way from Melingior Valley which was 20 Km away! "The Bear King...", the moment Lan mentioned that, Kira got the gist of the entire situation. "No way..." "Is he nning to attack us?", Kira asked. "Yes master, the bear King along with his 50 Greater Bears and 100 Intermediate Bears are on their way towards our terrain." When Lan mentioned that, Kira waspletely shocked. Moreover, his heartbeat increased by several folds. "Damn it..." "I should have known this..." "The current Bear King is no more than a War maniac!" "We should have escaped earlier!", Kira regretted the fact that he failed to realize about the Bear King''s sudden attack. Of course, Bears are quiterger animals and are one of the strongest predators. Over time their intelligence have been evolved just like that of Wolves so it was evident that they would have the sense of revenge! Indeed, it was their own mistake to enter a Wolf''s terrain. Because of that their kind was in but all of this seemed to have been nned out because it hadn''t even been a day since the Bears began to move towards the terrain of wolves to take their revenge! Even though the Bears arerge, they have quite the speed to support them in hunting. Of course, they can''t maintain it for long like the wolves. "Alert everyone Lan!" "We have to go out in war!" "Ask the Bi n of Midnight Wolves for help!" "Evacuate the ce and let the younger ones and pregnant ones leave first to the Bi n''s terrain..." Kira made instant decision which was one of the characteristics of a King. Even though he was quite angry, he thought about the safety of his own kind first which was quite natural. "Damn..." "I will make them pay for taking us so lightly!", Kira let out arge amount of blood lust and killing intent which ended up waking Shin who was having a nice nap. ''Ding'' [ Intense Blood Lust detected ] [ Warning ] [ Intense Killing Intent Detected ] ''Huh...?'' ''What just...'', Shin woke up from the sleep and turned his gazes almost immediately towards Kira. He could see that he was emitting arge amount of the said blood lust and killing intent. "Kira...?", again, he called out with his name but oh well, Kira was not in the mood to think about that. Nor could he deny that right now in front of Lan. Kira looked back at Shin and Lan did the same. Lan waspletely surprised when he heard Shin call out Kira''s name as if it was nothing. "You imbecile! You dare you call-", Lan was infuriated because he thought that Shin was mocking Kira. Lan wasn''t present here when Shin was introduced to all so he had no idea about what had happened. "Yes master Shin?", Kira replied with a question. And upon hearing that Lan''s mouth was shut for good and for some reason he felt as if his ears had gone insane. "Master... did you just...", he wanted to confirm if what he heard was right or not. "Indeed, you should also refer him as ''Master Shin'', do you understand?" *gulp* "Yes master..." To be continued... Chapter 35 Evacuating And Waiting For The War Lan was surprised to see that even Kira was paying respect to Shin. Of course, this was way too abnormal. Now that Kira asked Lan to do the same, he couldn''t possibly ignore the order. Regardless, that wasn''t the important matter to be wary of right now. Since the war was going to ur soon, Lan was worried about that. Indeed, Kira did tell to evacuate the ce but that was not that easy. Also, Bi n was a bit far away. He was afraid that even before they reached the n, they might be attacked. *gulp* He was way too nervous to even think anything clearly. In reality, he didn''t even require to think much because that work was Kira''s duty. All the thinking would be left to him and Lan would only be required to do everything to follow what Kira would ask. "Is something wrong Kira? You are emitting arge amount of killing intent...", Shin asked. Kira realized that the moment Shin asked and suppressed the excess killing intent which had been released due to his own negligence. "Yes...", he looked towards the ground while saying this. "I see, so the Bears are going to attack to take revenge?", Shin asked. Kira raised his gazes once again and looked at Shin with shocked expression. That was because whatever he told was exactly right. However Kira hadn''t even said anything about it so it was surprising to see him figure it out himself. But that was to be expected by someone who was once a human. Shin knew for sure that something like this would have happened sooner orter. "Well, now all we can do is not waste even a single moment and do everything I our power to escape from them...", he said this while looking at Kira. "Indeed, since we are faster than them, we can escape without any blood shed!", Kira nodded his head. ''Amazing...'' ''This is the first time I have seen Master discussing something with some other Wolf...'' ''I have been with him for a long time and he would always take the burden upon himself and decide everything on his own...'' Lan had a surprised expression. However he was quite relieved to see that Kira shared the thoughts with Shin. ''I guess he is someone as strong and great as Master...'', Lan wondered while thinking about Shin. "Well then, Lan was it?", Shin asked. "Y-Yes!" ''How did he know my name?'', Lan asked himself. Well, the answer for that was simple. Shin had taken the privilege of peeking at Lan''s profile and stats. [ Profile ] Name: Lan Sex: Male Age: 12 years 206 days 02 hours 13 minutes 30 seconds Weight: 70 pounds ( 31.751 Kg ) Race: Canis lupis [ Wolf ] [ White Wolf Warrior ] Rank: B || Max. rank: A Level: 28 || Max. level: 35 HP: 315/320 || Max. HP: 345 MP: 100/190 || Max. MP: 330 Exp: 1112 || Max. Exp: 3200 Atk: 210 || Max. Atk: 300 Def: 195 || Max. Def: 300 Speed: 440 || Max. Speed: 500 Int: 59 || Max. Int: 190 [ Further details cannot be shown due to host''s low level ] Of course, that was the only way Shin hade to know his name. However Lan thought that Shin was awake when Kira called out his name. "I guess you should go and inform this to everyone immediately." After hearing what Shin said, Lan bowed his head in front of both of them and dashes away. He understood that Shin didn''t want to waste even a single second and because of that he ran as fast as he could despite being tired after running for quite sometime. "Alright Kira, I guess we should start moving too...", Shin looked at Kira and said this. "Yes...", Kira was a bit reluctant. He had some other ns. The reason why he asked only the children and the pregnant females to leave was because they couldn''t fight. He wanted to confront the bear King and wanted to settle things once and for all However Shin failed to realize that. All of them gathered soon after the news was spread and soon after that Kira too arrived He exined the dire situation in which they were and all of them panicked a little. That was to be expected because a war could never solve anything. And even if it could, it would end up leaving deep unheble scars! "Siara will be in charge of you all...", Kira was sure that Siara would be enough to lead them. They were vulnerable and of course they couldn''t go through the deep forest so easily. That''s why at least a few fighter wolves were required to escort then and Siara and her pack had been given that job. As said earlier, their numbers ranged only around 6-7 however they were quite strong. Their teamwork was unmatched so Kira thought that this was enough. "Get it going then!", Kira howled and everyone started moving. "Yes, move!", Shin stood back and said the same thing as if he wasmanding too. "Huh? What are you doing here...?", Kira looked at Shin with fierce gaze. Shin made a poker face like expression and said, "What do you mean?" "I came to help you in the war...", looks like Shin finally realized what Kira wanted. "..." "Shut up and join the pack!", Kira red at Shin while saying that. "Eh? Why!?", Shin was confused. He thought that he could help in the battle and that was true too, but Kira thought that Shin was just a healer. "A healer would just get in the way during the intense battle!" "Also, you are the weakest and you are just a pup!" "You will be an easy target, we can''t possibly waste our lives in protecting you!", what Kira said was right. Even though a healer would be helpful in healing, it would take some time to heal that little time would be more than enough to target Shin and kill him. "But...", however Shin wanted to exin that he wasn''t just some random healer. "I don''t want to hear anything!" "Get going!" And Shin was forced to leave with the pack. Now the only ones who were left in the terrain were Kira and the other Warrior Wolves who sharpened their fangs and waited for the Bears. To be continued... Chapter 36 The Conspiracy Kira and others were waiting patiently while sharpening their fangs. Although Kira was partially thinking if others were safe, he was majorly thinking about the bear King! ''Grrr'' ''I will tear him into shreds...'', Kira wouldn''t let the Bear King alive. Bears, especially Grizzly Bears are one of the strongest predators who hunt Wolves! Of course, they are their favorite preys. The Bears are indeed intelligent and precisely because of that they toyed with Wolves. But who knows, if there was someone pulling strings from the shadows! An hour passed soon but there was no sign of the Bears. Kira was wary of this because ording to what Lan had reported, they were already at the Melingior Valley to which he had gone to check. If that was true then they should have been here by now. That was because in total two hours had passed. One hour in waiting and one hour while informing others and having them escape. ''Weird...'', he turned his gazes towards Lan while thinking this. He could see Lan being flustered too. It was as if he too was shocked so of course he wouldn''t have lied. "Lan, you are sure right you had seen them at the Valley?", Kira asked regardless of Lan''s behavior. That was in order to clear the doubts of others because they were starting tk get tired of waiting. The enthusiasm and anger which they had in them was also settling down. If that would happen then ir would be quite disadvantages to Kira and the wolves. As mentioned earlier, Bears hunt Wolves because they consider them as their favorite preys. That is because a single bear is several times stronger than a wolf. At the same time there isn''t much difference in their speeds initially. Though, in long term, wolves are faster. Therefore the wolves had to be wary of them. The only advantage which the wolves had were in numbers but now even that couldn''t be used since the Bears wereing in gangs! "Master, I''m not sure why but they haven''t arrived till now..." "It''s as if they are purposefully dying...", Lan said. "Huh...?" "Purposefully?", when Kira said that his eyes widened. At that very moment he realized that he made a huge mistake. He realized that what Shin said would have been the best for now. Since it was their terrain, they held advantage so obviously no one woulde tk get killed or fight where they are in a disadvantage. They would prefer advantage over disadvantage so they would never head towards the terrain while having no advantage whatsoever. "No way..." "It can''t be..." "...", his breathing became heavy when he realized that he made a foolish decision. "Everyone! Towards the Bi n!", Kira howled at the top of his voice. Wolves were no fools that is why the moment they heard Kira say that, they realized what was going on. ''Damn, I didn''t expect them to do this...'' ''I should have gone with them!'', Kira and others ran with all their might towards the Bi n. Of course they had to go via the way Shin and the others had went earlier. No matter what happened, they couldn''t possibly dy anymore. If they were to reachte then everything might have ended up getting destroyed. Of course, Kira had sent Siara and the small pack of 7, but that wasn''t enough to deal with a bear King and the greater bears. Kira expected the Bears tk attack them head on, he had no idea that they would target the group that was trying to escape! ''No matter how you look at this, this kind of intelligence doesn''t belong to the Bears!'', he kept on thinking that. Such a strategy and proper deduction couldn''t be done by some wild animals just because they got some intelligence. Of course, even humans would take quite the long time to n such a thing. Regardless, right now Kira didn''t have the pleasure to think about such things. His one and only aim was to catch upto the group. However, one hour had passed away so without a doubt they would have reached quite far away. They might have even reached the Bi n but oh well, nothing was sure yet. Thus, all that Kira could do was run as fast as he could until and unless his legs fell apart. "Faster!" "Run Faster!", Kira shouted. The wolves were having trouble in keeping up with him because he was quiterge and thanks to that he had a lot of strength. Not only that, his legs were long too so he was able to cover arger distance easily unlike others. More than that, he was the strongest among them and was the finest form of their kind so it was obvious for their King or leader to be quite faster, stronger and smarter than the rest. One or two of them got hit while running and fell down due to the trees. Because of that they were further slowed because Kira wanted to protect everyone. It would be of no use to go and protect others while sacrificing the ones who were with him. But once injured, they couldn''t possibly heal right away. It would require some time at the very least so Kira was forced to move ahead. But he left around 10 other wolves to guard and help them. His main focus was on Shin and others so he couldn''t stay there. It took him around 45 minutes when he finally arrived at a ce where all he could find was blood. "This..." The trees, the stones and even the ground was covered with blood. The air was filled with the stench of blood. This terrified the wolves who were with Kira because the smell of the blood was quite familiar. "No way..." When they turned their gazes here and there, they found some amount of fur that belonged to the White wolves! With this they recalled that the smell of the blood belonged to their own kind, that is, the White Wolves! "No way!", Kira howled when he thought that all of his kind were dead. To be continued... Chapter 37 [ Game Over ] Kira was definitely surprised by this. It was the same for others who thought that they had lost their loved ones. Kira regretted the fact that he was out done by the Bears and in such a horrible manner that the whole White wolf n had been erased apart from the little warrior wolves who were left! Majority of the poption had left the terrain because of which it wasn''t wrong to assume that the n had gone extinct. Kira''s eyes were filled with tears. It was the same for others too. Their eyes were also filled with tears of pain and sorrow of losing everything. Of course, losing family and friends is somewhat simr to losing everything, at least that''s what the wolves thought. ''Damn...'' However Kira hadn''t given up yet, he had yet to find any bodies of his n mates. He still had hopes that at least some of them might have survived! Especially, he hoped for Siara to survive because she was the strongest among all who had left, at least ording to them. "Don''t give up! Let''s move forward!", Kira raised his voice and said this. The remaining wolves had given up long back and now they didn''t have any motivation to move forward. But since they were loyal to Kira and due to the hierarchy, they did as he said. However, instead of advancing rapidly, they walked lowly and steadily and they would have continued in the same manner if they hadn''t heard the thunderous roar! ''ROARRRRR'' The roar was so loud that it essentially could burst open the ears of wolves. The sound was powerful enough to even cause the trees to waver vigorously. "What was that!?", all the wolves were startled by the sound. Even Kira was startled since he was no exception in this case. In fact, for some reason, he felt that the roar was quite familiar. He started to increase his pace and dashed towards the direction of the roar. The remaining wolves followed him closely behind though, hesitantly. It took no more than 2 minutes to reach at the sight where everything became clear to them. "What the-" It was a sight which woulde once in ages and for sure, it was something one wouldn''t find very normal. "B-bears...?", said one wolf among all the wolves while watching closely. Indeed, they weren''t looking at live bears in fact, it was the corpses that had beenid on the ground like the flowers which float on the drop blue water surface. Though, the only difference was that the ground looked red as if the flowers were floating on blood rather than water. Many, around hundreds, of brown bears had been killled brutally with either their heads chopped or the whole body ripped apart. It was quite contrasting because the stretch was that of the wolves while the bodies that wereid were of the bears. This confused Kira and the rest of them and they had no idea about what was actually going on because in this situation, even a slightest misunderstanding could lead them to pay a bigger price! Regardless, they seemed happy when they found so many bears dead. "Her majesty..." "Yes!" "It was definitely her who killed them!", said one of them. "Siara...?", Kira looked towards the person with a gaze of awe. It somewhat made sense that Siara killed all of them and no wonder the remaining wolves gained motivation after thinking that. But Kira has his own suspicion becas he knew that even if he himself went against so many wolves, he couldn''te out unscathed. Siara was definitely weaker than Kira, so he couldn''t take the spoon feeding which the other wolves were trying to do. That was because the types of attacks and the patterns differed from what a wolf could do. ''Perhaps... a dragon...?'', was what Kira concluded after keenly observing the marks but that couldn''t have been possible because dragons wouldn''t attack anyone meaninglessly. Also, the parts where they were entering was so small that dragons wouldn''t even live there, at least that''s what they thought. ''How...? How could she do this...?'' ''Did she really do this?'', many, many questions arouse in Kira''s mind but his priority right now was to find out the group which was supposed to escape. He could essentially find Siara and ask her this himself but there was one fear that engulfed him. ''Will she be alive even now...?'', indeed, that was not guaranteed. If what other wolves were telling was true, then Siara would have gotten grave injuries or she might have even been dead! That was not something Kira could ept dly, furthermore, he couldn''t bear to ept that. Anyway, he started moving again. The group followed him yet again. However everyone stopped almost immediately when they finally found Siara and Shin near the river bank. What they saw was that Siara waspletely covered with blood and had been lying on the ground while quite differently, Shin was ying with the cool water of the river as if he was enjoying himself to the fullest. ''Grrrr'' ''Siara is wounded and he is ying there...?'', Kira lost his mind when he thought that. He charged with full speed right after that and so did others. In a sh, they arrived near Siara and stopped only to see if she was alright and was just resting, but on contrary, Liea kept dashing until he reached Shin. "Hey all! You are finally-", Shin wanted to say something but before he could evenplete his sentence, he felt the intense bloodlust from Kira. ''Ding'' [ Intense Bloodlust detected ] "Wait what!?", Shin was surprised to see that Kira was charging towards him like a made dog with his tongue out. "No no wait!", Shin had no choice other than turning himself around and running away from Kira. Unfortunately, his speed wasn''t enough and right before he could even cross the small river, better off called as a stream, he was caught by Kira''s heavy forelimbs. "Game over...", Shin said this in a low voice when he looked at the fierce expression of Kira which was darkened by his own shadow! "..." To be continued... Chapter 38 Blame And Praise ''Game over...'' ''That''s what I thought but this...'' Shin was right now sitting while being ufortable. Right in front of him Kira sat with a dark Aura covering him and other eldermost wolves surrounded him. *gulp* He looked a bit towards the ce where he was standing a while ago. He was basically dragged from the waters by Kira with his power forelimbs! All of them had their gazes on Shin as if he had done the biggest mistake of his life, but in reality, it was quite opposite. Other wolves who watched from a bit far away thought that Shin was guilty since Kira had a fierce gaze while looking at him, but in reality, Kira was embarrassed. ''How can I make such idiotic mistake...?'', he realised. He has indeed realised that Siara waspletely fine, In fact she was in her best condition. She was just asleep and the blood that covered her actually belonged to the bears. She didn''t have even a single scratch on herself, but how did he determine this so precisely? It was thanks to his Special Skill which was bestowed when he was named as Kira - ''Complete Perception''. That skill allowed him to look at things much more precisely and in a better manner than what would be seen or visible via naked eyes. However, he noticed this only when he used the skill after dragging Shin. He was nowpletely trapped because he couldn''t justugh out and say that he was joking. He could see all others eyeing Shin and badmouthing him. He too had his own reputation to look after but right now, it wasn''t the best thing to think about. The group was still missing and only Siara and Shin were here, so he had to get all the necessary informations first and then think about other things since he was assured that Siara was fine. "So tell me Sh-" "Ahem, so tell me maste-" "Ahem..." Kira hesitated twice. He didn''t want to call him by his name because he knew the consequence of disrespecting their God. At the same time, he didn''t want to call him ''master'' in front of so many wolves! ''Damn, what a blunder...'', yes, he regretted the decision of calling him ''master'' earlier. Right now, he prevented himself from calling that but he had no idea of how to address him. Well, he was in a predicament but to his surprise he came out of it quite easily when Shin started speaking after understanding Kira''s situation. "The group advanced towards the Bi n and arrived safely..." "Only her majesty stayed back in order to fight against the bears and sessfully managed to kill all of them alone...", Shin said with a lowered head. While he was speaking, silence covered the entire area but soon after he finished speaking, the wolves were whispering amongst themselves. "How can you say for sure that everyone reached Bi safely?", Kira asked. Again, there wasplete silence while everyone turned their gazes towards Shin while expecting an answer. "That''s because I went with them and arrived at the n of Bi, but then I thought Siara..." "I mean her majesty might have been heavily wounded so I returned to Heal her..." What he said sounded perfectly normal and eptable to all so there were no more arguments. The elders were surprised by his decision making skills and appreciated a bit too because they knew that he might have used Healing magic continuously on Siara only due to which she might have been able to kill all. "Yes, his healing would have definitely helped her highness..." "For sure, it was a good thing that he did..." They mumbled amongst themselves though it was quite audible to everyone. ''No wait...'' ''You all don''t understand at all...'', while all seemed to be appreciating him, Kira seemed surprised. His eyes were widely opened and he could hardly believe what he had heard. ''Everyone...'' ''Didn''t you hear what he said...?'' ''The most surprising thing in what he said was that he was able to go and return from the n of Bi...'' ''He essentially covered twice as much distance we ran from our terrain in half the amount of time!?'' Kira was too surprised to even open his mouth. He seemed quite calm, but his thoughts seemed quite jumbled. *gulp* Kira swallowed arge amount of dry saliva while constantly staring at Shin who was looking here and there and was smirking because of everyone''s praises. ''Isn''t he a Healer...?'' ''More than that... a pup?'' ''He ran twice as fast as me?'', Kira couldn''t believe it at all. No matter how hard he thought, to him it all seemed like a lie! He wanted to question him right away but his throat was so dry that his voice had been lost. He thought that it was the best to drink some water from the stream which was no more than 10 metres away from him. He stood up and walked towards the stream while the rest were busy in praising Siara. "Then, does that mean her majesty is fine?", asked one of the elder wolves. Shin nodded his head and answered politely, "Yes, indeed." Now they had no reason to me him, their view had totally been changed. So they continued to talk about him when suddenly their gazes shifted towards Kira who was standing just beside Siara near the stream. It was because Siara made a sudden sound and then stood up almost immediately as if she was raising her guard against something. "Siara!", Kira raised his voice a bit and then moved his head towards hers and licked her forehead and eyes gently. Siara epted it and lowered her guard after realising that Kira was near her. "I''m d that you are safe!", he said with a smile. "I''m safe...?", she asked this with a surprised expression while looking at herself. "Huh...? Is something wrong?", Kira asked. She was trying to figure out something when suddenly her nces fell on Shin who was staring back at her. *gulp* "Yes..." "I''m safe...", she almost immediately replied while avoiding gazes with Shin. Every wolf out there heard this and rejoiced but Kira noticed the sudden change in expression. ''Why did she be gloomy after looking at Shin...?'', was the first and only thought that came to his mind. To be continued... Chapter 39 Provoke And Its Punishment The atmosphere was tense for sure, at least that''s how it seemed to Kira. However, he didn''t ask anything since Siara didn''t utter even a single word. They walked down the path that lead to Bi. They traced down the footprints of the group that went before them. Everyone was quite happy and were rejoicing since they thought that Siara was able to kill all the Bears including the Bear King! ''King'' or ''Ruler'' sounds quite fancy but at the same time they hold the most value in all the names. Just as humans ce ''Dr.'' in front of names to show the respect in Earth, here they would use the words like Sovereign or Monarch. Indeed, it was simr to ''Leader''. Often that was based on power or strength rather than intelligence. Regardless, a King of any tribe would be several times stronger than any normal member of the said tribe, therefore killing the king was quite a great feat. On top of that, the Grizzlies were their arch enemies therefore killing someone that held the leader position of their enemies would definitely earn respect. But Siara was not happy even in the slightest manner. Kira observed this and had been observing Siara from the start. He could see the fake smile like expression which Siara put on her face. However there was one more significant thing which Kira noticed. Everything when Siara''s gazes ended upon Shin or whenever she heard his voice, she would be gloomier! ''Something must have definitely happened...'' Kira kept wondering on his own. Soon enough they reached the Bi n. Some grey and brown colored wolves had been guarding the boarders of the Bi n and as soon as they saw Kira and othersing, they howled in order to let others know. ''Aooooooo'' ¡Á 2 Howling twice in a row meant that some guest had arrived or someone expectant had arrived. Almost immediately the leader of the Bi n rushed and arrived near the borders. "Kira!", a wolf which just appeared and was as big as Kira raised its voice while calling out to him. There was a huge scar on its left forelimb which extended till it''s ear on the same left side. It looked as if a dagger was shed and the mark was left after being healed. "Aaron!", Kira too called out rather proudly. He walked slowly towards Aaron while Aaron did the same too. Both of them closer to each other and kept staring at each other''s eyes. Shin, Siara and remaining all the White wolves just kept looking Kira and Aaron. It was the same for the brown and grey wolves. It was as if their instincts had already told then that something was going to happen. Kira and Aaron were ofparable size but it was clearly seen that Aaron was a bit smallerpared to Kira. Regardless, right now both of then were standing right in front of each other with a fierce expression as if they would to eat each other right away! The breeze was quite chilling and it was already night time. Time went by too fast, well that was to be expected since tons of things happened so fast. The breeze was causing the leaves to fall from the trees nearby. Soon enough, the tenth dry leaf fell from the nearest tree. It was as if both of then were waiting for the moment the leaf touched the ground. ''GRRRRRR'' ''AOOOOO'' Just when the lead touched the ground, Kira howled while Aaron growled and both of them shed against each other. Basically Kira jumped towards Aaron with his forelimbs raised while trying to sh Aaron with his well exposed and sharp ws! At that moment, Kira looked like a giant. Indeed, everyone was shocked when Kira made this sudden movement. However, that was the same with Aaron too! He too reacted at the exact same time. He moved ten steps back within a blink of an eye so beautifully and elegantly as if he had predicted that Kira would attack in such a way. ''Boom'' A cloud of dust was raised which subsided quite quickly thanks to the breeze which blew away all the particles whole making the vision clear again! Kira was surprised to see that Aaron was able to dodge his attack so easily and the same surprised reaction was seen in everyone''s expression other than Shin''s. It was as if Shin was unaffected but that was only because he didn''t understand how strong Kira was whenpared to all the wolves of the Forest! If one could dodge Kira''s attack, then it wouldn''t be a lie to say that ''That Being'' would be strong enough to rule over the forest! Well, that was how much Kira was respected in the entire forest, and probably that was the reason why the Bear King didn''t want to face Kira head on! But little did the Bear King know that there was a far more stronger power that Kira that had just recently appeared in the Forest. The said power was probably the cruelest and without a doubt that was Shin! Aaron sessfully dodged Kira''s attack and recieved a lot of praises, but he didn''t seem to be satisfied yet! He immediately made his next move while taking the advantage of everyone''s surprised expression only to appear right in front of Kira in the blink of an eye again and moved his right forelimb with ws at such high velocity that it left a small scratch mark on Kira despite his attempt to dodge! In fact, the small scratch was deep enough to make Kira bleed. "Yes!", yes, Aaron was quite satisfied now! All who were surprised were even more baffled by what happened. This was probably their first time seeing Kira bleeding after 10 years! Well, many of them had seen it for the first time! "Yes! You didn''t expect that did you Kira!?" "Haha!", Aaron was bursting with happiness while Kira was filled with anger because his all so great ''PRIDE'' was hurt. ''Ding'' [ An insane amount of bloodlust is detected ] [ The system asks the host to escape immediately! ] ''Wait what!?'', Shin was surprised by the sudden notification and he had no idea from whom the bloodlust came from. but when he took a look at Kira again, he found the source of the bloodlust. Well, even without the system it could be told quite easily by the sudden heavy pressure which developed over the entire area. Siara who was gloomy all this time, opened her mouth and said, "Now you have gone and done it Aaron..." "Eh? No..." "I didn''t mean to...", it seemed like Aaron was the one who was scared of the bloodlust since he was the closest to Kira at the moment. After hearing Siara he made puppy eyes while trying to ask for help. "Help me Siara..." "Nope, you reap what you sow..." "Don''t worry, it won''t be painful...", Siara said in a low voice. "Eh? Won''t be painful?", Aaron was confused by what Siara said. "Yes, death wille to you so fast that you won''t have any time to feel the pain...", Siara said with a scary smile on her face. Perhaps she had regained some energy to talk and make expressions like that. "No! Help me please...", one could see tears in his eyes but that didn''t move Siara''s heart at all. "Well, all I can say is..." "Do your best to survive..." "..." To be continued... Chapter 40 Some Random Painful Memories *gulp* Aaron could only wait for Kira to unleash his anger. No one, absolutely no one could stop Kira right now, at least no wolf could. Wait, no wolf could? Not even Shin? Yes, even Shin couldn''t stop and that was clearly evident by the huge experience difference. But that was the smallest thing, the strength difference could clearly be seen between Shin and Kira. How all the bears died was still a mystery but regardless of that, in a direct confrontation between Kira and Shin, Kira would definitely emerge victories! ''Ding'' [ Insane amount of Bloodlust has subsided ] [ Previous advice has been withdrawn ] Right when this notification appeared, a suddenugh was heard. "Hahaha!" "That was indeed a good move Aaron!" "You have definitely improved 5th Brother, hahaha!", it was Kira who wasughing. It was as if his anger vanished into thin air. Moreover, he seemed quite happy. ''Brother...?'', Shin was confused when Kira called Aaron that. "Yes 2nd Brother...", Aaron tooughed out but awkwardly. Kira raised his gigantic right forelimb and cked it on Aaron''s head as if he was patting him. Well, Aaron liked it and it was probably quite normal, no one else was surprised by this act at least other than Shin. He was totally puzzled because a while ago Kira was angry and suddenly his mood took a 180 degree turn! And now both of them had started to call each other with respect and without their actual names. Shin was confused when he heard ''2nd brother'' and ''5th brother'' words. He tried to find some hidden meaning behind those words but there were none, it was just simple dialect or perhaps showing respect and love? Either way, it didn''t matter much. Both of them seemed happy moreover they seemed like brothers. Shin understood that by watching them smirk and smile and refrained from roasting his brain from overthinking. "Sigh, Brother, we should first go inside and then talk...", Aaron adviced. "Hmm, ya...", he nodded his head after turning towards Siara and others. All of them entered the Bi n and soon went and gathered in the area where others had escaped earlier. They reunited and on seeing each other they were quite happy. Of course, not a single one of them was missing. No one was dead which was probably why even Kira was happy. He then entered a den probably thergest there. Aaron invited him. It was well lit with the Moon crystals which used to glow during night. All the dens has simr crystals and it was well lit. Not many were in dens because they were interested in the white wolves and were chatting. Since most of the females and elderly Of the White wolves were present, the chat continued for more than 5 hours! Kira and Aaron chatted for quite a long time probably about old times and about the current situation. Shin just went and sat near a tree and just nced and everyone as they smiled and expressed their emotions. He had no one to chat with since he was quite small to others. Also, no one of his age could even walk probably let alone speak! "Hmm, I wonder for how long we will be here..." "Well, I guess I should go meet them..." "I need to thank them for helping me kill those nasty bears...", Shin sighed. Shin was definitely not talking about the brown or grey wolves. He was talking about someone totally different but who was it? Well, a mystery for now! ''Tap Tap'' Soon enough the same young pup whom Shin has saved earlier approaches him. "Huh...?", he took a look at her. She just came and sat beside Shin as if it was nothing. It was as if he was looking at a baby. ''Pfft, she is so cute...'' For sure, she was definitely cute. The way she moved, the way she looked at Shin and even the way she licked his paws was way too cute for him to handle. "Haha!" "Stop it!" "That tickles! Haha!", Shin couldn''t control hisughter. Yep, he was being licked in his fluffy ears and arms which was quite ticklish. Heughed so hardly that tears started flowing down his eyes. "Haha, stop..." Well, after some minutes the pup stopped on it''s own and kept staring at Shin. "Haha..." "That was quite an experience..." "She is quite cute indeed..." "Ya, she resembles..." Shin also stared at her when suddenly he was engulfed in pain. "Her...?" All of a sudden the picture of his sister shed in front of his eyes. He could remember the memories from earth when his sister was quite small and used to tickle him and do all sorts of fun things which were cute like this. He was seven years older than her so ya, he could remember everything and even now, those were some specific memories that he recalled at the moment. Unfortunately, they were much more painful than pleasant and the reason was clear - he killed her. *drip drip* Tears, yes tears started flowing down his eyes. Basically he started to cry because of these memories. ''Damn...'' ''Why the heck did I remember those things now?'' The pup who sat beside him was staring at him all this time. *blink blink* The pup then slowly approached Shin and licked his tears away. Shin was taken by surprise when the pup did this but perhaps this was for good. "Thank you...", Shin said in a low voice and the pup smiled as if it understood what Shin said. Though, the pain in his heart was real. What he had done couldn''t be reversed but oh well, now all he could do was to look at the present and set the future! The pup then stood up and went back towards Siara and Shin was alone again but he was fine now. The pup did a great job in consoling him. *yawns* "Well, I guess I should take a nap...", it was night time after all and he was already tired. But just as he thought of sleeping, Kira and Aaron appeared in front of him. "So, this is him?", Aaron asked Kira while staring at Shin with an awkward expression. "Haha, yes...", Kiraughed. "..." To be continued... Chapter 41 A Desperate Plea Shin was surprised to see Aaron and Kira appear in front of him. Moreover, he was confused by looking at Aaron''s expression. It was as if Aaron was looking down on Shin perhaps that was something normal that one would feel after looking at Shin who was literally a pup! "Can..." "Can he even speak?", Aaron asked Kira. "Of course he can!", Kira eximed. Shin was way too small whenpared to any other warrior wolf. Kira and Aaron were in a league of their own so it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that Shin was too tiny in front of them. "What''s your name pup?", Aaron tried to maintain the superiority and asked in a deep voice. "Shin, that''s my name...", Shin said almost immediately as if he was expecting Aaron to ask that. "Huh?", Aaron was surprised when he heard that name. He almost immediately turned his head towards Kira as if he wanted to confirm what he heard. "He is right, his name is..." "Ahem, whatever he told...", Kira nodded his head without actually calling out Shin''s name. *gulp* Kira had bragged about Shin saying that he had found a wolf of healing attributes. Now the casualties would definitely be reduced each time. At first, Aaron couldn''t believe that however after just hearing the name of the pup, a chill ran down his spine. ''How is this even possible?'' ''Why does he have the same name as...'' Aaron''s mind went nk as he thought about it. Of course, he was bewildered but more than that it was as if he was seeing someone break thews of the world. Then again, Shin''s reincarnation had no theory in itself so it didn''t matter to Shin anyway. "I heard that you are capable of using Healing magic..." "Is that true?", he asked. "...", Shin remained mum for a moment. He turned his eyes towards Kira as if he wanted to know if Kira was the one who told about this. Kira avoided the eye contact for some reason, well anyway, Shin had to answer that right now. "Indeed, that''s absolutely true.", he answered with confidence. Right after he said that one could see a little smile-like expression on Aaron. Although he was shocked, it seemed as if he was happy at the same time. Well anyway, Aaron hade for an entirely different purpose. It is true that he wanted to verify Shin''s power but more than that he wanted to ask for help. "Um, then can you please help us?", Aaron asked in a low voice. "Help?", Kira and Shin asked with astonishment. Both of them had no idea about the help which Aaron asked. Kira didn''t know in the slightest that asking helo was Aaron''s purpose of visit. "Yes, actually many of our kin are hurt gravely..." "We don''t know any method of healing them, we have no idea where the elves are either..." "So will you please heal them?", Aaron asked. Shin looked at Aaron''s eyes directly. Aaron almost immediately withdrew his gazes and lowered his head. Earlier, he was acting a bit arrogantly due to which Shin was starting to hate him, but now he could see his sincerity and love towards his own Kin. It waspletely silent for a while. Kira had no say in this matter because he wanted to leave this to Shin. "Lead the way..." Shin broke the uncanny silence by saying this. Aaron lifted his head the moment Shin said that. For a moment he couldn''t believe his ears but after seeing Shin standing firm, he understood that what he heard was not a lie or illusion. "This way!", he walked back towards the ce where all the injuredid in wait. All the remaining wolves of the Bi n had stopped chatting when they found Aaron walking back towards the massive cave. Due to this other White wolves noticed Kira and Shin also walking towards therge cave. They couldn''t help but ask what was present inside the cave and thus the conversation continued and the info about the injured ones spread like wildfire from one member of the white wolf n to the other. *Fwoosh* A cool breeze blew from the cave where Aaron was heading to. Even though there were no sources of fire, it was still well illuminated, of course, it was thanks to the crystallites that illuminate in the dark after absorbing the Sun''s energy. Shin was unaffected by that. All that he had in his mind was to see the injured ones. All three of them entered the cave and in a minute or two, they arrived at the interior area which was quiterge. Many brown and white wolvesid there. All of them were suffering for reasons unknown. They were sweating profusely and were breathing heavily. Kira was shocked when he looked at them. His eyes started to shine, basically, that was a sign of using the Complete Perception skill. "They..." "Are poisoned?", he said in a low and deep voice. "Yes, please heal them!", Aaron had finally found someone who could use healing magic and that was why he was desperate because the more time passed, the more members would die. "I''m sorry, I don''t think my healing powers will have any effect on them...", Shin said while looking at them carefully. "What!?", Aaron raised his voice when he heard that. "How can you say that even before trying?" "Are you really a healer or are you just a fake?", Aaron marched towards Shin with great force as if he was going to attack him. Just before he could reach Shin, Kira used his gigantic forelimb to stop Aaron from moving forward by just mming his head to the ground. "Calm down Aaron, don''t be hasty!", Kira said in a low but confident voice as if he was giving advice. "B-but...", Aaron was teary. He was basically crying the reason for which maybe because he loved his kin a lot. Kira looked towards the members who were suffering from the poison. ''I was wondering why he was so desperate and I guess now I know why...'' ''No one could just stand and see their wife and children suffer and die from poison, could they now?'', he wondered. To be continued... Chapter 42 Cursed Kira could feel the pain of his so called brother. He thought that Shin was also being hasty because he hadn''t even tried yet. If he failed after trying, then it would be understandable, but how he could he just say that just by looking? Kira wondered about it too and then looked towards Shin after raising his head and shifting his gazes from Aaron to Shin. "Sh-" "Master Shin, can''t you at least try?", Kira asked. Shin turned his gaze swiftly towards Kira and then said, "I''m absolutely positive that my healing magic will have no effect on the poison..." However even after hearing that, Kira seemed unconvinced. "Sigh, listen, my healing magic is only capable of healing the damaged body parts..." Even before Shin had finished saying, Kira said, "Isn''t that perfect? You can heal the parts that were damaged by poison!" Aaron had stopped crying and felt relieved all of a sudden when he heard this. "Sheesh, that''s what I''m saying..." "I can do only that much, I won''t be able to remove the poison from their bodies so no matter how many times I heal them, they would still remain poisoned!" "In the end, their suffering would only increase after decreasing for only a moment!" "That would be worse than death, don''t you think?", Shin asked Kira and Aaron simultaneously. Both of them were lost in deep thoughts after they heard him say that. ording to whatever he said, he waspletely right. Instead of hurting them for the rest of their lives, it would be best to kill them and relieve them. But who would say that to Aaron? He would definitely not ept that, at least that''s what Kira thought. "And anyway, they aren''t poisoned in the first ce..." "Huh?", Kira''s eyes widened when he heard that. Even Aaron was shocked when Shin said that. Both of them werepletely sure that they were poisoned but ording to Shin that was not the case. "How can that be? I checked them with my Complete Perception..." "They are definitely poisoned!", Kira proimed. "..." Shin, who was looking at the members intensely, now looked at Kira when he said that. He just asked a simple question, "Do you trust me more or your Complete Perception?" Of course, the answer was obvious, one would trust his own skill more with which they would have been familiar since long. It was the same for Kira too, he trusted his own skills more than Shin, but he couldn''t bring himself to say that. If he were to say that, it would be quite disrespecting to Shin and right now Aaron needed help which only Shin could have provided. Kira wasn''t aware of Shin''s background but he had indeed heard him say that he had met the Elf Celestial so right now he had to do his best to side with Shin. "Of course, it''s...", however he fumbled. He was not great at lying anyway so Shin knew it right away. "Stop, no need to tell anything..." Shin realized that he had no achievements at all. Of course, if his skills were shown to all, no one would hesitate to choose Shin, but right now all he did was hide his skills. In reality, he never got an opportunity to disy them. Kira and everyone else just assumed by themselves that he was a healer. Regardless, he never revealed either. Kira was mum for a while after which Aaron slowly tapped on Kira''s upper paw as if he was asking him to lift his heavy forelimb and release him. "Then please tell me, master Shin, what has happened to them?", Aaron inquired. "Sigh, they have been cursed...", Shin sighed when he said that. "C-cursed!?", both, Kira and Aaron, were shocked when they heard this. "Yes, and it is no ordinary curse." "It''s a powerful one!", one could see Shin''s serious expression while saying that. *gulp* Kira was confused though, through his perception, he saw some thread like structures flowing in their entire body. He assumed them to be poison. Of course, that was not a baseless assumption, he had seen this earlier too when he had used to skill one a beast attacked by a snake. That was why he was sure that the threads were none other than poison, but it seemed like those were threads of curses! It was only now that he understood that. Even Aaron seemed convinced with what Shin said. "Now it all makes sense...", Aaron said with a surprised expression as if he had figured out something. "Hmm?", Shin paid attention to him and listened to what he had to say. "All those magical herbs failed to work because the problem wasn''t physical..." "It was a curse that made them suffer!", Aaron was now deeply thinking of a way to break the curses or at least lift them somehow. However, he couldn''t think of any solution because his knowledge was limited. Out of all the wolf brothers, he was the only one who never went to far ces so he didn''t have any idea about methods regarding curses. So all he could do was leave the rest up to Shin but he wondered as to how Shin was able to find out that they were inflicted by a curse. He was about to inquire that right before which Kira ended up asking, "But how did you end up knowing that they were affected by a curse?" Shin smiled when he heard the question. "That''s right..." "How did Ie to know...?" He probably repeated the same thing that they asked but oh well, he was sarcastic because he knew how he found out that they were inflicted with a curse. ''Maybe, because of this warning?'' [ Warning ] [ Heavy Curse Field found 50 metres ahead ] [ Advice: Step back or stay at the same ce without advancing any further ] "..." "Master Shin?", Kira called out to him in order to know the answer. ''I can''t tell them this, can I now?'' To be continued... Chapter 43 Incurable Shin didn''t answer at all. All he did was just smile. Kira was left expectant and so was Aaron. But oh well, their curiosities subsided when their focus changed to the sufferings of the members again. "Master Shin, do you know of a way to cure this curse?", Aaron asked. "Cure the curse?" "..." "Ah, you mean, a way to lift the curse?", Shin asked. "Yes...", Aaron was worried because he had no idea about curses. "Hmm, well, the easiest way to lift the curse is to find the one who cursed them...", was what Shin said. Both, Kira and Aaron''s eyes widened. ,m They understood what Shin tried to tell them. If they were to find the one who inflicted the curse, they could force him to remove the curse as well! But they had no idea who it was, at least, Kira wasn''t aware of it. However, Aaron might have known it all along. "Tell me Aaron, since when did they start to suffer?", Shin asked. Aaron, thought for a bit and after recalling, said, "Uh, it was a week ago..." "I''m sure of it, they have been suffering for a week..." Shin heard it clearly and then started to think about it. He didn''t want to jump into baseless conclusions so he kept inquiring or questioning Aaron. "Hmm, if the curse took effect a week ago, did something happen around that time?", Shin asked. "Something...?", Aaron was confused about what Shin wanted to know. "Yes, something out of the ordinary...", Shin said. Aaron wondered about it for a while but found nothing out of the ordinary that had happened in the past week. "I don''t recall something unordinary happening..." "We didn''t even fight for thest whole month...", was what Aaron said. "Hmm..." Shin wondered about what he said. But if Aaron found nothing suspicious then how could Shin found who wasn''t present to experience it. "Wait, did you say that your n didn''t have any wars for the past one month?", Shin asked. "Yes.", Aaron nodded his head. "So you mean to say that you had a warst month?", Shin asked. "..." Aaron looked towards Kira and nodded his head. Shin was confused by such an action but he thought not to mind that. "We did..." "Wait..." It seemed like Aaron finally realized something after thinking about the war. "...", Shin could see Aaron''s expression changing continuously. First he was surprised or shocked as if he realized some hidden truth right after that he could see rage covering Aaron''s eyes. Killing intent started to get released from him soon after that. It was as if he was getting ready to kill someone just by recalling something. "Is something wrong?", Shin asked while looking at Kira. He thought that Kira might have some idea about this and he was absolutely right. Kira knew why Aaron was getting angry. It seemed like it was some incident that had happened a month ago, even before Shin had arrived in this world! "Yes master Shin, actually...", Kira thought about exining what had happened in reality. However it seemed like he was hesitating because he wanted Aaron to ry the incident directly to him. "Master Shin...", Aaron understood what Kira wanted. He calmed himself for the time being and then started to narrate everything that had happened at least ording to him. "I''m sure of it, this is the work of Giol...", was what Aaron said. It was another new name which Shin wasn''t aware of. "Giol? Who is that?", Shin asked. "Master Shin, Giol is a wolf just like us, but he is of aplete different attribute..." Yet again, that was mysterious. A new attribute which was different from Kira as well Aaron! "Second brother Kira is of Dark Attribute...", Aaron said. ''Wow, that''s news to me...'', indeed, this was the first time he heard what type Kira was. Up until now he had been assuming that Kira was yet another Warrior wolf but a highly evolved version. Warrior wolves are of physical types and do not hold any special characteristics, at least not until they undergo further evolution. "And I am Earth attribute..." "But Giol on the contrary is Shadow Attribute who specializes in curses..." The moment Aaron said that, everything became clear to Shin. But for a moment he couldn''t distinguish between a Dark Attribute and a Shadow Attribute. However on further thinking about that he was able to understand them. Also, Aaron exined it to rify. "Unlike Dark attribute that specializes in Dark Magic when their power increases by several folds during night time, Shadow magic utilizes the power of Death." "In order words, a Shadow wolf can also be called as a Grim Reaper or Death wolf that inflicts curses on whomever it desires." When Aaron exined and distinguished them, it became clearer. "In thest war, we had to fight against the n of Gior whose leader is none other than Giol!", Aaron grit his teeth when he said that. It was obvious and clear that it was Giol who inflicted curse. "The battle ended rather quickly and since then they didn''t attack till now..." When Aaron said that, Kira and Shin started to think the reasons for it. Although, something was definitely suspicious because the time of attack of the Bears also happened within a span of a month! "I''ve also heard that 3rd brother was attacked by a hoard of Ogresst week...", Aaron said while looking at Kira. Now the suspicion increased. It was as if someone was trying to wage wars but with different ns. It was as if some sort of n Wars was happening or was soon to happen. However, right now the method to lift the curse had to be discovered because they couldn''t possibly go and beg Giol to lift the curses. Also, attack the Gior n would be far too dangerous right now since the situation wasn''t confirmed. ''Well, I guess as soon as I get rid of these curse, I would be able to ask much more questions about the world...'', Shin thought. ''Ah, maybe...'' ''Maybe he can help...'' ''Sigh, this will be the second time asking for his help...'', Shin sighed. "Hmm, alright, give me a day''s time, I will figure out a way to lift the curse.", Shin said boldly after thinking something. To be continued... Chapter 44 The Rain Of Skills Kira and Aaron were rather baffled when they heard him say that with ease. Until now Shin had been saying that his healing skills wouldn''t work so they expected him to show at least some difort. Instead of that, he seemed quite confident and they had no idea about the source of his confidence. But Kira knew that Shin wouldn''t just lie. Aaron was also not suspicious of his saying. For some reason, after talking for some time, they thought that they could trust Shin. Also, since the moment they had started calling him ''Master Shin'', they had automatically developed a respect for him and that didn''t fade even by a bit. Of course, Aaron wasn''t able to control himself earlier and was off to hurt Shin, but he was now calm and was able toprehend everything properly and calmly. Therefore both of them trusted him at the moment. Moreover, Aaron was so desperate to save his family that he begged again and requested to find the solution as soon as possible. "Yes..." Basically, they thought that Shin had to be present at that ce in order to analyze the curse by taking a look at them personally. Therefore, both of them had to exit the cave and wait for Shin toe out. Until then, they were tasked with not allowing anyone else to enter the cave in any circumstance. "Phew, finally they left..." Right after Shin said that he walked towards the members who were inflicted by the curse. As soon as he started to near them, the warning notification popped up again. ''Ding'' [ Warning ] [ High Curse Density Detected ] [ The system advice the host to step back ] However, Shin didn''t listen or even see the warning message that popped up. He had something else in his mind. It was as if he had thought about something beforehand and was now marching boldly while grinning. [ Warning ] [ You have been Cursed ] [ Your HP will start to decrease ] As he was only 20 meters away from them, he got affected by the curse. It was a type of curse that depleted HP. ''Has the curse from their body grown so strong that it is able to inflict anyone who hasn''t even touched the bodies directly?'', he asked himself. Of course, curses don''t usually spread but ording to Aaron, all of them started to suffer one by one. After hearing that, he understood that the curses were contagious, which meant that they were able to spread. That was why hebeled the curse to be quite powerful. Despite knowing that, he still walked towards them probably because he was sure of something or had some amazing n in his mind. And it seemed like the n indeed worked or to be precise, he gained a new skill. [ Warning ] [ You were cursed ] [ Your HP will decrease ] At least, those were simr to the older notifications. [ Congrattion ] [ You have gained an active skill ''Total Curse Immunity'' Lv. max ] [ Total Curse Immunity -> As long as the skill is active, the host won''t be affected by any curse ] That was a useful skill which he got. That was precisely what he was aiming for. He was satisfied with that, but it seemed like the system reacted to the curse which had already been inflicted on him. [ Congrattion ] [ You have gained the active skill ''Curse Eraser'' Lv.1 ] [ Curse Eraser -> The host can lift the curse from the inflicted ] ''What the...?'' ''Is it that easy to gain skills?'', Shin wondered. This wasn''t the first time the system had surprised him, but getting skills so easily was the biggest surprise for him. All he had to do was expose himself to the abnormality and tada, a new skill would be generated in an instant! He smiled because of this since he would definitely be the strongest being who would not be affected by any abnormal conditions, but little did he know that this thing would be the biggest hindrance sometime in the future! Well anyway, he seeded in doing that anyway on top of that he received a bonus to remove the curse from others. "Haha, I thought about asking help from him again, but it seems like there would be no need for that!", he smiled while looking at the brank new skill. And just about when he was going to use the skill on the other hurt ones, a sudden notification popped up. [ Warning ] [ You have been inflicted by a curse ] [ Your HP will decrease ] [ Less than 20% of your HP remains ] [ HP: 11/60 || Max. HP: ??? ] [ Advice: Use the skill Curse Eraser on yourself ] Indeed, the feature of giving advice was excellent because Shin wouldn''t panic at crucial moments. Now too, a solution was right in front of him and it was indeed an excellent one. He almost immediately used the skill since he couldn''t waste any more of his time since it would be fatal to himself. His eyes started to shine with white-Light which indicated the usage of the skill. Of course, the system notification also popped up which acted as a clear indication too. ''Ding'' p [ You have used the skill ''Curse Eraser''Lv. 1 ] [ The skill has been targeted to the host ] [ Star 01 curse will be erased immediately ] [ Erasing... ] Shin had to wait for a minute or two until the skill couldpletely erase the curse or in a better word, lift the curse. ''Ding'' [ The host has been freed from the curse ''HP Eater'' ] [ Due to the activation of the skill ''Copy'', a new active skill ''HP Eater'' Lv.1 has been generated ] [ HP Eater -> Drains the 1 HP of the target per second ] [ Active Duration: 00:00:02:00 (2 minutes) ] [ Cooldown Timer: 00:12:00:00 (12 Hours) ] "What the-?" It was awkward, way too awkward. More than that, he was baffled and awed. He was speechless because yet again, he gained another new skill. But more than that, he was surprised by seeing the new information like Active duration and cooldown timer! "Wow, I need to prepare myself mentally because I might go crazy if the skills fall like the rain!" To be continued... Chapter 45 The Dragon Attribute He was quite happy because he was gaining skills even without asking and with each new skill he was growing stronger! The possibilities of attacking or defending would definitely increase with more options! "Well, now let''s help them...", he walked closer without worrying about anything else. He had to use the skill ''Curse Eraser'' on the inflicted ones. So he didn''t waste any more time. He arrived near a member who was a giant wolf. Of course, the wolf wasn''t as huge as Aaron or Kira, but it could still be considered to be huge, maybe as huge as Siara. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Curse Eraser ] [ Erasing... ] Just by seeing that Shin was rxed. It seemed as if he was soon going to get rid of all the curses but who knew that there would be a new twist waiting for him. ''Ding'' [ Failed to erase ] [ Curse level is higher than Skill level ] "Ha?" Now that was a shock to him indeed. He took the situation too lightly. He thought that since he had gained a remarkable skill, it wouldn''t take him long to remove the curses, but it seemed as if he was wrong! It was only now he realized that the Skill level also affected the erasing of a curse. "Damn, it failed?" "And here I was going to take it easy..." He couldn''tprehend the situation at all and even if he did, he was just too surprised to think anything straight. There were two specific reasons for that, one, his skills failed despite the fact that he had leveled up after the fight with bears, second, the situation was much graver than he had realized. "Sigh looks like I have to ask his help again..." "Let me summon him..." "..." Meanwhile... Kira and Aaron stood near the cave. Unfortunately, they couldn''t hear Shin''s voice because he didn''t talk much loudly anyway. All the eyes were on Kira and Aaron. They wondered what they were doing there. Siara thought about going near Kira and inquiring about it, but she herself had been preupied with chatting with others. Furthermore, she wasn''t in any good mental condition because she constantly having shbacks regarding Shin. Coincidentally, Kira''s and Siara''s eyes met. Just as this happened, Siara withdrew her gazes and continued chatting again. ''Oh ya, I wanted to ask about the attack of the Bears...'', Kira recalled the fact that he was about to ask about the uncanny expression which Siara had when she saw Shin. He wanted to find out the truth of the fight. The reason was quite simple, the Bear bodies which he found on the way didn''t have any attacks the represented a wolf. It was as if a muchrger beast had attacked them so he wanted to get into the depth of this matter. "Aaron, I have something to inquire. I will be back in a while." After hearing that Aaron nodded his head. Kira then walked towards Siara. He passed by many wolves who stopped chatting almost instantly as soon as Kira arrived near them. It was in a way, paying respect. "Siara,e with me...", Kira said in a low voice. "Yes...", Siara who was just lying down and chatting, stood up almost immediately and followed Kira. All eyes were on them, but not for long since both Kira and Siara vanished from their sight. They basically went behind a tree and then walked a bit further to find a ce with privacy. "Yes Your Highness?", she said in a low voice. "Siara, tell me, why were you so frightened after looking at Master Shin?", Kira asked it right away without wasting much time because that was the main part which he wanted to know about. The moment Siara heard the question, she couldn''t help but be astonished. She was baffled enough to take a step back without realizing it. Moreover, her heart started to pound causing her to be nervous. She was basically frightened even now. Kira saw through her. ''She bes frightened just by recalling or thinking about it?'' ''Just what the heck did she experience that made her behave in such a manner?'', Kira asked himself. "Tell me Siara, just what about Master Shin is so scary?", Kira asked again. Siara couldn''t possibly escape now. She couldn''t disrespect him and didn''t want to in the first ce so she mustered all her strength and spilled all the beans out about what had happened. "Your Highness, first of all..." *gulp* "We need to rectify ourselves..." When Siara said that, Kira got confused. ,m "Rectify? What do you mean?", he asked. "I mean, we need to correct our knowledge about Master Shin.", as soon as she mentioned his name again, her voice got lowered. Her eyeballs were shaking vigorously, anyone could say that she was traumatized. "Huh?", Kira knew that something was up with Shin''s background and now after hearing her say this, he thought that the subject of the matter definitely lied from where Shin came from. "He isn''t just any wolf with a healer attribute...", she said. "What do you mean?", Kira wanted her to rify. *gulp* "He..." "He is..." "He is a Wolf with dragon attribute too...", she raised her voice as she said that. "..." Kira didn''t know how to react to what she said. Moreover, he thought that he misheard something. "W-what did you say?", he asked her to repeat it for him but no matter how many times she said that it wouldn''t possibly change! "He is a wolf with Healing as well as Dragon attributes!" After he heard that again, his eyes started to shake. He started to tremble too. "A being with dragon attribute came walking to our n? And it''s Shin?" He forgot to call him ''Master'' due to which strong wind started to blow all of a sudden. Of course, Kira could feel the chill which was intensified thanks to the cool breeze. He started to tremble too because what he heard was out of the ordinary. *gulp* "How can this be?" "Throughout history, there were only five beasts with dragon attributes..." "Our God Shin was one of the five beasts with the power of Legendary Dragons..." "..." "And now a pup contains a dragon attribute? Are you absolutely certain Siara?", many things were going through his mind right now. "Yes, I''mpletely confident that he has the power and blessings of the dragons because..." And from then on she started to narrate what exactly had happened back then! To be continued... Chapter 46 The Flashback - Part 1: A Quest To Save Siara "We have to reach the Bi n as soon as possible." "Walk with haste but no need to run..." Siara was guiding all while staying in the front. She was looking out for any danger or any beast that could harm them. The seven elite female members had spread themselves properly. The one leading the group was Siara while the second strongest member of the elite group was guarding the back. The remaining members were at the opposite borders of the right and left sides of the group. All of them were extremely cautious. They had to be because they couldn''t afford to make any mistake. It was night time and wolves were definitely not scared of it, but oh well, otherrger beasts also roamed during the night. So, they had to be extremely careful. Also, they had to make the least noise since it wouldn''t be good to attract any sort of beast, not that they could prevent themselves from giving out directions. They sessfully managed to travel half of the distance and now they started to feel a bit safer. Since Siara had been constantly telling them that there was nothing to worry about, they were at ease. She was motivating them to stay strong however she herself was worried because she had already started to detect some strange movements. Her ears were extraordinarily sharp. The strange movements and the sounds produced by them were detected by her quite easily despite all other noises. "Elen! Take them and run towards Bi n right now!", she raised her voice as shemanded. Elen, the second strongest member, who was at the back had also detected some strange shadows but she thought that it was her own mind making things on its own. But after hearing Siara, she understood that her suspicion was on the mark! Everyone else heard that and started to run with all their might towards the Bi n. Of course, Elen took the lead almost immediately. Since Siara was forced to scream and tell everyone, all the bears got alerted too. They understood that they had been found out and due to that they made their moves almost immediately. Fortunately enough the wolves had the advantage because they were agile even in the smaller and narrow areas. They were swift and due that they were able to escape while taking a narrower route. However, it was impossible to have no casualties at the moment. Some of them had already fallen prey in the hands of the bears. But Elen was tasked with taking all of them to the Bi n so she couldn''t afford to lose the momentum by stopping and turning back. Amidst this, Shin was constant;y looking at all the areas since he couldn''t spot the positions of the bears. But he could constantly feel the killing intent emerging from almost everywhere. He had heard Siara saying that she would stay back taking care of the bears. Even if she failed, she would at least be able to distract the bears. Everyone wanted to bring Siara along with themselves because they wouldn''t possibly let someone like her die, but her orders were absolute too since she held the second highest power in the n. That was why everyone ran just like she said. But that was nowhere justifiable, in reality, they were too busy saving their own asses that they didn''t have time to think about Siara. In the end, everyone thought about themselves! Already 10 minutes had passed by and now everyone had almost reached the Bi n when suddenly Shin started to slow down. ''For real? Aftering all the way here?'', he was annoyed more than usual by the system notification that appeared. ''Ding'' [ Main Event: Quest 01 - Savior ] [ Tasks ] [ -> Save Siara from the Bears ] [ -> Kill The Bear King ] [ Rewards ] [ -> Addition of Extra ss Soul User ] [ Warning ] [ -> Failure inpletion of Quest will lead to deduction of all stats by 10 ] ''My luck sucks...'' ''Now I have to run all the way back to help Siara?'' ''I mean, can you be serious? I have to save Siara who is tons of times stronger than me from someone who is proimed to be the King of the Bears?'' Ridiculous it may sound but it was for real. The system wouldn''t voluntarily send its host to die but that didn''t mean that it would give him easy missions. It was amon saying, ''Higher the risk, better would be the rewards.'' and based on that, Shin thought that it would be the best to do what the system asked. He slipped out of the group by taking the advantage of the chaos that was still present as they ran towards the Bi n which was no more than a mile away. He hid behind the bushes and saw all of them vanish into the heartbreaking darkness. "Alright then, Siara, here Ie!", right after saying that he used the skill Dash to cover all the distance as fast as he could. There was obviously no time limit for the mission. This had happened the second time probably, the earlier one belonged to hunting the Mariorack deer which was still iplete. Regardless, right now Shin put all his concentration in running towards the ce where he saw Siara thest time. Of course, he followed the footprints or the paw markings that were left on the ground. It took him five minutes or so to reach the ce where Siara was. He could see that she was badly hurt. She was practically bathing in blood, both hers and the Bears. Needless to say that many bears were either fatally injured or were dead. But that ''many'' was quite little in front of therge Bear army! ''I can''t believe, is this where I die?'', it was too hard for Siara to keep her eyes open. In front of her, the Bear King stood gantly as if he was grinning at the situation in which she was in. ''Now what do I do? How do I save her?'', Shin practically questioned himself. He hadn''t decided this while running, it was only now that he wanted to know since he could see that Siara was surrounded by so many bears on almost all sides. Fortunately, he had a system to hear his questions and maybe give advice or solutions! ''Ding'' [ Advice: Use the skill Transformation to be a Half-Dragon Wolf ] "..." To be continued... Chapter 47 The Flashback - Part 2: Appearance Of The Half-Dragon Wolf On seeing the advice, Shin understood that the situation was dire. Also, he hadn''t used the skill Transformation until now, not even once. Therefore, he had to take a look at its details. Needless to say, the advice was in his best interest and he knew that too. There could be thousands of advice generated by the system, but the system particrly chose one so there could be some catch to it! His eyes started to emit white light. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Transformation ] [ Choose the one to which you would like to be transformed ] [ -> Midnight Wolf ] [ -> Dark Wolf ] [ -> me Wolf ] [ -> Half-Dragon Wolf ] Needless to say, he had to choose the Half-Dragon wolf and he did the exact same. "I choose Half-Dragon wolf!", he eximed after raising his voice while running towards Siara. Of course, he howled but that didn''t intimidate anyone. Well, that was to be expected, his howling was nowhere near the actual adult wolves since he was a pup. But that was more than enough to grab their attention towards Shin. Everyone, almost all of them turned their attention towards Shin. Indeed, that included Siara too. Although she was lying on the ground while waiting for her death, she heard the howl and looked almost immediately in the direction of the voice only to find Shin. There was a raised piece ofnd or za from where Shin jumped. It was from this ce that he saw Siara surrounded by the Bears. ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] [ Transformation willmence at once ] He was in mid-air when suddenly the notification popped up again. Right after that, his body started to emit an intense amount of white light. It was bright, but not blinding. Needless to say, the light didn''t reach many areas. "What is that?", asked one of the bears. They were definitely shocked by the howl earlier and were now baffled by the light. Siara''s eyeballs were shaking as she saw Shin transform into something unimaginable. His limbs grew longer and his body becamerger. Large ws appeared in his paws which eventually became as hard as metal and turned into ck color. The small tiny tail which Shin had grown longer. The tip of the tail now had a diamond-like shape with a simr w-like structure which was also of ck color! His entire tail was white except the tip. The body wasrger but was white. Needless to say, his face grewrger and his teeth became sharper and stronger. ck scales started growing over his body like armor. Soon enough his face was covered with armor too leaving only his eyes open. And, the eyes had turned yellow with a think ck pupil which resembled the eyes of a dragon. Now, his body was totally covered by scales which indeed acted like armor. The only parts that were exposed were his mouth, limbs, ears, tail, and eyes. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that he was a dragon but the fact was that he was a half-dragon! "D-dragon?" "What is a dragon doing here?" Suddenly all the bears fell in chaos, They started running here and there. They were perplexed and confused at the moment. Of course, dragons had wings but there were dragons that were devoid of wings and Shin resembled one of them. "Stop everyone! What are you scared of?", the Bear King raised his voice n such a manner that the chaos turned onto silence in just a second. He roared after all on seeing which everyone stopped and turned their attention to him. The Bear King was very much distinct from the remaining ones. As Lan had reported, only the Higher level Bears were present here. Therefore, almost all of them were quite huge. But the King was way more huge than them. Probably Siara had sensed this due to which she asked the seven-member squad to run instead of fight back. "He is just a normal wolf! What are you all scared of?", he asked in a dominant tone. "A normal wolf?" "He is a normal wolf?" They started questioning and asked each other the same thing to verify if they had heard it right. They easily believed him because they had seen a small figure of a wolf before the appearance of the dragon form. That was probably Shin''s mistake, if he had transformed into a dragon and then appeared, there might have been no openings but oh well, what''s done is done, now there was no use in thinking about the spilled milk! ''Damn...'', but Shin did have to worry now. He could have used the chaos to his advantage to rescue Siara but it seemed like the chaos subsided too early. "Then what is the beast in front of us, Your Highness? Isn''t it a dragon?", asked one of the Greater Bears. "..." The Bear King had to answer that because the beast was now in front of them. He had toe up with an answer because if he happened to fail to answer, then the entire army would fall into chaos once again. "He is a Wolf with Illusion attribute!", he sid this loudly after thinking for a moment. The bears believed that almost immediately. The reason was that they couldn''t feel any aura from Shin, of course, that was because his Aura control skill was activated to max which was concealing his aura. Also, a dragon wouldn''t possibly wander in such low-level forests after all. If it did, then all the beasts would have evacuated or escaped by now! "Yes, he is no dragon! He is a wolf! An Illusion wolf!" "Everyone, let''s just kill him for tricking us!", said one of the Greater Bears. ''Damn, this isn''t looking good...'' ''The tide has turned, I''mpletely sure that I am not strong enough to defeat them, at least not these many bears!'' ''What should I do? Maybe the tide was never in my favor, to begin with...'' ''Should I just escape?'' And just when he was thinking that, to his surprise, a notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ Congrattion ] [ You have... ] To be continued... Chapter 48 The Flashback - Part 3: Hidden Mission And New Skills ''Ding'' [ Congrattion ] [ You havepleted the Hidden Mission ''The First Transformation'' ] [ You have seeded in transforming into a Half-Dragon wolf ] [ You will be provided with the following rewards ] [ -> Level Up x1 ] [ -> Generation of New Skills befitting the transformation x3 ] [ -> New Parameters ''Fear'' and ''Respect'' will be added ] [ Fear -> The host can see the target''s fear count ( How much the target fears the host or how much others fear the target ) ] [ Respect -> The host can see the target''s respect count ( How much the target respect''s the host or how much others respect the target ) ] Believe it or not, Shin had no time to see the entire message. If he did, he would have utterly been killed since all of a sudden all the bears attacked him from almost all directions. He jumped as high as he could and thanks to his bigger body and stronger limbs, he jumped twice as high as the tree that was next to him. Of course, the tree wasn''t thergest in the forest, it was not the shortest either. It was at least 10 meters tall, the tree that is. *gulp* Shin was nervous now, he could see all the bears looking at him from the ground with a fierce gaze. Especially the Bear King, he was the one who made Shin shiver with the fiercest gaze! ''Now what do I do?'', while Shin was wondering that, another notification popped up. Of course, it was the continuation of the previous one but for Shin, it was like a new one. [ Generation of new skills have beenpleted ] [ You have gained an active Ultimate skill ''Dragon''s Roar'' Lv.1 ] [ Dragon''s Roar -> An Ultimate skill that gives out a loud roar simr to that of a dragon. -> Inflicts fear in foes -> Decreases MP by 2 per second until the skill is active ] [ You have gained an active Ultimate skill ''Dragon''s Aura'' Lv.1 ] [ Dragon''s Aura -> Produces an aura simr to a Dragon -> Inflicts fear in foes -> Increases all the stats by 10 for 120 seconds ] [ You have gained an active Ultimate Skill ''Hymn Of The Dragons'' Lv.??? ] [ Hymn Of The Dragons -> A song dedicated to dragons ] -> Can summon dragons of any order -> Summoning depends on Hymn -> Decrease in 80% of MP ] And that concluded all the notifications. Shin was still in mid-air when these notifications appeared. Of course, they appeared at the same time and not one by one. Regardless, Shin didn''t care about them since he could hear the voice in his head! The new skills did fascinate him, but now was not the time to be awed by them or think about them. He wanted to escape the situation and not only that, he wanted to save Siara andplete the quest too. ''Just what the heck should I do?'' ''I am a half-dragon right now but I have no idea about what I should be doing!'' p Indeed, this was the first time he had transformed so he wasn''t sure how the body worked exactly. Just a while ago he estimated the power of the jump differently too. Of course, he would eventually get used to it, but right now he was way too inexperienced to fight in such a body. That was the sole reason why he was worried, but thanks to the system, his mind was set at ease! [ Advice: Use the skill ''Hymn Of The Dragons'' ] ''Huh? Didn''t I get such a skill a moment ago?'' ''The system already wants me to use that?'', Shin asked himself in his mind. Needless to say, the system was right, but it was up to Shin to decide whether to would use it or not. All the bears that were staring at Shin opened their mouths widely. Some tiny shiny light orbs started to gather in their mouths. In the end, they formed arge orb that protruded out of their mouths. It was shining with yellow light. They were all aiming at Shin so it was evident that it was some sort of attack! The Bear King felt that there was no need to attack since his subordinate would take care of it, but little did he know that their attacks would fail! Fail? So easily? Yes, their attacks failed. It was not because Shin used some secret trick, it was because they fired itte! They thought that if Shin was quite close enough to them, the attack wouldn''t miss and it would have a maximum effect too. That was why they allowed Shin to fall until he reached the level of their heads! Unfortunately enough, they missed. Since Shin had grown in size and had scales like armor, he was way heavier. Due to that, he had more mass, and thanks to that the velocity with which he was falling was even greater than normal. They anticipated it wrong and by the time they fired the attack, Shin was already on the ground. Of course, Shin did do a small thing to increase the velocity of his fall. Initially, his head was towards the ground due to which he could easily see that they were ready to attack him. Later, his head was tended towards the top. How so? Did he change his position? Well, something simr. He forced his body to form a ball or rather a sphere-like shape thanks to which the air friction decreased and he fell much faster. Even though it was by little, he still gained some time, and thanks to that he escaped the deadly attack. It would be inappropriate to say that this was all nned, but he dide up with this idea at the moment! Guess what, science was notpletely useless after all in this world. ''Boom'' ''Bam'' ''Boom'' All the heads of the Intermediate Bears were flying in the air. Even the Greater Bears were no exception, their heads were also cut off. Blood emerged from the bodies as if it was a fountain. It started to rain, of course, it was blood instead of water, a blood rain perhaps from the cut heads which were high in the air! It was a breathtaking sight. To be continued... Chapter 49 The Flashback - Part 4: The Dragon Summoner Siara had managed to kill 20 Intermediate Bears and 3 Greater Bears on her own, but there were still 80 Intermediate Bears and 47 Greater Bears left with the King too of course. Now thanks to Shin''s action, only 15 Intermediate Bears and 9 Greater Bears remained. And yes, the King was alive too. Since they all died thanks to Shin''s action, he was given a tremendous amount of Exp by the system which ended up aiding him to rise to the next level in an instant! [ You have leveled up ] [ You have leveled up ] [ You have... ] The same notification popped up at twenty-three times. After that finally, a different notification appeared when a strange sound was being made, by Shin that is. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Hymn Of Dragons ] Suddenly weird noises started toe out of Shin which took the form of a song. Of course, it was probably the trashiest song or tune ever, it still linked to make something unimaginable. ''Ding'' [ You sang the Hymn Of Shadow ] [ You have seeded in pleasing a Mid-Tier Dragon, The Shadow Dragon ] [ Summoning a Shadow Dragon... ] Suddenly arge magic circle was formed below him. It had tons of inscriptions on it. Maybe, it was the Hymn that was engraved in the circle. The circle was ck in color. Shin was standing in the exact middle of it. ''Zap'' An intense sh of light, of course, ck, emerged from the circle and rose vertically! It practically engulfed Shinpletely and he wasn''t visible to anyone anymore. Everyone was watching as this happened. Siara was absolutely bewildered by seeing this. Another circle formed in the sky parallel to the rising sh of ck light. This circle was also ck but was distinguishable. From that very circle, a pair of wings emerged out right after which arge but flexible tail was visible. Following them was a massive body having arge head with carnivorousrge teeth. "D-dragon? A real one?", asked one of the remaining Intermediate bears. The parts weren''t separate or detached, they all were connected. However, some parts couldn''t be seen or were actually invisible. Better to be said, they were covered with ck smoke. [ Congrattion ] [ You have summoned a Shadow Dragon ] [ You have gained the title ''Dragon Summoner'' ] [ Your affinity with Dragons will be deepened and stronger Dragons could be summoned ] Shin just sang something on his own. Of course, he could feel the voice or rhythm of the hymn deep within his soul, but it was totally different when he tried to sing. Thanks to that trash-like but wonderful hymn, a shadow dragon responded. ''Roarrrr'' The dragon roared with all its might right afternding on the ground. Its entire body was still not visible since it was covered with some ck-colored intense smoke. All the Bears flinched the moment it roared. The Bear King was no exception. The Dragon was huge, maybe two times the Bear King who was already 1.5 times the size of the Greater bears! Its tail moved flexibly but the dragon didn''t attack anyone. It just stood there with its four limbs as if it was analyzing something. "That was a wonderful song...", it said without actually opening its mouth. Needless to say, it was ancient Dragon magic that enabled the dragon to speak to everyone without actually opening the mouth. Of course, that was evident since there was a weird rainbow-colored mixed shine on its body each time it spoke. The dominant tone caused everyone to shiver. They were so scared that they couldn''t move even an inch. The dragon then turned back and faced Shin without actually turning its entire body back. It was possible thanks to its long neck. He took a look at Shin who was standing there. He was surprised too because this was the first time he had seen a dragon and indeed it was scary. Just ncing at the Dragon''s body one would faint. No one would even dare to look into its eyes but it seemed like Shin was able to do that. Both of them stared at each other for a moment. The entire area was filled with silence. "Well well, what do we have here?" "A Dragon wolf?", the shadow dragon said this while looking at Shin. Everyone heard that and now they started to doubt everything that the Bear King said. That was because a dragon called a wolf ''Dragon Wolf'' that was no ordinary thing. "Hmm. not fully-fledged are you now?", the dragon smiled. "Would you sing the song for me again?", the dragon asked. *gulp* ''How can I sing something which I don''t even remember?'', was what Shin asked himself. Well, the question to that was answered by the system. ''Ding'' [ The Hymn has been saved in the memory of the System and can be invoked by the host at any moment ] ''Well, that''s convenient...'', Shin was relieved since the dragon wouldn''t be mad as he wouldn''t refuse now. "Yes, I would but...", Shin mumbled. It was as if he had lost all his strength in front of a dragon. Of course, the dragon wasn''t concealing its aura so everyone was scared which included Shin and Siara too. Its aura had started to slowly spread now when the Dragon realized that Shin was frightened because of that. "Hmm, now will this do any help?", the dragonpletely concealed its aura as if it was nothing. Needless to say, Shin was surprised and impressed by this. "Thank you..." "Well actually...", he was about to tell the dragon about the bears when suddenly all the bears started running here and there. Since the aura was suppressed, they could now move with ease due to which they started escaping which caused arge amount of chaos. "Now now, I hate useless noises...", just after saying that the dragon turned its gazes towards the Bears. "Come to me kids, take care of these nuisances that are causing trouble!", that was all the dragon said while ring at the Bears. The Bears were still running away while trying to escape from the dragon when suddenly all of them stopped where they were. They couldn''t move anymore or to be precise, they had be like statues! And from the shadows of the bears, red eyes could be seen. To be continued... Chapter 50 The Flashback - Part 5: A Pact The bears were now immobile. Each of them had shadows needless to say due to the moonlight. And in each shadow, a pair of red eyes could be seen. It was as if they were ring at the Bears. Since Siara and Shin were the only ones that made no noise, they were perfectly fine. But the Bears, who were the source of the Chaos, were immobile and were the ones targetted by the Dragon. All of a sudden the shadows started to move. From the shadows,rge creatures which looked like Centipedes appeared which wrapped the bears so tightly that their body burst within a minute. Another round of Blood-fountain could be seen. Within a minute, all the bears were killed. The Bear King didst for a minute more than the others, but that was no good since he too ended up getting killed in the end. Of course, the Bear King''s body was stronger so his body didn''t burst. The Shadow Dragon was intrigued by this and shed its body with its ws. One sh and the Bear King was dead. In a moment, the chaos turned to silence and the silence prevailed! The Bears couldn''t move their mouths and thus were unable to scream. It would have pained a lot but oh well, they were dead now. The marks of legs of the centipede-like monsters were left on the bodies of the Greater Bears who survived the wrapping but couldn''t make it out alive. Their hearts stopped before their bodies could burst. "Hmm, now it''s peaceful." "Now, please continue...", the dragon turned its neck back towards Shin while asking him to sing the Hymn or song. Well, Shin''s eyeballs were shaking vigorously because he witnessed the terrifying power of a dragon, a mid-tier one at that! Saira had already fainted after seeing that. She was utterly terrified with Shin''s Half-Dragon form but more than that, she was traumatized by the ruthless way in which the Shadow Dragon killed all the bears. Of course, she had the misconception that the Shadow Dragon was Shin''s ve or Servent or Familiar due to which Shin became the source of her fear. All the so-called Kids of the Shadow dragon vanished right after they killed them. Therefore, only Siara, Shin, and the Shadow Dragon were present there. Shin was forced to sing the Hymn again which the Shadow Dragon listened patiently and calmly. For humans, beasts, or any other monsters, the song would be utterly disgusting, that might be the case for other dragons too, but for the Shadow dragon, it was the best song it had ever heard. Well, dragons are one of those species which enjoy songs or hymns. Indeed, different dragons would have different hymns which they would like. Thus, the Shadow dragon loved this one and responded to Shin. The song ended soon but the dragon continued to ask Shin to sing again. Finally, after ten times, the dragon stopped asking. "I enjoyed it thoroughly, thank you for singing for me...", the dragon said in a low but dominant voice. "I, the Shadow Dragon Argant, am really grateful for such a wonderful song!" Well, the rarest thing in the world is probably seeing a dragon thanking someone. ''I wonder what''s the use of this skill?'' ''It did allow me to summon the dragon but was it only to sing a song for it?'', Shin wondered. If the Bears wouldn''t have moved or caused chaos, then the dragon wouldn''t even give a sh*t about them. Therefore, Shin wondered and questioned the usefulness of the skill when suddenly he found the answer for it. "It was good boy,e here, let''s form a pact!", the dragon said. "P-pact?", Shin was surprised when he heard that. "Yes.", the dragon smiled. It was now no longer using magic to speak, it was genuinely moving its mouth and speaking but Shin didn''t notice the change. "What''s a pact?", Shin wanted to ask the question to the system and knew that it would answer, but he wanted to build his rtionship with the dragon and the best way for that was to converse with it more! "You don''t know what a pact is?", the dragon was a bit surprised when he heard Shin''s question. The reason for it was simple, all the beasts had at least some knowledge about it and so should Shin, but the Dragon wasn''t aware of Shin''s origins, well he was a human from a different world after all. Also, he was a pup! How could a pup know about those things? Well, right now Shin was in his Half-Dragon form which was muchrger and seemed to be at least as old as 6-7 years so the dragon didn''t question his age. "A pact is a bond formed between agreed individuals..." "It allows one to keep track of the other and help when in need.", the Shadow dragon said. "Hmm, so it''s like a contract?", Shin asked. By contract, Shin referred to what one does on Earth. A bond paper is made and the contract is signed based on which one must do work and earn or redeem the benefits. In this world, the same meaning stood so the dragon denied it almost immediately. "No, a contract is made only when one seeks to get benefits." "But a pact is made on friendship!" Shin was surprised by what the dragon said. In the end, he understood that the dragon wanted to be his friend. Who would let go of such an amazing opportunity? Well, some might, thinking that this might have been a trap? But Shin didn''t. He readily epted to form the pact. "Yes, let''s form a pact!", Shin replied with eagerness. "Alright." right after saying this, the dragon close its eyes. Suddenly a massive amount of energy started to get generated and a symbol appeared in the mid-air. The symbol somewhat resembled a dragon. It waspletely ck with a purple tint. "Now, put a drop of your blood on the magic circle near you...", the dragon said after opening its eyes. "Magic circle?" "Huh?" Shin realized that a magic circle was just near him, well, in front of him. He bit his leg a bit and put a drop of blood on the ck magic circle right after which a simr symbol appeared in front of him. Well, to be precise, it was a bit different. While the symbol in front of the dragon was ck with a dragon face-shaped mark, Shin''s was white colored with a wolf face mark! The symbols then started to near each of them. The white symbol collided with the shadow dragon while the ck symbol collided with Shin. Suddenly arge sh of light got emitted from both of their heads where the magic circles collided with the respective colors, white on the dragon and ck on Shin. the lightsted for a minute right after which both of them stared at each other with relief. "Alright! It''splete!", the dragon said while breaking the uncanny silence. "I will return to my domain now, if you are in need of me, summon me anytime and I will help you!", the dragon said with calm eyes devoid of rage or fierceness. "I sure will, of course, I will help you too when you are in need.", Shin replied. "Haha, I hardly doubt that it will ever happen.", after saying this the Shadow dragon vanished inside a circle which he formed. "Sigh..." "Finally it''s over..." After that Shin healed Siara. Needless to say, he dragged her to the nearby stream right after which Kira and the rest of the gang appeared and so the story continued. And Siara finished narrating. Although she didn''t know the entire truth, she told what she saw and the reason why she feared Shin. To be continued... Chapter 51 Curse Lifted With Ease "So that''s what had happened..." "But..." "What''s shocking is that he transformed into a Dragon!", Kira was sweating profusely. Well, he was trembling too. Lan, who had initiallye to deliver another message to Kira was shocked when he heard this. He hid near the tree on the other side and listened to everything. Of course, Kira had detected his presence long back, but he didn''t say anything to him. It was not a big deal anyway because he trusted Lan. Dragons are the legendary beings present in this world. Not one nor five, there are tons of Dragons in and called Dragon''s Paradise. They reside there. No one knows where thisnd is and probably the Celestials are the only ones who know about it. Dragons are the beings that have the power to rival that of Gods. There were many myths in which the Gods had to pay for messing with the Dragons but no one knew if those myths were true. Well, dragons reside in other ces too and those ces are considered to be one of the deadliest ces. The forest where even one dragon is said to be found is deemed to be the deadliest forest in the world! Therefore they are highly feared, respected, and worshiped by many, especially the beasts and races that are closely rted to dragons and originate from them. Thus, there were some beasts in the past that had the power of the Dragons. In a sense, they could not only borrow the powers of the dragons, they could even destroy them. In other words, they were as strong as dragons. Of course, that meant that they could rival the true Gods! No wonder that Shin, the Wolf God, went to Heaven in order to battle the Gods. As Kira mentioned earlier, there were only five such beings that had ever had the dragon attributes, well, throughout the history that is. So it was unimaginable that Shin was also a wolf with dragon attributes. "Lan, is there something you wish to speak?", Kira asked in a low voice after thinking on this matter for a long time. "Y-yes your majesty...", Lan said. "Hmm, what is it?", Kira asked. "I was told by Sir Aaron to inform you that all the members from the Midnight Wolf who were inflicted by curses were nowpletely fine.", Lan said with nervousness because he too was thinking about Shin at the same time. "Is that so?", Kira''s attention was totally diverted when he heard that. Well, he was shocked again after all. Shin had clearly asked for a day''s time, but it hardly been an hour since then and they were already relieved of their curses! *gulp* ''I guess what Siara said was indeed true! If he can borrow the powers of the Dragons, then it makes sense that he is able to curse curses so fast.'', Kira was nervous, probably the most out of all of them. "We''ll talkter Siara.", Kira said this and left the ce almost immediately. "Yes Your Highness.", Siara nodded by bowing her head. Lan bowed his head too as Kira passed by him and rushed towards the cave where many wolves from both the ns had gathered. The wolves who were inflicted by the curse wereing out. Kira was nowpletely sure after seeing it with his own eyes. But he wanted to talk with Aaron about this too and wanted to see the smile on his face. That was why he rushed towards the cave only to find Aaron missing. Although everyone bowed when he walked there, he didn''t care about them. All he did was ask about Aaron but no one seemed to know. Even Shin was missing from the ce. ''Weird, where might have they gone?'', Kira wondered when suddenly Lan walked towards him. "Your Highness, are you by chance looking for Master Aaron?", Lan asked. "Yes, do you know where he is?", Kira asked almost immediately. "Yes, I saw him going towards the Cliff with Master Shin.", Lan nodded his head while saying that. "Alright.", that''s all Kira said and rushed towards the cliff that was just ahead. Well, it was not that far, but it wasn''t close either. It took three to four minutes with Kira''s speed to reach the ce. There were many rocks and boulders here and there. It was a ce with almost no trees. ''The cliff is a bit further if I''m not wrong...'', he walked gantly while looking for Aaron when suddenly he heard someone speak. Just then he hid behind one of the boulders and just before hiding he was able to see the back of a wolf. ''Who? Who is here?'', he wondered and asked himself the answer for which he knew already. "M-Master, I had no idea you were so strong..." "Please..." "Please side us in the uing War!" "..." ''This voice...'' ''It sounds familiar...'', of course, Kira knew the voice since it was Aaron who was speaking. Kira kept on hiding and hearing the conversation. "War eh?", Shin asked. "..." Both of them were facing the other way. While Shin was sitting at the edge of the cliff and staring at the moon, Aaron sat a bit farther than Shin near the boulders. Of course, Kira was hiding behind one of these boulders. "The moon is beautiful tonight isn''t it?", Shin asked. "Y-yes?", Aaron failed to understand why Shin said that. "War and bloodshed..." "I dislike them...", right after saying that Shin stood up and started to walk back towards the n where all were present. Kira pinned himself towards the wall to prevent himself from being detected by Shin. But oh well, he was already detected long ago. Nevertheless, he found out that the conversation between Shin and Aaron was going on. But more than that, he was surprised to see Aaron bow his head in front of Shin. ''Did he found out about Shin''s powers?'', Kira wondered. Well, it was safe to call him ''Shin'' in his mind so there were no side effects or changes in the weather or some uncanny happening. To be continued... Chapter 52 The Shadow Dragon Shin had already walked back to the n whereas now only Kira and Aaron were left alone here. Of course, Kira wanted to know about what had happened due to which he exposed himself and walked towards Aaron. "Aaron...", he said in a low voice. "Kira...", Aaron looked at him and then lowered his head. Perhaps he too had detected Kira''s presence, not that Kira even tried concealing it. "Are you worried about the uing War?", Kira asked. Aaron just nodded his head. Then he turned towards Kira and said, "Help me, Kira, I want Master Shin!" "If he is with us then we will win definitely!", Aaron''s eyes werepletely wide. It was as if Kira was looking at some maniac. It was weird, way too weird. "Aaron...?", Kira called out to Aaron after seeing his weird behavior. "Yes, definitely..." "Master Shin can...", Aaron was mumbling to himself constantly as if he had gone crazy. "Aaron! Are you alright?", Kira raised his voice. "Huh?" "Ya..." Aaron snapped out of it when Kira shouted at him. Any longer and Aaron would have been out of reach. "What happened to you? Why are you so obsessed with having Shin in your n?", Kira asked. He wanted to confirm if what he was thinking was the truth. He wanted to know if Aaron was aware that Shin had a dragon attribute. "Kira..." "Do you know how strong Master Shin is?", Aaron stared at Kira while asking that. *gulp* It was now starting to freak Kira out, the eyes, the wide freak-like eyes which Aaron was showing right now were too disgusting and freaky! "No, isn''t he just a healer?" "How can he be strong?", Kira pretended not to know anything while he already knew everything since Siara had testified it. "Listen, Kira, Master Shin is no ordinary wolf!" "He is a wolf thates once in a lifetime..." "No! Once in a century..." "No! Once in a Million Years!", Aaron had no words to describe. All he did was raise the parameters with which he could measure Shin. "What are you trying to say?", Kira asked while faking it even now. "Have you never seen his true power?", Aaron asked. "No, I have-", even before Kira could finish saying, Aaron spoke. "I have! I have seen!" "That moment..." "No matter what happens, I can never forget that moment..." He then started narrating what he saw and the reason why he was behaving in such a way and was obsessed with having Shin join his n. An hour ago... "Sigh looks like I have to ask his help again..." "Let me summon him..." Shin''s eyes shined with white light yet again and a magic circle was formed. Everything happened the same way as thest but the only difference was that he didn''t require to sing theplete song or anything else this time. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Hymn Of The Dragons ] [ Pact with the Shadow Dragon Argant detected ] [ Would you like to summon the Shadow Dragon Argant? ] [ -> Yes/No ] This time it was different because a pact already existed. Maybe the pact acted as a link between Shin and the Shadow Dragon Argant. Usually one had to transform into the dragon form to use such a skill but since it was a skill granted to ''Half-Dragon'', then it could be used by Wolf such as Shin too since he was part of the other half! All the dragon skills that he received could be used in any form and probably the power and things differed, but at the end of the day, the bottom line was that he could use the skills freely. The magic circle this time formed in front of him and the Shadow Dragon appeared from the circle. ''Roarrr'' As soon as it appeared, it roared loudly causing the entire cave tremoring. Since it was a cave, the roar basically echoed and eventually exited the cave. Aaron, who was guarding the cave, heard the loud roar and flinched. Of course, not many heard because they were quite far away from the cave, but some did hear. However, they thought that it might have been some random beast nearby that could be taken care of by the guards so they didn''t care. Well, as for Aaron who was absolutely sure that the roaring sound came from the cave, he started walking inside. He walked as calmly as he could and hid his presence so that none could detect him. More than that, he was basically paralyzed as soon as he entered the cave. The reason for this was quite simple, the massive aura which he felt! Since a dragon appeared out of nowhere, it emitted quite arge amount of aura that spread throughout the cave almost immediately, and that was what Aaron felt. But the Aura vanished within a moment as if it was concealed. After that Aaron could walk with ease. Of course, the paralysis was due to fear and nothing else. He was about to reach the area where Shin was present when suddenly he found a shadow on the wall of the cave. ''Huh?'' He quickly and swiftly hid behind a wall and prevented himself from entering the ce where Shin was present because he could see the shadow there. "Hmm, curses, that''s an easy job!", the dragon said. Aaron heard the dominant tone. He realized that a dragon was present by looking at the shadow on the wall. He did try to peek but failed since hecked the guts to do so. Shin asked the dragon to lift the curses and the Shadow dragon did as he was asked to. Well, it was a piece of cake for him. Shin did hear that a Shadow Wolf did this but the power of the shadow attribute would be much more dominant for a dragon than a wolf! Aaron used up all his courage to just stay there. He then tried to peek a bit right when Argant vanished afterpletely lifting the curse. Just when Aaron looked there, he found only Shin left. "Huh?", he made a noise on hearing which Shin turned back almost immediately. "Who?", Shin did ask that but he could clearly see Aaron standing in front of him. "You..." "Did you see it?", Shin asked. *gulp* Aaron swallowed a whole lot of dry saliva and said, "I''m sorry, I was just worried..." "I..." ''Damn, he found out that I can use my skills to summon Dragons...'', Shin grit his teeth and then walked out of the cave without telling anything else. All the members were waking up now one by one for which Aaron was quite thankful but he had the same surprised expression on his face. His eyes were widely opened when he said, "I can''t believe that a legendary dragon disguised itself into a wolf!" Wrong, he definitely and totally got it wrong! Oh well, that was how his narration ended. "..." To be continued... Chapter 53 The Clan Wars "What did you say?", Kira waspletely astonished to hear what Aaron said. He trusted Aaronpletely so he couldn''t help but believe him however whatever he was saying sounded too good to be true! Well, it was way too abnormal anyway. ''Siara told me that Shin could summon a dragon...'' ''And now Aaron is saying to me that Shin can transform into a dragon?'' ''Does that mean...'' ''Does that mean that he is a dragon king or something and has tons of dragons in hismand?'' ''Did he be tired of living his royal life so he came to lower realms and disgusted himself into a wolf to experience the life of lower beasts?'' What an interesting and imaginative story Kira formted. Well, he waspletely wrong and way off the charts. He couldn''t help but believe them because all of them could be rtable. First of all, Shin was just a pup but still could speak, use healing abilities, run faster than any of them, and could massacre the entire Bear n! Howe any of these were ordinary? Kira was rather forced to believe and formte his own story of what might have happened. He himself got chills just by imagining that. Now he understood why Aaron was so desperate to recruit Shin into his own n. Shin was already part of the n that Kira ruled so he had no interest in giving him easily after hearing and concluding all this! "Listen, Aaron, you must calm down..." "First of all Shin is part of my n so he wouldn''t possibly join yours..." When Kira said that, Aaron understood that it was because of Kira that Shin didn''t want to join the Bi n. He was about to ask Kira to expel him out of his n so that he could take him in, but would Kira agree so easily? Of course, no, he wouldn''t let such a gem go that easily! At least not when he came to know the truth about Shin, ording to him that is. But Kira was not that merciless to his brothers. After all, he trusted Aaron so much that he asked his kin to take refugee in the n of Bi! "I will ask him to help you...", Kira said this in the end in order to console Aaron and prevent him from making any foolish mistake that could create a rift between them. "Really!?", Aaron''s eyes sparkled when he heard Kira. "Yes", Kira nodded his head and smiled. "Thanks a lot, second brother!", Aaron was indeed joyed and the reason for which was quite obvious, he was assured that he would win the n Wars! So what exactly are the n Wars? Why is it so significant? What are the merits and demerits? n Wars are the wars conducted among the ns of a species to determine the strongest. Humans have learned how to colonize. They have their own Kings who have dispersed themselves. There are tons of Kingdoms and they too conduct such wars to determine the strongest Kingdom. Well, many lives are indeed cost in this needless war, despite that it has been done for the past 500 years! For them, it''s called the ''Kingdom Wars''. The beasts and monsters that arerge in number and have colonies or ns that are dispersed, conduct wars to expand their terrain or erase the enemy that they want. A good thing is that no wars are conducted for the rest of the time among the ns until the next n War gets started! Unlike Kingdom Wars which are conducted once in four years, n wars are conducted once every three years. Therefore, one can rest and maintain peace with other ns for a maximum period of three years. Well, it could be extended in some cases when some ns would support the winner or the others. The benefits of this War are quite simple, Peace is maintained for the rest of the three years. One could expand the terrain or territory in the War by winning against others! Also, one would get a name and fame in the battle. But bloodshed would be inevitable in the battle. Many will lose their lives. Of course, the Wars are based on different things, but in the end, it would be an all-out war against each other. Only those who would want a war would be allowed to participate while those who wouldn''t be required of any war would be assumed the position of judge or would be left out. In any case, these n Wars were feared by all because if one would lose, they would be others'' servants! Bi n had already lost twice and had now turned into a small n. Of course, it would have vanished if Kira hadn''t helped them. Aaron was thinking of participating in it again so that he could win and reim the lost territories and the members whom he had lost three years ago, not that he knew if they were alive and fine. "Sigh, alright, let''s go back..." "There is no use thinking about something that is going to happen in six months..." "All we can do is prepare for it, it''s better not to think about the results from now!" What Kira said was right. If one would only think of the results without actually thinking about the process, then it would only lead to failure in most cases. Regardless, Kira and Aaron walked back to the n where all the Midnight wolves bowed in front of Aaron while paying their respect. Some were thankful for healing their family member but more than that Aaron was happy when he met his wife and children. Well, of course, one could have many wives in this world and Aaron had 3 in total. He had lost one of them in the n Wars to another n, one of them had been cursed, and another was perfectly fine and was chatting with Siara. The Shadow Wolf attacked themst month which actually broke the rules. But it was to be noted that Shadow Wolf formed a n after thest n Wars so they didn''t necessarily have any rules to follow. Regardless, one thing was for sure, soon a massive War was going to cover the entire forest of Caronthin, a totally different forest where all the wolves meet to do the n Wars! To be continued... Chapter 54 Monstrous Profile Aaron was continuously worrying about the n Wars but nothing woulde out of worrying anyway so Kira advice him to take deep breaths and calm down. He too went to therge cave to take a rest which was only for guests which Aaron had asked to make. Well, natural caves are quite hard to find, due to which Wolves can make caves or dens on their own where they can stay. That''s how they have evolved after all. In any case, it waste at the night, probably around 11 PM. All were sleeping while the guards were guarding. Some of the White wolf n decided to help the Bi n thus they were shifting positions in regr intervals. The same way they continued. Lan was also resting because he had to leave the next day quite early. Kira had tasked him to take a look at their terrain if it was safe enough to return back after all they had abandoned their homes! Shin was also resting, under a tree that is. Well, usually higher wolves are provided with dens. Lower-ranking wolves are not provided with dens or caves because there couldn''t possibly be thatrge amount of space avable to build so many dens! But the fact was that Shin was provided with a den. However he insisted on sleeping out under a tree the reason for which was quite simple, he liked cold things and the climate outside was cold enough for him to enjoy. Well, his Cold Resistance skill didn''t have any effect because that skill was only for extreme cold conditions and not all conditions! Therefore he could still feel the exciting coolness in the air. It was foggy but not much, only a bit due to which vision wasn''t affected. Moreover, who cared about it right now? The guards? Maybe they did, but other than them, all were asleep so there was no need to even think about it. It was soon a new day. Lan got up quite quickly and left as soon as possible. Everyone rested until the sun rose and shone with its bright light! *yawns* ''A new day...'' Shin rolled on the ground on the soft grass when the sunlight fell directly on his face. He barely opened his eyes. All he did was just sit upright with his eyes closed probably because he was still drowsy. Well, he sat for around an hour in the same position finally after which he decided to walk and stretch a bit. He could find many more wolves here and there. They were chatting with each other. Right now no one paid Shin any respect because they had no idea who he actually was. The only ones who knew about his greatness or actually might have overestimated him were Kira, Siara, Aaron, and Lan. Surely, the ones from the White Wolf n were a bit respectful to him since they had seen Kira calling him ''master'', but oh well, in the end, they were too busy to even notice such a small pup walking near them. ''Sigh, I never thought that I would be ready to evolve again so quickly...'', he said this after reaching the same cliff where he had a small chatter with Aaron the day before. ''I was level 24 just yesterday and now I am already level 25 only because all the members got their curses lifted?'' ''It wasn''t even me! It was Argant who did that...'' ''But in a way, indirectly it was me I guess...'', Shin was not exactly sad or pissed off, he was just annoyed by the fact that he had toplete another stupid mission to evolve and that too so early! ''I can still recall that message that appeared that time...'' [ Congrattion ] [ You have earned a new title ''The Curse Lifter'' ] [ You will be able to erase or lift curse much more easily ] ''Ding'' [ You have leveled up ] [ You have met the requirements to evolve ] [ Find a particrly safe ce for the evolution to start ] That was the message that had appeared back then. ''I mean, just look at that title, couldn''t it have given me some better title?'' ''A curse lifter? For real?'', all he did was sigh. He took a look at his monstrous profile and status to see how much he had advanced. [ Profile ] Name: Shin Sex: Male Age: 22 days 01 hours 11 minutes 01 seconds Weight: 0.7 Kg (1.5 Pound) Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Evolved Warrior Wolf ] Rank: D || Max. rank: ??? Level: 25 || Max. level: 25 HP: 65/65 || Max. HP: ??? MP: 40/40 || Max. MP: ??? Exp: 980 || Max. Exp: 980 Atk: 70 || Max. Atk: ??? Def: 68 || Max. Def: ??? Speed: 85 || Max. Speed: ??? Int: 50 || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Bite Lv.2 2] Dash Lv.4 3] Copy Lv.2 4] Heal Lv.2 5] Transformation Lv.1 6] me Wave Lv.1 7] Dark Maniption Lv.1 8] All Seeing Eye Lv.1 9] Aura Control Lv.2 10] Dragon''s Roar Lv.1 11] Dragon''s Aura Lv.1 12] Hymn Of The Dragons'' Lv.??? 13] Total Curse Immunity Lv. Max 14] Curse Eraser Lv.1 15] HP Eater Lv.1 [ Passive Skills ] 1] Cold Resistance Lv.1 2] Heat Resistance Lv.1 3]Shock Resistance Lv.1 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.1 7] Language Trantion Lv.1 ''Sigh,e to think of it, the skill Dash leveled up twice when I was running to save Siara and Copy leveled up when I learned the skill HP Eater...'' ''The Dash skill didn''t give me much of a shock because it was the longest distance I had ever run with my fastest speed...'' ''But the Copy skill sure was a surprise. It activated on its own and leveled up with just copying one skill...'' ''Ding'' [ Skill Dash Has leveled up ] Lv.2 -> Lv.3 [ Skill Dash has leveled up ] Lv.3 -> Lv.4 [ -> On usage, your speed will be raised by 4 ] [ -> Dexterity of the limbs will be increased by 10% ] [ -> Fatigue will be umted with the rate of 0.2 per second ] [ -> Skill will get deactivated automatically when the fatigue reaches 30 ] And the other was the skill Copy of course. ''Ding'' [ Skill Copy has leveled up ] [ Lv.1 -> Lv.2 ] "Well, it''s good to be strong and I want to grow stronger..." "And someday, I want to assume a human-like appearance..." "But for now I need to find a safe ce..." And when he was saying that out loud, he heard some noise as if someone was walking towards him. He almost immediately turned his head to the back only to find the unexpected. "You..." "What are you doing here?" To be continued... Chapter 55 Unimaginable Stats "What are you doing here?" Shin was surprised to see the same wolf pup whom Shin had saved earlier, stand right before him. Well more than that, he was baffled to see her stats! [ Profile ] Name: ??? Sex: Female Age: 20 days 00 hours 43 minutes 55 seconds Weight: 0.4 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ White Wolf ] Rank: E || Max. rank: ??? Level: 04 || Max. level: 05 HP: 18/18 || Max. HP: 20 MP: 17/17 || Max. MP: 20 Exp: 35 || Max. Exp: 40 Atk: 16 || Max. Atk: 20 Def: 17 || Max. Def: 20 ? Speed: 75 || Max. Speed: 100 Int: 20 || Max. Int: 20 [ Skills ] 1] Wind Run Lv.1 -> Uses the power of the wind to increase the speed by 50% -> Can be used for 00:00:02:00 ( 2 minutes ) -> Cool Down Timer: 00:06:00:00 ( 6 hours ) ''The heck is wrong with her speed stat? Seventy-five out of hundred?'', Shin was totally surprised because even his own speed stat wasn''t as great whenpared to hers. Well for the moment his was definitely higher, but that was only because he had evolved and was supported by the system. As for the female wolf pup in front of him, she didn''t have any cheats or system and hadn''t evolved even once so it was terrifying to see how strong she was right now. Shin concluded that she was some sort of Wind type or perhaps was blessed by the God of Wind. She had a super badass skill right there which would increase her speed by 50% which was no joke! If she were to use that, then Shin would utterly be defeated even while using the skill Dash! ''How did she learn that anyway?'', he wondered. The wolf pup came closer to Shin and started liking his fir in the face. Then his eyes were licked and his ear too. It would be rather disgusting but Shin didn''t have any feeling of that sort. In fact, it was a bit ticklish and rxing for him. Iy was as if she was ying with him. ''Perhaps she recognizes me...'' Well, he waspletely right, the pup recognized him and wanted to be friends with him. She wanted to repay the debt which she had umted. Usually, a wolf pup undergoes some minute changes from 14 to 24 days and this period is called Transitional Period but in some cases, the days might vary. As for Shin, the Socialization Period had already begun from 20 days which should have actually started from the 24th day after birth. That was the same for the female pup too, her socialization period had begun from the 19th day! Well, these were some rare cases anyway and probably happened to only a few like Shin and the female pup. ''''What happened? Do you want to y with me?", Shin asked. The wolf pup almost immediately nodded her head as if she understood what he meant. "Alright then! Here Ie!", he jumped over her and started to bite her soft ears. The pup started to make a chuffing sound, kind of a short grunt. Those sounds are usually made by the pups when they are happy or excited. Both of them rolled over each other and yed as long as they could. For some reason, Shin was actually behaving like a pup too. It might have been that his mentality had been affected because of the wolf-like brain but oh well, it wasn''t bad. After ying for an hour, both of them got tired. Well, not that they were fatigued, it was just that their hearts were filled with happiness after ying for so long. Probably this was the first time they had yed so it was quite refreshing. Shin forgot about his human self for a while and enjoyed it for as long as he could. Both of them fell asleep after an hour. Well, Shin just lied on the ground and stared at the sky whereas the pup was indeed fast asleep. Shin was satisfied and probably this was the first time he had felt something like this, in this world at least. "Baby, where are you?" Someone was continuously calling by raising the voice. Shin almost immediately recognized the voice since he had heard it many times before. ''Siara?'' ''Is she looking for this pup?'', he asked himself in his mind while looking at the small pup lying just next to him. Siara was calling out to her under the cliff. She hadn''t thought about the possibility of the pup being on the cliff. In any case, Shin thought that he would wake her up and let her reunite with Siara. But he was feeling uneasy. The reason was simple, he could see a weird sense of fear in Siara''s eyes. Earlier too, he could feel that she was a bit terrified because of him maybe. He knew the reason for that very well, she was terrified because she saw him summoning a dragon. He couldn''t help it could he now? Thus he just stood up and walked to the edge of the cliff and gave her a call by raising his own cute voice. "Siara, the one you are searching for is here!" Siara was in fact shocked when she heard someone call her name. Probably, Kira and Aaron were the only ones who could call her name directly. Yes, even Aaron''s wives perhaps but right now she heard a soft voice as if someone quite young was calling her. She was infuriated for a second. "How dare you call-", while saying this she raised her head by turning to the back only to find Shin standing on top of the cliff. "..." Her voice vanished in a moment just after noticing Shin. She started mumbling to herself. "What the heck did I do just now?" "Why did I shout at him?" "What if he summons the dragon to kill me?" She kept on mumbling things that only she could hear. Thankfully Shin didn''t hear. "Here, she is here!", he raised his voice again. "You cane up!", Shin was constantly shouting and rating his voice because he thought that the voice wouldn''t reach her or it would be inaudible. But little did he know that he was actually sounding a bit intimidating. The clouds over and the sun shone again due to which the Brightside of Shin vanished and only his shadow was seen by Siara. Of course, the sun was behind him. And his shadow was quite long! Fo Siara, it sounded as if he was ordering her toe up. Something like this - "Come up or else I will butcher you alive!" - that''s what echoed in Siara''s ears. Thus she rushed up as soon as she could. To be continued... Chapter 56 Exploring The Forest Siara rushed towards the top of the cliff and arrived within a minute. *gulp* She was terrified and was shivering because of what she made herself heard. Regardless, Shin had no intention of telling her what to do or not. He just wanted to help her find the wolf pup. The pup was with him so he wanted to let her know at least! "Here, she is sleeping here. You were searching for hr right?", Shin said in a low voice. Siara took a peek and found that the wolf pup was indeed sleeping there. She was happy to see her safe. "Oh...", she realized the reason for which Shin had called her. For a moment she was confused yet again. ''Did I hear wrong?'', was what she asked herself now. In any way, Shin didn''t look scary anymore. He was looking like a normal pup now. Well, Siara didn''t have any business with him so she wanted to go away as soon as possible. She slowly and steadily walked towards the young pup, grabbed her in her mouth, and then left as soon as she could. ''Sigh looks like she is traumatized because of that...'', Shin sighed when he thought that. He spaced out for a moment and kept on staring at the nk space while wondering something. He was worried about how Kira would respond to him. He then walked towards the edge of the cliff and then started to recall the moment when he met Kira. t was like a miracle probably. It would be an understatement to say that he waspletely shocked by Kira''s powers. His aura itself was quite terrifying. Even now, in terms of direct confrontation, Shin would stand no chance against Kira, Lan, Siara, or Aaron. But in contrast to that, he had developed some skills that would end up giving him victory if used wisely, For example, the dragon summoning skill would easily help him kill all the wolves. Well, Kira could be an exceptional case because Shin had no idea about his power. After all, no weakling could obtain the title of Strongest Beast of the forest! Whatever it may be, Shin wanted to take a look at Kira''s stats. That was why he started walking down the cliff in search of Kira. "Hello, young pup..." "Wow, what a healthy pup!" There were many wolves baffled by seeing Shin. In fact, they were excited to find such a small pup walking on its own. Needless to say, a young pup would always be with its mother or any guardian for protection. It would never wander on its own because even wolves would attack the pups if they were found to be alone! Well, the members of the n were good ones so there wasn''t much to worry about. Also, Shin could definitely defend himself against the attacks if any. He walked all the way to the edge of the Bi n. How were the boundaries described? Well, one could easily see many tone boulders at the edges or some sort of markings. Shin too saw many boulders arranged one after the other as if they acted like a fence or something. He waspletely sure that he arrived near the boundary. He actually wanted to explore the forest a bit more but thanks to joining the White Wolf n, he could no longer explore the forest. He had to do everything that the n did. He couldn''t help himself that time. He was way too immature then. ''No one is looking at me, I guess this is the best opportunity toplete that mission...'', Shin wondered. [ Mission 0C4 ] [ Hunt a Mariorack Deer ] [ Rewards - None ] There was absolutely no merit inpleting such a mission, but he wanted to explore the forest a bit sopleting the mission would be a good thing for him anyway. Also, it had been a day or two since he had something tasty. That''s because the wolves only ate minor beasts. They would sometimes store them in open that is because of which the taste would be too sour. Well, that''s how Shin survived till date anyway after eating in their ces. Shin hopped over the boulder and arrived on the opposite side. He was finally out of the terrain. As mentioned earlier, the terrain leader could sense if someone exits or enters the terrain. Aaron was no exception, he too sensed that Shin exited the terrain. But he had absolutely nothing to worry about. In his eyes, Shin was a freaking dragon! He had no control over him so he couldn''t hold him back anyway. Therefore, he didn''t mind the matter at all. One hour passed since Shin left the terrain. He wandered inside the forest here and there. Well, he didn''t find any beast there, absolutely no dangerous one. Provably that was because this ce had already been hunted by the wolves. "Hmm, I wonder if any deer would graze around..." There were tons of grasses found there. A fact that wolves were carnivorous caused the grasses to remain. Since most of the times the herbivores were hunted, the grasses grew even more attracting been more herbivores. That was why Shin wondered if it was indeed the case that any herbivore could be found nearby. Out of them, he was expecting to find a Mariorack Deer. Another hour passed and all that Shin found were some tiny beasts. But he was sure that he was slowly entering those areas where more beasts lied. Another two hours passed and by now he had gone quite far away from the n. There was no need to remember the way back because he had the navigating feature anyway. But the act was that he couldn''t go much farther anyway. In reality, he was just exploring and didn''t mind how far he went. He arrived at a ce where he could see many colorful birds and lizards on trees including colorful flowers everywhere. ''ZzzD'' ''Huh?'' Suddenly he heard some weird noises as if bushes were moving. ''Something is nearby...'' To be continued... Chapter 57 Poison Resistance He didn''t have any appraisal skills nor did he have any search skills, but those weren''t required in the first ce because he had a system. Probably he expected the system to do those works. ''System, can you determine what kind of beast is nearby?'', Shin asked. He could feel a faint aura so he was sure that there was something nearby. But he had no idea of what it was. ''Ding'' [ Affirmative ] [ Detecting... ] It took a second or two for the system to find out what kind of beast was nearby. ''Ding'' [ A Green Poison Lizard found ] [ Advice: The system advises the host to ignore it and move forward for another mile to find a Mariorack Deer ] Shin had absolutely no reason to ignore the system''s advice. But, he ignored it for the time being. His reasoning was way bizarre but was somewhat correct. He wanted to eat the lizard just because the word ''Poison'' was mentioned. He hadn''t gained any skill that immunized him against poison. He had never encountered any beast that used poison. To be precise, he either dodged the attacks or escaped from them, never once did he think that he could use them to his advantage to gain poison resistance! Finally, his bird-sized brain thought for once and he could now finally gain the poison resistance! However, it wasn''t to be underestimated. When hit by poison, one would require to create an antidote to get healed! Did Shin have the capabilities to create an antidote of a poisonpletely unknown? The answer was no, he didn''t have any ability or skill that could create an antidote. So it was obvious, even if he could gain the Poison resistance skill, he would still be affected by the poison for the first time! Was his body''s resistance high enough to reject the poison and staypletely fine? Well, the answer was no! A pup couldn''t possibly strong against poisons! There might be a few poisons that didn''t affect the wolves, but that was for the adults! The Bird-Sized brain wasn''t capable of thinking all this. All he imagined was getting a poison resistance skill and that''s all! ''I can easily track down the Mariorack Deer after gaining the resistant skill!'', he thought and went and did what he wasn''t supposed to do. He jumped into the bush as if he was inviting the lizard to bite him and inject poison inside him. How foolish could he be? Doesn''t matter, what he wanted was achieved. The tiny lizard, which no longer than a fist, bit him exactly in his left hind limb. As soon as it injected the poison, Shin killed by wacking it once with his short strong right forelimb. ''Ding'' [ You have killed a Green Poison Lizard ] [ You gain absolutely no merit in killing it ] It was fine till here, but right after this something unexpected happened. [ Warning ] [ You have been infected by a poison ] [ Your tissues are being damaged ] [ You have been infected by a poison ] [ Your tissues are being damaged ] "What the-" His vision became blurry. Without a doubt, the poison affected his body almost immediately causing this. The warning message appeared again and again but what could he do? All he could do was hear the voice in his head. His eyes were too blurry for him to see what was written. ''Ding'' [ You have acquired the passive skill ''Poison Resistance'' Lv.1 ] [ Poison Resistance -> The host will no longer be affected by minor poisons ] Minor poisons? Was it a minor poison that was affecting his body? Absolutely no! It was definitely a strong poison. It spread throughout his body rapidly after all causing him pain and showing symptoms almost immediately. Shin just fell on the ground right where he had killed the lizard. His body was insanely weak right now. His bones were clearly visible! He was probably getting dehydrated! The poison was not only destroying his tissues but was also causing dehydration? Interesting! Well, in any case, the warning notification didn''t stop. Not until it started showing his HP. ''Ding'' [ Warning ] [ Less than 50% of HP remains ] [ HP: 32/65 || Max. HP: ??? ] [ Advice: The system advises the host to activate the ss Predator and consume the Green Poison Lizard ] Shin heard that and almost immediately activated the ss and just swallowed the lizard. ''Ding'' [ You have activated the ss Predator ] -> The host can hunt only those monsters which are considered to be prey. -> Provides Specific skills and stats on hunting or consuming the monsters or beasts. -> Intimidation increases by 10% [ You have consumed a high-ranking Poison Lizard ''Green Poison Lizard'' ] [ Due to the ss Predator, a new skill has been generated ] ''Ding'' [ You have acquired the all-round skill ''Poison Destroyer'' Lv.1 ] [ Poison Destroyer -> Acts as both active and passive skill. It remains passive for the host and can be actively used on the target ] ''Ding'' [ Poison Destroyer has started to create antidote within the body ] [ ... ] [ Antidote has been deemed to be effective ] [ The poison is being destroyed in the host ] [ Estimated time before the poison ispletely destroyed: 00:08:00:00 ( 8 hours ) ] While Shin heard that, he became unconscious. Of course, he was relieved because he knew that he would be cured of the poison soon, but a bigger worryid in his mind. Would he be safe from other beasts nearby? Well, chances of running into a dangerous beast were quite low since he hadn''t run into one in a while so it could be considered to be safe. Well, eight hours were no joke, but now everything was on his luck. Luck? It would be better to say ''The System''. Because the system definitely had some sort of defensive mechanism to protect its host at least in some situations. Regardless, Shin kept on sleeping here, rather, lying unconscious while his body was being cured. It was a bit painful for him because of the poison, but in the end, he would be happy to have gained two extra skills. Well, there was nothing he had to be worried about anymore, but little did he know about the great moment that was going toe soon! To be continued... Chapter 58 [ The Biola Clan No Longer Exists ] Shin was in the same state for about eight hours. His body did start to feel light and he gained his strength back slowly, but he was still weak. He was quite foolish to do such a thing earlier. He almost died! Well, the system was good enough to awe him by giving him advises, but who knows another such reckless behavior could cost him his life! Regardless, eight hours had passed by and all the poison inside his body waspletely destroyed. But he was still not awake probably;y because his body was weak. In any case, he was tired probably by constantly fighting against the poison. Whatever it may be, he wasn''t awake yet. It was alreadyte in the evening. Thanks to his own idiocy, he failed to explore any more of the forest. Needless to say, he failed to evenplete the mission. ''Lub Dub'' ''Lub Dub'' ''Lub Dub'' His heart was pounding loudly. The blood pressure was good enough. His body was back to its normal health. Well, he might have been even now, but the weakness was quite less so it was fine. He finally opened his eyes after a whole ten hours! He turned his head here and there, after sitting upright. "Where am I?", he asked himself. He was a bit dizzy. He looked at the flowers nearby and then recalled what had happened. "The heck! I thought I was gonna die!", he eximed while swallowing arge amount of dry saliva. "Phew, I shouldn''t be so reckless...", he realized his foolishness and thank God that he decided not to repeat what he did earlier. He could see that the sun was still in the sky but it was soon going t be dark. The sunset made the sky quite beautiful. It was looking reddish. Shin admired it for a while and then started to walk back towards the Bi n. He used the navigation system to locate the ce. "System, mark Bi n in the map." ''Ding'' [ The n that you specified no longer exists ] "Huh...?" Suddenly a rather surprising and weird notification popped up. Shin was confused by seeing that. "What do you mean by that?", Shin asked for which the system didn''t give any answer. "I''m asking you to locate the Bi n!", Shin specified again. But no matter how many times he tried, the result was the same. [ The n that you specified no longer exists ] "No longer exists?", that was the most confusing out of all. Indeed, if the system had said ''Cannot find'' or ''Out of range'', it would be understandable, but it was specifically saying ''No longer exists.'' Something was clicking in Shin''s head. It was as if he was getting the answer to his question. But he denied believing that. "The whole n got demolished?", that was what his mind said, but the chances for it were nearly nil. After all, Kira was present there. Aaron was no less either and Siara was also one of the best. So it would be highly impossible to demolish an entire n, basically two ns namely Bi and White wolf n! *gulp* Now Shin''s only concern was to return and find out for sure why the system was showing such a notification. Of course, he followed his own footprints which he had left while walking earlier, but those vanished soon. It wasn''t sandypletely. The area was filled with an abundant amount of grasses so the little clue that was present was also of no help right now. It was soon dark and now it would be harder to find the footprints if any, but contrastingly enough, a bigger clue was found. "What the-" He could still see the sky to be a bit red. In fact, the red light wasing from a particr direction, that is, right ahead of him. It was quite weird because he could even see clouds like ck smoke forming in that particr area. Indeed, he was in a forest due to which he couldn''t see exactly for which he used his mind to transform into a Half-Dragon. After doing that he jumped as high as he could. He ended up being higher than the trees nearby. "What the heck!? Why is that area covered with fire?", Shin was awed. He could stay in the air only for a moment, for as long as the jump carried him up. While using his little knowledge, he transformed back into a little pup thanks to which his weight got reduced and he stayed in the air for a little longer. Due to that, he was able to analyze what he was seeing better. "That area..." "Isn''t that the area where the Terrain of the Bi n lied?" Shin finally realized that what he had been fearing or thinking about came true. Probably the terrain was attacked! The fire was proof for what he concluded. But then again, that could be an illusion. It was the best to know by going back so he used the skill Dash to rush back as soon as possible. He ran quite fast and just before arriving at the terrain, he felt another presence nearby. "Who?", he turned his gaze towards his left. ''ZzzD'' The bushes moved vigorously. Shin had no idea who it was, but he was sure that it was something weak because its presence was almost nil. But it was too early to conclude anything. The beast or whatever could be concealing its presence and might have been pretending. So Shin was on his guards. He asked again, "Who?" ''Dab'' The sound of something falling on the ground was heard. Shin failed to understand that and started to walk slowly but steadily towards the bushes. He slowly moved the bushes only to find the unexpected. A wolf that was half burnt was lying on the ground. He had no idea who it was. It definitely didn''t look like Siara nor like Kira or any other strong wolves since it was quite smaller in size. It didn''t even seem to belong to the White wolf n. "Are you alright?", he asked and started to use the skill ''Heal''on the wolf. In a moment he was able to heal all the injuries that the wolf had suffered but it still didn''t show any movements. Indeed, no more movements were seen, not even breathing movements. He thought about taking a look at its status when he found one thing that confirmed that the skill Heal would have no more effect at all. -< Status >- -> [ Dead ] <- "..." To be continued... Chapter 59 The Massacre - Part 1: The Flame Wolf -< Status >- -> [ Dead ] <- That was the only thing mentioned in its status. Nothing else, no name, no age, no rank, nor any skills. Shin was bewildered by it. Surely he had seen many dead beasts, he himself had hunted many. But he never once saw their stats after they were dead. In fact, he never got the need to do it. What else was left to say? Shin was already near therge shy red light and now he was certain that something had definitely happened. He walked further only to reach the boundary of the terrain. As mentioned earlier, the boundaries could be identified with some distinct signs and here there were boulders that were ced. Shin identified them almost immediately. Unfortunately, he couldn''t see the other side because he was quite small while the boulders wererge. He jumped on the boundaries quite easily but right after that, he couldn''t move even a single muscle of his body! "What the hell is this?" Right in front of him, he could see thend catching fire. To be precise, everything in front of him was engulfed in mes. *gulp* He turned his head here and there and widened his vision, but amidst it, he couldn''t find anything. The only things visible were the mes, the red hot mes were burning with such vigor that they made hell right in front of him. "You are kidding me right?" Even though he wasn''t amidst the mes, he could feel the heat getting into him. When he was approaching the area, he could feel the temperature rising. It was quite inconvenient for him but he didn''t think about it because at that moment all he wondered was about the n! "Please tell me that this is a dream...", he hoped for it to be a dream but unfortunately enough it was reality. Everything in front of him was burning downpletely and was turning into ashes. His eyes were shaking just by looking at the scene. He started to sweat profusely. Why? Because he was scared to lose all of them? Well, that was partly the reason but in reality, he was traumatized too. When he was way too younger, he was exposed to fire in a somewhat simr manner. The fire had basically surrounded him at that time and he escaped narrowly. Well, the original body died just because of the heat and that was when Shin took over it! Whatever may be the case, his body remembered the fear. Even without realizing he was trembling at the sight of the fire. "System..." "Search for survivors..." ''Ding'' [ Do you want to search the survivors from Bi n? ] "Yes..." ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] [ Searching... ] ''Ding'' [ No survivors found in 500-meter radius ] "..." Shin was at a loss for words. He could hardly believe what he was hearing from the system. Of course, he didn''t even care about reading the texts because all he could see in front of him was the fire! "Then, search for survivors from the White Wolf n...", that was thest thing that Shin asked for. He hadn''t developed that great of a bond between them, but surely he loved seeing all of them happy. How long had it been anyway since he had joined them? 2 days? 3 days? Whatever it may be, he was a bit emotional at the moment. ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] [ Searching... ] ''Ding'' [ 3 survivors found within the range of 500-meters ] [ One lies 200 meters to the north, another lies 300 meters to north-east, thest one lies 400 meters to the northwest and 10 meters above the ground ] When Shin heard those texts, he licked away his tears almost immediately. He wanted to save those three members at all cost. He rushed almost immediately as per what the system had said but unfortunately, he had to stop as soon as he entered the area that had caught fire. It was way too hot for him to walk any further. If he couldn''t bear the heat, all the remaining three members would also end up dying. "Damn!" "What do I do?", he was trying to find a way via which he would be able to save them but unfortunately the time he took to wonder caused the death of one of those three. ''Ding'' [ One out of the three survivors is dead ] [ Researching... ] [ Two survivors found within the range of 500 meters ] [ One lies 300 meters to north-east and the other one lies 400 meters to the northwest and 10 meters above the ground ] ''Damn...'' Shin med his ownck of experience due to which another one of the lives was lost. "I don''t care what happens to me..." Well, that wasn''tpletely true. More than them, he cared about himself. Indeed, he didn''t think twice about saving them, but he was much more self-conscious about himself. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ You have used the skill Heal on yourself ] He ran with all his might and reached near the wolf who was towards the northeast. "Hey, are you alright?", Shin asked. Well, it was no time to ask. Each and every moment was precious. Luckily enough, he found the wolf still breathing and thus he rushed back as fast as he could and arrived at the boulder. "Rest here! I will grab the other survivor...", Shin said in a low voice. The wolf was barely breathing. More than half of its body had burnt marks. Needless to say, its fur had been burnt too. "Wait..." "Listen..." Shin was preupied with saving all of them that he didn''t even get the time to heal the wolf. But right before he went to save the other one, the previous wolf stopped as if he had to say something. At this moment he started to use the skill Heal on the wolf. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Heal ] "Yes?", Shin asked. "They..." "They..." "They betrayed us..." "They orchestrated the massacre!" "They betrayed His Highness, Kira..." "Revenge..." "Please, get revenge for us...", just after saying this the wolf passed away. "Hey!" "Hey! Wake up!" ''Damn, what happened to him now?'' ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Heal ] "Hey! Speak! Who were they?", he continuously asked but there was no reply. "Don''t tell me..." When he tried to check the status, it again showed just one thing ''Dead''. -< Status >- -> [ Dead ] <- "Dammit!" He could see that the wolf also had severe burns on his body. Of course, he had been using Heal on him, but it seemed like the healing couldn''t keep up with the burning power of the me. It was probably some special sort of me. "Damn, now how do I save the other one..." "It''s the farthest one, it will also get burnt if I try to save it while trying to heal myself..." ''What do I do?'' ''System, please help me!'' ''Ding'' [ Advice: The system advises the host to use the Skill Transformation to transform into the ''me Wolf'' ] "..." To be continued... Chapter 60 The Massacre - Part 2: One Survivor ''Ding'' [ Advice: The system advises the host to use the Skill Transformation to transform into the ''me Wolf'' ] It was practically good advice. If Shin would transform into a me wolf, then he would have nothing more to worry about. Indeed, the fire would have no effect on his body due to which he would easily be able to save the other wolf that had been trapped. Shin wasted no time, he almost immediately used his skill to transform despite not knowing what the me Wolf would be like. A thing to note, Shin really hated hot stuff so was not me Wolf a fire type? Wouldn''t that cause him inconvenience? The answer is no, the moment he would be a me Wolf, he would no longer have trouble with the heat that was being generated from the fire in the surrounding. That was why it was safe to assume that he wouldn''t have any problems after transforming into that. Also, the me Wolf''s body would definitely be hotter than a normal wolf''s body. That would imply that the external temperature would be less and thus he would feel cold instead of hot! It was as if this ss was made for him and probably that was why this had the highest chance of evolution during the start - [ 95 % ]. In any case, Shin didn''t think about those things. All he did was use the skill and think about using the skill Dash to rescue as soon as possible. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Transformation ] [ ... ] ''Ding'' [ Previous existing Link detected ] [ Link: Half-Dragon Wolf ] [ Would you like to proceed with the previous link? ] [ -> Yes/No ] At one of the most important times, the system was making it difficult for him by asking tons of questions instead of transforming directly. "No!" Shin rejected as soon as the question was asked. ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] [ Choose the one to which you would like to be transformed ] [ -> Midnight Wolf ] [ -> Dark Wolf ] [ -> me Wolf ] [ -> Half-Dragon Wolf ] Shin had no patience for all the options to appear. As soon as the choice was given, he picked up immediately by shouting - "I choose me Wolf!" It did sound weird but he had no time to think about it. Well, thanks to that the transformation did start earlier, at least a second earlier. [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ You have used the skill Heal ] He started running while his body was glowing. He was constantly healing himself right now. Yes, he could have run earlier, but the intensity of the mes kept getting stronger so he had to opt for this option. In any way, he had no time to think about himself. But why was he so desperate to save someone else? Wasn''t he a murderer in his past life? How could his mentality change so easily? Well, that''s a mystery. Whatever he just ran as fast as he could to save thest probably a survivor from the Midnight Wolf n. All of a sudden, the light growing from Shin''s body intensified. ''Ding'' [ The fire from the surrounding is being absorbed into the body causing an irregrity ] [ Warning ] [ The transformation ''me Wolf'' has exceeded its limit in absorbing the heat ] The notifications popped up but Shin had no idea about what was happening. ''Ding'' [ All the fire in the surrounding will be absorbed to cause an evolution in the transformation ''me Wolf'' ] "Ha?" Shin was obviously not reading any of the texts. The only thing that he did was hear the voice. That was much simpler. But when he heard saying that, he could hardly understand it. Why would a transformation stop in the middle because of the surrounding? Shin felt confused, but his legs didn''t stop. Yes, the confusion couldn''t stop his legs. The light that his body was emitting started to faint and almost disappeared. Thankfully he was using the sill Heal to heal the burns and other injuries in his body. Anyway, he was about to reach the ce where the system was indicating just before reaching which he realized where he was going. "The cliff?" Indeed, he was dashing towards the cliff on which he had rxed a few hours ago. Was it some sort of coincidence that a wolfid there or was it some destiny to find someone there. Shin had no idea who it was on the top but one thing was for sure, the mes kept getting bigger and bigger. Shin finally reached the cliff only to find nothing! Yes, there was nothing other than some boulders. "What the-" He was confused and was about to check the system when suddenly he heard some noises from the boulder. "Huh?" When he took a careful look, he could see a small piece of stone rolling down from the boulder. ''There is definitely someone present there...'', Shin realized that. He started to walk slowly and calmly because he didn''t want to surprise the wolf. But little did he know that he would end up being surprised. "You...?", yes, it was the unexpected. He found a small wolf pup shivering with fear. It basically had its forelimbs covering its head just like a human. "You are..." The moment Shin said that the pup suddenly stopped shivering. Perhaps it was because it heard Shin''s voice and recognized it. "..." ''Woof'' "Woof?", it sounded funny because that was how puppies of Dogs would usually respond but oh well, that was how the pup responded anyway. It is not thatmon among wolves. The pup then all of a sudden jumped towards Shin and literally hugged him. Shin fell backward due to the sudden jerk that he received due to the pup which was almost half of his weight. It started licking Shin on the face, eyes, ears, nose, and paws too. It had tears in its own eyes, but it tried to lick away all the little burn marks that Shin had. "Calm down...", Shin said in a low but trembling voice. Trembling? Indeed Yes, he had a trembling voice. That was probably because he was relieved a bit to find at least someone alive and that someone was whom he knew and yed with. Well, he was probably happy the reason for which was quite simple, whoever associated with him, vanished without a trace left. Either it may be the past life or the present, they would end up vanishing some or the other way. He thought that the same would happen this time too and it did, but he was thankful for having at least one wolf surviving! To be continued... Chapter 61 The Massacre - Part 3: Betrayal Shin was quite delighted to see at least someone survive. However, he was now wondering a way to save the young pup. He hadn''t evolved yet, it was taking quite some time. Due to that, Shin was a bit worried. He could use the skill on both of them, but the effect would decrease. Already the healing failed to reach the level of burns, it wasn''t even necessary to think what would happen if the effect of heal would decrease or get split up. Well, while he was thinking intensely, the mes kept rising. It was weird because the mes seemed never-ending. Also, the mes never once touched or moved towards the forest. It stayed exactly within the boundaries. Probably the boulders could have been the reason, but a fewrge boulders couldn''t possibly stop the gigantic mes! Even if tiny embers of the mes were to be carried via wind, the forest would end up catching fire, but that wasn''t happening either. A weird phenomenon perhaps! Shin thought about that too and was wondering if it was some sort of magic when suddenly a notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ All the mes have will be absorbed in 00:00:00:30 ( 30 seconds ) ] "Huh?" That was all he could say before his body started absorbing the mes. He did push the wolf pup a bit because he was worried that it could get some burns, regardless, his body was heating up and the pup felt the heat too. The pup walked a step or two towards Shin but then stopped when it saw Shin showing his paw as if he didn''t want the pup to get closer. The pup trusted Shin because it had been saved by him once. It trusted what he said and waited there without moving a muscle. Of course, it was scared. If the entire world went silent, one could hear the pup''s heart pounding like crazy! All the mes that were present below the cliff and those that had reached almost the cliff started to move towards Shin. They all were merging and were entering his body. ''Damn, what''s with this intense heat?'' His body was getting heated. He hadn''t transformed into a me wolf yet due to which he could clearly feel the excessive heat from the surrounding and since the mes were getting absorbed by his body. the heat that he felt seemed to get even more intense. Did it hurt? Of course, it did, such a massive amount of energy entered his body causing pain like none. However, he bore it all as if it was nothing. Shin had already leveled up many times which had caused his body and willpower to grow stronger so such a minute pain was nothing for him right now. The pup kept staring at Shin intensely before it withdrew its eyes from him. It was because all the mes in the surrounding were absorbed by him and now his body was emitting a strong red-colored light. ''Ding'' [ The evolution trait me Wolf has changed to ''me Wolf Emperor'' due to the immense energy absorption ] [ Conducting the transformation... ] Shin was nowpletely fine because all the energy had been used up for the change in trait. The me Wolf trait had literally changed to a me Wolf Emperor. Well, a wolf has many evolutionary forms out of which there are special ranks denoted when one evolves. The ranks are quite normal. The lowest of all was Normal Wolf. After that came Warrior Wolf. The other ranks were - Knight Wolf, Lord Wolf, Highlord Wolf, General Wolf, Warlord Wolf, and Emperor Wolf. To jump even one rank, would take quite a lot of effort. However, Shin''s me Wolf just jumped from the lowest rank to the highest rank! ''Ding'' [ Failed ] [ me Wolf Emperor transformation failed ] [ Host''s body is too weak to form a link to transform into a me Wolf Emperor ] Shin didn''t understand what was going on. He had no idea about the ranks either but on hearing the word ''Emperor'', he did expect it to be the strongest form. But now again he received a message saying that he couldn''t transform because his current body was too weak to ept the link. ''Ding'' [ Evolve into a higher form for the transformation to proceed ] And that was thest notification about transformation. He was about to frown because of that since he was hoping to transform into a cool me beast. Well, it was for his own good anyway. Also, the mes in the surrounding had vanished. They had been absorbed by his body thanks to which now there was no need of having a me body or using the Heal skill. He had nothing to worry about now. The mes no longer existed near him and now he could carry the young wolf pup with him to safety. Of course, he was thinking of everything that could happen in the future. More than that, he was worried about what the previous wolf had said to him before it died. ''What betrayal? And who did?'', Shin failed to understand what the wolf meant. The first thing that struck his mind was that Aaron betrayed Kira, but that was too unrealistic. But in this world, nothing could be trusted because many things would tend to give unexpected results. Logic did apply here, but in most of the cases, that logic failed because of unexpected behaviors! So Shin thought about rechecking and reconfirming his doubts. He asked the system, ''System, check how many members of Bi n have died here...'' ''Ding'' [ Searching... ] The system started searching for all the members of the Bi n. It took some time because the Bi n''s members weren''t registered in the system. The system had to go into Shin''s inner consciousness to see all the members and register them into the system. After searching and matching the shapes, figures, and characteristics, the system finally gave a notification. ''Ding'' [ Searchpleted ] [ Number of members of Bi n that got killed due to fire: 153 ] "Huh...?" "That many? Surely, Aaron wouldn''t have betrayed, it was just me making up things." And when he had convinced himself that he was wrong, the very next notification of the system confirmed his suspicion! [ 153 members of Bi n died and approximately 848 members survived ] "..." To be continued... Chapter 62 The First Vessel When Shin heard and read that, it was as if the ground under him broke. He could hardly believe what he was reading. ''That many survived?'' ''Were there that many wolves in the n?'' He never once saw so many wolves. It kind of weird seeing the system tell that. But the system couldn''t possibly lie. Shin tried to recall everything and found out that he never once counted the number of wolves that were present in the n. Also, it was indeed true that he hadn''t seen all the ces of the Bi n. It was only the front area in which all were resting. ''Come to think of it, the Bi n''s front area itself was twice as big as White wolves'' n!'', Shin realized that. "So they indeed betrayed us and killed all?", Shin asked himself. But that seemed impossible. He had seen the great friendship between Aaron and Kira. It was absolutely impossible for Aaron to betray them! Also, even if they did, Kira wouldn''t just stand seeing everyone getting killed! Kira was the strongest wolf in the forest so without a doubt he would have fought relentlessly to save everyone! "The story doesn''t feel right..." "The Bi n betraying the White wolf n..." "Hmm..." Shin thought with all his might but wasn''t able to figure out anything else. But he knew one thing for sure, if he were to meet up with all the survivors then everything would be revealed. ''For now, I should get away from this ce...'', Shin thought it was best to leave the ce. Also, he had to look after the pup by himself. "Alright, shall we go?", Shin looked towards the pup and asked this. the pup nodded its head as if it understood that. Well anyway, Shin had something else to worry about. He couldn''t possibly call the pup ''Pup''! He had to give it a name. "Hmm, but will it be alright?", he stopped right after walking for a second. Shin now knew that names were quite important and special for the beasts because of which he was a bit reluctant to name the pup. However, that didn''t mean that he wouldn''t name the pup. If the pup would ever meet a stronger beast or someone of higher order, then it could always get another name if it didn''t like it! "Ahem, listen to me..." The pup had stopped and was staring at Shin. NOw it started to listen to what he wanted to say. "I''ll be giving you a name..." "Is that fine?", Shin asked. The pup suddenly got excited right after hearing that. It started to jump around and lick Shin all of a sudden. "Haha, are beasts always that excited to get a name?", Shinughed. "I will consider it as a Yes..." "So your name will be..." Shin thought about it for a moment. He wanted to give an awesome name to the pup. Of course,e he was aware that the pup was a female so he thought of a name that sounded feminine and had great meaning in it. ''She has a skill which has the attribute of the wind...'' ''So a name that would have the same meaning as a wind might end up giving a boost to her powers...'' Shin didn''t know much about the benefits of the names. Therefore he decided to give a name symbolizing wind. "Ae..." "That will be your name starting this moment..." Just as he said that a system notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ Would you like to name the White wolf as Ae? ] Shin had absolutely no idea why the system would pop up and ask such a question. It was up to him and his free will if he had to name someone or not. Regardless, he had to answer the question of the system, or else the text would stick in front of his face for hours! "Yes." Of course, he went with Yes, and thanks to that the female wolf pup now had a name! Well, just before that another system notification popped up. [ Command epted ] [ Forming Link between the host and the First Vessel ] "Huh?" "The first Vessel?", Shin was confused when he saw that. He was then about to question the system when suddenly the system disyed what it meant on its own! [ Vessel -> A living being with the power to store the host''s power. During need, the vessel would be able to use a tiny amount of the host''s power. The host would be able to use all the skills of the vessel ] *gulp* What he read was insane. Basically, the system was providing him with such a facility that, he could justze around all the time while his vessels would work hard. In the end, whatever skills they would learn, would also be learned by him! If this wasn''t a cheat then what else was it? Oh well, it was the best thing for him anyway. The young wolf began to shine. An immense amount of white light engulfed its body almost immediately. The light was quite bright. The dark sky enhanced the brightness of the light and made it look somewhat like a moon. Needless to say, the light was visible from many parts of the forest because it took ce at a cliff which was at a higher elevation. Regardless, Shin had finally named the pup which not only benefitted the pup but also benefitted Shin. "Ae originally means Storm Wind..." "It will definitely enhance your powers...", Shin smiled while saying this. ''Ding'' [ Link established ] [ Named a White wolf as Ae ] The pup''s body stopped glowing. Shin turned his head to take a look at the pup only to get surprised on seeing the pup. "What the-" He had seen many surprising facts until now. Most of them were something which he never expected to happen, but right now the surprise which he received was more like exceeding his expectations. He had expected something to happen, but something out of the ordinary ended up happening! "Ae..." "You..." To be continued... Chapter 63 Evolved State Shin was taken by surprise when his gaze fell on Ae. Her body had stopped emitting the light, but despite that, her body shone brighter than before. The pure white fur matched the moonlight. It was basically shinning. Ae had grown in size too. Not much, but she was definitely a bit bigger than her previous self. Indeed, Shin was the same size as her earlier, but now, she was a bit bigger than Shin. Shin was enchanted by the shinning fur but more than that, he was baffled by the mindblowing stats. He thought that all this change had urred because he named her, but there was another thing that had urred that caused the change. Yes, it was evolution. Ae had reached the maximum level after Shin had left to wander probably when the massacre had started and should have evolved earlier, but unfortunately, she hadn''t met one of the requirements that were required to evolve. A name, she didn''t have a name due to which she couldn''t evolve. Fortunately enough, Shin named her causing her to evolve which enabled her to move on to the next step in bing a predator! Shin took a peek at her status only to get awed. He realized that after seeing the change in rank and other stats that she had indeed evolved! ''System, show me her profile...'' ''Ding'' [ Profile ] Name: Ae Sex: Female Age: 20 days 13 hours 43 minutes 55 seconds Weight: 0.7 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ White Wolf Warrior ] Rank: D || Max. rank: ??? Level: 05 || Max. level: 25 HP: 25/25 || Max. HP: 50 MP: 23/23 || Max. MP: 50 Exp: 40 || Max. Exp: 2000 Atk: 25 || Max. Atk: 60 Def: 21 || Max. Def: 50 Speed: 110 || Max. Speed: 250 Int: 21 || Max. Int: 30 [ Skills ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Wind Run Lv.1 -> Uses the power of the wind to increase the speed by 50% -> Can be used for 00:00:02:00 ( 2 minutes ) -> Cool Down Timer: 00:06:00:00 ( 6 hours ) 2] Aero sh Lv.1 -> A piercing sh of wind emerging from the sharp ws/nails in the paw. -> Gives critical damage if the target is twice the level of the user. [ Passive Skills ] 1] Protection Of Wind Lv.??? -> A blessing of the Wind Goddess disguised as a skill providing protection -> Activates if hostility detected [ Title ] 1] The First Vessel Of Shin -> The first vessel of Ruler of the Swamps, Shin. -> Provides 10% boost in all stats. -> Gives 50% boost in swampy areas. -> Can use the skill ''Heal'' when the HP drops to 20% to heal itself. "..." Speechless, Shin waspletely speechless. He read all that in monstrous speed but unfortunately, the stats were so awesome that he lost all his words to say. Especially the title which she received made him fascinated. Indeed, its description awed him too. He could feel a strong link between himself and her. He was trying to ept the fact that Ae had undergone a superb evolution when suddenly he heard a stunning soft voice. "Master..." "Huh?", when Shin heard this voice, he flinched all of a sudden. "What the-" He was looking at the texts so he didn''t see Ae moving her jaw while calling that. Of course, it was only after she said the next thing that he finally realized that it was Ae that had suddenly started to speak. "Thank you for saving me, master!", was what she said. It gave a weird tickle in his ear. It was probably the softest and kindest voice he had heard so far. "..." He was just staring at her while his mind went nk. He just enjoyed the little tickle that he felt in his ears. "Master...?", Ae called him to see if anything was wrong. "Is something wrong?" "Ah, nothing..." Ae started talking slowly. She talked about many things but most of the things were rted to her being thankful to Shin for saving her and ying with her! "Haha, you can thank meter..." "Let''s leave this ce for now..." Ae nodded her head after hearing that and walked away from the ce with Shin. Both of them entered the forest and headed towards the South. It was already night time so it wasn''t probably safe to enter a forest due to which Shin suggested resting nearby. Of course, they were already inside the forest, but they weren''t much far from the terrain of the Bi n either. Since the wolves ruled this area, they would have definitely hunted so there wasn''t much of a need to get scared since no dangerous beast would roam around. In any case, Ae had already fallen asleep. She was probably tired and Shin realized that due to which he didn''t ask much. Of course, he wanted to know about how the fire started and about this betrayal which he had heard earlier, but right now, he controlled himself and refrained from asking her and disturbing her. Also, he didn''t pester himself by thinking all this stuff. He had some other things to worry about too. ''Ah, I wonder why I didn''t gain any skills?'' ''Didn''t the system say that I would be gaining the skills that my vessel would learn?'', Shin asked himself. Shin tried to recall what the system had said but his memory wasn''t that good. Also, it wasn''t something he thought to remember. "Uh, I could just ask the system instead of breaking my head...", well, that was wiser indeed. ''Hey system, why didn''t I gain any of my Vessel''s skills?'', Shin asked. ''Ding'' [ The host will be able to use the skills of the Vessel directly without converting it into a skill ] "Huh...?" And now Shin waspletely confused because he had no idea as to how to do that. "Wait, do you mean to say that I won''t get any skills but will still be able to use it?", Shin tried to confirm. [ Affirmative ] "..." "Wait..." "If I don''t have a skill, then how the heck will I be able to use it?" Shin was confusing himself by asking many questions. He was basically twisting the questions. Well, he wanted to understand what the system meant and even if he did understand, he wanted to verify if it was true because he couldn''t possibly use untested things when his life would be in danger! ''Ding'' [ The skills will be gained by the vessel but the host will be able to activate the same skill and use it ] "..." "I give up..." "Let''s just sleep!" It wasn''t that hard to understand but right now he was quite sleepy. He was tired too afterall. In any case, both Ae and Shin slept near each other under a massive tree that had quite a beautiful pink flower which shone in the moonlight. "..." To be continued... Chapter 64 Wind Run Soon the sun was up. The chirping of some bird-like beasts could be heard. Shin woke up from a deep sleep only to find Ae sitting right next to him. "Ae?" Shin thought that she would sleep longer because he knew that she was quite tired, but it seemed like that was not the case. "Master, I woke up in order to protect you from dangers...", she said while lowering her head. "Wait, you were awake the whole time?", Shin asked. "No Master, I woke up just recently...", she said in a calm tone but Shin knew that something was suspicious. Of course, he could see some foot marking here and there which clearly belonged to Ae since they were a bitrger than his own. The marl did look fresh but not too fresh, he predicted it to be some two-three hours older. "Tell the truth, when did you wake up exactly?", she asked. "Pardon me for lying master..." "I never slept in the first ce." "I was just lying down and was about to fall asleep when I felt your back touching me." p "I realized that you fell asleep so I decided to stay up and look after you and prevent danger from approaching you.", was what Ae said. "That means you were awake the entire time!", Shin raised his voice. Of course, he could see that she was quite tired. Even though he was a bit sleepy himself, he couldn''t possibly miss the red sleepy eyes! "I said you right, this part of the forest couldn''t haverge beasts." Of course, Shin hadn''t discovered this part of the forest, nor had he seen any other parts except the one he had wandered earlier. But he could tell that with confidence based upon deductions and his instincts. "But one could never get careless even if there were no dangers nearby.", Ae made the statement which left Shin speechless. "..." ''Is this the same little pup that I knew?'', Shin asked himself after smirking a bit. "Haha, you are right." "My bad, now sleep, I am awake, I''ll protect you for now.", Shin decided to let Ae rest for now. They had to travel to some different ce and explore the forest too, but resting and recovering was the priority in all cases. Of course, protecting themselves too. Shin had another reason to be happy. All this time, he explored the forests alone. Of course, not the entire forest, but how much ever he did, he did it all alone. So now that he had a partner to explore the forest with, he felt a bit excited, happy, and ted. ''Hmm, I wonder what I should do next.'' "..." While Shin was thinking about exploring the forest, he recalled the fact that an entire n had been massacred probably due to a betrayal which the dying wolf told about. "Hmm, I need to know more about this..." Ae was awake just a while ago but now she finally went to sleep. Thanks to that Shin couldn''t ask her because he didn''t want her to be disturbed right now. Also, he wasn''t sure if she knew much about to because she was just a pup day back and probably now too is, but in contrast to what she was now, she was like a baby back then, She could hardly understand what was going on sp she could hardly tell about the betrayal, atst, that''s what Shin thought. But it wouldn''t pain to ask, would it? Shin took a look around and enjoyed the sweet fragrance of the flowers. He didn''t enjoy thosest night because he fell asleep too quickly, but now he had quite a lot of time to spare so he thought about enjoying the beauty around. Well, whatever the case, he had to now pass the time. So he thought about trying his best to understand what the system was trying to exinst night. ''Last night, the system told me that I could use the skills of my vessel without even gaining them for myself...'' ''Is that actually possible?'', Shin asked himself. ''Well, it wouldn''t hurt to try.'' He walked a few steps away from Ae and took a stance. He red at a tree that was right in front of him. It was not as tall as the tree under which they sleptst night, but in case of width, it was definitely wider than the other tree. ''Hmm, so, let''s try using that skill...'' ''What was that skill again?'' ''Wind Run?'', Shin was fascinated by that skill long before Ae had evolved. He would dly ept such skills and use them because of the unimaginable benefits from them. ''Ding'' [ Would you like to use the skill Wind Run Lv.1? ] "..." "Yes!", he eximed. [ Command epted ] All of a sudden Shin''s entire body was covered with an immense amount of wind. [ Speed: 85+43 || Max. Speed: ??? ] Shin vanished from the area. His speed had increased tremendously. ''What the-'' He could hardly see anything because all the wind was gushing towards his face forcing him to close his eyes. Of course, he stopped himself, but the split-second experience was a lot for him. He turned back only to find that he had traveled more than fifty meters in that split second or a second which was absolutely crazy! It was estimated that sound could travel 330-350 meters in a second and just now Shin traveled 50 meters in a second. He was basically one-seventh time as fast as sound which was indeed insane! Shin started to walk back towards the ce where Ae was resting when suddenly another notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ The skill Copy has been activated due to the abnormality caused ] ''Ding'' [ You have gained a new active skill ''Wind Run'' Lv.1 ] [ Wind Run -> Uses the power of the wind to increase the speed by 50% -> Can be used for 00:00:02:00 ( 2 minutes ) -> Cool Down Timer: 00:06:00:00 ( 6 hours ) ] "..." To be continued... Chapter 65 Revelation "Ha?" "What''s the use of vessel then?" "I did gain the skill but still, I don''t know what''s their use." "Why would I use the skill from them when I gain the skill for myself?", Shin asked himself in a low voice while walking towards Ae. For some random curiosity, he took a look at her stats. And out of all her stats, the MP picked his interest. [ MP: 20/23 || Max. MP: 50 ] Everything was the same as the previous time he checked except the MP stat. Three MPs were missing. Shin then found out what the system actually wanted to say. *gulp* ''I get it now...'' ''I can use her skills at the cost of her MP!'' He realized that when he took a look at Ae''s MP. Of course, the cost for MPs was never written probably because it wasn''t necessary or probably because the system wasn''t modified. Whatever the case, Shin realized this after looking at Ae. This meant that if Shin was out of MP, he could still use the skills of his vessel at the cost of the vessel''s MP. p That would mean that he would never run out of skills! While he would use the vessel''s MP, his own MP would restore and when he will use his own, his vessel''s would restore during that interval! It would be a loop of an unlimited supply of MP. Basically, he understood that now. He thought about copying all of Ae''s skills while she was asleep. It was absolutely clear that more skills would give more options and different patterns for attacks or escapes. Therefore, Shin wanted to grab all the chances that he got and now was one of those few chances. He walked fifty meters and then tried to use all the skills to copy them. But unfortunately, he could copy only one more skill! ''Ding'' [ You have gained an active skill ''Aero sh'' Lv.1 ] [ Aero sh -> A piercing sh of wind emerging from the sharp ws/nails in the paw. -> Gives critical damage if the target is twice the level of the user.] He did get a skill but more than rejoicing, he frowned because he couldn''t use the passive skill. He was interested in that because of the unknown level that was mentioned. He onlyter found out from the system that he couldn''t copy nor use the ''Passive'' based skills. ''Ding'' [ The ''Passive'' skills or the titles of the vessel will have no effect on the host ] [ The host will neither be able to use nor copy the Vessel''s ''Passive'' skills ] Right after that notification, he understood. Regardless, it wasn''t much of a thing anyway because he could develop such skills sometimeter if he wanted to, at least that''s what he thought. He waited for five whole hours after which Ae woke up. *sniff sniff* Ae could smell something that ended up causing her stomach to grumble. Probably the hunger was the reason that caused her to wake up. "Master?", she found Shin sitting next to her while trying to do something. Shin was startled because Ae called him so suddenly. He turned almost immediately towards her. "Master?", Ae ended up getting surprised when she saw Shin because there was a small fish in his mouth. *tear* *chew chew* *gulp* "Ae, you finally woke up!" "Here you go!", Shin threw a fish towards Ae after grabbing it in his mouth. The fish fell right before Ae on the grass bed. She was totally awed to see such a creature, It was probably her first time seeing it. She could see Shin eating it so without wasting any time, she too started to eat it. *prick* All of sudden a pointy edge of one of the many bones prick her mouth. "Keuk!" She spat it almost immediately. Right away she started bleeding. Shin turned towards her and saw the little drops of blood that were dripping down her mouth. "Wait, did a bone prick your tongue?", Shin asked. Ae nodded her head while trying to cover the pain. Pricking the tongue is definitely painful, especially for animals like wolves who have extra-sensitive tongues. "Look out for the bones, they might end up choking you...", Shin said this while using the skill Heal on her. "Yes...", Ae nodded her head. She then carefully removed the small bones and then started eating the fish. It was a bit of a hassle and tool sometimes, but it was better than getting injured. Ae finished eating the fish and was probably full. Though, she wanted to eat more because of the taste. she controlled herself after seeing that Shin too had only one fish. Well, in reality, Shin had already finished ten fishes when he was near the stream. "Is there a stream nearby?", Ae asked to which Shin nodded. He continued eating and finished the one and only fish which he had been eating for a long. Well, he was trying to chew the bones but all he had were sharp canines and hardly any teeth to grind the bones. Also, his canines were not too long or sharp. He was a pup after all! "Ah, by the way, I wanted to ask you something...", Shin moved a bit closer to Ae after finishing the fish. The smell still persisted but it didn''t matter. All the blood from fishes was licked away with their own tongues. "Yes, Master?" "I want to know, what had actually happened that caused such a fire to appear..." "What happened to everyone?" "And, Is Kira really dead? What about Siara?", Shin was a bit anxious. He didn''t have much to think but he was indeed grateful for being a part of the n. Although it was only for two to three days, he enjoyed the stay. Especially the happy faces that he got to see after he healed them touched his heart because of which he wanted to at least know what had happened to them. Somewhere in his heart, he was feeling a little bit of pain, but he didn''t realize it. The atmosphere suddenly changed. Ae had a serious expression on her face and so did Shin. "Yes Master, we were betrayed..." "My father was betrayed by them..." "That time..." And then she started narrating what she had seen and heard others shouting. To be continued... Chapter 66 Lurion : The Monster Feared By The Celestials Right after Shin left, many of the wolves went hunting in another direction. Of course, it was a day for them to hunt. They had to hunt as many beasts as possible and bring them back so that they could share with everyone. Of course, if they wanted they could eat at the spot, but they had to ensure that he could hunt at least one beast as big as their sizes apart from eating their own share at the spot. It was a tedious task indeed, but the wolves of the Bi n were very good hunters. They were quite fast on their feet due to which they could hunt the fast-running beasts as well. Not to mention, they were highly skilled. Of course, they would for groups while taking onrger prey but in terms of smaller prey, they would kill them swiftly even before they would get the chance to run or attack. Around fifty of the wolves were sent to hunt, at least that''s what everyone thought. But in reality, something entirely different was nned because of which they went away as quickly as they could. "Haha, so tell me, Aaron, should we have a spare against each other?", that was the first thing Kira asked after waking up. Aaron was surprised. It seemed as if he was preupied with something else. "Well, I would love to fight with you but not now..." "I''m a bit busy...", Aaron averted his gazes and walked away. "..." Kira found it rather surprising to see Aaron reject an opportunity to have a duel. ''What was that?'' ''Did he just reject me?'' It seemed as if Kira knew Aaron very well. Perhaps that was why he found this small rejection as a great change. ''Is he troubled by something?'' Kira thought of a way to help Aaron because he waspletely sure that Aaron was in some sort of trouble. In fact, he was absolutely certain that the trouble was huge enough to cause trouble to Aaron therefore he rushed towards him to ask about that. "Tell me, Aaron, are you troubled by something?" "Or is your health not good?", indeed, health could also be a problem so Kira ended up; asking that too. "Ah, no Kira, actually I have a meeting with someone today due to which I''m a bit worried...", Aaron said in a low voice. "Meeting with someone?" "Can I know who that someone is?", Kira was now interested. "His Highness Lurion..." The moment Kira heard that name, it was as if the ground under his legs slipped away. "He sent a messenger bird today morning and asked for me to meet him alone..." ''Lurion?'' ''Why would he contact Aaron?'', Kira''s eyes were shaking. In fact, he was way too lost in his own thoughts that he could no longer hear what Aaron said. ''Something is definitely up...'' "Aaron, I guess it''s best for you to stay here and not go anywhere near him...", Kira said in haste. "...", Aaron seemed displeased after hearing that. "But...", Aaron wanted to go to know the reason for the summon. Of course, he was way too scared to even speak properly, but even so, he was much more scared of the rage of Lurion that would emerge if he were to know that his summon was rejected. "Listen, Aaron, you know about him better than myself..." "Do you really want to go near a monster who is feared by the very Celestials?" *gulp* Both of them swallowed arge amount of dry saliva. Shivers ran down their spines as they continued to think about this. "But if I don''t go, he would end up destroying this entire forest in search of me..." "That would end up hurting others too!", Aaron was tensed. So who exactly was this Lurion whom even Kira feared? Needless to say, he was feared by Celestials as mentioned by Kira. Lurion was just another wolf-like any other but it had a special property, it had the power of necromancy! Necromancy? That does sound familiar. Well indeed, it is one of the rarest evolution or attributes in the world, and only a few, in numbers, it could be represented within single digits, were present in the entire world who could use necromancy. So was the power of the undead that feared? Indeed, it was. The reason was way too simple to understand. If a wolf couldmand an army of undead, then no one would even be able to stand against such a monster. Of course, the main reason why everyone feared Lurion was because he had five undead out of which four were previous Celestials and one was a dragon! That was why any single Celestial was afraid of it too because a single celestial couldn''t possibly defeat five Celestials on its own! So it was clear why everyone feared Lurion. But one question remained, why did Kira say that Aaron knew him better? "But you would be killed!" "Are you crazy?" "Why would you go somewhere to die?", Kira failed to understand. Kira thought that Aaron could just run away with everyone so that Lurion would never find him, but it seemed like Aaron had something else in his mind. "Why don''t you just run away?" "I''m sure with your skills you can easily run away!", Kira finally said. He wanted to persuade Aaron but in the end, he failed. "I sure can, but what about my n? My people, won''t they be his target?", he made a valid point. "As you said, I know him better..." "Of course, that''s because he is my Blood-rted brother..." "I''m sure, he could never forgive me for what happened ''that day''." "He would hunt me even if meant for him to go to hell." "That''s why..." "I have to go and answer his summon..." "Why shouldn''t we protect something when it can still be protected?", Aaron said this in a low voice and walked away from there while Kira stood with his head lowered. ''Idiot...'' ''The protection that you speak off...'' ''Ites with a sacrifice...'' ''And right now, the sacrifice is you.'' "..." To be continued... Chapter 67 The Biola Clans Escape Kira was indeed sad. He knew Aaron for a long time due to which he couldn''t just let Aaron go and do whatever he pleased, not when it would cause him to lose his life! Aaron had just left the ce and had entered the forest when suddenly he saw Kira rushing towards him. "Kira...?" "What are you doing?" "Why are you following me?", Aaron asked. Aaron knew that Kira was aware of the danger so it was obvious that he would stay out of this, but it seemed like he was wrong. Well, Kira was indeed the strongest wolf in the forest but he wasn''t so in the whole world! The rest was just a small part of the world. There were tons of other forests that were twice as big as the current one and inevitably there existed stronger forms of wolves. Therefore, it was inappropriate to say that Kira was the strongest wolf in the entire world. "Aaron, listen to my words and stop going!" "Do you really think that Lurion would stop after killing you?", Kira said in a loud voice. Aaron waspletely aware of what Kira said but it seemed like he had some other n in mind. Regardless, Kira insisted on not letting Aaron go but Aaron was stubborn too. "Kira, by the Oath of brothers I ask you to refrain from stopping me!" "..." The moment Kira heard that he paused. He stopped saying anything else and stood there thinking many things. "Why would you bring the Oath here?", Kira asked. "My bad, but it was the only possible way to stop you...", right after this Aaron started walking again when suddenly he heard Kira say something that made him paralyzed for a moment. "I get it..." "I finally understand what you are trying to do..." "..." "You are nning to die in the hands of Lurion for sure..." "You know that first brother won''t be able to handle the loss of a brother due to which he would hunt down Lurion..." "..." And just after saying that Kira paused. Aaron turned back and said with a gentle smile, "Then please, after I die, tell him to protect the members of my n..." Right after saying that, Aaron dashed away. He was indeed quite fast and thus while running at his top speed, even Kira couldn''t catch him. Well, Kira didn''t even try to go behind him. He was lost in thoughts after hearing such a thing. But his thoughts were all over the ce. Even though Aaron did ay that, Kira was thinking otherwise. ''How long will it take to inform 1st brother about this?'' ''Who knows how much damage Lurion would cause by then...'' No matter what, Kira didn''t want Aaron to die due to which he finally decided to follow him. But he knew that he wouldn''t be able to catch up to him now that Aaron had used all his strength to run away. However, he had a skill that led him to follow Aaron without actually running at top speed. ''Summon of the Dark...'' ''Dark Ravon...'' ''Follow him.'' Jut when he thought that in his mind, a ck colored circle appeared from which a Crow-like beast appeared. Needless to say, it had teeth in its beak which was weird. Its red eyes were quite beautiful but at the same time a bit terrifying. It was twice the size of any crow. It rushed towards Aaron almost immediately ording to Kira''s orders while Kira followed it at his own pace. While Kira and Aaron were away, something entirely different was happening in the n. Both Kira and Aaron failed to notice that this was all a trap! ''Boom'' ''Boom'' The sound of something sting nearby was heard quite loudly. The sound echoed throughout the terrain. None could understand what was going on but they knew that something abnormal was definitely happening. Siara was the strongest one now in the terrain who was also surprised by the noise. She could even hear the chaos that was urring within the ns. "What the-" Some of the wolves from the Bi n were picking a fight with the wolves of the White wolf n which was way too weird. "Stop, just what are you doing?", Siara walked out down of the cliff where she was resting with Ae earlier. She tried to stop them from causing a scene but it was no use, they didn''t listen to her. In fact, it was as if they wanted to kill each other. There was absolutely no merit in fighting right now when weird noises could be heard. Well, the White wolf n were not the ones to me since they were just standing and trying toprehend what the sound was. The ones who started this were the members of the Bi n. "Just what...", Siara was way too confused to think that was going on. However, she knew that now was not the time to be confused. She observed the troublemakers who were raising their voices. "Sigh..." She closed her eyes for a moment and then shouted at the top of her voice right after opening he closed eyes! "Just shut your bloody mouths, you bastards!" Her eyes were giving off a faint bluish light. Needless to say, she used a skill to grab everyone''s attention. Well, that was not all, the skill literally paralyzed all of them. Indeed, it was the skill ''Intimidation'' which gave chills to all who were scared of her all of a sudden, Troublemakers or not, now everyone was looking towards Siara. "Listen to me, I think some strange phenomenon has started to its best if we stop fighting amongst ourselves and take a look at the situation!" The effect of the skill was over and everyone could move again. In any case, she wanted to get reported about the situation thus she was about to go towards the ce from where the sound was heard. But just before she could say that one of the wolves from the Bi n who was responsible to start the Chao said, "Your highness, I have a suggestion..." "Let''s send some of our members to know about the situation!" Well, that was eptable by her as well since all she wanted to know was about the situation so she nodded her head and agreed. Then she just went towards the members of the White wolf n to advise them not to fight. Thanks to that she failed to notice that not one or two, but more than 200 wolves from the Bi n had already left! To be continued... Chapter 68 The Undying Flames She noticed it only when she found whiteness everywhere. Whiteness? Indeed, the only ones that were left were the white wolves. As stated earlier, a few members of the Bi n were white while the rest of them were brown in color. They belonged to the Midnight Wolf n after all! Earlier, White and brown were mixed and for quite some time Siara had been looking at them due to which it had be quite normal, but then suddenly when 200 of the wolves of the Bi n vanished, the weird sensation resurfaced. Of course, it was the same with some other wolves - The elders. There were a total of nine elders in the n who were also having this weird feeling but they failed to describe what it was. It was only after seeing Siara panic that they realized what had happened. "The wolves of the Bi n..." "Where are they!?", Siara raised her voice and asked that. Indeed, her intuition was saying that something was wrong but it was only after seeing the mes covering them did she realize what had happened. The Bi n consisted of around 900-1000 wolves out of which the majority were already outside of the n even before Kira and the gang had arrived. When Kira questioned about this earlier, Aaron just said that the members were present in the main area of the terrain which was a bit interior to the outer area. Kira was convinced by that but Siara wasn''t. Well, she too heard that but on seeing that Kira epted whatever Aaron said, she refrained herself, from questioning after all her authority was lower than that of Kira''s and Aaron''s! Needless to say, that memory clicked in her mind right now. She almost immediately ran towards the west of where she was standing only to arrive at the main area. Of course, she found many wolves there, and indeed, all of them belonged to the Bi n, unfortunately, they were dead. Yes, all the wolves whom Siara had found were dead. It was pretty evident that they were covered with some ck markings which were actually ''Curse'', but Siara was unaware of that. She was puzzled after seeing this. Many thoughts crossed her mind however she couldn''t stick to one. But now she was aware of the reason why most of the wolves of the Bi n stayed in the frontal area. ''I asked myself the reason for which we stayed only in the outside area just yesterday...'' ''Looks like I finally found an answer to it...'' The wolves who belong to the group of seven followed Siara and found the ce. They were baffled but it too just like Siara. They wanted to inquire about the ce when suddenly a series of massive howling was heard. ''Aoooooo'' ''Aoooooo'' They howled twice with all their might and the sound reached Siara and the rest of them. They rushed towards the front area only to find fire engulfing the entire area. "What is happening?", Siara saw many of the wolves die. She was shocked by the scene. The mes that rose to the sky were too intense. The heat was way too high to even approach the area. Her fur was literally catching fire just by approaching it. It was the same or others too. "Oh no!" ''My baby...'' "She-", Siara suddenly recalled that she had left Ae on the top of the cliff. She almost immediately raised her head only to find that the fire hadn''t reached the cliff. They were still too low due to which she thought about running and saving her, but she had no idea how to do that. The reason was simple, she could see all the wolves practically getting burnt down. "Your majesty!" "Save us!" "Please save us!" "Ahhh!" Their bodies were melting down. They could hardly get out of the ce. The reason for that was quite simple too, there was a barrier that covered the entire ce. The barrier had a lot of magic circles that caused the fire! Had she been in the same area, she would have been captured inside the barrier too. ''No, what do I do?'' ''How can I save them?'', those were the only questions in her mind. Right now her mind wasn''t functioning properly. She could hear their cries of agony which were piercing her heart! "Where is His Highness?" "And Sir Aaron?" "What about master Shin?", she kept on asking herself those questions loudly while expecting an answer but unfortunately no one answered that. "I can''t take this anymore!" "I have to do something!" She took a deep breath and then red at the barrier from which mes were emitting constantly. "There is only one way to stop that barrier from emitting any more mes..." p "Your highness..." "You can''t possibly be thinking to..." Siara opened her mouth widely. Air started umting between her two jaws. They were practically forming a sphere. Her eyes were shining with greenish-blue light while a white magic circle formed around her. "Her highness is using the Wind Spirit Magic..." "She would be unconscious for days if she were to use that magic..." "She is actually leaving her life on us...", the members discussed amongst them and waited for Siara to finally st off the barrier. ''Rawrrrrr'' ''Bzdrrrr'' "..." ''Boom'' The barrier literally broke with just one shot of arge sphere that was three times bigger than Siara. Of course, it was made by wind due to which it kept getting bigger before hitting the barrier. Siara lived up to their expectations. In any case, her MP was nearly zero and she hardly had any stamina left. "Save..." "Them..." That was all that she said before fainting. The wolves did as they were asked to do and saved others. Each of them had a special ability which was granted by Siara to them after all Siara had named them! It was indeed, the same skill which Ae had too - ''Protection Of The Wind''. A skill of that caliber took effect and all of them were protected from the mes that hadn''t extinguished yet. Of course, how could one of the strongest mes - The Undying mes - extinguish? Oh well, all the remaining were saved and dragged away along with Siara. Unfortunately, they never came to know about Ae thus left her on the cliff. Also, a very few wolves were unconscious but thinking that they were dead, the wolves left them behind too. And that was how 413 wolves from the White wolf n survived and escaped from the mes! To be continued... Chapter 69 Lurions First Appearance The Ravon that Kira had summoned had been following Aaron all this time. It was true that Aaron was quite a fast runner, but by no means was he faster than the summoned Ravon''s flight. Of course, Ravon prevented itself from being detected by Aaron. Also, the Ravon was quite careful in following because it couldn''t possibly forget about informing Kira! Well, the Ravon maintained an equal distance between Kir and Aaron. It didn''t miss Aaron because it had exceptional eyesight which was called ''Eyesight of the Dark Ravon''. ''Just how far has Aaron gone to?'' Kira was worried even now, in fact, his worries didn''t cease. But there was something else that he was worried about at the same time. ''I hope nothing wrong would happen while I''m not around...'' ,m ''I guess Siara would take care of them...'' That was what Kira was thinking. He trusted Siara to take care of anything so he had nothing to worry about. But little did he know about the little but terrifying trap that wasid in front of all of them! It took around an hour for Aaron to reach where he had nned to go from the start however for Kira, it took ten more minutes. Indeed, Kira was slow whenpared to Aaron if it were in terms of a long run, but he was pretty much one of the fastest runners in the forest. Also, he had long and strong legs with almost never-ending stamina thanks to which he was able to run continuously. ''Alright, I''m almost there...'' "..." "Huh?" Kira was running with all his might when suddenly he lost contact with the Ravon. Of course, he was detecting Ravon''s presence and was using it to follow Aaron, but just when he thought that he had arrived at the right ce, he could no longer contact the Ravon. "What just happened?" He was confused indeed. The power of darkness wasn''t to be underestimated, since Ravon was a dark summon, it could essentially be indefinitely strong as long as it lived in a dark area. Since it had been flying and hiding in the shadows of the trees which were rather dark, it was able to gain and conserve arge amount of strength so it was wild to think that the Ravon had died. Kira could still feel the little connection between the Ravon and himself but he had no idea where it exactly was so he waspletely sure that it was alive but something had definitely happened to it! He was about to summon another dark creature to find the Ravon when suddenly he could feel an intense amount of blood lust. "Wha-" "Who?" "Who is it?" "Show yourself!", Kira raised his voice. Suddenly he felt the blood lust getting closer. He could sense that the bloodlust from his back. He almost immediately turned back and opened his mouth as if he was going to attack when he found that the one behind him was Aaron. He almost immediately refrained fromunching the attack because it was Aaron after all. He would never want to kill his own brother, not blood rted, but still, Aaron was a brother by the Oath so he decided to stop the preparation of the attack. But to his surprise, Aaron just tackled Kira without hesitation. Kira was pushed back however the attack didn''t have much of an effect on him. Kira was quiterge in size,rger than Aaron so the attack didn''t have any more effect other than pushing him back. At first, Kira was startled after getting hit by Aaron but then he thought that Aaron might have ended up attacking him by mistake. ''The momentum of his jump might have led him to dash me...'', that was all that Kira thought off. He could never imagine that Aaron had attacked him purposefully while beingpletely in control of the attack. "Aaron, are you alright?", Kira asked. It was supposed to be Aaron to ask the question but oh well, why would an enemy ask such a thing? Aaron rushed towards Kira once again with his fangs poised towards him. In the blink of an eye, a part of the fang grazes Kira. Indeed, Kira dodged it but notpletely. "Aaron?", he was confused. For a moment he thought that Aaron was joking however he realized that Aaron was actually aiming for his life the moment he felt the same bloodlust as earlier being emitted from Aaron! "Fool, do you really think that I wouldn''t attack you?", right after saying that Aaron rushed towards Kira again. But Kira was no pushover, he was strong and his strength hade through hard work and no shortcuts. Thus he trusted his strength more than anything and moved his right forelimb with all his might. ''Bam'' Aaron''s head was mmed into the ground. There was a huge crack right where he was mmed. "You forced me to do this Aaron...", Kira was still thinking if something was wrong with Aaron. For a moment he thought that Aaron was being controlled but that too didn''t seem to be the case. He concluded in such a manner because he had a great sense for detecting spells but there seemed to be nothing of that sort that could control Aaron. "Well well, you are indeed as strong as all the beasts of the forest tell...", while saying this another wolf appeared in front of him. It was a bit far away, around ten to twenty meters, but its presence and aura could be felt all the way. But the only thing that was visible was the shadow of the wolf that had appeared. It would be appropriate to say that the wolf had blended itself with the shadow of a tree because of which it wasn''t clearly visible. However, as soon as it walked forward, Kira was finally able to look at it. He almost immediately figured out who the wolf was. Well, he did call its name while trembling, "Lurion?" "..." To be continued... Chapter 70 Disadvantage Lurion was standing right in front of him. He was as big as Kira. Moreover, while in contrast to Kira, it was ck in color. Though Kira owned the attribute of darkness, he was still white. However, Lurion had ck fur. "You sure are strong aren''t you Kira?", Lurion asked in a dominant tone. A thing to note was the Lurion was able to call out the name ''Kira''. Without a doubt that meant that Lurion was stronger or had higher authority whenpared to Kira. *gulp* While he was distracted, Aaron twisted his body and kicked Kira. Due to that Kira was pushed back again thanks to which Aaron was now free to move again. Aaron used the opportunity and ran far away from Kira. "Aaron..." "What the heck is going on?" "Why are you attacking me?", Kira still didn''t have answers to these questions. Due to that he was confused and wanted to know the reasons for the attack. Also, he was surprised to see Aaron walking towards Lurion without any fear. It was almost as if Lurion was his brother and Kira wasn''t. "There is no use in telling you about that stuff...", Lurion said. "All you need to know that you are about to be killed!", right after saying that Lurion dashed towards him with the sharpened fangs. It was as if he wanted to bite Kira to death. Kira understood that so he backed off too in order to protect himself. However, even after stepping back, Lurion''s fang grazed him just like Aaron''s did earlier. He was in fact surprised by Lurion''s speed. "Damn you!" Kira''s eyes started to glow with a reddish light. All of a sudden, a ck smoke-like substance engulfed him. It was his aura that he was emitting. ? It was so strong and dominant that it made all the birds and other weak beasts flee from the surrounding areas. "You both want to kill me?", Kira asked in a raised voice. He wasn''t trying to confirm it. He had already understood that from the attacks that were being aimed at his vitals. "It will be me who will kill you!" Kira knew, he definitely knew that he would fail to defeat all the Celestials and the Dragon which Lurion had, however, Lurion hadn''t summoned them yet. So he felt like he still had a chance. Because of that, he rushed towards Lurion to attack him after raising his power to the fullest. He was emitting arge amount of bloodlust freely and openly as if he didn''t care for anyone. His attacks were all over the ce, though he still aimed for vitals too. However, not even a single attacknded on Lurion. He was fast enough to dodge every attack. Kira aimed at Aaron too who was in his sight. "Aaron!", a ck sphere formed in his mouth and was fired towards Aaron. ''Boom'' A huge cloud of dust appeared which prevented Kira from looking at Aaron. Kira used the perfect perception skill which he had and was able to detect Aaron through the cloud of dust. ''The attack missed?'', Kira asked himself because he spotted Aaron in mid-air. However soon he realized that Aaron''s left hindlimb was injured. It was now bleeding constantly. The injury urred due to the shards of earth that were sted away due to Kira''s attack. Kira didn''t have time to enjoy the view or attack Aaron again because Lurion was also attacking continuously with sharp ws. Kira had to avoid them because he couldn''t afford to get hurt right now! However, he failed to defend himself and ended up getting hurt. A huge w mark appeared on his chest. Kira was bleeding because of that. But, he was not hurt for naught! He was hurt because he disregarded the defense and put all his attention to the offense and attacked Lurion with all his might. Thanks to that, Lurion had a huge w-like mark on his face which started from the forehead and ended up till the upper jaw while passing through the left eye. *cough* Arge amount of blood was coughed up by Kira after the lethal attack but he didn''t mind that. Right now all he wanted was to kill Lurion before he could use his summons. "You..." "You bastard!", Lurion raised his voice. His voice was loud enough to cause the entire forest tremor. He was engulfed in his own rage after witnessing the attack from Kira. "I will kill you!", right after saying that Lurion rushed to attack Kira, but yet again, the attack failed tond. Kira swiftly got up and dodged the attack by jumping to the left while Lurion rushed straight with his w. ''Why isn''t he using his summons?'' ''Were the things about his summon a lie?'', now Kira started to wonder about that. However Kira knew one thing, Lurion wasn''t to be underestimated. Even without his summons, he was pretty powerful. That was why Kira was worried about his summons because if he were to summon them, his strength will know no bounds. "Hyaa!", Kira dashed forward and sessfully bared his fanged in Lurion''s right hindlimb. *ssh* Arge amount of blood gushed out. Lurion was freed from the bite but the bleeding didn''t stop. Kira thought that he now had a chance to end Lurion for good. Since Lurion''s leg was injured, he couldn''t run at the top speed anymore due to which Kira could finish him off with just one another attack. Because of that he took a long stance and jumped while trying to swing therge right forelimb in order to behead Lurion. ''Bam'' Just before his limb reached Lurion, a fire sphere suddenly appeared in front of him and sted him away. *cough* He coughed up more blood, The bleeding from his chest region increased too. *tap tap* Up until now, he thought that he had an upper hand but little did he know that he was at a disadvantage from the start. It became evident when three more wolves appeared in front of him. To be continued... Chapter 71 The Dark Devourer Three more wolves appeared out of nowhere. They walked towards Lurion and stood right next to him while ring at Kira. Aaron too walked towards them and joined the line. He was limping a bit but it was fine. He could walk somehow. "What just happened...?", Kira shook his head and then lifted his head only to find five wolves standing in front of him. "Huh?" "What are you all doing here?", Kira asked. But there was no reply. He was confused and for some reason, he started to remble. Of course, that was because of therge wolf that was standing alongside the others. It was twice as big as Kira. "Tell me..." "What are you doing here..." "Brothers?", he asked. Other than Lurion, there stood four more wolves who were Kira''s brothers. Other than Aaron, the three others were also his brothers. Kira wasn''t sure what was going on anymore. Al he could do is ask them directly and he did that for which there was no reply. Well, they did start speaking after hearing which, Kira felt betrayed. "Haha, I told you right?" "No wolf can win against Kira in a one-on-one fight...", said thergest wolf that stood among the five. "Tsk, you were right...", Lurion epted that. "Haha, so you finally admit it!", the big wolf said that. "Yes, I havepletely failed in defeating him without my summons..." Lurion replied with a dead-serious tone but that didn''t mean anything. He was quite furious because he failed to kill Kira before they arrived. "In any case, I am helping you so don''t forget about the deal!", Lurion replied. "Haha, don''t worry, we will keep our promise.", right after saying that, all wolves other than Lurion started walking towards Kira. "Do you know how long we had to wait in order to kill you?", asked one of the wolves. Of course, Kira could clearly see who was speaking and was able to hear what they were saying. A wolf covered with mes walked towards Kira first and was closest to him. He opened his mouth and fired a sphere of fire. ''Boom'' It was the same attack that had sted Kira away and now too the same happened. Kira, who was already injured, failed to dodge that. "Hmm, looks like that wasn''t enough to kill you either...", the wolf said. He had orange fur all over his body. His eyes were shining with red light. He was a bit smaller than Kira but his firepower wasn''t to be underestimated. Next, another wolf came forward. It had green fur. It opened his mouth and fired a sphere that was made up of wind. It was somewhat simr to what Siara had used but had a lot more power! ''Boom'' The attack made direct contact with Kira''s body just like the previous attack and blew him away. He ended up dashing a tree causing a huge crack on the tree''s bark. Not only that, Kira could feel that his own bones of the abdomen were shattered because of the attack since it hit his abdomen. *cough* Blood? Yes, he continuously spat blood seconds after second. His body was already past its limit, he could barely hold his life. Then Aaron, the brown wolf, walked as slowly as he could and bit Kira''s abdomen with all his might while tearing a leg amount of flesh from his body. ''Aoooo'' Kira howled, the howl was definitely filled with pain and agony. And finally, thergest of all the wolves walked towards Kira. He was sorge and heavy that every step that he took, caused the ground to shake a bit. Of course, his paw marks were being engraved on thend. The wolf had greyish fur with purple shining markings all over the body. One could clearly see the color and tell the attribute which the wolf had. "F..." "First brother?", Kira mumbled. A pool of blood had already been formed around him right after Aaron had torn arge amount of flesh from his abdomen. It was a miracle that he was still alive. Arge number of clouds gathered in the clear sky and thunder started to emerge from them. The lightning stroke Kira. "Argh!" Each and every cell of Kira''s body felt the shock. It was so painful that Kira wanted to die almost immediately but for some reason, he was still hanging on. Perhaps because of his nmates, or maybe because of something which he had left undone. Kira was somewhat roasted because of the lightning! Some of the blood from the pool had evaporated because of the intense lightning but thanks to Kira''s sturdy body he was still alive somehow. "Would you look at that?" "He is alive even after my ''Descending Lightning'', he is the first to live after facing that...", the purple wolf said that with a smirk. "It''s a pity that you will die today..." "It''s necessary for you to die today, we can''t allow you to mess up with the n Wars likest time..." Right after that all five of them, including Lurion, attacked Kira from all sides after surrounding him. Could he have ever imagined this happening? Everything around him had be slow as if time had stopped. He was heavily injured and didn''t have any more power left to even lift his own body! Needless to say, he had already closed his eyes and had epted his death. However, that didn''t mean that he would die in vain. He was Kira after all, named by the great God of Death! ''Ultimate move...'' ''Dark Devourer...'' That was his final move and perhaps the strongest attack he had even unleashed. All the wolves had already jumped to attack him and just as they were about tond the attack on him, a dark cloud appeared and started to spread in all directions! "Wha-" "What the heck is this!?", all the wolves shouted in unison while getting devoured in the attack. To be continued... Chapter 72 A Promise And that was the end of everything that Ae said to Shin. Indeed, she didn''t see or hear everything that actually happened, but she was somehow able to rte to them. All she said was how the terrain was set to fire, she had no idea about what had happened to Kira or Siara. Nor she had any idea about what had happened to Aaron. She didn''t even mention that Aaron was the one who betrayed them, but it was quite evident when she mentioned the vanishing of all the wolves from the Bi n. Also, she had mentioned the magic circle that caused the havoc. The barrier was also mentioned by her. Shin was easily able to deduct that this was all a trap or some sort of evil plot. But he had no idea why someone would do that, so when he thought for some time, he finally realized that this was all a setup made to eradicated Kira and his n perhaps! ''I don''t know the exact reason but it seems like this is rted to the n wars in some or the other way...'', that was what Shin deducted from whatever Ae said. In any case, he had to survive now with Ae, and look forward to the future, at least that''s what he thought earlier. But when he saw tears flowing down Ae''s eyes, he had to think otherwise. "What happened Ae?" "Why..." "Why are you crying?", he asked. "..." "I... I don''t know...", tears just kept flowing down her eyes. Shin was confused by that and so was Ae but perhaps Shin had already guessed the reason for that. ''Is it because her parents are no more?'', Shin asked himself. Well, he was right. Ae was indeed crying because of the sudden loneliness that she started to feel. All this time she had been with Siara and Kira. No matter how small she was, she felt the love from them. Also, there were tons of wolves to keep herpany. Many even gave their blessings when she was born. The wolves used to chat a lot due to which it was never too quiet in the White wolf n. She missed all of them but more than that she missed Siara and Kira. ''But I still doubt that Kira is dead...'' ''I guess he might have survived after all he was pretty strong!'' "..." ''What about Siara? She should have survived too right?'', he kept asking himself since Ae had no idea about them, to begin with. Now Shin was also sad after seeing Ae shed tears. He walked towards her and licked her tears away. ''Yikes, it''s salty!'', he said to himself. Of course, it would be salty, what else did he expect? "Don''t cry, you need to be strong." Though he believed that Kira and Siara were fine, it was a fact that they were missing so he couldn''tpletely confirm that they were alive! That was why he couldn''t even reassure Ae that they were fine. "I will avenge them...", it automatically came out of his mouth. Ae heard that and stopped crying but her heart was still in pain. A weird pain it was because she herself couldn''t describe it. In any case, even if she couldn''t remember thempletely, she could still recall the feeling of love and probably that was the source of pain. But that didn''t mean that she would forget the feeling of love in order to avoid pain! That was probably why Shin said that. Without a doubt, it reduced her pain but it never vanished. "Yes...", that was all she said as she leaned on him. Shin didn''t move from his ce and allowed her to lean while thinking something. After that, both of them moved away from the ce and decided to explore the forest. Of course, they promised themselves to get stronger as time passed but that didn''t mean that they would put themselves in danger! . . . Days passed one by one and within a blink of an eye, a year had already passed away! Somewhere in the middle parts of the great forest of Thuren, the fourthrgest forest in the world... Both of them had grown in size too, but Ae had a much greater growth rate whenpared to Shin. Shin was now the same size as Ae from the past when she had just evolved, whereas Ae was half the size of any normal wolf. Both Ae and Shin were in a cave while trying to shelter themselves from the rain. They literally raced each other to reach the cave earlier and of course, Ae won it. "Hehe, I''m much faster than you, don''t you agree Master Shin?", Ae asked. "Sigh, indeed you are, now quit bragging about it ande closer, or else you will get cold!". Ae obeyed him and got closer to him. Ae''s fur was quite wet since she had run in the rain. It was the same for Shin too, however, it took no time for him to dry himself! However, Ae liked cold things, especially rain, well somewhat like Shin! It was not as if SHin had started to dislike cold things, it''s just that he started to avoid cold things in order to prevent Ae from getting sick. Perhaps, he had started to see her like a family member for whom he was ready to go to any extent. Thanks to his human-like mentality, he thought that Ae would end up getting sick which was quite contrasting since Wolves rarely or almost never get sick since they do not catch a cold! That didn''t mean that they were immune to everything! They would still suffer from tons of injuries and other problems! When Ae got close to Shin, she started to blush and her words started to stutter. In any case, she was quite ufortable when she got closer to Shin, probably because she was in love? She had been with him for over a year and had seen many things. She had seen his kindness and many other things thanks to which she was indeed in love. A wolf''s reproductive period lies from one year to three years, so it was normal for her to get attracted to Shin who seemed quite charming in her eyes. As for Shin, this attraction didn''t matter, at least not for now. ''She is indeed like her...'' ''Like my sister...'' Shin rubbed her wet body so as to dry her by taking water from her fur to his own fur and then drying it by twisting his body or using leaves. They were having pretty normal lives till now. Hunting, ying, eating, ying, hunting again and sleeping, it was a part of their lives. Ae had almost forgotten about the pain of losing Kira and Siara, however, Shin had never once forgotten about the promise that he had made that day. ''Am I strong enough?'' ''I guess not...'' ''Just a bit more I guess...'' ''I will be the strongest wolf, take revenge for Kira and Siara, and unite all the ns!'' ''That way the n Wars will be stopped!'' [ Level: 71 || Max. level: 80 ] "..." To be continued... '' Chapter 73 Growth In The Past Year [ Profile ] Name: Shin Sex: Male Age: 1 year Weight: 9.1 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Highlord Wolf ] Rank: A || Max. rank: ??? Level: 71 || Max. level: 80 HP: 800/800 || Max. HP: ??? MP: 490/500 || Max. MP: ??? Exp: 5859 || Max. Exp: 9999 Atk: 280 || Max. Atk: ??? Def: 250 || Max. Def: ??? Speed: 540 || Max. Speed: ??? Int: 95 || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Bite Lv.8 2] Dash Lv.9 3] Copy Lv.4 4] Heal Lv.6 5] Transformation Lv.3 6] me Wave Lv.2 7] Dark Maniption Lv.2 8] All Seeing Eye Lv.6 9] Aura Control Lv.8 10] Dragon''s Roar Lv.1 11] Dragon''s Aura Lv.2 12] Hymn Of The Dragons'' Lv.??? 13] Total Curse Immunity Lv. Max 14] Curse Eraser Lv.3 15] HP Eater Lv.2 16] Wind Run Lv.5 17] Aero sh Lv.4 18] Dispel Lv.3 19] Hurricane Lv.1 20] Winter Breeze Lv.1 21] Wind Maniption Lv.1 22] God Wind Lv.??? [ Passive Skills ] 1] Cold Resistance Lv.9 2] Heat Resistance Lv.9 3]Shock Resistance Lv.6 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.2 7] Language Trantion Lv.3 8] Poison Resistance Lv.3 9] Poison Destroyer Lv.4 10] Protector Lv.1 11] Pain Nullification Lv.1 12] Fire Resistance Lv.1 13] Mindcraft Resistance Lv.3 14] Gift Lv.??? 15] Ultimate Growth Lv.??? ''This past one year I''ve trained a lot...'' ''There were times when I had to leave Ae alone for a day or two...'' ''I''ve hunted countless beasts however I am not strong enough to take care of the n Masters...'', Shin thought while looking at his profile. ''This is the third forest that we''ve visited since then...'' ''Soon, we will go to the forest of Runo, the forest where the n War will ur...'' The n War was postponed when all the ns were informed of Kira''s death due to which it was decided to be held after another 12 months! It had to ur six months earlier, but then the elders of all the ns decided to postpone it to another twelve months after six months! So basically, a total of 18 months'' time was given to grow stronger for everyone. Shin had used a time of one year to reach where he was right now, but he still hadn''t made any n or anything. Basically, he had never once met any wolf other than Ae in the past year. That was the same for Ae too. She too hadn''t met anyone other than Shin, maybe that''s why she was in love with him. ''Sigh, I have kept my aura under control...'' ''Thankfully Ae hasn''t noticed how strong I''ve be...'' However it was true, he had grown way too strong in just a year! It was indeed something since Shin was able to rise from Warrior wolf to a Highlord wolf! ''Maybe such a boost in growth of stats was possible because of that passive skill...'' ''The Ultimate Growth...'' ,m He guessed it right, his rapid and insane growth was thanks to the passive skill which he had received three months earlier! In any case, he was shocked not because of his own growth, he was shocked because of Ae''s growth. Although she wasn''t as high leveled as Shin and wasn''t such high ranked, her speed and MP were higher than Shin which was the most surprising thing. [ Profile ] Name: Ae Sex: Female Age: 1 year Weight: 10 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Wolf Lord ] Rank: B || Max. rank: ??? Level: 53 || Max. level: 65 HP: 690/690 || Max. HP: 750 MP: 310/330 || Max. MP: 400 Exp: 3591 || Max. Exp: 4999 Atk: 250 || Max. Atk: 268 Def: 212 || Max. Def: 230 Speed: 545 || Max. Speed: 600 Int: 68 || Max. Int: 80 [ Skills ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Wind Run Lv.5 -> Uses the power of the wind to increase the speed by 60% -> Can be used for 00:00:05:00 ( 5 minutes ) -> Cool Down Timer: 00:01:00:00 ( 1 hour ) 2] Aero sh Lv.8 -> A piercing sh of wind emerging from the sharp ws/nails in the paw. -> Gives critical damage if the target is twice the level of the user. -> multiplies damage by 5 if the target is 30 levels higher than the user. 3] Hurricane Lv.3 -> Forms heavy and strong winds causing cyclones. -> Area of impact: 300 meters -> Deals double the damage to foes with five levels higher than the user. 4] Winter Breeze Lv.2 -> Summons cold and chilly winds from ces experiencing winter. -> Decreases temperature and creates a mini-territory of 200-meter radius to give territorial advantage [ Passive Skills ] 1] Protection Of Wind Lv.??? -> A blessing of the Wind Goddess disguised as a skill providing protection -> Activates if hostility detected 2] Wind Creator Lv.3 -> Able to form or generate winds with 50% extra efficiency 3] Summoner Of Winds Lv.2 -> Able to summon winds from different locations with ease. [ Title ] 1] The First Vessel Of Shin -> The first vessel of Ruler of the Swamps, Shin. -> Provides 10% boost in all stats. -> Gives 50% boost in swampy areas. -> Can use the skill ''Heal'' when the HP drops to 20% to heal itself. 2] Runner -> Provides 200% increase in speed stat when faced against a target with a higher level than user for 200 seconds 3] Wind Guardian ->??? ''Indeed, learning a new skill is quite difficult...'' ''I learned that after seeing how few skills Ae gained in the past year...'' ''I wonder if I am different...'' Shin waspletely right, no one could gain skills just by exposing themselves to abnormality! He learned this after looking at Ae. Needless to say, growth rates vary. Even if he was special, he could see the monstrous growth which Ae had showed. She was already at a level where she could defeat Siara with ease, but oh well, her rank was low without a doubt. Of course, whenpared to other wolves, Ae would be considered abnormal or a genius! ''The past year was indeed hard...'' While Shin wondered about that and thought about the future events, some dangerous ones had already snuck to the forest where they resided. Needless to say, Shin wasn''t aware of the danger that was kept in store for him and Ae! "..." To be continued... Chapter 74 The Humans From Levonia While Shin was busy ying with Ae, some dangerous creatures had snuck into the forest. Of course, right now they were in the forest Thuren where arge number of strong beasts resided. Needless to say, the danger was everywhere. But something far more dangerous than wild animals or beasts could be humans, sometimes that is. And probably that time was now. Arge number of humans had entered the forest. They were probably looking for something or someone. "Sir Balton, thirty soldiers have entered the forest so far...", a man riding a typical brown horse and wearing armor that looked like steel said this loudly. Of course, he was addressing to General Balton, who was present there riding a bigger horse. He too wore armor but it was quite bigger than others. Well, that was obvious because he was quiterge whenpared to normal humans. That was why he roderger and stronger horses. In this world where many mythical beasts reside, normal animals are also present. Some use them as pets while others use them for other necessary works. Needless to say, humans showed no mercy towards the ones who were tasked to perform works. "Good...", Balton nodded his head after hearing that. "But Sir Balton, are you really sure about trusting that psychopath?", the man asked. "Wendy! Mind your words!" "The one whom you are calling as a psychopath is the one and only Sage of our empire who has reached High-Sage Rank!", Balton raises his voice and said this. "I..." "I am aware of that Sir, but everyone knows that he is weird..." "No one understands most of his words..." "Also, his behavior is like that of a drunkard." "Should we really trust what he says?", Wendy asked. He wasn''tpletely wrong, the so-called High-sage about whom they were talking was one of the strongest Sages in the world! Of course, he was the only sage in the Empire of Levonia. The General, Balton, and his right-hand man, Wendy, both belonged to the said empire. "Hmm, even I doubt what he said...", Balton said in a low voice. He didn''t want the soldiers to hear this and get distracted, but what he thought was necessary too. He wanted to discuss it with Wendy since Wendy was quite clever, much cleverer than most of the soldiers! He and Wendy moved towards one side and started to discuss that. "Yes Sir, what is said waspletely ridiculous!", Wendy started the discussion after arrived at a corner or a different spot. "Hmm..." "Indeed..." "For a moment I did take him seriously but whatever he said could only be a prank and nothing else!", was what Balton said. "After all, how can there exist a monster that can pose danger to humanity itself?", said Wendy sarcastically as if he was making fun of the Great Sage. "Haha." "That old man Kelton might have finally be crazy..." "Not that he wasn''t crazy before, haha.", Balton said this andughed at his own joke and so did Wendy. Kelton seemed to be the name of the High-Sage whose words they had been ridiculing. "Haha." "He said that the one being who can destroy the entire of humanity exists in the forest of Thuren..." "Don''t anger him, if he were to be angered, then his rage would end up swallowing the whole world along with humanity!" "Haha, what bullshit was he saying?", Wendyughed constantly while ridiculing him. He was clever indeed, but his arrogance and pretty useless attitude has wasted the intelligence. He was pretty easygoing right now. The General who was only great at strength was also going along his jokes and ridicule. "Haha, indeed. He was acting as if he could see the future. But if you think about it, wouldn''t it be quite ridiculous?", Wendy said again and Baltonughed along with Wendy. Why were theyughing over something like this? Was there absolutely no possibility that there existed a beast that could possess danger to the entire humanity? Well, many such beasts existed but were never heard of. Also, now that the Sage said about that, the men became curious due to which they thought about messing up with the forest where the Sage has forbidden from entering. What they thought that the Celestials existed to protect each race from extinction probably from such beasts! That was why they were the least bit scared and saw it as some sort of joke. In any case, they were thinking of Sage''s words as dirt, but little did they know that the Sage was indeed capable of seeing a glimpse of the future ording to which, what he had said was indeed true. It wasn''t clear if the one that was being mentioned was Shin or some other monster, but it was true. The one being that could end the entire humanity or even engulf the entire world resided in the forest. And it was these foolish humans who went inside the forest to mess up and check if the words held even a little bit of truth or not! "But Sir Balton, was it really necessary to bring a thousand soldiers with us just to check the validity of his statement?", Wendy asked. "..." Balton didn''t reply to what he asked. In fact, he just looked at him with a weird gaze. "Sir?", Wendy was confused because of this and called out to him again. "Aren''t you smart? Can''t you tell by yourself?", Balton asked. It seemed like he was not a pushover, or probably he was acting like a superior right now. For him, probably the fun time was over now. Wendy was speechless after hearing it. Well, he was indeed smart so he tried to think about it when suddenly he heard some weird noises from the forest. He turned his head towards the forest. Right after that, his eyes widened as if he figured it out. "I get it now..." "This forest contains many more dangerous beasts..." "You brought them in order to act as meat shield right?", Wendy asked. "..." "Yes...", and one heck of a scary smile was seen on Balton''s face. To be continued... Chapter 75 The Land Of Lost Ones - Part 1 It was as if he was showing his evil side. Indeed, he has brought the soldiers only to protect themselves. If anything were to happen, they would toss the soldiers and use them as pawns because they were expendable! Also, Wendy had a simr idea. He had thought about bringing soldiers for that very reason but on seeing Balton actually doing that, he was rather thrilled as if he had made a partner in crime. "Alright then, let''s enter the forest!", Balton announced afterughing and smirking for a while. He basically wanted to hunt some beasts too and bring them back as some sort of gift. Of course, that would raise his status and that was specifically what he wanted to do. Many of the soldiers mounted on the horses while others walked on foot. They surrounded Balton and Wendy and walked in the same Circle formation. If any Beast were to attack, that would first be dealt by the soldiers and they were indeed doing the same. Many small-sized beasts were being taken care of by them which Balton didn''t even care about. Of course, his aim was in Hunting a bigger beast, but more than that, he had another n in his mind. ''What if I use the prophecy or whatever the old man said to my advantage?'', he asked himself. This idea struck him when he entered the forest. It was indeed, some idea that could earn him endless fame. What he nned to do was kill the so-called imaginary beast that the Sage has talked about and spread the rumor, that was the entire empire would acknowledge his might. In such a manner, it wouldn''t take him much longer to be a Grand General! Of course, he was thinking of a way to somehow spread the rumor by killing such a beast. ''What if I kill some random beast and showcase it saying that it was the mentioned beast?'', that was indeed a good idea too. Since no one had seen the said beast, they wouldn''t be able to raise suspicion. And even if they did, it would end soon since there would be no proof. Regardless, he was thinking cleverly for the first time in his life, Well, it was for his self-interest after all so it wasn''t much of a thing to brag about. ''ZZDZ'' Suddenly many of the bushes started shaking vigorously. All the soldiers were shocked by that. They pointed their swords towards the bushes. Balton was also startled and so was Wendy. Up until now, it waspletely quiet as if it was the silence before the storm. That was why Wendy was a bit more cautious and now when suddenly the bushes started to move, he was caught off-guard. "What''s going on?", Wendy asked after flinching. All of them were confused but then all of a sudden the bushes stopped shaking. "Huh? They stopped?", Wendy was confused even more now. "Probably wind...?", said one of the soldiers. Others nodded their heads after hearing that but Wendy and Balton weren''t convinced with that. They werepletely sure that something wasn''t right here. Wendy knew it thanks to his intuition and clever thinking whereas Balton knew it thanks to his instincts of a fighter! Regardless, they continued to walk and soon twenty minutes were passed by. They thought that they were walking along a safe path, but little did they know that they were entering one of thergest and dangerous zones of the fourthrgest forest - The Land Of Lost Ones! They had already reached that ce but none of them had any idea. They continued to walk. ? Balton didn''t want to go any further since all he concerned about was finding arge and easy prey so that he would be able to kill it easily and take it back. He thought about going for a bit more since he hadn''t found the beast he wanted. In reality, he hadn''t even found any beast that was bigger than a dog! All till now, only small dog-sized beasts had appeared, although of different attributes, they were far too weak and of course, no one would be convinced if those were taken back! That was why he asked them to keep moving. How we all of them stopped all of a sudden in Wendy''smands. "Everyone stop!", Wendy raised his voice and ordered. "Wendy? What happened?" "Why did you ask then to pause?", Balton asked. He was already furious because he wanted to end the tiresome journey but now Wendy stopped all of them from moving forward. "Something is not right..." "Didn''t we just pass through this area a while ago?", Wendy asked. "Huh?", Balton was puzzled when he heard that. "We passed through this area already?", he scratched his head a bit and then looked here and there. But there was nothing significant to notice. Therefore he couldn''t really make out if they had passed by this area. *gulp* But it seemed like Wendy was sure that they had passed from the area earlier. "You must have imagined if.", was what Balton said however Wendy didn''t agree to that. But now what could he do when no one was ready to believe him? Indeed, all he could do was prove them. Therefore he threw a spear which he had been holding all this time towards a tree. It pierced it easily. A soldier was about to go that was to get the spear back but Wendy shouted and asked him to refrain from getting the spear. All of them thought that Wendy was behaving strangely. Regardless, they move forward on Balton''smand. An hour passed and they still kept on moving when suddenly Wendy started to feel chills. Wendy was sweating profusely because when he looked towards his left, he found his own spear on the bark of the tree in the same manner as it had pierced through earlier! "Sir Balton, you wereughing earlier right?" "Would you care to exin about this?", he asked while pointing his index finger towards the spear. "..." Balton''s eyes were widely opened and it was the same for others too. *gulp* They all swallowed arge amount of dry saliva while hearing Wendy say, "I''m afraid to say but it seems like we have entered the Land Of Lost Ones!" "..." To be continued... Chapter 76 The Land Of Lost Ones - Part 2 The moment Wendy said that, all of them started to tremble. They definitely knew about the Land Of Lost Ones. There were many stories about that ce. The Land was somewhere in the forest, no one was able to navigate its exact location but they were able to make a simple estimation from the incidents of missing people. Even the beasts were scared to enter the area. No one had any idea about what that ce exactly was because no one was able to escape the ce after entering it. Needless to say, after experiencing the uncanny situations, Wendy was sure that the ce where they were was the samend that was told in stories. "What do we do now?" "We won''t be able to escape from here..." "No! I don''t want to die here..." "I have a family!" All the soldiers were quite scared after hearing that and started to say whatever came to their minds. Of course, Balton could hear that. Well, he was nervous too because he too had no idea about the exit. Also, he had no idea about the dangers of thend. ''I might have underestimated the forest a bit too much...'', was the thought that crossed his mind. Indeed, he thought that the only danger in the forest would be the beasts but it was only now that he realized that he waspletely wrong. Of course, he realized that there were tons of other ways due to which they could end up dying in the forest. Regardless, now he had to think of a way to escape from the area and for that, he kept on looking towards Wendy. All the soldiers were grumbling and were cursing themselves foring to the forest just to look at the so-called beast that was mentioned by the Sage. "Hmm..." "But something is weird...", Wendy said in a low voice. "Weird...?", Balton asked. Wendy had probably noticed something due to which he said that. "Hmm, Sir Balton, please follow me...", Wendy said in a low voice. "Did you find a way to get out of this ce?", Balton asked. "Not quite..." "I''m not sure if this will take to the exit, but I think this is the best route to take!", Wendy eximed. Wendy had a magic item with him. It was a weird item that had no function other than detecting magic. ''I was tricked by someone to buy this earlier...'' ''But who knew that this would be so useful?'', Wendy wondered. Wendy was by no means a genius but he was indeed smart. Sometimes it''s quite easy to trick a smart person and in a simr manner, Wendy was tricked by a salesperson. However, it seemed to be a good thing for him. The reason was simple, the forest had created thisnd by itself with the excess mana that was emitted on the death ofrge beasts. It was this very mana that was creating illusions. Basically, the excess mana was trying to replicate everything that it covered due to which tons of simr-looking trees and simr-looking paths in the forest were replicated. Those just looked simr when in reality they were different. Many beasts and humans had already died hereafter getting stuck for many days or even years. It was evident by the skulls and skeletons that were ced on the ground here and there. They found all those stuff after entering the deeper area. ''Maybe I''ll be the first person to get safely out of the Land Of the Lost Ones...'', was what Wendy thought. The magic item could detect the exact ces where the mana was densely condensed. Thanks to that he could easily pass through the illusions. ''I knew it...'' ''Something was weird about this area...'' ''It''spletely filled with dense mana causing illusions...'' It took them two hours finally after which they were indeed out of the dangerous area. However, they only noticed that when they finally sighted a beast! "A beast?", Balton looked at the soldiers and the beasts continuously. "Wait..." "Does that mean...", he almost immediately looked towards Wendy. ,m "Yes Sir Balton, we are out of the Land Of Lost Ones!", he said in a raised voice. "Yes!!!" "Yay!!!" "Long live Sir Wendy! Long live Sir Balton!", they started to cheer for them and wished them. It was because they were extremely happy about surviving the dangerous ce. Not only that, they were happy cause their names would go down the history as the first people to get out of the Land Of Lost Ones! But little did they know that they would never get a chance to get out of the forest! At least, not when they went and messed with Shin! A fun fact, Shin and Ae were resting near the Land Of Lost Ones! The reason was simple, Shin identified that ce as the safest. Despite the fact that it extended till the edge of the forest, it was rather safe since no beast would voluntarilye near such an area. The same was for humans so he rested near the area. Unfortunately, the humans who came out of the ce spotted a cave-like den which was originally created by Shin and Ae. Both of them used to spend the night there while trying to recover from the tiredness. Of course, they couldn''t possibly sleep anywhere they wanted since there were many beasts stronger than them roaming around the forest. As they went towards the center area, the stronger the beasts got therefore it was necessary for them to find a ce to stay. The humans discovered the small den. Well, it wasn''t that small, two humans could easily fit inside it simultaneously. "Sir, we''ve discovered a den...", said one of the soldiers who went to take a look at the surroundings. "A den?", Balton looked towards Wendy. "Yes, and we found some white fur inside the den which I assume belongs to a wolf.", was what the soldier said. "Interesting, a den near this area?" "What kind of beast stays there to be so powerful and fearless?", Wendy asked. Their thoughts were interesting indeed. Since they found some fur, they were pretty sure that it wasn''t an abandoned den. Also, Wendy was surprised to hear the existence of a den there. He wanted to make some remark about this when suddenly Balton spoke, "Could it be...?" "Could the den belong to the same monster that the Sage talked about?", Balton asked. The moment he did, all of them shut their mouths. Of course, Wendy and Balton didn''t believe such a story, at least not till now. After hearing them say about the cave and the fur, they started to think of whatever the Sage said was true. However, one point was to note that, the fur that was mentioned belonged to Wolf, which was confirmed by the soldiers. Probably it was because of the little paw marks that were present in the cave. ''The Land Of Lost Ones...'' ''It''s a ce where only the Dragons and Elves can enter and leave at will.'', Wendy thought about that. Dragons could easily detect the direction and source of mana and it was the same for elves. Of course, fairies could do the same. They were the race that could easily enter thend and leave, at least that''s what had happened once long ago. Though, they had to struggle a bit. The dragons, who could crush the celestials and rival Gods also had a hard time exiting the ce. This meant that even the Gods, who created the ce, would have to spend some energy while trying to escape. Everyone, almost all races feared such ces. There were many simr ces like this in the world and all those ces were feared. That was why Wendy kept on wondering about the so-called wolves that the soldiers spoke of. ''What kind of brave wolves could they be not to fear such a ce?'', he wondered. In any case, Balton got excited. Even now he disregarded the saying of Sage. ''No matter what it may be, if I''ll be able to hunt the beast that lived inside the cave, then my name will definitely be written in golden words in history!'' ''I would get tons of money and many women to y with!'' His thoughts were rotten just like him. All he cared for was himself. "Lead the way!", he said to the soldiers that had found the den. They did as they weremanded and took him to the spot. "So, this is that den?", Balton asked with his eyes wide opened. "Yes Sir.", the soldier nodded his head with absolute confidence. Wendy took a look at the den and said just one word, "Interesting..." The reason why he said that was pretty simple. The size of the den was quite small which meant that a small beast lived or at least visited that ce. Right after that, he looked at Balton only to find him grinning as if he was thinking the same. "Good..." "Now let''sy the trap and wait for the beast to arrive..." "Because as I can see, the paw marks are quite fresh as if it had not been long since the beast or rather the wolf left the ce..." "..." To be continued... Chapter 77 Aella Captured Balton asked his soldiers toy traps. He thought that he would soon catch the beast that visited the den. The soldiers obeyed him andid manys near and inside the den. Of course, those were no normals. They had special magic imbued in them. They would zap or give a paralytic shock to the beasts or monsters that would touch them. Needless to say, humans would also get shocked, therefore it was necessary to handle them with care. That was why a special glove-like apparatus was given to hold the without any problem. Those very gloves ensured that no one got paralyzed because of their own. The soldiers did exactly as they were ordered and ced thes. They themselves then hid near the cave. Some of them hid in the trees while others kept watching from a bit far away ce. Of course, they had binocrs like instruments that enabled them to look into a farther ce. Now all they had to do was wait for the beast to arrive. Shin and Ae had gone hunting. They had rested enough and now hunted beasts that were weaker or smaller than themselves. Of course, they could hunt bigger beasts easily, however they would fail to carry them due to which all the meat would go to waste since other monsters or beasts would end up getting attracted to the smell and would end up finishing the untaken parts. They waited for thirty minutes but there was no sign of any beast approaching the area. Needless to say, they were looking out for a wolf since that was what they had deducted from the fur. "Master, isn''t this enough for tonight?", was what Ae asked Shin. It was evening time, or even perhaps nighttime by now. Of course, the moon was visible in the sky but the sun hadn''t set. So it was basically a twilight. Shin was greedy, he wanted to taste tons of beasts. Of course, he hadn''t hunted all the beasts in the forest so he wanted to keep hunting. But Ae was worried about the dangers that came with the sunset. Therefore she wanted to return to the den as soon so possible. Well, she felt safe whenever she was around Shin so she didn''t have much to worry about, but she was cautious. Her thinking ability had been enhanced so this was to be expected! "Master, we should go home...", she kept saying that but Shin was looking for one more beast that he wanted to hunt and savor. Of course, he was not an idiot to ignore what Ae said. He too knew that he wasn''t invincible. Although he did grow strong, there were far stronger ones in the forest. However, he was forced to hunt and the reason was quite simple. [ Quest 96: Hunt A Teronaris ] [ Teronaris -> A type of spider beast with eight legs. Imbued with poison ] [ Quest Rank: B ] [ Time Left: 00:01:50:22 ( 1 hour 50 minutes 22 seconds ) ] [ Failure will result in a decrease in host''s level by 1 ] Shin didn''t want his level to drop. He had worked hard for each and everything so yes, he wanted to keep going forward. That was why he was searching for the beast, needless to say, the navigation was quite helpful. [ 0.5 miles to the west ] He kept going towards that area. Ae was quite irritated because Shin never once listened to her. Well, it was not his fault, he was now receiving daily quests that he had toplete every day! Of course, he had toplete them before the sunset! "Fine then, I will be going back!" "Come whenever you want! Hmph!", right after saying that Ae ran away using the skill Wind Run! Of course, that was not the way to speak with a master who saved one''s life. But she had gotten quite close to him and now perceived him as a lover. Well, it was indeed one-sided, but love was still love. Or perhaps it was affection. Whatever it may be, she looked at Shin in a different manner whenpared to how she looked at him a year ago. Nevertheless, she had already left the area and was not that far away from the den which she and Shin had discovered, modified, and perhaps created too. "Sigh, she became angry again..." That was all that Shin said. ''But, for some reason, my heart feels heavy...'' ''It''s beating faster than normal as if...'' ''As if I am going to lose something...'' Those were his thoughts which werepletely natural and genuine. He had no idea why he felt like that. Probably it was because he was closely attached to Ae and was used to seeing her every day and every time and since she was heading towards danger, he too could feel the sense of uneasiness. "Nah, I must be overthinking..." "It must be because I''m quite tired..." And there went his one and only chance to save Ae. Well, Ae wasn''t weak. However in front of humans, who are highly intelligent and have extreme tools and weapons, beasts as small as Ae could easily get killed. Although she was strong, she wasn''t ready to face the humans and their might. Well, she never met humans in the first ce. Ever since her birth, all she had seen were wolves. The only time when she saw other beasts were when the bears attacked their n and when she went on hunting with Shin. Until then she had no idea about what she was eating or what she was sleeping on! In any case, she herself hadn''t realized that she was heading towards death doors. It was a pretty bad idea to leave Shin''s side because even if Shin were to face a strong monster, he would be able to escape it with ease thanks to his sharp intellect. She indeed regretted the decision of being separated from Shin the moment she fell into their trap! ''Aoooooooo'' She howled. The electric shock that zapped her almost made her lose consciousness. She was barely hanging. ''What...'' ''What just happened?'', she asked herself. Because of the Wind run, she arrived at the ce quite quickly. She didn''t even realize that there were humans in the surrounding. Well, she didn''t have the time to detect the smell or anything. She didn''t have any idea about who they were. "Yes!" "Sir Balton!" "The wolf has fallen in our trap!", the soldiers raised their voices. They were shouting in joy as if they had achieved something great. Of course, they would be happy because as per what Balton had said, the wolf was the same beast that was mentioned by the sage. Balton rushed towards them on his horse as fast as he could. Wendy did the same because they wanted to look at the wolf. The moment they arrived near the ce and took a look at the wolf, they were surprised and were shocked. ''A wolf pup?'', was what Wendy asked himself. Not that Ae looked like a wolf pup, but she was not big enough to be called an adult. Of course, she was just a little bigger than a pup and was half the size of any wolf. That was what led Wendy to conclude that Ae was nothing more than a pup. Well, that was not the only reason why Wendy was surprised. He was also baffled by the color of Ae''s fur. It was white, like that of the moon. Perhaps whiter than that. ''Is it really a strong beast? Or is it some random beast that was wandering around this part?'', was what he asked himself again. As mentioned earlier, the darker the fur of the wolf, the stronger it is. That was the ssification that the wolves used and that was how humans too studied the wolves. Since Ae was a white wolf, her fur was white thus causing them to think that she was one of the weakest wolves out there. That was what led Wendy to question himself if Ae was the beast that they were looking for. All of the soldiers wereughing loudly in joy. Of course, that could attract other beasts, but there were not many beasts that would dare toe closer to the ce that was just next to the Land of lost ones. ''What are they saying?'' ''Who are they?'' ''What are they?'' And those were thest thing that she thought about before she tried to free herself from the. To be continued... Chapter 78 Unexpected Trap - Part 1: [ Recap ] "What the heck is happening?", Shin wondered. For some reason, he started to feel uneasy. Not only that, he could feel something changing in his body. It was as if he had lost something and was gaining something at the same time. Indeed, it was indescribable, however for Shin, it was more like something which he had already experience earlier. ''I don''t think I was hit by any poison...'' ''And even if I was, I wouldn''t be affected by it because of my skills...'' Indeed, he was right. His skills were quite a high level so any minute or even a high-level poison couldn''t weaken him right now, at least not until the highest level of poison was injected directly into his blood! ''Something is wrong...'' ''I can feel that something is wrong...'' ''But my body is definitely fine, it''s healthy for sure...'' ''Then what the heck is happening to me?'' His vision kept getting blurry and his senses were vanishing. However, that didn''t mean that he had be blind. Although he couldn''t see anything in front of him, he could see something else which was entirely different of course, it happened only after he closed his eyes. ''Huh...?'' ''That is...'' [ MISSION 01 [Kill The Grigard ] -> kill the grigard in front of you. ->pulsory -> Failure Will lead to appropriate punishments. -> Appropriate rewards will be given onpletion. TIME LIMIT: 00:00:02:00 [ 2 minutes ] Timer starts in - 00:00:00:05 ( 5 seconds ) ] The very first mission that he had given after his arrival in the new world was being shown to him which was way too weird to be normal. ''The heck?'' ''What''s with this mission?'' ''Hadn''t I failed it long ago? Why is it popping up again?'', he asked himself. He thought that the system might have been giving him another chance toplete the same mission, however, when he took a look at the mission number, it was stating ''01''. That meant that this was definitely the first mission in terms of order while in reality he hadpleted over fifty to a hundred missions already! He was trying his best to figure that out when suddenly something else started to sh in front of his eyes. [ MISSION - 2 [HUNT THE SWAMP RULER FENDAS] -> kill and eat the swamp Ruler Fendas. -> Compulsory. -> Failure will lead to appropriate punishments. -> Appropriate rewards will be given onpletion. TIME LIMIT: 00:00:03:00 [ 3 minutes ] -> The Mission will automatically start as soon as Fendas appears in front of you. ] That was not all, many more notifications kept on being shown to him. [ You have met all the requirements for evolution ] [ Please select your future evolved form - ] -> Midnight Wolf -> Dark Wolf -> me Wolf -> Half-Dragon Wolf [ Midnight Wolf ] -> One of the strongest predators among the wolf ns. -> Usually nocturnal. -> Due to the silver fur, it''s often confused with the inferior species of white wolf. -> They have extremely sharp fangs and strong limbs that allows them to run faster than any other wolf. -> Their strength increases by 500% during midnight for 10 minutes. ( Duration may vary from one wolf to another ) -> Chance of evolution to this race --> 87% [ Conditions -> White wolf species with at least one titles ] [ Dark Wolf ] -> Higher Wolf Species -> Specializes in Dark Magic -> Power increases by 200% during nighttime. -> Power increases by 100% during daytime in the dark regions. -> Chance of evolution to this race --> 53% [ Conditions -> White wolf species with at least one ss ] [ me Wolf ] -> One of the rarest but strongest predators among the wolf species. -> Specializes in Fire magic. -> Strength increases by 300% in fire habitat. -> Weakness: Water element. (Can be fatal depending on the exposure amount) -> Immortal -> Chance of evolution to this race --> 95% [ Conditions -> White wolf species with Heat resistance ] [ Half-Dragon Wolf ] -> Information cannot be provided due to the interference of Celestials. [ Enabling forceful extraction of the details ] [ Error code: 03015 ] [ Details cannot be provided due to the interference of the Celestials ] [ The skill Copy has been activated due to the abnormality caused ] ''Ding'' [ You have gained a new active skill ''Wind Run'' Lv.1 ] [ Wind Run -> Uses the power of the wind to increase the speed by 50% -> Can be used for 00:00:02:00 ( 2 minutes ) -> Cool Down Timer: 00:06:00:00 ( 6 hours ) ] And those were only some amount of messages. Many more messages were being shown which werepletely unnecessary. He hadpleted everything, to begin with so it was way too weird for the messages to pop up again. He had no idea about what was happening to him in the first ce and amidst this, the messages didn''t cease to pop. Many more messages kept popping finally after which only the two profiles that Shin had seen recently popped up. [ Profile ] Name: Ae Sex: Female Age: 1 year Weight: 10 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Wolf Lord ] Rank: B || Max. rank: ??? Level: 53 || Max. level: 65 HP: 690/690 || Max. HP: 750 MP: 310/330 || Max. MP: 400 Exp: 3591 || Max. Exp: 4999 Atk: 250 || Max. Atk: 268 Def: 212 || Max. Def: 230 Speed: 545 || Max. Speed: 600 Int: 68 || Max. Int: 80 [ Skills ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Wind Run Lv.5 -> Uses the power of the wind to increase the speed by 60% -> Can be used for 00:00:05:00 ( 5 minutes ) -> Cool Down Timer: 00:01:00:00 ( 1 hour ) 2] Aero sh Lv.8 -> A piercing sh of wind emerging from the sharp ws/nails in the paw. -> Gives critical damage if the target is twice the level of the user. -> multiplies damage by 5 if the target is 30 levels higher than the user. 3] Hurricane Lv.3 -> Forms heavy and strong winds causing cyclones. -> Area of impact: 300 meters -> Deals double the damage to foes with five levels higher than the user. 4] Winter Breeze Lv.2 -> Summons cold and chilly winds from ces experiencing winter. -> Decreases temperature and creates a mini-territory of 200-meter radius to give territorial advantage [ Passive Skills ] 1] Protection Of Wind Lv.??? -> A blessing of the Wind Goddess disguised as a skill providing protection -> Activates if hostility detected 2] Wind Creator Lv.3 -> Able to form or generate winds with 50% extra efficiency 3] Summoner Of Winds Lv.2 -> Able to summon winds from different locations with ease. [ Title ] 1] The First Vessel Of Shin -> The first vessel of Ruler of the Swamps, Shin. -> Provides 10% boost in all stats. -> Gives 50% boost in swampy areas. -> Can use the skill ''Heal'' when the HP drops to 20% to heal itself. 2] Runner -> Provides 200% increase in speed stat when faced against a target with a higher level than user for 200 seconds 3] Wind Guardian ->??? That waspletely normal and Shin was fine with it, but he still had no idea why he was being shown all these things. However, he knew that now the only thing that was left was his own profile and ording to what he thought, the profile did show up! But something was weird, the stats kept fluctuating and everything was changing constantly. It was as if someone was tampering with them. [ Profile ] Name: Shinnnnnnn Sex: Male Age: 1 year Weight: 9.1111111111212 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Highlord Wolf ] [ Wolf ] [ White ] [ ??? ] ========== Rank: A || Max. rank: ??? Level: 71 || Max. level: 80 HP: 800/800 || Max. HP: ??? MP: 490/500 || Max. MP: ??? Exp: 5859 || Max. Exp: 9999 Atk: 280 || Max. Atk: ??? Def: 250 || Max. Def: ??? Speed: 540 || Max. Speed: ??? Int: 95 || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Bite Lv.8 2] Dash Lv.9 3] Copy Lv.4 4] Heal Lv.6 5] Transformation Lv.3 6] me Wave Lv.2 7] Dark Maniption Lv.2 8] All Seeing Eye Lv.6 9] Aura Control Lv.8 10] Dragon''s Roar Lv.1 11] Dragon''s Aura Lv.2 12] Hymn Of The Dragons'' Lv.??? 13] Total Curse Immunity Lv. Max 14] Curse Eraser Lv.3 15] HP Eater Lv.2 16] Wind Run Lv.5 17] Aero sh Lv.4 18] Dispel Lv.3 19] Hurricane Lv.1 20] Winter Breeze Lv.1 21] Wind Maniption Lv.1 22] God Wind Lv.??? [ Passive Skills ] 1] Cold Resistance Lv.9 2] Heat Resistance Lv.9 3]Shock Resistance Lv.6 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? p 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.2 7] Language Trantion Lv.3 8] Poison Resistance Lv.3 9] Poison Destroyer Lv.4 10] Protector Lv.1 11] Pain Nullification Lv.1 12] Fire Resistance Lv.1 13] Mindcraft Resistance Lv.3 14] Gift Lv.??? 15] Ultimate Growth Lv.??? Did the system finally burn out? Or was someone doing this voluntarily? What was happening in reality? Was Ae fine? And what was exactly happening to Shin? Wasn''t he justpleting a mission? . . . "Ke ke ke" "Looks like he won''tst more than 5 minutes...", a weird voice was heard from the darkness that covered Shin and his surroundings including the trees and bushes. To be continued... Chapter 79 Unexpected Trap - Part 2: A Goblin Shin could see the system changing everything in front of him. Of course, the tons of messages were confusing him even more. He had no idea of what was going on. But he knew one thing for sure, whatever was happening was rted to some sort of magic or illusion. The reason for that was simple, despite being confused, he could feel a weird sense of concentrated mana. He had been exposed to the mana of the Land of Lost ones which was quite dense. Other than that, no other part of the forest gave off that kind of mana, at least not that dense. Well, that included only the parts that he had visited earlier. Of course, the ce where he was now was an area where he hadn''t visited earlier, but he had been searching for the beast there for quite some time. All this time he could sense that the mana was quite less in the surrounding so a sudden increase definitely meant the activating of some spell. ''Dang, it''s as if a part of me is slowly trying to get away...'', he was trying to describe the feeling that he continuously felt because of that. ''I have no idea about what is happening, but I''m sure that if I try to use the system, I would be able to get out of this predicament...'' This was unforeseen, Shin was quite strong, therefore he couldn''t have been cornered so easily. But it seemed like he had fallen into some sort of trap. Of course, that was because he became careless. Not only was he overconfident about his skills, but also had his mind diverted while thinking about Ae probably because right after she left, he started to feel that he had lost something important. ''Tsk, I hate this...'' ''Just who the heck is toying with me?'', he asked himself. He was pissed off and now couldn''t bear it anymore. ''I hate this ridiculous feeling...'' ''I''m done waiting...'' Actually, this was an abnormal condition to which he was subjected to, therefore he was waiting for the system to let him learn a new skill, but it seemed as if the system had be quite stubborn, at least after thetest evolution in which Shin had evolved into a Highlord wolf! ''Sigh, it''s enough...'' He gathered all his thoughts and left out all the annoying feelings. His mind all of a sudden became empty thanks to that. Everything was calm for a moment at least exactly when Shin disabled a skill that he had been using all this time. Of course, using a skill would be wise since he would be able to attack or do something else, however, he disabled a skill. Would disabling a skill really help? Was there any such skill that would help him when it would be disabled? Yes, there was one, a strong skill which he received during the start which had been active all this time. ''Ding'' [ You have disabled the skill active skill Aura Control ] [ Host''s entire aura will no longer be concealed ] [ The aura will emerge and start to spread in all direction with a radius of 5 Km ] ''Zoom'' The moment the skill got deactivated, the pressure in the entire area changed. ''Ding'' [ You have gained a new passive skill ''Mental Defense'' Lv.1 ] [ Most mental attacks will be cut down and will have no effect on the host ] [ Efficiency of magic usage will increase by 10% ] That was an odd timing to receive a skill. He should have gained that earlier, but oh well, the bottom line was that he got it and after getting it he was sure that he was attacked with some skill that was rted to affecting his mind. In any case, he had disabled a skill earlier thanks to which the attack on him vanished too. "No..." "Spare me..." Shin heard a weird voice, of course, he was no longer confused. He now feltpletely fine. He turned his head towards his right only to find a goblin standing there. "A goblin...?", Shin was way too surprised to see that. It was a dead reality that goblins were one of the weakest creatures in this world, however, he had never met one. Of course, the weaker the race, the farther they would be from the center. This meant that they should be found near the edges of the forest, but that wasn''t the case. Shin had never once encountered any goblin until now. It was his first time seeing a creature that resembled the elves a bit, their pointy ears did for sure. But the Goblin in front of him was somewhat different. It was wearing a violet-colored rob which usually the mages or sorcerers would prefer wearing. It was holding a staff too and just by seeing that Shin realized that the creature in front of him was capable of using some sort of sorcery. He didn''t hesitate to take a look at its stats because he could see that the goblin was terrified. Of course, he knew the reason, after all, it was because of his terrifying dragon-like aura. "Please..." "Please spare me..." The goblin could see a dragon covered with smoke emerging from Shin. The dragon was as huge as any tree that was present there. The red light that was shining from the eyes of the dragon was what terrified the single goblin even more. Of course, Shin kept walking towards him at a slow pace, but that didn''t matter to the goblin. Shin''s aura was so intense that the small nts nearby suddenly died and withered. Well, he didn''t observe that because his attention was towards the goblin''s stats. From Goblin''s perspective, the aura kept growing and so did the dragon. The goblin had no idea about the situation anymore. It threw the staff that he was holding. Needless to say, the staff and the blue crystal ball on top of the staff didn''t break. However that couldn''t be said about the goblin, the way it behaved, it felt as if it''s heart was soon going to burst ande out from its mouth. "..." To be continued... Chapter 80 An Uneasy Feeling ''System, show me its profile...'', just with this onemand, the system disyed the goblin''s profile. [ Profile ] Name: ??? Sex: male Age: 12 years Weight: 21 Kg Race: Goblin [ Mage ] Rank: D || Max. rank: A Level: 29 || Max. level: 30 HP: 110/110 || Max. HP: 112 MP: 210/330 || Max. MP: 340 Exp: 950 || Max. Exp: 999 Atk: 85 || Max. Atk: 88 Def: 36 || Max. Def: 40 Speed: 51 || Max. Speed: 55 Int: 64 || Max. Int: 70 [ Skills ] [ Active ] 1] Illusions Lv.3 -> Able to confuse the target by showing fake objects. -> Decreases foes stats by 20% -> Speed decreased by additional 50% 2] Fire st Lv.2 -> Arge sphere of fire forms and is fired. -> Ranged attack -> Radius: 50 meters -> Inflicts 10% extra damage to the foes within a radius of 20 meter 3] Clone Formation Lv.1 -> Forms clones of itself. -> Drains 50% of MP. [ Passive ] -< none >- In terms of age and weight, it had bigger numbers disying the seniority however all other stats were pretty normal, the only thing that caught Shin''s eyes was the intelligence stat. Of course, the intelligence was way too less whenpared to Ae or Shin, however, their levels were quite higher at the same time inparison. So such high intelligence didn''t make sense for such a low leveled beast, that was the first thought that crossed Shin''s head. However, when he thought about it a bit, he understood the reason for the high intelligence. Although he hadn''t yed that many games in his earlier life, he had indeed tried them at least once. He had even heard some crazy game addicts saying ''Rase the intelligence stat for higher magic efficiency'', or something simr. When he thought about that and rted it to the word ''Mage'', which was disyed in the profile, he could finally understand the reason for higher intelligence. "So that''s what this is...", he said in a low voice but for the goblin, it sounded like thunder. Of course, that was too much of an exaggeration but oh well, it was somewhat simr. "Please forgive me O'' Supreme One, I was just trying to get something to eat for my n members..." "I''m so very sorry for offending you..." The reason why the goblin attacked Shin was because his size was quite small. Well, if his aura wasn''t being concealed, all the beasts would have run away even before approaching him and that would be the same for the goblin too, however since it was concealed, he approached with a mind in ease. In any case, she wasn''t angry at all. Probably that was because the lingering feeling of losing something was back again. That was bugging him causing him to get irritated, however, his attention was off and he didn''t care about the goblin. "Ah, it''s fine, just get going...", that''s all he said right after which he activated the skill to conceal his aura again. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Aura Control ] [ Your aura will be concealedpletely ] And that was all, just after saying that Shin spaced out. The goblin was confused after hearing that. For a moment he thought that Shin was lying and would hunt him the moment he started to run. He also thought that Shin would follow him all the way to his n and hunt all the members, however after seeing the aura practically vanishing, it gained some confidence. *gulp* ''I am getting a chance to live so why not grab it?'', right after thinking this the goblin then just went back the same way from where it hade. Needless to say, Shin''s next task was to hunt the spider after which the mission would bepleted for the day, however, he had no interest to do that. ''It''s weird...'' ''This is probably the first time that I am not feeling any thirst for hunting...'', Shin sighed. "For some reason, I want to see Ae...", he said in a low voice. He then took a look at the mission which was still disying in the form of a small tab in the screen of the system. When he thought about checking it, it erged and started to disy. [ Quest 96: Hunt A Teronaris ] [ Teronaris -> A type of spider beast with eight legs. Imbued with poison ] [ Quest Rank: B ] [ Time Left: 00:01:25:20 ( 1 hour 25 minutes 20 seconds ) ] [ Failure will result in a decrease in host''s level by 1 ] Another hour was still left but that didn''t mean that he could ck off, but what to do, he was not in the mood. He was just walking at the slowest speed possible. He took a look at the navigator to see how much more he had to walk. [ 0.9 miles to the west ] Well, earlier 0.5 miles were left however due to the goblin he failed to go and hunt it right away. It seemed like the spider ran away with all its might after feeling the intense aura which Shin had let out freely. Of course, it was only for few seconds thanks to which the spider didn''t go that far! "Let''s wrap it up..." Right after saying that his eyes started to shine with green light. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from the spot where he was standing initially. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] -> Your speed is raised by 100% -> Dexterity of the limbs is increased by 50% -> Fatigue will start to get umted by 0.05 per second. -> Skill will get deactivated automatically the moment fatigue reaches 20 And thanks to the skill, he covered the distance in no time. He arrived near a tree and jumped as high as he could and just used the skill Bite to kill the spider on the tree itself. Of course, since it was a different tree, there weren''t many webs. Thus, it got killed instantly and had no time to even use the poison of which it was proud. [ You have used the skill Bite ] -> Dexterity of the jaws has been increased by 500%. -> Power of the jaws has been increased by 300%. -> Dexterity of the teeth has been increased by 200%. ''Ssh'' ''Crunch Crunch'' ''Ding'' [ You have... ] To be continued... Chapter 81 Aella Disappeared [ You have killed a wild Teronaris ] [ You have gained 128 Exp ] Right after that, another notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ Congrattion ] [ You havepleted the daily quest ] [ Quest 96: Hunt A Teronaris ] [pleted ] [ You have gained the daily quest reward -> 100 exp ] Well, he gained 100 exp every time hepleted the daily quest so it wasn''t any surprise to him. Whatever he now eagerly started to run towards their home. He was so anxious, because of the weird feeling that kept on clinging to him, that he left the prey as it was. He basically ran without even eating it which was probably the first time he had done it. [ You have used the skill Dash ] -> Your speed is raised by 100% -> Dexterity of the limbs is increased by 50% -> Fatigue will start to get umted by 0.05 per second. -> Skill will get deactivated automatically the moment fatigue reaches 20 He ran with all his might right after using that skill. He was so worried that he ended up using the skill which he had gained thanks to Ae. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Wind Run ] [ -> Speed has been increased by 60% ] [ -> the skill willst for 00:00:05:00 ( 5 minutes ) ] [ -> Cool Down Timer: 00:01:00:00 ( 1 hour ) will be enacted after the first five minutes finish ] He ended up activating to speed-boosting skills. Because of the skill dash, his speed had already increased by several folds and now thanks to the skill Wind Run, his speed almost doubled. It took him almost no time to reach the ce which he considered as his home, of course, it took him around a minute or so after increasing his speed tremendously. "Huh?", all the skills had been deactivated by now. It seemed like he was shocked by something after arriving at the ce. ''What the heck?'', he was baffled by the sight. The area that surrounded the den waspletely destroyed. It was as if some storm had swept away every tree in the area, of course, it was an exaggeration since the trees were lying down on the ground but they had definitely been destroyed. There were many cut marks on the bark of the trees and the same could be seen on some boulders or rocks that were present in the surrounding ce. ''This devastation...'' ''Isn''t it due to the hurricane skill?'', he asked himself. ''And these cut marks...'' ''Probably Aero sh?'' He was almost sure about it because he had the same skills. Of course, he had used them countless times so he was familiar with the effects and the marks that usually get imprinted in the ce due to the attacks. ''Other than me, the only one who possesses these skills is Ae...'', he realized that something was wrong. Of course, he hadn''t arrived near the den, he was still a bit far from the den, maybe 100 meters? He rushed almost immediately and finally arrived near the den without actually using any skills because he had no time for the skills to get activated, or perhaps he didn''t get the thought to use them. "No way..." "It can''t be..." He could see blood marks here and there, of course, there were corpses too. "Humans!?", Shin was almost sure that they were humans, of course, by seeing the bodies that were lifeless. "What?" "How?" He was somewhat speechless and his mind was almost nk. All he could think of was Ae, he wanted to know where she was and while he was searching for her, he hoped for her safety! "Ae!", he shouted at the top of his voice but there was no response. He ran towards the den and eventually entered it. However, there was no one inside it. Of course, since the den wasn''trge enough, one could tell if anyone was inside or not by just seeing from the entrance. "Ae! Where are you!?" "Ae!", he shouted many times and called her name but she was nowhere to be found. "Just what the heck is going on?", tears started flowing down his eyes when he couldn''t find her. His mind was overflowing with tons of thoughts. "Where is she!?", he ran here and there. He shouted numerous times but there was no reply. He thought about looking a bit more around when suddenly he was zapped with arge amount of intense electric shock. ''Ding'' [ The electric discharge has no effect on the host due to high immunity against thunder/electric shocks/ mental shocks ] ''Ding'' [ Skill Shock Resistance has immunized the host''s bodypletely against electric shocks ] That didn''t even sting him, such low-level electric shocks were nothing to him. Of course, that was because of the high leveled skill that he had. Regardless, Shin didn''t care about that. Right now there was only one thing that he thought about, and that was about Ae! "Where is she!?", he raised his voice. He then turned towards the humans that were dead. Until now he had been blinded by emotions so he had failed to see that there were bite marks on the humans that had killed them! "That..." He walked closer to them in order to check the marks that were present on them. "These marks definitely belong to..." "They belong to..." "Ae!" He was able to recognize them almost immediately. Well, he had spent a lot of time with her. He knew how big her mouth was and had an idea about the length and width of her teeth since he had seen her bite marks on the leftover meat in many cases! "Just what did you humans do with her?", he asked with rage. He was infuriated because he knew that the humans were the ones responsible for Ae''s disappearance. "I don''t want to lose her..." "I..." "I just don''t want to lose anyone else...", his tears were unstoppable. Of course, a wolf would usually howl while crying, however, he could barely even make any voice because of how powerless he felt as if he had lost something precious. "Not again..." "I don''t want to lose again..." "..." To be continued... Chapter 82 The Serial Killer - Part 1: Start Of The Doom "Haha, thank you, mom..." "I love this!" "But more than this, I love you both..." "Thanks for giving birth to me, Mama, and papa..." A boy, who was celebrating his fifth birthday, was smiling so brightly that even the sun would be put into shame! The brightness on his face was mesmerizing, he was cute and his charm had taken over his family. "Haha, would you look at that, he knows how to tter others, he is just like you, don''t you think that''s true, Darling?", a man who was in his thirties asked this while looking at a woman who was caressing the boy''s head. "What do you mean by that, honey?" "My words her ttery?", she started to pout while scolding the man. Both of them seemed to be husband and wife. They were quite cheerful and joyful. It was their son''s fifth birthday, however, they were the ones happy, much happier than the boy. "Mama, let''s cut the cake together!", the boy advised and they did as he told. They held the stic knife together and then cut the cake at the same time. A typical birthday song was sung and the gifts were being given. Of course, the only ones present in the room were the boy, his dad and mom, and another small girl who seemed to be a year younger than the boy. Needless to say that the girl was the boy''s younger sister. Yes, they were the ones who gave two or three gifts which the boy opened right after he cut the cake and fed all of them. "I will never forget this day!", the boy said. He was quite happy and so were the others. The day was soon over, and then the next day was too. One by one many days passed by and soon the boy was sixteen years old and by now he was about the graduate the middle school. No one could beat him in studies, of course, many a time even the teachers asked him many things. Of course, his happy life was going just fine, at least until he met this certain man who changed his entire fate and life. His'' so smooth going happy life changed into a horror movie. ''Ding Dong'' ''Ting Tong'' The school bell rang and the boy left the ss. Of course, he had many friends so he left with them as soon as school was over. While he was on his way to his home, he found a maning out of his house. The man then passed by right after which he entered the home after opening the door. ''Who was that man?'' ''Such a weirdo...'' Of course, the person whom he saw had many tattoos on his face. He was smoking a cigar and had piercings all over his ears and lips. That included the nose too. He looked somewhat like a gangster or a thug. "Mom, I am hungry, what did you make?", he said in a loud voice right after which he went upstairs even before hearing and got changed into informal wear that he wore in his home normally. "Mom! What have you prepared for food?", he asked again, but there was no response. He switched the T.V. on and kept on watching. An hour was passed and his stomach started to grumble for real. "Mom! Have you gone deaf? I am hungry!", he got up from the sofa on which he was sitting and watching the show and walked towards the kitchen where the dining table was ced. "Sigh,e on mom, if you are cing the food on the table then you should have informed me at least!", he said this when he found the food on the table. It included sandwiches which he loved the most. Of course, he loved it with sauce which was way too weird abination for him because he would basically dip the sandwichpletely in the sauce as if he were painting it in red. "Mom! Where is the sauce? Why haven''t you..." It was weird, his mom never once forgot cing the bottle of sauce while giving him sandwiches so why now? But just as he got up to get the bottle of sauce from the kitchen, he found a bowl that had the sauce filled in it. "Sigh, mom poured it in the bowl but forgot to give it to me?", he said in a low voice. Until now he hadn''t heard her voice nor had he seen her, however, he didn''t care about that. All he thought about was the sandwiches to fill his stomach! He dipped the sandwich in the bowl and covered it with the saucepletely. ''Weird, the sauce is thick today...'' ''I guess it''s of good quality...'', was what he thought and then took a bit of the sandwich. *nom nom* *nom...* "Wha-" "What the-" "Mom, just what the heck is this sauce? It made the sandwich taste awful!" He got up from the table and spit the food from his mouth in the sink and washed his mouth. "Damn! This ruined my mood!", he was a bit angry. "Mom! What are you doing!?" "I hate this..." "Where are you?" *tap tap* "Tell me, from which mall did you bring thi-" And while saying this, he walked towards the bedroom where his mom and dad slept and as he was about to open it, someone rang the doorbell of his home. "Ugh, who is it?", right after saying that he rushed towards the door and opened it. "Who...?", he asked in a low voice as if he was being polite. "Uh, excuse me, your father passed out while drinking..." "I have brought him...", it was the same man whom the boy had seen earlier. *gulp* He could smell the alcohol from his dad who was being bnced or basically being carried by the man. "Ah, thank you very much!", right after saying that he held his dad''s hand and got him inside. "No worries...", the man grinned and then turned back and went the same way as he had arrived. "Tsk..." "What a weirdo..." "..." To be continued... Chapter 83 The Serial Killer - Part 2: The Death Of Parents The boy then shut the door and took his dad near the dining table and helped him to sit on the chair ced there. "Sigh, dad, why did you drink in broad daylight?", he asked in a low voice as if he was scolding. Well, it wasn''t even evening, in fact, there were still two to three hours before the sun could set. Of course, the boy had probablye earlier from the school or maybe the school had a half-day. Whatever the case may be, it was confirmed that his dad had drinks even before it was nighttime. After leaving his dad, he went to fetch water so that he could give it to his dad, but the moment he left, his father fell on the ground. ''Dub'' It was as if something hit the ground with a loud smack. "Huh?" The boy was shocked by the sudden noise, of course, only he and his dad were present here so it was quite unusual. He hadn''t seen his mom so the thought about her didn''t cross his mind either. He turned his head towards the direction of the sound, of course, it was towards the dining table. Since the table was in his sight and was clearly visible from the kitchen, all he had to do was turn his head and he did that precisely and wlessly. "Well, I guess I heard it wrong...", was all that he said after seeing that nothing was wrong. Everything seemed normal to him, of course, because of the chairs and the high shelf-like half-wall that was built, he failed to see his father since that blocked the end part of the table where his father fell. He didn''t bother checking if the sound was real, he just assumed that almost immediately that it was fake and was probably his imagination! He filled water in a ss from the filter that was hanging on the wall which purified the water. He almost immediately brought that towards the table only to find his dad missing from his sight. "Da-", and just when he was going to call him, his sightnded on his body that was lying on the ground. "Dad!", he raised his voice and rushed towards him while still holding the ss of water, needless to say, a little bit of it spill on the ground due to his rushing. "Dad, are you alright?", he asked. He had a worrisome expression on his face and was legitimately panicking right now. Of course, he med himself because he hadn''t ced him in a proper ce because of which he fell on the ground due to an irregr sense of bnce after drinking. He touched his dad and turned him towards himself. "Sigh, there are no marks of getting hit...", of course, one could easily hurt his head or some other part while falling just from a height that was no more than a meter while being unconscious! ''What the heck?'', all of sudden, he started to get chills. The ss of water that he held slipped from his hand and all the water spilled over, well, it would be appropriate to say that his grip weakened due to which the ss of water fell. "Dad...?" "..." "You must be joking right?" The boy noticed something that left his hand and his entire body trembling, probably that was why his grip weakened. "Come on dad..." "Why are you doing this?", he asked his dad. He was surprised by the fact that his dad wasn''t breathing. No movement in the abdomen or the chest was seen. Of course, that was what surprised the boy. He thought that his dad was just joking, but after seeing that there were no breathing movements even after saying that, he started to sweat profusely. Not only that, his dad was showing no other signs as well, earlier, when he held his dad and brought him to the kitchen, he could feel his breathing, but it was getting weaker each second. He failed to notice that though and unfortunately even before he could take any necessary steps to save his dad, his breathing had already stopped. *gulp* Tears ran down his eyes because of the constant negative thoughts that consumed his mind. "Dad!", he called him again and again, but there was no response. Of course, when he touched him again, he could feel that the body was a bit cold. Well, some amount of warmth, in fact, a lot was left, but its temperature had indeede down by quite a lot. "Beverages increase the temperature of the body! But why is your temperature less than normal?", he asked. Indeed, he was no thermometer, but he was quite sensitive to changes in temperature, probably that was why he could say that his body was cold. "Dad!", he shouted at the top of his voice. "Why?", although he didn''t want to admit it, he realized that his dad was dead. How? Well, he checked if his heart was beating, but unfortunately, he could hear no sound. Of course, for a moment he thought that it was only him making some mistake because o which he thought about calling an ambnce, but when he noticed that blood started oozing out of his ears and eyes with no respiration, in fact, breathing at all, he realized that he was dead. "The heck is going on!?" "This isn''t real!" "This can''t be real!", he kept on saying that, but poor boy, what could he possibly do other than denying it? "Mom!" "What are you doing?" "Can''t you hear me shout and scream?", he stood up and walked towards their bedroom to tell them what had happened. He wanted an arm to rely on, he wanted a chest that could make him feel good, he wanted a shoulder that could carry the burden which he had. Burden? Yes, a burden, after all, he had started to me himself for his father''s death. He wasn''t stupid, he was a topper, so he could clearly tell that his father hadn''t died by falling from a chair, but oh well, sometimes emotional geniuses are too much of a fool than a fickle-minded dumb person. "Mom...", he opened the sliding Japanese-styled door only to find something much more shocking. "M-" "Mom...?" The bedsheets that wereid were fully covered with red paint, well not paint, in fact, they were blood. How did he realize? Of course, he was able to after seeing body parts fallen all over the ce. Of course, the head was also detached from the body like the arms and legs. In fact, even the eyeballs and ears were missing. "Mom...?", he easily recognized it to be his mom. Well, the face was somewhat recognizable. "Haha..." "Interesting, so this is supposed to be the sauce which I ate earlier right?" "Mom is just toying with me right?" "Haha..." "Hahahaha!", he startedughing like someone who had gone insane. A small pool of blood had been formed in front of the bedsheets near the head. He jumped right over it and started to y and bathe with the blood as if it was rainwater in a pothole. "Definitely!" "This is definitely a dream! Hahaha!", he lost a screw maybe after seeing all the blood and the parts of the body such as intestines that were tied around the head on the hair as if it were some decoration piece. "Haha..." "It''s so beautiful!", he kept onughing as if he was some creep. He kept on rolling in the pool of blood for ten minutes or longer, of course, while anticipating waking up from the dream. But the dream seemed way too long for him so he basically stopped hoping for it. All of a sudden a lot of cops appeared out of nowhere. They had pistols and guns in their hands which were aimed at the boy. "Hands up!", they said in a loud voice while being cautious after seeing that he looked somewhat like a maniac. "Arrest him immediately!", said one of them. "Huh? Cops?", the boy was confused by seeing them in his house. ''How did they even get inside?'', that was a normal question that one would ask in such a situation. Oh well, the question was answered much quicker than expected. His sister stood in front of him while having a terrified look on her face. She was only fifteen and had to look at the blood and deaths of her dad and mother. Of course, she thought that it was her brother who did this. Who wouldn''t think that after seeing his bizarre behavior? "You...", that was all the boy said when he found his sister way too terrified to even look at his eyes. Well, he was covered with blood after all. The cops then arrested him and took him away while some remained behind to look after his sister and check the crime scenes. "..." To be continued... Chapter 84 Circles And Crosses The boy sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. Needless to say, they did this while thinking about his sister. Of course, she was young and could live with her uncle or aunt, but he had to y an essential role because he was the one that stole her parents from her. He had to look after all her expenses after she was to turn twenty-seven, probably that was why he was allowed to go only after ten years. It was pretty weird because no one to date was given such a less punishment. Of course, maybe this was possible because his father''s friend had a high position and influenced the judgment. He realized that this was not a dream only after spending two to three days in prison. Till then he was quite violent and even hit many prisoners who were present alongside him. But oh well, after that, he became quiet as if he had not done anything. All he did was weep because of the happenings. What else could he possibly do? Of course, when he started to show this side of his, many prisoners who were beaten up by him, took revenge. Needless to say, he made many friends however that kept spoiling him. He started to act like a thug while being around them because he couldn''t chicken out in front of them since he would end up bing their target! He was given schooling too, of course, probably because of his father''s friends. The authorities thought that he would fare well in exams and sine he was like a genius, he could be given the opportunity to study. But he had already been spoiled, his attitude waspletely different from before. He skipped from his studies and the kid''s school where he was sent was also filled with many other prisoners. Needless to say, they were from different prisons and picked a fight with him. Since he wasn''t someone who ever got into fights, he never knew how to fight nor did he have any idea about self-defense. Thus, he was bullied by them while he was away for studying. In any case, he was never like before but for sure, he had a grudge. He wanted to kill his own sister who didn''t even think twice before reporting him to the cops, well, who could remain calm while facing a psycho? Therefore, he always thought about killing her too, but then again, he could never do that since he had never once killed even a fly out of his own will. When he turned twenty, his school was stopped and he then started to get into fights. It was exactly at this time that his sister started to visit him. However, he didn''t wish to see her at all and no matter how many times she came, he would either reject seeing her or would just ignore her. Not once did he see her even after so many years. Well, he did hear her voice while she asked for forgiveness each and every time she visited, but oh well, he didn''t care. Soon another five years passed by and he was released from prison. Needless to say, his sister was present at the time he was released, she was happy and sad at the same time. Happy, cause he was released and sad before of her wrong thinking and wrongdoing. She constantly med him for killing his parents but it waster that she realized the truth behind the incident. He finally saw her after so many years. ''She has be quite pretty...'', he said to himself. Of course, he was happy to see her healthy, but at the same time, he didn''t and couldn''t say anything to her. He walked past her when she asked for a hug, which was weird. ''Brother...?'', and she kept staring at his back as he walked. Well, she too followed him and took him to a different house where she and her uncle and aunt lived. He was treated quite badly, f course, that was probably because he was considered a murderer. He walked into his own room which was present in the house and shut himself because he didn''t want to hear anything from anyone. Needless to say, his neighbors were too loud after hearing the news and seeing him for themselves. ''Tsk, I wish I could just quit this heartless world...'', was what he said to himself at the spun of the moment but he wasn''t being serious. He lived in the same house day after day without going outside. His uncle and aunt were too scared to remain at home alone due to which they leave the house early in the morning and would onlye atte night. They could hardly sleep because of his mere presence. He was basically isted by them, he used to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner in his own room, not that anyone would be present when he used to have those. ''Everything was going fine in my life...'' ''Just what went wrong?'', when he asked himself that, all of a sudden he remembered the moment when he met the person with piercing and tattoosing out of his house. ''My life changed the day I met him...'' "Haha, I guess mom was killed by him...", heughed when he said that, but tears ran down his eyes. Even to this date, he had sorrow locked inside his heart! He got up and went to the washroom and while returning, he ended up entering his sister''s room instead of his''. It was a mistake of course. Her room was just beside his, it was as if she wasn''t scared or afraid of him, not anymore at least which was one thing he could be happy about. "Uh, I should go back to my room!", he said this when he realized that he had entered the wrong room. But then he stopped walking when he spotted something on the wall. "That''s..." There was a calendar in which dates were marked with different colored pens. Needless to say, five of them had red marks on them, crosses that is. "What''s with this calendar...?", he was confused because of that. He walked closer to it and ced his index finger on each date while moving from one day to the other. "This is..." "3rd August...?" "The day when I lost my parents..." "9th of August..." "The day I was released from the prison..." "And today is 21st August, it has a circle on it done with a red marker..." "What''s special about it?", he wondered. He was a genius for a reason, his mind was able to calcte many things at the same time. He was able to draw any and all conclusions at the same time. "Wait, the other dates on which there are red circles...", he checked on them. Out of five, three had crosses while two had circles. He had already checked one, then he took a look at the next. "26th August?", that was the next one having a red circle. Well, all five had circles, to begin with, but the dates 6th, 11th, and 15th had crosses on the circles that was why he left them alone, what he wanted to see were the circles that were yet to be crossed. ''So, today is 21st August, let''s see if she puts a cross mark on it today...'', while thinking this he left the room, however, everything about the calendar was still going on his head. He closed the room exactly the same way it was in order to prevent his sister from knowing anything. Well, whatever, it''s not as if he was concerned with what she was doing. ''Are these the days on which she had nned to go on a date but failed?'', he asked to himself because he had seen her go out today early in the morning while being dressed elegantly. "Whatever...", and after saying that he lied in his room. Time passed by soon enough and it was the next day. His sister didn''t find out that he had entered the room the day before, which was a good thing. In any case, he couldn''t contain his curiosity and entered the room right after she left the house, though, she wore a normal dress. And when he entered her room, he found the mark which had been a circle till yesterday, having an ''X'' like simr cross mark as the others. "What the-", and that was not all. He found some texts written on the top of the calendar where there was white space, of course, with the same red marker. ''It is improper to enter a woman''s room without her permission, brother.'', and that was what written on it. To be continued... Chapter 85 Returning To The Prison: A Crime Again? "She knew that I was here?", he raised his voice and asked this. "What the-", he could hardly keep calm. *gulp* ''But how did she know that I entered her room?'', he asked himself. ''Did I leave behind something that made her sure that I had entered the room?'' But that wasn''t the biggest thing that he was surprised about. What baffled him the most was that she had written it on the calendar. It was as if, she knew that he had seen the calendar. More than that, she had written on it as if she was expecting him to enter the room yet again after she left! "Just what is she?", he asked himself. It was literally as if she had predicted the future or had seen the future for herself. ''But I wonder...'' ''What this mark symbolize?'', when he came to know that his sister had found out, he couldn''t help but panic. But then again, even after knowing, she never spoke a word about him. Also, it was as if she allowed him to enter and exit the room as he pleased. However this was not something that he should be worried about, what he had to think about were the marks and the dates. Of course, he was doing that. He understood that it was probably not a date n. After all, he had never since heard that she had a boyfriend. Of course, even if she did then she wouldn''t be so mysterious or would have at least told him. "Something is not right...", the criminal sixth sense which he had developed after being locked up with the criminals suddenly got activated. It was as if his sixth sense warned him about the room. ''Maybe I should search the room a bit...'', he said to himself and started to search the entire room. He had no idea about her job, he had no idea about what she did to mean money, and he had no idea if she was really up to something, but he knew one thing for sure, she was different, way different than how she was during childhood. He searched the entire room but there was nothing suspicious, of course, nothing other than the calendar which he had spotted earlier. "Am I just overreacting?", he asked himself. That could have been a possibility. He could have just been overreacting until now but then again, his sister''s sharpness didn''t make any sense. ''Come to think of it, she even found out that I had bought cigars...'' ''How did she find it out when I hadn''t even smoked?'' ''Was she following me?'', he wondered about something that had happened three days ago. "Weird..." Indeed, everything was weird, at least, it seemed to be. "Sigh, I give up..." "I don''t want to break my head...", and right after saying that, he got up from the floor and started to walk out of the room when suddenly his gazes fell on the desk on which there were many notebooks kept. "Hmm?" "Notebooks?" "Does she study here?", he asked himself. But what was there to study? He had heard that she was doing some sort of job, which was definitely not teaching because she never once behaved like a teacher or someone taking or bringing a book or anything else. He then opened just one of the many books that were arranged beautifully and systematically. Of course, he picked a random book, the book with the number 21, probably because that number was on his mind after seeing the calendar. The moment he opened the book, he found something unexpected written on it. His eyes started to shake vigorously just after seeing the pictures that were pasted in the book. "Are you kidding me?", he swallowed arge amount of dry saliva right after seeing that. "I must be dreaming!", that was the first thinging to his mind. In the book, especially the page which he opened, there was a picture of a person lying on the ground after being stabbed with a knife. The picture of the knife was quite clear, needless to say, it was because the picture was taking at a close range. "This person..." "Where have I seen him again?", the boy tried to recall. "Somewhere..." "I have definitely seen him somewhere...", it had been quite a long since he had used his brain. Probably that was why it took him longer to recall the person who was showed in the photo. "Isn''t..." "Isn''t that Uncle Jo?'''', he asked in a low voice after finally recalling. "Just what the heck in this book?" "Why does this have a picture of his body being stabbed with a knife and posing as if looking at the sky?", he was trembling. "Wait, I had heard from Uncle that he was the one who was managing thepany that dad left behind during my absence..." His father was the CEO of apany, though not huge, it was still ranked among the top 10 of the country which was a big thing. They were indeed rich, but were always down to earth! They would use the money to donate to the poor or to someone needy. "This is weird..." "Way too weird..." He was thinking about taking care of thepany as soon as he was released, but he could never get a chance to talk to him. He ran downstairs with full speed and then dialed the private number of thepany and gave a call. Needless to say, he found out that the person passed away a day before, in fact, he was murdered by someone. It was shown in the news too, but the boy never cared about the news anyway so he had no idea about it. He ran and took a look at the news finally on the television. Of course, the death case was viral. Especially, it was because of the boy, they were trying to make some connection between the boy getting out of the prison and the death of the new CEO who had been looking after thepany for a few years! "What the f*ck?" "Do they want to say that I was the one who killed him?", that was what being told in the news. Although there was no proof, it was believed that the boy was the one that killed him. "Just what the-", and when he was cussing, the house got caught in fire all of a sudden. "This...", the fire spread quickly. The best to do in that situation was to run out of the house and he did exactly that. He ran with all his might out of his house and exactly at that moment the police arrived near the house. "The house is on fire!" "Call the Fire station!", the cops took immediate action so that the fire could be stopped from being spread to other buildings, of course, they did this by asking others to get out of the houses to prevent casualties. And just when the boy was trying to find out their reason foring here, one of the cops shouted, "Capture him!" "That''s why one shouldn''t let the criminals go!", was what one of the cops said right after handcuffing the boy. "What the-" "What did I do?", was what he asked. "You were the one who killed your father''s friend, the CEO of MKSpany, Sir Renan Jo!", was what the cop said. "The heck are you saying?" "I didn''t even leave the house, just when do you think I would have got the chance to kill him?", and just when he had said that the cop pped him. Then he gripped his right hand tightly and snatched the picture which he was holding. "This picture exins everything!" The picture was from the same notebook that the boy had found in his sister''s room. Needless to say, he had forgotten to leave the picture in the book. He had rushed to confirm if what was shown in the picture was true or not and perhaps because of that, the cops got a huge clue that was against him. "No this is..." "This is..." "..." "This is what?" "This clearly shows that you were at the crime scene so close that you could take a clear picture of the knife as well as of his face!" "You are the one who killed him!" "Get ready to go to prison again...", was what the cops said and threw him inside the van which they had brought along with them. ''But this...'' ''This picture was in my sister''s book...'' "..." To be continued... Chapter 86 Killing My Sister For Her Sake He was taken away in a minivan. He was going back to prison now, needless to say, there would be another trial for what he had done. Earlier, he wasn''t mentally stable despite which he was thrown into prison because of his sister''s testimony, and this time he couldn''t talk back. ''Should I really say that this belonged to my sister?'', was what he was asking himself while he was on his way to the prison. He had no idea about the incidents that were taking ce. Even though he had no faults, even though he did no crimes, he was the one getting punished. At least earlier, he could deny the fact that he hadn''t done the crime, but now he had no idea but to admit that he was the one that did probably because he loved his sister? Well, even if that wasn''t the case, he couldn''t still tell anyone that it was his sister that did this because he himself wasn''t sure if she was the one that killed Jo. Also, if anyone was to hear him say that, he would just mock him for ming a sister who used to visit him almost daily. Needless to say, he would be given no mercy for doing so and so. No one would ever believe him for what he had done because he was already registered as an old criminal. But the biggest mystery was left unsolved, were his parents killed by his sister? And even if they were killed by her, what could have been the reason? Because as far as he knew his sister, she was against such things. She would even get scared of bugs so killing something would be far off a dream for her. Just what the heck happened that caused all this? In any case, the trial was soon going to take ce, probably in seven days'' time! The day after his arrest, his sister came to visit him, needless to say, he got the answer to all the questions right after meeting her and asking her about all this. "You...", he was shocked to see her in the prison. Of course, she wasn''t arrested or something, she had juste to visit him. Since it was just a local police station, he couldn''t have possibly asked her about anything because the cops would be around and they could hear everything. However, luckily, the cops went out for lunch at the exact same time. Probably some of them wanted to go to the restroom or some wanted to eat or do something else, whatever it may be, the bottom line was that all the cops left. Though, they did leave behind a cop but her seat was far away from the prison, therefore, the girl could tell the boy everything about what had happened, needless to say, he was the one who asked after seeing the situation. "Tell me..." "Why...?" "Why was the picture in your book?", the boy asked. Well, that was the first question that he could think of asking. His mind was full of thoughts about his sister murdering someone, but he tried to suppress it. Needless to say, he hoped that his sister should have nothing to do with the case, but oh well, just by hoping or wishing, one couldn''t possibly change the truth. "It was me, brother..." "I killed him..." "And I took a picture right after his death to store them...", she said as if it was nothing. She had a calm face while contrast to what the boy had imagined. "So..." "You really killed him?", he said with a low voice. His hands, that grabbed the bars until now, were shaky. Probably his entire body was trembling. That was because of the next thought that struck his mind. ''Then, was she the one who killed our parents?'', was the question that he asked himself after hearing what she said. "Tell me..." "Were you the one who killed our parents?", he asked this directly. "..." However, she didn''t answer him when she heard the question. In fact, she had a weird expression on her face. It was as if her expression were asking, ''What the heck are you saying, brother?'' "..." But the boy didn''t look at her face, probably because he just didn''t or rather couldn''t do that. Moreover, the silence that covered them after the question made him think that his sister had really killed his parents, not that she said it herself. She didn''t say anything else and just started to walk away from him. He wanted to shout and ask her to stay with him because he really needed some damnfort, but no, he just couldn''t call her. Probably he was disgusted with her? In any case, he had never expected his sister to kill his parents, but one thing was for sure, he couldn''t let her kill anyone else. ''She will be a serial killer...'' ''She will definitely be a murderer who would kill people for fun...'' "..." All those thoughts gathered around him and cornered him. It was as if the whole world was against him. He had to carry all the pressure on himself. ''I don''t want her to face the same thing that I did...'', even after all this time, he still thought of her as his sister. He didn''t want her to die s a criminal, he wanted her to die like a normal person, or rather, die as someone who would gain sympathy from many to have a good afterlife. "Ya..." "I will be a bad person for you..." Criminal thoughts had already been installed in his brain, and it only required a stimulus to get activated. Probably this was the stimulus that he had been looking for! It was a dark day for him, and probably a dark night for his sister, because it was on this day, on 25th August, the boy ran away from the jail miraculously. Needless to say, it was raining heavily and the power was cut. It was dark since it was night and during the time of shift change, only a single officer would be present. He acted as if he was getting a heart attack or breathing problem and then tackled the officer, hit him brutally to render him unconscious, and ran away! He arrived at the new house where his uncle and aunt had been shifted, needless to say, his sister too. He waited near the house while hiding near the telephone tower. Since it was dark, no one could spot him. He had a knife in his hand probably with which he wanted to murder his sister. He had discarded his human self in the prison and had now gathered all the thoughts to murder her! "..." He waited quietly until he found his sister walking towards the house. Of course, she had an umbre and a torch because the path was quite dark to walk without a light source. Well, the boy too stumbled and hit the walls many times when he came this way. "Sister..." "How are you?", he said in a low voice by sneaking behind her. "Huh?", she was taken by surprise when she heard that. She almost immediately turned back only to find his brother standing in front of her, of course, that was because the light shed on his face. ''Stab'' *cough* The next thing she knew was getting stabbed by him in the stomach from a sharp knife. She coughed up blood almost immediately. "This...", she was way too surprised to see a knife entering her stomach. The blood dripped and started to flow like a small stream reaching the boy''s hands via the knife. "Why...?", was the only question she asked right when she saw his crying face. Just like how the knife and his hands were covered with blood, his face was covered with tears in a simr manner. "Why did you murder our parents?" "They were good to you, weren''t they?", he said in a shaky voice. "..." He then paused momentarily and said, "Don''t worry, I will take every me of yours on me..." "You can die peacefully..." And just after he said that the girl slowly moved towards him despite the fact that the knife was piercing her abdomen more and more. t was just halfway through, but as she walked towards him, almost the entire part went in except the hilt or the handle. She then hugged him gently and said, "Don''t cry, brother..." "It''s fine..." "I will give your wishes to mother and father when I meet with them..." "Don''t cry anymore...", she said in a soft and shaky voice. Well, that was all, right after that she said just one statement and her life ended in his arms. "I wish..." "I could have been with you longer..." "..." To be continued... Chapter 87 Assassin His sister died in his hands. But something was different. For some reason, she had a smile on her face as if she had achieved something or had found happiness. At the same time, the boy''s chest felt heavy as if he had done something wrong. Of course, killing was a crime and it was his first time doing it, and it was probably the feeling of killing someone that was making him get the weird feeling, however it was way too ufortable to describe. He lifted her body which was already lifeless. The water from the rain had washed away the blood from his hand and the knife. Needless to say, the road was a bit tainted now because of the blood. As she was killed, the rain got intense. He then lifted his sister in his arms while keeping the knife in the back pocket and then walked all the way back to the prison. He soon reached the police station where he could see that the cops were getting ready to leave in search of him. An order for the encounter was probably given but the moment they saw himing towards them, they forgot about it and rushed towards him. They took his sister away from him and handcuffed him right after which they called the ambnce and his sister was taken away. But unfortunately, she was dead long back. Well, sometimes it''s possible to bring a person back to life, of course, if they were to enter a death-like state probably because of which the ambnce took her despite knowing that she wasn''t breathing. Regardless, the news soon became official that she was dead. His uncle and aunt rushed to the hospital and then back to the police station. "You bastard! What did she ever do to you!?", the uncle practically grabbed his cors and pped his face while saying that. "..." The boy had nothing to say. He kept his mouth closed and let his uncle and aunt hit him as much as they could. Well, they never had children probably because of some reproductive problem, so after meeting his sister, they bought her up as their own kid. It was indeed painful for them to hear the news of her death! What else could they do but hit him and shed tears while doing so? Not that she woulde back to life after doing all this. They eventually stopped after they became tired but their anger was nowhere near over. The cops didn''t stop them because they too thought that he did something unforgivable. Of course, the cops had heard about how he murdered his parents and now after seeing this, they thought that he deserved a beating at the least, needless to say, they wanted to kill such a mad psycho criminal! After they stopped, the cops started to hit him brutally. He was in pain, immense pain, both physically as well as mentally. The pain of losing his sister was already too much on top of which he was getting beaten up by the cops. Of course, he took the beatings without resistance thinking that the pain from the beatings could overtake and erase the pain of losing his sister! Well, whatever it may be, the cops hit him for 20 minutes continually with sticks and whatever they got. After that, they too got tired and left him to rot in the prison. He was bleeding, but not enough yet. Of course, with little bleeding, he wouldn''t die. All that would happen was he would suffer from pain which the cops thought was the best torture for him at the moment. p Since he caused a crime just aftermuting one, that is, killing Jo, his trial was kept the very after another seven days as it was considered to be a major case! Well, that''s what everyone thought, but the one who was pulling the strings was a friend of his father, whom he often referred to as Uncle Rebok. "Are you alright...?", was the voice that he heard while he had fainted from the pain. He opened his eyes slowly only to find the said uncle in front of him. The cops were forced to leave, that is, he held a high position so they had to obey, after all, who could deny the World''s Best Prosecutor? He had tons of money with the help of which he was able to manipte the decisions taken by the Chief judge, probably even threatened many! "Do you remember me?", he asked. "You are..." The bit could remember the person with ease because he had seen his father and mother roaming and partying with him tons of times, needless to say, he had visited their house many times. "Uncle Rebok?", he asked in a low and shaky voice. "Yes...", while saying this, he tried his best to wipe aay the blood that had covered his face and hands. "What are you doing here uncle?", the boy asked. "I''m here to rescue you..." "You will be taken to some other ce for interrogation but it would be nothing other than a facade." Just by listening to that, the boy understood that the man in front of him was trying to help him. "I don''t deserve to be rescued, uncle...", was his reply. "I don''t deserve to live..." "Huh...?", his uncle was surprised to hear that. "..." "Didn''t you hear uncle, I killed my parents, then I killed uncle Jo and then I killed my sister with my own hands", he shed tears while looking at his hands which were covered with blood even now. Well, he thought that he didn''t deserve to live anymore after killing his sister, but then all of a sudden his uncle revealed something which made him think otherwise. "You have to live..." "You have to live in order to take revenge for your parents who were killed brutally..." "You have to teach them a lesson..." When the boy heard that, not only was he confused, but also couldn''t understand anything. "Revenge?" "..." He wanted to know what he was trying to tell. "Listen..." "The uncle Jo that you are mentioning about, he was killed by your sister..." "The picture that she took ended up in your hands due to which you became a primary suspect..." "But it''s true, she was the one who killed him..." The boy knew about it all along after all she hade and told him about it. So saying this didn''t change much other than the fact that someone else other than himself knew this! "How...?" "How did you find that out?", he asked. "..." "Well, I didn''t find it out..." "I knew it all along because I and you sister made the n to kill him and we did it sessfully..." "..." The boy waspletely shocked by the revtion. "So, you were the one who suggested her to do this?", indeed, that was the only conclusion he could draw out of this conversation. "Yes, I did..." "I was the one who provided her trainers inbat..." "I was the one who turned her into a super-genius..." "And I was the one who made her an assassin...", was what he said. The boy''s eyes trembled the moment he heard that. The fact that his sister was an assassin shocked him much more than anything else. Needless to say, he understood why she was so sharp and found that he had entered her room despite the fact that he hadn''t left any noticeable clues. "...", he was speechless, he didn''t know what to say or ask. "You might have wanted to know who killed your parents...", Rebok asked. "..." He was right, the boy had been desperate the know who killed his parents. "You will know everything..." "You just have toe with me..." "..." "But I''m a sinner...", was what the boy said. That was the only thing he kept saying and it was probably that guilt feeling that was binding him. The man turned towards the exit and straighten the hay which he was wearing. He then put on the yellowish-white coat which he had been holding all this time on the ck suit. "I won''t deny that..." "You have indeedmitted a sin..." "A single..." "But a major sin..." "That is..." "Killing your sister who did nothing wrong...", he said with a low voice. "..." "You need toe with me to wash that sin away..." "..." To be continued... Chapter 88 Avenged He knew that killing his sister was a big sin, and it was something his heart couldn''t handle, but oh well, he had already done that. Of course, while she was in his arms, he could remember all the time that he had spent with her. But for him, proving her innocence was the biggest thing. "Hey, open this up...", Rebok asked a cop to open the prison and remove the handcuff too. The cops obeyed because he had an official statement to take the boy away. Needless to say, after that the boy followed the man because he wanted to know about the killers. Well, he was no longer a boy, he was a man by now. He had a lot of muscles, needless to say, got after fighting many gangsters or other prisoners earlier when he was sentenced to imprisonment. He then sat in the car which Rebok had driven till here. After that, they went away as far as they could, at least, far away from the station. ''I really want to know who did this...'', he thought. ''Who was the one that killed my parents?'' Anger had started to pent up inside him. His guilty feeling had turned into anger by now and that was what creating a volcano inside of him, of course, instead of steam andva, only anger was filled in it. Rebok stopped the car after driving for thirty minutes straight. The boy took a look at where he was and found himself near a mansion that was huge enough to be called a pce! "Come on, let''s go...", Rebok said after getting down the car. The boy did as he was asked. He followed him all the way till he reached the mansion''s door. Both of them entered, of course, after Rebok opened the door. The door made an eerie sound probably because it had been days since it was opened. The boy kept feeling that something was wrong, well, he couldn''t find any houses or shops nearby so he was cautious of the mansion which was built in a deserted ce. Regardless, he kept following him. He had no idea as to why he was brought here, well, he couldn''t feel any danger from Rebok because he knew him very well. "Alright..." "We have arrived...", he said while standing in front of a door that was on the second floor of the mansion. They had climbed the steps just a while ago and it was probably because Rebok wanted toe to the room in front of which he was standing now. Rebok then opened the door. He entered first right after which the boy followed too. "Wha-", the boy was surprised and shocked by what was in front of him. He had no idea why Rebok had brought him all the way here, but after seeing the pictures hanging on the wall, he now understood the reason. "This is-" "Aren''t these simr to the books and pictures that your sister had?", he asked. Well, he had seen only one picture from the book, but it definitely had many more, though, he didn''t get a chance to take a look at them. "Yes, and take look at that...", Rebok said while pointing his finger towards the calendar that was stuck on the wall around which all the remaining photos were arranged. "The dates...", the same marks that the boy had seen on the calendar in his home were present on the calendar that was stuck on the wall. "This is the same as...", he was speechless. He realized that whatever Rebok had told him was all true, of course, he didn''tpletely believe him earlier. "Listen..." "I''ll repeat myself..." "The only crime that you havemitted is killing your sister...", Rebok said after taking his hat off and keeping it on a chair along with his coat. "...", the boy was speechless. Well, not that he could make any excuse in the first ce. "..." The man then decided to reveal everything about his sister and the murderers. "Listen..." "The one who killed your father and mother, as well as my wife..." "Is none other than Ryuk...", was what he said. "Ryuk?", the boy had no idea about whom he was speaking about. "Here...", he then shed a photo. "Huh...", the moment the boy took a look at the picture, he was shocked. It was the same person whim e had seen a long time ago, needless to say, his bad time started from that time. "He is..." "Ryuk?", he asked in a low voice. "Yes, he is the one who killed your father and mother and my wife too..." "He was the one who attempted to kill your sister too, by setting the house on fire...", was what he said. "What the-" The house that caught fire all of a sudden wasn''t some sort of ident, rather, it was nned and was carried out so that his sister could be killed. "But why would they want to kill my sister?", the boy asked. "Sigh, I said right..." "She worked under me, I provided her many people and trained her to be a master assassin..." "She had gathered tons of proofs against him, also, she was in charge of killing him..." "But because of your foolish intervention. everything got ruined!", Rebok shouted as if he had lost something precious too! Indeed, it was probably because he had invested a lot in her and now she died before even attaining his goal! "..." "So now, I''ve brought you here because you need to fulfill what your sister had left undone...", was what he said. It was as if he wasmanding! Although the boy had great muscles and had been with thugs and prisoners for quite some time, ironically his talks hadn''t changed. But, he did try to be as hard as possible. "And, why should I listen to you?", was his question. Indeed, he could be grateful since Rebok helped him to get out of the prison, but he never once asked for it. Therefore, he had no obligation to obey him. "Don''t you want to take revenge?", this one question changed the boy''s thinking. "..." He didn''t answer that question probably because he indeed wanted to kill them with his own hands. "Your father died from the poison that was given to him in the alcohol..." "Your mother was butchered alive..." "These were confirmed from eh reports, don''t you think they should get the same punishment in return?", the man asked. The boy agreed and then shook hands with him. Right now, Rebok didn''t want an assassin, he just wanted someone smart enough to deceive others and kill Ryuk. Ryuk was the head of a gang that was formed in thest ten years, thus it was going to be a tough task. In any case, the boy had agreed, he then asked for the ns and soon enough, in a day,menced the mission, that is, when it was 26th August! He sessfully killed Ryuk and many of his men. Well, he was somewhat skilled in martial arts since he had learned some of it in the past ten years, of course, a prisoner taught him. Thanks to that, the n went much more smoothly than what was anticipated. The bottom line was that the leader died and the same was for the other men. After he returned, he got to know that Uncle Jo was also a part of this due to which he was killed by his sister. He learned that his sister had done nothing wrong due to which his guilt feeling just kept on increasing. Since Rebok had isted or taken him away while asking three-day permission, he had to go back to the trail. But since he had avenged Rebok''s wife, Rebok thought about bailing him out and preventing him from getting a huge penalty, not that it could be done easily but he ould at least try. "I hope I avenged them..." "But that does not matter..." "I killed my sister when she did nothing wrong..." "I was the worst brother..." "I lost everything..." "The worked, the time, and the God, took everything away from me..." "What would I do living alone?", after saying this he epted all his crimes. It was then soon revealed that he wasn''t the one who murdered his parents, the me shifted to Ryuk. The authorities felt shame for giving him such long punishment and making such a mistake. But they didn''t reveal this to the public because they didn''t want their reputation to decrease. However, he couldn''t be forgiven for killing his sister and his uncle Jo, which he admitted. He was given the death penalty. but as if they wanted to ask for forgiveness, they asked him to state hisst wish, of course, that was doable. "I want..." "I want a month more to live...", was what he said. "..." A monthter... "Haha, it''s better if I die on my own instead of being killed by those bastards...", was what he said to himself because he didn''t want to die in those hands which never once tried to understand him or tried to find the actual culprit. "..." And so ended his story in that world which lead to a new beginning, indeed, a beginning after the end, that is, in a new world. It was as if God listened to his prayers and wishes, he didn''t want to let the soul remain pitiful due to which he gave him another chance to live, but that was as a monster or animal or beast, and why was that? No one knows, probably he had something on his mind, or probably that was his destiny, that is, getting reincarnated as a wolf, of course, with Cheats! "..." To be continued... Chapter 89 Lost In The Land Of Lost Ones "And that was how I lost my parents, killed my own sister, and in the end died while being branded as a criminal...", was what Shin said to himself. "Ya, that boy was me..." "..." "Not again..." "I don''t want to lose again..." "I don''t want to lose as I did in my previous life...", was what he said to himself. Well, his bond with A was quite great perhaps, not to mention, he considered her as his own sister! "..." He continued to shed tears for a while because of the grief and sorrow that he was feeling just by imagining that something wrong might have happened. "..." But then soon enough he realized that just sitting and crying here won''t do any good, he had to run and search for Ae. That was because of the stat that disyed that she was alright. [ The First Vessel: Active ] This meant that she was fine and alive, at least that''s what he understood. Well, he had no idea about the path that he had to take. Of course, he thought for a few minutes and figured out something. "Ah..." "Why don''t I just try to smell them?", he asked himself. It was a good idea that he thought about. Wolves have a great sense of smell, it is about a hundred times greater than humans so they could easily pinpoint or find each other even when a storm blows by near them! It was a technique used by them to even detect their territories, well, they were indeed smart so they could identify the ces, but in case there was some abnormality, they could use their great sense of smell to detect whatever they wanted if once smelled earlier! "I remember Ae''s smell, but it has been spread out in the area and many other ces that it is difficult to track her...", he said in a low voice. So he had to think of some other alternative such as detecting the smell that could lead him directly to the humans. He turned his head here and there while thinking when suddenly his gazes stopped at a dead man''s body. "Wait..." "Can''t I just follow the scent of the humans?", he asked. Indeed, not many humans came to the forest, to be precise, a human would visit the forest once in ten years or so. Therefore, he wouldn''t find any problem if he were to follow their scent since it would be in only one direction, the direction from which they hade initially. He immediately rushed towards the dead body and started to smell it and memorize it. *sniff sniff* It took him seconds to memorize the smell of the person right after which, he turned his attention towards the den and tried to detect the smell. In an instant, he was able to detect the human scent, of course, a bit different from the ones lying here. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] -> Your speed is raised by 100% -> Dexterity of the limbs is increased by 50% -> Fatigue will start to get umted by 0.05 per second. -> Skill will get deactivated automatically the moment fatigue reaches 20 He ran as fast as he could, well, he thought about using the Wind Run too because his speed would be increased tremendously, however even before he got the chance to use it, he was forced to stop. Yes, his run was halted and that was because of the sixth sense that warned him. "Thend of lost ones?", he had arrived near the entrance of the area. To be precise, he was just a meter away from thend. Well, mana in nature isn''t stationary, it always tends to move. The mana in the Land of lost ones is no exception, it also moves, but it moves quite slowly because of the high intensity and density! "I can''t detect their scent anymore..." "It''s as if it never existed in the first ce...", his eyes were shaky and his body started to tremble. "The scent is only still here..." "Don''t tell me..." ,m "Don''t tell me that those foolish humans entered the Land of lost ones by mistake?", he said to himself. Of course, he could even see slight footmarks and the horseshoe marks on the ground which disappeared right after entering the said area. *gulp* He was nervous. He tried to take a look if they had taken any other route, but he could find none. ''This is weird...'' "..." "There should be some marks left behind, at least I should be able to smell the route which they took toe here..." "But there is nothing like that..." "It''s as if they just teleported here...", he said to himself. Since the humans had entered thend of lost ones right after entering the first, it could be said that their scent had vanished. Needless to say, due to that, he couldn''t find the way which they took, of course, he could never imagine that they were able to easily get out of the Land of lost ones! "..." ''What do I do?'' "I thought I could find Ae if I could follow the scent, but this method failed too!" He thought about entering the Land of lost Ones. Well, the ce was made up of mana of high density due to which Wind type of attacks would be useful. One could blow the mana away causing the Area to turn into normal, but no one had any idea that thend was created due to Mana. Shin thought that he could use the system''s navigation technique to locate Ae, but it seemed like that too failed. [ Specified target cannot be found ] That was the response of the system when Shin asked to detect, well, that didn''t mean that she was dead. It just meant that the system failed to find her. "I should have expected this much...", Shin said in a low voice. Since Ae and all the humans had entered thend, their presence had been erased which meant any type of detection spell wouldn''t work. Probably that''s why many couldn''t get out of suchces. And that eas why those areas were known as danger zones! "Argh..." "Fine!" "I don''t care what happens!", right after saying this, he entered the Land in order to find Ae. Was it because of the deep bond between her and him? It could be, but entering thend while knowing that it could be his graveyard was just foolishness. Just what had happened this past year that made him so attached to her? Well, that was a story for some other time, for now, the bottom line was that Shin had entered the Land of lost ones in search of Ae. "What''s this...", it was foggy, indeed, he could hardly see anything in front of him. Even if he turned his head here and there while trying to see if he could spot any ces, he still couldn''t see anything. The humans would have no problem since they had that magic tool, Wendy had at least and everyone followed his lead. They soon got out of the ce and even exited the forest without a problem, however, Shin failed to even decide which way to go! He wasn''t even sure in the first ce that they had entered the saidnd, he just assumed because he couldn''t smell them. Did that mean that he trusted his sense of smell more than his intelligence? Maybe, but it was the sense of self-sacrifice and guilt of his past life that allowed him to enter without any hesitation. "Damn it, when I can''t even see anything, how would I even know where to go?", he asked himself. "..." "Was entering this a bad idea?" "Maybe I should head out and summon ''Him'', and ask help from him..." "But I''m not sure what he will ask in return this time...", Shin sighed. He turned back so in order to get put when suddenly he found the ce filled with fog too. In fact, he could no longer tell which path he had taken to enter the area. "Did I enter from this side...?" "Or this side?" "..." Finally and sessfully, he was lost in the Land of Lost Ones while attempting to find Ae and those humans whom he suspected to have messed up his and hers sweet time! Who knows when he will get out of the area, but once he does, it''s probably the end for those humans who had taken Ae with them! "..." To be continued... Chapter 90 Blocked Skills And A Faulty Plan Shin was now trapped in the area. He couldn''t get out of it. Well, he entered it to find Ae in the first ce so it was for some reason good, but since the humans had already exited the ce, he was just getting dyed there since he didn''t know how to get out of it! "..." ''I wonder if I can summon ''Him'' here...'', was what he asked himself. He thought about summoning the dragon while being lost. Well, since he couldn''t get out of that area, it was perhaps the best possible thing that he could do. He didn''t know that dragons or elves could navigate through such ces, of course, it was possible for them because of their hypersensitivity to mana. But that didn''t mean that it was easy for them since the mana was spread through a wide area. it would turn to be a bit tough for them too! He closed his eyes after deciding that and then used the skill in order to summon the dragon. A moment after, a huge dragon appeared in front of him while roaring, at least that''s how it should have been. "What the-", when Shin opened his eyes, he found nothing more than the same white smoke-like fog surrounding him. There was no sign of activation of any skill or any spell nor was there any summon around. "No way..." A notification popped up on his screen. ''Ding'' [ Skill ''Hymn Of The Dragons'' cannot be used ] "..." "What the heck?" He was shocked and baffled to see such a message appearing on the screen, needless to say, it was weird and confused him. "Why can''t I use this skill?", he tried again and again but the same notification kept popping. ''Ding'' [ Skill ''Hymn Of The Dragons'' cannot be used ] [ Skill ''Hymn Of The Dragons'' cannot be used ] [ Skill ''Hymn Of The Dragons'' cannot be used ] [ Skill ''Hymn Of The... ] "..." Shin was speechless because of this. He could hardly imagine this happening because he had trusted that this skill would help him and save him from any danger that he faced! "Is it only this skill or..." Right after saying that, he tried to use some other skills to see if others were working perfectly or not. ''Ding'' [ Skill Dash cannot be used ] [ Skill Transformation cannot be used ] [ Skill Heal cannot be used ] "I cannot use any of these skills?" "Then what about those that I gained from Ae earlier...?" [ Skill Wind Run cannot be used ] And he couldn''t use that either. He was way too confused to think anything straight. He almost immediately took a look at his profile to see if he could actually use any other skill since he couldn''t think of one. And just when his profile was shown, he waspletely shocked. [ Profile ] Name: ??? Sex: ??? Age: ??? Weight: ??? Race: ??? [ Highlord ??? ] Rank: ?? || Max. rank: ??? Level: ??? || Max. level: 80 HP: ???/800 || Max. HP: ??? MP: ???/500 || Max. MP: ??? Exp: ???? || Max. Exp: 9999 Atk: ??? || Max. Atk: ??? Def: ??? || Max. Def: ??? Speed: ??? || Max. Speed: ??? Int: ?? || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Bite Lv.8 [ error ] 2] Dash Lv.9 [ error ] 3] Copy Lv.4 [ error ] 4] Heal Lv.6 [ error ] 5] Transformation Lv.3 [ error ] 6] me Wave Lv.2 [ error ] 7] Dark Maniption Lv.2 [ error ] 8] All Seeing Eye Lv.6 [ error ] 9] Aura Control Lv.8 [ error ] 10] Dragon''s Roar Lv.1 11] Dragon''s Aura Lv.2 12] Hymn Of The Dragons'' Lv.??? [ error ] 13] Total Curse Immunity Lv. Max [ error ] 14] Curse Eraser Lv.3 [ error ] 15] HP Eater Lv.2 [ error ] 16] Wind Run Lv.5 [ error ] 17] Aero sh Lv.4 [ error ] 18] Dispel Lv.3 [ error ] 19] Hurricane Lv.1 [ error ] 20] Winter Breeze Lv.1 [ error ] p 21] Wind Maniption Lv.1 [ error ] 22] God Wind Lv.??? [ error ] [ Passive Skills ] 1] Cold Resistance Lv.9 [ error ] 2] Heat Resistance Lv.9 [ error ] 3]Shock Resistance Lv.6 [ error ] 4] Predator Lv.??? [ error ] 5] Hunter Lv.??? [ error ] 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.2 [ error ] 7] Language Trantion Lv.3 [ error ] 8] Poison Resistance Lv.3 [ error ] 9] Poison Destroyer Lv.4 [ error ] 10] Protector Lv.1 [ error ] 11] Pain Nullification Lv.1 [ error ] 12] Fire Resistance Lv.1 [ error ] 13] Mindcraft Resistance Lv.3 [ error ] 14] Gift Lv.??? 15] Ultimate Growth Lv.??? 16] Mental Defense Lv.1 [ error ] "The heck is this?" "Why is my profile in this state?", he was shocked to see that. All the numbers were reced with numbers, at least most of them. Also, ''[ error ]'' appeared in front of almost all the skills. Though there were a few exceptions, in total, one could say that all the skills were practically sealed off! [ Dragon''s Roar Lv.1 ] [ Dragon''s Aura Lv.2 ] [ Gift Lv.??? ] [ Ultimate Growth Lv.??? ] "These are the only skills that don''t have the error stats on them...", Shin observed. "But does that mean I can use them?", indeed, that was the biggest question. Just because there was no ''error'' word, he couldn''t be assured that the skills worked perfectly fine. He had to use them and check them only after that would he be convinced! The ce had so much mana, that the mana couldn''t circte! Because of that skills that depended on mana were practically useless! That exined why even the wind mages or the wind-type monsters couldn''t escape the area despite having wind spells! It would be useless to have such spells, though they could blow mana away if one couldn''t use them. Dragons and Elves specialized in using mana. They were in fact one of the most gifted creatures who could manipte mana with ease and professionally even without any effort! Thus, they wouldn''t be affected even by such high mana density, in fact, even if they would be affected, they would get used to it soon enough. All of Shin''s wind-type skills were sealed off, even the skill with the name ''God'' couldn''t be used. Of course, that was because all of them depended on mana which could hardly circte within Shin''s body at the moment. So, No cirction meant no activation of skills or spells! That was why those skills were blocked in the first ce, the only skills that required no mana or could be activated in excess mana were fine. But the skills that were shown to him were something that he didn''t need right now. What he actually wanted was a skill that could help him summon someone for help. Of course, if navigation was working, he wouldn''t have required to use the skill in the first ce, so the system was to be med for everything. In any case, he couldn''t use the current skills because they were practically useless for now. So he decided to think of an alternative. "Hmm..." "Is there really no way to escape this ce?", he asked himself. "..." After thinking for a few seconds, he then thought about walking in just one direction. "Ya, why don''t I just walk in one direction?" "That way, I wouldn''t have to worry about which way to take..." "Some or the other way I would be out of this area after which I would be able to use navigation!", was what he said. That was a fantastic idea and it could actually work, but there was a small problem. The obstacles that lied in his area were real objects! If he were to walk in a straight path without taking any deviations, he would end up hitting a tree. When that happens, he would inevitably take a detour walk towards the side in order to pass the tree, and in that exact moment he would get lost again since the same tree and same parts of turning would appear again and again. Well, he didn''t realize the small fault in his n and tried to follow that in order to escape the area. He was able to walk for a minute or two without actually facing any problem when suddenly he was forced to stop, of course, the reason was a tree! He then tried to take a detour or turn a bit only to find simr scenes everywhere. Unfortunately, he was lost again and had no idea about the direction in which he had been walking for a minute or so. It was only after this that he realized that his n wouldn''t seed. "Tsk, then what should I do?", he was angry now because he was way too helpless! "..." To be continued... Chapter 91 A Way To Exit [ Dragon''s Roar Lv.1 ] [ Dragon''s Aura Lv.2 ] [ Gift Lv.??? ] [ Ultimate Growth Lv.??? ] He was angry because of the situation, he couldn''t use a majority of the skills and the only things that he could use couldn''t help him to get out of the ce! ''So what should I do now?'', was the only question on his mind. Well, since he recalled his past, he was quite sad. It was as if everything passed and happened in front of him. In any case, now he had to find Ae at all costs because losing someone else might end up causing him to change forever, perhaps he would even start hating the Gods and the Fate itself for giving him a lot of grief! Standing at the same ce would do no good due to which he started to walk while thinking about a way to get out of the ce. He tried walking in a single direction while hoping to find a way out but et again an obstacle, that is a tree, appeared in front of him and stopped him. A detour was inevitable and he did exactly. Thanks to that the scenes that surrounded him changed yet again. Whatever it may be, one thing was for sure, he no longer had the energy to run or do anything else. To be precise, he didn''t want to do that. That was because he was concentrating to find a way out or think of a solution. An hour passed by soon but nothing changed, the only thing that might have changed is his energy level. He was way too tired, probably the exhaustion was due to him getting randomly hit my things while running into them, for example, a boulder or a tree or some thorny bush! ''Damn, just what the heck is going on?'', he asked himself. ''I cannot find a way out...'' ''Just what should I do?'' And while his hopes were being lost and he had been tired, he found someone, in fact, met someone who could help him to get out of the ce. "Well, nice to meet you again!", Shin heard a voice, in fact, a familiar voice. He paused momentarily after hearing it as if he was shocked by it. ''This voice...'' ''I can never forget this...'', was what Shin said to himself. He turned his head right and left to see from where the voice came, of course, he failed to find it because of the fog. He walked a bit towards his right, probably with his instincts. Indeed, he was right and after walking a few steps, he heard the voice again! "Looks like you are impatient to meet me.", was what Shin heard. He almost immediately raised his head as if he was looking at the sky when he found someone sitting on the branch of the tree. Of course, he couldn''t look at his face clearly because even at such a close range the fog blocked his vision. ''Dab'' The person or to be precise, the elf jumped off the tree andnded on the ground perfectly. He then looked at Shin and said, "Nice to meet you again, young rookie." This time Shin could clearly see the elf''s face. "You are..." "The Elf Celestial?!", Shin said with surprise. He never expected to meet him again, at least not so soon. It had hardly been long since he had met him, of course, it had been a year, but that was nothing whenpared to an Elf''s lifespan! "Yes, it''s me, haha.", the elfughed as if he was genuinely happy. Well, Shin had mixed emotions at the moment. He was both shocked as well as happy to see him here. He could take the elf''s help to get out of the area, of course, he had no idea that Elf''s could navigate through such areas. Despite that, he thought that he could get out of the ce because he was a ''Celestial'', which was definitely not a small thing! "What are you doing here?", was what Shin asked. Well, one wouldn''t enter such an area unless and until he would insane so he wanted to know the elf''s reason to enter the ce. "Haha, that''s not the right question..." "The real question is, what are YOU doing here?", was what he asked. ,m It was as if he wanted to know what Shin was doing here, this proved that he was definitely not following Shin all this time. If he had been, he would have known it all along, Shin''s reason and his struggles fo entering the ce and trying to leave respectively. "I..." Shin then exined everything about what had happened. He was helpless after all and now finally he was able to see a ray of hope which he wasn''t ready to let go of! "That''s why..." "I want your help...", Shin asked the elf to help him. Well, normally the Celestials wouldn''t lend a hand to anyone. They were highly dignified and were someone who didn''t meddle with daily lives because of which it was clear that the Elf Celestial would reject Shin''s request. "..." Silence covered the area as Shin awaited the Elf''s answer. Indeed, he wanted the elf to agree to his request, but he had no idea what he was going to do because of which his heart was beating twice as fast as normal. "Earlier you were quite arrogant weren''t you...?", was what the elf asked. "Huh?", when he said that, it took Shin by surprise. "You even called me by my name and just walked away...", was what the Elf said. ''Uh...'' ''I did call him ''Elvion'' earlier...'', Shin grit his teeth while thinking that. He started to regret what he did back then. Of course, it was not something he could undo now. He could only ask for forgiveness and nothing else because right now all he cared for was Ae. "I''m sorry..." "Please forgive me for my insolence...", although it was quite hard for him to apologize, he did it regardless. "..." Elvion didn''t say a single thing after what Shin said. The silence was regained and remained for quite some time. It was broken soon enough when Elvion started to walk as if he going away. *tap tap* Shin raised his head only to see him leaving, and while this happened, he was much more regretful. He was ready to beg for forgiveness again and again but he couldn''t possibly change Elvion''s mind. He saw Elvion''s vanishing in the fog while the only thing that was left was his shadow! Even that seemed to be disappearing slowly and steadily. It was as if the world was falling apart, for Shin that is. At least that''s what he thought when suddenly he heard a voice. "Just how long will you lie there?" "Don''t you want to get out of the ce?", it was Elvion''s voice. He basically raised his voice and called him as if he wanted to follow him. "Huh...?", Shin''s tears that were going to leave his eyes stopped. He was happy all of a sudden because Elvion was actually ready to extend a hand of help. He got up and followed Elvion who was using magic that had cleared the area around, it was like a circle with a radius of 5 meters, him which had be visible! "I wonder why you even entered this area if you didn''t even know a way to get out of it...l, was what Elvion said to Shin. "Uh..." "I was just emotional..." "I didn''t want my friend to die and I''m pretty sure that the Humans might have entered this area..." "If they have, then they would be somewhere here, but I don''t seem to find anyone here..." Shin initially thought that the humans and Ae might have been in the fog due to which he thought about finding them in the fog. But when he realized how intelligent humans were, he thought that they might have made some Aerial way to get out of the ce probably due to which he couldn''t find any marks left by them or their smell or scent! "Hmm..." "I did see some humans enter this ce...", Elvion nodded his head while saying this. "What!?", Shin was surprised to see that the humans had indeed entered the ce. "Then...", Shin was about to ask Elvion to help him find them in the fog when he was cut short! "But it''s no use, they have already exited the ce.", was what he said. "They were able to exit!?" "..." To be continued... Chapter 92 Exited! Shin was already surprised that they had entered the forest, but now after hearing that they were able to exit too baffled him for sure. ''Just how smart are humans?'', was what he asked himself. Well, how did Shin evene to know that the Land Of Lost Ones was a dangerous ce? Did someone tell him or did hee to know that by instinct? It was neither of them, in fact, he became aware of it when a system notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ Lost Zone detected ahead ] [ Name: Land Of Lost Ones ] [ 300 miles ahead towards the north ] This was the notification that had popped up long ago when he has arrived in the forest and was hunting beasts. Well, he had noticed this earlier too. When he was checking the map for navigation, a particr area waspletely nk. Sometimes it was either filled with only white color while the other times it was disyed aspletely ck. Of course, he found it weird, and only after arrived close to it did he find out what it was. But he hadn''t exactly experienced such a ce due to which he knew no fear regarding the area. Probably that was why he was able to enter the area easily, indeed, while thinking about Ae that is. In any case, now Elvion was leading the way. He was using some magic that cleared the area around him thanks to which he was able to see the area clearly. And while he was walking and following Elvion, he noticed some spears on the trees. "This is...", Shin could tell that those were the spears used by humans, maybe because of the detailing or because he had seen a simr spear before near the dead body which he had found earlier! "This belonged to those humans...", was what Elvion said. "..." Elvion confirmed it and now Ashok waspletely sure that they hade to the forest! ''Well...'' ''Not that I want to mess with humans...'' ''But this is probably the third time that they have messed with me or my friends or family...'' When Shin said three times, he included the time when his parents were killed in the other world! The next time was when he Reincarnated to this world and faced the humans the moment he opened his eyes. And now was the third time when Ae went missing with their appearance making them the prime suspect! "By the way..." "Your growth rate is quite higher than any other wolves that I''ve seen..." "What''s the secret behind that?", Elvion asked. "...", Shin became speechless when he heard this. He didn''t want to tell anything about that, but he couldn''t possibly ignore Elvion because right now he was helping Shin! "Ya..." "I''m also shocked to see this.", Shin nodded his head while saying this as if he was trying to feign innocence. Then continued to walk with the awkward silence that surrounded them and followed them. A few more minutes passed by when suddenly Elvion asked, "You''re surely not thinking that I''m helping you for free right?" The moment he asked this, Shin paused walking. It came as a surprise to him, all this time he had been thinking that Elvion was just helping him out of his own without asking for anything in return, but it seemed like he indeed wanted something from Shin. "..." "Ah, why did you stop...?", Elvion asked after walking a few steps ahead. Shin started to walk again and joined him, but he failed to answer the question that Elvion ask. Well, he did r even expect an answer because he knew that help from a Celestial was not something everyone would receive. So without a doubt, he believed that Shin would be ready to do everything and anything for him, but he had his doubts. "I want you to do something for me...", was what Elvion said while walking. He no longer asked Shin any questions, he just started ordering! And it seemed as if Shin had to obey him, there were two reasons for that - first of all Shin had received help from Elvion so he was indebted. He had to pay the debt back! The second reason was simple, Elvion was one of the strongest, so agreeing to him wouldn''t hurt him. Offending him would indeed put him at a disadvantage! "Alright, so what should I do?", Shin asked. "..." "Hmm..." "Now is not the time for you to know, I will tell you once you have attained human form...", was what Elvion said. The moment Shin heard that he stopped walking. It was as if the ground under his legs broke apart into pieces. "Human form?", that was indeed something that Shin wanted to attain. He really wanted to be a human again because of tons of limitations in animal form. But that was much more difficult than bing a Celestial! So he never expected to hear something so soon, and that too from Elvion. One thing to note was Elvion''s confidence. He didn''t mention the word ''If'', instead, he said ''When''. It was as if he wasn''t doubtful at all, he waspletely sure that Shin would be able to attain the human form and probably he was keeping a task for him which he could do only when he was eligible! In any case, this made Shin much more intrigued. He wanted to know why Elvion trusted that he could transform into a human because till now there had been only one wolf who was able to do it, of course, it was the God of wolves, Fenrir also called Shin! "Do you think I will be able to do that?", Shin asked in a low voice. His primary concern was still Ae, but since the topic about transformation and humans was started by Elvion, Shin thought about asking and clearing his thoughts. "Hmm..." "I think..." "You will be able to do it...", was what Elvion said. A Celestial saying this is no less than a God saying himself! Anyone''s hope would peak up after hearing this. "Your path will be difficult and you will face many challenges, but you will definitely be able to attain a human form!" "..." It was as if Elvion was telling the future. Whatever, Shin was happy when he heard that. On top of it, he was excited to see that daye true. But for now, he continued to worry about Ae. Soon enough Elvion and Shin reached the edge of the area. They were about to exit the ce when suddenly Elvion stopped. "Huh? What happened Elvion...?" "Why did you stop?", Shin said after turning back since he had moved a bit forward. "Hmm..." "I just got this doubt..." "What are you going to do after editing this ce?", Elvion asked. "Isn''t it obvious? I''ll get out of the forest and kill all those humans who kidnapped Ae!", was what Shin said. "..." "Is that so...?", Elvion stood at the same ce and thought for a second. Then, as if he made up his mind, he started to walk again. Of course, Shin followed him closely and was soon out of the Land Of Lost Ones! He was sure of that when the fog vanished! "I''m finally out!", Shin howled probably because he was happy. Well, it was Shin''s foolishness that led him to run inside the Lost ce! If Elvion hadn''t been there in the forest, then what would have Shin done? "Thanks, Elvion! I''ll see youter..." "I''ll fulfill the promise for sure ande to help you when you are in need!", after saying this, Shin dashed away from the ce. It seemed like Shin promised Elvion that he would definitely attain human form before he died, he also promised toe and help him when he needed the most, although that might rarely happen and he could hardly be any help! "..." "Interesting..." "This is going to be interesting for sure..." "One wolf against an entire kingdom..." "Haha, he is more like a pup rather than a wolf..." "So, one pup against an entire kingdom, who would win?", Elvion asked himself whileughing. "This is indeed interesting but what is much more interesting is that..." "He was emitting this new aura which I had never seen before..." "A true dragon aura..." "It was as if I was meeting a real dragon!" "Haha!", Elvion continued tough. "But what''s more interesting than that is something which I had ignored earlier..." "This happened not one nor twice, but numerous times!" "..." "He kept calling me by name, didn''t he!?" "..." To be continued... Chapter 93 A Way To Enter Levonia "Who the heck is he again?" "..." "Shin was it?", he said in a low voice. Of course, the climate changed a bit, probably because he recited Shin''s name without knowing that there already existed such a name which was of much higher status than his own! The same thing had happened earlier too, but he was just too immersed to even notice such a thing. "I guess I should follow him to see how strong he is in reality...", was what he said. Although Lenovia was a nation built by humans, it wasn''t that prosperous. It was indeed arge nation, it could easily be considered as the thirdrgest in the continent, but despite that, the condition was rotten. Humans would even kill each other just for fun and sometimes for food and other things. Indeed, if the kingdom is supposedlyrge, the management would be tough. Much tougher would be maintaining peace and prosperity. Although it was a nation considered to be advantageous because of numbers, it could automatically be a disadvantage if all those people were to rebel! The content on which Shin was right now was called ''Maya Land'', which meant an Illusion or appearance of the phenomenal world! Who kept this name or who came up with that word was unknown, all that was known that it existed since the beginning. The word consisted of eight continents and the Maya Land was one of them. The number of human Kingdoms in the Mayand ranged from thirty to fifty only. Of course, there were other races existing between humans like Eleves and other beast-like creatures. They existed in other continents as well so there was nothing to worry about, thend was sufficient after all. Then why was Levonia so poor? Why was the management so poor? There were three main reasons for that, the current king of the Kingdom, called Adenas, was someone who put all the money in the military! It was because the kingdom''s borders were ovepping with the great forest thanks to which monsters would attack quite randomly and it would be quite often! That was why he thought that using the money for defense and the military was the best thing. But due to that, people started to die because of hunger since the money essentially stopped circting within the country. That was because he used the money to buy weapons from others causing the money to go out of their own kingdom. The money that came inside the kingdom was barely 1% of the total money sent out, which led to poverty and revolts! The second reason was that the Kingdom had faith in an old religion that believed in prophecies! Due to that, some foreign kingdoms took advantage by making fake prophecies which led the kingdom to suffer several losses, including manpower, wealth, and even health! The third reason was that the King was way too greedy than any other. He would take everything for himself and would even starve his own guard, sometimes that is. In any case, these were the main reasons as to why the kingdom was almost ruined! Now Wendy and Balton were simrly rotten since they were also born in the kingdom. Although they had human intelligence, they were no different than beasts in terms of behavior! They too were greedy till the core and would do anything for their own gain. Shin was about to face such people who were greedy as f*ck. He didn''t even know anything about them, all he cared for was the bring Ae back because he could finally see her in his navigation system. ''Ding'' [ Searching Ae... ] [ Searchpleted ] [ The being Ae found ] [ 15 miles due north ] This was the notification that he got due to which he rushed as fast as he could. p Shin had observed one thing during this entire year, he had hunted around ten names beasts that had been named by some mysterious entity. When he hunted them, even after their death, their names remained the same however it was no longer associated with them. The same name could be given to others, which was something that surprised him. How so? It was because he tried naming tiny ant-like beasts while he was doing experiments. When he names an ant, it evolved and grew in size a bit, however after killing it, he could name another ant too and with the same name! That was what surprised him because the previous ant''s dead body showed the same name too. He tried to see if it happened with living ants, however, he failed. This puzzled him even more and perhaps now he was aware how he could name himself ''Shin''. If the actual Shin, the God Of wolves wouldn''t have been dead, then he might have had no chance to name himself that! Well, there was something that surprised him even more and probably that answered how he was able to gain skill so easily! When a named beast was to die, and if another beast were to assume the same name, it would get some skills and characters from the previous owner of the name! That exined why he was able to gain skills easily, especially the heal skill! A normal wolf, even with a system, shouldn''t have been able to gain skills so quickly. The reason for the fast growth and quick learning of skills was because he had the name of a God who was dead. "So this is my second cheat?", he asked himself. The first cheat was getting a system and the second was the name that aided him in his growth! In any case, he had been in the Land Of Lost Ones for quite a long time due to which Balton and Wendy had already entered the kingdom. Shin was still outside. He had to pause after some time because he spotted the huge walls of the kingdom which were almost impossible to climb. Regardless, he had to find a way that would help him to get inside. When he was thinking about that, many notifications started to appear. ''Ding'' [ Skill Aura Control has been enabled ] [ Skill Heal has been... ] [ Skill... ] Whatever he took a nce at the texts and after realizing that they were just activation messages, he ignored them. He then looked here and there to find a way that would let him enter the kingdom easily. He didn''t want to draw any attention towards himself, all he wanted to do was save Ae and for that, he had to know where she exactly was. He was standing out of every human''s sight behind a small rock in the vast grasnd. Many humans were standing while trying to get inside the kingdom, however, there was a crowd, twice as big as them trying to exit the kingdom! ''Hmm...'' ''How do I get in...?'' He was thinking about that one thing when suddenly another notification popped up. [ 20 miles due north ] Ae just kept going farther. Shin could no longer wait after seeing the screen. He wanted to just run directly inside but that would only make things difficult. And just when he was worried thinking about it, he found a cart to his left side. The crowd was long due to which the cart was in just one ce, on seeing that, Shin smiled. "I found a way to pass through this damn gate...", was what he said. Right after that, he used the skill dash to reach the cart. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] -> Your speed is raised by 100% -> Dexterity of the limbs is increased by 50% -> Fatigue will start to get umted by 0.05 per second. -> Skill will get deactivated automatically the moment fatigue reaches 20 Right after doing that, he climbed inside the cart which had many goods in it. He just hid in one of the barrels that were open, it had some typical fruits in it. Probably the man was a fruit dealer. Since food was short in the kingdom, it made sense that lots of the dealers and traders that came in brought food since it would be over almost immediately. Regardless, he hid in the barrel that was empty and was open. He squeezed himself so that he wouldn''t be found. He didn''t even close the lid and just hid inside, probably he thought that no one would check! However, as soon as the cart arrived near the gates, the soldiers stopped and almost immediately rushed near the cart and started to check the boxes. Shin was nervous because they were checking the boxes because right next to them was the barrel which waspletely open and he was hiding inside it. "Ah, you brought fruits...", said one of the guards who was bald. "Yes...", said the trader. "Okay, you can pass...", said the same man. On hearing that Shin was happy and without knowing made a little movement with his tail causing a bit of sound from the barrel. "Wait a second..." "What was that?" "..." The man then walked towards the barrel because he saw it moving clearly while hearing the sound as a bonus. He then took a look at the same barrel where Shin was hiding. "What the-?" "..." To be continued... Chapter 94 Mimics "What the-" "There is nothing inside this..." "Why would you even carry an empty drum?", was what the guard asked. "Ah, it had fruits in it too but it got emptied while I was on the ay.", the trader said. The guard just nodded his head and then walked back towards his position. ''Then what was that sound that I heard?'' ''Was it my imagination?'', the guard asked himself. The guard had found nothing other than the shadow of the barrel and the darkness at the bottom. That was why he returned back, but if that was the case, then where did Shin go? Did he learn some skill that allowed him to be invisible? Well, the skill which he used was somewhat simr, but its main function was not about being invisible. ''Phew, that was close...'' ''If I hadn''t used this at the right time then I would have been found out!'' ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dark Maniption ] [ -> You have turned yourself into darkness ] This was the skill that Shin had used a moment ago, since he had be darkness himself, he was able to hide easily in the dark areas of the barrel. [ Dark Maniption ] [ -> the host will be able tomand darkness ] [ -> the skill will be at its highest potency when used by a being with Dark attribute ] [ -> the level of skill will affect how much MP will be consumed and the area of effectiveness ] [ -> 1 MP consumed in 2 seconds ] [ -> Area of effectiveness: 20 sq. meter ] The skill was quite useful and the best thing about it was that it didn''t need any transformation to be used, perhaps that was limited to Shin. [ MP: 494/500 || Max. MP: ??? ] He took a look at his MP and then almost immediately disabled the skill. ''Ding'' [ The skill Dark Maniption has been deactivated ] The cart then started to move and sessfully passed through the gates. It was now heading towards the market so that the trader could sell with his regr customers or other buyers. Of course, since he didn''t have that many barrels, he wouldn''t go to maid buyers because they used to buy tons at once which he didn''t have at the moment. Shin knew about this, he knew the fact that the trader would go towards the market so he was thinking of a chance to sneak out. He had never once seen human settlement, so h had no idea how the humans lived. Of course, he had the memory about how they used armors and arrows which confirmed to him that they weren''t that advance, however, he had never since seen their towns so he was a bit nervous. At the same time, he was thinking about where Ae would have been taken. ''Elvion had said to me earlier...'' ''The humans looked as if they were closely associated with the army.'' ''Hmm, then wouldn''t that mean they would have gone to the army encampment or somewhere they could brag about what they had done?'' When he heard Elvion say that this was the first time any human was able to exit the Land Of Lost Ones, Shin realized that they would brag about it and tell about their deeds. Without a doubt, their location would be exposed the moment they would do that and he could then follow them to see where they would have kept Ae. ''The link is still active so I know that Ae is alive...'' ''However I do not know if she is perfectly fine.'', was what he said to himself. The cart all of a sudden stopped, it was as if they had arrived at the market. .''Damn, that was sooner than I expected it to be!'', Shin was legitimately surprised. ''This isn''t good...'' The trader then got off the cart and then walked because he had to get the goods down from the back. He reached out his hand after arrived at the rear end and started to put things down one by one. Of course, if he had removed even one more thing, then SHin would have used his skill to blend with the darkness yet again. But thankfully, he removed only two boxes and one barrel. The trader then had some chatter with a human in anguage which Shin couldn''t understand, of course, that was because he had asked the system for a skill in exchange for the direct trantion by the system, needless to say, the system advised him to do that. However the skill was a passive one and was enabled all the time regardless of whether he wanted it or not, but despite that, he failed to understand the trader and hispanion with whim he was chatting. But when he listened carefully, he could understand a word or two like ''Busy'', ''Hectic'', ''Rates'' and ''War''. Everything else went right out of his head as if he hadn''t heard it in the first ce. ''System, what is wrong with the trantion skill?'', Shin asked. The system immediately answered his question. ''Ding'' [ none ] ''Then why isn''t it working properly?'' ''Ding'' [ The humannguage are of 5000 different types out of which the trantion works only on 300 types ] [ Advice: The system advice the host to try and learn thenguages in order to increase the skills level to unlock many more features ] ''I see, that was why the skill didn''t have much effect.'' ''I need to try and learn anguage too?'', that was something difficult to do but if put his mind to it, he could do it easily, of course, with a bit of hard work. In any case, he couldn''t sit and learn in the barrel when Ae was in danger! ''I need to escape from here...'' He stood up on two of his legs and peeked a bit towards the outside to see the surrounding. Unfortunately, the sudden sh of light from the outside was too bright due to which he had to close his eyes all of a sudden, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t see again. He opened his eyes only to find many people walking here and there. There were so many voices and other noises that were bugging him, he could understand none of them! ''Damn, there are way too many humans here...'' ''And many of them have that weird expression of worry on their faces.'' Since he was a human before, he could differentiate human facial expressions. He could see that many of the humans who were either buying or selling were unhappy. Either they were tired or were frustrated by something, this was different from the many traders that had entered the gates, including the one in whose cart Shin was hiding. ''The atmosphere is weird...'' ''Way too weird whenpared to our group...'', Shin was talking about Kira''s n which he missed at the moment. ''I can''t get lost in my own thoughts!'' ''I need to look for Ae, goddammit!'' He knew that he couldn''t roam freely in a city that was inhabited by humans. ''I need to disguise myself.'', he said to himself. The only foreign animals or inhabitants that he could see while peeking were none other than crows! ''Those will do...'' ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill transformation ] [ Choose the category from which you would like to transform ] [ -> Links ] [ -> Vessels ] [ -> Mimics ] ''One day when the transformation skill reached the third level, it suddenly started showing these three options...'' ''If I were to click on the link, it would show me other evolved options...'' [ -> Links ] [ --> Midnight Wolf ] [ --> Dark Wolf General ] [ --> me Wolf Emperor ] [ --> Half-Dragon Wolf ] [ --> Spider Wolf ] [ --> Aqua Wolf ] ''Well, I had only four of them out of which two evolved, however, I soon gained two more...'' How did he gain another two? It is a story for another time. These were the options that popped up when he clicked on the links, he didn''t want to evolve into any of these. ''And if I were to click Vessel, then...'' [ -> Vessels ] [ --> Vessel 1: Ae ] ''When I found this, I was super surprised.'' ''I tried this and it literally worked!'', Shin was indeed surprised when he had seen such a transformation. ''However, the one that surprised me the most was...'' [ -> Mimics ] [ --> Option 1: Toxos Cenepede Lv.15 ] [ --> Option 2: Heavy Slime Lv.10 ] -< choose a beast into which you need to save as mimic >- ''I had nearly fainted when I got this skill.'' ''Of course, who wouldn''t be happy if he were to transform into whatever he wanted?'' "..." ''However the option had a setback, it could only allow me to mimic beings less than Lv.20 and only those that are smaller than myself.'' "..." ''Ding'' [ Do you want to save a normal crow as the third mimic? ] "Yes..." "..." To be continued... Chapter 95 Finding Aella - Part 1 ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] [ Scanning the normal crow ] [ ... ] As Shin continued to stare at the crow, the scan started. Within a minute the scan was over, however, it seemed like the system was copying and processing the image and structure. [ Processing... ] ''Ding'' [ Normal Crow Lv.4 has been saved as the third mimic ] [ -> The host can now use the mimic to transform into one ] Now thanks to this, Shin would be able to search Ae much easily. Shin''s eyes started to glow as he selected the third option that was shing on the screen which appeared after the scanning process. [ -> Mimics ] [ --> Option 1: Toxos Cenepede Lv.15 ] [ --> Option 2: Heavy Slime Lv.10 ] [ --> Option 3: Normal Crow Lv.4 ] -< choose a beast into which you need to save as mimic >- The reason why the levels for the mimics were written was because Shin''s actual level would regress! He would be the same level as the mimic, and would no longer be able to use any skill of his own except ''Transformtaion'' to transform back that is. Of course, the other skills that he would have are passive skills! None of the active skills other than transformation would be inherited, not now at the least. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill transformation ] [ You have chosen to transform into a mimic ] [ You have chosen option 3 ] [ You will be transformed into a Normal Crow Lv.4 ] All of a sudden his body started to emit faint light and in a blink of an eye, his size was halved and he turned into a crow! [ Profile ] Name: Shin Sex: Male Age: 1 year Weight: 0.5 Kg Race: Corvus (crow race) [ Normal Crow ] Rank: E || Max. rank: C Level: 4 || Max. level: 5 HP: 40/40 || Max. HP: 45 MP: 30/30 || Max. MP: 40 Exp: 10 || Max. Exp: 25 Atk: 12 || Max. Atk: 15 Def: 13 || Max. Def: 15 Speed: 18 || Max. Speed: 20 Int: 95 || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Transformation Lv.3 2] Fly Lv.2 -> A skill that allows the host to fly 3] Clone Lv.1 -> A skill that allows the host to duplicate himself and confuse the foe. 4] Focus Lv.3 -> A skill that allows the host to increase the focus of any one of the organs. [ Passive Skills ] 1] Cold Resistance Lv.9 2] Heat Resistance Lv.9 3]Shock Resistance Lv.6 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.2 7] Language Trantion Lv.3 8] Poison Resistance Lv.3 9] Poison Destroyer Lv.4 10] Protector Lv.1 11] Pain Nullification Lv.1 12] Fire Resistance Lv.1 13] Mindcraft Resistance Lv.3 14] Gift Lv.??? 15] Ultimate Growth Lv.??? 16] Mental Defense Lv.1 There were three main advantages of mimic, one was that Shin was able to transform into other beings. The second was that his entire stats changed, of course, the exception was his passive skills, age, name, and intelligence. The advantage of these changes was unique, he could use the active skills of the mimic, and even if his HP were to drop to zero, he wouldn''t die. He would just return his normal form with full HP. If his MP was to be exhausted, after returning to real form, he would have full MP. The third andst thing was that, even in mimic form, he could garner exp points. Of course, that exp would be added to the mimic leading to the mimic''s evolution or leveling up, in total, it was something that would help him grow as a whole! How advantageous was it? Shin knew all this, he had experimented with them earlier. He wasn''t wasting his time this entire time after all. His body was covered with ck feathers at the moment, of course, he mimicked a crow after all! Instead of a long extended facial bone with sharp teeth, he had a beak, another normal feature of a normal crow. When he tried to stretch his wings, because he had to fly and get out of the cart, his wings ended up touching the barrel. ''Damn, I need to fly with the least amount of stretching...'', he said to himself. Right after that, he decreased the extension of the wings by half and then looked towards the ceiling of the cart. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Fly ] [ -> The weight of the body in total will be reduced by half ] [ -> The dexterity of your wings will be increased by 10% ] His eyes shined with green light right after which his body started to levitate. Well, this was thanks to his wings which were able to push enough amount of air downwards that lifted his body, following newton''s thirdw of motion after all! Of course, mana wasn''t involved in this case probably because this was the innate skill of the crow or birds! He was out of the barrel however he hit the ceiling because of uncontroble flight! "Ouch!", he said in a low voice. Well, he didn''t actually get hurt, his pain nullification was active after all. It was something that came out of his mouth just because he thought that it would pain by hitting the ceiling, which happens quite normally with humans! In any case, he stabilized his flight a bit however it was still quite uncontroble! He ended up falling on the ground, of course out of the cart after hitting the ceiling. "Shooo!", said the trader after observing Shin. He thought that it was a crow due to which he said that, if it had been anything else, probably it would have gotten a hit or something. Shin almost immediately flew away without wasting any time. ''This is my first time flying.'', was what he said to himself while looking at all the houses and shops that were below him. Even in his past life, he had not once traveled in a ne. In any case, he didn''t have the leisure to enjoy the views and everything. ''System, search Ae.'', hemanded the system. The system couldn''t possibly do everything. It did have a navigation option and could search objects, however, that too had a range! ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] [ Searching for Ae... ] A buffering-like moving icon popped up as if it was symbolizing the process of searching. Whatever he was just flying at a height where normal birds used to fly too. He could view many ces and out of that, he was trying to spot the ce with the majority of the crowd! ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Focus ] [ -> Your eyes have been enhanced with increased in focus ] Shin was then able to take a look at the ces much more easily. Now he could urately even look at the people''s faces, of course, he had no need for that. And just when he was searching for Ae, he found a ratherrge crowd just north of him, of course, below him! A lot of people with armor were moving here and there while most of them were standing at the same ce. Some drums were bring beaten and loud noises were being made as if they were celebrating something. ''Could it be...'', and just when Shin had thought it was the same crowd that he was trying to find, the system notification popped up confirming that he was right! ''Ding'' [ Searchpleted ] [ Ae found ] [ 0.5 miles towards north, 0.1 miles towards the ground ] As soon as this notification popped up, Shin waspletely sure that he had found Ae. Needless to say, he was now ready to rescue her, but for that, he had to actually look if she was indeed alright. In any case, since he had found the humans, now his task was to find where exactly they had kept Ae. ''It''s such a pity that I can''t transform into a human...'', was what he said to himself. ''There sure are many humans there, but where is she?'', was what he asked himself. Although he had used the skill focus he couldn''t make his eyes see everything. After all, his current level was he low whenpared to his actual level. He thought that it would be quite hard for him to spot Ae since they would have kept her inside some container or something, however, he found her much earlier than he expected when he found a man, riding on the horse and shing a bag which was drenched with blood. To be continued... Chapter 96 Finding Aella - Part 2 "That is..." The bag which the man had was drenched with blood, for some reason, Shin imagined the worst thing out of all. ''Is Ae dead...?'' On seeing that much amount of blood, his mind stopped temporarily for some reason, of course, it was partially due to the skill focus. ,m Ae was by no means dead, this thought popped up in his head because of the word ''Active'' that was still visible on the screen. This meant that Ae was alive, however, was she fine? Was shepletely alright? Those were some important questions that were to be considered. Indeed, if she was alive, then what could exin the immense amount of blood in the bag? For a moment Shin thought that the blood belonged to the soldiers however his heart was saying something else! In any case, at the moment he could see the bag clearly, and no matter what, he had decided to take that bag away. When Shin used his focused vision to look at the weapons which the soldiers had, all he could find was some swords, spears, and shields. Other than that, some soldiers held some sort ofs and other kinds of stuff, however, he could find no guns. This meant that they couldn''t fire t him and their long-ranged attack wouldn''t work, at least, that''s what he hought. However, he forgot to think about the arrows, he thought of them as some other weapons too. This was probably because he was way too busy thinking about Ae and her condition. Also, he was taking a look at the system''s screen again and again while noting the navigation portion. He then deiced to just fly away with the bag. Wendy was the one who was holding it while others were busy being proud. They were being praised due to which they had let their guards down. Needless to say, Shin took this as an opportunity. Because Wendy was distracted, the grip in the bag was loose. Shin had nothing to worry about at all. Yes, he had nothing to worry about other than the fact that Ae was quite heavy for his current state! He didn''t even consider that and almost immediately dived down from the height in which he was flying. Everyone was way too busy getting praised, this was the same with the citizens too. They were praising them without stopping even for a second. A fact to see was that the citizens were genuinely smiling, this was probably because the knights had brought fame to the country by doing something which no one had done. Of course, they didn''t have any proof of what they did but no one even asked about the proof, so there was nothing to worry. Since no one was free enough to notice a crow flying straight towards them, Shin could freely move! Within a few seconds, Shin arrived near Wendy with such speed that he was taken by surprise. It was as if some str0ong wind passed by, of course, it was Shin who passed by. Wendy dusted away the direct particles thatnded on his body due to the strong wind. He made sure to see if he was alright or something had happened and found nothing changed. However, it was only after a few seconds he realized that he was no longer holding the bag which had been lying on his shoulder! "The bag!", was what he said right after identifying that it was missing. The blood was all over his shoulder and his right palm so he was sure that he was holding the bag, but now it was nowhere to be found. He turned his gazes towards the ground however found no bag nearby. "Just where did the bag go?", he raised his voice a bit when suddenly a guard from behind shouted. "Th crow!" "It''s taking away the beast!", a guard shouted, it was the same guard who had informed about the den earlier! "What!?", said all of them because his voice was quite loud. Balton heard it too despite the fact that he was far away. He turned back to check his hearing and indeed found Wendy troubled. Then he turned his head towards the eat and raised a bit towards the direction which the soldier was pointing when he found a crow flying in an unnatural manner! "What the-", he was surprised to see the crow carry8ing such a huge bag with just its beak. The capacity of a crow to carry a thing in its beak was only 1.5 pounds ( nearly 0.6 Kg ). That was why all were surprised to see a crow, a normal one, carrying something that was 14-15 times its capacity! That was quite ridiculous indeed, no wonder that Shin found it way too hard to even fly! Was Shin abnormal? How was he able to carry such heavy stuff? Well, normally even Shin would have failed, he wouldn''t have even been able to lift it in the first ce. So how was he able to do? The answer lied in the skill that he used! [ You have used the skill Fly ] [ -> The weight of the body in total will be reduced by half ] [ -> The dexterity of your wings will be increased by 10% ] Since the weight of the body in total would be halved, this meant that anything that he was carrying would also have less weight! It was almost confirmed the Ae was in the bag and without a doubt that was true because SHin could actually recognize the subtle scent that was being emitted from the bag. Indeed, it was overtaken by the scent of the blood, however, it was still detectable. It could be concluded that Ae''s weight was reduced by half or nearly half. The rest was managed by the dexterity of his wings thanks to which he was able to fly further reducing the effect of the weight! "Shoot!" "Fire the arrows and kill the crow!", a loud cry took over the praise that was heard a while ago. How were the archers able to detect Shin? Shouldn''t his ck body have blended with the ck sky? Were the archers that amazing that they could detect him even in the nighttime despite the blending? the answer was no, they were average archers. So there was nothing about them that was able to distinguish the night sky and Shin. The reason was clear, it wasn''t a night in the first ce! It was daybreak when Shin had arrived at the city and that was the only reason why he was visible, perhaps he wasted way too much time in the foggy area! The arrows were fired almost immediately after Balton gave themand. The archers fired the arrows, however, their aim was off. The arrows failed to him, also, Shin was moving in a weird manner making them almost impossible to predict the next path. In a minute, SHin had already gone far from their sight, he wasn''t that fast, but was still fast enough to escape the soldiers who were busy trapped in the crowd! Shin didn''t go out of the town. He never passed the border or the gates. He just hid on top of a roof of a building. Although therge buildings weren''t that modern, they were still well built. Shin had no problem at all hiding on top of the roof of probably the tallest building in the town. *gulp* ''That was close...'' *huff huff* He was panting a lot, his stamina was almost nil and he had umted a lot of fatigue. [ Level: 4 || Max. level: 5 ] [ HP: 5/40 || Max. HP: 45 ] [ MP: 8/30 || Max. MP: 40 ] [ Exp: 21 || Max. Exp: 25 ] His HP had almost be nil probably because his beak was at its limit. Thanks to the pain nullification, he felt no pain, but his HP depleted way too much. When he took a look at his own beak, he could find that it was almost torn from his body, he was bleeding a lot! ''Damn, this pain nullification is turning to be dangerous...'', was what he said. Right after that, he didn''t think about himself and tried to remove the knot of the thread which kept the bag closed. "Ae..." "Ae...", that was the only thing that he was saying when suddenly he found something which he couldn''t believe at all. "This..." There was an arrow piercing right through the bag. "..." Everything in front of him turned a bit nk when this notification popped up. [ Status ] -< dead >- "..." To be continued... Chapter 97 The Past: Another Promise 3 months ago... It was raining heavily, Shin and Ae were sitting under a tree. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Heal ] [ The damage on the target is detected to be less ] [ Estimated time forplete recovery: 00:00:01:00 ( 1 minute ) ] "Ae, don''t run on your own...", Shin said while using the skill Heal on her. It seemed as if her legs were bleeding, the rear ones. "Listen Ae, from now on we need to stay near each other...", Shin said with a low voice. "Yes...", Ae replied with a simr tone. The sound of raindrops striking the ground and the tree leaves and branches were being heard. Silence had filled their surrounding. "We ran away and somehow ended up reaching this great forest..." "We know nothing about this so I hope you don''t do anything foolish.", was what Shin said. Ae nodded while agreeing to what he said. ''Ding'' [ You have entered the forest Thuren ] [ -> The 4thrgest forest in the continent ] [ -> 5th most dangerous forest in the continent ] Shin said this based on the notification that had popped up not long ago. "It''s good that I arrived in time, otherwise you would have been dead by now!" "You should be d that the only thing that happened to you was a bit of bruise and wound in your legs...", was what Shin said. He was basically giving a lecture and was telling her about what would have happened. "We have been together for 3 months, and I want to be together with you for longer...", Shin said. The moment he said that, Ae''s heart fluttered all of a sudden. This was the first time this had happened. Until now she was yful due to which she wouldn''t listen to Shin now and then, however now she was hearing him out without saying much. Shin meant what he said, he didn''t want to lose anyone else. Shin took a look at his profile to see how much of a change he had undergone in three months. Although it wasn''t much, it was still remarkable. [ Profile ] Name: Shin Sex: Male Age: 128:00:06:51 ( 128 days 0 hours 6 minutes 51 seconds ) Weight: 4.7 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Knight Wolf ] Rank: C || Max. rank: ??? Level: 39 || Max. level: 50 HP: 450/450 || Max. HP: ??? MP: 320/350 || Max. MP: ??? Exp: 3155 || Max. Exp: 3499 Atk: 220 || Max. Atk: ??? Def: 210 || Max. Def: ??? Speed: 430 || Max. Speed: ??? Int: 93 || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Bite Lv.6 2] Dash Lv.6 3] Copy Lv.4 4] Heal Lv.5 5] Transformation Lv.2 6] me Wave Lv.2 7] Dark Maniption Lv.1 8] All Seeing Eye Lv.5 9] Aura Control Lv.5 10] Dragon''s Roar Lv.1 11] Dragon''s Aura Lv.2 12] Hymn Of The Dragons'' Lv.??? 13] Total Curse Immunity Lv. Max 14] Curse Eraser Lv.2 15] HP Eater Lv.2 16] Wind Run Lv.3 17] Aero sh Lv.2 18] Dispel Lv.2 19] Hurricane Lv.1 [ Passive Skills ] 1] Cold Resistance Lv.4 2] Heat Resistance Lv.5 3]Shock Resistance Lv.2 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.2 7] Language Trantion Lv.2 8] Poison Resistance Lv.2 9] Poison Destroyer Lv.2 10] Protector Lv.1 11] Pain Nullification Lv.1 12] Fire Resistance Lv.1 ''I wonder how we will survive here...'', this was because Shin knew nothing about the ce where they had run to. They had spent three months in the previous forest and had searched many ces. They probably roamed the entire forest due to which they had an idea about each and every location. However, now that they were in a totally new ce, they had to be cautious. Just a while ago, arge centipede attacked Ae due to which she was injured. Shin took care of it with ease, Ae had shown almost no growth for the past three months, at least SHin felt that her growth was quite less. "Um..." "Master..." Shin had stepped saying anything else, he was just healing her when suddenly she spoke. "Why do you care about me?", was what she asked. "Huh?", Shin initially didn''t understand the question and dodged it. However, she asked it again and now he has to listen to it properly. "Why are you helping me and taking care of me, master...?", was what she asked. "..." Shin didn''t want to answer that because he was too busy healing her. However, he thought that there was a need to answer her question due to which he said, "Because I am your master and you are my vessel." When Ae heard this, she was somewhat disappointed and happy at the same time. She was happy to see that Shin thought of her as his vessel, however, she was sad because that was the only reason why Shin took care of her. The silence returned, and the only sound that was heard again was of the raindrops that sshed on the muddy water nearby. ''Ding'' [ You havepletely healed the target ] Since Ae had be his vessel, Shin had been restless. It was because he was always thinking about protecting her. Also, he didn''t want to be alone. The forest scared him, more than that loneliness scared him. "Master..." When Shin thought that silence had finally returned, Ae called out to him again. "Yes...?" "If this is the only reason, then why did you save me back then?" "I was just a stranger, you had no idea who I was so why...?" "Why would you go out of your way and protect me against a natural predator?", Ae was referring to the Grizzly against which Shin was thinking of battling. When she asked this, Shin was forced to ask the same question to himself. ''Why did I save her again?'', he questioned himself. ''Was it because she resembled my sister?'', his sister was definitely a human, in the previous life that is. Also, he never even got a chance of mingling with her, so it was almost impossible to see a human-like figure or character in a pup! He thought about it for a few seconds while Ae waited patiently for him to answer. She was curious and right now she raised a question that had been lingering on her mind for a long time! "It''s because..." "I had met a wolf after a long time.", Shin answered. "Eh...?", Ae was surprised by his answer. But whatever he said as the truth, he had indeed met a wolf, someone simr to himself after a long time. That was why he thought that it would be good if he were to save her. However, that didn''t exin why he went out of his way and put his life in danger just so that he could protect someone of his kind. Was it because of his human nature? But his human nature had been corrupted enough and be selfish and think like a killer, so it couldn''t have been that. Then what was it exactly? ''It was just a feeling - I wish I could tell her that.'', he said to himself. In any case, he had answered after which Ae didn''t question anymore. All that they did was wait there until the rain stopped. "..." "I wonder how long it would take for the rains to stop...", Shin said it out loud because he was genuinely frustrated. It was daytime however the clouds covered the sky. Everything was visible despite that, Shin was worried that the ones that were following might end up finding them since they were only at the edge of the forest! "Master...", Ae called him again. "Yes?" "Master, if one day I would be hunted by some evil enemy..." "What will you do?", Ae asked. Shin didn''t hesitate and almost immediately said, "I will rip the bastard apart and eat himpletely while he would be alive!" He was referring to any and everyone that would harm her, the instant answer was what pleased Ae! Ae was shocked by his sudden reply and stared at her for a moment. She smiled and then lied down on the ground. She was probably the happiest at the moment, regardless it seemed like she had something else to say. "Then, can you promise me one thing...?" "Hmm...?", Shin wondered about the promise which she talked about. "If..." "And only if..." "I were to die, then please run away instead of doing anything crazy..." "..." Shin''s eyes widened right after which he asked in a low voice, "Are you still worried about what that crazy bastard said?" "..." Ae didn''t say anything and decided to keep her mouth shut. "Haha, don''t worry, no one will be able to kill you..." "Not until I am alive at least..." "..." Back to the present... "I promised to protect her..." "..." [ Status ] -< dead >- "..." ''Aooooooooo'' To be continued... Chapter 98 Shins Rage - Part 1: Monster ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill transformation ] [ -> Revert ] Well, since there was only one option, it would get automatically activated if not chosen for ten seconds. ''Ding'' [ You have returned to your true self ] The drawback of the transformation skill was that, without returning to your former self, you couldn''t transform into anything else. That was the reason for a single option appearing in front of him. It was only after this that he recalled the past and then howled while being filled with agony. ''Aoooooo'' ''lub dub lub dub'' His heart was beating fast. Blood was gushing through his veins and arteries causing his body to get heated. His eyes were opened widely all this time as he stared at the system screen in front of him. How did it even pop up? It was because of Shin since he wanted to check Ae''s condition when he spotted the arrow. Not even a drop of tear was found in his eyes. He got a big shock after all. After howling, his heart started to beat faster instead of calming down. Most of the time pups, wolves, dogs, or other simr animals howl when they either lose someone of their own kind or when they lose their loved ones. Shin had no intention of howling, it just happened on its own. "Ha..." "This is funny...", was what he said. He then slowly turned his head towards his right side from where he tried to escape when he found all the humans running here and there. Especially the soldiers were searching for Shin probably because they knew that he couldn''t fly away with the heavy load and even if he tried, he wouldn''t have gone that far. They weren''t wrong at all. Shin was in their own territory, however, was that a good thing? "I broke a promise..." "I couldn''t protect you.", was what Shin said in a low voice. He hadn''t blinked even once till now after he had seen the death status! "And now I''m gonna break another..." "I don''t think I can forgive them for doing this.", he said and jumped down the tall building. While he did get hurt because of the jump from the great height, it wasn''t much. Needless to say, only an ounce of HP was lost while he felt no pain thanks to his pain resistance. "That is...", the soldiers were just searching for the crow and the bag when suddenly they found Shin in front of them. Well, seeing a beast out of nowhere in the middle of the town would make anyone and everyone bewildered. Balton rode the horse and arrived at the scene too when he found Shin. Behind Shin, the huge building stood, towards his right Balton, and soon Wendy arrived and blocked his left side. In front of him, there were the soldiers who hade earlier! The building was exactly in the middle of the town due to which there were four routes or paths around it. Needless to say, since his back was blocked by the building, he couldn''t go around it to reach the fourth path to escape. He didn''t want to escape in the first ce. "A beast?" "What is a beast doing here?!", all the soldiers were shouting and were causing chaos. Despite being in the chaos, Shin couldn''t hear anything, not even the notification that popped up. ''Ding'' [ Skill Language Trantion has leveled up ] [ Lv.3 -> Lv.4 ] [ The host will now be able to understandnguages in a better manner ] [ 5 varieties of previously exposednguages will be added ] Clearly, this meant that he could understand the humannguage which the people were speaking in the town since he had been exposed to that earlier. It was of no surprise that the skill leveled up since he had been hearing a lot of words all this time while this skill was trying to convert them to understandablenguage! Shin didn''t mind this at all. In fact, the silence that he was hearing was quite scary. Silence can''t be heard, it can only be maintained, however, he was actually hearing the silence! A voice, the voice of the silence was echoing in his mind. He was way too emotional and unstable to realize that it was his own inner voice! ''Kill.'' ''Kill.'' ''Kill them!'' That was the only thing that he was hearing, Ae''s words and memories about her shed in front of his eyes but it included the times when he was happy. The memories about her words and promise seemed to have been restricted. "Well well, we did lose that beast..." "However we got someone simr to that one!", was what Balton said. Taking this beast would also get them fame when they would either lie or exaggerate. "I''m sorry Ae..." "I''m going to leave everything to my rage and instant..." "I''m too tired...", was what Shin mumbled. Surprisingly, the soldiers and Balton including Wendy heard this even in the chaotic situation. More than that, they actually understood what he said! "Did that beast just speak...?", was what Wendy asked in a low voice while sweating profusely. However it was only him and a few men around him who heard this, Balton failed to hear this and others didn''t too because of what he announced. "A talking wolf!" "Kill it! The one who brings me the wolf will get 1000 gold coins!", Balton announced. The soldiers heard that and charged like mad fools. "Hyaaaa!" Some wielded spears and some wielded swords. The groups of archers were quite back and were not at the scene. "Ha..." "First you killed Ae, and now you want to kill me?", Shin asked. The ones who had rushed to kill him suddenly halted. "Wha-" ''Ding'' [ Immense Rage is detected from the host ] [ The foes will be intimidated ] [ The skill Aura control will be disabled ] It seemed like the system fully supported what Shin was doing. "M-" "Monster!", all the soldiers who neared him shouted in unison after seeing and feeling the dominating aura. A shadow suddenly seemed standing which had red glowing eyes. "Monster!", they kept shouting. Some rushed and tried to kill him due to fear, unfortunately, that was the exact moment when they lost their lives. The moment they felt the aura or the moment they saw a talking of, they should have realized that they were messing with the wrong being. If they had tried to run away, they might have even got away from him because of therge number, but once they pointed the weapons at him, they should have realized that they were sending an invitation to the DEATH itself! ''Ssh'' ''Spursh'' ''Ssh'' Fifteen fountains of blood were created all of a sudden. The blood gushed out of the necks of the fifteen soldiers who had surrounded Shin and were trying to attack. Their heads were missing and precisely because of that the blood gushed out upward while covering the shiny silver armor of many soldiers. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Aero sh ] The heads that were missing soon fell on the ground. One of the heads went flying a bit bizarrely and ended upnding on Wendy''s hand. It was as if he was trying to catch the head, however, he has just ced it near his belly when suddenly the headnded. "S-sir...", the cut head said this and then his eyes just rolled up. "A-" "Ahhhhhhhh!", Wendy shouted with all his strength after seeing the sliced head on his hand. The slicing happened so suddenly that the man who died failed to realize that his head was shut. More than that, he spoke even after his head was cut. The blood gushed out of the heads too which made it look like a rain of blood! Blood dripped and flowed out of the head which Wendy was holding. His hand was already tainted with blood however that made no difference because he had a small pool of blood in his hand when the head just fell down. Basically, the blood ripped down his hands when the space between his fingers was made. "Monster!!!!" Everyone started to shout, including Wendy. The humans were no match to him at all. How so? It was because Shin had confirmed their levels earlier when he was flying like a crow. [ Name: Balton ] [ Rank: B || Max. rank: A ] [ Level: 47 || Max. level: 100 ] Balton did have some skills due to which he was able to harm Ae, however, he possessed almost no harm to Shin. When the general was so weak, then why was there a need to fear the average soldiers? "Monster!", this word seemed like a chant at the moment. Everyone, even Wendy, was shouting this with fear! *gulp* "Monster...", Balton said in a low voice while sweating profusely. "..." To be continued... Chapter 99 Shins Rage - Part 2: Flame Wolf Emperor ''I didn''t see movements, then how did they die...?'', and just when Balton said that, he recalled the moment when he had tried fighting Ae. ''Didn''t that wolf use this?'', was what he wondered. He could clearly remember the skill because this was what killed a soldier in front of him while shing him into two pieces. Also, he was hit with the attack too. The huge cut on his armor was due to that skill that Ae had used earlier. "..." ''No way...'' ''Is this wolf rted to that one?'', he asked himself. But more than that, he was confused about something else. ''Weren''t white wolves supposed to be the rarest and weakest?'' ''That''s what we were told, but ording to what we saw, they are strong, stronger than any normal wolf!'', Balton wondered about this after thinking about Ae and Shin at the same time. Right now he didn''t have the leisure to think anything more. It was because he was in front of the said being which the old sage had mentioned. ''My body...'' ''It keeps heating up...'', Shin said. He kept using the Aero sh skill and continued to kill the soldiers. While many tried to attack him earlier, many more tried to run away now. The chaos was no more whenpared to earlier. Wendy ran away along with many soldiers while Balton was still there. He wasn''t able to make any quick decisions. In any case, he kept thinking about Ae and the attack because Shin was replicating the same thing that had happened. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Transformation ] [ Choose the category from which you would like to transform ] [ -> Links ] [ -> Vessels ] [ -> Mimics ] "Links...", Shin said in a low voice as he started to walk towards the only soldiers that were left, on the Balton''s side that is. Other than them, all others had run away! [ -> Links ] [ --> Midnight Wolf ] [ --> Dark Wolf General ] [ --> me Wolf Emperor ] [ --> Half-Dragon Wolf ] [ --> Spider Wolf ] [ --> Aqua Wolf ] "me Wolf Emperor...", Shin said this while howling. ''Aoooooo'' Balton at the same time extended his right hand and fired an attack. "Fire st!", he said in a loud voice. Right after that, a red-colored magic circle appeared in front of his right hand from which a sphere of fire emerged and was sted off towards Shin. ''Boom'' The attack destroyed the surrounding area a bit. Of course, no one was affected by it because they had escaped from the ce. The only one who was affected by that was Shin but was that really true? It seemed like Balton was a secondte when he fired that because Shin had already used his skills to transform. A tornado of mes rose till the sky. Shin was at the center of it. ''Ding'' [ You have transformed into a me Wolf Emperor ] [ All your stats will be changed and will be temporarily reced ] [ Temporary skills would be added ] [ ss-specific and evolution specific skills will be retained ] [ Passive skills will be retained ] [ Profile ] Name: Shin Sex: Male Age: 1 year Weight: 20 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ me Wolf Emperor ] Rank: A || Max. rank: ??? Level: 71 || Max. level: 80 HP: 800/800 || Max. HP: ??? MP: 500/500 || Max. MP: ??? Exp: 5859 || Max. Exp: 9999 Atk: 280 || Max. Atk: ??? Def: 250 || Max. Def: ??? Speed: 540 || Max. Speed: ??? Int: 95 || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] me Vortex Lv.2 2] Dash Lv.9 3] me Wings Lv. 2 4] me Heal Lv.1 5] Transformation Lv.3 6] me Wave Lv.2 7] Fire Maniption Lv.4 8] All Seeing Eye Lv.6 9] Aura Control Lv.8 10] Dragon''s Roar Lv.1 11] Dragon''s Aura Lv.2 12] Hymn Of The Dragons'' Lv.??? 13] me Destroyer Lv.2 14] Burn Lv. 1 15] Heatwave Lv. 3 16] Fire Wall Lv. 2 [ Passive Skills ] 1] Cold Resistance Lv.9 2] Heat Resistance Lv.9 3]Shock Resistance Lv.6 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.2 7] Language Trantion Lv.3 8] Poison Resistance Lv.3 9] Poison Destroyer Lv.4 10] Protector Lv.1 11] Pain Nullification Lv.1 12] Fire Resistance Lv. Max 13] Mindcraft Resistance Lv.3 14] Gift Lv.??? 15] Ultimate Growth Lv.??? 16] Mental Defense Lv.1 He did get some extra skills that reced many of his original skills. Also, the passive skill Fire Resistance was maxed out which was understandable. He had used this transformation earlier so he wasn''t surprised by this. Even if this was the first time, he wouldn''t have been surprised because he simply wasn''t stable at the moment! The fire tornado subsided soon enough right after which Shin, in his fire wolf form became visible. Shocked? The people were way beyond the point of being shocked! Shin had not only grown in size but also had gained weight, he was now double the original, both, in size and weight! This shocked all of them. Also, the breathtaking heat that was being emitted from his body made them bathe in sweat. Their clothes soon became drenched with sweat which they didn''t seeing. *tap tap tap* ''Chisss'' The sound of his walking and the ground being burnt was heard. HIs paw marks were literally getting imprinted on the ground. The mark seemed reddish because of the heat that was being emitted from the marks! "Why...?" "Why is such a beast here?", Balton asked in a loud voice. When Shin raised his gazes and looked at Balton who was preparing to escape, he understood that he was the leader, at the moment at least! Balton swiftly tried to escape while many soldiers followed him closely. Did they really think that they would live after angering Shin? How foolish. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Fire Wall ] [ -> A wall of fire would appear in front of the foes ] [ -> No foes in the range of 100 meter will be able to escape ] A wall of fire emerged and cut off Balton''s escape route! They did stop because of the wall of fire, but they heard a loud scream right when the fire wall emerged! "Ahhhhh!" The people who were standing at the ce were literally burnedpletely and were turned into ashes almost immediately because the wall of fire emerged right where they stood and watched the happening. The bright light emerging from the mes shed on Balton''s and the soldiers'' faces. The citizens of the Kingdom who were on the other side of the wall were terrified by that. They are away as soon s they saw that because staying there would be fatal! "Where do you think you are going?", Shin asked with a heavy tone. His voice was the same but it sounded heavy and dominating. All of them were scared not only because of the mes and Shin''s fire form but also because of the Aura and killing intent that Shin had been emitting. The sky was bright, because of the sun indeed, but at the same time, the mes made it brighter! ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Burn ] [ -> Select foes ] The skill burn is a powerful skill that allows the host to choose the foe and burn them! It''s somewhat like a curse, it continuously burns and causes immense pain until the target dies! "All humans in the range of the skill...", Shin said. Basically, it didn''t matter if they were normal citizens or soldiers. He was consumed by rage after all. Anyone could say that after seeing his red glowing eyes amidst the aura and the me that had beening out of his body. [ Command epted ] [ All humans within the range of 100 meters will be affected by burn ] "Huh...?", the soldier that was closest to Shin suddenly started to feel something weird. "Ah-" "Ahhhhh!", his skin started to change all of a sudden. Burn marks started to appear throughout his body, his eyes were no exception. The white part of the eyes were turning brownish. Even without fire, he was being burnt alive! The scream then spread from one person to the other, all the soldiers stayed to scream. There were still some citizens within the hundred-meter range who were affected by this. They started to scream and shout because of the immense pain which made them seek death! "It''s better if all of you die..." "My thirst for blood won''t get satisfied until I kill every one of this kingdom!", Shin dered. "..." To be continued... Chapter 100 Shins Rage - Part 3 The skill worked like a curse and spread from one person to the other. The color of the skin started to change rapidly and so did the screams, at first, the screams were filled with agony and fear, but now they contained they were much louder and painful even for those who weren''t affected by that. In any case, it seemed like all the humans were going to die today. Shin was definitely powerful in his normal form, but while being in me Wolf form, he was essentially unbeatable. "Yes, scream more..." Shin was enjoying this while it was the opposite for the others. Well, he was already out of his mind because he came to know about Ae''s death. Yes, Balton was strong, but he wasn''t strong enough to stop Shin. No matter what he would do, in the end, he would be doomed! Many tried to remove the armor thinking that it would cool their body. But it just made them hotter. Well, Shin was nasty too, he used a skill that made the surroundings hotter. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Heatwave ] [ The temperature in the surrounding will be raised ] [ All beings in the surrounding range of 50 meters will be affected ] The moment he used the skill, the temperature inevitably increased which only hurt the humans even more. He was not a fan of the heat himself, but he didn''t think anything of that sort at the moment. *tap tap* He walked towards the soldiers who were dying one by one. How did he know that they were dying and were not fainting? Of course, it was the system. ''Ding'' [ You have killed 34 humans ] And right after a moment, a simr message would pop up. ''Ding'' [ You have killed 39 humans ] With this, he was finally sure that he was killing those idiotic humans who caused him so much pain! He had nothing more to do, oh yes, eating! Other than eating the ones he killed, he couldn''t think of anything else. ''Splish'' ''Ssh'' He started biting the humans who were still alive. Yes, he left the dead alone while he continued eating those humans who had just fainted or were still under the effect of the skill. He just wanted them to suffer and nothing else. "Ahhhhh!", who wasn''t shouting? Literally, any and everyone was shouting, the ones who weren''t affected tried their best to run away. The ones who were affected just hoped to die as soon as they could, the reason was simple, the pain was just unbearable. Also, they didn''t want to get eaten by Shin because he was basically biting and tearing off their flesh which only increased their pain. Shin only bit the arms and legs so that their de4aths would be further dyed while pain would be increased by several folds. ''Ssh'' Blood kept spilling and almost all the soldiers were dead except Balton. Balton was still alive probably because of his high level. He was definitely affected by the skill however due to his high HP whenpared to others and higher endurance, he managed to stay alive until and unless Shin arrived near him. "What do we have here?", Shin said in a weird dialect. In any case, Balton waspletely scared of Shin, he was so scared that he had already pissed himself. Not that Shin cared about that, he was just staring at his face. He wanted to see fear and Balton was showing that exactly. "So, how would you like to die?", Shin asked. "Ah-", Balton could hardly speak. The pain with which he was suffering was immense. He could hardly muster any strength to even hear him. Not that he could do anything about the situation. "Answer me..." "Balton bastard...", was what Shin said. "I-", of course, at this stage, he would want to die peacefully. However, he knew that Shin wouldn''t let that happen. "Why...?" "Why are you trying to kill us?", was what Balton asked. "..." Shin got even more pissed when he heard his question. The person who killed Shin''s beloved one, couldn''t even remember what he did. Shin felt as if he was the bad one here. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Burn on the target ] [ Because of previously affected Burn skill, the effect will be amplified ] "Arghhhh!", Balton shouted. He was now being tortured in a much more horrible manner. Now the pain had doubled and the intensity with which the burn marks started to appear increased too. His entire body was soon going to be covered by the marks. "Stop! He even thought about getting out alive, however, that seemed like a dream at the moment. But, he didn''t give up. Probably because he knew that help was on its way! The magic dwellers can handle the magic beasts, this was a piece ofmon knowledge. Although the adventurers'' others could use magic, the ones who could use that professionally were called the mages who were given a separate position entirely! He was hoping for them to arrive as soon as possible but that didn''t seem possible. "Why do I attack you ask...?" "Haha, foolish bastard..." "It''s because you killed my dear one!", he said with a loud voice. Balton felt as if he was going to be blown away because of the voice, but after hearing that, he became even more confused. ''Kill...?'' ''Is he really talking about that Wolf?'', Balton asked himself. He was thinking about the Aer at the moment, earlier, he had seen that Shin''s attack was simr to that of Ae''s that was why he thought that they might have been rted. But when he thought about that again, he concluded that all the white wolves could use that type of attack. But now after hearing Shin, he understood that he was wrong. He realized that Shin was indeed talking about Ae! "So you finally remembered?", Shin asked after seeing Balton''s sudden expression of realization. "Y-yes..." "But...", it seemed as if Balton wanted to say something. However, Shin didn''t give him an opportunity to say anything. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill me Vortex ] [ Heat in the surrounding will be doubled ] [ Damage to the foe will be doubled ] A tornado appeared all of a sudden. It emerged from the ground and looked as if it was touching the sky. At the center, only Shin and Balton were present. Although all the air gets sucked out of the center and it bes quite hard to breathe, both were fine because due to fire the air remained in the center. ''Haha, this is fun...'', Shin said to himself because he heard the screams intensifying. When this happened, Balton''s skin started to disappear for real! "Listen..." "Please listen to me!", Balton started to cry. No matter how brave one tries to pretend and ept death, it would always be painful and one would always be afraid of it. The same was the case with Balton, although he was asking for death a while ago, now he wanted to live! Shin''s eyes were still glowing with red light. It was scary as hell. ''Ding'' [ The blood pressure has gone beyond the limit of the host ] [ Detected, Rage is harming the host ] [ Suppressing Rage ] [ ... ] ''Ding'' [ Failed to suppress host''s rage ] [ Finding an alternative ] [ ... ] ''Ding'' [ Restricting MP usage ] By doing that, the skills that Shin had used started to weaken and soon enough they disappeared. Of course, the burn skill was still in effect however the vortex that had been spawned a second ago disappeared! Shin was much angrier at the moment. He knew what had happened because he noticed the system notification. In any case, he knew that his body was being harmed however he didn''t care about that. All he thought about was killing Balton! ''I...'' ''I want to rest now...'', Shin said to himself. He had over-exerted himself so what he said was absolutely right. He was now tired of what he was doing, he just wanted to go back to the den and sleep. ''Let''s wrap it up...'' While this was on his mind, his gaze seemed much more terrifying, probably because he was finally advancing because he wanted to bite Balton''s neck off of his body! He opened his mouth and was about to bite Balton''s head off when suddenly Balton''s words made him pause what he was doing. "What did you say?", Shin asked. " That Wolf wasn''t killed by us!!", was what he said. To be continued... Chapter 101 Survival Of The Fittest: A Leg Piece "The wolf wasn''t killed by us!", the moment when Balton said this, Shin paused. It was as if he had turned into a statue for a moment. Of course, hearing something like that would shock him because until now he had been thinking that it was these humans who killed her! ''Are you for real?'' ''Someone else killed her...?'', was what he asked himself. Blood was oozing out of Balton''s body. He was injured beyond his limit and was still suffering from the pain even after revealing something so shocking. ''Then...'' ''Who killed her?'', was the only thing that he was thinking at the moment. "Tell me, who killed her then?", Shin asked. At the moment, he had mixed emotions and expressions. He failed to understand if what Balton said was the truth or not. He couldn''t possibly believe anyone on a whim! Also, he was talking about a human at that! In this world, where even aminals and beasts could lie and scheme, believing humans would be a challenging task. "We..." "We didn''t kill her...", he repeated the same thing that he had said a while ago. "And..." "She isn''t dead...", was what Balton said. "Huh...?", this was some sort of joke that Shin was hearing at the moment. Although he wanted to believe that, it was unfortunate that it was a lie. "It would have been good if your words were true." "However a dead person cannote back to life...", was what Shin said. "The lie that ising out of your shitty mouth isn''t that bad, but it''s affecting the wrong side of my heart.", Shin said with a fierce re. Although Wolves'' had hearts with four chambers, it was believed that they had an extra space for supernatural things. The same was thought about the foxes too, their close rtives. That part of the heart was thought to get filled with the emotions that the wolves would have when their body would get overfilled with a particr emotion! And at the moment, that part was filled with sadness and anger. Shin waspletely sure that Ae was dead and that was because of the stats that he had seen a while ago. He didn''t suspect the system even once probably because he had be ustomed to it long ago. All this time he had been doing as the system asked because of which he was believing it more than believing himself. Of course, he found Ae thanks to the system so he had nothing toin about it. "I''m tired of your games.", Shin said because he felt as if Balton was just spewing lies while hoping for his survival. Though, Shin wanted to hear each and everything he had to say because, at the moment, the only thing he could hope for was that his words were true! "I''m not lying, even before we could kill the wolf, it ran away!", was what Balton said. It did seem satisfying because Ae had exceptional speed stats. Even if Balton were to chase Ae while riding the horse, he wouldn''t be able to catch up to her. Even Shin would be no match to her if pure stats of speed were taken into consideration but oh well, even if it was satisfying, Shin couldn''t believe it. "I swear, I never killed a wolf of that forest!" "No, I never killed a wolf in my entire life!", Balton shouted at the top of his voice which reached Shin''s heart! "..." For a second, Shin thought about what he said deeply despite thinking that those were all bullsh*t. ''A dying man never lies...'' ''But a man who is trying to survive would definitely lie or do anything in his power that would enable him the extension of his life.'', was what Shin said to himself. Interesting as it may be, Shin was forced to take a look at the status of Ae yet again. It could have been an illusion too so he thought about checking again. ''Swish'' In a second, he vanished from the ce where he was standing and appeared at the top of the building just next to the bag. [ Status ] -< dead >- He could still see the same stats however there was something different that he noticed. ''This bag does have Ae''s scent, however, it''s not that strong.'', he wondered. The tears that were flowing down his eyes, the rage filling his heart and all other emotions were halted for a moment. "Something is weird...", was what he said. He was a crow at the beginning but despite that, he was able to lift Ae. Surely, the skill Fly reduced the object''s weight, but no matter what, a crow would fail to lift something heavier than 1.5 times its own weight! Normally it was believed to be 0.6 kg, but the maximum was 1.5 times its own weight! But what Shin was carrying seemed almost within his capacity or a little over that which only used a light ripping of the beak! If it had been Ae, then it would have been a done case for Shin! He wouldn''t have been able to lift that in the first ce. Well, normal world logic would be applied to him too after all he lived in that world too and was an entity epted by the world, at the moment at least. He ripped the thread or rope that had been closing the opening of the bag with his sharp canines. Right after that, he peeked at what was present inside only when he found somethingpletely different inside it! "What the-" "..." "A beaver?", he asked himself. There was a beaver with a size that wasparable to him. He recognized it almost immediately because he had hunted a simr one long ago. "This is ridiculous..." At the moment, a sense of relief covered his body because he was happy that the dead status belonged to a wild beaver and not his dear Ae. "Just how much of an idiot could I have been?", the tension of the situation was so much that he was confused because of which he didn''t realize this earlier. And just by seeing the status, he attacked all the humans. For a moment he started to feel bad and the feeling of guilt returned from before. However he still had a question in his mind, ''If Ae wasn''t here, then why was the system''s navigation pointing here?'' Indeed, that was something he had to be rified about. It was purely because of the navigation he assumed that the dead one was none other than Ae! When he took a look at the navigation, it was still pointing towards the bag saying that Ae was inside that. Yes, he had taken a look at the ''Link Active'' stats so he was for sure that the dead beaver was no illusion made up to cover Ae''s death. She was definitely alive, but the weird system texts made him confused even more. Balton took the opportunity to scream and say, "Why did you attack us?" "Don''t you have any conscience?", was what he said after seeing that Shin was a bit guilty. "I''m...", and just when he was about to apologize, the bag slipped a bit and the beaver came out. Needless to say, the bag tore because of the arrow which got dragged along with the beaver''s body. Just when that happened, something else became visible too. ''Ding'' [ Ae found ] This notification popped up right after this, a leg covered with white fur became visible. Most parts of the fur were covered with blood however the fur was definitely white. He saw that, and for a moment he became blind! His mind was nk because he very much recognized the leg. It was Ae''s forelimb which came out of the bag! ''Ae...?'' He now understood why the system continuously said that Aw was present in the bag. Well, this had happened once earlier too. The system would detect the objects with which the target would be attached and would identify it as the target itself unless and until the target is within the area! But after knowing that one part of Ae was missing, Shin got mad all over again. In this world where survival of the fittest was the primal rule, Ae without a leg would be one of the worst possible situations. Since she isn''t fit because she has lost a leg, nature will try all its means to eradicate her. ''Ding'' [ The system failed to suppress mana ] [ The host would return to the previous state of rage and madness ] "..." ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Burn ] [ You have used the skill Burn ] [ You have used the skill Burn ] x 5 "..." To be continued... Chapter 102 Escaped At Lian Plains Shin snapped, he snapped right after discovering Ae''s leg. Oh well, he was angry yet again because of this. He continued and used the same skills again and again only to cause Balton pain. Now the mystery awaited him, he had heard Elvion say that he had seen humans carrying a wolf. So it only confused him more because Balton said that he never once killed a wolf. The leg piece gave a different impression, however. In any, Shin knew one thing at the moment ¨C Ae wasn''t dead. He wanted to meet her as soon as possible but had no idea where she went. On top of that, he was continuously worrying and thinking about her safety because she was handicapped at the moment. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Burn ] x 3 While he continued to use the same skill on Balton, he thought calmly about the situation. What about Balton? Well, he was almost dead! The upperyer of skin had already vanished from his hands and legs. While it was still intact on his face, some patches had been formed making him look quite ugly. Blisters? There were tons of them. It was a hard sight to see. Needless to say, Shin would have continued to use the same skill until Balton died. Balton was unlucky for sure, the moment he thought about entering the forest, he had already paved the path via which he was weing death. But for now, it seemed as if he was lucky. The mages arrived before Balton waspletely dead. The same was with the knights and other top-tier soldiers. Well, the town in which Shin was at present was called Reonoa, it was the outermost city in the Kingdom of Levonia. That ce definitely had these things called barracks where many top-tier soldiers used to train. Since it was a ce near the edge of the Kingdom and closest to the forest, many more soldiers present there. This included mages too. That was why they arrived so early. ''Water Arrows!'', all of a sudden this shout was heard. Shin turned back only to find many mages standing and aiming at him. A blue-colored magic circle was formed and many arrows made up of water were fired towards him. *swift* Shin dodged the attacks swiftly. The attacks were perfectly aimed at him so Balton didn''t get hit with them. Of course, a bit of water wouldn''t affect his scorching red hot body. But the number of arrows that flew towards him was easily over twenty or thirty. Also, he had no idea about the type of attack that was fired towards him. ''Ding'' [ Fear: 91/100 ] [ Respect: 08/100 ] These were some additional stats Shin had gained earlier. However, he hadn''t used them even once. Of course, with the help of these, he could tell how one felt. [ Fear -> The host can see the target''s fear count ( How much the target fears the host or how much others fear the target ) ] [ Respect -> The host can see the target''s respect count ( How much the target respect''s the host or how much others respect the target ) ] Just when he dodged the attack, he took a look at Balton''s fear stats. ''He is telling the truth¡­'', Shin concluded finally after seeing the stats. ''So that means, she might be waiting for me somewhere in that forest¡­'', was what he said to himself. However, he had to be confirmed. Since they were the ones who picked her up, they should know the ce from where she ran away. "So¡­" "Where exactly did she run away from?", he asked whilending right behind Balton. The firewall was still active and Shin basicallynded on it however it had no effect on him other than boosting his attack stats and defense stats. [ Atk: 280+20 || Max. Atk: ??? ] [ Def: 250+50 || Max. Def: ??? ] Both attacks and defense seemed to have reached 300, but that didn''t matter to him. All he wanted was an answer and if Balton would have failed to provide that, it would be the end for him. "Li-" "Lian ins!" "When we were crossing that area we noticed that she was no longer in the bag!" "She ran away!", was what he said. "¡­" Shin was not satisfied by that even by a bit. ''So¡­'' ''You didn''t find her and that was how you concluded that she ran away?'', the most pathetic reasoning that Shin had ever heard in his entire lifetime. Shin''s anger only increased, but for now, he thought about escaping. He had to escape in order to find her that was why he undid his transformation almost immediately. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Transformation ] [ -> Revert ] He clicked the revert option right after which he transformed back into his original form. [ You have returned to your true self ] The moment he transformed back to his white wolf form, all the mages were shocked. They were refraining from attacking because their primary goal was to save Balton. While some were shouting to kill Shin along with Balton due to fear, the mages thought it over calmly, at least until they saw him transform into something different. ''Ding'' [ All your stats has been restored ] ''Ding'' [ You have been affected by the fire ] [ You have been affected by the fire ] [ You have been affected by the fire ] x 3 ''Ding'' [ You have been burnt ] [ Your HP will continuously drop ] [ HP: 710/800 || Max. HP: ??? ] [ MP: 480/500 || Max. MP: ??? ] Who the heck gets their HP dropped by getting damaged by their own attacks? How much a fool should the person be? In any case, he couldn''t afford to lose all the HP and die here. The moment he transformed, the effect of the skill Burn ended. Of course, since the surrounding had been caught in fire, the firewall was a genuine thing created by the effect of the skill. Whatever it may be, Shin just jumped onto the top of the building again. Yes, his legs were powerful enough to let him jump that high, not that he didn''t use some walls as stepping stones to reach the final ce ultimately. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 103 New Mission: Finding Aella Right after jumping, a ton of water arrows were fired towards him. The mages were also not that special which Shin realized when he saw their levels. [ Level: 21 || Max. level: 60 ] [ Level: 19 || Max. level: 60 ] [ Level: 35 || Max. level: 60 ] Their limit seemed quite obvious, Shin was well above that limit so he could take them head on easily. But he couldn''t possibly go against the vast number of mages, there were at least fifty of them after all. [ Level: 41 || Max. level: 80 ] The strongest one among them seemed somewhat alright, but that too was quite low whenpared to him. Well, he didn''t want to mess with them anymore. He knew that he was partially at fault. He killed the innocent humans without thinking about them even once, this was his wrongdoing. But what was done couldn''t be undone so he didn''t mind it for long. He had killed his own sister before, in the previous life who was innocent, so this case could nowhere bepared to that one. Yes, the feeling of guilt got piled up indeed, however, he not necessarily kept that in his mind and just ran away after picking up the leg with his mouth. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] -> Your speed is raised by 100% -> Dexterity of the limbs is increased by 50% -> Fatigue will start to get umted by 0.05 per second. -> Skill will get deactivated automatically the moment fatigue reaches 20 With this, he was able to dodge the arrows. Sure, the top was a bit slippery because it was a bit nted like those old murim world buildings, but that meant nothing to him. He just jumped off the building and soon arrived on another building, after all, the strength in his legs was quite immense. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Wind Run ] [ Your speed has further increased ] Shin practically vanished from their sights right after this. He had reached the peak of his speed and uracy at the moment. While jumping from one building to another, he actually disappeared. All the arrows just ended up falling here and there. The strongest mage there had used a different attack called Water de, but that too ended up missing Shin as the only damage that it caused was to therge building. The building''s topmost parts were sliced into two, needless to say, it was due to a water de! Shin didn''t transform into a crow at the moment, all he did was run while grabbing the limb. In a minute, not more than that, he was out of the town. Yes, he was finally out of the Kingdom''s boundaries. The guards on the tall walls didn''t even see Shining their way because he was way too fast and it happened so quickly that it was hard to respond. *dub* Shinnded on the ground and then ran away into the same forest from where he came earlier. Of course, Elvion wasn''t present there when he entered the forest. Why would a celestial bother to wait for some unfamous beast? Also, a celestial would have no fun in looking at the things the humans do. At least, that''s what he thought. He waspletely wrong though. Elvion had been watching what he was doing all this time. Elves are blessed by nature so it was natural for the Elves to use abnormal magic. Yes, Elvion was up high in the sky, looking at everything that Shin had been doing. "Ha¡­" "I guess, that''s all for today¡­", was what Elvion said and vanished right after in the clouds as if he was flying in the opposite direction in which Shin went. ''Ding'' [ You have entered the forest of Thuren ] Right after entering the forest, he stopped. The skill Dash was deactivated and so was Wind run. He then just looked here and there because he heard some noise however there was nothing visible. Yes, though it was daytime, the forest seemed dark as usual because of the tall trees which blocked arge amount of sunlight. "Now I need to search Ae¡­", was what he said to himself. He had no idea about the in that Balton had mentioned. It all made sense now that why they were still at the starter town of Levonia near to the forest. Shin had spent quite a lot of time in the Land Of Lost Ones, due to which he would have never caught up to Balton, at least not in the starter town. Since they took some other way and had spent some time in another ce, they were a bitte too. Only due to this was both of them able to meet in the starter town and nowhere else. This was what made the task much easier for Shin because he had no need to enter the cities that were farther from the starter town. In any case, now one thing was clear ¨C Shin had to conduct a search for Ae and find her. It was not only him who decided that, there was something else that decided and provided a way of driving force for him to do that! Yes, it was none other than the all-mighty Predator System! ''Ding'' [ New Mission ] [ Finding Ae ] [ #important ] [ -> Search for the clues left by Ae (0/3) ] [ -> Visit the goblins after collecting the Clues ] [ cannot bepleted unless clues are found ] [ -> Find Ae ] When this mission popped up, Shin wasn''t against it even by a bit! In fact, he was quite happy because the system wanted to do exactly what he wanted. No rewards, no penalties nor any time limit, it was perfect for him! "Three clues¡­?", he knew that he had to find three clues thanks to the system. "Alright, let''s go!", after saying that to himself, he started running yet again. Now he was thinking about first returning to the den which they considered as their home. ''The first clue will definitely be there¡­'' "¡­" "System, search for the Lian ins¡­", was what Shin said. Probably he changed his mind and thought about checking that area first. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 104 Aellas Memories ''Ding'' [ Searching Lian ins ] [ ¡­ ] The system then started to search the ce which Shin had mentioned. ''Ding'' [ Lian ins found ] This was the notification that was disyed within a few seconds. Right after that, a map shed right in front of his eyes. After seeing that he asked, "This ce is quite close to the Land Of Lost Ones isn''t it?" He waspletely right, the ce that he was seeing the map was quite close to the Land of lost ones. Shin had exited the ce earlier and followed the path which Elvion showed, probably because of that he didn''t end up reaching that ce. The Lian ins was a ce out of the forest. Thend of lost ones didn''t have just one exit, in fact, it didn''t have an exit but the people who entered that, if exited, would end up in a different ce. In any case, Shin had found the ce and now his goal was to go there. When he took a look at the map shown on the screen, he found three ways that could let him reach the ins. One was via the Land Of Lost Ones which he denied almost readily. He wouldn''t be foolish to enter the same abnormal ce again! The second option was a long route. He had to exit the forest first and then walk towards the in, yes, he had to walk on the path that humans took often. Meeting humans was something that he wanted to avoid obviously because after killing so many soldiers and innocent ones, he wouldn''t like to see them again! The third and final route that he could see on the screen was a short one. And the benefit of the path was that the den in which he lived was on the way. This way, he could go to the den and then visit the ins too, it was like a two in one offer. He nodded his head after finally deciding that. Well, he had to hurry right now. That was because Ae was not in a good condition at all! One of her legs was missing and without that, she couldn''t possibly use the Wind Run skill efficiently. Basically, the extraordinary speed stats that she was gifted with was taken away from her, every time Shin imagined that he would emit bloodlust because of his desire to kill the humans. He left Balton alive only because he wanted him to suffer for the rest of his life from the burns. Well, out of guilt he let him live too. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] -> Your speed is raised by 100% -> Dexterity of the limbs is increased by 50% -> Fatigue will start to get umted by 0.05 per second. -> Skill will get deactivated automatically the moment fatigue reaches 20 He didn''t use wind run for now. He just used the skill dash and as soon as possible, he arrived near the den. Didn''t he face any monsters or beasts while running towards the den? Of course, he did. It was a dangerous forest after all so not facing monsters was unimaginable. He did face, but they were not worth mentioning. The centipedes and some spiders that tried to cross his path werepletely obliterated. For him, they were no match. ''Ding'' [ The skill Dash has been disabled ] He stopped in front of the den. Yes, the bodies of the dead humans were still at the same ces. Of course, some tiny ants or other small insects were lingering around them and on top of them, but no other beast was attracted despite the smell. Perhaps the fear of the Land of lost ones was more than the temptation of prey or food! "¡­", Shin then shifted his gazes towards the empty den that was towards his left. It seemed lonely, yes, he was lonely and sad. It was as if something important was snatched away or was missing and that was without a doubt Ae! "I miss your talks¡­", was what he said. Ae was awfully talkative and due to her sudden absence, it was way too silent. This pained him even more and he only could recall her. "I don''t like this¡­" "I should go and find the clues so that I can find her¡­", was what he said. And he was about to go from the ce, but something seemed to hold him back. Each and every time he tried to go look for clues, something was calling out to him. Due to that, he was forced to walk inside the den and sleep for a bit while trying to remember Ae. He was worried about her, a lot, so it would be wise for him to go and look for the clues as soon as possible after visiting the Lian ins, but it seemed like his feelings took over him. He was no fool, but he couldn''t ignore the feelings either. For a moment, he fell asleep. It had been quite long since he had eaten anything and due to being tired, his body would have ended up in bad condition. Thankfully, he felt like sleeping. Tears finally rolled down his eyes as if some downpour was urring. Indeed, the only time he had cried like this was in the previous lie after realizing his mistake and the death of his parents! He slept properly and his body got adequate rest. He woke up after three hours of sleep ad found himself holding Ae''s forelimb. He had been grabbing it in his mouth all this time, once or twice it did drop from his mouth and fell, but in the end, he kept that with himself. Of course, the blood from it had painted the den with red, not fully though. He got up and finally decided to leave the den and go to the ins after stretching his body a bit. He didn''t get that good a rest, but it was somewhat eptable. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 105 Balton: The Schemer And Trickster - Part 1 "Huh¡­?", he found something rather strange when he was about to leave. He had missed it earlier, but now something became visible when his mind had been cleared of all those emotional thoughts for now at least. "This is¡­", there was a in the den. Since the den was a bit dark, he failed to notice that because that too was ck. "What is this doing here?", he asked himself and approached the which was a bit away from him, somewhat near the entrance. ''ZZDDDZZ'' All of a sudden an electric discharge was emitted from the as soon as he ced his right forelimb on it. Needless to say, it had no effect on him because of his unnatural resistance to shocks! ''Ding'' [ Due to the skill shock resistance, the electric discharge has no effect ] That was to be expected anyway. But now the question was, what would Shin do with the? "What the-", even he was surprised after seeing that. "¡­" "Don''t tell me, they tried to capture Ae with this?", he asked himself. Right after that, he thought for a minute or two and then ran out of the den. He concluded that it was something that had happened in the past and for that, he had given appropriate punishment to the humans. Now instead of thinking about that, he had to think about rescuing Ae. Due to that, he used the skill Dash and ran away, of course, he was fully recovered and all the stats were normal so there was nothing to worry about, for the time at least. [ Meanwhile In a hospital, In Levonia¡­ ] "Sir Balton, are you alri-", Wendy paused as soon as he saw all the burns on his body. Even Balton''s face had been burned which made him look quite ugly. *gulp* Wendy was not the one to ask because he ran away as soon as he spotted Shin. Of course, one good thing he did was informing and sending the mages due to which Balton got to live perhaps, but despite that, the truth didn''t change that he had ditched Balton! Balton couldn''t get angry anyway because he was in a bad situation. The healers were trying to heal him and the results could definitely be seen, but it wasn''t much. ''It would be better if I talk in a supportive manner.'', Wendy decided. "That wolf punk!" "We will take an entire army and hunt that f*king wolf!", was what Wendy said. To this, Balton just smiled. "Ouch-", of course, his skin seemed stiff due to which even a little smile hurt. But anyway, there was a reason for which he smiled. "We don''t need to worry at all.", was what he said. ''Huh? I was trying to side him while saying this but he says that there is nothing to worry about?'' ''Is he that afraid of it?'', Wendy asked himself. "He is going to die anyway!", was what Balton said with a fierce gaze. His face was already destroyed, on top of that his crazy smile and fierce gaze made him look like some monster! The moment Wendy saw him smile, he flinched. Yes, he was not sure as to why he was smiling at such a situation. ''Just what the heck is he nning?'', that was the question that lingered in his mind. One thing was for sure, Balton was someone who held grudges. Although he prioritized his own life over others, he was someone who would crush his enemies brutally! A human? No, he was inhuman indeed, from inside that is, and now thanks to Shin, he looked like one from outside too. When Wendy heard Balton say ¨C ''We don''t need to worry at all.'' ¨C he was legitimately shocked because, for an instance, Balton didn''t behave like himself. But after seeing his sinister-likeughter, he was sure that whatever he imagined earlier was just some sort of illusion, Balton was the same as usual and there was no difference at all. *gulp* Wendy swallowed arge amount of dry saliva after flinching. His throat was dry and he could barely speak because of the evil aura that he sensed around Balton. "Die¡­?" "How can you be so sure, Sir?", Wendy asked. "Haha, do you want to know?", he asked. It was as if he was increasing the curiosity. "Yes¡­", Wendy had seen it for himself how strong Shin was. So when Balton said that he would die, it was as if he waspletely sure. How could such a strong beast die just like that? ¨C this was the question that he repeatedly asked himself in his mind. "Lian ins¡­", Balton murmured with the lowest voice possible, of course, audible at the same time. "Huh¡­?", this was the second time Wendy flinched. The moment he heard that shivers ran down his spines. "L-lian ins¡­?", his voice was shaky at the same time too. "Hahaha." "I sent him to Lian ins!", heughed loudly. For a moment, in Wendy''s imagination, it seemed as if some devil wasughing. "Those who harm me, won''t live a peaceful life." "But this beast actually dared to burn me, did it really think that I wouldn''t strike back?", Baltonughed after saying this. "I told him that the other white wolf pup ran away near that ins¡­" "The funniest part is that he even believed me!" "Hahaha!", heughed again and again. Wendy just kept his mouth shut after that and heard what he said. He now knew that Balton was someone who wasn''t to be messed with. No matter who it may be, if the person were to mess with Balton, then only hell awaited him. But he was such a dirty trickster, he basically led Shin to believe what he said was the truth and schemed such a thing. But one thing had to be appreciated, Balton too had wits. He was not just a muscle head, he also had the brains to scheme such things even when his life was in danger, perhaps, that''s what a general should be capable of doing normally. "Hahahaha!" "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 106 Balton: The Schemer And Trickster - Part 2 *gulp* "Sir Balton, you really sent him there?", Wendy asked after a while when Balton had stoppedughing and continued to take the treatment. "I told him about hispanion''s fake location¡­" "And I''m sure, he definitely took the bait.", was what he said while grinning. Wendy was starting to feel a weird form of chills, his legs were trembling a bit and so were his hands. Lian ins ¨C A ce where one of the strongest monsters in the world resides ¨C The Earth-Dragon. Why would a dragon be in some in and not in the forest? The reason was simple, the dragon had long lost the ability to fly. It had an enormous body and walking far would be quite bothersome. That was why it settled there and had been there for quite a long time. The only ones who can go there are the foolish beasts or foolish race because the Earth Dragon was quite violent in nature. It wouldn''t see if the oneing is friend or foe and wouldn''t ask the reason for entering its territory. It would first attack the moment it would sense the presence of a foreigner! Will he attack the dragons who wille to visit him? The answer is obviously yes. It would attack absolutely anything and everything, until and unless it actually identifies the being or the foreigner. Now it made sense why Balton was so sure that Shin would be killed once he reached the ins. Wendy nodded his head by thinking about it. But if Ae didn''t escape from that ce, then where exactly did she run away from them? That was a question to be wondered about. Well to be honest, did they even catch her in the first ce? Of course, they did have one of her legs, but that didn''t necessarily mean that they had captured her initially! They could have just injured her and after her running away, they just picked up the limb to sell, that might have been the case. Whatever it may be, one could only guess. The truth will only be revealed if Balton or Wendy would actually speak or when Shin would find Ae. ( North edge of the great forest Thuren ) Shin arrived at the northern part of the great forest. The size of the forest was no exaggeration, Shin had encountered tons of monsters and beasts on his way. The reason why the forest was one of the top ten dangerous forests was because of itsrge-sized and powerful monsters. But they were only present in the inner or deeper parts of the forest. Once, Shin had visited the deeper parts of the forest only once, and ever since then, he never even thought about going towards those areas. Probably he encountered something that instilled fear in him, or he just concluded that he wasn''t ready to discover those areas. ''huff huff'' He was panting and it seemed so ridiculous that he asked himself, "Am I actually panting¡­?" The shorter route that he had found on the map was quite a difficult route. He had to actually climb some high areas and then cross a river. Even after that, he hadn''t exited the forest yet, of course, he arrived near the edge but hadn''t exited yet. "The only good thing that happened in taking this route was that my skill and I leveled up.", he said in a low voice. The panting was purely because he had exhausted half of his MP and had umted some amount of fatigue. ''Ding'' [ The skill Dash has leveled up ] [ Lv.9 -> Lv.10 ] [ Skill.exp: 0/100 ] [ -> Your speed will be tripled ] [ -> Dexterity of the limbs will be doubled ] [ -> Fatigue will start to get umted by 0.05 per second. ] [ -> Skill will get deactivated automatically the moment fatigue reaches 50 ] As soon as the skill leveled up, some new stuff was shown. It was called ''Skill.exp'', Shin somewhat understood what it meant, but he had no idea about its exact purpose. Of course, the system didn''t hesitate to exin what that was. ,m [ Skill.exp -> The experience points umted by the skill with the number of times of usage and duration of usage ] [ -> Ranges from 0 to 100 ] [ -> The skill would evolve once the Skill.exp reaches 100 ] "Huh?" "The skill would evolve?", now this was something new for sure. He did have the skill Dash and thought that after reaching level 10, it would max out because he had some skills disying the maxed out stat. But to his surprise, the skill could evolve too. "I wonder if the evolved skill would show the maxed out status or would start to level up from the scratch.", he wondered. In addition to this skill, he himself had leveled up too. ''Ding'' [ You have leveled up ] [ Lv.71 -> Lv.72 ] [ Level: 72 || Max. level: 80 ] [ HP: 820/820 || Max. HP: ??? ] [ MP: 330/510|| Max. MP: ??? ] [ Exp: 6000 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 285 || Max. Atk: ??? ] [ Def: 253 || Max. Def: ??? ] [ Speed: 548 || Max. Speed: ??? ] This was irrelevant for the moment anyway. The main thing was that he had arrived at the edge and after getting out of the forest he would soon reach the Lian ins. [ 15 miles towards the north ] The navigation system of the predator system also notified him. Although he was tired and had quite the less amount of MP, he thought it was best to leave. But little did he know that the ce where he had decided to go was filled with great danger ¨C a dragon! Although he had the transformation skill with the help of which he could turn into a Half-Dragon form, but who knows, what awaited him. This could only be told as time passed, because his adventures seemed seamless! The dragon didn''t even like its own species, so would it just let Shin enter its territory and leave as he pleased? A lot of questions, the answers for which would only be found when Shin would enter the Lian ins. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 107 Arrived At The Lian Plains Shin finally walked out of the dark forest. The sunlight that was being blocked since earlier was no shing on his face. ''Ding'' [ You have exited the great forest of Thuren ] A system notification popped up after hearing which he was sure that he was out of the forest. Not that he required a separate assurance from the system. "The sky¡­" "It looks beautiful.", he mumbled. No tears, no sadness, just a sense of loneliness lingered in his heart. After gazing at the beautiful orange-colored sky, he started to walk towards the grasnd that was a few miles ahead of him. It was evening and the light that shed on his face was of the sunset, the scenery was beautiful indeed, not that he was able to see the full sunset. ''I wonder how far the Lian ins are from here¡­'', a thought suddenly rose up. ''Ding'' [ 3 miles to go ] The system answered him almost immediately. Shin was lonely and precisely because of that he was asking the system these kinds of stuff even though he knew about it. At least, the system acted as apanion to talk with. There was a grasnd in front of him. Grasnd -> Arge stretch ofnd mainly popted or upied with grasses and some other shrubs. It didn''t seem that unusual to him because he had seen the pictures of such ces in the past life. He needed no exnation about this from the system either. Well, one thing, the system notified him regardless of him wanting it or not. ''Ding'' [ You have entered the Swampy Grasnd Of Lian ] [ Due to the title ¨C Ruler Of The Swamps ¨C Your authority will be increased ] [ All beings in the swampy areas will ept you as their leader ] Indeed, this notification seemed a bit different from just notifying him about the entrance or exit of somece. When he walked in the grasnd, his legs seemed to get wet. In 2 minutes, his fur already seemed to be brown in color. Of course, not the entire fur, only the fur of his legs had be brown. Thankfully he wasn''t running. In any case, he was intrigued by the message of the system so he wanted to test it out. He had one doubt though, in the beginning, when he had acquired the title of Ruler Of The Swamps, then did that mean that all the swamps in the world were under him? Obviously, there were tons of swamps, he couldn''t possibly be a ruler of each and every swamp just by killing one lizard! But, it seemed like the title which he got acted that way. One could possibly say, this was another cheat of his ¨C the third cheat! The first was that he had a System for aiding him in his adventures and all situations, the second was that he could practically call anyone with their names no matter how strong they were, and the third one was that the titles which he gained were universal until and unless they were specified. He discovered these three cheats out of the many more that were left undiscovered for now that is. Also, he actually checked the effectiveness of the title. How? He purposefully encountered a gigantic frog that was just minding its own business! ''Ding'' [ Beast identified ] [ Poison Swamp Frog ] [ Rank: A || Max. rank: A ] [ Level: 35 || Max. level: 50 ] [ Fear: 75/100 ] [ Respect: 80/100 ] ''Ding'' [ Poison Swamp Frog is under the effect of the title ] [ It was identified you as the ruler of the swamps ] [ You won''t be attacked by it ] Now Shin definitely knew what amazing effects the titles could give. Swampy areas were ces where Lizardmen or reptile-like beasts or monsters resided the most. This gave him a further advantage because of another title which he had earned earlier ¨C The Reptile Killer. Perhaps, these things were nned and for a reason, he had encountered the Lizard beasts earlier which were so weak that he could kill them even in his immature form! But, how were they weakened? What were they doing in the deeper parts of the forest when the swamps were outside the forest? Had someone weakened them and tossed them where Shin was resting and recovering? Well, the story for these questions is left for another time. Anyway, the frog just bowed in front of him as if it had no chance of winning against him. The fear and respect stats automatically spawned. Shin just moved forward and found that there were many rodents and small lizards all around. They had been bowing or had been static because of the respect or the fear that they had developed because of his title. A thing to note was that all the beasts that bowed in front of him were weaker than him, their levels were quite less whenpared to him. So a doubt spawned in his head ¨C ''Will a beast, having a higher level than me, be affected by the title?'' He kept wondering that and when he finally snapped out into reality instead of being lost in his own world, he realized that he had already crossed and left the Grasnd. Of course, that was because of the system and a change in scenery! ''Ding'' [ You have exited the Swampy Grasnd Of Lian ] ''Ding'' [ You have entered the Swampy ins Of Lian ] He just traveled from one zone to another of the same ce. While the grasnd was not that vast, it did take him some time to cross it. The sun had almost set by now, the only light that enabled him to see the surroundings were from the clouds that had absorbed the sunlight earlier. In addition to them, the moonlight aided his vision. The vastnd thatid in front of him looked beautiful because of the white light of the moon. It was as if the entirend was bathing in the moonlight and the reddish-orange clouds made it look like it was wearing an item of exquisite clothing. As exaggerated as it may sound, it looked that beautiful. In any case, Shin had finally arrived at the Lian ins. While he thought that he came here to search for Ae, it seemed like fate had brought him here with an entirely different purpose! "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 108 The Tornadoes "Now where do I search?" He looked here and there and found nothing more than a barren piece ofnd. Of course, the muddy water that created the swampy condition still prevailed. Not that he cared about that. ''How did they evene here?'', it was tough for him to walk there. His legs felt heavy because they were getting sucked in by the mud. Of course, he was too small. A pup couldn''t possibly enter such swampy areas and seeing that he resembled a few months old pups even after being a year old, one couldn''t argue that he had to face the same limitations as them. He blindly believed Balton and entered this ce, he didn''t even ask for reliable proof. IN any case, all he could do at the moment is search. His range of vision was wide thanks to the absence of vegetation. The grasses in the grasnd were a bit long in some areas, they were at least two meters long. Due to that, he wasn''t able to see what was present behind the grasses, on contrary to that area, the barren ins contained very tiny grasses or just wet soil and nothing else. His vision was fairly good thanks to which he could search for her efficiently but there was another problem that was hindering his search. It was night time and due to the absence of the sunlight, it was bing harder to see the darker areas. "Damn, this isn''t good.", he sighed. He somehow walked a few steps because of the moonlight. But that too soon started to dim. Rather, it totally disappeared. It was present only for five minutes and now no more moonlight, nor the moon could be seen. Shin noticed that the cool breeze that was blowing past him, became cooler and faster. ''This is giving me chills¡­'', was what he said to himself. When took a look at the sky, the reddish-orange clouds had already vanished and in ce of them, deep ck clouds appeared. They probably drifted from the forest where it was raining a while ago, of course, from the side other than the north edge of the forest of Thuren. Well, a little lightning sparks could be seen too, it was as if a storm was soon going to engulf the ins. "The heck?" "Does the weather change in a few minutes?", he asked himself. The answer is yes, the weather sure can change in a few minutes, in fact, in a few seconds, but that was mostly seen in seas and near the seashores. Somewhere on thend, nearly at the center of the continent, experiencing such sudden change was not normal at all. Earlier too he had experienced something simr but he let it go but now he started to think if something was wrong because it was happening faster than it had happened earlier. "What is this weird phenomenon?", the moonlight was surely dimmed but hadn''t vanished. The clouds sure tried to hide the moon and tried to block its light too, but they were moving way too fast so it was sometimes visible and sometimes not. When it was visible, Shin saw a gigantic tornado dashing towards him. It was filled with mud rotating with the addition of the wind. "The f*k is that!?", and that was all he could say. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ Skill.exp: 0/100 ] [ -> Your speed will be tripled ] [ -> Dexterity of the limbs will be doubled ] [ -> Fatigue will start to get umted by 0.05 per second. ] [ -> Skill will get deactivated automatically the moment fatigue reaches 50 ] The skill Ruler Of Swamps was supposed to give him an advantage in the swampy areas, it was basically going to increase his stats or boost his skills. But unfortunately, its effects got canceled out. Shin''s body wasn''t made to be in swamps. It wasmon sense to think that his abilities would be retarded! Well, his skills wouldn''t have been retarded if the mud wasn''t deep! Thankfully, that didn''t happen and the reason was the title. The decreasing effects and the increasing effects just canceled themselves. Only because of this, Shin was able to use his powers normally, which was for the better perhaps. He ran with great speed while trying to dodge the tornado. However, no matter what he did, the tornado kept following him. If he went to the left, the tornado would also take the left, and if he were to go towards the right, the tornado would do the same. "You got to be kidding me¡­", Shin took a peek only to find the speed and intensity of the tornado increasing. The tornado started to piss him off, even though he was the one running, it seemed as if the tornado was toying with him. "If that''s how you want to y¡­" "Then¡­" ''Aooooooo'' Shin all of a sudden stopped and turned back only to howl. It seemed to be a normal howl only for a few seconds because right after he howled, strong winds started to emerge from the grounds and formed gigantic swirling and spinning winds that looked almost simr to the tornado that was practically chasing him. "What do you think?" "Who will win, a tornado¡­" "Or a hurricane?", he grinned. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Hurricane ] [ All of your wind-based skills will be boosted by 10% ] [ 1 MP will be depleted every second ] [ Range of effectiveness -> 100 meters ] Both, the tornado and the hurricane, seemingly a cyclone, shed with each other. While no actual sparks were seen, the sh seemed quite deadly. The air from the nearby space was getting sucked by them which was leading them to grow bigger. Their destructiveness kept increasing without any stop. The entire in would have ended up getting destroyed, at least, if Shin''s MP was infinite instead of the little finite numbers. [ MP: 280/510|| Max. MP: ??? ] "This isn''t good at all¡­", he said with a worried expression. "Even before the tornado would stop, my MP will run out¡­", this was something that he didn''t want to happen. He still hadn''t found even a single clue about Ae. He was in an unknown territory, although he had the title of a ruler, it was still dangerous. He would fail to fight if any beast were to attack. "It would be better if I run far away from here and then stop using the skill¡­", that was a good idea. If he were to do that, then the tornado wouldn''t reach him. If he would use dash and wind run at the same time, he could outrun the tornado. Also, due to the 10% to wind type skills, Wind Run would function in a better manner! The n and idea were all set, all he had to do was perform it exactly as he had nned. But¡­ But there was something else that hindered, or to be precise,pletely destroyed his n! Another tornado appeared out of nowhere. Because of the fast-moving wind, the current tension, and the nning, Shinpletely failed to detect the tornado that neared him. 30 meters? Yes, that was the only distance left between Shin and the tornado. ''Ding'' [ The host has attempted in using the same skill again ] ''Ding'' [ Identified the skill to be Ranged skill ] [ Would you still like to proceed in using the skill? ] [-> Yes/ No ] Two options appeared out of which Shin chose one ¨C Yes. He didn''t read the above notification but did hear it as it echoed in his head. [ You have used the skill Hurricane ] [ The wind-based skills wouldn''t be boosted because of the pre-existing boost from the same skill ] [ 1 MP will be depleted every second ] [ Additional 1 MP will be deducted due to the use of the same ranged skill ] [ Range of effectiveness -> 100 meters ] ''Ding'' [ 3 MP will be deducted every second ] ''Boom'' The sh of the cyclonic winds from the tornadoes and hurricanes sent shockwaves throughout the ins. Given how light Shin''s body was, he basically was blown away by the strong winds which could even destroy the winds. "Argh!" It was a good thing that he was pushed by the winds. Due to this, he wouldn''t be required to spend MP on wind run or dash. Though, the question was, just how far was he sent off because he was quite high in the sky ¨C 40 meters from the ground. "¡­" [ MP: 110/510|| Max. MP: ??? ] "..." To be continued¡­ Chapter 109 [ Low MP ] [ MP: 110/510|| Max. MP: ??? ] "¡­" Shin was sent flying but soon enough hended on the ground with a bam! ''Bam'' The ce where he fell, the ground was dry. "Wha-" Of course, that was weird but when he took a closer look, there were rocks here and there. So it was somewhat to be expected. The wind was still fast and chilly, not that he hated the cold. He could still see the shing of the tornadoes and the hurricane. Well, it was clear that the tornadoes would win. The reason was quite simple, the winds moved faster in a tornado due to its small size if it were taken rtive to a hurricane. Though, if a hurricane were to grow in size, it could suck the tornado inside of it, but that was far from happening at the moment because of the limited MP. ''Ding'' [ Less than 10% of MP remains ] [ MP: 50/510|| Max. MP: ??? ] [ The system advises the host to conserve MP ] ''The heck?'' ''How do I conserve MP at the moment?'', Shin was somewhat angry at the advice that he received from the system. Even though he was sent flying, he wasn''t that far from the range of impact of the tornado. Also, if he were to go farther than 100 meters, then his own skill''s range wouldn''t be enough to counter the tornadoes! ''Damn¡­'' But that didn''t mean he would let the MP hit zero! And when he was struggling to think about it, he suddenly got a fabulous idea! "Why don''t I-" ''Ding'' [ Warning ] [ Low MP ] [ MP: 30/510|| Max. MP: ??? ] When he saw thetest notification, he stopped thinking and canceled the skill that he was using. ''Ding'' [ The skill Hurricane has been disabled ] Thanks to that, no more MP of his'' was getting reduced. However, the hurricane was still present. The winds were still blowing and the shings were continuing. Of course, the winds were getting slower as time passed. In any case, at the moment, Shin had a different n in his head. "Why don''t I use my reserve mana?", he asked himself. Reserve mana? Did he have something like that or save it somewhere? Perhaps the system had that sort of function? Actually, no. It wasn''t the system. It was his own skill which he had used a few times earlier. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Transformation ] [ Choose the category from which you would like to transform ] [ -> Links ] [ -> Vessels ] [ -> Mimics ] He used the same transformation that he had used earlier ¨C Normal Crow. He transformed into one, and thanks to that, he was no longer exhausting his original mana! [ HP: 40/40 || Max. HP: 45 ] [ MP: 30/30 || Max. MP: 40 ] But, it was somewhat better anyway. Yes, the drawback was that he couldn''t use his other skills which cost an awfullyrge amount of mana for a crow-like this. One or two skills at max he could cast but more than that, he could use no other original skills of his own. But why did he chose to evolve into a crow out of all other mimics or links? The answer was quite simple, the wind was blowing towards him majorly and was passing him. Because his body was heavy enough, it wasn''t getting blown by the wind at the moment, earlier was a different story ¨C the wind was too strong. Due to that, he wouldn''t even need to p his winds a lot. He wouldn''t even need to use the skill fly! Everything would be done by the winds that were pre-created. Thinking this he decided to transform into the crow and just as he nned, he started to fly. He was slowly moving farther away from the tornadoes and for sure he was happy about that, but there was something else that was going on in his mind. ''Did Ae cause this tornado?'' Well, how would he differentiate between a tornado and a hurricane when he had never seen one in his entire life earlier? Actually, he didn''t even need to think and recall the past. The answer was right in front of him. He could differentiate them by just looking at them ''live''! Both were shing, one was bigger than the other, one was faster than the other and finally one had more wind around it than the other ¨C those were some differences that he could spot. How? That was due to the skill Focus that he used. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Focus ] In any case, he understood that the tornado wasn''t the result of Ae''s skill. Then who was causing it? Or perhaps, it waspletely natural! Whatever it may be, Shin used the focus of his eyes to look here and there to spot Ae but ultimately he failed. As far as he could, he couldn''t find Ae. Also, he wasn''t pretty high in the sky so he couldn''t look at the entire in! But yes, he did spot something weird. "What is that¡­?" There was an area a bit far away from him. The ce seemed to be filled with a lot of muddy water! "A pond? But so dirty?", he asked himself. And just when he was going to take a look at the area surrounding, all of a sudden, he started flying in the opposite direction! "Wha-" "What the heck!?" The hurricane was no more and the only thing visible was two tornadoes. They were pulling the wind towards them and since Shin''s body was quite light at the moment, he was being sucked towards them. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Transformation ] [ -> Revert ] "Yes! Revert!", he shouted right after which the transformation ended. He returned to his original form and started to fall. ''dub'' Since he wasn''t that high in the air, he was able tond perfectly on the ground without having any damage. He wasn''t concerned about that, to begin with, he had something else to think about! "How much MP do I have!?", he asked in a raised voice. ''Ding'' [ MP: 39/510|| Max. MP: ??? ] "¡­" "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­" "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 110 The Earth Dragon - Part 1: The End? [ MP: 39/510|| Max. MP: ??? ] "¡­" "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­" With so little MP, he would never be able to face the tornadoes. His only option right now was to run as fast as he could away from the tornadoes. Yes, the skill Dash could be used which would definitely help him in escaping the predicament. The tornadoes weren''t that close to him and it seemed like they had slowed down so this was the perfect opportunity for him to use that skill. [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ Skill.exp: 1/100 ] [ -> Your speed will be tripled ] [ -> Dexterity of the limbs will be doubled ] [ -> Fatigue will start to get umted by 0.05 per second. ] [ -> Skill will get deactivated automatically the moment fatigue reaches 50 ] "¡­" "Did I actually forget that the skill Dash doesn''t require mana?", he had a weird expression on his face. "For real¡­?" "¡­" "How much of an idiot could I have been?", well, all this time he had been thinking that the skill Dash was using MP points but in reality, it didn''t. It actually depended on his physical body and fatigue. The more the fatigue, the faster it will get deactivated. The less the fatigue, the longer it willst ¨C that was as simple as this! He realized that it was Wind Run that utilized MP and not the skill Dash. So he could have actually used that since earlier. In any case, he used it now and was running quite quickly. In a minute he was already far away from the tornado and could hardly see it so he decided to stop. "¡­" "Damn, I should work on increasing my intelligence¡­" "This animal brain is slowing my experience and memories¡­", he med the poor white pup''s brain while his own head was wrong, to begin with!` In any case, he escaped the tornadoes and those strong winds. When he took a close look, they weren''ting towards him anymore. He stopped and then thought about recovering the MP. Also, he wanted to look for Ae so he turned his head here and there constantly. "I should find a high ground¡­", he said in a low voice. A ce with a higher position would be beneficial in this almost tnd due to which he tried to find such a ce along with finding Ae. "Found it!", he almost instantly found a simr ce. "But¡­", yes, he was a bit hesitant what he spotted at the moment wasn''t there in its ce earlier. To be precise, it was as if something spawned from the ground. In any case, Shin thought about approaching that because it did seem immobile so he thought that it might have been his own imagination. But, he was wrong! What he was seeing was none other than the same Earth Dragon about which Balton was talking. ''Roarrrr!'' As soon as he approached it, a loud roar almost burst his ears. He was still thirty meters away from it though. "What the heck!?", he was surprised and now realized that it wasn''t any sort of imagination! A huge dragon just appeared in front of him from the muddy water which he had spotted earlier in his transformed form! ''Roooarrrrrr'' The roaring continued, it was as if the dragon was trying to intimidate Shin. Not that it had to roar to do that, it appearance and the killing intent were more than enough to keep Shin away from him. ''Ding'' [ Intense blood lust detected ] [ The system advises the host to use the skill Dash and Wind Run to escape from the ce ] Shin could hardly think of anything so the system''s notification was quite essential. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ Your¡­ ] And just as he had used the skill, a red light shed from the dragon''s eyes. ''Ding'' [ All your active skills have been sealed ] ''Ding'' [ Due to the sealing of all the skills, the skill Dash has failed to work ] "The heck!?" He was confused when he saw this happening! A good thing was that his passive skills were unaffected, however, all his active skills were sealed off. This was definitely one of the dragon''s attacks or skills which locked all of Shin''s active skills! "You tiny little speck!" "How dare you put your filthy steps in my territory?", the dragon asked with a loud voice while emitting the tremendous amount of killing intent. ''Is this for real?'' ''A dragon¡­?'' ''I am literally seeing a wild dragon?'' When he mentioned wild, he meant something that he hadn''t summoned because until now the dragons that he met were all his summoned ones which were possible thanks to the skill ¨C Hymn of the Dragons''. How did Shin know that the one in front of him was a dragon? Well, the answer is simple. He summoned different types of dragons out of which many dragons were of ground types or earth types. Those were the dragons who couldn''t fly and the monster that appeared in front of him also couldn''t fly. Also, the dragons have a weird symbol in some or the other part of their body ¨C as for the Earth Dragon in front of him, a triangle symbol was right on its forehead which was visible. These were some tiny information with the help of which he guessed that a dragon was in front of him, but what made himpletely sure was the system notification that popped up like crazy! ''Ding'' [ An Earth Dragon has appeared ] [ The system advises the host to run ] ''Ding'' [ Due to the skill Roar, the host''s speed stats have been halved ] ''Ding'' [ You have been paralyzed] [ You have been paralyzed] [ You have been¡­ ] Earlier he had received the paralysis resistance, but that was a temporary skill. He didn''t have that at the moment and unfortunately due to that, he had be like a statue that couldn''t move at all. "Pay for trespassing my area with your life!", the dragon shouted and moved its gigantic mouth towards Shin. ''Is¡­'' ''Is this the end for me!?'' "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 111 The Earth Dragon - Part 2: Authority ''Is this the end for me?'', Shin asked himself. He could see the gigantic mouth of the dragon rushing towards him. The teeth were so sharp that it was almost sure that Shin could get torn into shreds if he were to get caught by something like that. The situation was no joke, he was basically looking at death! At this instant, his mind started working ten times faster. Yes, as exaggerated it may sound, his thought process had be that quick! But no matter how much he thought about it in that split second, there was nothing he could do. Even though his mind had be fast, his body was still in the same ce. ''Run away!'', his inner voice was being heard by him but no matter how fast he thought, his body just refused to listen to him. ''Dammit¡­'' ''Am I really going to die like this?'' ''I don''t even know if Ae is fine¡­'' ''I don''t even know about her location¡­'' "¡­" ''I have too less MP to even use any skills even if I somehow survive his attack¡­'' ''Is it just better to die?'', he asked himself. Those tons of thoughts took over his head. What could he do anyway? Even if he got lucky, he wouldn''t possibly be able to face the almighty dragon! Maybe he could summon one for himself and fight using that, however that was only possible earlier. At the moment, all his active skills were locked so he could neither summon anyone nor use any skill to run away. As a result of the locking, he couldn''t even transform into something. The strongest transform that he had with him was the me Wolf Emperor. It was called an emperor for a reason ¨C its mes were way too overwhelming. Even the strongest mes in the world wouldn''t have any effect on him. He could use that transformation to at least do something against the dragon, unfortunately, the transformation skill was locked too since that was an active skill! ''Just how powerful is this dragon?'' Up until now, all the summons that Shin had confronted with were dragons of strong order but they weren''t as strong as the one standing in front of him. ''Just what kind of dragon is this?'' ''It is capable of locking all my skills with just its roar?'', Shin asked himself. ''Damn¡­'' ''Is this where I die?'' ''The Lian ins?'', and while these thoughts returned and filled Shin''s mind, his thought-process started to slow down. Shin closed his eyes as if he was giving up, but from his inside, he was struggling till the very end. . . . "Huh?" A few seconds passed by and Shin who had his eyes closed opened them slowly. "Wha-", when Shin wanted to ask what was happening, the dragon ended up asking that in a louder yet shaky voice probably because of confusion and astonishment. "What is happened?" "Why can''t I move?" It couldn''t even move its mouth but was still able to produce perfect sound ¨C it was a dragon after all. And what he saw in front of him shocked himpletely. The dragon that was attacking him was paralyzed! "The heck!?", Shin was the one who was paralyzed. It was him who was immobile for quite some time and it stood true even now but only until he received a notification. ''Ding'' [ You have gained the passive skill Paralysis Resistance Lv.1 ] [ Paralysis up to Lv.3 will have no effect on you ] [ Paralysis due to all other side boosts of an attack will be nullified ] If the dragon had an original paralyzing skill, then it would have definitely been above level 3. With this Shin should have never been able to break free from the paralysis effect, but seeing that it was a side effect or an extra effect of the skill Roar, he was freed from it instantly! But that was not the biggest question at the moment, the real matter was that the dragon was paralyzed at the moment. To be precise, it couldn''t move all of a sudden. "Huh¡­?" And only then did Shin realize something which shocked himpletely. ''Ding'' [ Swamp Ruler''s Authority ] [ -> The stats of foe will be reduced by half in the swamps based on the ruler''smand ] [ -> The Swamp ruler cannot be attacked by the beings whose name can be called by the swamp ruler in his territory ] [ -> No nameless being can attack the ruler in his territory ] [ -> All nameless beings in the swamp ruler''s territory will be deemed to be of lower rank than him by default unless otherwise specified ] [ -> If a nameless being tries to attack the ruler, it will be his ve ] [ -> If a being tries to attack the ruler in his territory, the being will be paralyzed for a few seconds depending on level difference ] [ -> The swamp ruler has the authority to change the structure of his territory ] [ -> Territory under the swamp ruler will be decided by how far the previous rulers or the current rulers have conquered ] [ -> Number of Territories of Swamps under host: 5 ] [ -> Total area under host: 60,000 sq. metres ] "¡­" "This¡­" "Is¡­" "Insane!", Shin shouted and then burst intoughter. The reason for that was the next notification that popped up. ''Ding'' [ New rows have been created ] [ -> ve count ] [ -> ves ] [ Congrattion ] [ Your first ve has been registered ] [ The Earth Dragon Lv. 95 has officially been registered as your ve ] [ Status boost has been gained ] [ Exp: 6000+200 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 285+20 || Max. Atk: ??? ] [ Def: 253+40 || Max. Def: ??? ] [ Speed: 548+3 || Max. Speed: ??? ] [ Int: 95+3 || Max. Int: ??? ] "¡­" Basically, the great dragon that was in front of him, was now his ve! The reason was simple, it was his ve because it had no name associated with it! Perhaps there were many dragons out there who never thought about getting a name, and perhaps the dragon realized how important it was to have a name! Of course, the mark on its head was reced with another symbol ¨C a white wolf''s mark! Although the mark was only of the head, it seemed as if it was surrounded with some sort of aura. Yes, that was Shin''s head while being covered with aura. The mark seemed like a triangle sticker. Why triangle? Probably because the dragon had a triangr sticker earlier! ''Awesome, even with his power reduced by half, he was still able to lock all my skills¡­'', was what Shin said to himself. Shin then walked a step closer showing that he wasn''t paralyzed anymore. Then he looked at the dragon''s eyes and red at him! The dragon realized that something had changed. Of course, the symbol on his forehead waspletely different which he felt a second ago. After that when it noticed the fact that he couldn''t attack, he finally understood what was going on. "No way¡­" "I¡­" "A ve of such a weakling!?", he raised his voice. The paralysis effect on the dragon was only for a moment. Every time he tried to attack Shin, he would stop moving for five seconds as it was told by the system. "So, you want me to pay price for entering my own territory?", Shin asked. The dragon was temporarily the ruler of the swamps. It was probably this dragon that had chased the previous swamp ruler away. Such bonus effects might have not helped the previous ruler. But yes, the dragon still roared at Shin and this made him sure that the dragon had attacked him in some or the other way. ''The system said the nameless ones will be my ve and that really was true.'' ''But why was it able to attack me earlier?'' ''Also, what about other beings that I passed by?'' Of course, they never attacked him so it made sense that they didn''t turn into his ves but surely they had a lower position whenpared to him. ''Ding'' [ The effect of title wears off if the host''s fear increases against a certain degree (50) ] [ Fear: 47/100 ] [ Host ] The system then disyed Shin''s fear and rified that the title wasn''t effective or was less effective against the dragon because Shin was engulfed in fear when he encountered him It was only then he knew why other rulers could be defeated by fiercer beasts! Because Shin''s fear was reduced because of his inner will, the title took a greater effect! "..." To be continued¡­ Chapter 112 The Earth Dragon - Part 3: Lonely "Release me this instant!", the dragon roared yet again. But oh well, other than locking his skills, the roar did nothing else. The locking effect was its innate skill perhaps and Shin was definitely not immune to that. Yes, he was still afraid of the dragon. Who wouldn''t be? He suddenly faced a gigantic dragon that was at least ten times bigger than him. It was half immersed in the muddy water and only its head and its body were out. Its legs were still inside. A way to escape themand of the territory was that if one could fly and leave the contact with the territory for a minute. So it was quite advantageous to the dragon since they could fly away and get rid of the so-called authorities. Unfortunately, the Earth Dragons had no wings. That was why they couldn''t free themselves from such a thing and now, in front of Shin, a simr earth dragon waspletely trapped in his authorities. "You bastard!" "Free me this instant I said!", the dragon shouted at the top of his voice. It looked like he didn''t want to have any chatter with him, more than that, it wanted to kill him. He was hostile enough so Shin had no ns of letting him go from his grasp. "Well well, why the hurry?", Shin sounded a bit arrogant at the moment. He had the upper hand at the moment after all. Facing a ruler was no joke and now that the dragon couldn''t do a thing, Shin could grin and mock him all he wanted. But Shin wasn''t such an idiot who would just bully some dragon, because he was way too busy in searching the clues about Ae, after all, another mission was still active at the moment. He didn''t have all the time in the world anyway! Also, since the moon was shining brightly, he did not have any problem seeing the surrounding. The dragon continued to roar while Shin just walked towards the small rock that was beside him and sat there. He basically rested there and waited until the night passed by. And why was that? It was simple, he felt much more confident during the day and nothing else, also, his vision was good enough in the night because he was a wolf, but he had this human mentality that would make him much more reckless during the nighttime. Not that he got any good sleep because the dragon kept roaring. Well, guess what, due to the roaring, he got another skill while he was resting. [ Seal Resistance Lv.1 ] [ Passive ] [ The host and his skills cannot be locked or sealed off ] While the text absolutely meant that his skills wouldn''t be locked, it kept on getting sealed due to the immense difference in levels and strength of the dragon and Shin. The rank difference was great too, not that Shin had bothered to take a look at its stats. In any case, due to the constant locking and working of the skill, it had evolved into level 5 in just a single night. Probably that was because the skill got an immense amount of exp while trying to ward off a dragon''s power. [ Seal Resistance Lv.5 ] It could have leveled up even more, but the dragon wasn''t able to use half of its power because of the title''s effects! Whatever, as soon as the sun rose again, Shin''s skill no longer got sealed! "Bastard¡­" "Re-" "Release me¡­", the dragon seemed quite tired due to the constant roaring and shouting. "Looks like even a mighty dragon as yourself cannot roar for long¡­", Shin tried to mock and see if the dragon was really tired or if he was just acting. And as expected, the dragon was indeed acting! "You foul beast!" "Once I am freed, I''ll shred you into pieces!" Just by hearing that Shin realized that the dragon was acting. While he thought that this was despicable, something came to his mind at the same instant. ''Why would a dragon disguise itself as arge rock and attack someone as small as me?'' ''Why would he act as if he was tired and lure me so that he could attack me when my guard would be down?'', Shin asked himself. Yes, these were some interesting questions. A dragon, so strong as this, wouldn''t do something lowly after all dragons are quite prideful creatures. So something definitely smelt fishy. ''I''m sure¡­'' ''Something is wrong with him¡­'', and Shin was absolutely right. There was something going on with the dragon which made him do all these things. ''Let me take a look at its stats¡­'' ''As the ruler, I think I can see his stats¡­'', well, he was somewhat wrong there. Even if you were a ruler and someone was your ve or was assigned a lower rank, you couldn''t possibly break their mental barrier and see their skills and stats until and unless they allowed it. And we were talking about a dragon here, a being with the highest mental defense! So of course, he couldn''t see everything. But some info was revealed which were quite important and Shin finally realized why the dragon was behaving in an abnormal manner all this time. [ Profile ] [ Name: ??? ] [ Sex: Male ] [ Race: Dragon ] [ Earth Dragon ] [ Status ] [ -> Frightened ] [ -> Anger ] [ -> Trapped ] [ -> Starved ] [ -> Cursed ] [ -> Wounded ] [ -> Lonely ] When Shin looked at the status, he failed to realize the pain with which the dragon in front of him was. He stared at the nk space for a few seconds while thinking about the status effects. ''Frightened¡­?'' This meant that the dragon was quite scared at the moment. It could have been due to the title, but that would not be enough to give such a status effect. There was definitely something else to that. Also, after seeing the stats such as ''trapped'', ''starved'', ''cursed'' and ''wounded'', Shin felt sad for the dragon who was acting tough in front of him. The final stat which he saw was ''Lonely'', which he rted to himself. ''I see¡­'' ''Both of us are lonely¡­'' "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 113 The Earth Dragon - Part 4: Blood ''I see¡­'' ''Both of us are lonely¡­'', Shin said to himself while still hearing the dragon''s rude words. He started to pity him and his fear nearly vanished. [ Fear: 5/100 ] [ Host ] "I would rather die than being your ve!?", the dragon shouted at the top of his voice. After hearing that, Shin thought that he had done the dragon unjust by ignoring him all this time. Yes, all he had to do was think about himself and find Ae, but that didn''t mean that he wouldn''t help someone in need. He was a kind person, to begin with. His MP had recoveredpletely and his skills weren''t being sealed anymore. So he could always escape or run away if the situation got worst so there was nothing to worry about. But yes, he kept thanking Ae for something. ''Ae, your words have saved me thrice already¡­'' ''The first one was when you prevented me from recklessly trying to find the one who murdered Kira and Siara¡­'' Earlier, Shin became aware that Kira was dead, to be precise, this news spread throughout the forest. Since he had the skill trantion, he could understand what other beasts were telling. He even came to know about the betrayal that had happened because he heard them saying that the Bi n went and took the ce which was a home for the White Wolves earlier! When he told Ae about this, she just told him to think carefully instead of rushing and doing something reckless. Yes, she wasn''t that mature at the time, despite that she told this because she was scared of being lonely because Shin could end up dying in the process of taking revenge. Why was he so agitated when he heard about Kira''s death? It was simply because he had epted Kira as his own family! That was the sole reason why he was agitated. That was the first time Ae saved him when he tried to rush to the ce. ''The second time you saved me from turning into a true monster¡­'' Earlier, when he spared Balton, it was purely because of what Ae had said ¨C To forgive the ones who killed her. Although he had killed many, he refrained from killing Balton and stopped killing any other human. ''And now¡­'' ''Your words are telling me to befriend him¡­'', Shin looked at the dragon with pitiful eyes while his own teary eyes shed as a reflection in the dragon''s eyes! The dragon stopped roaring and saying trash things when he found a drop of tear leaving Shin''s eyes andnding on the muddy water under him. "It must have been painful¡­", Shin said in a low voice as if he understood the dragon''s pain. The dragon on the other hand had no idea about what Shin was referring to, but yes, somehow, he could rte those tears to himself. Shin had been understanding and speaking the dragonnguage since earlier, of course, the skill had evolved so it wasn''t a problem for him. "I can feel the pain that you felt while being lonely¡­" A sad atmosphere lingered around both of them. The dragon who was angry until a second ago forgot the reason why he was angry. Well, was there even a reason in the first ce? "You-" "What are you scheming?", he asked. Shin kept mum when he heard that. Well, he wasn''t exactly scheming. But yes, he was trying to befriend him for sure and that was his n for now. "I ain''t scheming¡­" "I''m just trying to¡­" "Trying to?", the dragon paused him and spoke in between. Not that Shin could tell exactly what he wanted. "Sigh¡­" "You aren''t ready to hear me out¡­", Shin was absolutely right. He seemed somewhat impatient now that his anger had decreased. ''Hmm¡­'' ''Why don''t I-'' Shin then walked a bit closer and said with a calm voice, "I was thinking about freeing you from this curse due to which you are trapped¡­" When the dragon heard that, all of a sudden the anger that seemed to vanish, rose up again and erupted like a volcano. "You!" That was because of a memory that he recalled all of a sudden after hearing him say that. ( 100 Years ago ) It was raining heavily and the dragon was getting drenched because of the rain. He then almost immediately bent his body and pulled himself inside the muddy water that had already been collected. ''I''m hungry¡­'' ''It''s been 500 years since I''ve had anything¡­'', the dragon said to himself. ''If I erase my presence, then some or other beast will surely approach me¡­'' There was a huge violet-colored circle shing on the ground when the lightning struck the ground just a bit far away from him. The entire ce was a grasnd but because of the lighting, the area caught fire and the grass vanished. Now it was just a in and it didn''t take long before it turned in a swampy area ¨C a Swampy in! The swampy in was soon enough made into a territory by the other creatures. Many lizards and different beasts migrated to the ce. Of course, as the muddy water kept getting hard, his body started to solidify. Slowly after a long time, the water had reached the height of his abdomen. Yes, it had hardened too due to which all he could do now was lower his head so that none could see and then raise it. Well, it was around this time that he met a human ¨C a powerful mage at that. "Wow!" "A dragon!" "A real dragon!" A mage who was using the fly magic, suddenly found the earth dragon in the ins who was trying to eat a fewrge lizards! The dragon first feared him but was happy to find someone who could speak. The dragon knew the humannguage of 500 years ago and there had been tons of changes, but when the man started to talk, the dragon could understand. He too started to converse with him and both became friends. But the friendship didn''tst long. "I will free you from this curse¡­", the human male said. The dragon was delighted because after hearing the human''s story, he was certain that he was one of the strongest mages on the continent. "But for that, I require some things¡­", he said. "Some things?", the dragon asked. "Yes, I want¡­" "YOUR BLOOD!" ''Stab'' "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 114 Earth Dragon - Part 5: Betrayal ''stab'' The man stabbed the dragon in it''s head. ''Roarrrr'' Dragon''s scales usually protect their body. It usually acts as their body armor which can even withstand tier 5 magic if necessary! So it was quite shocking to see that just a small sword was able to pierce through the Earth Dragon''s scales, skin and reach the heart when the earth dragons were thought to have exceptional defense! "You-", the dragon was at a loss in words. He was extremely shocked by what just happened. ''Did I really get stabbed?'', was the first question that rose in its mind. ? "Hahahaha!" Blood started flowing along with the sword and oozed out. The drops started to fall on the ground. "Yes¡­" "This is what I wanted!" The earth dragon failed to understand the humanpletely because the person whom he considered his friend turned out to be someone with a shitty personality! "I want your blood¡­" "Friend¡­" The way heughed was more than enough evidence to prove that he was no friend of the dragon. ''I trusted you¡­'' Until now, the only ones that ever approached him were some tiny beasts or monsters with no or almost nil intelligence. After meeting a human, although he was wary and kept his guard up all the time, he slowly began to think of him as his friend. Exactly after a year, he was betrayed and this was the moment when the door of his heart was closed. Well, there was a sword piercing his heart and it was left in the same way. The person vanished after taking a few drops of blood from the dragon in some bottle and never returned again. While the dragon expected someone toe this way to release him from his pain, no one came. This was probably because the human warned them that there was some crazy dragon in the ins. No one would ignore the words of the best mage of the century ¨C Lian! His name was Lian and yes, the ins and the grasnd were named after him. He never returned anyway and the dragon never died either. One of the special capacities of the earth-type dragons were that they had strong regeneration powers. Solely because of that, his heart kept regenerating and so did the wound only to be cut again by the sharp sword which was still stuck near his chest. Shackled by the curse, he couldn''t move his hands or legs. He didn''t have wings either so all he could do was move his neck to find some food and stuff. A dragon could easily live more than 500 years without any food ¨C a mature dragon that is. But that didn''t mean that they wouldn''t be hungry! Many a time different dragons flew by but even after noticing him, they wouldn''t help. Of course, if the dragon was of earth attribute, then there was a possibility that they would help, but the ones that flew by never even tried to help him. Instead, they would attack once or twice causing him much more pain. Why? Well, although the dragons were extremely intelligent, they werepetitive at the same time. With the exception of a few dragons, there were many who were greedy and wanted to rise in rank because it was believed, the strongest dragon would be able to be a celestial. Of course, bing a true God was a different story because there already existed a dragon who was considered as a God ¨C The Dragon God. IN any case, the Earth Dragon waspletely isted by the world. The Grigard or whatever lizard tried to rule over the ce was chased out by him. Those who ran away to the forest faced stronger beasts and only got weak and that was probably how a weakened ruler met Shin earlier ¨C only a possibility! ''I wonder why I was born in this world¡­'' ''To suffer pain?'', the dragon referred to the pain of the wound that was constantly getting created. No matter how much time passed, he never got used to that pain. Though, he found a method that could reduce that pain ¨C by giving himself a different pain! Yes, the reason why he used a tornado and tried to stop respiring or breathing by going inside the muddy water was just because he wanted to give his body a different pain and force it to forget the pain that was present in the heart. A pretty wacky method he learned but oh well, no one ever came to help him anyway so all he could do was use such twisted methods. ( Back to present ) Now, although Shin was in front of him, he couldn''t help but doubt him. He didn''t want to get betrayed again and that was why he swore that he wouldn''t anyone. But for some reason, his painfully beating heart was telling him to trust Shin. It was quite hard but he ended up listening to his heart. ''This little punk won''t be able to kill me anyway so I have nothing to fear even if he betrays¡­'', he thought. But was that really the truth? Couldn''t Shin inflict any damage on the dragon? Whatever, at the moment, Shin thought about helping the dragon and the dragon also thought about epting his offer. The moment was kind of nostalgic because both of them weren''t ready to trust each other. Shin feared that if the dragon was to be cured, then he might end up killing Shin. Although Shin could run and save his life, he wasn''t confident at the moment about that. Even if he had the title, he still thought about a n B in case something were to go wrong. The dragon as well did the same thing. ''What if this pup is a schemer and is trying to curse me or take my blood?'', he asked himself. That was why the dragon was also ready with a n of his own ¨C he would destroy the entire area surrounding him even if he couldn''t directly attack Shin. Well, at this point who could have imagined that the two beings that were being suspicious of each other at the moment would end up bing the biggest threat to humanity someday? "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 115 The Curse Eater The dragon was ready to give Shin a chance and Shin wouldn''t fail to amaze the dragon. "How will you help me to get out of this?", the dragon asked. Shin knew the dragon''s status effects. Other than the fact that his stats were hidden, the status effects were being shown to him. [ Profile ] [ Name: ??? ] [ Sex: Male ] [ Race: Dragon ] [ Earth Dragon ] [ Status ] [ -> Trapped ] [ -> Starved ] [ -> Cursed ] [ -> Wounded ] Three status effects had already vanished. This meant that the dragon was really ready to believe everything that Shin was saying. Of course, the status effects could return based on the situation, but yes, Shin had no intentions of betraying the dragon. He never learned to betray anyone in the first ce also such a thought never crossed his mind. ''Hmm, now that loneliness, anger, and frightened stats are gone¡­'' ''The dragon would trust me more¡­'', he concluded. ''Next is trapped, starved, cursed and wounded¡­'' ''These four have to be removed as soon as possible¡­'' Shin wasn''t sure about the trapped and starved status for now. He knew that he could help the dragon get out of the solidified muddy water, but had no idea about the method of doing so. Though, he sure knew how to help the dragon get rid of the cursed and wounded status. Since he had the right skills for those things, he was d because he could be of at least some help! ''Yes, I guess these skills will be enough¡­'' Shin''s eyes started to shine all of a sudden with a green light just as they usually did when he used any skill. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Curse Eater ] [ -> Choose a target ] Usually, Shin would just look at the target and use the skill, but at the moment he was preupied thinking many things. "Ah, it''s the curse on the dragon ve. The dragon made a weird expression after hearing him say that. He failed to see the skills and stuff that Shin was using therefore for a moment he thought that Shin was crazy. In any case, his pride was hurt when he was referred to as a ve. ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] [ Target selected ] [ Processing¡­ ] [ ¡­ ] [ error ] [ curse on the target is higher than the skill''s level ] [ failed to remove the curse ] "Huh?", Shin didn''t expect such a thing to happen. His skill which had leveled up thrice was still unable to remove the curse. Well, it made sense that the curse was strong seeing the fact that the dragon''s power was over the top! "I didn''t expect such a thing to happen¡­", Shin said in a low voice. He thought that he would be able to help remove the curse with ease! But it looked like that wasn''t the case.` ''Hmm¡­'', and when he was thinking of something else, another system notification appeared. ''Ding'' [ Specific feature of the Curse Eater can be activated ] [ The system advises the host to use this feature ] [ Curse Eater: #1 -> Can eat ( reduce ) the curse ] Now, this was something good. *gulp* Actually, Shin could have gotten any other type of curse lifting skills such as ¨C Curse remover, Curse lifter, etc. But he specifically got this skill and now he finally understood why. Other skills wouldn''t have worked if the curse would be way beyond their level. On contrary to them, the curse eater spell would allow the host tp eat away the curse, which is quite simr to removing the curse. This was something Shin understood and finally realized that all his skills were to given equal attention because who knows what other features could be hidden in the skills! "What happened?" "Have you changed your mind about helping me?", the dragon had a stern expression on his face but in reality, he expected something like this. He knew the strength of the curse which he couldn''t break even after such a long time so it was obvious that Shin wouldn''t be able to free him from the curse, at least, that''s what the dragon thought. In any case, reducing the curse didn''t essentially mean that the dragon would be freedpletely! "Listen¡­", and Shin thought that it was for the best to inform him about the situation that he was facing at the moment. "Actually I have a skill called curse Eater but-", Shin exined to him everything and the dragon understood. Not that he believed everything but on seeing Shin being so serious, he thought that Shin was indeed speaking the truth. "So that means you won''t be able to remove the curse?", the dragon asked. Shin didn''t reply and said, "Let me use the skill, we will know how far the skill would work¡­" The dragon agreed to what he said. "Alright, then I will be using the skill." "Something is better than nothing¡­", was what Shin said because he was trying to console the dragon. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Curse Eater ] [ The skill curse eater''s first feature has been enabled ] [ Analyzing¡­ ] Shin waited for further information. He knew thatpletely lifting the curse wasn''t possible and at the same time knew that the process wouldn''t be quick. So he had to wait for a few minutes or even hours. A few hours, around two hours passed by, and just as he thought, the analysis waspleted and the next system notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ Condition has been analyzed ] [ Curse Eater will be able to eat 30% of the curse ] The moment Shin saw these texts, he had a bright smile on his face, however, there was no mention of anything about freeing the dragon. He was about to ask about that when all of a sudden the system notified him on its own! ''Ding'' [ The Curse is identified to be a Restraint ] [ Due to the 30% of the removal of the curse, the restraint will be temporarily lifted] The moment Shin saw the notifications, he was filled with joy because it was exactly what he wanted! "Yes, with this-", and just when Shin was about to tell the dragon, another notification popped up. [ Warning ] "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 116 Dragon-Slayer Weapons [ Warning ] [ The target will lose 50% of its power ] [ Regression of the level will take ce ] [ Lv.50 <- Lv.95 ] [ All stats will be reduced by 50% ] [ The target''s body will be changed temporarily ] [ Would you like to proceed? ] [ -> Yes/ No ] "Huh? When Shin read the next information, he was way too shocked to even think properly. Well, some weird stuff was mentioned by the system which was not that hard toprehend but surely was a bit confusing. ''So basically, he will lose 50% of his powers¡­'' The dragon already had lost most of its power due to a curse. Due to the status of the Swamp Ruler, his status had been reduced by 50%. Once they would be out of the swamp. His stats would get restored to the point which was reduced by the title, at least, that''s what should have happened. Now due to the curse that would be left behind, his powers would be in the same reduced state. Also, he wouldn''t be able to retain hisrge body or the body in which he is in at the moment. *gulp* ''Should I tell these things to him?'', Shin wondered. He thought for a few seconds and concluded that it was best for the dragon to know about it. "Listen¡­", Shin turned his gazes towards the dragon and even before he could say anything, the dragon started to speak. "So, you can''t free me?", he asked. It was as if he was criticizing Shin or was trying to show that Shin wouldn''t be able to do anything like that. Basically, he was trying to prove himself that everyone was a liar! "Sigh, why do you always conclude that I won''t be able to do that?", Shin asked with a raised voice. The dragon paused when he heard that. He couldn''t possibly answer that it was because of the past, so he just kept quiet. "I-", Shin didn''t let the dragon say anything else. He just started to tell about what he was about to do and what were the problems. "The curse eater skill which I have cannotpletely remove the curse that you are inflicted with.", Shin said. "Notpletely?", the dragon paid attention to the most important part. "Yes, the thing is-" Shin then started to exin what the skill could do and what the problems were. Of course, after telling that he waited for the dragon''s response. Someone who grew strong wouldn''t just want to give up all their powers! That held true for the dragon too. He might have undergone a lot of hardships to get stronger. He had been locked up at the same ce for many years because of the curse whose origins were yet to be known. He had been enduring the pain all this time while he was trapped. He never once gave up and thought about dying probably because he had this hope that one day he would be freed. Maybe that was his willpower. In any case, he was someone who wanted to be freed at the moment so he was definitely ready to take the risks. Needless to say, boredom and loneliness was the main reason for that. "Yes, I want to be freed¡­" "Please help me¡­", the dragon said in a low voice. His anger had disappeared long ago and now it was the turn of the curse. Although no fully, he could help him removing a part of the curse which was indeed a good thing. "Alright then¡­", Shin then without wasting any time, epted the extra effects of the curse eater as disyed by the system. "Yes¡­" ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] [ The skill Curse Eater has been activated ] [ The skill is going to eat 30% of the curse on the target ] Right after that, bright purple light started to shine from the ground. One could see that it was arge magic circle from the top, however just from standing on top of it, one couldn''t possibly conclude that. Of course, Shin was different, he was able to tell that right away. In any case, Shin wondered how long it would take for the curse to be reduced by 30%, to his surprise, it happened in seconds. The effect of the curse was still ced on him, however, 30% of it was definitely reduced. What was that curse anyway? Restraint? That was what the system had mentioned. But was it just simple restraint? No, it was a restraint that continuously sucked the dragon''s magic powers. Of course, after it got weakened, some of the dragon''s powers returned back to his body. ''Roar'' He roared with all his might and soon enough the purple magic vanished. ''Ugh'' The dragon thought that the skill hadn''t worked initially, however to his surprise, he could move his tail which had been stuck in the muddy water for long. "Does this mean¡­" He then slowly tried to free his hands which were stuck inside the hardened muddy water and yes, he was able to pull them out with ease. ,m Of course, when he did this, his heart started to pain more because he was finally moving and the sword that was stuck there started to hurt him more! Shin noticed this when the dragon raised its body a bit and his chest portion was above the surface. "Huh¡­?" "A sword¡­?", Shin was surprised to see a sword. He never expected the dragon to sustain injuries due to a mere sword, however, when he carefully took a look at it, he found out that there was something different about it. ''Ding'' [ Item detected ] [ Profile ] Name: Masamura [ Sword of the great sage Lian ] [ Dragonyer ] [ -> A sword that can y dragon ] [ -> Can heal the target ] A dragon yer sword can kill the dragon with ease. Those swords were so rare in the world that if one were to find such a thing, he could instantly buy a whole kingdom! The swords were considered as one of the most powerful weapons of all time and because they were so rare, the craze for them was a real deal! However, such a sword can instantly kill a dragon if it were to pierce a dragon''s heart. How did Shin know that? Of course, because it was mentioned in the description provided by the system. [ Dragonyer weapons ] [ -> Weapons that have powers to kill a dragon ] [ -> 90% chance of killing a dragon if the weapon were to stab their hearts ] [ Exceptions: High-Tier Dragon yer Weapons ] [ -> They may have various properties that can reduce or increase the chance of killing a dragon ] Either the dragon was really lucky that it survived, or there was something else that led him to survive. Surely, he had extraordinary abilities to regenerate, unfortunately, in front of a dragon yer weapon, that was nothing at all! So how did the dragon survive? Shin found the answer to this question after looking at the weapon''s profile again. [ -> Can heal the target ] With this he understood how the dragon survived. ''But who in their sane minds try to heal a dragon which they were trying to kill?'', Shin asked himself. In any case, he thought that it was the best if he were to remove the item from the dragon''s body. ''Hmm, how do I do that¡­?'', not that he had some spell that would allow him to pull the sword out. "Hey, do you have a way to remove the sword?", Shin asked. The dragon was so happy that he was able to move that he didn''t think about the sword earlier. Now After Shin mentioned that, the dragon took a moment to notice it. "This¡­" The dragon thought about pulling the sword with its hands, but unfortunately, his hands were no different than his legs. He was a dragon that walked on four legs after all so it was obvious that he couldn''t use his two so-called arms which were no more than forelimbs! So obviously he wouldn''t be able to pull a sword like that. He might end up pushing it further inside which would only hurt him more. Also, there is a chance that the sword would obliterate his hands. It just shook its head and wondered of a way to remove the sword. Shin also used his human brain as hard as he could however he couldn''t arrive at a conclusion, not until the system gave out a new feature as a bonus! ''Ding'' "..." To be continued... Chapter 117 A Way To Remove The Sword: The Inventory ''Ding'' [ The Skill Curse Eater has leveled up ] [ Lv.3 -> Lv.4 ] That was some normal info that he had seen tons of times, but he never expected to see something unimaginable that showed up next. ''Ding'' [ You havepleted the hidden mission ¨C Leveling Up The Skills ] ''What a shi*ty name for a mission¡­'', Shin had a weird expression on his face instead of being happy. [ 10 of your active skills have sessfully reached Lv.4 ] [ Rewards ] [ -> Enabling Stat Points ] [ Enabled ] [ -> Inventory ] [ New ] [ -> Mana Space ] [ New ] "What the-" He received three rewards for which he had no idea how to react. The stat point was something he had heard once at the beginning but since then he never got to see it again, it was probably disabled by the system for some reason. Moreover, the inventory and mana space that started to sh in front of him was something unexpected too! "You much be kidding me¡­", he said in a low voice when he took a look at their description. [ Stat Points ] [ -> Additional/ extra stat points received from missions/rewards/leveling ups/ hunting will be stored and disyed here ] [ -> The host can use the stat points to increase the stats of individual skills ] [ Stat points acquired: 980 ] [ Inventory ] [ -> A subspace created by the system where items and other desired things can be stored ] [-> Lv.1 ] [ -> Slots: 10 ] [ -> Each slot is capable of storing 10 items of the same attributes or types or nature ] [ -> Volume of storage of each slot: 3 cubic metres ] [ applied only for finite uncountable objects ] Shin had earlier found many items. Almost all of them were from the monster drops. Unfortunately, the nature of those items was ¨C only one-time use. This meant that he could use them only once. Since he didn''t have any inventory back then, all he could do was use them at the moment. Not all were waste because their effectssted for quite some time which helped many a time, however, there were some that were used for nothing, the reason for which was ¨C unavability of a storing space or inventory. Not that he ever thought about getting one, but he imagined having something simr to that carrying things would be easier. The system was probably waiting for the right time toe and now it finally provided Shin with the inventory. Well, Shin could guess what the system wanted ¨C Storing the dragon-yer sword in the inventory. But for that Shin had to force the sword out of the dragon''s body. That was the real problem at the moment, the solution for which was already given by the system. [ In order to store an item in the inventory, the host has to just imagine doing that ] ''Huh¡­?'' ''I just have to imagine that happening?'', Shin asked himself. ,m ''Does that mean I can pull the sword out¡­?'' If that was possible, then another problem would be solved with ease. Of course, this indeed seemed as if it was some sort of luck that was bringing him out of the situation, but in reality, it was all connected. If he never had all those skills which reached Lv.4, he would have never gotten such a reward. Arguably, it would be best to say that it was due to fate. The dragon was just staring at the sword stuck in its chest. Shin thought about removing the sword before announcing it to the dragon because he didn''t want him to be disappointed again. He thought about adding the sword to his inventory. "¡­" And that''s all he did. In a second, no, in a milisecond, the sword had already vanished. The blood oozed out of the dragon''s body which soon vanished too due to the hyper regenerative power. The fact that the sword vanished surprised both Shin and the dragon. "The sword¡­", the dragon was about roar with happiness because he was no longer feeling any pain. But just before he could roar, Shin started howling because he was extremely excited, happy, and surprised by what had happened. ''Aoooooooo'' The sword was now in the inventory as it was disyed on the screen in addition to the text that appeared next. ''Ding'' [ You have stored a dragon-yer weapon: Masamura ] [ Slot 1 has been set to store dragon-ying weapons by default ] [ The weapons that will be stored in the inventory will be fully repaired if broken ] [ All their info will be visible after analysis is done ] [ Time inside the inventory would pause ¨C unless otherwise mentioned by the host ] Now, this was some useful info for sure. Shin was happy at the moment because something worked finally. Also, the dragon was free from the pain that was being inflicted by the sword. After seeing Shin howl with joy, the dragon understood that it was Shin who did this, not that he didn''t believe this earlier, but he was just hesitant. "Thank you very much¡­", was what the dragon said. The dragon was quite thankful for what Shin did. His long-suffering which seemed worse than death was now over and it was Shin who did this. Of course, all this time the dragon had been bearing suspicion however for the first time, he saw someone keep his word. Shin was overjoyed at the moment. His main goal at the moment was still about finding Ae and he hadn''t forgotten about her at all, but to be able to help a dragon, just how many would be able to do that? [ Mana Space ] [ -> Can store excess mana to use during emergency or whenever required ] [ -> Lv.1 ] [ -> Capacity: 40 ] This was a useful thing too which Shin took a look at after seeing the dragon expressing its gratitude. Of course, he surely helped the dragon in removing the sword, but the dragon hadn''t beenpletely free. The hardened muddy water was still all over its body. Yes, the dragon would be able to break out of that, but it would take some time after all the dragon wasn''t in its best shape at the moment. Also, he had no idea as to how the dragon''s body would change ording to the system so it was in his best interest to observe him longer. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 118 The Change: Decrease In Size Anyway, the new features which he just recently received were top-notch. The mana space was extremely good because it could help him when he would run out of his mana. Of course, they weren''t his exclusive skills but were something that was attached to the system. That was why he had a bit of ambiguity if they would work properly because many times the system would end up giving him trouble despite the fact that it would help him in the end. Yes, whatever the system forces Shin to do is for his own good and he realized that too, however, some tasks were way too difficult the rewards for which would be none but the punishment would be hellish! These were some things that he could take a look atter, for now, he checked the dragon''s stats. [ Status ] [ -> Trapped ] [ -> Starved ] p [ -> Cursed ] Only these three remained. The first one was ''trapped'' because the dragon hadn''t been able to get out yet. Shin was sure that it would disappear soon enough. However, the next two were something that had to be dealt with care. ''Starved'' was probably because the dragon hadn''t eaten anything for ages. This meant that he would be extremely hungry. A dragon''s hunger shouldn''t be taken lightly. Such arge predator, which stood at the top, would end up eating an entire forest if not dealt with carefully. This was something Shin had to force himself to think about. The next was ''cursed''. Shin couldn''t do anything about that for now because his skills weren''t efficient enough. The curse could be removedpletely if and only if his skills were to level up. Yes, there was another way ¨C finding a being that could lift the curse or finding the one who put the curse in the first ce! Thetter two seemed difficult but it was something that could be considered. In any case, now that the dragon was trying to free itself, Shin thought about giving him a hand. He used skills that were enough to blow away the rocks. Of course, it could harm the dragon too, but considering the dragon''s insane regeneration powers, he could do that without many worries. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Hurricane ] [ -> Fast winds will start moving ] [ -> The wind may take the form of cyclone or tornado ] Of course, that was what happened a while ago. However, that wasn''t Shin''s concern for now. All he wanted was for the dragon to be freed. Due to the fast-moving winds, cracks were being formed on the rocks. Slowly but steadily, the hardened muddy water which had be like rocks were breaking down. Both, the skill tornado used by the dragon and the skill hurricane used by Shin helped in the process. For now, at least, Shin had no worries about the mana because it had been recoveredpletely, also, he had extra mana too because of the new feature which he received a few moments ago. The rocks soon enough brokepletely. The dragon then tried to stand up, of course, after being in the same position for many centuries, its legs had be quite weak. But that didn''t mean that he couldn''t move them. He tried his best and ultimately was able topletely get out of the trapped ce. Muddy water surrounded him but that was not a problem at all, also, he was able to walk freely now. Tears, yes, tears ran down his eyes all of a sudden. "Thank you¡­" "Thank you for freeing me.", although he was a dragon, all this time of loneliness and suffering had made his heart weak. The dragon was famous for attacking anyone and everyone that entered its territory, that was why it was named as one of the most dangerous zones on the continent. Dragon-yers, although there were only a few of them, they came to hunt the beat. But always they were unsessful because as soon as they would enter the territory, they would face the terrifying storm and tornadoes. Even if they were to pass that, they were attacked by the dragon. Sighting a dragon is so rare that one would find it only once a century or it would take a few decades to spot one. Though there existed such a dragon nearby that was actually trapped and helpless, no one actually came to hunt. This proved ¨C humans or dragon-yers were only flexing. Either that could have been the case, or they might have just not believed the story. In any case, only a few dragon-yer in 500 years hade to hunt this dragon but ended up failing. To hide the fact that they failed, they ended up spreading the rumor that it was some other monster due to which they thought about letting it go. The rumor spread throughout the continent. While some said that it was a dragon-level beast, others made some useless stories. In the end, the only kingdom that knew about the dragon''s existence was the kingdom of Levonia. The reason why they didn''t hunt it was because the dragon was sessful in preventing the beasts to escape from at least one side of the forest. Whatever, the dragon was free and now Shin was satisfied with what he did. He thought about leaving but was hesitant because of the system notification that popped up. ''Ding'' [ The changes in the target''s body willmence shortly ] [ ¡­ ] Although the dragon had agreed to the things that Shin had mentioned earlier, it was still worried about what was going to happen. Shin had the same concern too. While his mind was constantly on the fact of finding Ae, the dragon''s matter bothered him too. ''Ding'' [ A suitable state has been confirmed for the dragon''s body ] [ Commencing transformation ] [ ¡­ ] The moment this notification appeared, the dragon''s body suddenly started to glow with brown light. Yes, following that, the dragon suddenly started to grow smaller. Its size started to decrease all of a sudden and it wasn''t long before the dragon''s gigantic body had vanished leaving behind a small body. "No way¡­" And when Shin saw him in this state, he couldn''t help but be surprised. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 119 Another Wolf? "You got to be kidding me¡­" On seeing the changes that happened to the dragon, Shin couldn''t help but be surprised. Two things had happened to the dragon, first of all, the dragon''s size had reduced. The second change was that the dragon was not a dragon any longer. To be precise, it didn''t have its dragon form, in fact, it took the shape of a totally different species ¨C wolf. "Why are you looking like a¡­" "Wolf!?", Shin was puzzled when such a thing happened. The same reaction was given by the dragon too!'' "What happened to my body!?", the dragon raised its voice and asked this. His body had basically turned into a wolf''s body. Yes, it looked like an adult wolf which was twice the size of Shin but it was nowhere near to its original form. ''Was this the change that the system mentioned earlier¡­?'', Shin asked himself after noticing the freaking transformation of a dragon into a wolf. Now he understood how it felt for the bears whom he had killed long ago to see him transform into a creature like a dragon! No wonder they were awed by something like that. This was not amon urrence at all so what was to be expected anyway? "How did you end up bing a wolf?", Shin asked in a raised voice. However, the dragon too had the same doubt. He voluntarily didn''t do that obviously! "Is this the change that you said will happen?", the dragon asked. "¡­" Shin had no words to say because he wasn''tpletely sure either. However, seeing that a dragon suddenly transformed into something else without its own wish was abnormal. And such abnormal things could have only been possible due to the system, at least that''s what he concluded. So he just nodded his head and said, "Sorry about that¡­" "But I think you are right." "You changed into a wolf due to the sys-" "I mean, this was the change that I was talking about.", Shin finally confirmed it. Now, what would the dragon do? One of the reasons why the dragons were feared was because of their gigantic size and fierce looks. While the wolves may look fierce sometimes, in terms of sizes, they were nowhere close to the dragon! This was the most upsetting matter. Since the dragon wanted freedom, he had to sacrifice the dragon body which he adored a lot. "Ah, don''t worry, the change isn''t temporary!", was what Shin said almost immediately after seeing the dragon looking at the body and sighing. "It isn''t temporary!?", the dragon asked all of a sudden when he heard Shin say that. "Yes, I think¡­" "The effect willst until I will remove the cursepletely.", was what Shin said. This essentially meant that the dragon had to either wait here for Shin to return or apany him until his skill reached the max level. He didn''t want to stay here because he could feel that his intimidation was no longer working. Most of his skills had vanished for the time being only because he lost his gigantic body. The only few skills that the dragon or rather the brown wolf had now were quite a low level. They were enough to handle low-level monsters but there were nowhere near enough to defeat high-tier monsters, not for now at least. "Sigh, so that means I have to apany you.", the dragon said that as if it was something painful and annoying. But in reality, he was quite happy. With this, he wouldn''t be lonely. Shin could see how excited the dragon was because of the tail that he was wagging unnoticeably. Also, the problem about the food would also be solved since he wouldn''t eat the entire forest now! In any case, now Shin had a dragon apanying. Well, even if he didn''t retain his original power and skills, he was still a dragon after all. Even after the change in the species, he was way too strong. Shin came to know that when he finally checked his profile and could see everything. [ Profile ] Name: ??? Sex: Male Age: 890 years Weight: 21 Kg Race: Dragon [ Earth Dragon ] Rank: A || Max. rank: ??? [ Level: 57 || Max. level: 110 ] [ HP: 585/585 || Max. HP: 600 ] [ MP: 800/800|| Max. MP: 800 ] [ Exp: 1299 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 170 || Max. Atk: 999 ] [ Def: 566 || Max. Def: 999 ] [ Speed: 180 || Max. Speed: 999 ] Int: 90 || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Howl Lv.4 2] Camouge Lv.3 3] Roll Lv.3 4] Regeneration Lv.6 5] Aura Lv.3 6] Geo-Energy Lv.2 7] Sand Storm Lv.2 8] Dragon Eyes Lv.3 9] Tornado Lv.1 10] Earth Quake Lv.2 [ Passive Skills ] 1] Sand Resistance Lv.3 2] Body Armor Lv.3 3] Stab Resistance Lv.4 4] Poison Resistance Lv.2 [ Title ] 1] Celestial Killer -> Title gained after killing a Celestial 2] Terror -> Title gained from humans 3] Destruction -> Title gained from the Dragon-yers [ Status Effects ] 1] Transformant 2] Starved 3] Cursed *gulp* ''Some stats are way too surprising¡­'', Shin said to himself after seeing the defense stats and some skills. Especially, when he took a look at the titles, he was speechless. ''Celestial Killer'' ¨C there was nothing ordinary about that. Shin wants to be a Celestial by growing stronger, but right in front of him, he met someone, who had devoured, to be precise, killed a celestial! Maybe that was the reason for the curse. Who knows? That is a story for some other time anyway. "Come, let''s do something about your hunger.", Shin said politely. The dragon nodded his head and followed him to the forest to hunt somerge beasts or monsters. Did Shin forget about Ae? Originally he hade to search her here right? Then did he just leave without looking at the entire area? Actually, he did leave without taking a look at the entire ce. He had two solid reasons for doing this. One- "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 120 Attributes He had two solid reasons for doing this. One ¨C He was the ruler of the Swamps due to which he could actually see and sense every being there. Due to that, he came to know that Ae wasn''t in that region. Of course, that was why he was ready to leave. This was the main reason which let him conclude that Ae wasn''t here. Yes, even his sense of smell was helpful in smelling. When he tried to detect her scent, he couldn''t get any. Neither humans nor Ae, no one''s scent was present there. Second ¨C He came to know that Balton was lying. Since such a strong dragon was present here, trapped for long and attacking whoever approached it, no one in their sane minds would even dare to approach this ce. So why would someone like Balton enter this ce? Shin found it ridiculous but his anger for Balton increased. The next time they meet, Balton wouldn''te out alive. Shin and the dragon soon entered the forest of Thuren. He wanted to find something edible for the dragon. ''Ding'' [ You have hunted a mega-centipede ] [ You have gained 30 exp ] ''Ding'' [ You have hunted a giant mantis] [ You have gained 20 exp ] Shin hunted two beasts soon after entering the forest which both of them were going to eat. That was because yet another day had passed and Shin hadn''t eaten anything properly. The dragon was hungry too so it started to eat whatever Shin caught. As for him, he couldn''t hunt anything because it was quite ufortable for him. ''Even a dragon cannot adapt so easily to a new body¡­'', Shin murmured to himself. p Well, on one hand, there was the great dragon that could hardly behave like a wolf after getting transformed and on the other hand, there was Shin, who could easily run as a wolf-pup right after reincarnating even when the pup was just 6-7 days old. "¡­" What a weird world it was ¨C it seemed as if Shin was being favored by it. Whatever, the dragon started to eat the beasts that were hunt by Shin. Of course, Shin too enjoyed them. Within a few minutes, everything was over and the dragon''s hunger was also satisfied, for now that is. Its hunger had reduced just because its size and systems had been changed. Trust me, if it had retained itsrge size, then it would have ended up devouring the entire forest! Both of them sat under a tree to pass the noon. The dragon took the chance to ask about Shin. "For your size¡­", he started all of a sudden. "Yes¡­?", while the dragon talked like the boss, Shin acted politely, probably due to his habit. "You are just a white wolf¡­" "But why do you possess such strength?" Now, this was something that even the Elf Celestial Elvion wanted to ask. Indeed, Shin was a white wolf, however, he was no ordinary wolf. He was a reincarnate and on top of that, he had the help of a system that wasn''t present with any other white wolf. ''I guess it''s true¡­'' ''Color of a wolf is the deciding factor.'', he said to himself. He recalled the n that was led by Kira. While everyone had white fur, Kira was the only one to have ck fur. This meant that Kira waspletely different from them. He was probably not even a wolf of their n. Instead, he was someone from the outside who grew up within the white wolf n and became the leader. This essentially meant that a white wolf wouldn''t be able to be a leader of any sort! They would always be discriminated against by everyone and everything ¨C including nature! He then thought about asking about it to the dragon. "Why do you think that a white wolf is weak?", Shin asked. He thought that this hierarchy or prejudice had no proof or was something that someone had made on a whim. But no, there was a deep meaning to that! "Don''t you already know?", the dragon asked. The dragon probably thought that Shin knew the actual reason. But in reality, he had no idea about it. "The use of attributes, magic, and skills are all basically decided by the color of the being." "Consider me as an example¡­" "I''m brown color due to which the magic and skills that I can mainly use is Earth-type¡­" Shin was about to raise an objection to that before which the dragon stated that himself. "However that doesn''t mean that I can''t use or learn other skills." "I have the wind type skill Tornado despite being brown colored and earth type¡­" "So this means that color is just a basic reference." "I see¡­", Shin understood now what the dragon wanted to say. "This is the same with the wolves too." "The colored wolves can use the respective skills however a white-colored wolf cannot use any skills associated with an attribute.", was what the dragon said and concluded. "Huh¡­?" When Shin heard that, his mind was filled with tons of questions. ''Wasn''t Siara a wind type?'' ''What about Ae?'' ''She too evolved into a wind type after naming?'', Shin murmured. The dragon didn''t hear what he said because he was talking in a low voice to himself. "Hmm¡­" "So, does that mean the colored beast can have the names corresponding to their color and attribute?", Shin asked. The dragon shook his head and said, "No, the beasts can be named whatever they want¡­" "But, they would only gain benefits if their names were to be associated with their attributes¡­", the dragon replied. ''I see¡­'' ''So if Kira was named as Ae in the beginning, then he wouldn''t have be so strong as back then¡­'' ''Since the name Kira was associated with darkness, it boosted his strength.'', Shin nodded his head after understanding that, And just when he thought that he had understood everything, suddenly a thought struck his mind. "Wait a second¡­" "Doesn''t this mean¡­" "The white wolves, who aren''t associated with any attributes¡­" "Can gain the attributes after getting the name?" "¡­" And with this, he was sessful in getting the dragon''s attention. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 121 Naming The Earth-Dragon: Terran "Doesn''t this mean that we white wolves can evolve and gain any attribute we want after being named?", Shin asked. The dragon waspletely speechless when he heard this. He never once thought about it in that manner. All he imagined was that the white wolves were quite weak and couldn''t survive in the world. While that was true and the same happened a lot ¨C many white wolf pups died ¨C there were many that survived too. The humans hunt the white wolves because they were an easier target. The rates for them were quite low because anyone could hunt them, but that was long ago. Due to their greatly reduced number, now it was quite hard to find them. Obviously, the rate rose too. Of course, it wasn''t that high, but it could be considered as a decent amount whenpared with other wolves and beasts. Yes, for humans, beasts were not only ssified with ranks, they were ssified in terms of coins and stars at the same time. Especially the named beasts, almost all of them ranged from one gold coin to a hundred. This was for the lower ones. For stronger ones, one could easily earn 1000 gold coins by hunting them! Though, that would be quite difficult. In any case, that was not the topic of discussion at the moment. The dragon was just awed by Shin''s thinking. The way he thought and did things were abnormal. He looked at Shin''s hunting techniques which were not just about brute strength, he used tactics too such as luring the enemy out of their territory or hunting them while taking the higher ground. Such extraordinary thinking could only be disyed by extremely intelligent beings and extraordinary beasts that can fight on an equal level with dragons. Exceptions included humans, dwarves, and other simr races. "Are you sure you are a white wolf?", the dragon asked. He was genuinely surprised. There were three things that surprised the dragon. One ¨C such a small wolf was able to hold a conversation with such a mighty dragon as himself. It might have been because the dragon had be his ve, but yes, the fact remained. Second ¨C a wolf was as smart as a human or dragon. This could be seen in some wolves but they would be highly evolved ones. The dragon could see how small Shin was due to which he was surprised when he saw and heard the way Shin hunted and talked. These three reasons were more than enough to force the dragon to ask him such a question. "Haha, I believe I am.", Shinughed while answering. "¡­" The dragon became a bit suspicious because of theughter. There was nothing tough at here so yes, a bit of suspicion rose due to that. Shin felt a sense of uneasiness due to which he said something which finally prevented the dragon from being suspicious. "You might be wondering how such a small wolf is so strong and so intelligent¡­" It was as if Shin was boasting by saying that. "Yes.", the dragon replied. "Well, it''s because¡­" "Because?" "It''s because I have a name.", Shin thought that it was wise to say this rather than saying about the system and reincarnation bullsh*t. "Huh?" The dragon thought that it was misheard due to which he asked Shin to repeat himself. "What did you say?" "¡­" "I repeat, I am not a nameless beast!" "I have a name!" The moment he mentioned that the dragon froze for a moment. "¡­" He never imagined that the small wolf that he was looking down on was a named beast. Named beasts are naturally thought to be better survivors of nature due to which they automatically receive more luck and blessing from nature. Of course, that put them in a much higher position automatically. "Are you for real?", the dragon asked. He received a shock simr to the one during betrayal. "Yes." "Haha, what''s wrong?", Shinughed because the dragon had a weird expression on its face. He was somewhat jealous because a small wolf had a name while a mighty dragon like himself had no name. Shin understood this and thought of doing something fun. "Want me to name you?", he asked. "You?" "Naming me?" "Hahahaha!", the dragon burst intoughter when he heard that. ''?'' "Did I say something funny?", Shin asked. "Haha." "No, it''s just that, a small wolf such as you was thinking of naming someone as me¡­" "That was quite funny!" "Hahaha!" As it was already mentioned, intelligent beasts could name themselves. It held true for a dragon too, however, if they were to name themselves, then they would receive almost no power boosts. That was the only reason why the dragon hadn''t named itself and was waiting for some stronger dragon or some stronger being toe and name him. And while waiting for that, he met Shin whom he considered tiny, who was ready to name him. Shin red at the dragon because he felt that the dragon was making fun of him by saying that. "Do you think that I can''t name you?", Shin asked. The dragon shook his head while continuing theughter. "Haha, of course, you can''t!" "Do you think lower ranked beasts can name a higher ranked one?", the dragonughed again and again which started to annoy Shin. ''Actually, I am curious about that too¡­'' ''I wonder if I can name someone stronger than me¡­'', Shin wondered. He decided to name the dragon and started to think of a name. "Fine then, I will name you right now!", Shin got agitated and decided to name the dragon immediately. "Huh?" "Wait¡­" All of a sudden the dragon ceased theughter. Well, there was another rule in the world, a named beast could name an unnamed beast. Of course, the condition for that was that the unnamed beast would be the named beast''s subordinate or would obtain a lower rank! "Terran¡­" "From today, your name will be Terran!" "No!", the dragon raised his voice but unfortunately, Shin already named him after thinking for a moment. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 122 A Mistake Right Off The Bat! "Your name shall be Terran!", and Shin announced it almost immediately. It was as if he had a name sitting right back of his head and when he needed one, it just popped out of nowhere. ''Ding'' [ You have named your first ve ¨C Terran ] [ Terran -> Being rted to earth ] [ Due to the rtion with earth attribute, the ve will receive boosts ] [ Stats of the ve will increase ] [ The ve will be promoted and attain the rank of the second Vessel ] [ New skill ¨C Sand Rain will be gained by the second vessel ] [ The title ''The Second Vessel Of Shin''] The earth dragon who was supposedly going to get mad ended up being surprised because of the boosts and the skill. "What the-" [ HP: 585+5/585+5 || Max. HP: 600 ] [ MP: 800+5/800+5|| Max. MP: 800+5 ] [ Exp: 1299+5 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 170+5 || Max. Atk: 999 ] [ Def: 566+5 || Max. Def: 999 ] [ Speed: 180+5 || Max. Speed: 999 ] [ Title ] [ The Second Vessel Of Shin ] -> The second vessel of Ruler of the Swamps, Shin. -> Provides 10% boost in all stats. -> Gives 50% boost in swampy areas. -> Can use the skill ''Heal'' when the HP drops to 10% to heal itself. Certainly, the boosts and title that Terran got were pretty dope. The advantage of the title was simr to that of the first vessel, however, there was a small difference. The heal skill would automatically be used only after HP drops below 10%. Well, Terran had a regenerative skill due to which this feature probably seemed to be useless, however it could help him a lot when he would have depleted his manapletely! "Unbelievable¡­" "My power increased all of a sudden with this amount!?" Providing names definitely gave boosts to many different beasts, but those effects were not sudden. They would happen gradually at some stage. But for Shin''s vessels, that was not the case. They would receive instant benefits and would continue to receive benefits as time would pass. It may end up making them so strong that others would fear just by hearing the name ¨C they had a powerful system to back them after all. "It feels as if I was reborn¡­", Terran said. Yes, something deep inside him had increased in amount and now his mind was calmer than earlier. "Thank you for giving me the name Terran¡­", was what he said. "Haha, see!" "You always jump to conclusions before even listening!" "You were benefitted after getting the name right? Haha!", Shinughed because the beast which had be his ve was now his second vessel. This inevitably would end up benefitting him a lot. "I''m sorry uh-" "By the way, what is your name?", Terran asked. "Ah, I''m Shin¡­", he replied almost immediately. "So your name is Shin¡­", and he ended up doing another mistake. Although he had be Shin''s ve first and now his vessel, he never talked in a respective manner. Needless to say, he even called out his name directly despite being Shin''s vessel. So what if he was a Dragon? No one could obstruct thews of nature! No one¡­ No one except Shin ¨C This also proved that nature favored him over the dragon in fact over everyone else, for now at least. The clouds gathered and covered the clear bright sky. It was sunny since morning and would have been throughout the day if not for the foolish mistake that Terran made. The cool wind started to blow right after which there was a heavy downpour. It would be hard to believe but all this happened within 15 seconds after Terran said the name. Due to the loud thundering and sudden change in weather, Terran thought that something ominous was about to happen. "I think something bad happened or will happen¡­" "The weather has gone crazy¡­", Terran looked towards the sky while saying this. "¡­" ''I think I know why this happened you idiot¡­'', and Shin was the only one who was aware of the reason for this sudden change. Well, hearing his name all of a sudden after so long did make him feel good but at the same time it caused turmoil. "Sigh, hear me out Terran¡­" "Yes, Shin?" And he did it! He did it again! And thanks to that, he was zapped by the lightning which dropped right where he was sitting ¨C under a tree. The tree was burntpletely and the surrounding trees were in the same situation too however Shin was unscathed. ''Ding'' [ Your skill Shock Resistance and Fire resistance has warded off the lightning and fire ] Not that he was shocked by this, what actually puzzled him was that the dragon had no idea about what was happening. "Uh-" "What is happening¡­?" ck smoke came out of Terran''s mouth and he fell unconscious. Don''t underestimate the power of lightning! It can destroy your ears, surrounding, and your body too. Shin was a different case altogether somon sense didn''t apply to him anyway. Unfortunately, the dragon didn''t lose much HP because of the extraordinary defense that he had, but yes, the shock that he received from the attack probably traveled a bit to his brain while zapping all the cells on its way ¨C rendering him unconscious. "Sigh, I will have to tell him about the things that he should take care of." Of course, he would teach Terran many things, more than that, he would have to show the forest and many other beasts which have either been evolved or came to existence after he was trapped. While it took millions of years for evolution to happen in normal earth ¨C back where Shin died, here it could happen in an instant when a set amount of Exp is reached and some conditions are met. "It''s going to be a bit chaotic after he gets up.", after saying this Shin just waited for him to wake up while watching the rainbow which suddenly became visible as the clouds vanished and the light drizzling continued. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 123 Natures Wanting ''I wonder when he will wake up¡­'' Shin looked here and there probably because he was a bit impatient. The rain had stopped long ago and now all he did was wasting time sitting there. ''I could have searched for Ae at least¡­'', and just when he had thought this, he recalled the fact that the mission had asked him to find 3 clues. Of course, for some certain reason, the mission was given, if he could find Ae directly, then the part about clues wouldn''t have even been present. There should have been only one task ¨C Find Ae and nothing else. But there were a few tasks that probably were interrted. [ Finding Ae ] [ #important ] [ -> Search for the clues left by Ae (0/3) ] [ -> Visit the goblins after collecting the Clues ] [ cannot bepleted unless clues are found ] [ -> Find Ae ] This was the mission and ording to that, 3 clues were to be found first. Then Shin had to visit the goblins which meant that he was supposed to find their vige or something for collecting more clues! And finally, after doing that could he expect to find Ae. ''I see, so the system knows how to find Ae but instead of directly telling me, it wants me to work my a*s off!'', Shin was pissed at the system for this. Well, if it would have been taken positively, then it would have been better ¨C Nature forced Ae to separate from Shin but the system tried to break thew of nature but since nature was much more powerful than the system, the system could only give hints and nothing else. It would have been better if Shin had thought it this way, but oh well, he had his own thinking capacity and capability anyway. ''So, I need to find three clues first¡­'' ,m ''But where should I head off to find them?'', he asked himself. ''And what types of clues should I find anyway?'' Yes, clues could be of any type. It could be of footprints or just news. It could even be some sort of message or some marks left behind. Shin realized that it was much more difficult than he had initially thought. "Hmm¡­" "I should think the way Ae might have thought when her life was in danger¡­", Shin said to himself. "Ae?" "Yes, Ae¡­" "Who is Ae anyway?" "She is¡­" And when Shin was trying to focus, tons of questions started to shower on him. When he opened his eyes, he found Terran awake and staring at him. "What are you doing?", Shin asked with an awkward expression on his face. "Ah, I wanted to know who this Ae was that you were speaking about¡­", Terran said with a humble tone. "Sigh, she is¡­" "She is¡­?", Terran was curious about her however right before Shin answered that, he suddenly became speechless. It was probably because he was confused with what he had to say. "Haha, she is my sister.", he finally said that. "Sister?", now Terran was much more curious about it. "Elder one?" And with this, both of them started to chat. Of course, Shin told him everything about what had happened. How she went missing because of the humans and then how he had to go through a lot of trouble and all. "So went through all that?", Terran was genuinely shocked when he heard everything that Shin said. Shin stated about the betrayal, killing, and the ending of the n of white wolves. Also, he told about the Bi n and what he had in store for them. "I wanted to build a n and take part in the n wars but unfortunately Ae went missing¡­" "I wonder in what state she might be now¡­" "I want to meet her as soon as possible¡­" He became quiet after saying that. Terran could actually feel Shin''s sorrow probably because both of them were connected at the moment with the Master and Vessel rtionship. ''I get it now¡­'' ''He must have been lonely too¡­'' ''That was why he helped me too and didn''t run away.'', Terran said to himself. ''But¡­'' ''This is so wrong¡­'' Terran then took a deep breath and called out to Shin, "Master Shin¡­" Yes, he learned his lesson of not calling him by his name, he wasn''t intelligent for no reason after all. "You are good." "You are kind-hearted and you must have helped many¡­" When Terran said that, he wasn''t exaggerating at all. If everything were to be counted, then there wouldn''t be any correct sum. Shin had cured the wolves of the White wolf n. Not only that, he had helped Ae number of times. If his previous life was to be counted, then his donating money to a lot of charities could be considered kindness. That was indeed something a human would do, being kind that is. Even beasts and animals would do that too, but the extent to which Shin was doing, was way over the top. "Master, I think this kindness might end up dragging you down¡­", was what Terran said. "Huh?", when Shin heard that, he stopped crying for a bit and started to hear what Terran had to say. "How do I put it¡­" "You cannot be that kind master." "Nature demands survival of the fittest¡­" "It doesn''t want the survival of the weakest with mercy!" When he mentioned that, Shin raised his head slowly as his ears twitched. "You cannot be kind master¡­" "When you helped me, I understood how much of a lenient being you were." "However, you need to be ruthless." "You are a predator so you need to hunt and kill as many as you could." "You need to build your own kingdom master!" After Terran said all these things, Shin finally had another goal in his mind. ''Yes¡­'' ''I need to build a safe ce¡­'' ''A ce sorge that all my loved ones could fit in.'' ''A ce so strong that no one would try to attack us.'' "So the bottom line is master, be a preda-" Unfortunately, Terran couldn''tplete his sentence because the red eyes that stared at him right now made him break a sweat. ".." To be continued¡­ Chapter 124 The First Clue Terran couldn''t continue and tell what he wanted. His voice failed toe out of his mouth. And this was all because of the eyes that were staring at him. The pupils werepletely red and except for the outer white portion, it seemed like red torchlight was being shed with a golden ring in the middle. It was quite frightening even for a dragon who had killed a celestial once! *gulp* ''What the heck is-'' The eyes of a predator that doesn''t leave anything. Shin''s eyes resembled those eyes. It was probably the first time the dragon had experienced such as thing, surprisingly it gave him chills. ''Why does it feel like I have seen these eyes somewhere¡­?'', the dragon asked himself. It was sunny again and the bright glow dimmed only to vanish soon. After that Shin had his normal ck eyes. "So I shouldn''t be kind?", Shin asked this in the end. Terran had nothing else to say so he just nodded his head. "I will try not to show kindness¡­" "At least, not to foes¡­" "Not that I ever showed to begin with." With this, it marked the end of their chatter. Terran could still feel the chills just by recalling the red bloodthirst eyes. Shin then didn''t say anything and sat in the same ce while trying to think the way Ae could have thought. And while he was doing that, Terran asked, "So what will you do?" "How will you find her?" Since Terran was no outsider, at least not now, Shin thought about letting him know. "I have to find clues rted to her¡­", Shin murmured. "Uh, do you think she was intelligent enough to leave clues or hints behind?", Terran asked. "Yes, she definitely was¡­", he said. "Hmm¡­", the dragon couldn''t ept it readily but after seeing Shin show such confidence, he concluded that he was right. "Then, why don''t you try and think like her master?" "Since you were so close to her for a long time, you might be knowing her thinking and habits.", Terran suggested. Shin was thinking the exact thing. "Yes, I am trying to do that.", Shin nodded his head. "Well, if I were to think like her, then I would have run with all my might to someone who could help¡­" "And if I''m not wrong, I was the only one she could rely on at the moment so she should have headed towards me.", he concluded. But then was that really the case? Would she have really done that? Terran asked Shin the same thing. "Are you sure that she would have done that?" Shin failed to understand the intent behind his question. "Why wouldn''t she?", Shin asked, "Sigh¡­" "Master, I guess you already know the answer to that question.", Terran nodded his head and said this as if he too knew the answer. "What?" "Yes master, first of all, are you really sure that you were thinking from her point of view and not your own?", now Terran posed an interesting question. "Huh?", that was confusing even for Shin. ''Wait¡­'' ''Terran does have a point¡­'' ''Wasn''t I just trying to justify that the right thing that she could have done was running towards me?'' Shin realized that he indeed was just saying the things that he himself had imagined and wanted to happen. ''If it would have been Ae then¡­'' ''Then what would have she done?'', Shin asked himself by closing his eyes and concentrating. He wanted topletely immerse himself and think like Ae, only that way would he be able to know what exactly had happened. When he tried to put himself in her ce for real, he found out how wrong he was. No one would want their family to be put in danger. Ae definitely considered Shin as her family so for sure she wouldn''t want the humans ¨C the beings whom she had seen for the first time ¨C to approach Shin. Even if she believed that he was strong, her heart wouldn''t just agree in running towards Shin. ''She must have definitely gone the opposite way¡­'', Shin concluded. And yes, he waspletely right this time. How did he know for sure that he was right? A notification popped up that confirmed him about this after all. ''Ding'' [ You have found 1 clue ¨C Running in the opposite direction ] "Yes!", Shin raised his voice after seeing the notification. Terran had no idea about the system so for a second he thought that Shin was weird because he shouted out of nowhere. In any case, he finally found a clue and now thought about moving in that direction. It was as if he was sure that he would find her for sure if he were to go along that path. "Terran, I think I found a clue about where Ae could be!", he eximed. "Really master!?", Terran suddenly had a smile on his face. It was a piece of good news so why wouldn''t they be happy? "Come, we must leave right now!", Shin didn''t want to waste any time. He rushed to find her, of course, he didn''t use the skill Dash or Wind Run. In fact, he didn''t even run at his full speed which could be maintained even without the skills. The reason was simple ¨C Terran was way too slow for him to disy his top speed. Unlike wolves, whose specialty is number and speed, Terran had quite a low speed whenpared to his defense. Of course, his level was lower than Shin so it was understandable. Whatever, both of them started to move now and within a few minutes, they had passed through half of the forest. They didn''t enter the deeper parts at the moment because it was wiser to avoid beasts rather than directly running into them. Though, there were a few beasts that were being killed as they ran into Shin while he was rushing. ''I need to go back to the den¡­'', he thought. Only after reaching the den would he be able to walk in the direction which he had confirmed earlier. "¡­" ''Wait for me Ae, I will be there soon¡­'' "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 125 South It took quite some time before Shin arrived at the den. The main reason for that was Terran''s speed. Shin couldn''t abandon him because he was one of his vessels. Of course, it was his duty to look after them. Also, Terran had no idea about the forest because a lot of things had changed in the past 500 years. The beasts were much smaller or bigger than what Terran could remember. The same was for the trees too. In any case, Shin arrived at the den where he and Ae lived. The human bodies that were lying around were in a much worse state than before. The foul smell was awful. Needless to say, it was attracting different beasts from nearby areas. Well, even such a strong smell wasn''t able to tempt the beasts toe towards them. Of course, it couldn''t tempt therge and smarter beasts, but small beasts like goblins and otherrge ants and centipedes were just flocking around three bodies. "This is¡­", Terran was awed at the sight. The human bodies were giving foul odor however the beasts hadn''t eaten them yet. It was as if they were waiting for something or were trying to see if it was safe or not because their instincts were telling them to run away from the ce. This meant that they were confused because of their own habits and instincts. In any case, since their mind was in a state of confusion, a little of provocation would force them to attack each other. That was why Shin and Terran were extra cautious while they approached the den. "So this is the ce where you both stayed.", Terran looked at the small cave-like den while saying this. It was not that big as mentioned, but it was not that small either. Shin and Ae had spent a lot of time here together so Shin felt a bit by just looking at it. He didn''t want to get distracted by it though. He wanted to now look for the way in which Ae would have run. ''The human footprints have disappeared but their scent is still fresh¡­'' He looked towards the direction in which he had gone earlier. It was the same direction from which he had returned. "Did you find anything master?", Terran thought that Shin hade to find something here. He was partially correct though, Shin wanted to find the route which Ae took. Although he did mention that Ae would have taken the opposite route so that she could lead the humans in a different direction, it couldn''t bepletely true. If it was, then there wouldn''t be the need to find any other clues because by walking down the same path he would end up reaching Ae. ,m ''I was in that direction¡­'', he turned towards his right while thinking this. ''Then that would mean that Ae would have run the opposite way¡­'', he then turned towards the left and thought that. But the scent of the humans was dominant that way. Also, it was the same direction from which he had returned. ''This means that the humans hade from this way¡­'' In conclusion, she wouldn''t have gone that way. The reason was quite clear, she wouldn''t run towards the beasts about whom she had no idea. Also, she was a beast that had no trantion tool, so she could never understand what the humans were saying. Due to fear, she might have definitely chosen a different route. ''So now two routes are out of choice¡­'' The east and west were out of choice at the moment. Only two more main directions remained out of which Ae would have gone in one. ''Her leg might have been cut here itself¡­'', he concluded that because when he had used the sense of smell, he could detect Ae''s scent in the same direction as the humans. They were carrying her leg so probably that was the reason why he could smell her. If it hadn''t been the leg, then he would have found some other route to go after carefully distinguishing the scent. Well, his mind had nked out when he found human bodies and the signs of attack here and there. ''Hmm¡­'' ''We came from the north a while ago.'' ''And I didn''t find her scent in that direction either¡­'' Well, due to the constant change in weather, the scent doesn''tst long. The best example could be a river. A fast-flowing river ends up erasing the scent ¨C at least that''s what everyone thinks, But that''s totally wrong. The river doesn''t necessarily erase the scent. It actually hides it or covers it with something. To be precise, the scent exists but is just un-discoverable. Shin, who had already leveled up quite a lot, could detect even the faintest of the scent. Thanks to that, he was able to detect the scent even after quite some time had passed. "Yes, she must have definitely gone towards the south.", he concluded and said this while gazing at Terran. Terran noticed the confidence with which Shin said that and understood that it might really be true. However, instead of being happy, he seemed somewhat sad or perhaps worried about something. "South¡­", he lowered his head. "Master, must we really go to the south?", Terran asked. "Huh? Of course, we need to go!" "My instincts are crying out and saying that Ae headed off that way!", he eximed. "So obviously we have to go that way.", and this was his final decision. "¡­" Terran didn''t say anything after hearing that. He remained quiet. ''South¡­'' ''This is bad¡­'' ''I don''t know how much it has changed, but if I let master go that way¡­'' ''Then he would die.'', was what Terran thought in his mind. So Terran knew something about the south region right after the forest. Though, his knowledge was a few centuries old so it could be false. But it was better to be careful. However, the real question was ¨C Why was the South making Terran so anxious? "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 126 The Four Human Kingdoms Shin was now sure that Ae went towards the south due to which he decided to go there. While Terran was being anxious, Shin was quite happy. It was because he had found one clue which was probably one of the biggest. [ Finding Ae ] [ #important ] [ -> Search for the clues left by Ae (1/3) ] [ -> Visit the goblins after collecting the Clues ] [ cannot bepleted unless clues are found ] [ -> Find Ae ] He took a look at the mission again. ''I can visit the goblin''s vige only if I found 3 clues¡­'' Withoutpleting the first task, he couldn''t do the second because a special condition was mentioned. However, that was not the case with the third one. The task ¨C Find Ae ¨C had no conditions in it. This meant that he could end up finding her even before hepleted any other tasks. That would have been good. Of course, the mission might get branded as iplete, however, there was no punishment mentioned in it anyway. Also, no special rewards were mentioned that would make Shin want them! Therefore there was a possibility that he would be able to find Ae much earlier than he expected. But was this really out of the system''s calction? It would be only known after Shin would head towards the South. Shin started to walk in anticipation of meeting Ae soon. "Huh?" "Terran!" "What are you doing there?" "We don''t have all the time in the world." "Hurry!" Terran was just spacing out while thinking about the south. "Y-yes Master.", he responded and almost immediately started to walk towards him. Both of them now walked beside each other. Although Shin could run, he thought about the other huge responsibility that he had ¨C Terran. He had to keep a watch on him because he could end up getting lost in the forest. Although his senses were sharpened too after turning into a wolf, he wasn''t familiar with the ce. Thankfully, Shin, who had seen many of these ces, was with him. Though, Shin had no idea about the South. He had never once visited that ce. Of course, it was a new ce for him too because the route that he was taking to reach that ce was unknown. It was on a whim that he started to walk that way, well, there was one thing though that was acting as a guide. The system? Nope. It was Ae''s scent that he was still able to perceive aftering a bit far away from the den. ''Yes, I was right¡­'' ''She definitely ran this way¡­'', he smiled because his deductions were on point. ''I hope she is fine¡­'' "¡­" He kept hoping for her safety and due to this his heart rate continuously fluctuated from time to time. This was happening because tons of thoughts were being dumped in his small head. Terran was quiet all this time and just followed Shin. Yes, he was a bit slow so instead of being by his side, he was a bit behind now. He too had something in his mind after all. "Master, I have a question.", Terran called out to Shin. "Yes¡­?", Shin responded immediately when he heard his voice. Shin was indeed thinking about Ae, but that didn''t mean that he wasn''t aware of the surrounding. He was definitely cautious which was proved when he replied almost immediately when Terran called out to him. "Can we not go towards the South?", Terran asked again. "You are still saying that!?" "Didn''t I say that my decision is final?", Shin didn''t listen to whatever exnation Terran had and jst dered that again. Was he being too impatient or was he just ignoring what Terran had to say? Whatever it may be, he thought that going to the south was the right thing. The forest of Thuren wasrge as mentioned earlier. It had many kingdoms near it but the nearest was Levonia where Shin had already killed tons of people. Other Human Kingdoms were also present which surrounded the forest from three more sides. In total, four kingdoms surrounded the forest of Thuren from four ends. Towards the east, the kingdom of Levonia was present with its starter town or the nearest town called ¨C Magnot Ale. Towards the North there lied the Lian in. Sometimes this was considered to be a part of the forest of Thuren and based on that, the human kingdom towards the north was ¨C Nrowon with its starter city called Celion Ceri. Towards the West, there was one of thergest human kingdoms which were considered to be most prosperous out of all the kingdoms ¨C the kingdom of Rein. The kingdom Rein wasrger than Levonia and was well protected by nature itself. Its starter town, Arcale, was rarely attacked by any monsters due to the presence of mountains that separated the forest of Thuren from the kingdom. Anyway, the fourth kingdom of humanity was towards the South ¨C the kingdom of Loria with its starter town named Cry Pale. The fourth kingdom Loria, that was mentioned, was probably one of the poorest kingdoms out there. It had a lot of money ¨C gold ¨C and many other things, then how was it poor? It was poor in poption, its area wasrge but there were hardly any humans living there. The reason was simple, the south was dominated by some beings that had tenfold the power of normal humans. Of course, those beings had their kingdoms within the forest but that didn''t mean that they couldn''t exit the forest. The forest in which Shin had been reincarnated earlier was famously known as the Forest Of Miracles where countless beasts lived. It was the LARGEST forest in the entire continent and the secondrgest in the world. That forest was connected with the forest of Thuren via a river. Yes, the mountains towards the west, that separated the Thuren and Rein, actually connected Thuren and the Forest of Miracles ¨C Isliea. To be precise, the river from the mountain connected them. The river reached the forest of Thuren via Isliea. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 127 The Second Clue In a sense, when one moved towards the west of Thuren, one would enter the forest of miracles ¨C Isliea. And then when one would move further, they would meet the gigantic mountains. Only after crossing them would one reach the kingdom of Rein. That was the geographic location of many human kingdoms. Of course, those were not the only beings out there. Yes, there were Elven kingdoms that were on the top of the list of prosperous kingdoms. While Rein was considered as the best kingdom''s that Humans had built, it failed to reach the top when the kingdoms of other races werepared. Without a doubt, the fairies, elves, dwarves and many others races had their kingdoms ranked in the top 10 of the rankings! While the human kingdoms covered the north, south, east, and west directions exactly, all the remaining sub- directions were upied by other kingdoms. Of course, there were more than enough spaces for them to fit. Also, there were many other forests along which many other kingdoms were present. Only a few were associated with the forests while many were away from the great forests. Many kingdoms were present near the Shores. They had the support of the sea to make their ce prosper. Other than them, there were a few sky kingdoms in which many different races lived. There were kingdoms underwater too which was inhabited by mermen and mermaids mainly. Of course, there were other beasts and races in the water. Almost every part of the world could be seen inhabited by some of the other races. Whatever it may be, now Shin''s concern was about moving towards the south. Of course, the city that was in the south was considered one of the poorest. Shin was heading towards that ce, however, Ae couldn''t have gone to the human kingdoms after seeing how dangerous humans were. Yes, so she might have definitely been somewhere in the forest or the aftends. Aftend ¨C a ce that lies between the Kingdoms and forest with no specific name. For example, Lian in lied between a kingdom and the forest, however, it wasn''t an aftend because it had a name for itself. Aftends were considered nameless, of course, there were many monsters living there too. Whatever now Shin was on his way. Around 3 hours had passed since he started walking. He noticed nothing until now, other than the fact that Ae''s scent was still the same. Neither did it get faint, nor did it be intense. And when Terran and Shin were moving with haste without resting, they suddenly heard some noise. The tall trees that surrounded them were twice the size of what Shin had been seeing until now. This confirmed them that they were heading towards the deeper parts of the forest. Of course, that was the only way to reach the South. ''This is weird¡­'' ''My instincts are telling me to stop¡­'', was what Shin said to himself. Terran also felt a simr feeling. It had been long since he had such a feeling. ''This ce¡­'' ''It seems simr and at the same time it feels different¡­'', Terran looked here and there. ''I wonder how long it would take for us to get out of here?'', all of a sudden Shin questioned this as he resumed his walk. Terran followed Shin closely. Seeing a dragon somewhat scared frightened Shin too, but only a little. Who wouldn''t get scared when the aura of the forest would suddenly change? *tap tap* Shin soon stopped again after arriving near arge tree. Of course, that was because he wanted to rest and wanted Terran to rest too. They were not necessarily tired, but it was in their best interest to get a little rest and recover from the minute fatigue. ''Something is weird¡­'' ''My sense of smell isn''t working properly¡­'' *sniff sniff* When he was using his nose earlier, it was not just Ae''s scent that he was perceiving, other scents were also being detected. Of course, he ignored all of them and focused on Ae''s scent which did him good for sure, however now, he couldn''t get any scent. Either all the scent had been mixed up causing neutralization due to which no scent was being produced, or there was just no scent in the area where he arrived. ''Terran is also failing to detect any scent I suppose¡­'', Shin concluded when he spotted Terran trying to lick his nose with his long tongue. "Huh?", when Terran took a look at the tree under which they were sitting, he suddenly got shocked. "No way¡­" ''!'' "Master! We need to make a run!", he shouted. "Wha-", Shin was shocked when he suddenly called him. He didn''t ask anything else when he saw Terran''s eyes which had a sort of fear in them. "Alright.", after nodding his head, he started to run. Terran ran with all his might while trying to catch up to Shin''s speed which was top notch. Of course, Shin found nothing wrong until now and wanted to stop because he thought that this was Terran''s another whim. However, when he looked back only to see if Terran was following him, he found a gigantic tree following them too! "What the heck!?" It was the same tree under which Shin and Terran had sat a while ago. "Are you kidding me?" The tree had a face of its own, the red eyes and sharp teeth emerging from its mouth were scary as hell! ''Ding'' [ Monster Identified ] [ Elder Tree ] [ -> A nasty tree which acts like a normal tree and lures the beasts toe and rest under it with special aroma ] [ -> Nullifies the beasts'' senses one by one starting from smell, then vision, etc ] [ -> Rare ] [ -> It bears fruits (5) once in 500 years ] [ -> The fruit are called Elder Fruits ¨C have the power to heal any injuries! ] ''That is¡­'' ''Ding'' [ You have found the second clue ] [ Second clue ¨C A Missing Elder Fruit On The Elder Tree ] "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 128 The Elder Tree The Elder Tree can only have 5 fruits in 500 years which happens only once. After that, another 500 years have to pass for another set of 5 fruits to be born by the tree. Of course, the fruits have a life span of 100 years, which means, once the tree bears them, it would have them on the tree for at least 100 years. That was how it should have been, but at the moment, the Elder Tree which started to chase Shin had only four fruits. This meant that one of the fruits had been eaten by someone or would have fallen off the tree due to some strong wind ¨C these were only the possibilities. ''Wait, this was a clue?'' ''Does that mean¡­'' Yes, if this was a clue, then it should have been deeply associated with Ae. ''Did Ae get the fruit?'', he asked himself. Ae''s was already injured so that couldn''t be possible, since the tree''s height was too much, she would have failed to jump properly and reach that height. ''Then¡­'' Shin was already preupied with running so he couldn''t think clearly but yes, he concluded that Ae must be somehow rted to this. "You white wolf punk!" "You are back to steal another fruit from me!?" ''Huh¡­?'', Shin heard someone shouting at the top voice. It sounded like a male''s, to be precise, an old man''s voice. When he turned back to take a look, he found the Elder Tree''s mouth moving constantly up and down as if he was the one speaking and yes, he could hear the voice from the same direction. ''Is this because of-'' ''Ding'' [ The skill Trantion has enabled the host to understand thenguage of the Elder Tree ] And he was absolutely right about it. His skill was more than enough to let him understand thenguage of a taking tree. "What the heck?" "Master, do you know that tree?" when Terran asked that, Shin was surprised because he had no idea that even Terran would be able to understand the Elder Tree. "You can understand itsnguage too?", Shin asked with a surprised expression while turning his head back and still running forward. "Uh, yes master¡­" "I was a dragon after all, so I can understand ancientnguages¡­", he replied. "But wait¡­" "Too¡­?" "You can understand too, master?", Terran asked with a surprise. "Yes.", and that''s all Shin said and continued to run forward. Ancient Language ¨C it wasnguage ssification made by humans and other species. It was referred as thenguage that originated at least 400-5000 years ago. There were manynguages which were under one category ¨C ancientnguage. The dragonnguage, the old Elven Language, and even the Dwarvennguage came under those ancientnguages. Of course, the tree seemed quite old and perhaps due to that, it also knew the oldnguage, Surprisingly Shin was able to understand that ancientnguage despite the fact that he was hardly even half the age of Terran ¨C this shocked him a lot. *gulp* ''He literally understands the ancientnguage too!?'' ''With this, I can say that he is no ordinary wolf¡­'' ''But¡­'' ''I want to know, how did he gain such abilities and just who the heck is he, really?'', Terran wanted to know everything about Shin. Well, he was no pushover, after all, Shin had shown extraordinary abilities, emotions, understanding, intelligence, and many more things. Who wouldn''t be intrigued by seeing such an abnormal being? Regardless, they kept running and running until they met a dead end. There was a huge pond in front of them with dirtiest water that Shin had ever seen aftering to this world. The muddy water of the Lian ins was also better than the slimy greenish water that was in the pond in front of them. ''I can''t possibly jump there recklessly¡­'', Shin wondered. Since they were deep in the forest, jumping in a pond with such an unbearable color of the water could be nothing more than suicide! Also, Terran wouldn''t be able to jump in it. He was an Earth type wolf at the moment and the same was earlier too. Just because the muddy water contained the mud ¨C soil particles, he was able to stay there for centuries. Yes, that hurt him too at the same time. Now he was standing in front of a pond which had weird water in it. No matter what, Terran wouldn''t be able to jump into the water. "Stop right there!", the tree kept closing the gap. ''Damn¡­'' ''What do I do?'' ''I want to know about the second clue much more, but its stats are just bizzare enough to let me experience chills!'' [ Profile ] [ Elder Tree ] [ -> A human who transformed into a tree due to a curse ] [ Name: Mo ] [ Sex: Bisexual ] [ Age: 1822 years ] [ Weight: 480 Kg ] [ Race: Tree ] [ Elder Tree ] Rank: B || Max. rank: A [ Level: 88 || Max. level: 100 ] [ HP: 890/900 || Max. HP: 1000 ] [ MP: 40/40|| Max. MP: 40 ] [ Exp: 3000 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 15 || Max. Atk: 99 ] [ Def: 899 || Max. Def: 999 ] [ Speed: 270 || Max. Speed: 999 ] [ Int: 98 || Max. Int: 99 ] [ ¡­ ] And that was all that Shin could see. The skills of the tree were either non-existent or he couldn''t just see them. Well, he was intrigued by the fact that such a tree was so fast, faster than Terran too! It''s defense was ridiculously high but it''s MP was quite low for it''s level. Shin couldn''t see any status effect or anything else so he wasn''t sure if the tree was enraged or something. Though, from his voice, it did seem as if he was angry. Also, the most shocking fact about the tree was its identity ¨C a human who transformed into a tree. Shin was a human too so he knew what humans would think and do in situations like this, of course, he thought about using that for his advantage so that he could either reverse the situation or turn it into a favorable one. "Uh-" "Old man Mo¡­" "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 129 The Reverse Potion "Uh-" "Old man Mo¡­" "You shouldn''t be harsh on your juniors!", Shin shouted at the top of his voice. "Huh?", Terran was confused and surprised by what Shin said. The same applied to Mo, he was also surprised to see Shin call his name and say that. ''How did he know my name?''- that was the first thing that surprised him. ''More than that, how can he call me by my name!?''- that was a much bigger surprise which Mo experienced. Well, until now, whichever race he met, they would either call him Elder Tree or would call him the Great Tree of Thuren. Of course, not all knew that he could speak. He was just one of a kind, there were other such trees for sure, but none of them had such intelligence as Mo. Being a tree or rather a monster with a name is something unimaginable. So one could clearly say how strong a named monster tree would be whenpared to other such trees. He could essentially even be the king of the Elder Trees that would eat beasts by luring them. Shin finally knew why he couldn''t smell anything. Of course, his other senses would have been dulled but thanks to Terran''s experience and instincts, Shin was able to prevent the predicament that was toe. Despite being surprised, the tree continued to dash towards them. Leaving Shin no choice, the tree tried to corner him after seeing that he was hesitant to jump in the pond. Wood or Trees were weak against fire so it wasmon sense that Shin would use his me wolf emperor form or could just use a fire attack ¨C however, the case wasn''t as simple as it seemed. ''I can''t use my fire attacks¡­'' ''If I were to use that, then this entire forest might end up getting burnt.'' There were consequences that were to be considered. Of course, Shin could do one thing, he could scare the tree so that it would just run away, but after seeing its stats and age, he thought that it was better to have a conversation with him. The main thing that he looked at was the ¨C man turning into a tree ¨C and the intelligence which was higher than him and Terran. "Please stop, I have something that I want to ask!", Shin shouted. ''I''m sure that Ae was here, after all the tree mentioned about a white wolf stealing¡­'' Shin waspletely sure that it was Ae because other than her, who could trick such arge tree? ''That''s why¡­'' ''That''s why I need to make him listen to me¡­'', he said to himself again and again because he would get to know about her only after asking him. But would he really stop and listen to what Shin had to say? Or would he still rush towards him with the aim of pushing them into the pool? "Please, hear me out!" "Old man Mo!" It was a gamble, Shin knew not how such a being would think and behave. Despite that, he was trying to make the tree listen to him. "I think I can help you return to your original form!", Shin shouted again. "¡­" The moment Mo heard this, he flinched and was forced to slow down his speed. Was that something he wanted to keep as a secret or something or did he actually require some help? Whatever it may be, it helped Shin, and thanks to that, the Elder Tree no longer marched towards Shin. "Phew, we are safe¡­", Shin sighed. He turned to take a look at the water when he found that dead beasts'' bodies were floating on them. The greenish algae were basically growing out of their bodies and for no good reason. ''Is the water so poisonous that all beasts end up dying?'', Shin asked himself. In any case, the tree had stopped now and Shin deemed it to be safe to approach him. "I''m sorry old man Mo, but I think I wasn''t the wolf who stole your fruits¡­", was what Shin said. Mo then carefully look at Shin and said, "Yes, you do look white just like the other, but your aura¡­" "It''s like no other.", Mo said. ''?'' ''He can sense my aura despite me using the skill to cover it?'', Shin was genuinely surprised when Mo said this to him. *gulp* ''Looks like there is much more to the tree than what meets the eye.'', he concluded. "Um, so I-", Shin was about to ask about the white wolf that Mo was speaking about. However he was cut short and Mo asked a question instead, "You said that you can help me in returning to my original form¡­" "Can you really do that?", Mo asked. Well, Shin had said that on a whim and he had absolutely no idea about it. ''I just thought that he would want to return to his human form and I was right.'' ''But I don''t know how to help him¡­'' The situation and atmosphere, both could be awkward because of this, however, fortunately, Mo said something else which prevented such an atmosphere. "So will you really bring me the Reverse Potion?", Mo asked with a raised voice as if he was excited. "Reverse Potion?", this was Shin''s first time hearing something like this. "Yes, I can only be able to revert back to my original form after drinking the reverse potion¡­", was what Mo said. "¡­" Although the uncanny situation was avoided, another crisisnd upon Shin. He had absolutely no idea about potions. He knew not about the ce from where he could get them either. "Uh, where can I find them?", Shin asked. "¡­", Mo just stared at him when he asked that. ''Damn, was this a wrong thing to ask?'' Yes, it could be proved to be fatal at the moment. Of course, Shin could burn the entire forest for his survival, but yet again, there were many things to consider. What if he couldn''t detect Ae''s scent after burning the forest? What would happen if Ae was still somewhere in the forest? What would happen to Terran? "Where can you find them you ask¡­?", it seemed as if Mo was ring at Shin. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 130 The Arb Elves "Where can you find them you ask¡­?", it seemed as if Mo was ring at Shin. Mo seemed angry for a few seconds, of course, he only ''seemed''. In reality, he was happy. "You will really search for them if I were to tell you?", he asked. This meant that the old man Mo knew about the whereabouts of the potion. The only problem that he had was that he couldn''t go and get it. Shin was relieved because Mo didn''t actually get mad. However, Shin didn''t know if he could help him at the moment. No matter how kind-hearted he was before bing a killer, he knew not if he could show kindness at the moment. No, after Terran had pointed it as his mistake and error or wrongdoing. "Will you really help me?", Mo asked again. ''Master! No!'' ''You won''t!'', Terran was giving a death re to Shin. His expressions were clearly saying that it was wise to deny it. In fact, it was as if he was asking Shin to deny the request. ''Sigh, I can''t see the suffering of this old man¡­'' "Yes¡­" "I will go and fetch them for you.", was what Shin said. "Thank you!", all of a sudden the expression on Mo''s face changedpletely. He started thanking him even before he actually started the work. Now that Shin had epted another task, he couldn''t back off. "I will call the Arb Elf, please wait a moment!", just after saying this, Mo vanished from the sight and dashed off towards the same direction from which he had started chasing Shin and Terran. ''Arb Elf?'', Shin wanted to ask about that but unfortunately, Mo had already made a run. Of course, he had the system to answer him. ''Ding'' [ Arb Elf -> A ss of elves that live in the forest ] ''Huh?'' ''Don''t all the elves live in the forest or simr areas?'' ¨C a genuine doubt that popped in Shin''s head. Well, usually elves were associated with forests or trees, so it was weird to see that there was a distinct ssification for them. ''Does this mean that not all elves live in forests?'', he asked the system. [ Affirmative ] [ Elves ( royal and normal ) ¨C live out of the forests in a distinctly built kingdom ] ''I see¡­'' This exined everything about the ssification of Arb Elves. Anyway, he was feeling a death re from his back. "Haha, I ended up epting¡­", he said with a burst of smallughter. "Master¡­", a cloud of ck smoke came out of Terran''s mouth ¨C his soul. "I said you not to ept that!" "You are way too kind!" "You should have just denied him and then we could just run away!", Terran continuously shouted. "Says the one who is as slow as a snail¡­", Shin said this while looking the other way. "Did you say something master!?", another death re could be felt by Shin from Terran. "Haha, I was just kidding.", Shin ended upughing. "Sigh, master¡­" "You shouldn''t be so kind." "You will end up getting betrayed.", was what Terran said. ''How do I exin him¡­'' ''There were 3 reasons because of which I epted the offer.'' ''First ¨C the fruit on the tree was the second clue which could be a major one because Mo imed to have seen a white wolf simr to me¡­'' ''Second ¨C I didn''t want to kill Mo because that would end up destroying the second clue¡­'' ''And third ¨C these eyes that are watching us¡­'' ''I believe it was better to ept his request.'' So he epted the request based on some specific reasons and not just kindness? That''s interesting. So he wasn''t a pushover after all or just some other kind-hearted bastard in this cruel world. The eyes that were watching them? Just what exactly were those eyes that he mentioned? "Listen to me master, you should stop being kind¡­" And just as Terran had mentioned that Shin said, "If I would have done that from the start, don''t you think you would have been trapped there even now?" "¡­" Speechless, Terran waspletely speechless after hearing that. So Terran expected all the kindness only for himself and wanted Shin not to have such an attitude towards others? Maybe he was delusional and that''s all. "See Terran, I want to help whomever I can." "I mean why not?" "If we can help others, then won''t they help us someday when we are in need?", he asked. Now that was some good thinking that Shin had. If he were to help someone, then they would definitely help him back This was an undeniable truth. Even if they didn''te and help, it would be fine after all it wouldn''t make him a small person if he helped someone. Terran was touched by his words and realized, the little kindness that Shin showed was not his weakness, in fact, it was his strength that was not to be looked down upon. And just as Terran was going to apologize for his misunderstandings and saying all those things, Mo arrived at the scene. "I''m back!" They weren''t startled exactly because he made a lot of sound while running, well, some of the trees nearby would get blown away at the same time. "Here, the guide hase!", he said in a loud voice. An elf jumped off the tree branches andnded on the ground. The elf had shinny fair skin like that of a newborn baby, pointy hears and light green eyes. The hair was yellow or blonde. "Guide?", Shin was confused because a young elf stood in front of him. "Ya punk, you have a problem with me being a guide?", the elf said in a rude voice. ''Ha? A loli?'' ''Is that what we call this?'' "¡­" She was wearing clothes made of leaves and nothing else. While they were only leaves, they were well made. They were stitched perfectly and even had been designed on them. Of course, the loli in front of him, who was barely taller than Terran, was wearing brown pants and a green shirt ¨C not specifically those though. "..." To be continued¡­ Chapter 131 Body-Age Varialization Though she looked quite cute, she was he arrogant which was clearly visible with the way she was speaking. "You really trust these chicks to get you the potion?", she looked at Mo and asked with a raised voice. "¡­" ''Who the f*ck does she think she is?'' ''Treating us as if we are some newborns or useless ones¡­'', she had already made a bad impression on Shin. Well, Shin wanted to dash her and hurt her, however, he was wary of the eyes that were on him since earlier. Eyes again? What eyes was he cautious of? ''Ding'' [ You are being watched ] ''Ding'' [ You are being watched ] Those were the only notifications popping anyway so Shin couldn''t tell exactly what was going on. But she kept calling them weird names. Though, Shin thought that it was best to take her words lightly. "Yes, they promised me to get the potion.", Mo replied positively. "¡­" The little girl looked at Mo''s smiling expression. "Fine you little troublemaker.", she nodded her head. ''Little troublemaker? Isn''t he supposed to be elder than you?'', Shin had a weird expression on his face. "I will show you the way, rotten ones¡­", was what she said. ''First punk, then chick, and now rotten ones?'', Terran was being agitated by the way she spoke. ''Wait for a second, if he had someone like that, then why would he send her to get the potion?'', Shin had this doubt spawning in his head. Since Mo wasrge, Shin could understand that it would have been quite difficult for him to go and get the potion himself. While it was so tough for him, he could always send the elf that was near him because she seemed quite agile. So why didn''t he? ''Interesting, it seems like there is something deep into this.'', Shin concluded. The young elf then walked slowly away from Mo. Yes, Shin and Terran decided to follow her. 1 hour had soon passed since they had started following her and they were now pretty far from the deeper areas. It was as if they were moving towards the edge. ''This is weird¡­'' ''This is the first time I''m experiencing this happening¡­'' No beast, not even a single monster was seen on the way till now. If this wasn''t weird, then what was? ''No monsters¡­'' ''How could this be?'' ''Weren''t we passing from the deeper areas?'', Shin asked himself. Yes, not spotting a monster near the edges was something one could understand because tons of them might have been hunted by hunters or adventurers and many would usually migrate towards the ce with more mana ¨C the centre parts of the forest. That was why more monsters tend to pop up while they move towards the centre, unusually, that wasn''t happening at the moment. Also, Shin observed another weird phenomenon that surprised him the most. Earlier, he had asked a question to himself ¨C ''Why wouldn''t Mo let the elf fetch the potion for him if she knew the directions?'' And the answer to that question was present at the moment. The little girl that was leading the way to them had transformed into a gorgeous beauty. Her chest was big, bigger than before. Her thighs had also be bulky and her blonde hair had turned nearly golden. The hairs were now touching her waist ¨C they had grown a lot in an hour. Her eyshes seemed longer and her face had matured up. Her hips also had some more fat and her waist looked quite slim as if it was the same as earlier. She was curvy, her entire figure seemed like a model for sure. The clothes that she was wearing was the same ¨C though, it seemed as if they grew up too or just expanded. "What the heck is happening?", Shin asked all of a sudden which caused the elf to pause. Terran too paused when he heard this and turned back because Shin had stopped walking and was left behind by them a second ago. "Why did your appearance change so much?", Shin asked. The elf who seemed to be not bothered earlier and was arrogant, all of a sudden shuddered and swallowed arge amount of dry saliva the moment Shin mentioned that. "Master?", Terran failed to catch what Shin meant to say. "Yes Terran, didn''t you see the change in her appearance?" Terran looked towards her only to find that there was no difference in her. "I''m not sure if I caught master''s joke but I see no difference¡­", Terran said as if he was guilty of something. ''What the-'' ''He spot not difference?'', Shin asked himself and now he was getting confused because of this. "Hey, didn''t your appearance change?", Shin ended up asking the elf directly. She was nning to ask them to resume the walk without prying much, but when she heard the question again, she flinched. "Y-, I mean no!", she said. She could hardly control her own voice and the redness of her face. She was definitely worried about something. ''No way¡­'' ''Don''t tell me that I am the only one who can see this?'', Shin was surprised by this. "Didn''t you suddenly be an adult?" "What do you mean by no!?", he asked as if he was trying to press her to answer him something. "This is¡­" "Actually¡­", her eyes were wandering from one ce to another. She was just looking here and there as if she was trying to make up something. ''I''m sure, this is no hallucination¡­'' ''Hey system, why don''t you exin me?'', Shin ended up asking. ''Ding'' [ The Arb Elves suffer from Body-Age Varialization ] ''Huh?'' ''Age Varializa-shit?'', Shin thought that this wasn''t rted, but when the system told about it, he finally came to know the exact reason for the phenomenon which he noticed. [ Body-Age Varialization -> A disorder that causes the age and appearance of the body to change ] ''Wait what?'' ''The ages of their bodies change automatically?'' "Like on their own?" "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 132 The Arb Elves Secret - Part 1 "Like on their own?", he ended up saying that aloud. "Master?", Terran looked at him for saying that. The elf tried to look the other way again because she somewhat knew about what Shin was bbering about ¨C perhaps it was their secret of some sort. ''Without any pattern?'' ''They change?'' ''Ding'' [ Arb Elves ¨C The age of the body increases as they go from deeper areas of the forest to the edges ] "¡­" The moment Shin heard the system say that he finally understood exactly what this phenomenon was about. The Arb Elf who was ready to show the ce was having her body change as she passed from one area of the forest to the other. ''Does this mean that they can die if they exit the forest?'' [ Affirmative ] Shin was bewildered by what he heard. Basically, the elf in front of him was gambling her life for Mo. Well, as long as those elves stay in the deeper parts of the forest, they would remain young and would have no problem at all, but as soon as they go to the edges, their bodies would slowly tend towards death. This indirectly meant that they were immortal beings as long as they stayed in the deeper sections. ''Isn''t that right?'' ''They could basically have lived there for thousands of years¡­'' Shin had an interesting thought, unfortunately, that was wrong. ''Ding'' [ Arb Elves grow stronger as their bodies mature ] [ Their strength remains closely to zero when they are infant or younger forms ] [ Due to the presence ofrge and strong beasts in the deeper areas, approximately 5 Arb Elves are killed in a day ] And the moment Shin read this, thunderstruck down in his mind. ''What the-'' ''So this isn''t a blessing? '' ''It''s a curse¡­?'' [ Affirmative ] It was the fourth time that Shin had met someone who was afflicted with a curse. He looked at her and then smiled. Then he said, "My eyes were hurting¡­" "Sorry about that, I thought that you looked different but you look the same¡­", he said with a low voice as if he was apologizing. The elf then sighed in relief and said, "Don''t joke you prick, we don''t have all the time in the world." "Yes¡­", and that''s all Shin said after seeing her change in attitude all of a sudden. ''But system, why was I the only one who was able to see the change?'' ''Why couldn''t Terran see that?'', Shin asked. That was yet another good question, there should be something that enabled Shin to see her changing form. ''Ding'' [ The Mindcraft Resistance enabled the host to see through the mindcrafts used by the elves to conceal their secret ] ''Oh¡­'' ''So that''s how¡­''. Shin nodded his head after being satisfied with the answer that the system gave. They then continued to walk and although Shin did say that he couldn''t see her appearance changing, he could actually see everything. And as time passed, her age kept increasing but the form remained the same for quite some time. But as soon as they started nearing the southeast end, her hair slowly started to change to the color white and her skin started to have wrinkles on them. ''¡­'' Her speed slowed down too probably because her body was reaching old age. She was basically panting and that too vigorously, but because of the mindcraft magic used by the elves, it wasn''t that visible. It was as if she waspletely fine, but that didn''t work on Shin. Well, now their magic was weak, however after aging, she might end up stronger magic that might even pass through the mindcraft resistance skill. "Um, I guess we should rest.", Shin suggested this. The elf that was walking slowly stopped with relief when Shin said that. "Are you tired?" "Haha, you don''t have any stamina pup¡­" "Let''s rest then¡­" She was acting tough despite being tired herself. Though, Shin shut his mouth and thought that was the best thing he could do. ''Master is tired¡­?'' ''No way¡­'' ''It has hardly been three hours since we started walking, how could he get tired with just this when we were facing no beasts, to begin with.'' ''Master isn''t that weak, something is wrong for sure or else master wouldn''t say this without any meaning.'' Terran started to think many things while trying to figure out what Shin actually meant. But Shin never wanted Terran to find out about that. "It will be safe if we sit there¡­", she pointed at a tree that was towards her right. It was not thatrge but had sufficient height to match other trees. Regardless, all three of them went and sat there. ''I have to talk to her¡­'', Shin decided that it was best if he were to discuss this. However, he did not want Terran to know about this. "Terran, can you get those fruits for us?" "We can eat them while resting to regain the energy.", Shin pointed with his right forelimb. There was a tall tree in front of him which had some good looking fruits ''Are you serious master¡­?'' ''You want me to jump and get them?'', not that Terran had ever made good use of a wolf''s body. Just good-looking wouldn''t necessarily mean that the fruits could be edible. Of course, Shin analyzed them already before giving the task. ''Ding'' [ Tros Fruit ] [ Grade C ] [ Edible without cooking ] [ Increases speed by 1 ] Terran nodded his head and went to bring the fruit. As soon as he left, Shin then stood up and moved a bit closer to the elf. She was surprised to see himing close and was about to scold and ask to maintain distance when suddenly, Shin started speaking everything that was on his mind. "Tell me, why are you faking it?" "Huh?", she was surprised when she heard that. "Why are you faking that you aren''t tired¡­?" "You are-" Shin revealed everything that he hade to know about her and the Arb elves. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 133 The Arb Elves Secret - Part 2: The Reason Her eyes were worth seeing. She was surprised beyond her limits when Shin told her about the Body-Age varialization. Also, he told her about that specifically. Their secret was revealed all of a sudden, of course, not everyone came to know that. It was only Shin who found that out. "How¡­?" "How did you know about that?" "Who told you!?", she asked. She was profusely sweating because that secret wasn''t supposed to be told to anyone. If once anyone came to know about that, they could use the elves to their advantage too. That was why, their weakness had to be concealed and they had been doing a rather good job all these years, unfortunately, Shin had arrived and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn''t prevent Shin from knowing that. ''What should I do?'' ''Should I kill him?'' ''That way our secret will remain as it is¡­'', was the thought that popped up in her mind. Of course, that could serve as the best way to silence someone so that they couldn''t reveal their secret. Unfortunately, the elf in front of Shin wasn''t that great at thinking. p Although she acted as if she was someone great with tons of experience, she seemed no different than a novice. "Listen, I think I know why you guys are being suffered by this¡­", Shin said in a low voice. "Eh?" She was surprised when she heard that. "You know the reason for our suffering?", she asked. "Yes¡­", Shin nodded his head. Actually, all the elves knew about was that their bodies would undergo changes as they moved towards the edges, but the exact reason was known to none. So how did Shin find out? Did the system tell him? No, he thought about that for himself while analyzing the difference between the edges and the deeper parts. He found that there was just one major difference that separated the deeper parts and the edges or outside ¨C mana. "Mana, that is the reason your bodies are undergoing changes¡­", was what Shin said. "Mana?" Of course, mana was something like a fuel used for magic, but that was the reason causing the changes in the elves'' bodies? "I didn''t understand¡­", the elf wanted Shin to exin clearly and Shin did precisely what she expected. "I think¡­" "No, I believe that¡­" "Your bodies are sensitive to mana¡­" "The sensitiveness is over the top and due to that, your bodies are directly affected by it." "When you are in a mana-rich region, your body remains fresh and in the youth period." "However as soon as the mana in the surrounding starts to decrease, your body slowly wrinkles and ends up aging quite rapidly¡­" This did seem a bit weird, but it was a satisfactory exnation. "So mana is causing the problems in our bodies?", her eyes were wide open when she said that. It was as if some big truth was uncovered and yes, that was indeed the case. After all, they had been trying to figure out the reason but until now they failed no matter what they thought of. She lowered her head after knowing the reason. She was sad of course and the reason for that was simple ¨C elves were beings that were closely rted to mana and could use it in a much better manner whenpared to other beasts. So they essentially praised mana and worshiped it often ¨C it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that they had a separate day called Mana Day. After knowing that mana was the root cause of their long-disease, she felt heartbroken. "Does Mo know about this?", Shin asked. She shook her head. "This is a secret only among us elves¡­", was what she said. "I see¡­", Shin paused and thought about it for a moment. ''I wonder how much these elves love and respect Mo¡­'' ''They were more than ready to go and die while guiding us till the potion¡­'', Shin smiled a bit but that smile was filled with admiration and sadness. "Well, just draw a map for us¡­" "We will use that map and go and find the potion." "I think it''s best if you return from here¡­", was what Shin said. She couldn''t possibly disagree. If she could provide a map, then there would be no need for her to even go with them. It was practically pointless toe this far if she could literally provide them a map. "Yes, I can give you that, but will you be able to converse with the witch?", she asked. "Witch?", for the first time he had heard that term in this world. "Yes, the witch of potions, she lives far in the forest almost in the edges¡­" ''I see, so there was indeed someone that could make potions¡­'', Shin concluded. Initially, he thought that he would find the potion somewhere which was actually ridiculous. "Hmm, do you know her personally?", Shin asked. "No, I don''t know her either but my great-great grandmother knew her, so I think she would help us¡­", she said. "Huh?" "Then you could have gone and brought the potion yourself right¡­?" "Why-" Shin paused, he realized that the elves would end up being dead if they were to go that far in the forest. "Despite knowing the fact that you would end up being dead, you still apanied us¡­" "You are brave and are selfish¡­", Shin nodded his head. She smiled a bit when she heard that and said nothing else. "It''s fine, don''t worry, just give the map¡­" "I will go and take care of this matter.", he said in a low voice with a grin. For the first time, an elf trusted someone else. She trusted Shin and gave the map and returned almost immediately before Terran could actuallye back with the fruits. Terran sessfully brought the fruits which Shin had asked to bring earlier. "Here master, I could get only two¡­", he was panting because he had to overexert himself in a body that was somewhat foreign to him. "Huh?" "Where did she go master?", Terran asked. Shin didn''t say anything and just smiled right after which he took a bite from the yellowish golden fruit. ''Crunch'' "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 134 Two Hours ''Crunch'' Shin ate one of the fruits that Terran brought. "Two are enough¡­" ''Crunch'' ''Ding'' [ Your speed stat has been increased by 1 ] [ Speed: 548+1 || Max. Speed: ??? ] ''Crunch'' Terran too ate that and his speed stat increased too. [ Speed: 185+1 || Max. Speed: 999 ] Both sat there for a few minutes while Terran still expected Shin to answer him about the elf. ''Did she run away or went to relieve stress?'', Terran asked himself while looking here and there. Shin understood that Terran was still searching for her. "She went back." "Eh?", he was surprised to hear that. "She went back?" "But why?" "I mean without her how can we-" And just as he was asking questions, Shin calmly answered, "I sent her back." "¡­" Terran became speechless and waited for Shin to finish talking before he could say anything else. "I got this map from her with the help of which we can find the ce ourselves¡­", was what Shin said. Terran had no problem now because they had the map which could actually lead them to the ce. Though, he was surely curious regarding the reason due to which Shin sent the elf back. ''Ding'' [ The map has been saved in the system ] [ Navigating¡­ ] Actually, the map which she gave was drawn on a piece ofrge leaf that she plucked from the tree under which they were resting. Shin couldn''t carry that and see again and again by taking it out of the inventory. It would be such a hassle due to which he asked if the system could scan and save it. Fortunately, the system could do that, and thankfully now it was much easier. However, he didn''t get up immediately. He waited for a few more minutes as if he wanted to rest a bit while trying to track down the so-called ''eyes'' that were still watching him, ''Ding'' [ You are being watched ] [ The system is trying to trace back the watcher ] [ Estimated time before tracing ispleted: 08:23:48:50 ( 8 days 23 hours 48 minutes 50 seconds)] Surely, that was a long time, but if he could find out the one who was watching him secretly, then it would be helpful after all it seemed like there was a strong being that was literally peeping at him. Due to this, he might not be safe always so this was indeed a concern. In any case, he could think about this a bitter because the watcher wasn''t doing anything at the moment other than just watching, so he deemed it to be fine at the moment. Other than that, he was intrigued by the pouch that the elf gave earlier. ''I wonder what this is¡­'' ''Ding'' [ Repellent ] [ Range: 300 meters ] [ Ardri Herbs + Reliant Herbs ] [ Natural Beast Repellent ] [ With the mixture of Reliant Herb, Ardri Herbs which are natural beast repellent transform into herbs that can repel beasts or monsters with no names ] [ Ineffective against the beasts with intelligence higher than 100 ] [ Doesn''t affect Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Dragons, etc ] ''I see, so this was the reason why monsters or beasts weren''t approaching us¡­'' He figured out why it seemed so quiet as they walked until now. ''Elves do make some unique items¡­'', Shin grinned. Well, after waiting for a few minutes, he thought that it was best to start moving. ''I don''t want to face any monster at the moment¡­'' ''But I cannot possibly carry this in my mouth!'' ''Hey system, do you have some way to use its effects?'', Shin asked the system. ''Ding. [ The system can scan the item and reproduce its effects ] [ or ] [ The system advises the host to tie the pouch around his neck with the help of a thread ] "¡­" Shin had a weird facial expression after seeing the advice but was intrigued by the first statement. ''Go with the first option.'' ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] The system then scanned the item and generated a feature for itself. The item was then stored in the system with the name ¨C Repellent ¨C and upied the second slot. ''Ding'' [ A new feature has been added to the system ] [ Monster Warding ¨C A feature that prevents any kind of monster to approach the host ] [ Range: 500 meters ] Of course, the feature wasn''t as good as the item, but it was manageable. "Let''s go¡­" Right after Shin said that Terran started walking too. Well, now only Shin knew how to go and look for the witch. ''I wonder how long it will take if we go with this pace¡­'', all Shin did was just wonder, however the system perceived it as a question and answered it. ''Ding'' [ 8 hours ] ''Eight hours¡­'' ''I see¡­'' That was not that long as Shin had expected. But this meant that if he were to run at his full speed, he would end up arrived sooner than expected. But he couldn''t possibly leave Terran behind. ''Sigh, so many problems to take care of at the same time¡­'' ''I had to go towards the south, but now I''m heading somewhat towards the east¡­'', Shin was sighing again and again. Whateve,r he couldn''t stop now. He continued and soon enough five hours had passed by. It had already be night and now Shin thought that it was in his best interest to rest because he had been walking continuously for five hours without eating anything or taking a small rest. Terran was sweating profusely so yes, rest was needed the most at the moment. "Let''s take a break, Terran¡­", was what he said. Terran nodded his head and just went and sat under a tree. Shin wasted no time and went and sat near him while trying to ease his body, not that arge amount of fatigue had been umted. "Master, how far is the ce?" "I think we have almost ended up near the edges¡­", was what Terran said. "Yes¡­" "Only a little amount of the journey is left¡­" "Only 2 more hours¡­" They had run a bit in the middle and taken a small short cut thanks to which they actually saved an hour. "2 more hours!?" "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 135 Found: The Hut There were still 2 hours left before they could reach the ce. This basically meant that it would take a simr amount of time before they could get back. They were going to waste an entire day which they could have invested in something else. ''Well, I don''t think there is any merit in helping the tree¡­'' ''But if master wants to do that¡­'' ''Then I am in no position to stop him.'', Terran concluded after thinking for a few seconds. Then he just thought about resting before he could actually start walking again. ( At the same time¡­ ) ''p'' "Are you for real?" "You let someone alive even after they found out about our secret?" The same elf who was guiding Shin was pped by another elf. Of course, not all elves would have the same body structure while they are young. They would still vary. Among them, the eldest one who was a bit bulky despite being young, pped her. It was a male''s voice. "You should have killed them!", was what he said with anger. All the remaining elves were panicking because all of a sudden they started to feel insecure. She had her head lowered while a drop of tear fell from her eye and touched the wooden floor. There were houses made up of wood a bit away from where Mo was, a bit towards the west part of the same south. There were many of them, all had surrounded her for what she did. They all were somewhat of the same height and had simr skin. Of course, because they were in the deeper parts of the forest, they looked young. Though the ages of their bodies were the same, their mental age and actual age varied from one to another. "No, actually¡­", she was trying to tell what had happened but no one was ready to hear her. "Damn, that''s why I told you not to go there¡­" "But no one listens to me anyway!" "They think I''m joking!", he shouted at the top of his voice. He was not only referring to her but was also telling to everyone because everyone absolutely loved Mo so much because they used to y in his branches that even after mentally growing up, they go and sit near him. "After what happenedst time, I forbade anyone from going there¡­" "Everyone listened to me, except you!" An incident had taken ce a few years ago due to which he was forced to put a rule that prevented others from visiting Mo. However, she would often snuck out to meet him. Probably she wasn''t that old mentally. Of course, since the head was her brother, who was scolding her at the moment, he thought about letting this matter go. But not anymore, the secret that was revealed could end up destroying their entire n so he wanted to kill Shin at all costs and since she couldn''t do that, he was furious. She was just like a baby in front of him. She was trying her best to suppress the tears however the tears still escaped her eyes and covered her entire face. "I-" She then started to say everything that Shin told her. Of course, now everyone was ready for her when she started to tell the same thing ¨C "It''s not my fault!" Everything that Shin told shocked all of them because it was not something idiotic but was in fact something that could have been a possibility. ''We are like this due to mana?'' While some started to shout because it was somewhat against their beliefs, as if their God was being criticized, it was something to ponder about. The older ones took this much personally than others, however, her brother, the leader, took this thought and tried to analyze if there was any reality to this. ''We have always been living in the middle of the forest¡­'' ''And this area is indeed filled with mana¡­'', his mind was constantly fixed around that. ''The trees that emit mana in this forest are concentrated at the center where we live¡­'' He looked at the trees surrounding them. "Hear me out everyone!", he stopped all the rest of the members from shouting and scolding Shin''s words. "I think what he said was true¡­" After that, he continued to exin why he thought so. Although some were doubtful if his deductions were correct or not, many started to support his saying. "Yes, I think what the wolf said was right¡­" "Unbelievable¡­" "The reason is finally found!", it became clear to them when they conducted a small experiment. Since they could manipte mana easily, they tried to emit mana from their bodies. Of course, as soon as the mana in the room increased, everyone started to look a bit younger. ''This is crazy, how could a mere wolf deduct this much just from a few things?'', the leader asked himself. None of them had any names so they were ssified as nameless beings at the moment. Yes, despite being an intelligent race, they did not have names which were fine because it wasn''t as if that was mandatory. Now that they figured the reason out, all they needed was a method that would help them to prevent their body from aging on their own. ( Back to the scene¡­ ) Shin and Terran had resumed their walk and soon enough they arrived at the destination towards which they had been walking all this time. Though, they didn''t immediately enter the small hut that was visible to them. Since it was night and the moonlight was making everything visible, it was still dark since there were trees surrounding them even now ¨C basically, they weren''t out of the forest yet. "Master, we have to enter that hut right?", Terran asked. "Yes¡­" The hut didn''t look that big and there was no light shining from inside either. There was a window and all that was visible from the window was darkness and nothing else. "Then let''s go and find her master!", Terran raised his voice with enthusiasm because their search seemed to have finally ended. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 136 A Fast Attacker - Part 1 Terran wasn''t wrong, he wanted the work to get over as soon as possible so that they could go to another ce. Though, he was happy at the same time because they hadn''t gone towards the south end of the forest yet. However, he had temporarily forgotten about that, for now at least. "Master¡­?", he turned towards his back only to find Shin''s eyes glowing with green light. Yes, it is the same light that shes from Shin''s eyes whenever he uses some skill. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill All Seeing Eyes ] [ Your vision has been enhanced ] [ Everything within the range of 200 meters will appear to move slow ] [ You can scan anything directly and see through it ] He could now see through the walls and objects that were otherwise opaque. And thanks to this, he could now confirm if it was safe to enter a hut like that. It wasmon sense, after all, no one would live here without having some sort of traps or guards so that they could be safe against other beasts and monsters. Yes, the hut was almost near the edges and the humans or others races might enter or leave the ce, there should be something that would ensure safety. After all, other races wouldn''t just let someone go or pass by after seeing a hut out of nowhere. This meant that there was some catch to this. That was precisely why Shin used his skill to check if his suspicion was right or not. ''Huh?'' ''What the-'' Shin widened his eyes when he took a look at what was present inside the hut. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ Your¡­ ] He vanished from Terran''s sight and almost immediately arrived in front of the hut. Terran who was attracted by the green glowing eyes, suddenly saw a weird ray of green light right after which he found that Shin had disappeared. "Ma-" He turned his head towards the right and then wanted to turn left, just when he found Shin right in front of the hut. "Master!?", he was really surprised to see him actually cover the distance in a blink of an eye. ''So master is really a fast runner?'', Terran asked himself. He thought that Shin wasn''t fast. Looking at his short legs and small body, Terran concluded that he wouldn''t be fast because even after having long legs, he wasn''t that fast. Of course, size and long legs aren''t the only factors that decides the speed of someone ¨C Terran learned that lesson today. In any case, he now understood that it was him who was slowing Shin down all this time. But for now, he didn''t think about that and started running towards Shin. "Master, is something wrong?", Terran asked but Shin didn''t reply. Instead, he stood right in front of the hut while staring at the wooden door which was about to fall out. ''Aero sh!'' ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Aero sh ] The already broken door waspletely shed away. Of course, that included the hut too, it was also cut into two pieces. ''Bam'' The entire hut fell down as soon as this happened. Shin jumped and then almost immediately turned towards Terran and said, "Terran, get back immediately!" Terran failed to understand what he meant by that when all of a sudden, Terran was attacked from his behind. ''Boom'' "Terran!", Shin shouted at the top of his voice. There was a cloud of smoke surrounding Terran who was blown a few meters away. ''Bam'' He ended up getting smashed on the little raised sand walls which were hard enough to cause pain if hit with a fist. Crack formed all over the wall after which Terran fell on the ground. "Terran¡­" Shin waspletely bewildered to see him getting thrown so far, but what was more shocking was the drop in HP. [ HP: 280/590 || Max. HP: 600 ] ''Are you kidding me?'' ''With just one attack, his HP was reduced by more than half!?'' ''Wasn''t his defense stat high?'', Shin questioned himself. Just because his defense stat was high, he survived the blow, if it was lower, then that would be it for Terran. ''Damn¡­'' ''Just what being is this?'' When Shin turned his head towards the cloud of dust which was still at the same ce where Terran was attacked, the one who attacked had already neared Shin. ''Fast¡­'', Shin thought as he dodged the attack from a sharp pointy thing. ''Boom'' Another small cloud of dust rose when the attack missed Shin and hit the ground. ''Rawrrr'' It was a loud growl but sounded cute. Unfortunately, Shin had no time to think about that. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] He used the skill dash to increase his speed as much as possible to dodge the attack. The attacker was fast so it was a good decision taken by Shin. ''Just who the heck is attacking me?'' Since the moon was yet again covered with clouds, it had be dark. Also, the All Seeing Eyes which he had used earlier was suddenly disabled. Precisely due to that he ended up using the skill Dash and Aero sh earlier because his instincts warned him of something. All of a sudden something pointy struck his right forelimb as he was dodging the attack. Well, the barrage of attack continued. The attacker was faster than Shin''s speed too! It was so fast that neither his eyes could perceive it nor could his body keep up with the attack. Basically, it was as if he was in a helpless situation. Even his skill Dash got deactivated all of a sudden while the attacker''s speed kept increasing! ''Dammit'' *sh* *sh* Small shing wounds were being left all over his body, of course, he had the skill to heal so he could use that to heal himself whenever he wanted, unfortunately, he refrained himself from healing. Well, the answer to that could be given by if the answers to these questions were found ¨C Why was he slow despite having the skill Dash? What happened to All Seeing Eyes? Why did the attacker be fast exactly when Shin became slow? "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 137 A Fast Attacker - Part 2: The Thief [1] *sh* *sh* Many wounds were being left on Shin''s body. Although his dash skill got disabled the same way as his All Seeing Eyes did, he was still able to dodge vital attacks. Of course, he was barely able to match the speed of the attacker, however unfortunately the attacker just kept on going faster. Shin could neither see what was happening, neither could he react properly. But the biggest question was ¨C Why wasn''t he using the skill Heal to heal his wounds? Wouldn''t that make him faster if he were to be in his top form? While that was true, it seemed like Shin wanted to try and do something. Of course, something was revealed to him when he could no longer use the skills or when they got disabled. He had a skill that could prevent his active skills or other skills from being sealed or inactivated. He doubted that due to the low level of that skill, his other skills ended up being sealed, however, that wasn''t the case. He came to know that when he took a good look at the notification that popped up the moment the skill Dash was disabled. ''Ding'' [ Your skill Dash has been stolen ] Yes, this was the notification that popped up. His skill had been stolen and this was the reason why he was totally shocked and could hardly think anything straight. The same notification popped up earlier however he failed to understand and read them because he was alerted by his instincts. [ Your skill All Seeing Eyes has been stolen ] [ Your skill Aero sh has been stolen ] Three of his skills had been stolen leaving him with only a few others. Of course, the remaining skills were good, but the skills that were stolen were something he had gained after working hard and had developed them with a lot of hardships. They were pretty high level after all so it was no joke to see them vanish. He doubted so he took a peek at his profile and indeed, they were nowhere to be found. Anger, Agony, Frustration, and many other sorts of emotions started to umte in his heart all of a sudden. He knew that he couldn''t do anything foolish because his skills other skills could get stolen too that was why he had to think carefully about everything before doing it. ''A way¡­'' ''I have to find a way to be faster than this bastard!'', was what he said to himself. However, until now he had used only two things that made him faster during various situations ¨C Dash and Wind Run. Other than these two, he had no more skills that could actually boost his speed or something. Also, he couldn''t use his skill Wind Run because that could get stolen. He knew not how his skills were being stolen. Though, he guessed it to be a skill that allowed the attacker to steal his skill. Also, the attacker about whom he was thinking about wasn''t someonerge. He or she was the same height and size as that of Shin, though, he seemed powerful and faster than Shin. And he was capable of stealing the skill and utilizing it for himself. No wonder the attacker kept on getting faster. Yes, when Shin heard the ''rawr'', at the very moment he knew what kind of beast he was dealing with. Though, he wondered what was such a beast doing at the ce where the witch lived. Whatever, the beast continued to attack him and if it were to continue, then Shin would be left in a bloody state. Well, at this point, Shin was wondering if he had some clue about the beast''s skill and indeed, he had a clue about it ¨C the glow of white light. In fact, he caught up a few more things. Whenever the beast used that skill, there would be a sh of white light from one of its eyes. Earlier too, when Shin looked via the walls in the room, the beast was lying down when suddenly a white light shed and his skill was gone. The same happened when he used dash and aero sh. However, he was able to use Dash twice, once when he closed the gap between him and the hut, and the second was when he dodged the attack from the beast and tried to increase his speed. This was odd because if the beast was able to steal abilities even from a far range, then why didn''t it steal the dash when Shin used it for the first time. ''It''s because when the beast uses his skill, then it can steal only one ability at a time.'' ''Since it stole my All Seeing Eyes, it had to wait before it could use the skill again¡­'' ''Like a cooldown timer perhaps¡­'', was what Shin concluded. That was why Aero sh was stolen from Shin when he used it after some time. Of course, he then immediately didn''t use the dash. There was a gap between him using Dash and Aero sh so without a doubt, the beast stole it during thetter. ''Now it all makes sense¡­'' *sh* *dodge* *sh* Shin was doing his best to prevent himself from suffering serious injuries. ''I think there is something else to his skill too¡­'' ''It cannot steal the level of skills¡­'' By this Shin meant that when a skill will be stolen, the beast would gain that skill however the level will be one no matter at what level the stolen skill was with the previous being. How did he reach this conclusion? Well, Shin had used his skill ¨C Dash ¨C tons of times so he knew how much his speed would increase after using it with just his instincts. But when he took a look at the best that without a doubt was using the skill Dash to boost its speed, he found that its speed had increased but the rate was too less. He understood that the increase was not caused due to a level 9 skill, instead, it was caused due to a level 1 skill! These were two main things that Shin caught onto. However, did this mean that he lost his skills forever? Dash had reached level 9 so it was a great loss. Well, if he had the skill he could level it up again, unfortunately, he didn''t even have that anymore! So what would happen to him now? What would he do? "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 138 A Fast Attacker - Part 3: The Thief [2] It was as if he was stuck in a pit. Without anyone else''s help, he wouldn''t be able to get out. Unfortunately, he couldn''t ask Terran for help because his HP had lowered way too much. Not that Terran didn''t want to help, it''s just that his body refused to move. He was bleeding because of the strong explosive hit which shook his entire body. Since he had no scales and experienced such an attack, his brain could hardly understand what had happened so it wasn''t responding well ¨C an exaggeration of course. In any case, Shin had to think of a way that would let him get out of the so-called pit. Well, it took him no more than 10 seconds to realize that there was quite an easy way to get out of the problem. ''Yes¡­'' ''I can do that, but¡­'' ''I have to sacrifice another skill of mine¡­'', was what he said to himself while the continuous barrage of attack continued. "Master!", Terran shouted and somehow stood up. He was trying toe and help Shin however his body was refusing to listen to him after getting shocked from the attack after a long time. Terran fell on the ground again while looking up towards Shin when suddenly he found him grinning. *grin* It was as if he had something under his sleeve. ''Master is smiling¡­?'' It hadn''t been that long since Terran had been with Shin, however even with the short time, he hade to learn many things about Shin''s personality. Of course, he knew that Shin would never smile meaninglessly in such a dire situation. ''Yes, with this I will be able to get my skills back¡­'', was what Shin said. Wait what? Not only could he stop the beast from stealing his skills but also could get his stolen skills back? It would be interesting to see what way he had thought of that would give him two in one benefits. While he was thinking of a skill to use, he found another thing about the skill that the beast was using ¨C it couldn''t steal the skill which had been activated long before and had been the same for a long time ¨C Aura control. ''Yes¡­'' ''The skill that I will have to sacrifice for this is¡­'' ''You!'' ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill me Wave ] [ A wave of me will be emitted out of your body ] Just like the waves that crash on the rocks near the seashore, a wave of fire suddenly got emitted from Shin''s body. It emerged from his body and started to travel in all directions except the directions ¨C towards the ground and the sky. ''Ding'' [ Your skill me Wave has been stolen ] Shin noticed the message however that message actually marked thepletion of the stealing process. Shin had observed that the beast had used the skill steal earlier when one of his eyes started to glow with white light. Yes, just as it stepped back to dodge the mes, it used the steal. So what would Shin do at the moment? If he were to wait for the me wave to be stolen, then he would have achieved nothing! All this thinking would be for naught. Fortunately, he really had a tactic in his mind. Right before the notification ¨C Your skill me Wave has been stolen ¨C appeared, there was another notification which Shin didn''t bother to read. "¡­" ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Copy ] [ You have copied the skill Steal from the foe ] [ You have gained a new active skill ¨C Steal Lv.1 ] [ -> Dual Eye skill ] [ -> Can be used with one eye with lesser effects ] [ -> Steals foe''s skills permanently with the exact level ] [ -> Can steal skills with +2 level than the skill ''steal'' ] [ -> When 1 eye is used, all skills will bebeled as Lv.1 ] *grin* This was Shin''s n. He would use the skill copy to get the skill with which the beast was stealing his skills. Now basically he could steal all his skills back. Shin knew not what ''Dual Eye'' skill meant because this was the first time he had seen something like that. But after reading the description of the skills, he understood what it meant exactly. [ Dual Eye Skill -> Skill''s major function works when both the eyes are fine ] [ -> Can be used by a being with only two or fewer eyes ] ''I see¡­'' ''So I can steal my foe''s skill without any change in level as long as I use both of my eyes?'' He understood that part perfectly and it was indeed a good thing. However, he immediately got a question in his mind ¨C ''Why isn''t he using both the eyes to steal the level too?'' Since Shin had used the me wheel, the area got brighter. Since there was grass here and there, they caught fire so the light persisted even after the skill was stolen and the me wave was shut. In this, Shin noticed that the beast''s one eye had some sort of dagger mark on it. Of course, he was grinning all this time, but now he finally understood what a problematic situation the beast had. Also, because of the light, he could finally see the beast ¨C at least that''s what he thought. But the beast was fast so it ran away from Shin''s sight. The beast used the skill Dash and tried to attack Shin again. However, Shin was now a step ahead, he could steal his Dash back. But he had something to worry about. ''Just how long will this stealing battle continue?'' ''I will steal now and then he will steal it¡­'' ''Then I would have to steal again¡­'' It would be a problem and nothing else. *scratch* *sh* *ssh* Because Shin wasn''t moving and was immersed in his thoughts, an attack struck him real hard. "Master!", Terran shouted as he saw Shin losing bnce. Terran was bewildered when he saw this, but something else surprised him at the moment. It was the big smile which Shin had despite being hit by an attack. ''Why don''t I steal its ''steal'' skill?'' "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 139 Stealing From A Thief That was a brilliant idea that Shin came up with. Stealing the foe''s ''steal'' skill will ensure him that the foe wouldn''t be able to steal any of Shin''s skill. But as simple it appeared, it wasn''t that easy. First of all Shin wasn''t that familiar with the skill since he just gained it recently ¨C a few seconds earlier. Moreover, he knew that he had only one chance to use it before the beast realizes and ns to run away. That would cause the total destruction of his n because if the beast ran away, then Shin wouldn''t be able to steal his skills back. Shin learned two things about the skill which he gained ¨C first, if he uses one eye, he can steal the skill and gain it for himself but its level would be reset to 1 ¨C second, if he were to use both his eyes, then he would be able to steal the skills with their original levels and make them his own. Though the skill applied only to those skills which were below the level of the skill or were at most 2 levels higher. Most definitely, Shin had to use both of his eyes to steal the skills of the beast which were his own so that he would get an advantage, unfortunately, there was a condition for that too which appeared right when he was thinking about it. [ It takes 3 seconds to activate the skill with both the eyes ] [Cooldown timer: 00:00:03:00 ( 3 minutes ) ] [ It takes 1 second to activate the skill with one eye ] [Cooldown timer: 00:00:00:10 ( 10 seconds ) ] Of course, benefits wouldn''t be free always. The cooldown counter was a bit more when used with both eyes. Whatever, Shin finally thought that he knew everything about the skill and decided to proceed with the n, unfortunately, there was just one piece of information that he misread or was unaware of. That wouldn''t pose any threat at the moment, and it was more of a benefit so nothing was wrong not knowing it for now. [ -> When 1 eye is used, all skills will bebeled as Lv.1 ] This text was what Shin misread or heard wrong. While he thought that all skills that he would steal would be level 1, that was not the case. In fact, the notification actually meant that all the skills that he would be ready to steal would temporarily be level 1 for him. This meant that, if the level of a skill was 10, with one eye, he could actually see the skill and it would seem to be level 1 instead of 10. So what does this mean? Basically, he would be able to steal that skill since the limit was a skill with at most 2 levels higher than the ''steal'' skill level. He could essentially steal any and all skills. Though, he didn''t notice this at the moment. ''I need to sacrifice another skill to steal his skill¡­'', Shin almost immediately decided on a skill to discard, for the moment that is. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Winter Breeze ] [ Cool breeze will cover the entire area with a range of 30 meters ] He used this skill for two main reasons, one ¨C to force the beast to use the skill ''steal'' and two ¨C to stop the fire on the grasses from spreading any further. Quite a calctive dude he was, at the moment that is. Indeed, the cool breeze caused the fires to blow out, though, a little slowly. It chilled the area and was cold enough to cause the beast to shiver. Of course, Shin had no problem with that, in fact, he liked it. He was ready to sacrifice the skill which created a condition that he loved a lot ¨C it was level 1 anyway so he could get it back right away. And exactly as he thought, the beast used its skill to steal the winter breeze. ''Ding'' [ An attempt to steal the skill Winter Breeze was detected ] ''Ding'' [ The skill Winter Breeze has been stolen ] The first notification was a bit weird, it was the first time ''an attempt'' was mentioned before it actually got stolen. Whatever, just as the beast was stealing Shin''s skill, he did the same thing and used the same skill against him. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Steal ] [ Dual Eyes confirmed ] [ Currently, active skill used by the foe: ] [ -> Steal Lv.3 ] [ -> Shadow w Lv.2 ] [ Which skill would you like to steal? ] [ -> Steal Lv.3/ Shadow w Lv.2 ] Yes, Shin had this doubt that if a beast was using two skills simultaneously, then which skill will be stolen by the skill ''steal''? It seemed like the system would ask him that question before actually doing that. ''Steal Lv.3, steak that skill¡­'', was what Shin said in a low voice. Both his eyes were glowing with green light again while contrast to the beast whose eye was giving off a white light. [ Command epted ] ''Ding'' [ You have sessfully stolen the skill ''Steal'' Lv.3 from the foe ] ''Ding'' [ You already have a skill named ''Steal'' Lv.1 ] [ Conflict will be created if one is not discarded ] "Huh?" Shin never expected it to happen this way. He thought that one skill would vanish on its own however that didn''t seem to happen. ''Conflict? Does that mean both the skill will vanish?'', he was confused. Thankfully the system had good timing in giving advice. ''Ding'' [ The system advises the host to merge both the skills ] [ The system seeks the host''s permission to proceed with merging ] [ -> Proceed/Cancel ] ''Oh God, what would I ever do without you¡­'', Shin smiled after seeing the system disy that message. ''Alright, proceed with the merging process.'' [ Command epted ] And right after that, the system started merging the skills. Shin was d that he had the system to help him out, but he could actually think about thatter. At the moment, the beast was in front of him, standing like a statue as if something had been stolen from him. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 140 A Skill To Self-Destruct *grin* Shin grinned because the beast in front of him seemed confused. He hadn''t taken a look at its profile or stats yet, however, even without that, he could say that the beast was confused because of the change in behavior all of a sudden. It was being hasty or was attacking bizarrely, but right after the skill was stolen, it stopped moving all of a sudden. ''Yes, this is my chance to steal all the skills that it will be using¡­'' and just when he thought that, the cooldown timer popped up. [ Cooldown Timer: 00:00:02:53 ( 2 minutes 53 seconds ) ] ''Sigh, really now?'', Shin''s excitement died real quick even before it could peak. He thought that with this skill he could gain any skill and abilities, however, he noticed the restriction sooner than he expected. One good thing was that the cooldown timer worked despite the skills being merged, now he wouldn''t be required to wait after the merging waspleted. Of course, in the meantime, he had to ask the beast about its origins and the reason because of which it attacked Shin. "Hey, care to tell me the reason for your attacking?", Shin asked. The moon was then clearly visible as the clouds moved. The light shed all over thanks to which the vision was better. Wolves can see in the dark, very clearly at that, but differentiating colors and other things was highly impossible for them. Since his skill All Seeing Eyes was gone too, he could hardly see any difference between things. Shin then walked slowly towards the beast as he became visible to him. ''I never imagined to meet such a beast here¡­'', Shin was surprised actually and no matter what, wanted to close the gap between them to talk efficiently. The beast was shocked because of its skill vanishing ¨C probably this was the first time this had happened in his entire lifetime. Due to the light, the beast becamepletely visible to Shin. It was a tiger cub ¨C a white tiger''s at that. It had ck stripes all over its body. Though, its face was covered with dirt. It had many wounds too at the same time which Shin initially mistook as ck stripes. "What the-", he was shocked to see that when he approached him. Of course, Shin had his own share of pain because he was wounded by the beast a second ago, but now he didn''t even care about that pain because just seeing the cub''s pain was hurting his eyes. "Are you alright¡­?", Shin asked. The beast had its head lowered. Was the shock that great? Shin''s instincts were warning him not to get too close, but he was disregarding it. Of course, he didn''t do that to the warning given by the system the moment he was very close to the beast. [ Warning ] [ Activation of Self-Destruct spell detected ] [ Threat Level C ] [ The system advises the host to run 80 meters away ] "What the-" The beast''s body soon started to glow with white light. The self-destruct skill was activated by the beast as it wanted to destroy its body along with that of Shin''s. "Steal!", Shin shouted because he wanted to steal that ability away. Without that there wouldn''t be any self-destruction, unfortunately, he didn''t have the ability to use the steal for the time being. ''Ding'' [ Failed to use ] [ Skills under merging ] "Damn!" Shin couldn''t use that skill at all because of the merging. "Hey, are you crazy!" "You will end up blowing yourself!" Shin was wondering, ''How did a beast like that end up having such a skill?'' Shin closed the gap between himself and the beast and asked it to stop. He lifted the beast''s small head which was lowered and said, "Stop using that!" He thought that the beast was some sort of crazy one because no one would just self-destruct on their own. However, he was shocked by what he found. Tears, tears ran down the beast''s left eye which was half-opened. "Just die¡­", the beast said only these words. The voice was that of a female''s with which Shin assumed it to be a ''her''. Also, the tear in her eyes made him get a weird feeling all of a sudden. The white light just kept increasing in intensity. Terran had somehow pulled himself and walked all the way to the hut. He then found the bright blinding light and almost immediately recognized it as self-destruct spell or skill. "Master!?", he spotted Shin near the light, "Master! Get away from there!", he shouted at the top of his voice. His regeneration abilities were good, he had recovered from most of his internal injuries, though, there was a bit of pain left behind. Shin noticed that Terran was close by too. ''No¡­'' ''Why did Terran arrive here now?'' Shin knew that his HP was less at the moment. Shin understood that the skill which the beast used earlier so strong and now the self-destruct seemed simrly powerful. If the beast were to really go and destruct itself, the power will be more than enough to kill Terran. Not to say, Shin will be affected greatly. He did have the transformation ability with the help of which he could sacrifice one of the mimics and survive, but that would kill both the beast and Terran. ''I don''t want anyone to die¡­'' He wouldn''t be able to carry the guilt of killing such a young tiger cub. If they hadn''te to the area, then the beast would have never gone as far as using the self-destruct. Partly, he was to me. The light got brighter and the beast was about to self-destruct right before which she said just a single thing, "Forgive me¡­" "Mom¡­" ''Boom!'' Boom? No, there was no ''Boom''. In fact, the self-destruct didn''t even happen. The beast was shocked because nothing happened when it opened its eye after a few seconds. Terran was also surprised and relieved at the same time to see that nothing happened. Did Shin''s steal skill return on time due to which he stole her skill? "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 141 The Tiger Cub - Part 1 ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dispel ] [ The skill Self-Destruct has been Dispelled ] [ Dispel ] [ -> A skill that allows the host to erase the effect of any skill ] [ -> The skill whose effect is to be erased should be at most 1 level higher than the ''Dispel'' skill ] Thanks to this skill, the cub didn''t self-destruct, and due to that, no one was hurt. It was a good thing that Shin had such a skill, if he didn''t then the consequences would have been very bad. The cub waspletely surprised to see Shin overpowering him and erasing his skills or stealing them. "Who are you?", the cub asked because of astonishment and confusion. Of course, Shin would answer that question but before that, he decided to heal the cub and himself because both seemed hurt. The same was with Terran so it was wise to first heal up before continuing the chatter. Though, initially, he did reply to the cub with a thing ¨C "I am your friend." It might have slipped from his mouth or he might have used that to calm the cub, whatever it may be, the cub suddenly teared up even more. It was as if Shin was looking at a baby tiger that hadn''t even reached a state where it couldn''t contain its emotions properly. "Terran,e here¡­" Since Shin was now hugged by the cub, he had no choice other than to call Terran toe closer. Of course, Shin was a bit, only a bit taller than the tiger cub, however, in terms of weight, the cub outdid Shin. It jumped towards Shin, causing him to fall on the ground while still being hurt. Though, he didn''t push the beast away because she kept crying. Terran walked closer and asked, "Yes master?" "Nothing¡­", that was all Shin said while using the skill Heal. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Heal ] [ Your injuries will be healedpletely ] [ The targets'' injuries will be healedpletely ] [ Time: 00:00:05:00 ( 5 minutes ) ] The 5 minutes timer was probably because of the cub who was much more hurt than Terran and Shin. It was evident with the tons of shes and cut marks that were present on her body. Shin thought that it was wiser to wait until they had been healedpletely despite the fact that his wounds were healed instantly. The cub started to feel good as her wounds started to heal. Well, she ended up falling asleep while being on top of Shin. "Master?" Five minutes had passed by and everyone was healed, but now Shin was below the cub and was thinking of what to do next. "Sigh, wait Terran¡­" He somehow slowly pushed her towards one of his sides and slowly slide by while making her fall gentle ¨C on the grass. She didn''t wake up from her sleep, in fact, she was in a deep sleep. "Probably she hadn''t slept for quite a long time¡­" Young babies tend to sleep a lot which applied to beasts, monsters, and most living beings. So not sleeping for a few hours would be enough to cause such beasts to change their behavior. Whatever now she was fast asleep so Shin decided to wait there until she woke up. Terran didn''t utter a single word as if he understood what Shin wanted to do. ''Not that I want master to waste time here, but it''s better than going towards the south.'', Terran said to himself and probably this was the reason because of which he said nothing else. Shin continuously looked here and there to see where the witch was because ording to the map which the elf had given him, the witch''s ce should be there. However, the hut which he assumed to be the witch''s ce was already destroyed and the witch didn''t seem to be nearby. ''Did she move to a different ce?'', Shin wondered. That could have been a possibility. Since the elves wouldn''t leave their ces for a long time anding towards the edge would be synonymous with death, it would have been long since they had visited here. Of course, that would mean that the news wasn''t recent and the chances of the witch moving to a different ce would be high. ''Hmm, so we came here for naught?'', Shin asked himself. Well, that wasn''tpletely true. He actually ended up meeting the cub just because he came here. If he hadn''te, then probably he would have never met her. ''Let me take a look at her profile¡­'', he thought that it was better to do that instead of wasting time. [ Profile ] Name: ??? Sex: female Age: 189:18:21:57 ( 189 days 18 hours 21 minutes 57 seconds ) Weight: 12 Kg Race: Tiger [ White Tiger ] [ Cub ] Rank: B || Max. rank: S Level: 29 || Max. level: 50 HP: 350/350 || Max. HP: 500 MP: 280/410 || Max. MP: 600 Exp: 216 || Max. Exp: 999 Atk: 27 || Max. Atk: 99 Def: 21 || Max. Def: 99 Speed: 54 || Max. Speed: 100 Int: 49 || Max. Int: 100 [ Skills ] [ Active ] 1] Tiger Eyes Lv.3 -> Eyes that can see through illusions -> Allows the user to see clearly in the darkness -> Creates fear in foes 2] Energy st -> An explosive spell -> User the user''s energy to cause a st -> Range: 3 meters -> Cooldown Timer: 00:02:51:57 ( 2 hours 51 minutes 57 seconds ) 3] Shadow w Lv.2 -> ws made up of shadows. -> +10 Atk. 4] All Seeing Eyes Lv.1 -> Can see through illusions. -> Can see in darkness -> Can see the basic description of the foe''s skill. 5] Aero sh Lv.1 -> A strong de of wind is created and shot. 6] Dash Lv.1 -> A skill that allows the user to increase the speed stat beyond the limit -> Increases the speed of the user by 5% 7] me Wave Lv.1 -> Creates a wave of fire moving in all directions with user as center -> Range: 110 meters 8] Winter Breeze Lv.1 -> Cold Winds Blow past the range of 30 meters [ Passive ] -< none >- [ Titles ] 1] Dual Wielder -> Can use two elements ¨C Light and Dark. [ Status Effect ] [ Starved ] Shin took a look at all the stats and was surprised by seeing how different a tiger cub could be. It was younger than Shin but despite that its weight for more than him. Also, its HP and MP seemed abnormal while thinking about its case. The Exp that it had was way too less at the same time but despite that, it had leveled up quite a bit. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that the cub in front of him could easily give a tough fight when faced with other opponents. Its skills were ridiculous too ¨C especially the Energy st which she used on Terran was powerful enough to almost kill him. Needless to say, her rank was high too. Even before it had evolved hardly even once, it was level B already. Shin''s intuition was warning him of something ¨C ''If the beast is left alone, then it would definitely be a terrifying monster one day¡­'' ''I can''t let that happen.'' Well, killing a foe before it became a threat was the best possible solution, however, Shin had thought about something else entirely. ''My dream is to be a Celestial and eventually get back my human form¡­'' ''However, my dream doesn''t end there.'' ''I want to build a ce where my loved ones will be safe and for that, I need strong men who can defend them and protect them if anything were to happen.'' Yes, he was on the right page, without strength, he couldn''t possibly protect all. ''And for that, I need some strong beasts to side me.'', he concluded. ''Why don''t I raise her?'' ''If she is indeed going to be powerful one day, then instead of killing her, I could make her side with me!'' Indeed, instead of killing such a wild and powerful cub, taming would make sense. Also, he couldn''t kill such a little kid even if he tried because she would remind him of Ae. Nevertheless, he thought about taking her with him. And due to this very decision, his future had another drastic change because an event was soon going to happen which revolved around the cub and the humans! "¡­" It was proper to say that Fate brought him here, after all, he met the second inmand of his special squad. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 142 The Tiger Cub - Part 2 Shin was tired too after traveling for some time and decided to rest for a bit. Of course, he couldn''t sleep at the moment because there were tons of things going on his mind, but he did stay still to ret for a few moments. The tiger cub was just asleep for a long time because it hadn''t had a wink of sleep for a long time. Shin and Terran, both just sat beside her while trying to rest. "Terran, sleep for a while, I will be on the watch.", was what Shin said. Terran nodded his head because he was indeed sleepy as he could barely open his eyes. ''It''s such a shame that a great dragon like me cannot beat the sleep!'', he thought this again and again. But oh well, it was interesting for him too because never in his life had he experienced such a strong wave of sleep. Shin, who had a lot of sleepless nights earlier, in the previous life and in the current life too, had no problem at all. After all, his body''s fatigue vanished faster than others and he would feel refreshed earlier than anyone else. Though, that didn''t mean that he would never sleep. He too slept but at the moment there was no sign of sleepiness in him. "Hmm, what should I do now?" "Where will I find the witch?", Shin asked in a low voice to himself. He looked here and there and found no predators nor preys. That was eptable since his system had the repent or warding effect activated all this time. ''Maybe the cub was wary of us because of that effect¡­'', was what Shin concluded. Otherwise, the cub actually had no other reason to attack him since he never attacked it first. ''When I used My All Seeing Eyes, I could see that there was beast, shivering inside the hut¡­'' ''But I never knew that the beast would be such a young baby with insane powers¡­'' Terran was simr to an adult wolf, this meant that he was quite strong indeed. Not to mention that his defense stats were specifically higher than any normal wolf. Even he was blown away with just a single attack from the cub, which essentially showed how different a beast of tiger type would grow. ''Yes, I have to take her with me¡­'', this was one thing which he had already decided upon. Although his main mission was to find Ae and get revenge for Kira and Siara in n Wars, he didn''t leave or throw away other things. There was one more thing that concerned Shin ¨C the killers. ''Who was it exactly that killed Kira and Siara?'', he asked himself. Until he found that out, he couldn''t take a breath of peace. Yes, he did hear from other beasts that it was the Bi n and other beasts who killed Kira, but who were those other beasts? That was his doubt. ''Were they his own brothers?'', while this thought did cross his mind, he didn''t give that much of importance thinking that it was just his imagination and nothing more. ''The being that killed Kira would have definitely been someone way too powerful¡­'' ''Or perhaps, Kira would have been lured and got killed.'', there were many possibilities, and thinking about those would just break his head. ''For now, I will focus on searching Ae¡­'' ¨C that was a good decision. Concentrating on one goal would definitely yield better results and that was what Shin thought of doing now. Yes, he would help others, but not at the cost of losing Ae. Soon it was morning, Terran woke up due to the sunlight which shined right on his face. The trees were surely covering most of the sunlight, however, some of it definitely shed from other areas. "Master¡­?", the moment he woke up, the first thing he did was call out to Shin. The reason was simple, Shin was sitting right next to him. "Oh, you are awake Terran?", Shin asked with a smile. ''Wow, what a way to start the day¡­'' Terran was happy because starting a day from seeing someone''s smile is the best thing that can happen. He too smiled and said, "Yes master¡­" *yawn* The reply was followed by his yawning because he was a bit tired after all. The cub slowly started to move too. It moved from one side to the other as if it was rolling on the soft grass. In the end, she collided with Shin who was sitting near the hut, a bit away from her. *bam* The collision wasn''t that strong or huge, just that she ended up striking something which ended up waking her up. *blink blink* She opened her eyes slowly right after which she saw Shin''s face. It was as if she was lying on Shin''sp but that was not the case, she was just beside her. The dark shadow on Shin''s face scared her. "You!" She jumped all of a sudden right after standing up instantly and got a little away from Shin. "Who are you!?", she raised her cute voice and asked this. Although Shin was confused with the fact that the cub had already forgotten about the ones whom she had attacked, he soon realized that it was dark due to which she probably hadn''t gotten a chance to look at them properly. "Me?" "¡­" "I''m just a friend.", was what Shin said. The moment he said that she was reminded of something she had heard yesterday, just before actually falling asleep - "I am your friend." "That''s-" She recalled everything perfectly because not only could she recognize his voice, but also could recognize what he said since they matched exactly. "So you were the one whom I attacked yesterday?", she asked. Shin nodded his head with a burst ofughter. Although the situation wasn''t that serious, the cub had a stern expression as if she was thinking about something. ''I wonder what she would say next?'' ''Would she apologize, or ask us to pay fine for attacking her¡­'', Shin smiled. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 143 The Tiger Cub - Part 3: A Condition ''Would she apologize, or ask us to pay fine for attacking her¡­'', Shin smiled. Shin wanted to see what she was going to say because it seemed as if she was thinking something deeply. It might have been something else, but whatever it may be, Shin was expecting her to say at least something. "Will¡­", she mumbled which Shin could hardly hear. "Yes?", he replied though probably because he wanted to encourage her to speak loudly. "Will you really be my friend?" "¡­" After asking that she lifted her head and looked at Shin with teary eyes. Of course, the tears had been umted in her eyes and were about to flow down no matter what he was going to answer. ''¡­'' ''Was she lonely too?'' Shin realized that even if the system didn''t show that someone was lonely, they could still be lonely. Since loneliness wasn''t actually a status effect and would only show to those who have been that way for quite a long time. Since she was barely 6 months old, the status effect didn''t have the ''lonely'' word. Needless to say, she was indeed lonely which Shin understood after hearing her words and shaky voice. "Yes of course!" "I am your friend!", Shin said with a smile that was natural. As soon as she heard that, she ended up crying. This was the first time he had seen a beast, looking like a tiger, crying like a girl or a baby. Of course, she was a female, but being such emotionally unstable made Shin realize that beasts were no different than humans. They too had a certain degree of intelligence and showed simr behaviors. Though the intelligence stat for the cub was less, it could still be considered that it did have intelligence. She then slowly moved towards him and said, "Thank you¡­" And then closed in further and licked his face. Probably that was a form of appreciation or a kiss. It was confusing for Shin though because animal behaviors varied greatly and he knew not about all of them. Whatever he understood that he now had her as his friend which meant that he had a strong ally beside him. Even though raising her and taking care of her and protecting her from many things might be a hassle, it would be worth it, after all, her max. rank which was showing was definitely S. Shin thought that this was the perfect moment to officially make her part of his own team, though, for that he had to ask her. "Hey, I want to ask you something¡­", Shin mumbled. "Yes¡­?", the cub looked at him after licking away her own tears. "I was wondering, will youe with me?", he asked. "Come with you?", the cub was a little confused because the dialect wasn''t direct. "I mean, I am in search of a friend, so I want you toe with me¡­", was what he said. "¡­" She didn''t reply and just looked at Shin as he exined further. "There is a friend that I have and-" He told her about Ae and how he missed her and failed to protect her. Also, he ended up telling about his ambition of building a kingdom where everyone would be safe. Although he didn''t want to reveal it at the moment, he thought about actually asking her this in order to avoid futureplications. Of course, he gave her plenty of time to think about this ¨C whether she wanted to follow him or not. Also, he said something else which actually won her heart ¨C "No matter what decision you take, we will always be friends¡­" Upon hearing that, she had a weird sensation in her heart. She was young and hadn''t matured yet, but the feeling that rose up was new to her, it was probably attraction or respect which was developed after hearing about his ambition. A thing to note was that only simr beasts get attracted to each other. This meant that a tigress would get attracted towards a tiger or vice-versa only! Certainly, a horse wouldn''t get attracted towards a tigress, which wasn''t possible in both, the previous and the current world. But of course, thisw didn''t apply to Shin too. He was basically attractive to all, of course, only to males at this point. His another cheat perhaps, that is, his charms weren''t restricted to only wolves! That was why he could contact andmunicate with almost all beasts and races and could be friends or allies with anyone he wanted. The cub thought about it for a few seconds and then said, "Yes, I would like to join too¡­" The moment Shin heard that he thought that he had seeded in persuading her. It was as if he was sessful in making another ally who would be a great power in the future, however little did he know that the cub was smart enough to add a condition in the deal which they made. "But I have a condition¡­" While Shin was enjoying the moment from inside, he paused and got serious when he heard her say that. "Condition?" "What condition?", Shin asked. "¡­" The cub didn''t think much probably because she had already decided upon what she was going to ask. "You won''t stop me from leaving your side when I want to¡­" "¡­" ? Shin knew that the condition might have been something important, but never did he imagine it to be something like this. It was shocking to him and the same was for Terran too. Terran ended up getting agitated after hearing that, "You want to leave his side during his tough times right?" "Master, it''s better if we not take her!", Terran said with a raised voice. Shin somewhat understood what Terran said. In the tough times, where Shin would be counting for her strength and help, she might end up leaving which might end up causing double the trouble to Shin. So, it would be best to not include her and Shin was thinking about it when suddenly a system notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ The system advises the host to ept the condition ] "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 144 She Is Fine Even After Calling My Name? ''Ding'' [ The system advises the host to ept the condition ] "¡­" ''Wha-'' Shin waspletely surprised by the message that the system showed to him. While he was thinking about declining it by going over it rationally, the system demanded him to do something else entirely. Of course, it wasn''t an order, it was just advice, but that was more than enough to make him think twice before presenting his answer. ''Did the system just advice that?'', he kept asking himself that. He was somewhat confident in refusing the offer or deal earlier because Terran too thought the same, unfortunately, he had to doubt himself again due to the system. He had no idea about the reason due to which the system was giving such a piece of unreasonable advice. ''What''s wrong with the system?'', Shin had a weird expression on his face. The tiger cub, who was expecting an answer, waited a bit more as if it was letting Shin think. Terran was shocked. ''What is there to think master?'' ''She clearly wants to leave us when we fall in some big trouble¡­'', was what Terran concluded and that was his reason for rejecting her offer. "¡­" "I¡­" ''Don''t tell me, master, you are going to ept her request because of kindness and sympathy¡­'', Terran seemed a bit frustrated. All this time, his guessing, wanting, and happening had been way different. It was as if his guesses were way too wrong and everything happened the other way round. Though, he couldn''t help it because he was not the one that was orchestrating the situation. While Shin was taking more time to decide because of confusion, the system disyed another notification. ''Ding'' [ You are being watched ] The moment this notification popped up, Shin finally realized what the system exactly meant or wanted Shin to do. ''The one who is watching me is against the thought of me rejecting her offer¡­, is that why you disyed me that text?'' He was definitely not an idiot and could finally understand the system''s actual goal. The system didn''t care if Shin''s power increased because of numbers or anything else at the moment, it cared for his safety because of this supernatural entity that the system had been detecting for a long time. The system somehow detected the fact that the being didn''t want Shin to reject the condition and that was why showing such a message. *gulp* ''I think it''s better to ept her condition¡­'' Shin could always change his decisionter and could actually expel her, at least, after the being that was watching him go away. But could he really do that? Would he really be able to throw away someone who closely behaved like Ae of the past? That would be interesting to see because seeing his personality which had changed drastically, he wouldn''t be doing something so horrible to a baby tiger. "Fine, I ept your condition.", he said this after taking a deep breath as if he cared not about the consequences of doing that. If the current situation could be passed with everyone being safe, only then would anyone be able to think about the future. That was why, Shin took this decision and epted the system''s advice with open arms, and did what was wise. Terran, no matter how smart of a dragon he was, failed to realize Shin''s thinking. He eventually gave up and thought about asking Shin directly,ter of course. "Thank you, master!", the cub immediately smiled and bowed in front of Shin. "Huh?" "Master?" Shin was surprised from seeing the cub call him that. "How did you-" He was about to ask the source from which she learned that word when suddenly he recalled that Terran had been calling him master for a long time. Young animals or babies are fast learners. In fact, their brain is considered to be like a nk CD that can ept any and all knowledge. So learning to call him master was no surprise, and this was to be expected from a beast of such caliber. "Did I do a mistake?" "Should I stop calling you master?", the cub asked with teary eyes. Her eyes seemed sparkly whichpletely charmed Shin and Terran who had almost no special attraction towards her. Getting attracted to a baby was far by one of the most normal things so it wasn''t much to consider. "No." "You can just call me master, but my actual name is Shin." Shin thought that it was best to let her know if his name to avoid future confusion. "Shin?" "Master Shin?" She said in a low voice. "Huh? N-" Both Shin and Terran were about to tell her not to pronounce his name directly, just when she ended up calling his name. The side-effects or the punishment of that had to arrive soon, but it never came. No thundering, no fast-moving wind, and no change in atmosphere. Everything seemed normal and was the same way as earlier. "What the-" Both of them were surprised by this because calling someone''s name should give them a shock or some sort of punishment, however, at the moment, the cub literally called out his name and there was no reaction at all. ''Wait¡­'' ''Is this the silence before a storm?'', Shin posed this question, however, that was not the case. "Hey, you cant call him with his name directly!", Terran eximed. "I can''t call him Shin?" "¡­" *silence* There was indeed no effect on her. After being surprised, Terran thought of calling Shin with his name too to see if he was fine too. "Shi-" ''ZZDZ'' ''Boom'' Even before he couldpletely call out his name, a thunder struck right on Terran. He ended up getting covered by ck-colored smoke which started toe out of his body. "This¡­" "Is not fair¡­", while saying this he became unconscious yet again. "Sigh, did you really have to go and try that?" Although Shin found out that there were no changes inws and rules, he was still surprised to see the cub call his name. "Alright, I won''t call him Shin, I will call him master too.", was what the cub said. "Yes¡­", Shin nodded his head, but what happened a few seconds ago seemed like a mystery. Shin was astonished by that and wanted to know why the cub was able to call his name. ''System, do you perhaps know the reason?'', Shin wanted to see if the system knew something about it. ''Ding'' [ Affirmative ] ''Huh? You know?!'', Shin was genuinely surprised to see the notification. [ Affirmative ] ''Then, what is the reason? Why is she able to call me by my name?'', Shin asked. ''Ding'' [ It is due to the presence of a being that is stronger than naturalw or has a say in the naturalw ] ''Huh?'' Shin failed to understand what that meant. ''A being stronger than naturalw?'' Thankfully he had a system that was ready to exin everything in detail to him. [ Affirmative ] [ The presence of a Celestial has caused the thundering to subside ] The moment Shin read that, he was finally sure about the topic which the system was trying to exin. ''The presence of a Celestial'' and ''You are being watched'' ¨C both of these statements were linked and Shin finally figured it out. When the cub called out his name to him, he found it weird but at the same time, strangely familiar. It was as if he had heard someone else call his name in a simr manner, though, he wasn''t aware of who it was. Only after he finally understood what the system actually meant, he realized that the Elf Celestial was fine when it had called Shin with his name. Indeed, the Elf Celestial wasn''t affected by anything despite the fact that it called his name. This meant that a celestial was watching over the tiger cub and it was the same beast that was preventing any thundering or shocks. The cub was fine thanks to that Celestial ¨C after realizing this, Shin understood that he was in much bigger trouble. ''I have no idea what those freaking Celestial are thinking¡­'' ''They literally hold the absolute power in this world, however, they refuse to help anyone¡­'' He kind of started to get angry. The cub was badly beaten up and the Celestial, who was supposedly protecting the cub, did nothing! ''Tsk¡­'' ''There goes my mood!'' "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 145 Naming The Cub The Celestials were selfish, to begin with. There was no one in the world who hadn''t reached a greater height without actually being greedy. Almost everyone is greedy about something like the celestials'' greed was for the power of ruling the existence. Well, it would be inappropriate to say that they didn''t do their jobs well because it was basically thanks to them that the forest and other ces had properws. ''I know that they have lots of things to do¡­'' ''However, that doesn''t mean that they wouldn''t help anyone¡­'' Shin''s thoughts were legit. Helping someone was considered to be good and protecting someone would definitely give one good results in the afterlife ¨C it was believed to be so. However, Shin wasn''t a fool who would think only from one side, because that would just be talking about perspectives. ''Yes¡­'' ''If they were to help someone, it would be as if they were favoring a particr someone¡­'' Because of that, the Celestials refrained from helping anyone just simply because they needed help since it could end up starting a war as the power bnce might end up getting destroyed. The celestials minded their own business when it came to matters such as protecting someone with whom they had no rtions. Then why did the celestial protect the cub from the shocks? Well, Shin had no idea about it, at least he knew not about it for now. "¡­" He was in no position to question the celestial that was watching him. He didn''t even know if the celestial was near him or was watching from a faraway ce. He also had no idea about the celestials and their identities so he thought that it was best to let this matter pass by. "Alright, since you have joined me, I will give you a name¡­", was what Shin said right after all that thinking. It was not umon to name your underling, however, naming could be problematic too. Since there was aw that no two beings could hold the same name, it was usually impossible to get the right names on the first try. The reason was simple, there were billions of beings in the world who had names and many more that were nameless, amidst them, they had many billion names. So getting a unique name out of all of them was something that would happen by luck, Suppose if the namer were to try and give a name that already existed, then the namer or the owner would get a bacsh of it due to breaking thew set by nature. But did that apply to Shin? Couldn''t he just give any and whatever name he wanted? Yes, that was true, he could name the beings whatever he wanted unless and until he could alter the exact meaning and wordings ¨C this was an exception made for him because he was an outsider, to begin with. So it was understandable why he could name so easily without having anything to worry about. Also, the names which he chose were from the modern world with unique meaning and since thenguage differed, there was not much for him to worry about. "A name!?", the cub''s face suddenly got brighter than before. "Yes, are you excited?", Shin asked as if he was ying with the cub. "Yes, master! I am." She was indeed excited because gaining a name was a big thing after all. It was such a huge thing that it was of no surprise to see a cub knowing about it. "Alright then¡­" "What should I name you¡­", Shin started to think about a good name that would not only suit the cub''s outer appearance but also would suit the attributes that it could use. ''I really wish that the system would show the attributes of the beasts that we would encounter¡­'', he just thought about this while trying to pick a name and the system took it seriously. ''Ding'' [ Would you like to enable the ''Attribute(s)'' feature? ] [ -> Yes/ No ] Shin was not surprised by this because he somewhat wanted the system to take it seriously. Also, he didn''t even hesitate to ept this. "Yes.", though, he ended up saying that louder. ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] ''Ding'' [ The attribute feature has sessfully been enabled ] So the feature already existed but had been disabled for reasons unknown. Shin knew about this because right after the tutorial, tons of things had been turned off which he had noticed. Whatever, as time passed and as he felt the need of them, he enabled them one by one which was a good thing. Instead of having everything in a single bite, he was savoring them one by one ¨C the features and skills. ''Alright, so what name should I give her¡­'', he came back to this topic and started to think of a name that was associated with light and dark. ''Should I name her Alina?'', that was the first name that Shin thought of. However, he knew that the name ''Alina'' meant ''light''. With this, the cub''s light attribute would indeed receive a huge boost and she would end up bing one of the strongest light ability users, however, the dark one would end up beinggged. This would essentially decrease the rating of a dual-element beast. '' ''Man, it''s such hard to name such monsters¡­'' Yes, that was true. A dual wielder had to get a name that would boost both the characteristics that it held. That way, it would be stronger than ever and would have many routes of choices to grow stronger. ''Hmm¡­'' ''I can''t name her Kira because that is his name¡­'', he respected Kira so thought about not using that name. Of course, if he had named her that, her dark attribute would have gotten stronger, but then what would have happened to the light? That was yet another problem. He had to think of something that would boost both of them for which he was literally working hard. ''Man¡­'' ''Naming sure can be hard¡­'' He could just name her whatever he wanted, but why was he not doing that? Because he didn''t want to do any mistakes at the beginning stages. Once the foundation is built, the remaining blocks could be built with greater stability. He believed in that and wanted to give her a good name. Also, she was quite charming and seemed friendly. He felt that it was his responsibility as a brother, since he got that feeling, to give her a proper name. That was why he tried to think about something better when suddenly, a thought struck his mind. ''Why don''t I just merge the names ¨C Alina and Kira?'' That was a fantastic thought that he got. By doing this, he could actually boost both the attributes, however, he still had something to worry about. ''But what if the namesbine and end up giving a different effect?'' He was right, what would happen if thebined names boosted something else? He thought that with the names on his mind ¨C Alina and Kira. ''If Ibine them¡­'' ''I will get Alira¡­'' ''Not bad, but¡­'' ''Ding'' [ The name Alira means ''Shinning Stone Woman'' ] ''Uh¡­'' ''At least the name is feminine¡­'', this was what he said to himself after seeing the system notify him. "Sigh¡­", he gave a big sigh as if he was quite frustrated with the naming. "Master, name her whatever ites to your mind first!" "It''s not as if-" Terran wanted to continue and say something else when Shin all of a sudden red at him with intense green shining eyes. It was as if he was saying, "Shut the fu*k up!" "¡­" Terran didn''t open his mouth after that. ''Looks like master is really tired from thinking¡­'' He wasn''t wrong, he was indeed tired from thinking about a name. ''Just what should I name her then?'' ''I really liked the name Alira but it has a totally different meaning¡­'' And just when he had thought that the system disyed another notification that put his heart at ease. ''Ding'' [ The word Alira does not exist ] [ It was created by the host ] "¡­" ''What the-'' ''Then how did you know its meaning?'', Shin asked. ? Yes, just how did the system know about that? ''Ding'' [ The meaning of the word was derived from the host''s consciousness ] That is true, since the system somewhat had an ess to what he was thinking, it might even have the ess to his previous life''s memories. With that, it might have known what the word meant. ''Then does that mean¡­'' ''I can decide the meaning of the words that I introduce?'' [ Affirmative ] [ You may use the name with the meaning you desire ] "¡­" "Alira!" "From today, your name will be Alira!" "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 146 Orcs "You will be named Alira." ''Ding'' [ You have named a white tiger cub ¨C Alira ] [ You have gained your third vessel ] [ The Third Vessel Of Shin -> The third vessel of Ruler of the Swamps, Shin. -> Provides 10% boost in all stats. -> Gives 40% boost in swampy areas. -> Can use the skill ''Heal'' when the HP drops to 10% to heal itself. ] These notifications popped up after Shin named her. Along with that, something else popped up too. ''Ding'' [ Due to the attainment of the first trio vessels, you will get a +10 increase in all the physical stats ] [ HP: 820+10/820+10 || Max. HP: ??? ] [ MP: 330/510|| Max. MP: ??? ] [ Exp: 6000 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 285+10 || Max. Atk: ??? ] [ Def: 253+10 || Max. Def: ??? ] [ Speed: 549+10 || Max. Speed: ??? ] ''Cool, this isn''t bad¡­'', Shin said to himself with a smile after looking at the little boost which he received. Right when Shin said that, a gust of wind blew past them. It was as if nature was giving a sign that the name was good or perhaps it could have been some random coincidence. But in reality, it was something else totally. Shin came to know about that only after the system disyed another notification. ''Ding'' [ You are no longer being watched ] ''Huh?'' Did this mean the wind that just blew by was the after the wind that was generated after the Celestial went away? Whatever, after reading the texts, Shin sighed in relief. It was a good thing because he no longer felt the insecurity that he had been feeling since the moment the system had notified him about that. [ Vessels ] -> 1] Ae [ female ] -> 2] Terran [ male ] -> 3] Alira [ female ] Shin checked his own stats to confirm what had happened and indeed, he could see the addition of Alira''s name on the list. It was a good thing because now he could at least think of another option in the near future after she actually got stronger. "Thank you master!", she jumped towards Shin and pushed him to the ground. Right after that, she started licking him again regardless of whether he liked it or not. Of course, he would have been disgusted since he was a human from inside, however, that did not seem to be the case. He in fact liked her licks because it gave a weird tickling effect causing him to wag his tail for a brief second. "Haha, Alira, stop¡­", he asked whileughing and rolling on the ground with her. She thought about continuing it for a bit longer, however, she stopped because she respected his wish. Shin was still doubtful about the one condition which she had mentioned earlier and the same was for Terran, he too was suspicious about that, but they let it go for now. A time woulde when they would eventuallye to know about what Alira actually meant and wanted to do with the condition that she put. Anyway, Shin''s main aim toe to this part of the forest wasn''t to help Alira, it was to find the potioneer or the witch who was in charge of making potions. "Where can I find her¡­?", he questioned himself while looking here and there and then turning back towards the destroyed hut. Alira was intrigued by Shin''s question so he asked, "Are you searching for someone, master?" "Ah, yes¡­", Shin just replied to her on a whim and continued to look here and there when he realized that Alira might have an idea about the witch since she was here for quite some time. "Alira!", he almost immediately called out to her while looking directly into her eyes since she was right in front of him, lying on the ground. "Yes master!?", she was surprised by the sudden call. "Do you know anything about the witch who makes potion?", he asked directly. Well, he did promise to help Mo and had taken the task upon himself from the elf, that was why he asked her almost immediately without wasting any more time since a lot of hours had been wasted here. "Tell me, do you know anything about her?" "¡­" Alira failed to understand what Shin asked since she was still young. She knew nothing about the word ¨C witch. Also, she had no idea about a potioneer which was why her expression was nk and empty as if she heard something weird. "I''m sorry master, but I don''t know wha-" Just by looking at her expression, Shin could tell that she knew nothing about those things. However, that doesn''t essentially mean that she didn''t know about the person who symbolized the meaning of those words! "What I meant to ask was, whether you had seen some old hag or the olddy with a long wooden broom or stick¡­" He tried to exin to her the attire of the witch ording to the knowledge of the previous world. ''I don''t know if the witches in the world look the way I imagine, but I need to at least try¡­'', was what he thought. "Ah, that kind olddy?", Alira almost immediately connected what Shin was trying to say and rted it to a woman. "Kind olddy!?" "Yes!" Shin thought that Alira finally understood what he was trying to say. ''Kind olddy'' or whatever terms could be used by Alira to represent the witch since she knew nothing about her exactly, that was why Shin assumed that the olddy about whom Alira talked about was the same witch about whom Shin was speaking. "Do you know anything about her?", he asked. "Yes, she was the one that saved me from the pigs.", was what she said. ''Saved her from pigs?'' ''What pigs?'' Shin wanted to know if Alira was using an adjective to define some being as a pig or if it was a real pig, to begin with. "Those huge monsters who tried to kill me¡­", was what she replied. ''I see¡­'' ''So it was used as an adjective.''- but that wasn''t the main thing here. There was totally something else at stake and something else had to be talked about. "Do you know about thatdy?" "Where did she go?", Shin asked right away without wasting any more time. "I don''t know, she just vanished into the forest while attacking those pigs.", was what she said. "Hmm hmm¡­" Shin was understanding what she was saying one by one. ''So she went towards the east side of the forest¡­'', Shin concluded this when he looked at Alira pointing out towards one direction. Shin was about to tell her about his goal of nearing the hut when suddenly she said, "I''m worried¡­" "The pigs were five times¡­" "No, ten times bigger than her." "I don''t know how she would fight them and escape this time." She had an expression on her face that showed that she was actually worried about the witch. Shin was surprised after hearing her words. Yes, he was literally surprised to hear that the so-called pigs were at least ten times bigger than her. ''Wait¡­'' ''Doesn''t that mean there should berge footmarks on the ground or some sort of space created in the forest due to theirrge size?'', this was the first thing that Shin asked himself after hearing her say that. ''How could mere pigs be ten times bigger than a witch?'' ¨C it was suspicious indeed. Either her vision wasn''t good because of one eye, or she failed to exin properly. Yes, even now one of her eyes had the scratch ¨C the right eye. She couldn''t open that eye, unfortunately, Shin''s heal also didn''t work. But no one was worried about it at the moment though. ''Were they some sort of giants?'' It started to get confusing for him. He looked towards Terran to ask if there was indeed any pig that big, however, Terran denied firmly as if he understood Shin''s question even before he asked. "Even in my time, there was nothing like that.", he said firmly. "Weird¡­" He didn''t want this confusion and wanted to ask Alira about the pigs and the witch. "Alira, tell me exactly¡­" "How the pigs looked like¡­" She started exining their structures and physical body in detail. "Large tusk-like teeth and-" She said many things and all of them indicated that the pigs were nothing other than Orcs! "Orcs?", Terran and Shin said simultaneously at the same time with a surprised expression. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 147 The Tiny Witch "Orcs?" Shin and Terran were surprised by the fact that Alira was indeed talking about pigs while referring to that. It did take them a while to realize that, but they did in the end. However, that nowhere exined the fact about the sizeparison which she had done. Perhaps she had indeed made a mistake inparing the size due to which Shin asked, "Are you sure that they were ten times bigger than thedy?" She nodded her head vigorously after hearing that. "Master, I think she is trying to trick us¡­", Terran walked closer to Shin and whispered this in his ears. Shin looked at her sparkling eyes and realized that she wasn''t trying to lie. She was definitely not tricking him or Terran. There was just no way that such a beast who was nothing more than a baby could plot or trick him or Terran. "Hmm¡­" ording to Alira, the height and size perfectly matched that of a normal Orc. Not that Shin had ever encountered an Orc, but he roughly guessed its height. Of course, Terran jumped and disyed an Orc''s height perfectly right after Alira tried to do that. With that, Shin confirmed that his imagination was on point. ''Interesting, the Orc is just 1.5 times bigger than an average human¡­'' ''ording to her description, there is no orc that is 10 times bigger than a human, that she encountered.'' ¨C Shin concluded. "Then this only means that¡­", it was as if Shin was about to realize what Alira was trying to say. Well, just before that, Terran intervened and said, "So you are blind!" "That is the only meaning that we could get from this!"- he concluded as if he had found some great secret. His chest seemed to be full of pride as soon as he said that. Shin turned his head back towards him and with a weird expression, asked, "Really?" To this, he didn''t reply because he too knew that he sounded ridiculous. "Sorry master¡­", and he ended up apologizing for his useless nonsense. Whatever, Shin wasn''t interested in that anyway. That was because he had almost figured out what the young cub was trying to say. If theparison that she exined was true, and at the same time if the size of the Orcs were the same, then it would make sense if the height of the witch was less! "Don''t tell me, the witch is ten times smaller than the Orcs?" ¨C that was the only exnation that he could think of. "Uh, Yes." "That is one way to put it master!", Alira smiled when she said that. "¡­" Shin started to sweat profusely right after hearing that. ''Are you for real?'' ''Doesn''t that mean¡­'' When Shin closed his eyes, he could imagine the size of the Orcs. Though, for better understanding, he took the help of the system topare himself with the Orcs. With that, he would be able topare the witch''s height with himself. ''System, how big is a normal Orc whenpared to me?'' ''Ding'' [ A normal Orc would be five times taller than the host ] ''Wait¡­'' ''Doesn''t this essentially mean that she is half of my height¡­'' After understanding theparison which the system made clear, he finally rted himself with her height and size. ''Just how small is she?'', he asked himself because being half as small as he was literally being as small as a small wolf pup or a newborn wolf pup or just a little bigger than them. That was no bigger than the size of ten fists of an adult man! ''The heck!?'' That was so surprising because a witch being so small was way too weird. "Is she really smaller than me?", he asked her. She nodded her head and said, "Yes, she is even smaller than me!" "¡­" "But didn''t you say that she was an olddy?", he asked. She nodded her head vigorously again and said, "Yes, that''s what she said when we first met!" Of course, it was only now he realized that the cub, Alira, with whom he had been chatting freely, had never met a human. "¡­" ''No wonder she failed to understand the actual meaning of ady¡­'', Shin had point-like eyes on his face because of the awkward realization. But by asking her about that, he knew this much that the witch was a weird creature ¨C different from what he had been imagining. Or there might be something more to this. "How does the witch look like?" ¨C yes, this was a good question to ask at the moment. "You want me to describe her features too master?", Alira asked. "Yes." "Umm¡­" "She was smaller, shorter, and cuter than master and-" The words hit him like an arrow because he already knew those. Though, the cuter thing hit him like a hammer because it was weird and sounded as if he was offended all of a sudden. Whatever, it was finally confirmed that the witch was indeed way smaller than him. But wasn''t that weird? Why would someone call such a creature ¨C a witch? While it didn''t make sense to him initially, he then soon realized that it wasn''t necessary for a witch to look like a human. "Oh, then did she look like some particr creature?" Shin wondered if she had some characters that resembled some creature or if she was a totally different race, to begin with. Yes, witches and wizards were believed to be a totally different race. They had their own kingdom after all. However, there were instances when other races would learn witchcraft from the real witches and would be one themselves. After hearing about the short height, Shin wondered if it really was some species that he knew about. "Master¡­" "She kind of looks like you.", was what Alira said. "Huh? Looks like me?" This was surprising to hear. "Do you mean to say that she looks particrly like me or does she even look like Terran?", he pointed towards Terran and asked that. Alira looked at Terran and said, "Yes, her ears are like him¡­" "But all other features and simr to you master.", she concluded with a smile. Yes, now there was no doubt at all. The creature to which Alira was referring was none other than a wolf pup which was quite astonishing for Shin. He had never imagined for a witch to be a wolf, and that too a pup! But why did she closely resembled Shin? "She has the same white color as you master¡­" "And her eyes are the same as yours." ¨C she smiled and concluded again. ''Her eyes and color of her fur are the same as me?'' ''Is she another white wolf pup?'' Tons of questions were on Shin''s mind, to which he had almost no answers since he had never seen the witch for himself. How could such a small witch, that had the form of a wolf, could prepare potions? How could she even perform witchcraft? He kept asking himself those questions and it just got much more confusing to him. But oh well, he could figure all those things out after meeting the witch. "Okay, so now-", and just when he was about to announce what he was going to do, a system notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ The system advises the host to stay at the same ce for 00:01:00:00 ( 1 hour ) ] "We will search for-" He then heard the notification and read it. The advice was weird, way too weird for now. But Shin decided to go along with it. Why not listen to the system and wait for an hour? It would definitely be for a good reason, so Shin decided to search for the witch after an hour. Although he wanted to save time as much as he could, spending an hour was very little for him at the moment when hepared it with all the time he had wasted. Also, he wasn''t doing that on a whim at the moment. "Wait¡­" "Let''s wait for an hour and recover properly.", Shin contradicted himself and said this immediately after he stated the earlier. "Master¡­?", Terran looked at Shin with shock. He wouldn''t voluntarily waste time, Terran knew this much. So there was some deep meaning to what he was doing ¨C Terran assumed. ''I think the cub and I have been healedpletely¡­'' ''But does that mean master is still hurt?'' "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 148 A Hybrid Creature: The Witchs Appearance ''Is master hurt?'', this was the only question that wandered in Terran''s mind at the moment. Some weird things had been happeningtely. Shin was being led to many things which seemed to be tiny but were in fact big and were some things that would affect the future drastically. Well, there was another thing that was weird since the start itself. Shin used to call himself their friends, but in the end, he would end up bing their master or someone with the utmost authority and the beasts too epted it without hesitation. It was as if they acknowledged him which was a good thing, to begin with. However, asking to be friends and changing the rtionships soon as they were named was way too weird, even for Shin. Due to that, he thought about asking in a formal and better manner instead of actually bing a friend since that way, he wouldn''t be required to jumble and get confused. Also, no one would feel that they are on the same ground as Shin and for that, he had to avoid making friends. Making servants would be wiser and from now on, he would aim at that. But this didn''t mean that he would forget to help others and would just force them. Yes, first of all, respect had to be generated naturally. He was the ruler of swamps, in fact, 5 swampy areas were under him, didn''t he have an army already? Why was he going as far as building a new army? The reason was simple, he wanted his men to have a sort of natural respect for him instead of the artificial fear and respect that the dwellings of the swamp got due to his title. Whatever, now that all of them had agreed to stay in the same ce, they quieted down. Shin sat down and thought that it was best to conserve energy. Alira was energetic though. She waspletely healed after all so she had tons of energy left which she had conserved by resting earlier. Terran was fine too and could move around freely. However, none of them went farther than 5 meters from Shin while respecting his wishes. In this world, the monarchy wasn''t umon. It was probably considered an important thing too since no one could disrespect their monarchs. In a sense, Terran and Alira didn''t want to disrespect Shin that was why they stayed there. Alira even rushed back and sat near Shin and instead of being yful, she sat calmly. Terran was still standing probably because he was looking out for dangers. Whatever the case may be, all of them stayed there, and soon enough, thirty minutes passed by. It happened way too fast but they weren''t waiting for just half the time to pass. So all they could do was wait. Terran wanted to see if there was something that Shin wanted ¨C such as food or something else. But Shin just shook his head because he had bigger concerns. ''Damn, I really miss Ae¡­'', this was the thought that his mind was bursting with. Because Alira was close to him, Ae''s image was shing before his eyes again and again. Not that he could do anything at the moment, but step by step, he would soon reach and find Ae. In this thought, he didn''t even realize that one hour passed away. Of course, it was only after seeing the sun above them that he realized that a little more than an hour had passed. "Ah, one hour has passed¡­", Shin said. Animals were not that good at marking time. They could only identify five timings of a day ¨C morning due to sunrise, noon due to the sun being over their head, the evening when the sun moves away from them and the sky changes its color by little, night time when the sun sets and the sky goes ck and finally the midnight when the sky turns out to be clear and rich mana starts spreading. These were the only five times in a day which they could find. That was why an hour and simr measurements were tough for them. Obviously, the intelligent beasts couldn''t bepared to normal animals! They could keep track of time easily and Terran could do that easily. However, he forgot to remind Shin that an hour was over since he could sense a weird presence from a nearby area. What about Shin? Did he fail to notice? Absolutely not! He too felt that presence, but he acted as if he was familiar with it or as if he was waiting for something like that. ''Ding'' [ The witch of potions has arrived ] This was the notification that popped up right after Shin stood up when he saw the sun to be right above his head. To be precise, it was because of the notification that he found out that an hour was over and nothing else. "Master¡­", Terran was surprised by the presence and walked a bit closer to Shin to inform him about this. "Master, I think-" Shin nodded his head while looking towards him and murmured, "It''s fine, don''t worry." ''So master does know about this.'', Terran concluded. Shin waited some more time however the witch didn''t show herself. That was why, Shin raised his voice and called out to her, "I know you are here, witch of potions!" "There is no use hiding." "Why don''t you show yourself?" "¡­" Right after that, the bushes started to shake a bit. And the witch made her appearance. It was not because Shin called out, it was because Alira stood up and started to look here and there while anticipating the witch to make her appearance. The bushes stopped moving and the witch was soon visible. Right after seeing her, all Shin could say was ¨C "What the fu*k?" Terran was surprised to see the witch too. Well, just being surprised would be an understatement actually. "You are the witch?", Shin asked with a surprised expression. "¡­" One couldn''t help but be surprised by the creature that the witch was. "Yes¡­" An elderly voice was heard. Yes, it was an olderdy''s voice. Now Shin understood the reason why she called herself that, but more than that, the ridiculous appearance of the witch made Shin wonder how much of a unique thing she was. The ears like a rabbit, teeth like that of crocodiles'', a tail resembling that of a lion, and finally, the body and the eyes of a wolf pup ¨C what could possibly surprise anyone after seeing this weird hybrid creature? *gulp* Terran tried to look at his ears ¨C ''Are my ears that long?'' He wondered because of what Alira had said earlier. Whatever, she wasn''t lying when she said that the witch had simr eyes like that of Shin, however, what did she mean by cuter? *gulp* ''I believe I have never seen such an ugly-'' ''I mean interesting creature since I arrived in this world.'' ''Just what is it exactly?'', Shin questioned himself ceaselessly as he continued to stare. p "Sigh looks like my house is destroyed yet again.", was what she said. The hut which Shin actually cut into half was her house. He somewhat knew that, but still did it. Anyway, she didn''t seem that angry thought and it was as if this was quite frequent. "I have to rebuild again¡­" ¨C was what she said. "Eh?" "Why don''t you just move to some other ce?", was what Shin asked. "¡­", she didn''t reply to him and just stared at him for a few seconds. "I am waiting for a brat.", was what she said. And right after that, she asked, "And who might you be?" "I''m¡­" "I''m Shin, just your average wolf.", was what Shin said. Either he was being sarcastic, or he was being really humble ¨C either way, he was trying to hide his actual power, for now at least. "¡­" "I see¡­" "So you are-", and she was about to say his name out loud when Shin stopped her. "No!", he literally screamed which surprised her. "Wha-" "What happened?" "Why did you scream?!" ¨C she was totally surprised by it. "Safe¡­" "Please, don''t call me by my name¡­" "You might get some weird sort of shock or punishment.", was what Shin said. "¡­" The witch stared at his eyes, of course, looked directly into his eyes. "Haha, why would I get any shock by calling your name?" "Are you some Celestial or a strong respected beast!?" "Haha." ¨C sheughed. "Uh¡­", now Shin didn''t know what to tell. "Haha, you are so tiny, what harm could your name cause me?", she asked. ''Aren''t you smaller than me?'', Shin had a weird expression on his face. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 149 The Miraculous Potions "Haha, you are so tiny, what harm could your name cause me?", she asked. ''Aren''t you smaller than me?'', Shin had a weird expression on his face. The witch thought of what Shin said to be some random joke. Of course, she couldn''t see his real powers and since his aura was hidden by him, the only thing that she could see was his small height. Although to her, he seemed a bitrge after all she was smaller than him, it was still too little whenpared to others. So there was absolutely no way that Shin''s such a small form would scare anyone ¨C this was clear from the start. His aura could do the work that his body couldn''t, unfortunately, he hid that too so that he wouldn''t get noticed by others. That was why he couldn''t expect someone to believe what he was saying right off the bat. "Also, are you some sort of ruler or what?"- the witch added. "Haha, only that would make sense¡­" "But how can such a small creature like you rule anything?", she continued herughter. Whatever she said was right, and Shin didn''t feel bad or upset about anything that she said, except one thing ¨C ''Small Creature.'' It kind of pissed him off and he was getting frustrated by hearing that. Probably that was because a smaller being than him was criticizing him. In any case, he nodded his head and said, "Yes, I am a ruler." To this, she ended upughing even more loudly as if she was hearing some sort of great joke. "¡­" Terran was confused as to why she wasughing. Also, he was confused by the thought that he wasn''t getting angry. By now, Terran would have snapped and would have tried to at least advise Shin or stop others from doing something so foolish as disrespecting Shin or taking him lightly. But at the moment, he seemed to be dazing. It was as if, his mind had gone nk while he was thinking tons of things altogether. ''Why does thatughter feel so familiar?'', was what Terran questioned himself. Shin wanted to ask her about the potion and leave right away, but he never got the chance, at least not for now since she kept on taunting him byughing in a weird manner. ''I have never heard such weirdughter¡­'' ''Why is this getting on my edge though?'' Yes, he wasn''t someone who would simply get angry over someoneughing, so what was unique about that which was making him get agitated? Even he couldn''t understand, not until the system notified him. ''Ding'' [ You have been affected by Boost-R Potion ] [ You will get agitated and be easily enraged on hearingughter or taunts ] ''Boost R potion?'' Shin was surprised to see that he was affected by a potion. ''When the heck did I even¡­'', and just when he was thinking about that, he realized that the witch in front of him was called the witch of potions specifically. ''Is it her doing?'', Shin asked himself however he waspletely sure that it was definitely her. He tried to calm his mind by letting all the useless thoughts escape. He then turned back to see if Alira and Terran were fine and yes, they weren''t affected by any potion or anything else. ''I can''t believe that even the system took quite some time to discover that I was affected by a potion.'' Shin then looked at the witch and said, "It ain''t funny you know." "Eh?", the witch suddenly stoppedughing after hearing that. "Why would you use your potion on me when we were just chatting?" When Shin asked this, the witch suddenly became nervous. ''How did he detect my potions?'' Her eyes were now shaking vigorously. She looked here and there while trying to calm herself. However, no matter what she did, Shin''s words struck her like some arrow. Probably she was way too confident on her potions or believed thempletely. "I''m sorry¡­" "I just¡­" ''He is no ordinary being¡­'' ''He could detect my potion, he must really be a ruler of some big ce.'', she said to herself. Was her potion that amazing that she herself ended up getting shocked. "Tell me, why would you use the rage potion on me?" Since the name of the potion was Boost-R, Shin thought that the potion boosted rage. Entering the rage mode is quite harmful and beneficial during some times. However, getting angry unintentionally when the matter didn''t even have any significance was totally bad since that could end up destroying many things after all anger is not the solution for anything. Whatever, she apologized for that. But the actual question was ¨C why did she use that in the first ce? And when did she exactly use it? All these questions were answered one by one when the matter finally settled down and all four of them gathered and formed a circle and started discussing and questioning. "Tell me, why did you use the potion?", Shin asked. "I-" "I wanted to see if you really were a good being or if you were just acting to be good¡­", was what she said. "Huh?", Shin was surprised to hear that. "What do you mean?" "I have been watching you all for the past one hour, and I could see that she, Alira, was extremely attached to you¡­" "I knew not if you were really a good being¡­" "That''s why I¡­" "¡­" *gulp* ''She had been watching us for the past one whole hour?'' ''Are you kidding me?'' Shin was awed. He failed to actually notice her for the past one hour! But the system definitely notified him to stay at the same ce, was that because it knew that she was here? Then why didn''t it tell Shin about her? "¡­" Shin didn''t know if these were the questions that he had to ponder about, those weren''t something that he would be thinking about right now, yes definitely not now. "How were you able to hide yourself from us?", Shin asked. "Stealth Potion¡­" "With their help, I was able to hide my presence¡­" She replied politely as if she was guilty. Well, heck, she portrayed herself to be an olddy so Shin scolding her seemed a bit weird, way too weird. Whatever, after just seeing that someone could detect the usage of her potions, her entire confidence and pride broke in no time! ''A celestial¡­'' ''No¡­'' ''Even stronger¡­'' ''Only someone stronger than a Celestial can detect my potions¡­'' ''Just, who the heck is he?'', she continued to ask herself while sitting in the same position. "Hmm, then tell me, how do you use your potions?", Shin asked. Well, she was essentially telling her secrets to him, but she thought that there was nothing much to hide. "Alright¡­", she nodded her head and thought about telling it to him. "I have this spatial storage in which I can store the potions that I make." When she said that, a while colored magic circle appeared right above her. "I can drop potions from these¡­" "I can throw bottles of potions or I can throw potions directly¡­", was what she said. "I see¡­", Shin nodded his head. "I put the rage potion that affects only the white wolf species earlier in the surrounding and due to its smell, you were affected.", she confessed. Shin finally understood that due to inhaling those stuff, he was affected by it. ''So that''s how she used those potions¡­'', Shin was intrigued by them. ''Interesting¡­'', he grinned. That was because now he wanted her to join his group, that way he would get another strong hand. Not only was he thinking about the kingdom which he was going to make in the near future, he was also thinking about having morerades. The more the people, the higher the chances to find Ae ¨C that''s what he believed in because of which he wanted her to join as well. And after seeing her talents in the potion making, he didn''t want to let her go. But before that, the actual business was to be discussed ¨C the reason for which Shin hade here. However, before he could say that, she ended up asking, "May I know, why such a great beast hase to such a small ce?" Her attitude had taken a total turn after the small incident. It was almostughable, but oh well, she wasn''t to me. "Actually I¡­" Shin thought about the elder Mo, for whom he had to give the potion ¨C The Reverse Potion ¨C after getting it from the witch. "Actually, I want the reverse potion.", was what he said. "Re-reverse potion?", the witch seemed surprised when she heard about it. "Yes.", Shin nodded his head. "That-" Just as she was going to say something, a sudden ''flop'' sound was heard and she was covered with a white cloud all of a sudden which seemed no different than smoke. A secondter, her form changed yet again. "What the-" Shin was surprised yet again to see this happening. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 150 The Witchs Story - Part 1 "Are you kidding me right now?" Shin was genuinely surprised by her new form which was totally different from the previous one ¨C a better form to be said. She now turned into a new hybrid ¨C a mixture of a tiger and a wolf. ,m Yes, earlier there were many more mixtures and it was hard to call her something, but now it could be said that she looked more like a tiger with ck stripes all over her body while having a young wolf-like face. Her tail was like that of a tiger, having stripes of course. The body seemed to be simr to a white tiger too, maybe because of the stripes and nothing else. Her height increased too and she was now a bit smaller than Terran all of a sudden. "Just how many forms do you have anyway?" ¨C Shin asked. She changed all of a sudden so this was surprising indeed. "Uh, I''m not sure¡­", she replied with a burst of hesitantughter. "¡­" She actually meant that she wasn''t sure how many more forms she was going to take. Changing forms seemed way too unnatural, how could someone not have control on what they were going to be? Of course, it was somewhat eptable to Shin because he had the skill transformation with the help of which he could transform into whatever he wanted, as long as it was registered. But for Terran and Alira, it was something fascinating. "I tried to make a potion to transform myself back to the human form, but unfortunately I failed¡­" "Huh?", now her story seemed somewhat like that of Mo. He wanted to know what exactly had happened to her, so he asked, "Well, would it be fine if you tell us everything?" The real reason due to which Shin asked that was to know about the witch. Since he wanted her to join his team, then he had to know more about her. Also, he wanted to see if the reverse potion was really safe or not. And if it was really safe and effective, then why hadn''t the witch used it yet? Many questions, Shin had tons of things to ask and all of it could be answered after knowing everything about her. "Well, it happened long ago¡­", she started saying. [ 900 years ago ] A young girl was wandering in the forest in a wagon or a cart along with her father The forest was recently named the great forest Thuren ¨C around a hundred years ago. "Father, why are we going into the forest?", the young girl asked. The girl''s brown hair was beautiful as it matched her fair skin and purple jewel-like eyes. She was riding a horse driven carriage which was introduced just recently. "Father?" The many who was driving the carriage was her father who did not want to respond to her at the moment. He was sweating profusely as her father tried his best to keep the horses on the right track. All of a sudden, the carriage that was being driven forward by the horses, flipped towards one side after its wheel tricked a considerably big pebble. "Kya!" The girl shouted because of the sudden flip which led to her hitting the head. It took her a minute or two to stand up and get out of the carriage. She found that many things that were on the carriage were jumbled and were blocking her path to get out. She was just twelve, after all, so she couldn''t do much. But thankfully, because of her small size, she could easily get out of the fallen carriage by spotting the little spaces and moving through them. She sessfully got out of the carriage only to find arge beast right in front of her. "Th-", she lost her voice all of a sudden. A giant bear was in front of her. It was half the size of the trees nearby however it was still gigantic. Considering the fact that the girl was just twelve and was quite weak and tiny, seeing such a massive bear was something that she could have never imagined. ''Rooooaaarrrr'' The bear roared at the top of its voice and swung its gigantic hand. A direct attack and the girl would have been as good as dead. Fortunately, her father was fast enough to save her. "Potion Boost-S!" He said it loudly and was able to increase his speed by several times. He dashed and saved his daughter from the beast. Well, even after doing that, he didn''t stop and continued to run with all his might towards the inner parts of the forest. After a while, he paused for a brief second and said, "Kaily, here you go¡­" "Drink this." He handed her a small bottle of potion. It was a transparent bottle so the color of the potion was clearly visible ¨C colorless. Yes, it looked somewhat like water so its color was ''colorless'', to be precise, it didn''t have one. "Okay father¡­", she knew nothing about it and drank it just because her father gave it to him. The man, who had yellow blonde hair and a handsome face once upon a time, was now filled with wrinkles and bruises. He by no means was in a good shape, that was evident from all the bleeding that could be seen on his abdomen. It was as if he was stabbed by a sword, the bleeding didn''t stop and even with that, he kept running with all his might. He knew that with his blood, he would attract tons of beasts. That was precisely why he asked his daughter to drink thest potion which he had ¨C Stealth potion. She opened the wooden cork-like cap and drank it only a bit when another beast suddenly appeared. This time it was arge bee. Yes, arge yellowish-green bee appeared from the trees under which they were standing. Even before she got the chance to drink itpletely, her dad pulled her and started to run. The previous potion was still in effect perhaps. She was somehow able to close the bottle before everything spilled. "Fath-", she could hardly say anything because her dad kept running at the top speed and soon enough he stopped after the bee vanished from their sight. "Huff huff¡­" "No¡­" "This way¡­" "This way she will end up dying too¡­" "Damn those humans¡­" ¨C was what he said. The girl was young, but she was knowledgeable. Although she still failed to understand what had exactly happened, she understood the fact that her father hated humans after closely listening to his wordings. He had been bleeding a lot so he decided to take some rest. Of course, Kaily lent him the potion which she had seeded in saving. After drinking that, his presence got dimmed and thanks to that, no beast or monsters approached them with the intent to attack. He ended up sleeping there for a few hours and when he opened his eyes, Kaily was missing. "Kaily!?" ''Where is she?'' He panicked when he couldn''t find Kaily. It was like a nightmare, he turned his head here and there while trying his best to find Kaily, unfortunately, he couldn''t find her. ''What do I do¡­?'' ''Where might have she gone?'' ''I have to-'', and just when he was thinking about something, a few knights suddenly appeared behind him. "Ah, so here you are!", they said with a smirk on their faces. They were wearing silver armor which had monster repents attached to them. Yes, the armors weren''t that modern and were just some pieces of silver or heavy iron-like substance attached, it was still durable. The repents couldn''t keep big monsters out of their way, but they were pretty much good enough to prevent getting attacks by herds or flocks of smaller monsters. Precisely thanks to that, they were able to follow the blood marks that were left behind the man and arrived at the ce. They unsheathed their swords and then pointed towards the man and said, "Your kingdom is already destroyed." "Hand over the princess, we would put her abilities to good use!", the knights said with an arrogant voice. "As if I will ever do that!", he shouted and rushed towards them. Well, when he ran towards them, he knew that he was running towards his own death. The knights showed no mercy and chopped him off immediately, without wasting even a single second, they started to walk back from where they hade. The man''s hand and legs had been chopped brutally. Even though his head was attached to his body, the cuts on his body were so much that all his body had already flown out. "Be quiet¡­" "Just be quiet¡­" *sob sob* An elf was holding Kaily''s mouth tightly while standing behind a tree which was a few meters away from the ce where the man was chopped off. *gulp* "Wait until they leave¡­", the elf was gritting her teeth while murmuring this. *sob sob* *faints* "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 151 The Witchs Story - Part 2 *faints* Kaily fainted while crying. Fortunately, there was someone with her who prevented her from crying out loud. If she were to cry loudly, or if she had run towards her father, then the knights would have caught her and would have killed her right away. Since she fainted, the elf held her preventing her from getting hurt. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that because of her, Kaily was safe and alive at the moment. But why did the man run towards the knights? Running away would have been the best option at the moment. However, he did the opposite. The elf too doubted his intelligence. Whatever, she walked towards him with his daughter after the knights had left. The elf was a female, she seemed to be in her teens, of course, physically. In reality, who knew how old she was? When she arrived near the man, thinking that he was a corpse, he found out that he was still breathing and was barely hanging. "You!" "You are alive?" She could basically look at the ripped-off hands and legs that were lying just next to him. Yes, the knights left his head the way it was because they had already stabbed him multiple times. As soon as he stopped his breathing, all of them left ¨C there were only 8 knights, to begin with. So why did they just leave after killing him? Wouldn''t searching for the princess be the next thing that they would be doing? After all, that was their primary task, to begin with, so it made no sense. Of course, it made no sense until a whileter. The elf was shocked by seeing the man to be alive despite shedding tons of blood. Well, what was more surprising was the fact that his lips were still moving. It was as if he was trying to say something. The elf lowered her head because she wanted to hear him out while carrying Kaily on her back. "Can¡­" "You¡­" "Please protect her please...?", was what he asked in a shaky voice. It was more like hisst wish and a request which he made genuinely. She nodded her head and said, "Yes¡­" The reason for which she said that was simple, she was kind. Yes, she was way too kind to reject such a wish. There was no other reason at all. The man, who was on his death bed while being covered in blood, said, "Thank you¡­" The smile that he put on his face at the moment was something that touched her heart and made her emotional. Of course, she smiled too since she wanted to bid him farewell with a smile. Well, she had no idea who he was and despite that she promised him something like that, she couldn''t possibly back off after that. And just when she had thought about that, a lot of blood sshed from her back. "Huh?" She was turned back while her face was filled with confusion when all of a sudden she found her back to be wet. And right in front of her, there were many more knights standing with swords pointed at her. "Hand over that girl to us!", said the one who stabbed Kaily. The wetness that the elf felt was because of Kaily''s blood. She was stabbed by the person who was trying to attack the elf. To them, she was just expendable, and after doing such a thing, they tried to cover it up while treating it as if it never happened. "You bastards!", she snapped when she found the amount of blood that was actually dripping down of her leaf-like clothes. Just a moment ago she promised the man that she would protect his daughter and just a secondter she failed to prevent her from getting stabbed. Since she was unconscious, she didn''t feel the pain from the stabbing, but the wound was no joke. Especially for a skinny girl like Kaily, the wound could be considered to be a fatal one if it wasn''t treated within 10 minutes! The elf red at all the knights that were in front of her. Initially, there were only eight, but now, there were more than 60 of them! Just where the heck were they hiding? ¨C this was something that the elf was asking herself. Of course, after seeing the leaves and some branches stuck on their armor, she realized that they were indeed hiding on the trees or were using the stealth potion which they might have gotten from the Kaily''s kingdom. "Damn, you bastards, you are going to pay for what you have done.", was what the elf said. "And who is gonna make us pay?", asked the knight who was standing ahead of everyone, he was the one who stabbed Kaily a few seconds ago. "You?", he smirked. "Guys, doesn''t she look young?" "What do you say?" "Should we have some fun with her?", he asked his fellow knights. Of course, being a knight means upholding the honor and protecting the weak, but for these pigs, those were words only for saying. They had no humanity in them despite being humans. *grit* "Earth Spell ¨C Earth Wall!", she extended her right arm forward and used a spell causing the erection of arge wall from the ground. Right after doing that she ran away from the ce with all her might. ''No wonder what happens, I must protect her¡­'' She feared that the knights would still follow her while using the stealth potions that was why she didn''t stop despite seeing that no one was following her. She wasn''t and didn''t stop until all her stamina ran out. Of course, she hid behind a tree to see if anyone wasing but no one came. She was thankful and continued treating Kaily, on whom she had been using a Healing spell since the moment she turned back and felt the blood. Precisely because of that, she was alive even after 30 minutes despite looking at a lot of blood initially. But why did the knights fail to follow them? Did just a simple wall stop them from capturing a simple elf and a princess? Well, the answer is no. While the wall slowed their speed, it failed to stop thempletely. So, why didn''t they follow the elf? The answer was simple, it was because of what Kaily''s father had done ¨C Monster Attracting Potion. He had put a magic spell on himself earlier that if he were to die, then all the monster attracting potion would fall on the knights and yes, that''s what precisely happened. What else would you expect from the king of the third most powerful nation in the world? ¨C of that time. Despite using the stealth potion, the monster attracting potion, which was in gaseous form, engulfed them and caused a flock of monsters ¨C hyenas ¨C to rush towards them which not only distracted them but also ended up killing them. Only one, yes, only one of them survived the crowd who started walking towards the exit of the forest before reaching which he was eaten up by the forest for harming her child ¨C an elf. *huff huff* *panting* The elf''s energy had almost ended up getting drained while trying to heal Kaily. ''The wound was indeed deep¡­'', she kept on thinking about the pain that she would have felt when she was stabbed. But more than that, the pain of losing her father would have been great. She understood that and kept quiet now. The healing was over and the wound had been healed, however, Kaily wasn''t conscious yet. Thankfully, the elf had arrived at the ce which was part of the Arb Elves'' territory. She too did faint, but she knew that she and Kaily would be fine if the Arb Elves, one of the kindest races found them. ( 2 dayster ) *blink blink* "Ah, you are awake?" When the elf opened her eyes, she heard a voice that was addressed to her. She almost immediately pulled her body up and turned her gaze towards the voice. A young elf was sitting right next to her and was staring at her. "Good morning!", she said with a smile. "Eh?", the elf was shocked momentarily after seeing her. The Arb elf who was in front of the normal elf decided to tell everything properly about what had happened after they had fainted and she listened to her. Finally, she realized that the Arb elves saved them ¨C it went just as she had nned anyway so an exnation wasn''t required to begin with. "Then where is she?", the elf asked. "Ah, you mean the young witch?", the arb elf asked. "Witch?", the elf was shocked to hear that. All this time she thought that she was a human child but it was only now that she realized that she was no human despite having a human-like appearance. "So, she is a witch?", she asked. "Yes.", the arb elf nodded her head and answered as if it was nothing. ''No wonder healing her was difficult¡­'' Actually, the healing magic, in fact, much other magic works easily on humans ¨C one reason might be because they are the weakest race with high intelligence. In any case, elven healing magic would work easily on them since it''s high tier magic so the elf was surprised because it took away too much of her energy when she tried to heal the young Kaily. The reason was now evident ¨C it was because she was a witch. Yes, witches and wizards had a separate kingdom of their own and their bodies were different too whenpared to humans or other races. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 152 The Witchs Story - Part 3 Their bodies didn''t have that great of direct mana affinity. This meant that they required special arts to perform even the simplest of the spells. Yes, the same applied for healing or other buffs given by other races to them. That is the sole reason why they make potions and other things to supplement their lives and other things ¨C and this was one of the reasons that made them one of the strongest empires out there. Unfortunately, that was no longer true. Their empire now ceased to exist or to be precise, their empire was destroyed by the humans who crowned some other wizard as the king who would be nothing more than a pawn for them. Kaily and the man earlier were of that empire. In fact, she was the eldest princess of the empire and the man was the king ¨C Varie Rin Von. And Kaily''s full and real name was Kalierin Von. "You have been asleep for two days¡­", the arb elf said to the elf who had bandages made out of leaves around her wrist, the normal elf. "What?" "Two days?!", she was a bit surprised but it was understandable. She had expended almost all of her energy so rest for two days was fine, in fact, it was actually early for her. Sometimes elves take tons of days to just rest which is nothing for them since their life spans are longer than normal races or beasts. So yes, it wasn''t that surprising. "What about the girl?", the elf asked. "Ah, she is outside¡­" "I think she is fine physically, but mentally she is a bit unstable.", the arb elf concluded. She somewhat seemed like a doctor and was probably a doctor indeed. "I see¡­", the elf lowered her head. The arb elf asked about what had happened and she exined everything properly ¨C about the humans and everything. The arb elf concluded that it was a good thing that she brought towards them, of course, it was a wise decision. Everything seemed fine at the moment, but the girl was still not well. She had to recoverpletely, after all, mentally that is. That was why other elves were trying to keep her engaged. All of them seemed somewhat the same ¨C they were of the same height and seemed quite alike. ''The Arb elves are quite young¡­'' ¨C this is what the normal elf concluded. Yes, even elves didn''t know about their huge secret of aging which was closely rted to mana. She walked out and met Kaily and started to interact with her by telling her everything about what had happened. The elf didn''t hide anything and said everything clearly since she deserved to know. Of course, she didn''t say what she didn''t know about ¨C the potions of attracting monsters. She covered everything and finally said that she was going to look after her and so it happened. They went away to the edge of the side of the forest where there wereparatively fewer monsters. It was the east side of the forest, to be precise ¨C southeast. The monsters there were a bit fewer since it was the edge. That was amon thing, but other than that, the humans and other beings didn''t interfere. They didn''t have the liberty to do that and couldn''t do that. There was no kingdom nearby and the witch and the elf decided to settle down there. Of course, their first mission was to find the witches that had gone into hiding. Kaily didn''t want to return to her kingdom since she slowly understood what had happened ¨C how her own uncle destroyed his father''s rule and everything else. That was the moment she started to hate humans and her hate only grew when the elf, who had decided to live her life for the witch ended up dying at the hands of the humans. Yes, although kingdoms hadn''t been built near those southeast areas, the humans did explore the ce. Since there were no exact rules and policies back then, the humans would kill any and everything on their way. In search ofnd to build a kingdom, the humans murdered the elf who was taking care of the witch. Kaily was just 18 years when this had happened. She was practicing witchcraft that her father had left behind in a ring that she wore. "I will bring some fruits¡­" "We will celebrate your 18th birthday with joy!" ¨C was what the elf had said before leaving. Unfortunately, she never returned. With that, she found out via a crystal ball that the elf was killed when she never returned after going to get some fruits. *drip drip* Tears ran down her eyes thinking about what had happened. ''Those were herst words?'' Witches were different from humans because they practiced witchcraft, their lifespan was usually increased. Yes, they could easily live over 100 or 150 years while humans would only live 90-100 years. She was sad and in pain. "Revenge¡­" "I want revenge against humans!" "I want revenge for my parents, for my family, and for¡­" "Her¡­", she mentioned the elf, thinking about whom, her heart would burst. That was when she decided to create such witchcraft that nobody had ever seen. And the very first one that she created was ¨C the witchcraft of barrier. With this, no one could find her. As time passed by, the empire of the witches and wizards stood firmly, though it kept getting weaker. Kaily never thought about going back and taking revenge, instead, she wanted to just destroy the humans. Of course, while preparing special destructive potions, she realized that too much time had passed. Yes, after finishing all those potions, she found no meaning in getting revenge now when no one even remembered about her. She was matured enough to think about everything carefully. She spent her entire life without actually doing anything other than making potions. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that she was the best potion maker in the world. Of course, while she was preparing many potions, she created a potion to lose her human-like form since she had started to hate the humans. The hate was so terrible that she really made and drank such a potion after which her form changed to be a hybrid of many creatures. It was onlyter that she regretted these things but now nothing could be done. She did create the reverse potion, however, that potion wasn''t powerful enough to contradict the effects of the potion that she drank earlier to lose her human form. "¡­" And that form of potion was specially made to counter curses. Whatever she never threw it away and kept it safely in her spatial storage. Yes, every since then she kept on aging and got tremendously powerful, but at the same time, she retained the child-like heart. Due to the change in the body that would ur every 3 hours, she remained young physically till now. She was not a bad person despite thinking about acts of revenge. But yes, she surely wasn''t straight at the same time. She always looked for things to do an experiment. Whatever now she was in front of Shin and was acting like a coward only to see if he was any different from other races. That was the sole reason she had used the rage potion to see if he could keep his cool. But the fact that he was able to detect her potions was indeed quite impressive. She had used it in front of beasts that were of a much higher order ¨C a dragon or simr ones. Even they couldn''t detect it. So she was a bit flustered by what had happened. "So your name is Kaily?", Shin asked. "Y-yes." "You can call me that.", she nodded her head. She was no bigger than Shin, however, from inside she could still feel that she was far from reaching Shin''s level. She might have mastered making potions, but there were tons of things that she hadn''t mastered yet. Her knowledge had been stuck as the same old things despite the era had been passing. "¡­" Shin heard everything that she said clearly. In fact, for him, it was like hearing some past or a story that made him go through many different types of feelings. ''Indeed¡­'' ''Humans are hated aren''t they¡­'' ''And I am trying to be like them.'' ¨C what he meant by this was that he was trying to attain the human form. Was that really beneficial? Wouldn''t it just backfire? He started thinking about many things too. Things rting to losing family and revenge, those things upied his mind. "So you don''t want revenge anymore?" ¨C Shin asked. "Eh?" She was startled by the sudden question. "N-", she was about to answer right before which Shin intervened. "Think carefully¡­" "Do you want to have revenge or not.", Shin red at her when he asked the second time. All of a sudden chills ran down her spine and she was reminded of the times when she lost her father and her dear close elf who raised her. Her blood basically started to boil because of that. ''I want to kill them if you ask honestly¡­'' ''But I''m a nine hundred years old hag¡­'' ''Will I really be able to do that?'', she questioned herself. ''Ya, I just choose no-'', and she was about to tell that out loud when she gazed at Shin''s eyes that were glowing with the same green light as earlier. *gulp* ''Those eyes¡­'' ''They are attracting me¡­'', she said to herself. "Y-" "Yes¡­" "I want revenge for all my loved ones¡­", she said in a low but audible voice. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 153 Formation Of Familia: Naming [1] "But¡­" "How am I going to do that?" "¡­" Shin grinned after hearing that. "Why don''t you join me?", he directly asked her that. "Eh?" Now that came out of nowhere. Of course, he wanted her to join him but asking her that all of a sudden while trying to show that they had the same cause seemed a bit too weird. "Join you?", the witch asked. "Yes." "¡­" "You mean to say that the humans are your enemies?", she asked. Shin didn''t reply immediately because he wanted to think about this carefully. He was a human and obviously he wouldn''t look at them as enemies as long as he remains a human from the heart. But yes, he had hated humans since the start. He could even recall the moment when he was chased by the humans as soon as he was born. However, he still didn''t consider them as his enemies. He looked at the witch and said, "I am a predator." That''s all he said to win her favor. ''I am a predator?'' ''Does that mean¡­'', the witch had tons of questions in her mind. But after hearing him say that, she understood what he actually meant. It was as if he was saying ¨C ''Any who oppose me shall be my prey.'' This gave her chills and while looking at his glowing green eyes, she trembled a bit because the eyes had no emotions. "The humans have already troubled some of my friends¡­" "Do you think I will let them do as they please after disturbing us?", he added. *gulp* But the witch was old and wise, so she wouldn''t just join due to such half-assed reasoning. "No¡­" "I want you to tell me clearly¡­" "What do you intend to do?" "What is your aim? What is your goal?", she asked. Alira and Terran weren''t speaking anything and were just listening to their conversation keenly because they too wanted to know about it. Of course, Terran somewhat knew about what Shin wanted, but at the moment he wanted to know more and the very exact reason for choosing that path after all, other than things rted to Ae, Shin had revealed nothing to Terran. "Well¡­" "When I came to this world¡­" "I promised myself to be the number 1 predator." "I don''t care if it is a human, elf, or anyone else¡­" "If they cause trouble or hurt my family members¡­" "I''ll just brand them as my prey." ¨C he replied. When they heard this, a sense of fear engulfed them. It was a scary side that the witch saw and that was the same with Terran and Alira. *gulp* ''Doesn''t that just mean that he is a double-edged sword?'' ''Won''t he kill me too?'' Yes, the witch started to think that, and Terran got a simr thought, but then again, he knew how much Shin cared for his own family members or friends. "I just want a ce that I can call home." "I want to build a kingdom where every monster can live in peace.", was what Shin said after generating fear. "¡­" Silence lingered in the air after he said that. All of them were now thinking about what Shin said. While the witch got the thought that it was wise not to join Shin, Alira looked towards the witch and said, "Master is a good person¡­" "He isn''t someone bad¡­" "He told me that he was my friend." The witch did feel Shin''s sincerity in protecting his family and friends. "Sigh, fine then¡­" "I will join you." She said that right after Alira tried to side Shin. "Yes!" "We have another member!", was what Shin said with a loud voice. Terran and Alira, both smiled since their team grew a bit more. "But I can''t leave right now¡­", was what the witch said. "Oh ya, you were waiting for someone right?", Shin asked. "Yes¡­", the witch''s eyes sparkled when she said that. "¡­" "You don''t have to wait here¡­" "You can actuallye with us, aunt.", was what Terran said. "Eh?", when she heard this, her ears tingled all of a sudden. "Wha-" She directed her gaze towards Terran when he said that. "Aunt?" "You just called me¡­" "Aunt?", she was really surprised by this. "Haha, yes aunt¡­" "Forgive me for not recognizing you¡­", was what Terran said. "You are-", she still didn''t know who it was until he revealed it himself. "Don''t you remember your own brat?", Terran smiled while saying that. "Eh?" "Brat¡­?" "Is that really you?", she was surprised when she asked that. "Wah-", some new rtionship was built all of a sudden which seemed fascinating to Shin. "Yes, it''s me¡­", Terran said with a smile. The witch ran towards him in the same half wolf and half tiger form and jumped at Terran. "I missed you!" "Where had you been?", and like this, the talk started. Terran revealed everything that had happened and the witch, being no fool, understood everything one by one. Another hour passed like this in just chatter and backstory. "Thank you so much master for helping him¡­", she said with teary eyes. The witch had started to trust Shin now, at least she trusted more than before after hearing Terran say everything. "I don''t know about revenge¡­" "But now I really wish to follow you.", was what she said with a smile. Although Shin might not know to make others respect him genuinely, his own help and kindness found the way to make others respect him. "Good to hear that¡­" "Wee to the family, Kaily.", Shin said with a brightened face. "Haha, thanks¡­" "Uh¡­" "Thanks, master.", she was thinking about what to call when she realized that Alira and Terran had been calling him master. Kaily wasn''t her real name, it was just a nickname that she had received and many had been calling that. When Shin called that with the intention that she joined the family, it became a given name and the previous name vanished. ''Ding'' [ You have named a new beast ] [ You have a new vessel ] The Fourth Vessel Of Shin -> The fourth vessel of Ruler of the Swamps, Shin. -> Provides 5% boost in all stats. -> Gives a 30% boost in swampy areas. -> Can use the skill ''Heal'' when the HP drops to 8% to heal itself. So Shin gained another vessel so quickly. To make gain a vessel, does Shin only require to name? Wouldn''t that actually make him gain tons of vessels? Actually no, naming wasn''t the only thing that was required to make a vessel. There was another important thing that was required which would be revealed soon to Shin when he would be put in a dilemma. Whatever, after getting the notification, Shin showed almost no sign or any other expression because he had already seen those tons of times. Of course, he was surprised by the fact that he named her. "Ya¡­", Shin just nodded his head. And as he epted her entry to his family, a crest or a symbol got generated all of a sudden near Kaily''s shoulder. "Eh?" She was surprised by that because she never expected something like that to appear. She felt the change in name too at the same time when the crest appeared. Of course, Terran too didn''t expect a faint light that was being emitted from the wolf symbol that was on his forehead. The cub, Alira, also had a simr symbol on the eye that was shed ¨C yes, on the right eye, the symbol had appeared. All three of them started to glow with green light and soon the light subsided. Neither Shin, nor anyone else had any idea about what had happened, but yes, one thing was sure, they felt a weird form of energy inside them and a strong connection with Shin. ''Ding'' [ You have found four members ] [ Including yourself, you are 5 in number ] [ You have met the requirement to form a Familia ] ''Ding'' [ Decide a name for your Familia - ] "A familia?", Shin was surprised to see the new topic. Of course, he had not once thought about naming his kingdom or family. The system questioned him at the right time before he could go on while making other mistakes. "What should I name my familia?", he turned towards Terran and asked that. The question was meant for others to answer too. The name of the family was something that one should be proud of. It would be a name that would spread throughout the world so they couldn''t possibly have a half-ass name. Also, Shin thought that it was inappropriate to decide on his own. "How about ''Predators''?", Terran suggested. Shin looked at him with an awkward expression. ''From master''s expression, I can clearly guess what he wants to say ¨C "Are you really suggesting me that?" ¨C I better think something else.'', Terran bowed his head as if he was apologizing and started to think about some other name. Shin was thinking hard on this too. He didn''t want to change the nameter and wanted to choose a name that would be rted to him. ''Shishir¡­'' ''That word has ''Shi'' from my name¡­'' ''Also, that word actually means ¨C Frost or Winter!'' Shin actually loved cold things as mentioned earlier so for him, this name seemed to be perfect. "Why don''t we name it as¡­" "Shishir?", he asked. Kaily and Terran looked at him while mumbling ¨C "Shishir?" Well, that name wasn''t dominating at all and it didn''t terrify anyone with its sound. Rather, it was funny when pronounced, at least for them. "Master¡­" "That''s a bit¡­" Both Terran and Kaily were looking at Shin with weird eye expressions. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 154 Formation Of Familia: Naming [2] "I guess I went too deep with the meaning that I forgot to see the sounding of the name¡­", Shin admitted that it was his fault. "Sigh, I need to think about a name that has great meaning and sounds dope¡­", was what he said in a low voice as if he was telling himself. Though, Terran and Kaily heard him clearly. A Familia name that would have deep meaning and a great sound would really have a huge impact. But what exactly should the name be? It was not that easy as it seemed to be. ''Dang it¡­'' ''What should I keep the name?'' He was a busy person ¨C in the sense, he was someone who had no time at the moment. He had many things that had to be done so he couldn''t afford to lose time like this. But oh well, finishing one thing would save his timeter that he could lose due to confusion. That was why he agreed to think about it at the moment instead of saving this forter ¨C that was a good thing to do. But his mind was filled with manyplicated things which were making him frustrated. "Damn¡­" "If only I could name it Shin!", was what he said. He thought that giving the Familia his own name would have been a good idea but he just couldn''t do that because everyone would get either confused when they would recite the familia and his name, or there would be criticism and mocking which he didn''t want to happen. After all, there should be two distinct names for the Legendary Familia and its Legendary Leader, that would definitely make much more sense. But Shin really wanted to pick a name that would have either his own pronunciation or his own name in it. And just when he was thinking about it, Kaily suddenly said, "That''s a good name master!" "Huh?" Shin was surprised to see her say that. Terran was surprised too, he didn''t rmend that because it was his master''s name but Kaily had no idea about it. Although she called him master, she didn''t know his real name and probably that was why she said that it was a good name. "Actually that is master''s name¡­", was what Alira said with innocence. She had no idea about what was going on but she knew that they were picking some name. That was why, when Kaily said that it was the right one or a good one, Alira replied immediately. "Ah, so your name is Sin, master?", Kaily asked. "Ye-", Shin was trying to nod his head but it went only halfway and stopped. That was because she just called him out by his name. "No, you shouldn''t call me by my name!", was what Shin said which was the obvious thing! A witch should definitely know that. "Ah, my bad." "I apologize, I said it in the spur of the moment¡­", that was understandable. Calling out his name by mistake was understandable however due to a simr mistake, Terran had to suffer from arge shock due to the lightning falling on him. ''Now I will finally be able to see someone get hit by the lightning¡­'', Terran made that weird sinister expression. It was probably because he really wanted to see someone else make a simr mistake and experience the shock. He didn''t care if it was someone whom he called ''Aunt''. He had desired the same thing to happen with Alira, but that failed and he ended up getting shocked. But not anymore, now he could finally see that happening¡­ or maybe not! There was no sign of changing in the weather. Everything was just normal as it was earlier. "Huh?" "What is happening?", Terran was puzzled by this and he kept on looking at the skies to spot ck thundering clouds. "What¡­?", Kaily looked towards the sky but there was nothing wrong. "No, I don''t see any changes¡­", was what she said. "And that is what surprising me!" "How can you call master''s name and be fine?" "You need to get a shock!", Terran concluded. "Eh?", Kaily wanted to check if what she heard was right. "Huh?", Shin was also surprised by what he said. Although calling his name would actually give a shock, it was not as if he wanted that to happen. "Yes, this is not fair¡­" "Shin!", he called out his master''s name loudly to check if he was fine now. The result¡­ of course, he wasn''t fine. He was struck by lightning again and ck smoke started to rise from his body yet again. "Why am I the only one who gets struck by lightning every time?", Terran questioned with puppy eyes. Shin found this quite funny and said, "Haha, might as well consider yourself unlucky." He said this as a joke, but Terran thought that it was indeed unfair. But Shin was indeed intrigued. ''Is there another Celestial nearby that is protecting her?'', he asked to the system in his mind. This was because Terran indeed got shocked while the witch was safe. This had happened only once earlier, a few hours earlier in fact ¨C with Alira. ''Ding'' [ Would you like to initiate a search of the surrounding? ] ''Yes.'' [ Command epted ] [ Searching¡­ ] And then, the system started searching. Shin thought that it would be wise to not show that he was flustered because of this. So he thought about just casually interacting with Kaily and Alira when all of a sudden, the system showed another notification afterpleting the search immediately. ''Ding'' [ Searchpleted ] [ No eyes found to be watching ] [ No celestial detected within the host''s vicinity ] "Phew¡­" Shin was relieved with the results. He thought that there was indeed a celestial nearby because of which his breathing was bing a little heavy, but due to the early result, he concluded that there was nothing to be worried about. Even now, he relied on his system which was not necessarily a bad thing, but it would be for his best to start using his own senses of wolf and other things more than using the system ¨C well, depends on his convenience. Whatever, it was still a mystery to him ¨C ''Just how is she fine then?'' ''Is it some potion that protects one even after they call the name of a superior being or their masters?'', Shin asked himself. But no, the answer was totally different. "Listen Kaily, you can''t call my name directly." "Either you should add master, or your highness or something simr¡­" "Oh, alright¡­" "Master Sin!", she said with a smile. She was an olddy, but still had the heard of a child. Who doesn''t have such a thing? It''s just that one needs to discover them. But then, Shin spotted a difference in what she said. "Wait¡­" "What did you call me?", he asked. "Master Sin¡­", was what she said. "Huh? Sin?" "I am Shin, not Sin!", the pronunciation seemed very simr but it was different. Because Terran and Alira were either distracted or didn''t understood the situation, they failed to spot the difference. But Shin was attentive enough to find that out. "Wait, she had been saying Sin instead of Sh-" "I mean instead of saying master Shin, she had been saying Sin?", Terran asked. "Ah¡­" "My bad.", she apologized immediately. It was not her mistake though, the name did sound quite simr. "Wait, so you were telling that ''Sin'' would be a great name for our familia?" Shin was confused because the word Sin meant doing bad things or basically umting bad karma. So wouldn''t this just make them look bad and nothing else? "Yes master, I wanted our familia to be named Sin¡­", she smiled. ''Sin¡­'' ''Sin¡­'' Shin was going to deny it just when he saw Terran''s reaction. "Sin!?" "The Sin Familia?" "This name gives me chills¡­", was what Terran said. "¡­" Shin was speechless. The reason for that was simple, the meaning of the word ''Sin'' was different for them than what he understood. ''Hey system, am I the only one understanding its meaning wrong?'' ''Ding'' [ Affirmative ] The system gave his honest view. ''Wait, then does that mean the meaning of that word is different in this world?'', Shin asked. ''Ding'' [ The said word ''Sin'' may have many meanings ] [ The host took the wrong meaning from all those meanings ] "Uh¡­" He understood that the world had words with many meanings. It was obvious since there were manynguages and many races. Anyone normal would first think about the meaning which he had thought about. It was totally normal and not that dumb. But he really wanted to know the meaning that they were thinking of. "Wha-", and just before he could ask, the system ended up telling him. ''Ding'' [ Sin ¨C King/ Queen Of The World ] [ A word that was derived from the Australian Origin ] When it said that, Shin was sure that the meaning actually was from his previous world. ''So that meaning applies here as well and they are thinking about that?'', he asked. ''Ding'' [ Affirmative ] "Sigh, you guys¡­" "So you really like that name?", he asked with a grin on his face. ''A familia that will rule the whole world¡­'' ''That isn''t a bad name, eh?'', he grinned because the name sounded so much like him, and at the same time it had deep meaning. "Alright then, from today¡­" "The name of our Familia will be Sin!", he said with great enthusiasm. And that''s how the name of their Familia was decided. ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] [ The name of your Familia has been set ¨C Sin ] "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 155 The Third Clue ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] [ The name of your Familia has been set ¨C Sin ] [ The start of your new saga has been confirmed with the creation of a Familia ] "¡­" "This is-", Shin was surprised to see that creating a familiar was a big thing for the system since it was showing specific notifications. ''Ding'' [ You will be given necessary boosts due to the naming of the Familia ] [ -> All your physical stats will be raised by 3 ] [ -> The levels of your passive skills will increase by 1 ] [ -> The trust between you and your familia members will be doubled ] [ -> Your Crest will have the name ''Sin'' engraved in it ] [ -> Being the head of the Familia, you will gain an additional boost of +3 status boost and +10 in HP and MP ] ''Wha-'' Shin was surprised by the bonus stats that he got from forming a familia. It was thanks to the name of the familia too. Whatever, Shin thought that this was the end of it, but no. There was still toe. Although that would happen slowly, it would still take ce, so yes, he would continue to get stronger as time passes. "Okay Kaily, I think we should really go and give Mo the Reverse Potion.", Shin advised after the messages from the system settled down. "Yes¡­", Kaily nodded her head. Shin had exined to her the reason for the reverse potion and it seemed as if there was no problem with that. The thing was that the potion worked only on those who were infected by curses. "So you are ready to leave now?", Shin asked. "Yes.", Kaily nodded her head. Well, not that she would require to take anything. She had everything that she needed in her spatial storage which was a very rare ability. Shin too had something simr ¨C Inventory ¨C which he received not too long ago. It was a special ability too since he could store more things whenpared to average spatial storage. In any case, they started moving soon without wasting any time. ''Now I have a familia¡­'' ''My next aim would be creating a n and participating in the n wars¡­'', was what Shin said to himself. ''But before that, I have to find Ae!'' ¨C he was back to the main and bigger reason. They walked for some time and quite a lot of time passed. The witch''s appearance kept changing, again and again, in every 3 hours which surprised Shin and others from time to time. While the change in appearance was quite shocking, one thing was quitemon ¨C some part of a wolf would be retained in all transformations. This was something that caught Shin''s attention so he was forced to ask, "Kaily, why does one part of your body always resemble that of a wolf?" "Ah, this is because of a potion which I drank not too long ago.", was what she said. "What?", Shin was intrigued by what she said. "Yes master, there was this potion that I created which could help me transform into whatever beast I desired to be." "However the fun fact was that, I had to look at the beast." She smiled when she said that. "I see¡­" "So you had to look at a beast right after drinking the potion and you ended up looking at a wolf?", Shin asked whileughing. "Yes, I spotted a white wolf right after I opened my eyes and ended up transforming into one¡­" "However the potion was a littlecking and I was actually transforming into many beasts while having only one part of the wolf.", she said with a little hesitation. When she said that, Shin suddenly had a weird doubt. ''She spotted a white wolf?'', he asked himself. ''Was that Ae?'', he questioned. While thinking about it, he realized that it couldn''t have been true, but spotting a single white wolf wouldn''t actually make sense. "Wait, did you actually see a white wolf alone?", Shin asked. "Yes master, I did." "That was what surprised me, master." "Since white wolves are the weakest of all wolves, they are most likely to be in packs just like others." "Seeing one roaming alone was totally out of the blue!" ¨C she eximed. *gulp* ''Chill Shin¡­'' ''It is not Ae.'' ''Stop dreaming that it was her¡­'', Shin tried to prevent himself from thinking that, but the same thought came over and over. Shin continued to walk and others did the same. They had no other reason to stop here. Of course, the doubt was clear now and Shin didn''t think that Kaily was lying. However, the only question that he kept asking himself was about ¨C Ae. ''Was that really Ae?'' The answer to this question was given to him by the system, but only after Kaily said another thing. "Oh yes master, I forgot to mention something¡­" "And what''s that?", Shin asked. "That wolf was a bit peculiar master¡­" "It was somewhat different from other wolves that I had seen in my life.", she said. "Different?" "How so?", Shin''s heart rate had increased as he continuously listened to her exnation and answers. "She had this wolf-like mark on her forehead¡­" "It was just like ours¡­", was what she said. "¡­" *gulp* ''No way¡­'' ''Could it be¡­'' Shin''s eyes started to shake when he heard that and his confusion went away when the system showed a notification for which he had been waiting for a long time. ''Ding'' [ You have found the third clue ¨C The crest on a lone white wolf ] [ Mission ¨C Finding Ae ] [ -> Search for the clues left by Ae (3/3) ] [pleted ] [ -> Visit the goblins after collecting the Clues ] [ -> Find Ae ] One of the three tasks of the mission waspleted. This definitely certified that it was Ae whom Kaily had seen earlier. Although Shin was doubting himself earlier, now he waspletely sure about it. ''Wait a second, doesn''t this mean I have to go the other way to find her?'', Shin asked himself. Right now he was heading towards Mo, however, he no longer had anything to ask him since the third clue had already been found. Yes, if he had asked earlier, then his saying might have helped him. But now there was no use. "¡­" However, he didn''t do that. He didn''t want to leave Mo hanging without being healed. ''Damn, I need to go and search¡­'' He looked at Kaily by turning back since he was leading the back and she was behind and asked, "When did you encounter that wolf?" Kaily tried to recall and with ambiguity said, "Around two or three days ago¡­" ''Two to three days ago?'' "¡­" ''I was at the Lian ins at that time¡­'', Shin realized. ''Those humans, if they hadn''t told me the wrong location, I would have already found her.'', he wasn''t wrong at all. If he had tried moving along the same route to find her, then it wouldn''t have taken him long. However, instead of having one choice of direction ¨C the south ¨C he would have two, the North too. In a way, it was good. But those humans that lied to Shin would definitely be dead if they were to encounter him the next time. Now Shin wanted to run as fast as he could to reach Mo and give him the reverse potion, however, he couldn''t do that because others would be left behind. That was not the only reason ¨C his ''Dash'' skill had been stolen so he had to get it back. That was why, when he was walking and was getting closer to the ce where Mo was, he asked, "Alira, you stole my skills earlier right¡­" "So can you give them back?", he knew that it wasn''t possible since the system didn''t mention anything like that. But she was the one with the skill for a long time so she might have some experience. "No master, once a skill is stolen, it can''t be given back¡­" "At least not now¡­" "Not now?", so there was a time where it could be returned. "I don''t know exactly but if the stealing skill were to reach a higher level, then I think one could return the stolen skill.", was what Alira said. "I see¡­" But then, unfortunately, Alira no longer possessed the skill. Also, it was taking an awfully long time for the skills to merge so Shin couldn''t use it to regain the dash skill or any other skills. ''Wait, I can use the skill Copy right?'', Shin concluded after thinking. He then turned towards his right since Alira was walking close to him on his right side. "Then can you use the skill Dash for me?", he asked. "Yes master!", she smiled. It was as if she knew about that skill since she didn''t hesitate to agree. It was as if she was anticipating that Shin would ask her to do that. And as per his orders, she used the skill. Her skill increased tremendously just like earlier and in a moment, she had covered ten meters. Of course, Shin didn''t fall behind while using the skill Copy. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Copy ] [ You have copied the skill ''Dash'' ] [ You have gained the active skill Dash Lv.1 ] ''Ding'' [ The system detects the existence of the skill root of the skill Dash, would you like to regain the level of the skill Dash? ] ''Huh?'' ''Skill root?'' ''And I can regain the skill and its level?'' Now the system was being quite helpful and proved that Shin''s hard work hadn''t gone to waste ¨C at least if the system could help him to regain the level of the skill. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 156 Skill Root, Familia And Something To Speak About ''Ding'' [ Skill Root ¨C The root of a skill that holds its experience ] ''Wait a second¡­'' ''It holds the skill''s experience?'' Now Shin understood how the system was capable of letting the skill regain its level. The reason was quite simple ¨C all skills level up if they get some minimum required experience. It is otherwise called Exp. Points or just Exp. If those are actually stored in the Skill Roots, then no matter how many times the skill vanishes, as long as the root remains, the skill could regain its level after the skill is regained! ''Ding'' [ The system detects the existence of the skill root of the skill Dash, would you like to regain the level of the skill Dash? ] ''Yes! I would like to regain the levels of the skill Dash.'', Shin was quite happy to see this happening. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that he was quite lucky, yes, for the past few days, he had been lucky. He was able to prevent Mo from attacking him, he was able to figure out the secret of the Arb Elves easily, he was able to meet the witch easily, he was able to gain more vessels and make a familia easily and he was definitely able to gain all the clues regarding Ae easily! Yes, even when he thought that he lost his skills, he was able to regain them and could even regain their original levels ¨C if this wasn''t luck, then what was it? [ Command epted ] [ The levels of the skill Dash will be regained and would be reattached to the previously existing root ] [ Regaining levels¡­ ] [ Dash ] [ Lv.1 -> Lv.2 ] [ Lv.2 -> Lv.3 ] [ Lv.3 -> Lv. 4] [ Lv.4¡­ ] [¡­] [ Lv.8 -> Lv.9 ] ''Ding'' [ You have regained the skill Dash ] [ It will be reattached to the previous root ] [ Reattaching¡­ ] [¡­] After a minute, the notification popped up indicating that the skill had been re-attached. ''Ding'' [ The skill Dash has been sessfully reattached ] Shin grinned when he saw this happening and decided to do that with all other skills which wouldn''t take much of his time. "Alira, use all the skills one by one that your stole from me.", he said when Alira returned. "Yes master¡­" And one by one when she used the skills, Shin started copying them. They too got re-attached to their roots and regained their levels. Winter Breeze didn''t require any regaining of levels since it was level 1 when it was stolen so just copying it was enough. Now Shin knew that if his skills were to be stolen, then he could easily get them back without having much trouble. He decided to take a look at his profile to see if he regained the skills having proper levels. He took the chance to look at the boosts that he received from creating and naming the familia Also, when he took a look, there was some additional info. [ Profile ] Name: Shin Sex: Male Age: 1 year Weight: 9.1 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Highlord Wolf ] Familia Name: Sin [ -> Name given to the familia during its creation ] Familia Leader: Shin [ -> Name of the current familia leader ] Familia Ranking: 99996 [ -> Rank of the familia in the world ( Ranked based on achievements judged by Supreme Celestials ) ] Familia Power: 5 [ -> Number of members in the familia with names ] Rank: A || Max. rank: ??? [ Level: 72 || Max. level: 80 ] [ HP: 840/840 || Max. HP: ??? ] [ MP: 500/520|| Max. MP: ??? ] [ Exp: 6025 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 301 || Max. Atk: ??? ] [ Def: 269 || Max. Def: ??? ] [ Speed: 565 || Max. Speed: ??? ] Int: 95 || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Bite Lv.8 2] Dash Lv.9 3] Copy Lv.4 4] Heal Lv.6 5] Transformation Lv.3 6] me Wave Lv.2 7] Dark Maniption Lv.2 8] All Seeing Eye Lv.6 9] Aura Control Lv.8 10] Dragon''s Roar Lv.1 11] Dragon''s Aura Lv.2 12] Hymn Of The Dragons'' Lv.??? 13] Total Curse Immunity Lv. Max 14] Curse Eraser Lv.4 15] HP Eater Lv.2 16] Wind Run Lv.5 17] Aero sh Lv.4 18] Dispel Lv.3 19] Hurricane Lv.1 20] Winter Breeze Lv.1 21] Wind Maniption Lv.1 22] God Wind Lv.??? 23] Steal Lv.1 [ Passive Skills ] 1] Cold Resistance Lv.10 2] Heat Resistance Lv.10 3]Shock Resistance Lv.7 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.3 7] Language Trantion Lv.4 8] Poison Resistance Lv.4 9] Poison Destroyer Lv.5 10] Protector Lv.2 11] Pain Nullification Lv.2 12] Fire Resistance Lv.2 13] Mindcraft Resistance Lv.4 14] Gift Lv.??? 15] Ultimate Growth Lv.??? 16] Mental Defense Lv.2 17] Seal Resistance Lv.6 ''I see¡­'' ''Our rank is awfully low.'', he concluded. In any case, now was not the time to be worried about this. He actually asked to perform the dash skill so that he could learn and run. However, he realized that they were quite close to the ce so it was better to just walk rather than go alone. Also, Shin was currently preventing other monsters from attacking them after all the Beast Warding effect was still activated. So in a sense, he would end up throwing others in danger if he were to rush alone right now. *tap tap* And when they were almost close to the ce where they had parted ways with Mo, they heard some footsteps. Yes, the sound was feeble but it was audible. Weird noises could be heard from trees and the same was true on the ground. The falling of the leaves proved that some disturbance was surely caused. ''Ding'' [ You have been surrounded by the Arb elves ] The system notified Shin. "Wha-" The elves immediately made their appearance. They were still small in size, however, they had spears and weird things wrapped in leaves tied around their waist "You are¡­" "I am the chief of the tribe, and I havee here to have a chat with you." "Please don''t think that you can escape." ,m "My men have already surrounded you from all sides.", was what he said. Well, Shin wouldn''t run away if all he had to do was chat, probably the elves had different thinking. In any case, Shin wanted to see if they actually possessed any threat to him and his familia or not. [ Level: 32 || Max. level: 40 ] [ Level: 29 || Max. level: 40 ] [ Level: 33 || Max. level: 40 ] [ Level: 39 || Max. level: 40 ] [ Level: 31¡­ ] And so on. Their levels averaged around 35 or something so they didn''t possess any great threat to Shin. ''Ding'' [ You have been surrounded by 233 Arb Elves (male) ] [ You have been surrounded by 119 Arb Elves (female) ] [ You have been surrounded by 352 Arb Elves in total ] ''I see...'' ''352 elves in total...'' ''I am level 72 while Terran is 57¡­'' ''We both are more than enough to handle them¡­'' ''While Alira is level 29, she is definitely stronger than any normal beast of the same level¡­'' ''After all, she was able to give me a lot of trouble due to her ridiculously high speed!'', Shin thought. ''And Kaily is¡­'' ''Wait, what was her level again?'' Shin questioned himself only to realize that he hadn''t seen her profile even once. But at the moment he didn''t have the time to go through her profile so he just asked the system about her level. ''System, what is Kaily''s level?'' ''Ding'' [ Level: 49 || Max. level: 50 ] "¡­" ''Despite living for a long time, her level is barely 49?'' ''Did she never encounter monsters or all she did was keep running?'', Shin had a dumb expression on his face when he turned back and stared at Kaily. Well, that was a normal reaction since Shin was able to reach level 72 in a year and it seemed easy to him, however whenpared to him, Kaily had lived for more than 800 times of how much he had lived and still wasn''t close to his level ¨C the situation felt ridiculous. In any case, he concluded that the Arb elves weren''t a threat to them in terms of levels, but their number and other factors mattered too. ''They are familiar with the ce much more than we are¡­'' ''Since all he wants to do is talk, I think it''s better to hear him out.'' Shin nodded his head and said, "Fine." "Lead the way." ¨C he had something important to talk so Shin asked him to show him the way so that others couldn''t hear them. The elf walked ahead while Shin followed. Although the elves were quite small and looked like kids, they were at least twice as much as Shin''s height. In any case, they walked for a minute or so and soon arrived near the pond. ''Huh? Isn''t this the same pond as the one that we had seen earlier?'', Shin realized that he was brought to the same ce as earlier when Mo was chasing them. Of course, the destroyed trees of the area were proof of that but more than that, the unclear water served as proof. ''Is he trying to push me into the water?'', Shin asked himself. ''If he is going to do that then-'', Shin was thinking of a strategy that he could use. He didn''t need one to begin with anyway, he could just attack him straight and push him instead. ''Ding'' [ Status Effect ] [ nervous ] [ frightened ] [ worried ] ''Huh?'' The system all of a sudden showed the Arb Elf''s status as if it was reassuring Shin. ''Those effects¡­'' ''Does that mean he isn''t scheming something?'' "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 157 Joining The Familia Shin was right, the chief wasn''t actually scheming anything. He had something else to discuss and that was why he had called Shin away from others. Well, more than discuss, it was something he forced Shin to do and that was ¨C include them in their familia. He knelt on the ground all of a sudden while bowing as if his head nearly touching the ground. "What are you-", Shin was surprised by the sudden moment that the elf disyed. "Please!" "Please include us in your familia!", he asked. "Huh?" Shin was surprised to hear that. It was not long since the familia was formed and the elves had already be aware of it! ''How did theye to know about that?'', Shin asked himself. ''Ding'' [ The familia got registered in the rankings of the World and is stored in the World Stone ] ''I know that, but how did the elvese to know about it?'' ''Ding'' [ Top 100 familia and n names can be seen directly in the crest which is connected to the World Stone ] [ Elves, Fairies, and Dragons are the only race that can hear all the familias and ns ] ''Wait a second, there are rankings not only for familias, but also for ns?'' ''And all of them gets registered in the World Stone?'' [ Affirmative ] Now Shin realized how the elves had heard and how the ranking was mentioned. Though, he still knew not how to raise the rank of his familia. He didn''t have to think about that at the moment anyway. The issue was totally different, the chief of the Arb elves tribe was actually asking to enter Shin''s familia. "Uh, I don''t think that is possible." ¨C was what Shin said. Actually having more numbers would be helpful, especially when it is the elves. So he would definitely not reject that on a whim. There was a solid reason for which he rejected. "Don''t you already belong to a familia?" "Are you sure you want to break the lineage of your ancestors and join us?" "And I''m sure that you are the only one who has decided that¡­" "What about others?" "Won''t this lead to a conflict?", Shin asked. Each point that he made was legit. "¡­", the chief was speechless after hearing that. ''Don''t tell me you really didn''t think about that.'', Shin gave a weird stare after seeing the chief panicking and thinking. "Ah, then why don''t we join your n?", he asked. "Huh?"- Shin was surprised when he heard that. "A n you say¡­", Shin started to think about it. "Yes¡­" "With that, not only will we retain our original familia, we will be able to be under you." The elf was not wrong, a n was something that could have a different familia within it. Though, most of the time they would try to avoid that since that could create conflicts. For example, a n with a familia belonging to rabbits and a familia belonging to tigers would be a badbination since they would be hostile or cautious of each other all the time. Shin was a bit hesitant and wanted others'' opinions especially that of Kaily and Terran since they might have some experience regarding this. But at the moment, he couldn''t just go away without actually replying or maybe he could, but for him, it didn''t seem right. "Why are you so fixated on joining us anyway?", Shin asked. Yes, it simply didn''t make sense at all, why would the kind and prideful elves who had been living in the forest for ages decide to join Shin whom they didn''t even know? It was suspicious and Shin had the right to ask questions regarding the matter. "¡­" "This is a secret but¡­" "Our Guardian asked us to do that¡­" "Huh? Guardian?" "Yes.", the chief nodded his head. ''This is getting ridiculous¡­'' ''Is some new sh*t going to start now?'' "Our guardian visited me in my dreams yesterday and asked me to persuade you to let us join you¡­", the chief said. "¡­" "A dream!?" "You really thought about joining us because of some random dream?", Shin asked. "I''m sorry but it wasn''t a random dream¡­" "Our Guardian¡­" "Our protector¡­" "Our God ¨C His highness Elvion really came to my dream and told me about this.", the chief had a serious expression on his face. "¡­" ''Did he just say Elvion?'', Shin was surprised to hear that name from the chief''s mouth. Well, since he gave enough prefix and respect before reciting the name, it was fine. However, the matter was really pressing. ''Why would he tell them to do that?'', Shin asked himself. "¡­" While Shin was confused, the chief expected an answer from him. He knew that bowing in front of others might hurt his own position and pride so he called Shin to the side and spoke this matter. ''Did he do because of my ambition?'', Shin asked himself. However, after thinking carefully, he realized that no Celestial would bother with such trivial matters. ''Looks like he has some ns of his own.'', Shin concluded. ''It ain''t a bad deal but¡­'' ¨C yes, there were some things that Shin had to think about before agreeing to their request. "Before I let you join us, I will have you answer a few questions for me.", Shin basically ordered the chief to answer questions instead of asking or pleading. "Y-yes!", he replied instantly. "If you were to join me, that means that I will be the leader¡­" "So will your people praise me?", Shin asked. "¡­" The chief paused for a second after hearing that. He averted his gazes because he wasn''t sure about that. Why would the elves praise someone who wasn''t of their own race, to begin with? They had no idea about Shin''s power too so yes, they wouldn''t agree to do that. He didn''t answer directly and remained quiet but that silence was more than enough to answer his question. "If I be your leader, then you would have to follow all my orders." "That way, if I were to order you to fight Elvion, then will you back out?" "¡­" The chief suddenly raised his head and looked at Shin with a surprised expression. His expressions were clearly saying that he couldn''t do something like that. Of course, he remained quiet. "Sigh¡­" "And despite all these, you still want to join us?", Shin was a bit frustrated. He knew the answers to these questions and asked only to test him ¨C he was right, the elves had no real intention to join him. The chief just wanted to do what their so-called god ¨C the celestial asked them to do. ''Shin, think carefully¡­'' ''Such a golden opportunity wouldn''te so easily¡­''- his inner thoughts were telling him to think about this again. ''I was able to form a familia, the next is a n¡­'' ''Then a base town leading to the formation of a Kingdom¡­'' ¨C although the work was a lot, he had to think carefully. "Hmm¡­" "I will give you a day''s time¡­" "Discuss with your group and n properly." "Only after that will I consider anything¡­" "For now, I have things to do." Right after saying that, Shin turned back and walked back to the ce from where he had been asked for a chatter. Of course, Terran, Kaily, and Alira, all of them were still there. This included the same female elf who had earlier drawn a map for Shin and had apanied them halfway. The elf chief came back just after Shin ade his appearance and said, "They are our guests for today." "Treat them well." ¨C was what he said which surprised not only all the elves but also surprised Shin at the same time. In any case, the elves had to obey what the chief decided. They immediately withdrew the spears which they were initially pointing at Shin''s team. After that, they lead the way to their homes. Since they lived in tree houses, the Sin familia couldn''t climb all the way up. That was why they decided to provide them with some food and drinking items since they didn''t need any shelter to stay other than the trees. Mo was also present there and was eagerly waiting for the Reverse Potion. He said, "Did you bring the Reverse potion?" His eyes seemed passionate and sparkly. "Well, I didn''t but-" And even before Shin could finish what he was saying, Mo said, "You didn''t bring¡­?" "Why?" "Did you forget the route?" "What happened?" ¨C he had tons of concerns while his eyes started to lose the glow and sparkles. "Ah, nothing peculiar happened¡­" "Then¡­?", he had his doubts because this greatly concerned him after all. He wanted to be free and for that, he definitely needed the potion, but he couldn''t find anyone to get it for him since he could go. "Haha, why are you making such an expression?" "Instead of the potion, I brought the witch along!" ¨C was what Shin said. "What?", at first Mo failed to understand what Shin said. But when he repeated himself, Mo finally understood. "Where?" "Where is she!?", he asked with a raised tone. Mo didn''t care about anything else, all he wanted was to meet the witch and get the reverse potion. Well, his desire to return his original form had increased when Shin promised him earlier so it was understandable. However, Shin still had many doubts regarding these matters. ''If it was a curse, then couldn''t I have removed it?'', he asked himself and of course, he could have done that, but the situation didn''t go that way. It wasn''t bad since he got two more members in his team and found thest clue too, so it was fine. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 158 The Reverse Potion Is Used ''But why was Mo so ridiculously trusting?'', Shin asked himself. Mo should have known how vicious various beasts could be. His fruit had been snatched away by a wolf that looked simr to Shin, so he would have been much more cautious, so what was it exactly that was letting him trust Shin and his words so much? While it seemed like a tough question to answer, the truth didn''t hold much meaning to it and was quite simpler than what Shin was trying toprehend. He was a kind man ¨C that was the answer which Shin was searching for. But then again, what happened that caused the kind man to get cursed? By getting the answer to one question, a series of other questions would end up getting asked, so yes, for now, it was better to go with the flow. "Ah, she is over there.", Shin lifted his right paw and pointed towards the witch, who seemed no different than a weird creature. This time, her transformation had given her a mouth that resembled the crocodiles while the limbs resembling that of birds ¨C wings ¨C only for the forelimbs. The hind limbs were like that of a wolf even now and so was the tail. "What kind of a weird beast is that?" "¡­" Even Mo was surprised to see her from a distance. Her size was twice that of Shin and the colors were distinct so Mo could easily spot her and make thement. "Are you sure that she is a witch?", he asked. "Haha, who else would be capable of having such a weird form?", Shin asked in return with a burst ofughter. "¡­" "Makes sense¡­", Mo epted the fact with hesitation. He then made up his mind to ask her, however, he feared that she might end up running away by getting scared of his appearance. Talking Trees ¨C they were rare. Yes, such kinds of trees were quite rare, however, not all of them were as intelligent as Mo was. Those talking trees would lure enemies with voices of their loved ones only to kill or hunt them so many or to be precise, almost all races and beasts in the forest remained cautious when the matter was regarding them. Shin spotted Mo''s hesitation and said, "Wait, I will go and bring her." Mo was d that Shin was understanding. It was probably his first time meeting someone like him. "Hey, Kaily!", Shin shouted as he approached her. "Yes master?", Kaily recognized the voice and turned around with a reply. "Listen¡­" Shin then exined the situation while pointing at Mo. He exined the reason for hising towards her hut and the potion that he required which was actually something that Mo wanted. "Come with me." ¨C that was how Shin ended his exnation. She understood it perfectly and said, "Yes master." She then followed Shin and arrived near Mo. ''Woah¡­'' ''So this is the one that needs the potion¡­'' ''He looks bigger as I look him closer.'', she had many thoughts and views regarding Mo. But she didn''t care about them since all she had to do was give the reverse potion. Before she could hand out the reverse potion, she had few things that she wanted to know. "Tell me, how did you end up turning into a tree?", she asked. Shin was curious about that and wanted to ask after he had been reverted, however now that Kaily had ended up asking, Shin thought that he would support her too. "Yes, I want to know that too.", was what Shin said. "Sigh¡­" "It''s a long story¡­" "Are you sure you want to hear about that?", Mo asked. Well, Shin definitely had little time so he couldn''t possibly agree and sit there to listen to his life story! Kaily too had the same thought, she knew Shin''s purpose for inviting Kaily to join him and creating familia. After all, Shin had mentioned Ae and she came to know about it. Therefore, she too thought that they didn''t have much time and if it really was the same wolf, whom Kaily had seen earlier, then it would be wise to leave earlier rather than actually waste time here, listening to someone else''s backstory. Both of them shook their heads at the same time. While Mo did say that it was a long story, he wanted them to hear it. He thought that they had nothing much to do, however, he was wrong. Seeing them shaking their heads intensely was proof that they had something important to do. "Haha, I was just kidding¡­" "It''s actually a small thing.", was what Mo said. "Small?" ¨C that was intriguing and confusing at the same time. "Yes." "I turned into a tree because another Elder Tree cursed me for eating their fruits without permission.", was what Mo said. "Ha?", now that was quite unbelievable. The elder trees are quite cautious about their fruits, after all, they take almost ages to form and ripen. So a normal human couldn''t just go and eat them, the elder trees won''t even let him do that. Of course, Ae was able to steal fruit from Mo earlier ¨C that too might have not been easy. But then again, Mo was a human back then, so it was intriguing to hear that he was able to eat those fruits that could practically heal any sort of physical injuries. "But how? How could you-", Kaily wanted to know about it. Yes, it was that intriguing, It made her plea for more, however, Shin stopped her. "Oh, that is sad to hear." "Don''t worry, you will be healed now!" ¨C was what Shin said while interrupting her talk. "Yes, I will be free now!", tears flew down Mo''s eyes as he imagined himself being free. Kaily wasted no time and shed the Reverse potion which actually instantly appeared in front of her from her spatial storage, It was a ss bottle with fine edges. It had a silvery touch and was giving off a whitish glow with some sparkly texture. "¡­" "So this is¡­" "The reverse potion?", Mo asked with a shaky voice. He was already crying floods so it was understandable that his voice wasn''t like before. Kaily nodded her head after hearing his question. Right after that, she asked him to drink it. Mo didn''t waste even a single second. He moved hisrge hands forwards, which were covered with leaves, and tried to grab the bottle of potion. "No!", Mo shouted. Failed, he failed to grab it and the bottle just rolled on the ground. Thankfully it didn''t break! "You¡­" "Stay there and open your mouth.", Shin thought about helping Mo instead of standing and seeing him break the potion. But how could he help? He was small, way too small in size whenpared to Mo. His mouth was way higher and he could reach that height only if he were to jump. Was he going to swing his tail and hit the bottle so that it wouldnd in Mo''s mouth? Obviously not! Shin wasn''t confident in his strength. He doubted himself since he had a hard time controlling his tail. Yes, it would sometimes shake on its own as if he were wagging and other times, it would hardly move ¨C when he would be sad. Sometimes it would stretch out and be simr to a stick which was weird. So he had a hard time dealing with it. He would definitely not use something like that. Well, Kaily could have easily helped in this case. She could have used her spatial storage and poured the potion directly into Mo''s mouth and she was about to do that when Shin butted in and said that he would help. ''How would master help him in this situation?'', was her question. She calmed herself and decided to observe him. His eyes started to glow with a green light just as earlier right after which he transformed himself into the normal crow. ''Wha-'' ''What am I seeing?'', Kaily was way too surprised to even speak. Her voice just echoed inside her head when she saw Shin changing his form into a bird. ''Wait¡­'' ''This doesn''t make sense at all¡­'' ''Does he practice making potions as well?'', she asked herself. Although she was a witch, an old one at that, she had no idea about the transformation skill. It was developed recently, after all, a couple of years ago, and she never left the forest so she had no knowledge about that. Well, despite being developed recently, it was only the Dragons of Higher-Order that could use it ¨C since they would often transform into humans and visit cities. That was why Kaily was thrown back with the sudden transformation. The elves observed that since most of them had eyes on Shin thinking that he might be nning to steal Mo''s fruits instead of helping. Alira and Terran were also looking at Shin as he did the transformation. Although Terran wasn''t surprised now, he was definitely puzzled and was in awe earlier when Shin had transformed into a crow in the Lian ins. Alira, instead of being surprised, was fascinated by this ¨C she had no idea about the situation and how shocking the transformation was. Shin just flew over Mo and poured the Reverse Potion in his mouth. Hended back on the ground and returned to his original form while expecting to see Mo revert back to his previous self. "Master¡­" "That was¡­", Kaily wanted to know what that was. But Shin didn''t say anything to her, not right now at least, after all, he was looking at Mo. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 159 The Tears Of The Forest Goddess Shin kept staring at Mo for a minute or two and was tired already. "How long will it take for the potion to take effect?", Shin asked when he ran out of patience. "I think, it will take a few hours for the potion to take effect considering his size.'', was what Kaily said. Well, the potion was meant to break the curse, so size didn''t matter actually. It was the strength of the curse that mattered since it wasmon sense that a stronger curse will take much more time to break or be lifted whenpared to a weaker curse. ''She isn''t making any sense, but I think that''s how her potions work.'', Shin concluded and left the site after bidding Mo farewell and went to join the elves. Mo had no issues with that. He was happy instead since he was soon going to be in his original shape and size with his original lifespan. Kaily followed Shin and gathered just under the humongous tree in which many Arb elves resided. When Shin arrived near the tree, he could see the nk expression on the faces of the elves. They were perhaps shocked by something or werepletely awed by some matter. Little did Shin know that it was because of his skill that they were in such a state. Nevertheless, none of Shin''s teammates asked. The same was for the elves too. All of them hesitated to ask until one of the elves came forward. "Um, I have something to ask¡­", the elf said. When the topic at hand was about Shin''s transformation, what else could probably be asked? For sure, the elf came forward to ask the same and everyone knew that, except Shin that is. Well, the elf wasn''t nervous like the others. More than that, the elf seemed a bit friendly. "Yes?", she too replied to what she had to ask. Both of them seemedfortable with each other and why wouldn''t they be? They had talked for quite sometime earlier. Yes, the elf who approached Shin right now was the same female elf who was previously acting arrogant. The elves weren''t surprised by her leading their questions since they knew how much of a confident force she was, but they sure knew that she had screwed up since they believed it was her fault that their secrets were revealed. "I want to know, just now¡­" "Did you use some spell to transform?", she asked directly. She had nothing to fear at the moment since she was within her own territory and she knew how much of a kind being Shin was. "Ah¡­" "Instead of a spell, ''skill'' would be a proper word to term that.", Shin replied. "A skill?" "So you used a skill to transform?", she was genuinely surprised by that. "Yes." "Then does that mean you can transform into any-" "I have a skill that lets me transform into a crow."- Shin concluded while intervening her. He had already noticed the slight whispering and murmuring that was going on in the background. The same was with Kaily, she too was shocked when Shin spilled the beans. Therefore, to minimize the surprise and to keep the skill as a trump card forter, Shin decided to go with a facade. That was why he intervened her and said what he had on his mind. ''Ah, so he can only transform into a crow¡­'', was what all the elves who were listening concluded. The same was for Kaily who was now less surprised. Terran wasn''t even suspicious about Shin''s statement since he too had only seen his crow form. The chatter ceased and all the Arb Elves started to prepare some leaves so that their guests could sleep peacefully andfily on them under the tree. In a while, a lot of leaves were collected andid on the floor on which everyone rested. Shin too lied on them as if he wanted to sleep while hinting the Elven Chief to reveal everything to their members and then return to talk. Yes, this was the perfect chance for Shin to gain the hands of the elves, however, what could these even do? They couldn''t even exit the forest because of their deformity. Shin had to think hard about this case since he didn''t want any burden. ''Hmm¡­'' ''If only they were to be supplied with adequate mana that would sustain their youth¡­'' If that would happen, then they would never age. Without a doubt, after learning a job, they would be able to perform the same for centuries to go and there would be no reason to rece them. ''Hmm¡­'' ''But how?'', that was the question at hand. If there really was a way to give them enough mana supply then there would be no problem at all! Well, Shin took up a lot of work at the moment and started structuring and trying to find a solution to the questions. ''A n¡­'' ''Suppose I ept the elves, then a n would be formed since the number of members would exceed by a lot¡­'' ''What would be the n''s name?'' ''¡­'' ''Suppose a n name was picked¡­'' ''What about the next step?'' ''There should be a centering where all can stay!'' He was right. Not everyone could actually move around because that would attract tons of attention from others which would be rather unwise. Also, the elves couldn''t even go much farther from the center area. Shin had a lot of things to sort out so he decided to approach everything one by one. ''First¡­'' ''Is there a way to prevent the Arb elves from aging abnormally?'' When Shin questioned this to himself, he didn''t expect any answer immediately since he had to put a lot of thought into it. However, right when he asked himself that question, the system ended up answering that. ''Ding'' [ Affirmative ] "Huh?" The system answered him at once when he asked himself. Well, who else would he even ask? One of the greatest tools which was beyond understanding was with him ¨C System ¨C so it was the best option for him to choose and clear all his doubts via the system. However, he ended up making a sound because of the shock due to which Terran turned his gaze towards Shin. He was lying down close to him after all. In any case, Shin pretended as if he didn''t make any noise. Terran seeing Shin calm thought that it was his own imagination and lied down on the ground again while enjoying the cool andfy leaves. Shin didn''t let this bother him. He regained his concentration and started asking the system which had answered him earlier. ''Tell me, what is the way to free the Arb Elves from this dilemma?'', Shin asked. ''Ding'' [ Tears Of The Forest Goddess ] ''Tears of¡­'' ''The Forest Goddess?'' Shin heard a unique name and was intrigued by that. ''Ding'' [ -> Forest Goddess, a cheerful Goddess, looks after all beings born in the forest ] [ -> Holds the power of the life of all the beings of the forest ] [ -> In a legend, it was believed that the Forest Goddess cried only once when her family ¨C the beings born in the forest ¨C were being massacred and killed by the Fire God ] [ -> Her tears caused the entire forest to turn into a devilish one which started havoc ] [ -> After her rage subsided, she realized her doing due to which she returned to her home while leaving her tears behind ] [ -> Those tears, which had the purest form of mana from a Goddess turned into artifacts which were lost within the great forests until the humans found it ] The system ended up telling the entire story about the tears. It wasn''t half bad since Shin came to know a bit more about the world in which he was striving in. Though, there was one thing that he failed to understand ¨C ''Why did the forest turn devilish? '' ''Is her tears holding evil powers?'', Shin asked the system. ''Ding'' [ -> The tears hold mana and no other form of energy ] [ -> The negative energy which forced the tears to take the form of a devil was from the Goddess because of the sorrow and pain of her loved ones ] The answer from the system seemed satisfying. Shin questioned no more, for a minute at least since he understood that it was that very artifact that could help the elves. ''But¡­'' ''The humans have those¡­'' That was the biggest thing that he was worried about. It was not a matter that the artifact was powerful or not, the bigger worry was that the humans had it. For now, he had already made his appearance in Levonia which not only angered many but also made him a beast that was to be looked after. So yes, it wouldn''t be easy to get inside any other city since there would be heavy guarding even against a small white puppy which would have nothing to do with wolves! ''Sigh¡­'' ''This is troublesome for sure¡­'' To be continued¡­ Chapter 160 Clan Formed: Reward - Phoenix Blood Now that Shin knew about where to find those artifacts, he thought that it was troublesome since it involved humans. [ -> The tears can provide pure and mana worth 4000 years ] This was something that caught Shin''s eyes so he had already decided to get the artifacts. But for now, he wanted to stay away from them since there were other things that concerned him ¨C such as n Wars. For a n war, he had to prepare his own n. Of course, there are tons of n wars that may be among the same race or different races, however, what Shin was looking for was just within the race, for now, that is. ''Hmm, I can ept the elves and let them stay here for now.'', was what Shin decided. ''Tell me system, how many areas do I own?'' ''Ding'' [ You own 5 areas ¨C Swamps ] [ The Northern Swamp ¨C Lian ins, The Southern Swamp ¨C r Valley, The Easter Swamp ¨C Mon Vario, The Western Swamp ¨C Paren Reiol, and The Central Swamp ¨C The Monster Graveyard ] The System then suddenly disyed a map on the screen showing where the swamps were located exactly. The map showed Thuren as the forest at the center of the entire continent. And the five swamps were surrounding it in a distinct way ¨C one towards the north which Shin had visited earlier, and another towards the south where Shin was supposed to go. Of course, the central Swamp was present in the forest of Thuren. The remaining weren''t actually attached to the forest but were after the kingdoms ¨C the kingdoms that were mentioned earlier lied between the remaining swamps and the forest. In any case, Shin could see lines connecting the swamps. They were forming a square-like, or to be precise a quadrteral image with a dot in the center. ''Interesting¡­'', Shin said to himself with a little smirk while liking his nose unknowingly. Furthermore, he could see a red dot on the Kingdom of Levonia as if the system wanted the kingdom to be wiped out. Shin ignored that for now and refrained from asking any questions regarding that matter. ''Yes, I will make this forest my base.'', this was what Shin concluded after studying the map for an hour! The elves could remain here and there would be no problem about their travel, for now at least. Also, conquering the entire forest wouldn''t take much longer if Shin were to be stronger and evolve to the next rank. After all, the higher the rank he climbs, the more authority he will have. That way, he would be able to control a wide range of people and beings without adding much effort. ''Hmm, I wonder¡­'' ''How long would it take to make this ce suitable?'' He thought that he had to get rid of all therge and strong beasts that resided in the forest. Either they should join him, or they should die ¨C these were the only two options that he considered at the moment. He was a predator, after all, so he didn''t have to give much of a thought when it came to matters regarding hunting. Shin was now confident about what he had to do and what he wasn''t supposed to do. In any case, he waited for the elves to approach him again. He rested for a few hours to regain his strength so that he could resume his search. And as he expected, his patience was answered and the chief appeared in front of him again. But this time, it was a bit more different than earlier. Other elves, not all, but many others who seemed to have a leading role in their tribes approached Shin along with the chief. "Master¡­" "We discussed and now we have finally decided¡­" "We would like to follow you." ¨C was what the chief said while kneeling on the ground. The same was for others, while they said nothing, their actions did the job. They too bowed in front of Shin with sincerity. However, Shin was still interested in hearing the answer to the questions he had asked earlier to the chief, due to which, he just stared at him without saying anything else. The chief understood instantly and said, "We were guarded by our lord Celestial and had pledged our loyalty to him¡­" "But now that we do the same to you, we would serve under you and only for you until you breathe yourst breath." ¨C was what he said bravely. The answer seemed satisfying. They basically meant that after Shin died, they would again serve the Elf Celestial. To elves, the life span of a wolf was almost negligible, especially for Arb Elves who thought that they could live for eternity if abnormal conditions were to be prevented. But little did they know that their thinking and dreams about serving the Elf Celestial again was delusional ¨C after all, Shin had his sights set high ¨C to be a Celestial himself. And bing a Celestial or even a High Ranking monster would automatically increase the life force of the said beast which undoubtedly would give Shin many years to live! Whatever now the fact was simple, the Elves wanted to join him and awaited his response. Terran and Kaily were looking towards Shin intensely and were wondering what was happening. It was not as if they knew nothing, they had somewhat guessed by the behaviors and actions of the elves. However, they still bore doubts about the situation. Alira was in deep sleep and knew nothing about what was going on. Shin closed his eyes for a brief moment and after finally deciding said, "Fine." "You may join our n." ''Yes¡­'' ''I will definitely not regret this decision.'', was what he kept saying to himself all along. "Thank you!", all of them said in unison. As soon as Shin agreed, other members popped out of the treehouses and started to show signs of joy by cheering or hugging each other. Was it such a big thing for them? ¨C Shin questioned. Perhaps it was. Whatever, now they were part of Shin''s family and there was just no way that he wouldn''t help them and get rid of their trouble. However, for now, he had something else to think about. ''Ding'' [ You have created a n ] [ The crest will be modified ] As soon as these texts appeared, the crests on all of the bodies of the familia members did get modified. They became advanced. Earlier, it just looked like a wolf''s head with a wavy texture while forming a triangr form, but now, the crest became a bitrge and turned silvery-whitepletely. However, the triangr form was still maintained and the sharp but wavy pattern too. In any case, this happened because the elves who became the members of the n had got the previous crests on their bodies. So for distinction, perhaps the previous crests just evolved. That was not all, since a n was formed, Shin unlocked a new achievement that gave him some different benefits along with his n members. [ -> All physical stats for the familia members will be increased by +10 points ] [ -> The newly joined members of the n would gain a +5 increase in their stat points excluding MP ] This was fair enough since the n had been created just a few seconds ago. The boosts weren''t thatrge and weren''t that small either, they were a good addition. However, this didn''t mean that the system had nothing else to add. It still had to give boosts to Shin which it would prioritize for sure! [ You will receive the following benefits for being the n Leader ] [ -> Item: Phoenix Blood ( 1 drop ) ] [ -> 200 stat points ] [ -> All active skills will be leveled up by 1 ] With these increases in stats, levels and even gaining an item, Shin was sure that there were tons of other things that would give him dope leveling ups. He had to find the methods to unlock those achievements in hidden missions but oh well, he was satisfied with this much right now. He was intrigued by the item which he received a second ago too ¨C Phoenix Blood. ''I wonder what that is¡­'', he wondered. Well, the system showed him the info regardless of what he thought. [ Phoenix Blood ] [ -> It is believed that a phoenix has to power to rise from the ashes after the death of its physical body and is considered immortal ] [ -> Its blood is considered to have the power to bring the dead back to life ] "Huh?" "Wha-" "What did I read?" ¨C Shin was shocked when he read that. The elves were rejoicing so no one noticed or heard what he said but yes, he was astonished by the artifact. But there was something else to notice too. Yes, a few conditions along with the item which Shin had almost missed. He would have definitely missed it if not for the voice of the system. [ -> 1 drop and bring 1 being back to life if the being is made to drink the blood within 00:00:02:00 ( 2 minutes ) after death ] "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 161 Running Alone - Part 1 While Shin was shocked about the rewards, he was happy at the same time. The reason was simply because of the tremendous boost that he would receive with the stats. The item which he received was something like a boon because he could actually bring the dead back to life. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call that a miracle because almost everyone would try to get a hold of such an artifact. Yes, the condition did provide that it would work only if someone is dead for two minutes, but that didn''t mean that there was no chance at all. Whatever, the issue was over and everyone''s status had been modified. It was all well and good but there was still something left to do. Yes, a n name had yet to be decided upon. Those were thest texts that were being shown by the system. [ Choose a name for your n ] [ -> Name 1: Wild Predators ] [ -> Name 2: Bloody Hunters ] [ -> Name 3: White Wolf ] [ -> Name¡­] [¡­] [ -> Choose your own name ] Unlike earlier, the system gave Shin options of choosing the names. He was surprised to see that. Of course, one of the options showed that Shin could choose his own, but then again, the options seemed pretty tempting. Well, the names did have deep meanings but they only centered towards hunting or preying. ''A predator¡­'' ''That''s who I am¡­'' ''And that''s what the system tries to make me.'' ¨C Shin nodded his head while thinking this. The fact that the name of the system was ''Supreme Predator System'' was evidence of his thoughts. And Shin didn''t disregard the fact that he was definitely a predator, a wolf at that. But that was not all. He wasn''t just some mere wolf. Yes, he had intelligence surpassing many, the ability to lead all, luck, power, ambition and kindness. He had the kindness from his previous life which woke up once again after spending time with Ae. Even now, when he was going to decide a name for the n, he looked at the faces of the elves who were rejoicing and his familia members who were happy too. ''Ya¡­'' ''Just like how Sin portrays Ruling¡­'' ''I will choose a name that would symbolize a ruler where my name will stand too!'' "¡­" A second, or maybe a minute ¨C that''s all it took for him to decide. "Lou Shin¡­" "The name of our n will be Lou Shin!", Shin concluded. ''Ding'' [ Command epted ] [ n name: Lou Shin ] [ n Leader: Shin ] [ n Vice-Leader: ] [ n Ranking: 893 ] [ n Power: 5 ] [ n Members: 497 ] [ Familia name: Sin ] ( -> Name given to the familia during its creation ) [ Familia Leader: Shin ] ? ( -> Name of the current familia leader ) [ Familia Ranking: 99996 ] ( -> Rank of the familia in the world ( Ranked based on achievements judged by Supreme Celestials ) ) [ Familia Power: 5 ] ( -> Number of members in the familia with names ) [ Familia Members: 5 ] ( -> Number of total members in the familia ) All this information was dumped by the system on Shin as soon as he chose a name for the n. There weren''t any specific boosts or rewards given specifically for the naming, but it was fine since Shin had already received rewards for forming a n. In any case, now two of his goals werepleted ¨C a familia and a n. Two more major ambitions ¨C A kingdom and an Empire ¨C were still left but those could be left forter. Now, the n was formed so Shin had tons of work to do. Yes, forming and running a n isn''t as easy as it sounds because there would be many things that one has to do. ''Ae¡­'' ¨C she was the one and only thing that he would never forget. Well, it was soonte night and everyone fell asleep. Even the elves, who had nothing to worry about because of the natural monster repent, fell asleep. Shin was the only one who was awake at the moment. ''My heart¡­'' ''It''s racing¡­'' ''I can''t sleep here while I know where Ae has gone¡­'', Shin was nervous. He slowly got up while looking here and there secretively to see if anyone was awake. Fortunately no. No one was awake. The Arb elves were more like kids so they required long sleep, also, since they were small, they wouldn''t form good guards. That''s why they never had a guard during the night. In any case, Shin thought that it was the perfect opportunity for him to make use of the skill Dash. If just by walking it would take 4-5 hours to travel, then with the help of his skill where his speed was essentially increased by 2-3 times, it would hardly take an hour or two. ''There are still 7 hours remaining before the sunrise¡­'', Shin said to himself. ''Yes¡­'' ''I think I canplete my search and return.'', was what Shin decided and without wasting any more time, slowly stood up and walked quietly for a minute or two until he was a hundred meters away from the area. Well, all his active skills had leveled up after he formed the n so now his skill Dash had greater efficiency. [ Dash Lv.10 ] ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] -> Your speed is raised by 200% -> Dexterity of the limbs is increased by 70% -> Fatigue will start to get umted by 0.04 per second. -> Skill will get deactivated automatically the moment fatigue reaches 20 He used the skill and vanished almost immediately without waiting and giving any exnation to anyone. It was wise since other''s would only worry if he were to go alone. And if they were to apany him, then it would take an awful amount of time to search her. That was why he decided to go alone. He knew not if it was the right decision but he knew for sure that it would take off the burden from his heart that was causing such an irregr beating. Shin vanished from the area and no one knew anything about it, not until Shin went missing and never returned even after the sun rose. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 162 Running Alone - Part 2 *yawns* Terran, as usual, woke up as soon as the first ray of sunlight touched his body. He was sensitive to sunlight perhaps or was just that sharp in noticing the change in surroundings. However, even his sharpness couldn''t detect Shin leaving ¨C probably he was quite tired. *blink* Terran was the first one to wake up, among Shin''s familia that is. The elves woke up much sooner than him since it was their daily routine. In any case, not all were awake. ''Master¡­?'', this was the first thing that Terran asked himself after waking up. He couldn''t find Shin within his range of vision. ''Is master busy doing some work?'', this was another question that he asked himself. Terran knew that Shin wasn''t someone who would waste time on needless things. While Terran considered helping others a needless task, Shin performed it happily and Terran had already realized that bring others to his team wasn''t useless at all and it was far from wasting time. Whatever, he just woke up and his mind was a bit fuzzy. He stood up and stretched his body which was probably in little pain. He then checked to see if Alira and Kaily were fine and yes, they were still asleep. Probably they were much more tired whenpared to Terran. In any case, he decided to go wait there till Shin returned. He licked his face with his long tongue and then shook his body to take off the dust from his body if any. He then looked here and there, only finding elves gathering some leaves. ''Uh¡­'' ''How to ask something¡­?'' ¨C Terran wanted to ask a few things to the elves regarding what they were doing. "What are you doing?", he asked out of curiosity. ''I¡­.'' ''I asked!'' He was flustered just by that and felt as if he had done some great job. Well, he had been isted for ages and all he could find near him were reptiles or low monsters that were either scared of him or were deemed as his prey. He would just eat them since they had low intelligence and could hardly converse anything. That''s why it took him some time to think about what he had to ask because he had basically forgotten how to even hold a conversation. "We are gathering some leaves on which we will provide some fruits and berries to eat¡­", was what the elves said. Yes, the elves were actually arranging breakfast for Terran and others. ''Now this is weird¡­'' ''The elves¡­'' ''Do they really wish to feed us with fruits again?'', Terran made an awkward face. Anyone could say, after looking at his face. That he wanted to have some meat. He was a carnivore after all and while eating fruits was possible, he would prefer meat over anything else. "But I want meat¡­" ¨C it ended up slipping his mouth. The elves heard what he said and started to discuss among themselves to solve the problem. Basically, for meat, they had to go and hunt a monster which would be quite a deadly task for them. Shin had advised them not to do that the day prior so they were confused about the situation. It wasn''t exactly chaotic, but their voices started to rise as they were discussing whether to hunt or not. And when this was happening, the Chief of the elves arrived at the scene. "What''s themotion about?", he asked. And after the situation was exined to him, all he did was sigh. "So, Sir Terran, you want meat for breakfast¡­?" ¨C the chief asked. "Yes.", Terran nodded his head vigorously. "Then why don''t youe with us?", the chief said. "Go with you?" "Where?" "Hunting.", the chief replied calmly. It was as if he wanted Terran to hunt his own food. There were two reasons because of which he said this, first ¨C he had no idea what kind of monsters Terran would like to eat, and second ¨C he couldn''t sacrifice his own members who had many problems just for meat. Of course, if it was Shin, the case would have been different. He would have agreed regardless of anything because when they epted Shin as their leader, they epted his leadership and intellect as well. Well, they were going to agree to Terran''s requests too if it weren''t as silly as this. Terran felt as if he was being mocked. He had high intellect like Shin so he could understand their point of view at the same time. While he was angered from within because the way the chief told felt like a taunt to him, he maintained a calmposter. "It''s fine¡­" "The fruits will do.", he concluded. The elves then stopped thinking anything else and started to serve the fresh fruits which they had gathered in the morning. They were brightly colored while giving off a weird tingly scent which felt good. While the noses of animals and beasts were quite sensitive, the desire to eat something could be second to none. Terran could hardly control himself from eating the fruits and wanted to dive right in. He was practically drooling over the sight of the fruits because he was hungry. However, he was trying his best to wait for Shin to return. He thought that Shin was somewhere around but he had no idea that Shin had run off to a very far ce in search of Ae. "Wah¡­" p "Food!", Alira woke up because of the scent of the fruits. She was a carnivore too but cared not at the moment. She just dived in and started eating them while Kaily, who just woke up, and Terran held themselves back because both of them knew that it should be Shin who should be eating first! They let little Alira start though because she was the youngest out of all of them and probably didn''t know many things. They could teach her whenever they wanted so they deemed it to be fine, for now, that is. *crunch crunch* Alira kept munching for a while when she found out that she was the only one eating. "Why aren''t you all eating?", she asked. "¡­", no one replied and she just stared at their faces. "Master¡­" "I forgot to wait for him!" ¨C the thought came to her mind automatically. When she said that, Terran and Kaily sighed and said, "That''s why we weren''t eating." "But¡­" "Where is master?" "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 163 Running Alone - Part 3: Two Out Of Four "But, where is master?", Alira asked. The elves that were sitting nearby on trees and on the ground, Terran and Kaily, all just kept ncing at each other. "Doesn''t anyone know?", Terran added. Some shook their heads while others continued to stare at each other. ''This is weird¡­'' ''Where did master go without informing anyone?'' Terran suspected that Shin had indeed gone quite far and the reason was to search for Ae. Just a day earlier, he had been asking Kaily about her and upon getting a hint, he couldn''t contain himself. However Terran had absolutely no proof to prove his point. "Did no one see him leaving the ce?" "Was everyone sleeping?", he asked. While that seemed to be the case, with a majority of them, there was someone who had spotted him leaving. Yes, Shin had missed the person, or rather the being who was in the middle of a transformation. "I saw¡­", amidst the silence, an old and shaky voice was heard. There was no one who didn''t recognize the voice. All of them turned their heads towards the old tree Mo whose transformation was soon to bepleted. He would soon get back to his real form. "I saw him going towards the same ce as earlier¡­" "The same ce as earlier?", Kaily wanted to know if the tree was talking about the route that led to her home because that''s the only route via which Shin had traveled for the past couple of hours. "Yes, he went that way.", the tree moved one of itsrge branches as if it were his hands and pointed out the path. Now there was no doubt at all, Terran finally figured out that Shin had literally gone on his own to find Ae. It was not just Terran that had realized this, even Kaily had concluded the same thing. "Did he go in search of his sister?", Mo asked. "Wha-" Terran was utterly surprised to see Mo know about that. It was because Shin had never revealed or told anyone other than his familia members about his story. Of course, Mo might have heard if they had gossiped about it after arriving, but that didn''t happen either. They never once talked about it. "How?" "How do you know about that?", Terran asked. "Well¡­" "Last night¡­" ( The previous night ) The good feast of fruits prepared by the elves was splendid, The soft juicy texture made all of them satisfied. Other than Shin, everyone ate the fruits ¨C Shin took just a single bite so that others could start eating. He then stood up and walked till he arrived near Mo. While Mo had his eyes closed and had been awaiting the change in his form, he sensed Shin approaching him. Of course, he was a tree after all and was connected to the ground, so he could easily sense the slight fluctuations of mana that would happen even when someone walks ¨C he uses his roots to detect that. But Mo had no idea about the reason for which Shin approached him. He continued to close his eyes and feign innocence while waiting for Shin to speak first. And Shin spoke right away as if he realized what Mo wanted, "Hey Old man Mo, are you awake?" Responding immediately would be too weird. It would be like he was waiting for Shi to approach him due to which Mo kept his mouth shut and decided to answer his call only when he would call a few more times. "Sigh, I know you aren''t asleep¡­" "You are just acting, so just open your eyes and talk to me." ¨C Shin did sound rude but he had a lot of thoughts going on his mind. Mo opened his eyes almost immediately while asking, "How did you¡­?" Well, his questioning was interrupted by Shin with an answer even before he could ask. "I could tell that by sensing your mana." ''Well no, I could tell that thanks to the system.'' ¨C this was the truth. Shin had ended up checking his status again among which, there was a weird status that popped up suddenly. [ Acting ] Shin was kinda pissed already and had no time to think about those things. He decided to ask directly without beating around the bush. "Now to the main topic." "Tell me about the white wolf that stole the fruit¡­", Shin asked. His real reason for asking that was to know if the said white wolf was Ae or not. If she was, then without a doubt, she would have been healedpletely and her leg would be back. That would without a doubt be a good thing because her chances of survival would increase tremendously. However, at the same time, she would have gone too far since after healing, she wouldn''t have that great of a problem in running and doing other sorts of things ¨C such as hunting. "As you know, we trees are sensitive while we bear fruits so we remain extremely cautious of almost everything¡­" "However I became a little careless because I saw this injured wolf walk towards me¡­", Mo added. "Injured?", Shin asked as if he was stressing out that. "Yes." This was clearly the mention of Ae, however, Shin still had to confirm if the injuries that he had been thinking about were the same or not. ''What are the chances that some other lone wolf would be injured?'', Shin questioned himself. "What were the injuries?" ¨C he decided that he must know about this. "Uh¡­" "If I recall¡­" "The wolf''s body was covered in bruises¡­" "It had signs of being attacked by various beasts¡­" "The wolf had some foam-like white stuffing out of its mouth as if it was drooling but that was by no means drool!" As Mo continued to tell all this, Shin felt as if his heart was getting stabbed again and again. A weird sense of anger was being built inside his body. "Oh, and the main thing!" "The wolf did not have¡­", Mo paused here for a moment. It seemed as if he had to rethink something. "Did not have¡­?" "Did not have what!?", Shin seemed to be anxious. "It did not have two of its four legs¡­", Mo concluded. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 164 Hindrance Shin was utterly surprised by hearing that. ''Ae lost two of her legs?'', he hade to believe that the wolf that was being talked about was Ae. A weird sense of guilt and anger started to rise within him. His blood started to boil. Despite the skill Aura Control, his aura was leaking a bit. It was aided by an intense killing intent which Shin was doing his best to keep under his control. He realized two things after hearing Mo say all about the white wolf. One ¨C Balton had tricked him into sending him near a dragon thinking that the dragon would kill him. Two ¨C Ae suffered from immense pain to which Balton''s suffering from the burn was nowhere near to. While many things were going smoothly ¨C the familia and n were formed, more members were found and the Elves joined Shin ¨C it felt as if a little stir was required. Yes, Shin felt the need to move a bit and finally enact on his own, at least for now. Mo was going to start his own story soon but Shin stood up immediately from the sitting position. He had no time to think about anything else as he believed, he had to bring Ae back as soon as possible. He would have easily gone towards Ae earlier since he was quite close to her when he had gone to find the witch, unfortunately, he couldn''t grasp Ae''s scent. The reason for that was many, the chilly wind that was blowing by had spread her scent throughout the entire area ¨C in fact, it felt as if she was present everywhere due to which Shin had given up on using his sense of smell. In any case, he left to sleep after discussing with Mo initially only to sneak outter. Shin had let Mo know about his circumstance earlier ¨C about his sister being the wolf after which Mo wasn''t angry anymore. That was because Shin had brought the Reverse Potion to him in front of which that one fruit was nothing. In fact, Mo ended up giving Shin, three of his fruits, that were still on the branches since he wouldn''t be needing them anymore, in the form of appreciation. Mo exined all this to Terran when he asked if Mo had any idea about Shin''s disappearance. "So, master left in search of his sister?", it sounded as if Terran was still asking questions, but he was just too surprised. "Yes.", Mo seemed quite sure about it though. Alira and Kaily were a bit worried about Shin, They didn''t know him for long so they had no idea about his full strength and his capacities so it was understandable that they would worry. "Don''t you think we should go and help master?", Kaily asked. The elves heard the conversation and stood up immediately as if they were ready to go in search of him too. Alira started jumping because she couldn''t wait to meet him and was ready to depart at any time. However, Terran had different ns. He shook his head and said, "No, I think it''s better if we remain here." When Kaily heard that, she was surprised. "Wha-", she could barely speak at Terran''s decision. In Shin''s absence, Terran could be considered second inmand, for now at least, because he was the closest to him and was probably the first member, as believed by others. So, ording to the hierarchy, they had to leave the decision-making to him. Kaily thought that he would agree to go without hesitation, but Terran said somethingpletely opposite. "What do you mean by that?", Kaily asked. "It''s just as I mentioned, I don''t think its best to leave the ce and search for master.", was what Terran said. "Are you serious?", the Elven Chief asked. "¡­", Terran paused momentarily. "Tell me brat, don''t you want to help master?" Her calling him brat was totally understandable. That was because she had known Terran for ages and they had chatted for some time while they were on their way back from her hut. While he was higher in the hierarchy at the moment, he was still her brat so seeing her call that might seem odd to others, but for Terran, that was what he considered as normal. "Yes, I''mpletely serious about what I said." "And I really want to help master, but looking at the current situation, I think we would be a hindrance if we were to go and look for him.", was what he said. "Hindrance?" The elves started to discuss what Terran said. While none of them knew what Terran was talking about, Kaily started to realize what he meant. Regardless, Terran thought about exining it. "I had doubted it, but¡­" "When I saw him earlier, using a skill to close the gap between himself and the hut, I became certain." "Master is quite fast¡­" Everyone nodded when they heard that considering the fact that he was a wolf. "However, none of us have that amount of speed." "Even if we were to try our very best, we wouldn''t be able to reach his highest speed." "This would only slow him down!" "So I think it is in our best interests to stay here and wait for him to return.". this was what Terran said in the end and concluded everything. No one disagreed with what they said, but all of them had a weird sense of fear in their hearts. ''If something were to happen to him, what would happen to us?'' ¨C while the elves joined the n recently, they were worried too. Though, they were the ones with the least worry because they had a chief among them, who had been leading them all this time. Needless to say, Alira was the only one who was worried about Shin to a great extent. She knew not the exact topic of discussion and what they were doing, but she knew one thing ¨C ''Shin wasn''t around.'' Despite her intelligence, she couldn''t help but worry for Shin. ''I want to see master as soon as possible¡­'', was what she said while looking at everyone''s worried expression. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 165 Senior Black Alira was worried about Shin to a great extent and the same was true for others too. Terran knew precisely how smart Shin was so he knew that he would have left for a good reason after putting a lot of thought into the matter. "I think we should wait for some time..." "Master might just return soon enough.", was what Terran said. "Yes.", Alira nodded her head after thinking for a minute. Kaily too agreed and nodded her head. Well, there was not much that they could do at the moment, so they decided to just wait, however that didn''t mean that they wouldn''t attempt to search or look for Shin at all. Terran was still nning and thinking the same way as the elves did. He wanted them to go and look a bit ahead in order to see if Shin had left any tracts of himself. The elves were already moving even before Terran had a chance of speaking his mind. They wanted to check on Shin too. There was a group of fearless Arb Elves who did not fear aging or dying. They were usually used as scouts so they were called the Scout Group. They moved immediately and set out to find Shin, though, they couldn''t go too far and could only look from a closer range. Alira, Kaily, and Terran could only wait now for the scouts to return and report them. *tap tap tap* Terran walked near the Old Tree Mo and waited near him. He wanted to know more about what Shin had said Mo, there could have been something that Mo might have missed out which could have acted as an important notice or detail. He was about to ask Mo when suddenly he started to shrink in size. Yes, the potion was finally showing its effects. Mo''s body started to glow with bright green light all of a sudden as soon as his body started to shrink. His size was restored, yes, he was now as tall as a normal human. All the elves that were standing far away saw the green light and were attracted to it. Moreover, they were baffled by the slowly changing form of Mo. ''He literally shrank!'' - thought one of the elves who was earlier denying the effects of the potion which Kaily had made. "Yes!" "Yes!!" "Finally! I can be a human again!", was what Mo said. He was extremely happy about it but at the same time, many weird thoughts crossed his mind. ''But, will the potion really work properly?'' ''What are the chances of it failing or going wrong?'' - he had been asking this question since the beginning. The difference between then and now was, his doubts and questions were reduced and that''s all. He still questioned and doubted though. Many negative thoughts crossed his mind which ended up jinxing him. While his size did reduce, his appearance remained the same. Further, the effects of the potions seemed to act only on his height and size. Yes, his body continued to shrink even more and in no time, his height was no more than one meter. "Wha-" "What the fu-" He ended up fainting even before he couldplete his sentence or show his dislike for what happened. What could have been even done? He was traumatized or to be precise, the shock was so great that it drained his already less energy which resulted in a faint! The elves were surprised and were excited at the same time when they saw the decrease in size and that was true for everyone that was present there, yes, everyone except Kaily. The expressions on her face hadn''t changed since the start. It was as if she knew the end result of the potion. ''Yes, the potion worked effectively.'' ''Now size is reversed perfectly.'' In any case, the elves hurried to move small-sized Mo towards the shade of another tree so that he could rest based on Kaily''sments - "His energy might have been drained out." "He requires some time to regain the energy. It''s best to ce him near some mana source." That was why the elves pulled him close to a tree so that he could absorb the natural mana that the trees emitted. It was a piece ofmon knowledge - Sun, water, Nutrients, Air, and many other extrinsic, as well as intrinsic factors, affect the growth of nt life. It wasmon in both the worlds, though, one major difference in the new world was the presence of mana which acted as a fuel for magic and life too. The young nts or trees absorbed mana on a daily basis and the mature or older nts released mana on a regr basis. Thanks to this, there was a constant bnce and cycling of mana in nature and probably this was one of the reasons for the long lifespan of the nts. ''Well, now master will surely praise me when he returns...'' ''But where did he even go?'' ''I mean, he couldn''t possibly find his sister so easily in thisrge forest!'' - was what she said to herself. She was a witch, and she had stayed at the edge of the forests for a long time. Needless to mention, she had traveled around the forest countless times so she roughly knew almost the entireyout or tracks present in the forest. This meant that she also knew about the beasts or monsters that resided in the forest. ''I just hope that master doesn''t end up encountering Senior ck...'' ''If he happens to meet him by chance, then I have no idea what a huge storm would rise!'' "..." ''Senior ck doesn''t trust anyone, if he finds any creature, he would just attack without even wasting any time.'' *gulp* She swallowed arge amount of dry saliva while thinking about that. ''But the chances of them meeting are very low...'' ''However, if they happen to meet, then I''m sure, a great battle would soon ur in the forest...'' ''Senior ck...'' ''Master Shin...'' Kaily''s eyes widened as she thought about them, This grabbed Terran''s attention since he was already looking here and there to see if Shin was anywhere nearby. ''What is she up to?'', Terran asked himself. "..." To be continued... Chapter 166 Disable The Skill Shin who had dashed off earlier to find Ae, had traveled quite a lot of distance and was far away from his n. Yes, he didn''t hesitate to use his full speed and with no time had already arrived near the ce where the witch used to live. Since he had the function which enabled him to ward off the monsters and beasts, he didn''t have much to worry about. Though, there were a few factors that he had to think about. ''Man, I am unable to smell her scent...'' ''Just what is happening?'' ''Why is this happening?'' While it is true that animals, especially dogs, and rted species and types, have an extraordinary sense of smell, it doesn''t work always. There are times when they too get some sort of disease just because their body is pushed to a limit and at the moment a simr thing was happening to Shin. Though, more than a disease, it would be appropriate to say that it was some sort of drawback for overexerting himself. So, the question arises, how did he overexert himself? [ 30 minutes ago... ] *swoosh* Shin was running swiftly with all his might. He wanted to waste no time at all. While he prioritized saving time, he forgot to rest. Running to the edge of the forest from the center is no easy job. In fact, considering how small Shin''s body was despite the huge amount of strength, he couldn''t possibly run the entire distance in one go. He had to rest and he knew that very well. He was not a fool to run aimlessly without knowing his limits, but oh well, he just thought that it was best to run instead of resting ''Pushing over the limits'' or ''Breakthrough your limits'' - were some of the lines that came to his mind. He had heard these words somewhere earlier, not in this world for sure, and using these words as a base, he continued to run thinking that his skill might evolve or he would get better. But little did he know that such words weren''t true for all the cases. They were surely not false, but at the moment, instead of rushing through things, it would be wise to go over them smoothly. The fact that his body wasn''t able to handle his power became evident when the system disyed a warning! [ Warning ] [ Excess fatigue umted ] [ Excess heat generated in the body due to over-action of the muscles ] [ Advice - The system advises the host to rest for 00:00:05:00 ( 5 minutes ) ] ''Ha!'' ''What a joke!'' ''Do you really think that you can fool me?'' ''I am nowhere near my limit.'' - was what Shin thought. ''Do you really think that I cannot understand the limits of this body?'' ''I have been in this for a year now and I know how it works, so you better give a better exnation for the warning.'', when he thought all this, he sounded a bit arrogant. It was as if he knew everything, but in reality, his knowledge was limited - at least, less than the system for now. Though, he had a valid point. He had grasped how the body of a wolf worked after experiencing it, so it was weird to see the system disy such a message because he couldn''t feel any changes in heat or pain. There were some more trees in front of him that directly blocked his pathway - of course, he was trying to take a shortcut! The roots of the trees were above the ground forming inverted ''U''-shaped structures looking somewhat simr to an umbre. Yes, the same was found everywhere due to which the ce was called Umbre Zone of the forest. Regardless, Shin didn''t mind about the ce and didn''t stop even for a second and continued to jump over the U-shaped structures. Somewhere high enough which enabled him to pass under them, while others were low due to which he had to jump over them. And while he was jumping, his legs gave out and he ended up tripping over one of the structures. *bam* He collided with one of the trees with his head directly dashing the bark. In a second, his head started bleeding. "Ouch!" "That frickin'' hurt!" - he shouted. "..." "Or... it didn''t?" He shook his head only to find his vision appearing to be red. Yes, everything around him appeared red. Needless to say, the blood from his forehead was gushing out like a fountain and had already drenched his entire face. "What the-" He seemed confused. He shook his head again causing the blood to ssh here and there. But despite doing this, his vision seemed to be blurry or appear red due to which he started licking his eyes thanks to which, his vision became clear. Along with the taste, he could now see the red blood which had been sshed all over the ce. The blood was still rushing from his head which he noticed immediately when a small pool of blood seemed to form. "Are you for real?", he asked himself. "Blood...?" "Am I bleeding?", he seemed even more confused. But there shouldn''t have been any confusion, to begin with. It was obvious that hitting something while moving at such a high speed would only cause the impact to be reversed. Despite his sturdy body, he started bleeding, the cause of which was high speed which he understood soon enough. ''Damn...'' ''So that''s what it is...'' [ HP: 800/840 || Max. HP: ??? ] He took a look at his HP and almost instantly healed himself. That wasn''t a problem at all. The bleeding stopped almost instantly as if it hadn''t urred in the first ce. The lost HP was recoveredpletely. But Shin was still staring into the nk space as if he was thinking something. ''Yes...'' ''No matter the situation, I have to think calmly...'' ''First of all, let''s disable the skill Pain nullification.'' He realized that he was failing to analyze the condition of his own body because of this very skill. ''Ding'' [ Do you want to disable the passive skill ''Pain Nullification'' temporarily? ] [ -> Yes ] [ -> No ] "Yes." "..." To be continued... Chapter 167 Tracing ''Ding'' [ The skill Pain Nullification has been disabled temporarily ] [ Give amand phrase for the activation of the skill ] The system probably heard what Shin was thinking in his mind. He wanted the system to enable a function that would let him re-activate the skill whenever he desired so that its effects can again take over him. Of course, the system heard him and asked for a phrase so that it wouldn''t take too long for him to re-activate when needed since even a second would matter during a harsh battle. "Activate Pain Nullification." - was what Shin murmured. ''Ding'' [ Activate Pain Nullification - is identified to be the activation phrase for the passive skill Pain nullification ] [ With the analysis conducted, the word ''Activate'' is considered to be the keyword ] [ The word ''activate'' will be set as the keyword for reactivating the passive skills ] Active and passive, were the two categories into which all the skills were divided or scattered in. Active skills would get activated almost immediately as soon as the user calls it. Of course, the system can activate the said skills if utmost danger is sensed. Passive skills were something that would keep on producing an effect on the host or user. Yes, the passive skills couldn''t be deactivated or reactivated just like that since their effects were considered to be prolonged and it was something that the body would develop on its own. That is why any beast or monster having passive skills cannot disable it. Shin was different, he could deactivate even the passive skills - basically destroying the boundary that nature and the world had set on the limited skills. Yes, this difference was due to the presence of the system. It was precisely because of the said thing that he could do tons of many other things that normal beasts would otherwise fail. In any case, now he disabled the skill and even set an activation phrase for them which would save a lot of time for him or would at least save little but important time! In the end, it was beneficial for him that he got rid of the skill for now. It would be better for him to activate that passive skill only during times of need. That was the first thing he learned. The second was about the system. He observed that despite the use of the passive skill, the system still showed its effects. It was as if the system was unaffected. ''Is the system not a part of me?'', was what he asked himself. ,m For a long time, he had a belief that the system was a part of the wolf''s body. That was because he gained that system only after getting in the pup''s body. However, if he thought carefully, there were many things that didn''t match up and now was one such moment which he realized. Though, he didn''t waste more than five minutes in thinking and doing everything that he had to. Of course, the time was used for resting as well and the amount of fatigue that he had umted decreased a bit. Now he could continue again. He walked further and soon arrived near the hut, however he was still exhausted. Needless to say, the rest wasn''t enough but oh well, he finally arrived at the edge of the ce from where he had departed earlier. *sniff sniff* ''Uh...'' ''I can''t find her scent at all...'' He had a running nose for some reason. His sense of smell had decreased a bit due to that. "..." "Wait a second, I can use the system to find her, can''t I?" - was what he realized all of a sudden. "Hey system, can you find Ae?", he asked. ''Ding'' [ Searching... ] [ Detecting the traces of Ae ] [ Footprints found ] [ Tracing the route taken ] The system started to search almost immediately without answering. ''Ding'' [ Ae found ] Shin thought that it would take the system longer to find her and was trying to rest. However, the system found her almost immediately. "What the-" "What did you say?", his eyes were shaking. He could hardly believe his ears. He checked the system''s notice twist and licked his eyes twice to ensure that this was no hallucination. "Where...?" "Where is she?", he wasted no time in asking that. ''Ding'' [ Ae''s traces lead to the vige of the Goblins, towards the south, 41 km away from your current location ] "The vige of the goblins...?" Shin finally understood that the mission which he was given earlier had everything into consideration. It was as if the mission was based on the future which startled him a bit. *gulp* Shin swallowed arge amount of dry saliva because of the sudden revtion. He could wait no more, he thought that he would search for her near the areas and would return before the sunrise, but after finding out her location, he could no longer refrain from running again! All the fatigue and retarded sense of smell that he had, vanished all of a sudden. More adrenalin started to pump which suddenly increased his blood pressure and inspiration rate. His widened eyes returned back to normal while emitting a faint green glow of light. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ You have used the skill Wind Run ] The moment he did that, he vanished from the spot. He moved quite fast and in an instant, passed through tons of trees. Running fast doesn''t ensure that you can dodge each and every obstacle that lies on your path. Shin knew this very well since he had to face such things way back. Because of that, he never forced himself to use the skill ''Dash'' and ''Wind Run'' at the same time near tons of trees because that could end up slowing him down instead of actually increasing his speed ultimately leading to a wastage of time. ''Wait for me Ae. I will be there soon!'', he said to himself and dodged every tree with ease. It was as if his reflex kicked in or multiplied all of a sudden. "..." To be continued... Chapter 168 Dark Wolf General - Part 1 Shin ran like a wild dog without thinking about anything yet again. But since his pain nullification skill was disabled, he could feel the pain building up inside his body. The only difference was that he was not ready to stop and that was all. He didn''t want to waste any more time after finally finding her whereabouts. But oh well, little did he know the danger thatid in front of him. Yes, the great danger which Kaily was referring to was just ahead. That was why, a huge sh that was unseen was going to ur. Although Shin didn''t know about that, he could sense the chill in the air. Yes, as he approached and neared the edge of the south end of the forest, from another direction that is, he found a rather weird but strong pressure covering the area. Not to mention, it was still dark. The sunrise was soon the ur, however it was still dark so Shin couldn''t actually see too far, of course, without using his skills that is. ''What is this...?'' He asked with a confused expression on his face. He stopped running precisely because of 5his pressure after almost nearing the edge. 100 more meters and he would actually exit the forest. Though, he stopped at the moment because he felt as if someone was watching him. "Who...?" And just when he was going to ask and find out, he was attacked all of a sudden. *Boom* A huge explosion urred which destroyed more than five of the surrounding huge trees. Unusually, the trees or the surrounding didn''t catch fire. "Wha-" "What the heck was that?" Shin raised his voice after seeing therge crater formed at the ce where he was standing. Yes, the attack was aimed at him but he sessfully dodged it. It was thanks to his skill Dash and Wind Run which were still active. "..." "Who are you?" "Why are you attacking me!?", Shin asked. "..." But there was no reply. It felt as if an unknown being had targeted Shin and didn''t want him to go from the ce where he was standing. *Boom* Another st urred just left to him. Shin thought that the attack missed, but he was wrong of course. The st that urred was different from earlier. While earlier was like an explosion destroying things in its surroundings, the current attack seemed to have targeted Shin specifically! How so? Well, the attack was aimed at his shadow which appeared due to the sunrise which took ce a few seconds ago. Although the sun wasn''t exactly visible, the light from it reached Shin since he was standing almost at the edge where there was a little opening area. The attacks weren''t visible to Shin''s eyes. That was because the attacks had the same color as that of nighttime - ck. Due to that, they easily camouged in the darkness. Shin was lucky to dodge the first attack, in fact, that was because of his quick reflexes. ''What the heck?'' Shin wasn''t able to move anymore. It was as if someone tied him down at the ce where he was standing. ''Just, what happened?'' Shin hadn''t noticed yet that the attack which the unknown oneunched had hit his shadow. All he thought was that the attack missed and nothing else because of which he failed to realize the gravity of the situation. Though, he had the system''s help so it was fine, for now, that is. ''System, answer me...'' ''Just wha-'' However, even before he could answer anything else, his instincts warned him of the next attacks that wereing towards him. Yes, this time he was able to see them clearly. It was partly because of the sunlight which took away the camouging capability. The major reason for seeing the attack was his skill - All-Seeing Eyes. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill All-Seeing Eyes ] His eyes started to glow yet again with green light. He could see three spheres, loaded with energy,ing towards him. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dash ] ''Ding'' [ You were unable to move from the ce because of Shadow Restraint ] [ You are rendered immobile ] Shin thought about escaping with the skill ''Dash'', however, he failed and the system enlightened him the reason for his failure immediately. The attack that wasunched now wasn''t that fast, so Shin got enough time to think about another skill and thankfully, he was able to use a skill to defend himself. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Aero sh ] He used the skill thrice continuously because earlier, he had seen that three spheres were advancing towards him. He could also see the power levels of the skills and the auras with which they were engulfed. So he knew roughly how strong they were. ''The attacks, they are nearly as strong as my Aero sh.'' - was what he had concluded due to which he ended up using the said skill. *Boom* *Boom* *Boom* The sound of three explosions was heard. Yes, although it seemed as if the attacks would be nullified, the spheres were still loaded with a tremendous amount of energy so it was an obvious thing to happen. Quite a lot of smoke was liberated as a result of the collision of the attacks. "Who are you?" "Show yourself!", Shin raised his voice. However, there was no need for him to do that. He could use his All-seeing eyes to detect him. But oh well, he was trying to buy some time in which he wanted the system to find a way to get rid of the shadow restraint! ''Ding'' [ Advice: The system advises the host to use the skill Transformation ] "What good will that do?", Shin asked in a loud voice instinctively. The unknown being that was still hiding in the shadows of the trees seemed confused after seeing Shin talking to the system. ''Who is he talking to?'', the beast asked himself. ''Ding'' [ Answer ] [ You will be able to transform in Dark Wolf General ] "Ah..." Shin realized that he could actually escape with the system''s advice. ''Alright then...'' His eyes started to glow yet again with green light right after which, a ck sphere engulfed him. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Transformation ] [ You have selected the Link, Dark Wolf General ] "..." To be continued... Chapter 169 Dark Wolf General - Part 2 ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Transformation ] [ You have selected the Link, Dark Wolf General ] A ck-colored sphere engulfed him. The entire air around him started to change slowly. Although the sun rose, and it was daybreak, a ck-colored smoke started to spread from Shin''s body which ended up covering arge part of his surroundings and rendered it to be dark. ''This is...'' The beast soon showed himself all of a sudden after being shocked by what was happening. Yes, as expected, arge wolf appeared in front of Shin. It was almost four times as big as Shin in his normal state! But at the moment, Shin was slowly transforming into something else entirely. Although he had done this multiple times earlier, only Ae had perhaps seen the most of it. Others probably didn''t even have the chance to see his transformations. The sphere suddenly started to move inwards as if Shin was sucking the ck aura that was being generated. Yes, in a matter of seconds, therge sphere vanished and the only thing that was left was arge wolf. ''Aooooooo'' Shin howled at the top of his voice. It was as if he was trying to intimidate the beast which appeared in front of Shin at the moment. Actually, when Shin had used the skill All-Seeing eyes, he had detected the beast''s location. But more than that, he had seen the beast''s shape too and had concluded that it was a wolf. Considering the fact that it used shadow-type attacks such as Shadow Restraint, Shin had immediately concluded that it was a shadow-type wolf and the only one that could beat a shadow type was a Dark Type! So, while he was surely thinking about escaping from the Shadow Restraint, he was thinking of a way to defeat the wolf too. At first, when he discovered the fact that the beast was a wolf, Kira''s thoughts came to his mind. But it seemed like he was wrong, and he realized this after seeing a few attacks. In any case, Shin had nowpletely transformed into a Dark Wolf General which was five times as big as his previous self. Needless to say, he was bigger than the beast which appeared at the moment. Other than his eyes, everything about him was different. The aura around him was different - it had gotten much more heavier and powerful. His size and entire strength had been increased considerably. His white fur had changed into ck. His jaw had be stronger and the number of teeth had increased, previously twenty to fifty, which was weird for sure. Yes, his eyes continued to shine with green light. *gulp* ''Wha-'' ''What is this aura?'', the ck wolf asked. While the beast was shocked by the sudden transformation, Shin took the opportunity to look at the wolf''s stats. This would give him another advantage at the same time! Actually, Dark Wolves were stronger than Shadow wolves because the type ''Shadow'' was actually derived from ''Dark''. However, the type disadvantage could be ovee with the level gap which Shin wanted to avoid! He did not want the Shadow wolf to be of a much higher level than him because then the type advantage would be voided! [ Profile ] Name: Shin Sex: Male Age: 1 year Weight: 29 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Dark Wolf General ] Rank: A || Max. rank: ??? [ Level: 72 || Max. level: 80 ] [ HP: 840/840 || Max. HP: ??? ] [ MP: 490/520|| Max. MP: ??? ] [ Exp: 6025 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 311 || Max. Atk: ??? ] [ Def: 279 || Max. Def: ??? ] [ Speed: 575 || Max. Speed: ??? ] Int: 95 || Max. Int: ??? Mana Space Lv.1: 40/40 [ Stat points acquired: 1180 ] [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Dark Maniption Lv.4 2] Devour Lv.3 3] Dark st Lv.2 4] Dimension Eater Lv.3 5] Tranformation Lv. 4 [ Passive Sk.. ] But before he saw the other''s stat, he took a look at his own stats to see if what he remembered was right. It was partly because it had been long since he had transformed into the Dark Type. The Dark Wolf General had only four Dark-type active skills, three of which differed from the normal white wolf form. The fifth skill was none other than the ''Transformation'' skill which would enable him to go back to his previous form. Until and unless he used that, he would remain in the current form. The passive skills were the same as earlier since they would just get copied to all of his transformants! Therefore, there was no change in them. Yes, the Pain nullification had been disabled for the linked transformant too! [ Profile ] Name: -< none >- Sex: Male Age: 9.5 years Weight: 23 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Shadow Wolf General ] Rank: A || Max. rank: ??? [ Level: 69 || Max. level: 80 ] [ HP: 780/780 || Max. HP: ??? ] [ MP: 390/470|| Max. MP: ??? ] [ Exp: 4044 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 211 || Max. Atk: ??? ] [ Def: 260 || Max. Def: ??? ] [ Speed: 510 || Max. Speed: ??? ] Int: 73 || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Shadow Lv.3 -> A skill that allows the user to turn into a shadow. -> Consumed 2 MP per second. 2] Shadow Restraint Lv.4 -> An attack capable of freezing/paralyzing an opponent by attacking the shadow for 5 minutes. -> Consumed 10 MP 3] Shadow Illusion Lv.2 -> Creates multiple shadows of the host which are capable of inflicting damage to the foe. -> Consumes 10 MP 4] Shadow Destruction Lv.2 -> A shadow attack that can pass through any object and cause an explosion with a range of 5 meters. -> consumes 20 MP 5] Shadow Sphere Lv.2 -> Sphere of energy made of the shadow is fired -> Consumes 10 MP [ Passive skills ] -< none >- ''So he is really not Kira...'' ''And, I have never seen such stats, just who is he?'' ''Might as well intimidate him!'', Shin decided. "You..." "How dare you attack me!", Shin raised his voice only by a bit. He tried to maintain a deep and dominant tone because the voice was one of the important factors that could intimidate the foe! "I...", the beast seemed shocked. It was facing Shin with an expression of guilt. "I didn''t know it was you master..." "F-" "Forgive me!", the wolf raised his voice and said this while looking at the ground. ''Huh?'' ''Is he someone that I know?'', Shin asked himself. Of course, no one would call Shin ''master'' unless and until they actually know him. Therefore there was a very little chance that some random someone would call him that. ''He is definitely not Kira, then who is he?'' "..." To be continued... Chapter 170 Dark Wolf General - Part 3 ''Who is he anyway!?'' Shin was trying to figure out his identity. Since he did not have any name, Shin was sure that he wasn''t Kira. Also, he was of a different type. He had gone through these thoughts, but the question was still now answered. ''Am I forgetting someone?'', he tried to recall but then found that he really knew no one else who was a wolf and would call him ''master''. Not to mention, he had never met a ''shadow wolf''! Also, there was something else that picked his interest at the same time - ''Wolf General''. Yes, the title of ''Shadow Wolf General'' was what shocked him when he saw the Shadow Wolf''s stats again. *gulp* While considering other stats, the wolf seemed weak, but the rank alone made all the difference in the world. Shin, even with the help of the system, was only able to ascend to the rank of Highlord. However a beast out in the wild was able to attain the rank of a general - this without a doubt proved the vast amount of experience that the wolf might have collected. It might have gone through tons of life-threatening experiences and at the same time, it would have undergone many battles. Of course, it did not have any system that coulde and aid it during the grave times! In any case, now Shin only had one way to find out, that is, by asking the wolf. "Why did you call me that?", Shin asked. Shin was ready to wait for the wolf to speak by itself before asking, however, four to five minutes had passed by and the wolf was just staring and doing nothing else. "Master..." "No, why do you resemble master?", the wolf asked. "Ha?", Shin''s eyes widened. He finally understood that the wolf had mistaken Shin with someone else. Yes, with just one statement, their rtionship was made clear, that is, they were strangers! But this could actually lead to a fight or a battle between them. Wolves are believed to be self-loving more than anything else. Because of that, the wolf would try to attack Shin since the resemnce was made. That was the case for most of the wolves and the same was the case with the Shadow Wolf. ''Aoooo'' It howled and then attacked Shin almost instantly. Another set of attacks was fired towards Shin without giving him a prior warning. Well, the howling was the warning perhaps. The spheres which Shin had fended earlier using his ''Aero sh'' wereunched yet again. But this time, since the wolf was closer than earlier, the attack seemed quite fast. Also, there were more spherespared tost time - five more. So in total, eight spheres were fired continuously one after the other. Perhaps the shadow wolf had ns of attacking in a series unless any one of the spheres hit, but oh well, Shin wouldn''t let the attack hit him just like that! His eyes started to glow with faint green light as soon as he spotted the rapidly approaching spheres. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dark st ] The skill Dark st wasn''t a long-range skill but the attack was something that spread in almost all directions. A dark sphere-like energy started to emerge from Shin''s body and started to expand to the limit. Shin was at the center of the sphere. It wasn''t a sphere, to begin with, it seemed to be dome-shaped because Shin was on the ground. It was both, a defensive skill, as well as an offensive skill and Shin, was proud of it, so he used it without any hesitation. It kept expanding while causing great destruction to what it engulfed. ? *Boom* *Bam* *Boom* All the spheres that wereunched got destroyed by Shin''s attack. The shadow wolf wasn''t particrly shocked by it. He continued to attack because he expected such an attack from Shin after feeling the dense mana. Shin was inside the ck dome. He had nothing to fear as long as he was inside it, after all, the dome acted as a shield too. Shin kept on ring at the wolf as if he had met someone formidable. But seeing the power level, he wasn''t that strong, to begin with. But he knew, he shouldn''t be underestimating anyone after seeing only a few attacks. ''Well, I think I have wasted a lot of time...'' ''I can''t afford to stay here any longer.'', Shin nodded his head while thinking this right after which his eyes started to glow with even more intense light. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Devour ] The ck dome-like energy that had been formed around him stayed as it is. Yes, it didn''t vanish. Instead, thick ck thread-like structures started to appear from Shin''s body which extended out of the dome. It continued to extend. The Shadow wolf saw theming and took a few steps back because of that. But little did he know what those attacks were. The feeling of fear suddenly took over the Shadow Wolf. ''What is this?'' ''Just what is this feeling of inferiority?'' - he said while staring at the threads approaching. Well, he couldn''t move all of a sudden which was purely because of fear. The dome finally vanished and now Shin and the shadow wolf were face-to-face. Of course, the thread-like weird energy continued to move towards the wolf and started to whirl around him. ''Damn, this doesn''t look good...'' While the dark threads seemed to be normal chunks of energy, they had their own minds. Yes, mouths started to appear at the end of the threads which started to bite the wolf. "What the-", he waspletely shocked by this. Probably he had never seen such an attack before in his entire life. However, Shin was expressionless. He knew what he did so he had nothing to worry about. In fact, he was confident and believed in his attack. "Arghhhhh" ''Aooooo'' The shadow wolf started to shout and howl when the attack hit him. Yes, it was like he was getting eaten away however was he really feeling any pain? "Don''t act, are you really feeling any pain?", Shin asked. "..." To be continued... Chapter 171 More Caves "Are you really feeling any pain?", Shin asked. The wolf stopped howling and shouting for a second and thought about it. ''Come to think of it, it doesn''t hurt at all.'', he realized. Then what did the skill Devour do in the first ce? Wasn''t it supposed topletely engulf the foe and devour him? While that was something everyone would think, the skill waspletely different. It did devour something, but it wasn''t a physical entity. Yes, what it devoured was the mana of the foe - MP. This would ultimately lead to the depletion of the foe''s mana due to which he wouldn''t be able to use any more skills or magic that require mana. Of course, this was thanks to the ''no pain'' effect of the skill. This meant that, when the foe was attacked by this skill, he would feel no pain due to which, the attack might even go undetected. It was a thread with mouth after all so it could attach itself to the host. The wolf noticed that his mana was being sucked out due to which, he decided to do something different. Shin was still under the effect of Shadow Restraint. He hadn''t moved a single step since he was attacked. He has yet to escape from the restraint. This was the sole reason why the shadow wolf was confidently facing Shin. However, it soon realized that relying on restraint alone was foolishness. ''I was right, not only does he resemble master he is also as strong as him...'' ''I would never be able to face him...'' Right after he said this, he decided to run away despite the Devour skill in effect. Yes, he discarded the fear which he had for the moment. It would be better to say that he started to escape only because of fear. Of course, Shin was not going to let this happen if it was any other circumstance, but at the moment, he thought that it was for the best that he escaped after all he had something else to do. Shin didn''t move from the ce and waited for the effect of shadow restraint to get over. He could use some skill to get rid of it or turn it into darkness and get rid of it but thought that it would suffice to just wait since it would also help him regain the MP that he lost. However, he had forgotten that he had used the skill devour earlier. The skill was efficient in not only depleting the MP of the foe but eating the entire mana, to begin with. So a bunch of threads was actually trying to devour the shadow restraint that was used and in no time Shin was freed. ''Well, this is for the good...'', he nodded his head. He started to run without transforming back. He was already at the edge and not much distance was left so he thought that he could cover that distance in the current form. *sniff sniff* Yes, he could detect a faint scent that belonged to Ae. He was satisfied with the fact that he was heading in the right direction and expected to meet her soon enough. ''First of all, I will apologize and ask forgiveness for my blunder...'' He med himself for everything that Ae underwent. ''Ding'' [ You have exited the forest of Thuren ] "Finally!", he raised his voice. It was morning and finally, almost the entirety of the sunlight was shing on his body. After all, there was a huge grasnd in front of him, though, he could see the end of it which marked the beginning of a kingdom. When Shin turned his head towards his east, actually west, he found a bunch of rocky areas. His sixth sense was saying that there was something there and he had to go there! ''I wonder why, but I think I should head there...'', he said to himself. Of course, the system said the same thing too. It was pointing towards the rocky areas. Shin didn''t hesitate and started walking that way, but he was afraid of a thing, he might end up making the beasts living there scared. ,m Yes, he knew not who lived in the rocky areas, but he felt that the goblins might have formed a vige or something. If he were to go with the warding effect then they would be rmed after all only after feeling the effect would they start running away. ''Well, I think it''s better to just turn it off...'', he thought this and almost immediately turned the warding power off temporarily. After this, he started walking slowly towards the rocky areas when he decided that it was better to go in disguise while hiding constantly. If he were to transform back to his original form, he would be quite small and would be able to hide efficiently, however, the problem was that the fur was white due to which he would be easily exposed in the dark. ''Yes, I think it''s better to transform back.'' ''Even if I am detected, I can always use the Dark maniption to escape.'', he said to himself. That didn''t mean that he couldn''t use dark maniption in the current form, he could definitely use it even now but getting bigger felt a little inconvenient. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill transform to regain the original state ] No light shed this time and he just turned back normal. He then just started to walk again and soon arrived near the rocky areas. While he thought that the goblins might be near the rocky areas, he was actually surprised to find a settlement! ''I see, the goblins are indeed here...'' Not one nor two, there were many goblins near the rocky terrain. Shin hid behind a rocky thanks to which he wasn''t discovered but there were goblins who were looking here and there and were trying to guard their vige. Yes, the level at which Shin was standing was a bit high. Thend went down a bit only to lead to many caves. ''Caves...?'' ''Ah, goblins also live in caves after all.'' "..." To be continued... Chapter 172 Leading The Goblin Army ''Huh?'' ''So there really are goblins here!'', Shin spotted a lot of goblins nearby. Yes, there were many of them that were standing just out of the caves. Also, many of them just walked out of the caves and were talking with each other. ''Is this the vige that I was supposed to reach?'', he had no idea about that. The system did lead him here, but he knew not if this was the right ce. Of course, that could be confirmed in just one way - by checking the mission. ''System, disy mission rted to Ae.'' ''Ding'' [ -> Search for the clues left by Ae (3/3) ] [pleted ] [ -> Visit the goblins after collecting the Clues ] [pleted ] [ -> Find Ae ] After seeing the pleted'' status in the mission, Shin was sure that he had arrived at the right ce. Of course, he had yet to meet and talk with any of them. Well, he wasn''t sure about appearing right in front of them because that could end up causing amotion. Shin thought that it would be wise enough to wait for some more time until he finds a goblin alone and talks with it. However, that would again waste a lot of time. Though, it was the safest way - at least he believed it to be so. But Shin had a change in his n the moment he recognized a goblin out of the many. Yes, there was a goblin that was holding a staff with a crystal ball on top of it. Not only was the weapon familiar, but the goblin resembled the one which Shin had seen long back, just when Ae was attacked by humans. Shin thought about confirming if it was indeed the same goblin or if they just looked alike. ''System, disy that goblin''s profile.'' [ Profile ] Name: ??? Sex: male Age: 12 years Weight: 21 Kg Race: Goblin [ Mage ] ? Rank: D || Max. rank: A Level: 29 || Max. level: 30 HP: 110/110 || Max. HP: 112 MP: 210/330 || Max. MP: 340 Exp: 980 || Max. Exp: 999 Atk: 85 || Max. Atk: 88 Def: 36 || Max. Def: 40 Speed: 51 || Max. Speed: 55 Int: 64 || Max. Int: 70 [ Skills ] [ Active ] 1] Illusions Lv.3 -> Able to confuse the target by showing fake objects. -> Decreases foes stats by 20% -> Speed decreased by additional 50% 2] Fire st Lv.3 -> Arge sphere of fire forms and is fired. -> Ranged attack -> Radius: 50 meters -> Inflicts 10% extra damage to the foes within a radius of 20 meter 3] Clone Formation Lv.2 -> Forms clones of itself. -> Drains 30% of MP. [ Passive ] -< none >- ''Yes! It''s definitely the same goblin!'', the stats looked the same as they did earlier after all. Not that Shin could recall each and every stat, but he had a rough idea about the stats of the only goblin that he had ever met. Of course, he could only recall after seeing them again. ''But, will it be alright for me to go there?'' The goblin that Shin recognized was standing outside the cave so in order to meet it, Shin had to walk there. This could end up in a disarray again since the goblins might panic and start attacking him even before he could say anything! But he did not have any other choice at the moment so he thought that it would work out somehow. *tap tap* He moved towards his right and moved away from the rock. Now he waspletely visible to every goblin that was standing near the caves. "Intruder!", the moment the goblins spotted Shin, they ended up shouting that. Yes, they could speak which didn''t seem abnormal since Shin had found many creatures speaking in the past months! He didn''t even care about that, all he wanted was for the goblin mage to recognize him. Just as he walked a few steps towards the goblins, a notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ You have entered the Goblin Vige, Goblon ] While most of the goblins took a defensive stance while holding run-down weapons made up of stone, the mage that Shin had an eye on didn''t raise the staff. Instead, he seemed a bit shocked. Yes, he had recognized who Shin was almost instantly because of which he didn''t do anything. He started running all of a sudden and approached Shin which not only surprised other goblins, but also confused them. "This is ridiculous!" "What are you doing with them!?", asked another mage who just happened toe out of the cave. "Yes yes!" "Ridiculous!" "Ridiculous!" Other goblins just repeated the same thing like a chant. This symbolized how low intelligence they had. While mages needed to have high intelligence for magic, that didn''t seem to be the case for the goblins that weren''t mages. In any case, Shin wasn''t that scary. The goblins had a normal expression on their face except for the fact that they were surprised. There were three reasons for that, one - Shin was quite small in size. He seemed huntable because of which they weren''t worried since they had a ridiculous advantage in terms of numbers. Secondly, there was no aura from his body. This essentially meant that they were just surprised and not intimidated at all. Last, they had already met a white wolf that seemed a bitrger than Shin. Yes, they had met Ae already because of which Shin did neither intimidate them nor could he inflict fear in them. Other goblins still continued the chant when suddenly the mage that had approached Shin turned back and shouted, "Shut your mouth!" Right after that, the chant stopped and all the goblins literally shut their mouths. Even the other goblin mage stopped saying anything. "Please, forgive me for not introducing him to you..." After seeing that the conversation was going to ur now without any problem, Shin smiled. He thought that the goblin mage would take care of everything and then he could ask about Ae, however, he had misunderstood! "He is the one that will lead the Goblin Army from now!" - the goblin mage shouted. ''Yes yes, I am going to...'', Shin was just nodding his head instinctively when suddenly he realized what the goblin mage said. "Nani!?" "..." To be continued... Chapter 173 Lying "Nani!?", Shin was surprised by what the goblin mage just said. His eyes widened as he continuously stared at him wondering about what he just said. "Yes!" "He will lead us in the fight against the humans!", the goblin mage shouted again. Shin failed to understand what was going on, he tried to recall when he made such a promise! ''The heck! Why would I lead the goblins?'', he asked himself. ''Is this goblin crazy?'' He stared at the goblin mage as he continued to spew more nonsense. "Listen to me all, he is our only hope!" "You guys might not know but he is extremely strong!" "If he leads us, then we will definitely win against the humans." The mage continued to shout at the top of his voice while trying to convince everyone. Of course, he had to wait for others to arrive since everyone had to listen, but that was not how the goblins worked. The lower goblins, who didn''t have even a speck of intelligence had to follow every order of the intelligent ones. This was the norm since ancient times and it was by no means wrong since the mages or the intelligent goblins could provide better strategies or ideas whenpared to others. The goblin mage thought that he did a pretty good job and thus turned his head to the back while seeing if Shin was pleased and happy. But oh well, Shin was pissed. He waspletely displeased by what just happened! "You..." "Come here.", Shin said with a suppressed voice. He was trying his best to suppress his anger because that could end up agitating other goblins. The mage walked a few steps closer to Shin right after which Shin yelled at him, "When the heck did I promise to lead the goblins!?" ''Ma-'' ''Master, calm down!'', he said in hurry. *gulp* "Hear me out master, I know this is too out of the normal, but please, for now, can you agree to lead them?", the goblin asked. Shin wanted to yell more, however, he thought that it was better to do as the goblin said, for now, that is. "Fine.", he agreed. The goblin then turned back towards the caves and said, "Rejoice, now our victory is certain!" Although Shin knew not what the goblins were spewing, he agreed and acted ordingly. "Victory!" "Victory!" Now, this became a new chant. It was as if the goblins were really going to wage some war. Probably their morale was low for certain reasons and to counter that and increase their morale, the goblin mage used Shin''s name. Other goblin mages, a total of four, excluding the one near to Shin, didn''t speak or say anything. They too felt that their victory had be certain. All the goblins started to return to the cave as per the mages'' orders. It seemed as if they had something important to discuss with Shin because of which they asked others to return. *tap tap* The mages started walking towards Shin. All of them had staff that was simr to what the other goblin mage was holding. They walked quickly towards Shin, then turned towards the mage who was near Shin and asked, "Is he really fit to lead us!?" Their question was not wrong at all. Who would want some other race to rule or lead them? It would be pretty weird and would symbolize their recessiveness! Well, unless one is truly strong, it would be weird. But the goblins were ready to ept a strong being to lead them however at the moment, there was not a single trait of Shin that appealed to the mages. Yes, they questioned the judgment of the fifth mage who seemed close to Shin. "Heh, you guys don''t know anything about master!", he smirked. "What?", the goblins were confused. ? They too wanted to see what it was that caused the mage to believe and trust in Shin. They looked at Shin with expectant eyes as if they were waiting for him to show his majestic form or true strength. "Sigh...", Shin was wondering what he was doing her. He had no reason to go with what the goblin mage asked. He did agree initially but now that other goblins had gone inside, he could easily escape. "Before I show you anything, I want you to tell me something.", he demanded. Yes, he initially came to know about Ae and now he was finally about to ask. "What is it?", the mages asked. "Ae, have you seen her?" "Did she, by chance,e here?" The system still showed that he had arrived at his destination, meaning that the traces of her footprints or scent definitely ended here. Though, he could only get a faint scent here whenpared to the edge of the forest. That was because the goblins'' scent was too powerful and prickly. The mages looked at each other and shook their heads. "No, we haven''t seen any white wolf other than you here.", said one of the mages. The mage who knew Shin showed signs of surprise. His eyes were widened and there were slight sweat marks as if he was nervous. ''Hmm, so they didn''t see her?'', Shin lowered his head while thinking about that. He had noticed the uneven change in expression on the faces of goblin faces but thought that it was something natural. ''Well, then did the system get it wrong?'' ''Is it possible that it was some other wolf''s footprints after all?'', many thoughts came into Shin''s mind. And just when he was thinking about giving up and looking somewhere else, a thought crossed his mind. ''Wait a second, how do these goblins know that Ae is a white wolf?'' ''I never mentioned that...'' Shin''s eyes widened as he realized that. He was baffled because of three main reasons. First of all, he was shocked by knowing that they knew that Ae was a white wolf. Secondly, he was surprised to see them hide that fact. There should be something that made them lie! Lastly, he was awed by how foolish the intelligent mages were. "..." To be continued... Chapter 174 Went With Another Wolf - Part 1 ''But why did they lie?'' ''Why is there a need to hide the fact that she came here?'' Shin was confused at the moment and many more thoughts ran into his mind. He knew that Ae was someone who couldn''t freely converse with other races so she had very little chance of verbally threatening them. So there was something else that caused them to lie. But what was that? Shin continued to question himself but he couldn''t find the answer. He had to ask them after all but for that, he had to reduce their suspicion. Yes, Shin noticed that the mages all of a sudden started to look at him with suspicious eyes. Shin could see that the only one who had a different expression the entire time was none other than the only goblin mage with whom he had ever conversed properly. So he knew instinctively that something was definitely going on and there was something that made them reluctant or prevented them from saying the truth. "Sigh, hear me out." "I''m in no mood to joke. I really need to know the truth, so tell me, was she really here or not?" Well, he didn''t require to ask them again since he had already estimated that she was here after seeing their reactions and using a bit ofmon sense. But then again, he wanted to bepletely sure because of which he asked them again. The mages looked at each other again and were going to shake their heads again in denial when suddenly, the one who knew Shin, said, "I think we should stop deceiving master and tell him the truth." The goblins were still reluctant however the mage convinced them and said, "I understand why you all are doubting him." "You think that he isn''t powerful right?", when the mage asked this, other goblin mages seemed to agree. "But let me tell you, master is much more powerful than him!" However just saying that wouldn''t prove anything so the goblin mage asked Shin, "Master, it would be great if you could show them a sample of your powers." "Sigh..." ''How bothersome.'' While thinking that, Shin used a skill to prove the mage''s words and show his powers. Of course, it wasn''t exactly using a skill, to be precise, he just deactivated a skill. Yes, the skill which prevented his Aura from leaking - Aura control - he deactivated it only to show the difference in ss and strength. Though, he had taken into ount their levels too. All the five mages were D rank with varied levels which averaged around 25 to 30. [ Level: 29 || Max. level: 30 ] [ Level: 27 || Max. level: 30 ] [ Level: 2... ] Without wasting any time, the skills deactivation too affect. ''Ding'' [ The skill Aura control has been deactivated ] Right after that, arge amount of pressure started to build up around Shin which started affecting the mages. Earlier the only thing in front of their eyes was a pup and nothing more, but now, they could see a wild and hungry mad beast. The image that they saw was that of a beast salivating in order to massacre the goblins and eat them to fill its stomach. *shiver shiver* ''How is that wolf emitting such an aura...?'' ''Is that even a wolf?'' ''No...'' ''What kind of monstrous being is that?'' All the goblin mages had simr thoughts. It was the same for the goblin mage who was familiar with Shin. ''Master never fails to surprise me...'', was what he thought initially. ''Bute to think of it, isn''t the pressure much stronger than before?'' Earlier, he had witnessed very little of the aura. There were trees around which emitted natural mana due to which, a little of aura just dispersed. However, now that they were in a barrennd with nothing but rocks around, the aurapletely dominated. Also, Shin was a level higher so the aura would have definitely been stronger. "We..." "We ept you as our leader!" - the mages knelt on the ground immediately after the rumbling that was heard. Yes, all the goblins from the caves sensed this and ran with all their might. While some ran towards the inside of the cave - cowards - who feared death, others ran out of the cave to see what was going on - they were either curious or were brave or could be ssified as mere fools with no intellect. Either way, they too witnessed the immense aura. They could do nothing but kneel at the sight of Shin. Yes, while the mages knelt, others felt that they had to do so. Also, it was their instinct that was crying out loud to do nothing foolish and just crawl on the ground in front of a superior beast. "Let''s be clear..." "I did note to lead anyone.", Shin thought it was best, to be frank. "I just want details about Ae." "Do you guys know where she went after arriving here?" - Shin asked. Since thend was rocky, no more footprints could be seen thus even the system couldn''t track her. Also, her scent was way too faint because of which Shin couldn''t find the route or path which she took next. Using the system, he confirmed that Ae wasn''t around so now the only way that was left for him was to ask the goblins. ''Ding'' [ The skill Aura Control has been enabled ] Shin enabled the skill again to lessen the burden that was being thrown on them. All he needed was an answer so there was no need to threaten now that they realized how much of a deadly beast he could be - the feeling of aura was more like a threat, to begin with. "Miss Ae went with another wolf." - was what the goblin mages said in unison. "Huh?" Shin thought that he misheard so he asked them to repeat. They said the same thing again. "Ae went with some other wolf?", Shin''s eyes widened when he heard that because it sounded mysterious and unbelievable. "Yes...", the goblins nodded their heads. "Who!?" "With whom did she go!?" "..." To be continued... Chapter 175 Went With Another Wolf - Part 2 ''Why?'' ''And with whom did she go?'' ''Is he someone that she can trust?'' ''Or is he someone that will just trick her, betray her and then harm her?'', there were tons of thoughts that were popping up in Shin''s mind. Although he was strong himself and knew how strong Ae was, he was still concerned about her. He might have been overprotective - that''s what he thought initially - but that was not the case. It was something that one would definitely worry about after all she was hurt badly earlier. "Who?" "With whom did she go?", Shin asked impatiently. His head was throbbing and his blood pressure rose sharply. He felt as if his heart would pop out of his mouth at any moment. "Uh, master, it would be better if we talk inside." - was what the goblin mage suggested. Shin''s breathing was irregr, perhaps the mage noticed because of which he said this in order to calm him down. However, Shin wasn''t ready to do anything that the goblins said. All he wanted was info on Ae and her safety. "Just tell me already!" "Who!?" "With whom did she go?" The goblins thought that it was wise to answer first because that would calm him down, for the moment at least. "We aren''t sure master but she went with another wolf, a big ck wolf!", said another goblin mage. "A big ck wolf?", Shin repeated softly. When he heard that, suddenly an image shed in front of his eyes. A few moments earlier, he had encountered a ck wolf - perhaps could they be talking about him? Shin really had no idea if it was the same wolf or not, but he knew now that Ae had followed some ck wolf. This was much more of a concerning matter to him. This is because - as was mentioned earlier - the color of a wolf symbolizes its strength. The ck wolves are believed to be the strongest out of all while the white is believed to be the weakest, so there would be absolutely no reason for a ck wolf to apany a white one! The world revolved around the principle of - survival of the fittest and stronger are kings and free while weaker are ves - that was how this world worked. So definitely, that would be applied to all if not most of the beasts, and based on this, it was a concerning matter. "But master, you need not worry." "Master ck wolf is a good person who kept saving us from Trolls and I think he will take good care of Miss Ae." - was what the goblin mages said. ''Am I overthinking?'', Shin asked himself. While the goblins seemedpletely fine, he thought that he was just panicking too much. ording to the system, Ae was fine so he had nothing to worry about, but then again, thoughts didn''t stop from pestering him. It sure was a pressing matter so Shin decided to go and check for himself. "Where?" "Which way did they go?", he asked. The goblins looked at each other and said, "They went that way, but will you leave us and go?" They pointed towards the direction which lead to a ''Human Kingdom''. ''Ugh...'' Although Shin wanted to leave immediately after they pointed it out, he couldn''t. Their puppy-like teary eyes made him stay there for a few more minutes to hear their concern and help them, after all, they helped him too. "Sigh, tell me, what do you need me to do?" The goblins looked at each other and smiled as if they were victories. Of course, they seeded in asking for help and it was no big thing because they basically begged! "Revenge!" "What we want is revenge!", the goblin mages replied. "Revenge!" "Revenge!" "Revenge!" The other goblins started repeating this as if it was some chant. Shin heard this and was confused. ''Mere goblins want revenge?'' ''But revenge against whom?'', now that was a question which was worthy enough to be pondered about. "Why do you want revenge and against whom?", Shin asked. "The humans..." "We want revenge against the humans!", the goblin mages said. "Humans! Humans! Hu...", the chant changed to this. ''Huh?'' ''Now that I think about it, they mentioned something simr a while ago...'' "The humans invaded and took away ournds!" "We want to kill them!", said the goblins. Shin had a weird expression on his face at the moment. He was surprised to think that the goblins could n and want revenge after all they were the lowest of most monster forms and were hunted almost regrly. "Humans..." "Wiping our vige!" "We... stop them!" "Revenge!" Now some other goblins came forward and started to speak their minds. Since their intelligence stat was not that high, they couldn''t exactly make a proper structure but it was enough to convey the meaning. The goblins were pointing towards the kingdom that was to the south. Yes, it was the same direction where they had pointed earlier when Shin had asked about Ae and the ck wolf. "I see...", but Shin wasn''t confident enough to defeat the humans. He was a little pup after all and with his strength, although he could kill many, he couldn''t possibly go against an entire nation! Shin thought that it was in his best interest to reject their plea. He knew that nothing good woulde with ying with a nation of humans since humans dominated a major part of the continent! So, he was going to reject their offer when suddenly, a notification popped up which forced him to say otherwise. "Fine, I will do it!" - he said. ''Ding'' [ New Mission ] [ Difficulty: A+ ] [ -> Lead the goblins for the mission ] [ -> Conquer the Kingdom of Loria ] [ Reward: Find Ae ] [ Time Limit: 10 days ] ''The reward...'' ''How can I not ept this mission?'' Well, there was no option of epting or rejecting, he had toply with the mission if he wanted the reward, that is. "Thank you master!!!" "..." To be continued... Chapter 176 Info Regarding The Mission [ New Mission ] [ Difficulty: A+ ] [ -> Lead the goblins for the mission ] [ -> Conquer the Kingdom of Loria ] [ Reward: Find Ae ] [ Time Limit: 10 days ] The reason why he epted their request was the mission that popped up. It clearly said that the reward was finding Ae. Not only would this reward help him clear another mission, which was left behind whose reward was basically nothing, it would also give him what he desired. Enough was enough after all he had been finding and running all over this entire time. He had no reason to go here and there anymore. All he had to do was think rationally and that way he would be able to find Ae quickly and thanks to the mission, it would be much easier. The goblins were also wanting Shin to lead them, and if that were to happen, there was a chance that they would end up being loyal to him. That way, he would get morepanions and would be smoothly able to build arge n which may turn into a kingdom too. "Thank you master!!!" - all the goblin mages shouted with all their voice. Other goblins who hade out also heard this and only ended up bowing with a sense of relief. That was because they finally had someone powerful that was going to lead them. It was normally believed that wolves or any other beasts were smarter than goblins which also reassured them. "I need some time to think so can you leave us alone?", Shin asked while referring to the one and only goblin mage that he knew. Others understood this immediately and withdrew from the position. They demanded other goblins to re-enter the caves. This was to ensure that they would talk freely. The goblins did as they were told and within a few seconds, everyone vanished from the site. "Master, is something wrong?", the goblin mage asked. Shin sighed first and then turned towards him, "You all dragged me into your mess..." "Do you really think that I will be alright?", Shin asked. The goblin mage grit his teeth when he heard Shin say that. He was saying the truth since that''s what was nned to be done from the beginning. If it wasn''t Shin, then they would have dragged someone else! "Master, we were actually hiding a few things from you. Please listen...", it seemed like the goblin mage wanted to reveal some more matter to Shin. "Ya?" "Actually, miss Ae had ended uping here earlier in search of you.", the mage said. "Ha!?" "She came here!?", Shin shouted all of a sudden. "Yes...", the mage nodded. "But why would shee here?", he asked right away. "Well, I believe that was because she couldn''t find you in the home. She muttered these words when we asked her." Shin understood what the goblin was trying to say. Ae would have definitelye back to check on Shin if he was near their den, however, he had left earlier, probably towards Levonia. Despite having a great sense of smell, Ae couldn''t sniff Shin out since his scent might blend depending on circumstances. Thus, unlike Shin, her sense of smell was a bit less due to which she failed to follow the exact path that Shin took. Even the recent rain might have changed the sense of smell causing problems and nothing more. Whatever, Shin had now decided to fulfill the mission and add the goblins into his kingdom. "I see, was there anything else that she said?", Shin asked. "Uh..." "No, she stayed here for two hours in total and then went away." "Went away?", Shin asked with surprise. "Yes, when she was here, another wolf who was ck colored came here." "Probably he came in search of Ae.", the mage said. ''Someone came in search of Ae?'' ,m ''What the heck?'', Shin''s surprise just kept on increasing. "Hmm..." "Alright then, I will be back.", after saying this, Shin started to walk towards the said human kingdom. Of course, the goblin mage knew how strong Shin was, but he still had yet topletely trust him. After seeing him sigh again and again, the mage thought that Shin would end up trying to escape because of this, he asked to tag along. "Is it fine if I join you?", he asked. Shin had no problem with that, it would be fine to allow the goblin to tag along because he wasn''t thinking about escaping. Yes, he could do well without running away. Now all he wanted was to validate or get some info regarding the kingdom. He temporarily stopped thinking about the wolves and other things rted to Ae. As long as she is alive, he can find her anytime - that''s what he started to think and the confidence came from the reward that was disyed by the system. ''System, give me the specifics about the mission.'' ''Ding'' [ Aim of the mission: Lead the goblin army and conquer the kingdom of Loria ] [ The goblin army has lost its leader recently when some adventures from Loria barged into theirnds and hunted them toplete quests ] [ As a result, 35 goblins died including 1 goblin mage and 1 goblin general ] ''I see...'' [ Leading the goblins will lead to the boosting of followers and addition of the members to the n Lou Shin ] [ The kingdom of Loria has 3.5M gold coins worth ] [ The estimatednd area is 390 square miles with 30 viges ] [ Each vige has approximately 250 humans living ] [ Human poption is estimated to be 7500-8000 ] [ Total poption is estimated to be 24000-30000 ] That was all that the system provided him. The total estimation of the poption, thend, and riches - well, that''s what he needed to know to begin with. However, he wanted a little more details regarding their military strength. But Shin forgot to ask that at the moment because he was confused with the total poption and human poption. So instead of asking about military strength, he asked, ''Why is the total poption greater than the human poption?'' ''Did you really count the nts living there?'' "..." To be continued... Chapter 177 Categories Of The Goblins ''Did you end up counting the nts?'', Shin asked with a funny gaze. He was indeed confused by that. Weren''t humans the only one lived there? That was something he didn''t know but just assumed. Of course, humans were a highly intelligent species and were greedy too. They even tried to show tendencies of dominating others. So based on that, it wouldn''t be unusual to see ves present in the kingdom and probably the total poption was more precisely because of that. But for a kingdom, that was still quite less. No wonder it was a kingdom with so little poption despite having lost of riches. Shin received all this info from the system soon enough and he understood everything in detail - about the ves and their uses too. There were 3 types of ves present in the kingdom, in fact, in the whole world. One - the ones that were bought and used for pleasure: mainly sexual pleasure and entertainment. Second - there were those who worked as housemaids or work maids and helped in other chores such as building, maintenance, and service. Third - the battle ves that were used in battles of the nation. For Shin, the third was the most troublesome one because, with that, the number of people that he would be fighting would increase. Also, he might end up making unnecessary enemies. For example, if a beast-man or a demihuman was to send in the battle and if Shin were to kill him, the nation which was governed by the beasts and demi-humans might get enraged and might dere him as an enemy. "Sigh, how troublesome." Shin wasn''tfortable with all this. However, he couldn''t give up either after all there was no one to look after Ae if he were to give up at the moment. Also, he had to fulfill his dream of building a kingdom, an empire where he would rule everyone - just thinking about this gave him goosebumps. It might have been on a whim but he really did want his own base. "Well, go and dere everyone that I will be leading them soon enough." "Tell them, I need everyone outside within half an hour.", Shin said. The goblin mage was surprised to see him say this after sighing continuously. ''So he really was just nning of the attack, and here I doubted him for escaping...'', the mage felt bad for some reason. ''No more. I won''t doubt him anymore and will serve him with my absolute loyalty!'' Right after deciding that, the mage started to run towards the cave to gather everyone and announce about the war which was going to take ce soon. Shin just stood there and kept on staring at the wilderness in front of him. He also had other thoughts - mainly regarding Terran, Alira, Kaily, and the elves whom he had taken under him. ''It''s good to let them be for now...'' Initially, he thought that they might be harmed if some strong beast were to attack, but then again, they had warding items to prevent beasts froming their way. Of course, those items won''t matter to strong beasts, and that Shin knew since he met a wolf, which was strong, despite having the warding effect. Soon, all the goblins walked out of the caves and banded together forming a crowd. There were a lot of them. Shin was bewildered by their numbers at first however this seemed pretty normal since weaker races would usually stay close to each other to protect themselves. ''System, give me the info on these goblins...'' He wanted to know everything about them and the number of them that were present. How many of them could fight and how many were strong, exceptional, or had some sort of talent. ''Ding'' [ Mini Goblin Army ] [ Total Number of goblins: 5037 ] [ 8 goblin categories - Goblin Mages, Goblin Warriors, She-goblins(Goblette), Goblin scouts, goblin guardians, goblin caretakers, Hunters, Elders ] [ Goblin Mages -> Goblins that have special intelligence and can use magic to some extent ] [ No. of goblin mages -> 05 (awakened), 20(non-awakened/babies) ] [ Goblin Warriors-> Goblins that use weapons or brute strength to fight. ] [ No. of goblin warriors -> 1391 (awakened), 400 (non-awakened/babies) ] [ She goblins/Goblette -> Female goblins who take care of the baby goblins ] [ No. of Goblette -> 1200 ] [ Goblin scouts -> Goblins that work as scouts to find new areas or other dangers ] [ No. of goblin scouts -> 250 ] [ Goblin caretakers -> The goblins that look after the habitat and ce and help in making them better ] [ No. of goblin caretakers -> 800 ] [ Hunter Goblins -> Goblins that hunt prey or find suitable eatables ] [ No. of hunter goblins -> 771 ] [ Elder goblins -> The goblins that are too old to do any job but have intellect equal to goblin mages ] [ No. of elder goblins -> 200 ] After seeing all these stats, Shin was awed. He wasn''t particrly happy because the number of goblins that could fight was quite less. ''Hmm, I have to do something with this number...'' Even if all the goblins were to fight, they would still be 6 times less than the poption of the kingdom of Loria. Therefore, they had a great numerical disadvantage. On top of that, humans had great minds and thus great techniques. Therefore it would be weird to tell that a single goblin could best a human! "Here me out.", all of a sudden Shin raised his voice. The goblins that were waiting for him to say something were surprised. All of them now looked at Shin. Well, some might not understand what he was going to say, but still, he would try his best to convey what he had to say. He could even tell the mages to exin it to them since they were much more intelligent. "I will be separating you all into groups and then will be giving you separate tasks." "You all will be responsible for different things. I will teach some things and demonstrate some others." "I will have you all train for a total of 5 days and after that, I will give names to those who excelled!" "..." To be continued... Chapter 178 Preparations Are Complete Shin dered that he was ready to name the goblins that did a splendid job. Of course, he had to train them all after all they had to be able to do something. If they were to be left just like that, then it would lead to a disadvantage in skills which could cause them to lose the war. War wasn''t to be underestimated. It was by no chance something that could be done on a whim. Therefore, it was only to be sought as ast chance. For Shin it was contrary, he was actually ready to go to war probably because he thought that he had immense luck or perhaps he was just confident. Yes, seeing that the mission was given by the system, he knew that this was something that could be dealt with and was not impossible. He could even end up winning with the least possible casualties or no deaths at all! "Really master?" ¨C the goblin mage who had met Shin a while back said this with a thrilled expression on his face. It was probably because this was his first time seeing someone so readily agreeing to name someone, after all, the naming ceremony is considered as a boon to most monsters. "Yes, but only those that really give their all and perform fantastically, will be named." ¨C he repeated himself. This was something the goblins took to their heart. All of a sudden they were motivated to do the impossible. All of them wanted to be named and now that Shin put forth the thought about naming more than one goblin, everyone thought that they had equal chances to be named. ''By doing this, I can get some better fighters¡­'' ''I can just name them and ask them to lead charges in the battles just like how a general would.'' ¨C he thought. He wasn''t entirely wrong. If there were generals, then they would definitely aid him in winning the battle, however, he had to haveplete control over them. A double-edged sword can sometimes be harmful. If a goblin were to be given a name and were to evolve into a goblin general with high intelligence, then there was a chance that at some time in the future, Shin would suffer from backstabbing. Therefore, each and every step had to be taken with careful consideration. "Alright then-" Right after announcing all that, Shin started diving the goblins into several groups. He first took some time to exin what had to be done to the goblin mages considering the fact that they were agile while being highly intelligent. Of course, elder goblins were intelligent as well, however, they didn''t have that enthusiasm to do any sort of chores or work. So Shin left them with just two tasks ¨C ''Ensuring that all goblins were doing as they were instructed and finding the troublemakers.'' Others were given other jobs. The mages were asked to form a team of 5 with each of them leading another 10 goblins. They had to just demonstrate the usage of magic and how to dodge them. By teaching them these, the goblins would be able to dodge some simr-looking magic or magic with simr effects. The mages epted the job. Of course, they wouldn''t be able to train for long since their MP was limited. Therefore, Shin thought of a method that would let the goblins train for longer. "You will take turns while teaching." "Also, each one of you will use only a particr type of magic." By this, Shin ensured that their MP could be replenished easily while one would be drained. Thus, the training would continue for longer. He then further divided other goblins into some groups too. Taking into consideration the fact that the hunter-type goblins could give knowledge about sneak attacks and traps, not only did he ask them to spread the same knowledge to all, but also taught a few tricks to them. Yes, they knew nothing about traps that could hunt beasts that are advantageous in terms of numbers. Why would goblins mess with those with more numbers? It was obvious that their numerical advantage was the only thing that they could rely on and due to that, they would gang up on just a singlerge beast while hunting. This wasn''t appropriate considering the fact that humans were not only much more intelligent than them but also had a huge numerical advantage over the goblins. Thus, they had to learn tough techniques and the art of hunting from Shin. He taught them what the humans would do during desperate times and everything else. Within a few days, only four days, they showed a great amount of improvement. ''Yes¡­'' ''I was right¡­'' ''The goblins aren''t by any means useless monsters¡­'' ''It''s just that their growth and improvement is inhibited by the excess amount of prohibition to knowledge and content.'' ''Theyck determination.'' ''If those things are conquered, then they would be no different than a newborn baby who is curious about the outside world!'' Shinpared the goblins to the newborn infant of a human. A baby''s mind is just like a nk CD. Whatever you try to store, it will ept itpletely and easily. And with this, it will easily be able to learn tons of things without much difficulty. This can''t be considered that easily at the same time since the storage of the CD has to be considered as well. The goblins could store just a limited amount of info which Shin noticed, thus, instead of going through much useless info, he just taught them ¨C ''How to survive.'' In just four days, the army waspletely ready and was standing with a different kind of fire in their eyes. It was as if they could aplish anything that they wanted. It was not the fifth day, Shin had been watching them for the past four days. He only taught to some of them while gave guidance to others. Apart from that, he just had the role of observing and nothing else. "Alright, you have done a wonderful job for the past four days." "Be d, I have selected a few of you who are going to be named." "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 179 Shin The Sneaky: War Since The First Day "Yaaa!" All the goblins had formed lines and were standing like soldiers that would stand in an army. Earlier, they only knew to band together and nothing else. Just by seeing this, Shin could tell that they had improved a lot. He had decided not to give too much since he only knew them for a few days. Plus, he only wanted their help at the moment. Although he showed it as if he was helping them, he was the one that was in need. Without them, he couldn''t possibly wage the war and without them the chances of his victory seemed quite less. So it was inevitable. Whatever, just by naming them, he would give them the necessary boost that is required to win the war. "In total, I will be naming 8 goblins apart from the trainers." When he mentioned that, the heart of the goblins started to throb. Now the number was limited which meant that out of all the five thousand goblins, only eight would be able to be named. Sometimes naming causes evolution while sometimes it just boosts their power. In any case, there will be some changes that would be observable, and no matter how feeble that change might be, it would be useful in some or the other case. Also, the goblins were delighted because Shin was going to name the trainers as well, that was what he meant when he said ¨C ''Apart from the trainers.'' Yes, they understood him properly. "Master¡­" All the goblin mages bowed in front of him and readied themselves to receive names. He could have just given names in secret or could have done them sometimeter, but why did he choose to do this in front of everyone? The answer is clear, it is to boost their morale as well as just show how amazing he was. Shin started naming the goblin mages. He gave different names to each of them with almost entirely different words. Only two of those names were to be noted ¨C ''Arzoo'' and ''Mirza'' ¨C which were the names of the goblin mages who met Shin the first and the one who contributed a lot respectively. The name Arzoo means ''Wish'' while the name Mirza means ''Prince''. Since Shin agreed and fulfilled one of the goblin mage''s wishes, he named his Arzoo. He was the first one that Shin had met. For the second one, Shin named him Mirza (gender-neutral noun) because he felt a strong affinity for magic from him. That was why he thought that it would be best to give him a boost to magic. They were highly grateful to him. Consequently, Shin named other mages and then the elders who helped in training. While one would think that it would be a waste to name the elders, Shin thought otherwise. By naming them, he proved that one could live longer. Indeed, the ones that were sickly and were on the verge of death suddenly were full of vitality. With this Shin proved that he would keep his promise. Now the army was ready. They had nothing to worry about since shin was leading them. They were sure that they would win the war. Shin too thought the same, however, it wouldn''t be good to be full of confidence since even the system couldn''t possibly predict the future. There were five more days left and shin thought that he would win the war in just four days. Thus, he took the chance to look at the area where they will fight of course, whileying the traps. Land mines, pitfalls, fences, thorny nts including poisonous bugs, and weapons were all prepared while keeping careful observation on the quantity and quality. p Shin was away and in his stead other goblins were in charge of all these things. Goblin mages, goblin elders, and goblin hunters yed a major role. They were just waiting for Shin to return. Shin was away to give a warning to the kingdom of Loria. While the surprise attack had a high chance of sess, it was basically stooping low. Whilepleting the mission was necessary, doing it in a cowardly way was more of ridicule. Yes, this was the only reason why Shin went to announce the attack from the monsters. Of course, he had no way of directly conveying it to them. He could surely speak the human tongue but by doing so, he would just attract more attention. While staying with a low profile was quite advantageous, a profile that would cause trouble would be bothersome. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dragon''s Roar ] He used this skill just at the edge of the kingdom of Loria, just near its starting town. That would cause an uproar since encountering a dragon is no small thing at all. The roar caused arge uproar. The dragon''s roar was a powerful skill that bewildered many and within a day, all the adventures from other towns or viges were called. It was probably because all of them were curious about this roar. Roaring just once or twice would be deemed as a lie to keep the citizen''s from panicking, however, if the roar continued daily, then what would the citizens do? They had no choice but to send tons of adventures to the wild. Firstly, the ones who were sent were scouts to check the region apanying them were low-level knights or adventurers who didn''t have the skill but were curious. ''Dead'' ¨C almost instantly all of them died after leaving the town. Following them were other higher-ss adventures who died instantly too. When none of them returned, the adventurers guild go worried. Their poption was already low on top of which, losing potential warriors would cause havoc. Thus, finally, it was concluded that sending a familiar or a summon would be the best choice. ''No return'' ¨C that was the status of any familiar that left thend of Loria and entered the barrennds. "Just what the heck is going on!?" Yes, it was Shin who was waging war and had started the war since day one! He did train the goblins for 5 days, but at the same time, dominated the kingdom with sneaky tricks! "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 180 A Pack Of Black Wolves Shin knew exactly what he was doing, although, at times, things would work without his knowledge. He did use a sneaky tactic to keep the adventures at bay. Of course, tons of adventurers died because of these tricks due to which, their limited numbers started to drop rapidly. Killing low-ranked adventurers was equally important as killing high-ranked adventurers only in terms of numbers that is. In terms of skills, killing a high-ranked one would be much better. In any case, the number of humans started to drop rapidly. Of course, Shin also had to think about the request and alliance that the kingdom of Loria had with others. If it would issue a request for help, then it would further cause harm to Shin''s n after all the amount of help wasn''t taken into initial consideration. However, Shin knew that the help would take some time to arrive. Yes, they would have to have a meeting only after which could they issue the letter of help from other nations. ''No wonder the mission has to bepleted in ten days¡­'' ¨C Shin sighed when he thought all these things. He had prepared his forces now and had roared continuously to alert them. He had nothing more to do other than battle. Weirdly enough, he still didn''t know how this was useful when concerned to Ae. How would he find her if he were to win the war? What would he do once he had conquered a kingdom? ,m What would happen to other humans? Could he use the kingdom as his base to expand his territory? There were lots of questions in his mind however he had answers for none. He couldn''t help but think about these things since he had no idea what was going to happen next. "So, are you all ready to have your revenge?!" ¨C Shin shouted. "Yes!" ¨C all the goblins replied with all of their might. Some were holding weird spears made up of rocks while others were holding some fine swords and daggers including armors which were taken from the bodies of the dead adventures. What about their bodies? It was fed to the goblins of course. Shin had no sympathy for humans ¨C probably it was lost. Even if they were good ones, Shin had nothing to do with them. He didn''t want to needlessly kill anyone since he knew what pain would their family members go through, however, he wouldn''t let the ones who stand in his way harm him or his friends. All the goblins started to march down thends until they reached the border of the kingdom of Loria. Of course, the town closest to them was none other than the starter town ¨C Cry Pale. None of them were aware that the monsters wereunching any attack. They just knew that there was a dragon-like monster nearby that was ughtering adventurers like tofu and that''s all! Nothing more, nothing less, that''s all they were informed about. Unfortunately enough, when Shin arrived at the border of Cry Pale, his Aura alone cause tremor and havoc which caused many to run away without taking anything with them. Yes, their ves were left as it is ¨C chained ¨C and other than some money, everything was left in the same ce. They stopped whatever they were doing and ran to save their lives since they knew that if they were to stop in Shin''s way, they were going to be stompedpletely. Of course, they hadn''t seen him in person, however, his Aura was so strong that they were trembling down their bones. ''Ding'' [ You have temporarily disabled Aura Control ] Just by doing this, he caused half of the humans in the starter town to run away, not that there were many, to begin with. Well, it was a type of surprise attack since the humans never expected a group of monsters to cause a sudden invasion. Shin thought that he and his goblin warriors were the only ones that were going to attack, but to his surprise, a pack of wolves was also doing the same. ''Huh?'' When Shin turned his head towards his right, he found a pack of ck wolves staring right back at him. Since he had disabled the aura control, none of them looked down on him. But the main question was, what were the wolves doing here? ''Ding'' [ The wolf that previous attacked you has been identified ] The system disyed a notification regarding one of the ck wolves among them who had earlier tried to kill Shin or at least attacked him. ''You mean the Shadow Wolf General¡­?'' ''Ding'' [ Affirmative ] Shin continuously stared at them for quite some time while trying to figure out their intention. He then looked at the goblin mages to see if any of them knew something and he was actually right. They indeed knew something. They had previously mentioned about the ck wolves a few things but Shin didn''t think much of those matters. Also, because the training started, they hadn''t told him about their treaty or pact which they had formed ¨C a promise or so. "Actually master, we had formed a treaty with them¡­" "A treaty?", Shin was surprised to see them use such an advanced term but oh well, it was Arzoo who was speaking so he thought that it was fine. A worthy mention ¨C all the named goblins had evolved into Hobgoblins (a stronger species). So it would be appropriate to call them Hobgoblin mages instead of goblin mages. Some of the elders just looked younger with a bit increase in knowledge and intellect. Other than that there were no major changes, but just these changes were more than enough to shock the very ck wolves who had seen the goblins earlier. "What the heck?" "Just¡­" "What the heck is that?" ¨C one of the many ck wolves asked this with astonishment. "Deoras-sama, that is the wolf about which I had informed earlier.", said the shadow wolf general who was trying to find a justifiable reason to save his tail! "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 181 Promise Between The Goblins And The Black Wolves "You mean, the white wolf which almost defeated you?", the ck wolf who seemed to be the leader of the pack asked this with astonishment. "Yes." "As I mentioned, the reason I am alive is probably because he didn''t chase me and thought that it was futile to kill such a worthless beast." "If he had really chased me then I would be dead meat by now.", the Shadow wolf general, which was considered to be one of the peak ranks for the wolves, was afraid of Shin who was still just a high lord and nothing more. The shadow wolf general might have just praised Shin a bit too much, but doing this precisely would probably reduce the amount of shame that he would suffer. "But I am sure that he isn''t a match for you master.", the wolf smirked as he said that. "Don''t you think the same?", he turned back to ask the same to the wolves that were following Deoras. However, none of them could answer confidently. All of them were actually shivering due to the chills that was being aroused from Shin''s Aura. The same was true for Deoras. Although he wasn''t shivering in fear like others, he could clearly see the difference in leagues between them. "I wouldn''t be so sure.", he said in a calm tone to the shadow wolf general. "Eh?" He too knew that the difference in aura was quite great, however, at the same time, he thought that it was wise to bootlick his own master whom he had been following. After seeing him express his doubts, the shadow wolf general had to think otherwise. *gulp* ''I did expect him to be really strong just from the aura and the transformation, but I never expected master to give up so easily¡­'', the shadow wolf general thought. Shin knew that all of them were awed and had no hostility. However, he still wanted to go and speak with them face-to-face! *tap tap* He took a long andrge stride as he walked. His light feet yet heavy aura was another reason to instill fear. "Tell me, what is this promise that both the parties have made." The hob-goblins were ready to tell the promise, but Shin paused them and asked the wolves instead. ''Where is Ae?'' ''Is she among them?'' Only to know this, his legs moved. However, even before he could reach them, the system ended up answering. ''Ding'' [ Denied ] ''Sigh, maybe I should just stop searching her for now.'' ¨C he said to himself yet again. And then while trying to change the topic, he ended up asking about the promise while reaching the pack of wolves. None of the wolves could look at Shin''s eyes directly, not even the said Deoras. "The promise¡­" "Will you tell me?" "¡­" "Y-Yes." Deoras swallowed a bit of dry saliva and then approached Shin. In terms of size, yes, if the only size waspared, Deoras was twice the size of a human. This meant that he was almost four times Shin''s size since Shin was barely half or even less than a normal human''s size. If this was indeed something that decided the strength of a beast, then everyone would be fearless with Deoras leading them. Unfortunately, for wolves, color was the most important factor along with size of course. Shin was like a contrasting character in both cases. Neither was his size that great nor was his color dark. In fact, one could arguably say that Shin was at the pr opposite when he was to be ssified ording to the standards. In any case, now Deoras continued to exin and tell about the promise which he had made with the goblins. ( 53 days ago ) *huff huff* *drip drip* ''Dammit¡­'' ''Why did this happen all of a sudden?'' Deoras walked shakily as if he had lost almost entire of his strength. ? His ck body waspletely covered with blood. His wounds were exposed to the outside which bleed continuously and much more vigorously when came in contact with bushes or leaves. ''They are waiting for me¡­'' ''I need to find them¡­'' Right after taking five steps, the ck wolf Deoras ended up exiting the forest only to find a bunch of goblins holding the wolves. There were many ck-colored wolves, out of which almost all were bleeding and were hurt. The goblins had surrounded them but not on all sides. The crowd was thin towards the side where the goblin mages were present that were using healing magic. In any case, after Deoras spotted them, he thought that they were trying to take advantage of the weakened state and hunt the wolves since it would be easy to survive an entire month with their meat. No monster would help others without any personal gain ¨C this was something Deoras had concluded after seeing tons of things in his life. *Aooooo* He howled at the top of his voice and using his entire strength, dashed with all his might only to end up killing the goblin mage that was doing its best to heal the wolves by tearing its head apart with his mouth. Right after that, he fainted while not knowing the exact situation. Yes, there were 6 goblin mages earlier out of which one died in the mouth of Deoras. When this happened, all the goblins, instead of fighting or attacking, ran away. Revenge or anger? No, all they could see was survival for themselves which was based on instincts after all. However, the goblin mages decided to take action and thought about killing everyone while they were unconscious. But when they returned, four of the wolves were awake. Two of them had seen what had happened and discussed it with the other two. After that, they begged for forgiveness and asked to continue the healing. All of them woke up soon, after four hours, and realized what had happened. Deoras, with his head bowed, said ¨C "We promise you, we will help you goblins in doing any one task no matter what the cost! Even if it is a war against humans, we would dlyply." "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 182 Be My Wife! ,m Deoras exined all this with patience to Shin. All the wolves just stood at the same ce without moving probably because they thought that even the slightest movement could end up being fatal. ''Who is he?'' ''How is he so strong?'' ''Even she was surprisingly strong despite being a white wolf however he seems to be out of the world!'' ''Just who is he?'' ¨C the shadow wolf''s inner thoughts knew no bounds. He kept on questioning himself again and again without even trying to find an answer for any of them. Of course, he waspletely surprised by the fact that Shin was way too different from any wolves that he had seen, but at the same time, he thought that the situation was manageable. ''A wolf that goes along with the goblins readily is no bad wolf!'' ¨C this was something that the shadow wolf decided after looking at the goblins. Instead of fear, they had a form of trust and confidence because of Shin. And the unprecedented evolution and change in characters were everything that made the shadow wolf stay at ease. However, he still had something to pay back - payback for humiliation perhaps. "I see¡­" "So you havee to help us in defeating the humans?", Shin asked. Deoras nodded his head slightly and agreed to what Shin asked. "Hmm, then what are you waiting for?" "Join us and share your ideas with us.", Shin said. "Eh?", Deoras was confused with this sudden question. "Don''t tell me you all would just go on a rampage and attack every single human that youe across?", when Shin asked this, Deoras and others looked at each other for an instance. "¡­" ''What else should I expect from him...?'' ''He hasn''t improved at all...'' ''Maybe all wolves are like this...'' ''Not to mention, I am a wolf myself¡­'' "¡­" "Sigh, hear me out then¡­" Shin then told them about the advantage and disadvantages of just attack in a straightforward fashion. He asked them to do attacks in different forms and precisely in just one hour, he exined them almost entire detail with ease. They were somewhat intelligent so it was easy for them to understand what Shin said. Also, since they were wolves themselves, they could easily ept what Shin was saying. "I, no, we will follow as you say." ¨C Deoras realized that Shin''s n would minimize the number of casualties. Therefore, he decided that it would be best for the wolves to follow him at the moment. The pack had no problem in listening to what Deoras had to say after all they too agreed with the fact that Shin''s n was the best. Shin looked at everyone and they had no problem at all. Of course, none of them could look at his eyes ¨C no one other than the Shadow Wolf General. *gulp* ''I attacked him out of nowhere¡­'' ''I thought that if I were to defeat him, she would ept me¡­'' ''But just like she mentioned, he is extremely strong.'' ¨C the Shadow wolf general had many things in his mind. He was trying his best to hide his fear inside but it was still useless since his eyeballs were slightly shaking and trembling. The shadow wolf general was thinking of what Ae had said, As mentioned earlier, Ae had a bit earlier maturity. Although the wolves get ready for mating after maturing reproductively after 3-4 years of their birth, Ae seemed perfect while being just one year. Probably that was why the ck wolves, who encountered her on their way perhaps, were enchanted by her. (A few days ago ) "You¡­" "I like you!" "Mate me!", the shadow wolf general said this almost immediately after sighting Ae. This wasn''t umon at all. Ae was just that beautiful in terms of wolf terminology therefore hearing this wouldn''t have made Ae ufortable in normal cases. Yes, in normal cases, a female wolf would be more readily agree to mate any strong wolf which would have rather greater power and leadership skills, however, that was true only for the she-wolves that didn''t have a mate. Ae too didn''t exactly have a mate but she had Shin. No one else, she had never looked at others with those intentions. Some animals know to do things instinctively and the same is applied to sexual behavior which they understand after they mature a bit. Ae too instinctively knew that Shin was the only one whom she could ept. No one else would evene close to him. "¡­" Ae didn''t exactly reply and just looked at him with a ferocious gaze. ''Eh?'', the shadow wolf general looked with shock. ''Did she just reject me?'', he turned back only to look at other ck wolvesughing as slowly and lightly as possible. ''I have never been rejected by any female wolf before!'' ''How dare she!'' Arrogance and pride, even one of these could destroy many yet the shadow wolf possessed both of them. *Aooo* He howled with the bare minimum of his force and dashed towards Ae with all his might only to end up beaten by her. ''Huh¡­?'' ''What just¡­'' Even before knowing what had happened, he was on the ground. He raised his head only to find Ae looking down on him. "Look here, I don''t want to hurt you, but if you try anything funny, then next time, it will be you who will be cut into shred!", she said with a raised voice. "Huh?" The shadow wolf was still confused when suddenly he found many trees shed or cut clean when he turned towards the east. "The heck just¡­?" He then understood why he ended up on the ground. While trying to catch Ae, he ran with all his might neglecting all the roots that were up and down, growing above the grounds. Of course, while he was on top of one of them, Ae used her skill ''Aero sh'' to cut not only the root but also the entire tree. The attack was so strong that it ended up shing a few more trees along with the originally intended one. "What the-", the shadow wolf kept on asking the same thing. He could hardly think anything straight. Just looking at the amazing power, the wolf had no choice but to say, "You definitely have to be my wife!" "What!?" Ae was much more surprised at the moment. When she heard that, she felt as if her ears were about to burst. ''Did I just mishear?'', she asked herself. Her hormones were definitely reacting to that of the shadow wolf. It seemed like they definitely had synchrony despite being from different breeds or species ¨C one was ck and the other was white. ''I definitely have to make her my wife¡­'' ''She is definitely one of her kind¡­'' ''Just how many white wolves are present out there that are as strong as her? Not many!'' The shadow wolf general was eager and excited to marry or to just mate her not only because of her alluring white color but also because of her rarity and strength. Yes, having someone as powerful and rare as her would end up boosting his position, fame, luck, and power in his pack. He could not let this chance pass by no matter what! "Look here, I will repeat myself!" "I don''t like you and if you don''t stop disturbing me, your legs will be next!" She warned him to stop otherwise she would cut his legs just like how she cut the roots and the trees. But the shadow wolf general took it casually because he knew the strength levels. ''I am definitely stronger than her.'' ¨C this was definitely not true. Despite the fact that they had a great difference in ss or rank, their power or strength could bepared to be on the same level. But it was weird to see Ae so calm. It was as if this wasn''t her first time meeting ck wolves ¨C of course, Kira being an exception who kept deceiving by being a white wolf. Yes, Kira was a ck wolf who had a skill that would let him look like a white wolf ¨C it made no sense that a white wolf would be so strong and powerful ¨C after all, nature states that the white wolves should belong to the weak ones! The sole reason that made Ae so calm at the moment was ¨C she met Deoras a few moments earlier. She had made contact with Deoras and now the shadow wolf general was nothing for her. Whatever, the bottom line was that the shadow wolf general kept on asking her to be his wife whereas Ae sternly refused again and again. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 183 Admiration The Shadow wolf had decided to use all of his powers and persuade her, but it was not an easy matter. Ae was no pushover, she had learned many things from Shin. One of the reasons that her intelligence was quite high for her age is Shin. She was with him and saw him do tons of things that only a human would think and do. Because of that, she changed a lot and now knew not one but several ways of dodging, attacking, and even killing the foes. Therefore, even if the shadow wolf general and Ae were at the same level, this difference in knowledge was what kept Ae a step higher than the shadow wolf. In any case, the shadow wolf slowly bent his legs as if it was storing a massive amount of energy which he wanted to release in order to cause a long dash and try to grab Ae by her neck. Of course, he couldn''t kill her. He thought about just injuring her slightly or perhaps, he didn''t even think properly at the moment. However, even before he could run, Deoras appeared behind Ae. "What are you doing?", he asked with a deep tone. Ae turned back only to find Deoras there. She smiled and said, "Deoras brother!" "Ah, Ae, are you safe?", he asked while panting a bit. "It took me a few minutes to kill him. Looks like I''ve be weaker¡­", Deoras sighed. "M-master?", the shadow wolf general asked with surprise. "Ah, so you''ve met them?" ? "Good." "If you were with them, then I had nothing to worry about.", Deoras smiled. Ae concluded that Deoras did know who the shadow wolf general was and the same applied the reverse way. However, she was a bit disgusted with the shadow wolf. Of course, after knowing that his master seemed to be quite close to Ae, he said nothing. He eventually gave up on mating her, however, he was still being aroused as soon as he would get close to her. "Listen you guys, she is Ae." "From today onwards, you have to protect her and treat her the same way as you would treat me!", Deoras dered. "What!?", the shadow wolf was shocked when Deoras said this. While others agreed without any hesitation, the shadow wolf had a little hard time. He couldn''t just change a so-called lust to respect! Yes, he wasn''t loving Ae, in fact, he was lusting after her body and power for sure. Also, it was for his own benefit. But he held back and didn''t oppose. He kept quiet and did as Deoras said because he might have had a reason for doing that. "I don''t want to experience the same wrath again¡­" "Huh?", the shadow wolf looked at Deoras''s expression when he said that. "I would rather run away than look at those ferocious eyes." *gulp* Deoras swallowed arge amount of dry saliva while remembering Shin''s gaze! "Who¡­?", the shadow wolf general ended up asking. "Ah, he is-" "He is my mate.", even before Deoras could answer, Ae ended up saying that. "He is strong, very strong. None of you are like him.", she said arrogantly. "Therefore, know your ce.", right after saying this, she walked past him and continued to walk towards the goblin''s vige. Yes, the shadow wolf general recalled everything that had happened and then looked towards Deoras again. ''Wait a second, could it be that master Deoras already knew who this guy was?'', the shadow wolf looked with surprise. He could hardly fathom what he was imagining because his thoughts seemed to be highly ridiculous. ''No way¡­'' ''There is no way that master Deoras knows that white wo-'' And just as he was going to conclude, he recalled a few more moments which made him conclude otherwise. ¡­ [shback (1)] "But I am sure that he isn''t a match for you master." "I wouldn''t be so sure." ¨C this was something that Deoras had said a few minutes earlier when the shadow wolf had tried topare both of them. ¡­ ''Master Deoras is someone who doesn''t give up so easily.'' ''I have been with him for the longest time and I know how he is¡­'' ''Then why did hement that way? Unless he has suffered a crushing defeat¡­'' ¡­ [shback (2)] "Tell me, what is this promise that both the parties have made." "The promise¡­" "Will you tell me?" "¡­" "Y-Yes." ¡­ And after recalling how easily Deoras agreed to reply to Shin, the shadow wolf had finally reached a conclusion. ''No way¡­'' ''So he really does know him!?'', now the shadow wolf general confirmed that both of them knew each other! "Deoras, do you understand?" "You have to attack from the right side when I give you the signal.", Shin said. "Y-yes, I understood master.", Deoras nodded in submission. Seeing him be so submissive, the shadow wolf felt a bit awkward. ''You were so brave and powerful¡­'' ''Seeing you fight made my heart throb¡­'' ''Even your breath was so elegant that it gave me a weird satisfaction.'' ''I followed you because of your elegance, because of your strength, and because of your extraordinary leadership and care for your subordinates¡­'' ''But, now seeing you be so submissive, makes me doubt my decision¡­'' ''It is not cool at all, in fact, it is unsightly.'' ¨C the shadow wolf general was someone who would give up his life readily for hisrades. He always tried his best to fight for his master ¨C Deoras ¨C and hisrades. Even during fights in disadvantageous terrain, he would never give up and continue to push forward ¨C no wonder he grew up to be so strong and also managed to be just the second most powerful in the pack. He admired Deoras after all but after seeing him be so submissive, it felt as if his all admiration and motivation broke into pieces just like the shattering of a piece of ss. ''Damn¡­'' ''This sucks¡­'', he frowned and then walked the other way, a bit far from the pack, and stared at nothingness as if thinking about the past. "¡­" To be continued¡­ Author''s Section: shback 1 - moments when Deoras and the shadow wolf general conversed. shback 2- moments when Shin and Deoras conversed. Chapter 184 A Good Strategy: Pincer Attack Deoras and his pack then almost immediately went towards the right. As they were exined, they would attack from the right side. Whereas for the goblins, Shin gave the orders to move towards the left side. He had given themanding position to Arzoo and Mirza. It was actually best to have just a singlemander, but Shin decided to go with two. He had actually divided the goblin troops into two so it was understandable. Also, it was seen that these two were Shin''s favorites so there was no reason for him not to choose them. Whatever, Shin was probably nning tounch a pincer attack. He would alone press from the front, while the wolves and the goblins would attack from the sides. The reason why Shin left the back open was that he didn''t want to needlessly massacre the humans. Surely he hated them, but he surely knew that there were some good ones and those that had many things and uses in the future. That was why the back was open to let them escape and run wherever they wanted. This way, there would be fewer humans that would be required to be killed and more lives could be saved in the process. Shin was not just thinking aboutpleting the mission, he was also thinking of a way to save as many lives as possible. ''Not seeing Ae for such a long time has changed me quite a bit¡­'' Earlier, when he was enraged, he didn''t care against whom he fought. He killed the humans mercilessly and burned them as per his needs. Regardless, now he considered saving many of their lives while helping out the beasts. ''Every time I wake up in the morning, I find tears in my eyes¡­'' ''I would always have the same dream and the same thing would always sh in front of my eyes ¨C the death of my sister, family, and your death too, Ae.'' ¨C he said to himself. Because of that, he came to understand how others would feel, and precisely because of that, he had a slight change of might. Needless to say, he would still continue the mission. Recently, when Shin named the goblins, he found out that not all of them became a part of his familia. It was only two ¨C Arzoo and Mirza ¨C who became the members. Though, all of them had be a part of his n due to which, the number of n members increased from 497 to 5534. The number of familia members increased from 5 to 7. ''Arzoo and Mirza will be perfectly fine¡­'' ''They have that passive skill as well ¨C Vessel of Shin.'' ''Interestingly enough, the effects of the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth passive vessel skills are the same¡­'' [ -> Provides 5% boost in all stats. -> Gives a 30% boost in swampy areas. -> Can use the skill ''Heal'' when the HP drops to 8% to heal itself. ] Shin then sighed and waited for a few seconds before which he finally unleashed the same skill yet again. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Dragon''s Roar ] He roared at the top of his voice which caused much more havoc. But by now, many adventurers had joined their hands and formed alliances between many teams and came forward to fight Shin. None had any idea how the beast looked. None ever lived after seeing Shin in the first ce so they had no idea about him. All they thought that it was some dragon or dragon-type beast since these two were the only types that could have a roar simr to that of a dragon. Of course, there was another type of beast that could mimic many different types of attacks or forms. Sometimes even evolved slimes could do the same, however, they weren''t that strong. So the early adventurers thought that it was some other beast that was just mimicking the great dragons, however, when no one returned, they understood that the case was not as simple as they expected it to be. Shin was not someone who would grant mercy to those who woulde to kill him. ''You should be ready to lose your life if you aim to kill other life forms.'' ¨C this was something Shin would say from time to time when he would kill the adventurers or humans specifically. Regardless, now Shinunched his second attack as if he was luring the adventurers towards him. They crossed the borders and stood in front of Shin. "What the!?" "Is that a wolf?" "A white wolf!?" "For real? Is it roaring like a dragon? Did all those die because of that bi*ch over there? How ridiculous!" "Haha!" Manyughed it off as if it was nothing. They didn''t understand the gravity of the situation. One of the reasons was that Shin activated his Aura Control. ''They would just run away with tail between their legs if I were to release my aura.'', Shin concluded precisely because of which he did that. His reasoning was not wrong at all, in fact, it was the wisest thing he did at the moment. "Haha, I am more than enough to kill it!" "You all wait!" ¨C an arrogant adventurer with armor said this and marched forward towards Shin. It was as if he was thinking too highly of himself or perhaps he was looking down on Shin. Whatever, he looked down on Shin which was nothing new at all. Shin was very well aware of this. "Sigh, this is nothing new." "Come on, let''s get it done with it." *tap tap* "Huh?" The adventurer was walking as if he was going to kill Shin in a few seconds, but the instant he heard Shin speak, he paused all of a sudden. "Did it just¡­" "Talk¡­?" He turned towards the others while asking that but they justughed it off. ''Must be my imagination¡­'', heughed it off as well and then was about to march again when Shin spoke yet again. "Come on you bastard, I don''t have all the time in the world!" The adventurer''s eyes suddenly popped out when he heard Shin talk. "What the!?" "A talking wolf!?" "¡­" To be continued¡­ Chapter 185 One Town Conquered "Sigh, I really don''t have much time, so I hope you make it quick." Shin was actually talking out loud so that all the adventurers get freaked out. There were two reasons for doing this, one ¨C they would panic and make mistakes, again and again, two - he would let one of them live so that he could spread fear among the others in the town. Shin did everything carefully. He wasn''t being hasty nor was he wasting too much time. The adventurers were terrified at the moment, however, that was limited to only some of them. Others were rather curious and eager to catch Shin. That was because he still looked like a small pup with no aura at all. Since they heard it talk, they thought that it was some rare beast or some rare monster that could fetch them arge price. Because of that, other adventurers took their chance and ran with all their might towards Shin without thinking about the consequences of underestimating their foe. The adventurers who wore awesome armor and walked towards Shin earlier just trembled and walked backward now. It might have been his instincts or sixth sense that warned him of the situation. Because of that, he gave up his chance of attacking Shin first and let others go first. ''Other adventurers weren''t fools...'' ''They weren''t weak either. They might have taken a lot of precautions but despite that, they didn''t return alive.'' ''So if it really was this pup''s doing, then it''s better to analyze its strength before attacking!'' ''I will let others go and see if my thinking is correct or not...'' ''If it is wrong, I will still be alive whereas if it is right, I will get valuable info and advantage over others.'' The arrogant adventurer who seemed to be greedy at first suddenly started to take precautions. In Shin''s eyes, these steps were worth five stars but he was not here to judge. "Yeah..." "I''m here to hunt!" Right after saying that he started running towards the four adventurers who ran towards him with greed. He wasn''t using his skills and was just running based on his own speed stats. They were high enough due to which he appeared quite agile to them. "Damn, for a small pup, it sure has quite the speed!" Shin then ran towards the adventurers as they ran towards him. Of course, he opened his mouth wide only to aim at their vital points and the areas which weren''t covered by the armor. However, the adventurers had various weapons with them. The ones who used bows and arrows stood back and waited for a chance to directly pierce through Shin''s heart. Others had swords and spears holding which they charged at Shin. They knew that a wolf had two main weapons ¨C fangs and nails, to be precise ¨C ws. Other than these, they didn''t have much to worry about so if they were wary of these things, they could easily escape the situation. However, they had no idea that Shin was not their average pup. Yes, he was out of this world to begin with and had extraordinary power. "Hyaaa!" An adventurer who wielded a sword, charged at Shin. It was clear that he was aiming to cut Shin''s neck with a single strike. "You damn beast! Don''t pretend to be a dragon!" He swung hisrge sword with all his might. It was no joke, his muscles were clearly visible and the power with which he swung was so great that it could easily slice down a boulder in two leaving a clear cut behind. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Wind Run ] Shin''s eyes started to glow with a green light just as usual when he used that skill. *Zwoop* Shin was earlier in mid-air with his mouth wide opened. He was aiming to harm the adventurers and was trying to kill them with a single bite. However, being in mid-air seemed to be quite disadvantageous since he could hardly dodge any attacks. The adventurer with the long sword had thought that Shin was just another pup that had huge powers but no intelligence or very little intelligence. After all, it was drilled into them that humans were the most intelligent beings in the world just after the dragons and the elves. Because of that, their arrogance knew no bounds and the confidence grew to be as high as the sky which ultimately turned into overconfidence of course! Yes, the adventurer didn''t think that Shin could dodge the attack mid-air and aimed at his neck. He forgot about his own defense thinking that his armor would be enough to block most of the attacks. *swoosh* However, he swung the sword only to pass through the empty space! Yes! His attackpletely missed. Shin basically vanished right in front of him. Wind Run ¨C it is a skill that lets the user increase his/her speed. But as it starts to reach higher levels, it gets new effects or the pre-existing effects get enhanced. Indeed, the wind run skill which only let Shin run faster with the help of the wind in the surrounding had now transformed into something else. He had discovered this very recently when he was killing other adventurers beforehand! The skill now let him walk in the wind or to be precise, the wind or air just under his feet would be a hard materialistic object and act like the ground that would enable him to have a stable footing only to let him jump or run from that point. He could basically climb up the air which was a dope effect to have, though, it wouldst only 5 seconds. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Bite ] Shin appeared behind him after dodging the attack and without wasting any time, used his attack to finish off the adventurer. *crunch* "¡­" *ssh* Though the name of the skill is bite, it shouldn''t be misunderstood with taking a small bite or tearing flesh. It could get stronger or could be aimed at arger thing ¨C basically, it is proportional to the size of the mouth. Shin could easily widen his mouth which could open as big as a human head ¨C yes, hepletely crushed the entire head of the adventurer that was in a daze after seeing Shin from his sight. The head was missing and blood gushed out from his neck as if it was a fountain. Shin continued to chew the head and the skull which he just took out of the adventurer. ''Weird, the skull is supposed to be strong, but I can chew it as if it is some type of chips!'', he said to himself while chewing and causing the crunching sound. "No-" "He-" A lot of blood had been sshed on Shin''s body. He had white fur and the red blood on it seemed like some sort of art ¨C of course, a bloody art at that since it was no red paint but blood! A few adventurers, around six, turned back and started to run with all their might towards the town Cry Pale. Shin just stood there and did nothing when they started to run. ''We-'' ''We are safe!'', those six adventurers had a crazy smile on their faces. They were kind of relieved but they had no time to stop. ''That is no normal beast!'' ''That is definitely a pet of the demon king!'', thought one of the six who ran away. ''I would rather die by some random beast than get tortured and killed by such a being!'', the same person thought. Of course, being killed by Shin would be better ¨C he would kill in one strike if lucky and two or three strikes at most if unlucky. In the case of other beasts, they might as well be ripped apart and be kept alive even after that. This was precisely what happened to them. While they ran away from the ce and reached the city, they found tons of goblins and ck wolves killing and eating many of them. They were no exception, the wolves were given the task to kill everyone that would be present and they did the same without any exception. Within a few minutes, all of them had been shredded into pieces and eaten alive. Their intestines were lying out despite them being alive ¨C a cruel fate awaited them after all. ''Ding'' [ Initial Result of the conquest -> 207 humans dead ] [ Casualties: 3; Injured: 2 goblins, 1 ck wolf; Death: none ] To bepleted¡­ Chapter 186 Few Hours Left - The Conquest Of Tyron "That was quick..." Shin looked around him only to find all the adventurers dead. He was the one who killed them but even for him, it seemed quite fast. ''Weren''t they strong adventurers?'', he asked himself. Adventurers had different ranks assigned to themselves - Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond - these were the four main ranks for them and their group. Of course, they are given a type of badge to wear around their wrists or to stick on the armor or sword. On seeing them, Shin confirmed that most of them were Silver ranked adventurers while others were bronze. Earlier he had disposed of many of them out of which around 90% were bronze and the rest were silver. The blood had been spilled everywhere. Without a doubt, it was Shin''s victory. He used Bite and Dash skills along with Wind Run to kill all the adventurers that came to hurt him. Other than that, his army had taken care of other humans. Technically speaking, the poption of each vige or town was ridiculously low. It wasn''t more than 300 anyway so the army could very well take care of them. That was what happened. The goblins and the wolves killed almost all the humans that failed to escape. Although not all the humans of the town were massacred and managed to escape, the number of human death was still high. In order to conquer the entire Kingdom, the destruction or winning of the towns should be maintained at the current pace after all he had only 4 or fewer days left. Conquering at ater date wouldn''t ensure winning for Shin since the reward of finding Ae was what he aimed at. *tap tap* He walked slowly and steadily towards the town. As he entered, he found a lot of dead bodies. Both humans and other creatures had been brutally killed. The wolves stood near the border of the town and so did the goblins as if they were waiting for Shin to arrive and give orders to raid the next town. Sin just walked past the dead bodies casually while only having a feeling of pity in his heart. ''I no longer am a human...'', he said to himself. He knew that since earlier but at the moment, he meant that his heart no longer belonged to that of humankind. This was because, other than pity, he felt nothing while looking at the massacre. No guilt, no anger nor any remorse. In fact, it felt as if he had squashed some pitiful bugs or ants that were in his path. ''Well, can''t help it.'' ''You all were chosen by the system after all.'', he sighed. Soon he arrived near the other border as well while confirming that there were still a few other races surviving in the town Cry Pale. He let them hide and didn''t kill them since they weren''t his target from the beginning. Perhaps, the goblins and wolves let them live because their hatred was target towards the humans. "Master..." "Master!" Both goblins and the wolves looked at Shin as he walked slowly towards them. ''Unbelievable...'' ''Did we just kill the humans without having even a single death?'' - the shadow wolf general was surprised by the feat that was aplished. Although he had some sort of resent towards Shin, now he was full of admiration, but it was not enough to win his heart overpletely. As for Deoras, he was wagging his tail at the sight of Shin. He was already tamed, a lot of time back in fact when he met Shin for the first time. "Yes, rest for a few minutes." "We will charge after five minutes." It would have been wise to attack the humans while there was chaos. Since the humans from Cry Pale ran towards the next town - it would cause a lot of chaos in the said town. This would mean that killing the humans there would be a piece of cake, however, Shin didn''t want that to happen. He knew that nothing good coulde from the chaos, after all, even their side could suffer heavy casualties. In order to survive, humans could resort to any means - sometimes self-sacrifice to help their kin survive or sometimes abandonment of their own kin to ensure their survival. Whatever it may be, one thing was for sure, if the army was to go during the unsettling chaos, they would suffer the most. However a mere five minutes wouldn''t be enough to stop the chaos, though, it will be reduced but notpletely disappeared. Also, others needed a bit of rest and understanding. "Just because we took over the first town, do not underestimate the humans.", Shin said. They heard him and stopped the arrogant look and confidence that they had. It was same for the wolves as well. They stopped being so confident and started to think about the casualties that they could have suffered or would suffer in the future. In any case, just by taking these small breaks and attacking the next towns, Shin conquered almost all the towns. The Kingdom was rich - as mentioned earlier - however, the adventurers were not of high level. It was partly because there were no strong monsters nearby but the main reason was because of their low poption. Yes, the low poption caused them to rx and there was nopetition among themselves - so the strongest adventurer that they had was a gold ranker and it was just one, there was no one stronger than him. Shin finished off the gold-ranked adventurer easily but it took a little longer than the silver-ranked ones. Of course, the power of the people here was quite low. Shin had conquered all the towns and now only one city remained - the capital of the Kingdom - Tyron. It was already thest day and only a few hours were remaining. Everything was going ording to Shin''s prediction - most of the humans had fled from the entire kingdom. Around 35% of the humans of the Kingdom had been massacred. 51% escaped the Kingdom entirely and because of refugees of other kingdoms nearby and the remaining 14% of the humans were present in the Capital Tyron. The King of that ce had been panicking from the start. Of course, he sent many letters for help as Shin had suspected but none came to help, not till now. "Are you ready?" "Time to take down the capital!", Shin shouted. The defense of the capital was superb. It had some canons and superb archers waiting for Shin and his gang to attack. Shin knew this the moment he used his skill - All Seeing Eyes - to look at everything that was present in the capital. He knew that it could be fatal for the goblins and wolves since their attacks wouldn''t reach whereas the arrows woulde and hit them. Because of that, he devised a n - Summoning the shadow dragons for help. Yes, the same shadow dragon, whom he had summoned a few times earlier, was summoned now too. Since physical attacks wouldn''t work on shadow beasts and shadow monsters, the shadow dragon and the shadow wolves were safe. The ck wolf pack that was with Shin had Shadow wolves so they were safe! But the only problem was using the goblins - they would have been defenseless if they were showered with arrows. So Shin told them to wait in the previous town and not meddle with anything. [ You have used the skill Hymn Of The Dragons ] [ Pact with the Shadow Dragon Argant detected ] [ Would you like to summon the Shadow Dragon Argant? ] [ -> Yes/No ] "Yes." Right after doing that, Argant appeared from a ck magic circle just like usual. The moment this happened, the aura in the entire area changed. First of all the ones that were close - the shadow wolves - were startled by this. "That is..." Their eyeballs started to shake the moment they saw the red furious eyes and a dragon-like pitch ck body which was appearing and vanishing as if it was smoke. Yes, it was shadow dragon, after all, this much was to be expected. "Argant, you know what to do right?", Shin asked with a smirk while exining the situation in which they were. "Leave it to me." "I will make sure that those humans suffer even after they die!" ''Uh... I don''t want them to suffer because of his torture.'' *cough* "Other than the royalty in the castle..." "Kill all the humans." "Let others live." - that was the only order Shin gave and the shadow dragon along with the wolves took off from the ce. Chapter 187 Wall Breached *swoosh* The dragon took off from the ground and started to go towards the border high walls that were guarding the capital. The wolves too, without wasting any time, started to run with all their might to follow the dragon so that they could go and kill the humans too. ''Master wants the humans dead.'' ''No matter what, we must please him!'' - Deoras kept thinking this in his mind. It seemed as if he wasn''t startled after looking at the Shadow Dragon Argant. He had seen Shin summon him earlier after all - during the first time they met that is. However, that wasn''t true for others. They were super surprised after seeing the dragon - especially the one and only Shadow wolf general. He was shocked actually, and he now finally realized just how strong Shin was. In any case, he was still not ready to ept Shin. As said earlier he had a lot of ego. Whatever, now all the wolves ran towards the wall. Every element actually possessed some mind blessing and that ming was panned onto the creatures of the said element. *roar * The dragon roared as it flew towards the soldiers that were guarding the wall. They could see Argent flying towards them however they couldn''t do anything. They were ordered to stay there. "What do we do?", even if they asked each other this, they couldn''t do anything "Well, we were asked to die after all", said one of them. "I will not di just like that." - a brave soldier said this and looked towards the archers. "What are you guys doing?" "Why don''t you attack already?" After hearing his words, the archers immediately aimed at the dragon. They were just startled because of the dragon''s massive aura. Some of them aimed at the dragon while others aimed at the wolves. They thought that the wolves were easier to hunt or kill. "Fire!", shouted all the archers in unison right after which a lot of arrows flew right towards the dragon and the wolves. "Ha..." "This will be piece of cake.", the dragon smirked. Argant wasn''t being arrogant but after looking at the aim of the archers and the type of arrows they were using, he confirmed that he was invisible at the moment. *peww* *swoosh* The arrows went right past the dragon and he continued to fly as if nothing happened to him. "Wha-?", the archers who had aimed at the dragon were surprised by this happening. The ones who had aimed at the wolves were simrly surprised as well. The wolves either dodged the arrows or let them pass through their bodies. ''Ding'' [ Innate blessing activation detected ] [ Innate blessing: Can turn into shadow temporarily ] [ The wolves and Argant will turn into Shadow temporarily ] The notification popped up on the screen when Shin was trying to look for the time that was left to finish the mission. He knew about this for quite some time that they had some innate skill to turn into a shadow. He found out when he turned himself into Dark Wolf. ''Yes, that time, I felt as if I had some other card under my sleeve...'' So in conclusion, Dark types can blend into the darkness and lose their materialistic form whereas the shadow wolves will turn into shadows to do the same! Both were not the same because a dark wolf wouldn''t be able to blend or lose its materialistic form if there would be no darkness or shadow nearby. Whereas for the shadow wolves, even if it is in bright light, they would be able to transform into shadows and lose the said character! Therefore, in this aspect, the Shadow wolves had an upper hand but in terms of strength and mana stability, and control, the dark types were stronger. In a few seconds, Argant approached the walls and then summoned his babies - Shadow Centipedes. Yes, the same creatures that ate the bears and the bear king without mercy had probably evolved, grew in size, and became fiercer were unleashed. "Wha-" "What are those things!?" The soldiers in the walls waved their swords and fired arrows but none of that was effective. In the end, they got killed and eaten by them. The shadow dragon kept flying in the sky as if he was keeping a check on others and was preventing reinforcements toe forward with ease. Yes, just his presence was more than enough to bring fear in many soldiers'' hearts, and thus, the reinforcement was dyed. The shadow dragon then opened his mouth and sted through the huge gate that blocked the wolves from entering with a ck-colored power beam! "Th-" "That''s some incredible power! As expected of a dragon!", the shadow wolf general eximed with surprise. Shin had asked the solves to return after killing at least 5 human soldiers. He wanted to give them some other directions and orders before they could proceed. The wolves did exactly what they were told. A lot of lives were lost because of the small st that Argant did. Whatever, all of them came out unscathed. It was just like another walk to them. They returned and waited for Shin to walk towards them. (At the same time, in the royal court of the kingdom of Loria... ) "What do I do...?" "What do I do?" "This is wrong! Tell me, what do I do Kerin?" The King of Loria, a young man around 19-20 years old, was biting his nails as he asked his most trusted and highest-ranked minister. He was still young and knew not what to do. He was dotted by his family members after all due to which, his knowledge was limited to none! A man with a yellow beard walked forward and said, "Your highness, I believe it is for the best to surrender to such a being." "Yes..." "We should do that...", the king seemed to agree with him however he seemed to be just a puppet. Of course, Kerin was a good person who wanted the safety of the citizens, however, other ministers wanted money, a higher position, and the trust of the king. Yes, they were greedy. They too had a mastermind among themselves after all and the said person came forward. "Your highness, I believe we shouldn''t do that!", a man with a wicked expression on his face walked towards the young king while saying this. Chapter 188 A Proposal From Both Sides The man that now appeared in front of the king was the most corrupted one. He was jealous of Kerin and wanted his spot. of course, that was not all, he wanted to be the King of Loria! That was why he was wicked and greedy and thus would do whatever benefitted him. "Your highness, we cannot possibly surrender." The king now looked towards him. He wanted to know if he had any other opinion or idea. "Do you have a reasonable exnation for what you are saying?", he asked. "Yes your highness.", he grinned as he was about to exin. "A mere monster cannot possibly govern the kingdom!" "ording to our intel, it is just a puny wolf who thinks that it has acquired the power of the dragons..." "If we let them be, and surrender, then it would be a shame for the entire humanity!" He was somewhat reasonable at the moment. ''A mindless monster cannot govern.'' - this was something that most of the ministers present there started to think. The same was the case with the king too. He too started to wonder if it would be wise to follow Kerin''s words and surrender themselves, after all, their survival wasn''t guaranteed even if they did that since they didn''t trust a monster! "No your majesty, I think it is wiser to-", Kerin was still trying to convince him however, unfortunately, the King no longer heard his words. "I think sir Kerin is a bit tired so he isn''t able to think properly." "I hope you let him rest for a while.", the cunning minister said this. "Rostold is right. Kerin, go and take a nap or something.", the king ordered. "Yes your highness.", without objecting, Kerin left the room while gritting his teeth. ''Can''t you all see the splendid strategy that the monsters are following?'' ''Their numbers are no more than six thousand yet they are easily able to dominate us.'' ''Do they really think that the mastermind or leader of these attacks and monsters is some mindless beast?'' ''No!'' ''If he were that, then he wouldn''t let so many humans flee.'' Kerin was wise, as mentioned earlier. He could think in a manner that others couldn''t. Arguably, he could be ranked among the top 10 smartest humans in the world. Unfortunately enough, he wasn''t always allowed to voice his thoughts. But yes, he was bold and confident enough. Also, he wasn''t blessed with a good king, for now, that is! ''I have to do something about this.'' ''If we really don''t surrender, then all of us in the capital will be killed.'' While saying this, he left the castle and then took a horse and rode it down the capital. ''I''m pretty sure that the beast leader is somewhere outside the walls...'' ''I will go and have a talk with him.'' He wasn''tpletely sure about his hypothesis either, it was just an assumption after all. So, going to visit Shin was a pretty daring and bold move that he decided to take, of course, reckless at the same time. But it was this recklessness and boldness that won Shin''s heart. "Please hear me out!", he usedmunication magic to voice his thoughts. He was close to the fallen walls but couldn''t cross it since there were many wolves and a fricking dragon in front of him. Before they could attack, he decided to talk it out with Shin. ''Who...?'' Shin was startled by the voice. He looked with his all seeing eyes only to find a human walking towards him. It was umon for humans to approach him, trying to talk, so he had to be extra-cautious. ''Interesting...'' ''I wonder why he wants to talk to me...'' Shin walked casually towards the wall. The wolves and Argant spotted the human approaching them but did nothing since Shin forbad them from attacking anymore. After arriving at the walls, Shin walked past it and looked at the human closely. "What is it?", Shin asked directly and rudely to the person. "Eh?", Kerin was startled this time. *gulp* ''So he can not only understand humannguages but also can speak the same tongue?'' ''My God... This is unfathomable!'', Kerin''s eyes glittered while showing the signs of astonishment. "What do you want to talk about?", Shin repeated his question. Kerin was at a loss for words but then, after swallowing arge amount of saliva and clenching his fist, he started speaking. "Hear me out, Oh leader of the monsters, I do not wish the death of the citizens.", he said. "I don''t think you want to kill them either, so I propose that we will surrender, and then you rule the kingdom." Shin smirked when he heard that. ? ''Interesting, this person is really interesting!'' ''Not only did he realize that my aim is to conquer the humans, but also he came here proposing the surrendering of the kingdom.'' ''However, I haven''t achieved human form yet.'' "This won''t do.", he said loudly. There were three reasons why Shin wanted to attain the human form. One - it was to govern all therge human kingdoms since humans would better listen to their own kin! Two - he would be able to converse and take over the diverse culture of the present humans while adding his own knowledge to provide inventions and better improvement! And finally, it was simply because he missed being in his human form. He was thinking about this for a while now - ''What would I do of the Kingdom after conquering it?'' ''How will I rule over the citizens?'' Well, he hadn''t killed all of the humans and other races, to begin with. He wanted to rule them and precisely because of that he had asked the goblins and the wolves to leave some of them alive. However, until now, he hadn''t found a way to rule them. But after seeing the fearless Kerin, Shin came up with a brilliant idea. ''Huh?'' ''It won''t do?'' ''Does that mean I failed in negotiating?'', Kerin asked himself. But oh well, Shin had different ns from the beginning and now his n had been modified with a sessful route! "Yes!" "Listen..." "I like you." "It will be you who will be the new king of this nation!", Shin dered. "Nani!?" Chapter 189 Declaration And Tasking When Shin announced that, Kerin waspletely shocked. He never had any ambition of bing a king. All he wanted was a post from where he could serve his own people and help them properly. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to tell that the current property of Loria in financial fields was thanks to Kerin and is wise thinking. ''Yes, he would be the best one to rule for now.'' ''Rather than making him a foe or killing him, it would be best to pull him towards my side.'', was what Shin thinking. Well, it was not that he just randomly decided this. Of course, the decision of leaving him to handle the kingdom, for now, was made instantly, the process of thinking wasn''t that simple. Earlier when Shin was surprised to see that a human came forward to converse with him, he had analyzed and had taken a look at his profile. While all the stats seemed quite normal whenpared to other humans, there were two specific stats that surprised him and forced him to make such a decision. [ Profile ] [ Int: 185 || Max. Int: 205 ] [Passive skills] 1] Blessing of Goddess of Fortune Lv.3 -> Fortune in terms of money and gold will double automatically when in possession. -> Extreme luck is granted in financial cases. No matter what, Shin couldn''t let the person go. Even a dragon didn''t have the intelligence that Kerin had shown and the blessing made him extremely valuable. ''Yes, he should be my subordinate.'' Having a way too smart person under you could be beneficial, however, it shouldn''t be overlooked that the said person is a double-edged sword! Yes, he could strike back with a proper n and trap escaping from which would be nearly impossible, so Shin had to think twice before making this judgment. ''System, show the status effects and the personality which he has.'' - Shin made a rather tough and unreasonable request from the system. However, the system had no problem whatsoever in showing those since it had advanced quite a lot since thest evolution. Of course, there were tons of things that it couldn''t do, but there were many things that were possible thanks to the system - one of them was seeing other''s personalities apart from profile. [ Status effect ] -> Fear -> Regret -> Confusion -> Astonishment [ Personality ] -> Hardworking -> Selflessness ''Haha, how can I ignore someone with such personality?'' - Shin smirked and made the decision. Kerin thought for a few seconds before epting. He wanted to know if it was for the best or not. ''Yeah, even a beast like him can tell that I was foolish enough to give the kingdom to someone unknown.'' ''By ruling it, I can ensure its prosperity in a much better manner.'' Kerin realized that ruling it himself would be the best. At the same time, he realized that he had to hand over the kingdom to Shin someday. But there was just one thing that he could not understand. "If you did note to rule this ce, then why did you attack us in the first ce?", Kerin asked. ''Uh, I can''t possibly tell him that it was because of the reward that the mission was offering me.'', Shin thought. He looked at him with a stern expression and replied, "I dide to rule the kingdom, however, I am not ready yet." "After I gain my human form, I will surely return to rule." The moment he mentioned that all the eyes suddenly turned towards him. ''Did...'' ''Did he just say that he will gain the human form?'', the shadow wolf general, who heard the entire conversation, waspletely puzzled and shocked. "As expected of master!", Deoras just smiled as if it was nothing out of the ordinary! Other than him, everyone present there waspletely astonished and bewildered. Especially, Argant and other shadow wolves. ''So he wants to transform into a human?'' ''Well, with his strength, he might as well turn that impossible feat to possible.'', Argant smiled with thrill. Yes, he was thrilled after hearing that. ''It''s like I''m witnessing a legend.'', Deoras and Argant said to themselves simultaneously. Kerin''s jaw dropped when he heard this. His eyes were left open and it felt as if they could pop out any moment. "H-human form?" "That''s..." Since the past, only a few could transform into humans - A dragon, an elf, a dwarf, a demon, and a wolf - these were the only ones that could sessfully transform into humans. Well, transforming into a human doesn''t merely mean gaining the appearance of a human - it means every functioning and magic attribute and characteristic of a human. Yes, many dragons have assumed the human form but that is nothing more than a mere illusion. When others look at them, they look like humans and that''s all, they aren''t in human form, to begin with. The same is with many other races that blend with the human poption by using advanced illusion magic. Therefore when Shin said that, Kerin couldn''t help but be surprised. He then nodded his head and said, "Yes, I will wait for you till that day." Then after a short pause because of the shock, Kerin continued. "And yes, before you leave, you have to take down the king and other greedy nobles." "Huh?" "Can''t you do that?", Shin asked. "Uh, no." "Actually...", Kerin exined everything that had happened. Shin understood and after that, he asked, "So you came here without even informing the King?" "Yes...", Kerin sighed. "Then how did you give me the proposal of surrendering the kingdom when your king himself isn''t ready?", Shin looked at Kerin with a fierce gaze. "That...", and Kerin tried to avoid looking into Shin''s eyes. "Sigh, let''s leave what has happened and think of the next move." "Do something and get the king out." "I''ll handle the rest." - Shin outrightly said that he was going to murder the king and tasked Kerin in bringing the King out of the castle. ''Alright, now all I need to do is wait...'' And just when he thought that he looked at the timer that was going on. [ 00:01:00:32 ] Just one hour and thirty-two seconds were remaining and if Kerin were to dy, then the reward could be forgotten forever! Chapter 190 Killing With A Single Attack Shin decided to go with Kerin so that it would be much easier to kill any and all those who would oppose him. By now, he had started to trust Kerinpletely, and even if Kerin were to do something that Shin hadn''t predicted, he could easily defend himself. He was several times stronger than those humans after all and without a doubt, he would dominate the entire Kingdom. The fall of a single human kingdom would be a fatal blow to humanity and could easily destroy the bnce of power that humans had maintained. Well, it was their fault, to begin with for not making Loria stronger. Money can attract many and it did attract many however because there were fewer chances of getting higher ranks because of the non-avability of many strong monsters or threats, the adventurers who aimed for fame more than fortune went to other countries. Also, those who wanted adventure more than money, went far away from Loria, though, the greedy ones who did no work stayed back, and probably this weakened the Kingdom. The king was to be med for it because he didn''t use the money wisely. One cannot satisfy his hunger with money alone - it would be food and an adequate supply of the same that could stabilize their daily life. The king missed that and the ministers didn''te forward to mention any of this. Though Kerin did start reform and norms to increase the food exchanges, they were in the initial stages! Therefore, Loria was arguably the weakest human kingdom in the present situation! "Kerin, I''ve changed my mind." "Take me with you to the ce where this lousy king and his greedy ministers reside.", Shin said with a re. "Y-yes.", Kerin nodded his head. Well, Kerin was a human and he would not want his own kin to die. He approached Shin because of the same reason, to begin with, but what made him trust Shin? Shin might be cunning and wise to prevent the loss of many, however, how did Kerin ensure that he wasn''t evil? The answer was quite simple - it was because he had heard about Shin earlier. A white wolf that had the power to transform into a me demon and kill almost all the elite soldiers of one of the strongest human kingdoms - Lenovia - this news had spread far and wide! There was no human nation left that didn''t know about this matter. To be precise, the news was forced to be spread among everyone and it was done by - the Elf Celestial. While he sat back and watched everything happen, he decided to spread the news to others too. He was enjoying the show as he grabbed his popcorns and watched Shin move forward with his ambition - What was on his mind anyway? Kerin mounted the horse and while picking up Shin as if he was nothing. All the wolves were watching this with a startled expression. ''Uh, I thought that he purposefully took a small appearance so his weight should be more. Looks like he really is a pup.'', the shadow wolf general said this to himself. Argant was grinning when Kerin picked Shin up as if he was nothing. Even Shin asked himself, ''Am I that light?'' "Is it ok if I wrap you in this cape.", Kerin asked. He didn''t want others to see that he was with a monster since the guards wouldn''t let him enter the castle. Shin allowed to do that right after which they left. Though, just before leaving, he ordered, "Stand by and don''t attack anyone while I''m away." "Of course, if anyone tries to attack you, you may defend but don''t kill anyone." Kerin and Shin then soon vanished. Of course, there was no soldier nearby to report what had happened. No one had seen it anyway so there was nothing to worry about. Soon enough, Kerin arrived at the castle walls where the soldiers allowed him without any check or hesitation. He then soon entered the castle and then marched towards the King''s Hall where the king would take care of issues. The ministers and the king were present there at the moment and were thinking about what should be done. "Sir Kerin is entering!" - the guards announced. ''Huh?'' ''He is back already?'', Rostold was startled a bit. The king was surprised to see him return too. Kerin was absent for a mere 20 minutes so it was shocking indeed. But what surprised them more was the thing that Kerin was carrying while having it wrapped in his cape. "Why did you return so soon Kerin? And what is that thing in your hands?" - the king asked. "Forgive me your highness.", Kerin said while gritting his teeth. "Huh?", the king failed to understand what Kerin meant by forgiveness but there was no need for him to think since he came to know it soon enough! Yes, the moment Kerin kept the ''thing'' down and removed the cape, Shin jumped furiously towards the king only to pin him down. "Wha-", the king waspletely shocked by seeing a pup upon him. He didn''t fall due to Shin''s weight, it was more because he was startled when Shin suddenly jumped towards him. "This is-" ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill Bite ] *crunch* And with that one attack, the king''s head went missing! Yes, Shinpletely ate the king''s head by biting it off and directly swallowing it while chewing only a bit. ''I was right, the dexterity of my teeth has increased, or else chewing the skull would make no sense.'' He was right, the dexterity of his entire body had increased tremendously, however, this sudden boost was also thanks to the bite skill which would automatically increase the dexterity temporarily! "And the king is down.", Shin said while licking the blood that was dripping down his mouth. The ministers were baffled by what had happened. The same was with Kerin, he never knew that Shin would finish the king without even talking once! "K-Kerin!" "What type of monster have you brought!?", Rostold shouted. Chapter 191 Testing And Tasting Kerin was startled when he was asked that. Of course, he couldn''t answer because he saw Shin as a conversable person but yes, Shin was a monster. This was the fact that Kerin had neglected. No matter what, Shin wouldn''t turn into a human or something else just because he was intelligent or a little sympathetic. It was at this moment that Kerin''s smartness and wit got the best out of him. The fear of seeing his own king getting eaten and the chaos caused by the ministers started the misconception in his heart. The trust turned into fear and the little respect that had been generated turned into cautiousness and anxiety. ''Yes, he is a monster indeed.'' ''A monster that has the intelligence of a human or perhaps more than a human is nothing less than the king of monsters!'' *gulp* He wanted to let go of these thoughts because they were useless at the moment, but when he saw Shin''s dead greenish eyes and the expression of having fun while killing humans, his thoughts started causing havoc in his head. "The blood of a royalty sure tastes good." - Shin said this only to scare the ministers, however, it had the same impact on Kerin as well. ''Someone who licks blood and talks about its taste isn''t kind at all...'' ''Then why did he let those many humans run away?'', he asked himself. ''Don''t tell me, it was because he considered them as bugs and felt no need to kill them?'' - Kerin''s fear only heightened. Sometimes having too much wit is bad and probably at this moment, it would have given him a heart attack! He didn''t say anything and stood there just like a pir with his head lowered. ''I don''t care anymore...'', he thought about leaving everything in the hands of fate. ''I think I have taken the right decision, but I can''t speak for myself anymore.'' After seeing Kerin lower his gazes, all the ministers understood that he no longer was with them. He had sided with the monsters and with this confirmation, they decided to render him a traitor of the country but they could do this only if they survived. Shin had no ns of letting them go, however, he too knew that for the stability of the kingdom, the high-ranking officials were necessary. Kerin, although wise and intelligent, wouldn''t be able to handle everything on his own. He would require aid and for that the ministers were perfect. But Shin couldn''t trust them since they were corrupt so rather than having corruption from the higher-ups, Shin decided to appoint other races to handle. "Kerin, the lives of these people are in your hands now.", Shin said in a loud voice. "Eh?", he was surprised by this and so were the ministers. ''Just what he meant by that?'', they questioned themselves. Shin wanted to see how good Kerin''s judgment was. Would he show sympathy and allow a poisonous untrustworthy snake to approach him or would he use his wit to dispose of it before it even approached - this was something that Shin wanted to see. He knew from the get-go who was greedy and who wasn''t. All he had to do was check the profile after all so it wasn''t too difficult and ording to that, he had already checked their profiles. In fact, he had already made the decision and had selected the ones who were going to live and those who were going to die. "Kerin, who among them should live?", Shin asked a tough question. Of course, some ministers looked at Shin as if he was cracking some joke but they realized the gravity of the situation as well. He was a beast and he would probably not joke at times like this, and after showing a dreadful scene, he would by no means back off. However, many of them thought that they could easily kill Shin. Probably they were overconfident in their powers but whatever, they were surely underestimating Shin. But there were some ministers who were wise enough to realize how much of a threat Shin was. A talking beast no less - was definitely a catastrophic level monster that would easily be ranked as S level. Yes, there were rankings of monsters in this world and they thought that Shin would easily be S ranked, of course, that was only their estimation. Whatever, now Kerin had to make the choice and ording to him, the ministers'' lives depended. ''I don''t know if this is a test or if he is asking genuinely...'' ''But if I had to make a nation that would rule peacefully and look at everyone equally, then I have to remove the thorns that stand in my way.'' - was what Kerin thought. He then immediately lifted his arm while pointing at Rostold with his index finger. "He is smart but in the wrong way." "I don''t think he deserves to live." - Kerin said while gritting his teeth. It was a tough decision - he had to choose between ''wit'' and ''greed''. Of course, he chose to eradicate greed. If he had chosen to go with wit, then Rostold would have been alive, and then the greed wouldter destroy the kingdom - there was a chance! But the moment he said his words, Shin didn''t hesitate to jump towards Rostold. "Kerin! You bastard!", Rostold shouted as Shin used the skill bite to tear and remove a part from his chest directly. "Aargh!" Blood sttered everywhere and in a few seconds, a pool of blood had been formed. Rostold no longer had his heart - it was eaten by Shin! On seeing this, one of the ministers ended up peeing himself while falling on the floor while others had their eyes wide opened as if they had seen something horrifying. *lick lick* "Distasteful...", Shinmented. "Alright Kerin, one down. Who is next?" - Shin asked. And while testing Kerin''s judgment and tasting the ministers blood, Shin conquered the Kingdom of Loria right around the final hour. Chapter 192 Reunion ''Ding'' [ Congrattion ] [ Mission Completed ] [ Difficulty: A+ ] [ -> Lead the goblins for the mission ] pleted] [ -> Conquer the Kingdom of Loria ] pleted] [ Reward: Find Ae ] The notification eventually popped up after Shin conquered the kingdom of Loria. He couldn''t care less about that. He wanted to find Ae after all so he anticipated the reward! "Now system, give me my reward!" "Quick!" All the past memories suddenly gushed and shed in front of him while he waited for the reward. His heartbeat suddenly rose to the peak. A lot of adrenalin and other hormones increased his internal temperature. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was experiencing goosebumps despite being a wolf! All he had to do now was wait for the system to give him the reward. ''Ding'' [ The host has been sessfully rewarded ] "..." "Huh?" However, after waiting for a few minutes, a sudden notification appeared saying that Shin had found Ae. However, he really did find Ae right after that. Yes, it was weird yet surprising to see Ae walk towards him. Of course, at the moment, he was no longer in the castle, he was standing near the fallen walls of the capital. "A-" "Ae?", Shin was super surprised to find Ae walking towards him. Along with her, Terran, Kaily, Alira, and other goblins were found. ''Ding'' [ Congrattion ] [ You havepleted the Mission ¨C Finding Ae ] [ -> Search for the clues left by Ae (3/3) ] pleted] [ -> Visit the goblins after collecting the Clues ] pleted] [ -> Find Ae ] pleted] Without wasting even a single second, Shin used the skill dash to run towards Ae. "Ae!", he shouted and then howled with joy as he arrived near her. Ae was simrly overjoyed as well. She was more than happy to see Shin running towards him. Tears started flowing down her eyes and the same was with Shin. After approaching her, he started to lick her face and ears as if he was being guided by his instincts. "Ae..." "You have no idea how much I missed you..." "How...? Why...? Just where were you all this time?", Shin shed even more tears. Ae licked his tears away as Shin cried and said, "I don''t know..." "I don''t know what was going on but this good person guided me and protected me all this time." "He gave me the idea of taking the fruit to heal. He was the one who told me to approach the goblins and he was the one who told me to go back into the forest.", Ae said in a low voice. "Who...?" ''Ding'' [ ording to the faint energy detected on her body, the individual that she is speaking is ''The Elf Celestial'' ] The moment the system mentioned this, Shin''s eyes widened. ''Elvion!?'' "..." All of a sudden, Shin''s mind was filled with a weird worry. It was necessary too because all this time, Elvion was the only one who helped him the most. Yes, his encounter with Elvion did seem to happen by ident but it was too weird to see Elvion let him go after acting cool and arrogant - a Celestial would never let something like that happen! ''Have I been ying in his hands all this time?'' - Shin questioned himself. ''Come to think of it, he was there when I needed the most and couldn''t do anything by myself...'' ''But at times when I had even a slight chance of victory, he was never to be found.'' ''How frequent could it be - meeting with the celestial twice that is?'' Shin''s mind was full of worry and thoughts, but he thought about throwing them aside for now. He wanted to enjoy the moment of reuniting with Ae. "I''m d that you are alright.", Shin nodded his head. ''How do I say this, I am the happiest wolf in the world to have you master.'' - and this was what Ae thinking. After their reunion, things would calm down since Shin would finally be able to rest for a bit - at least he thought that way. But no, a bigger storm was soon toe that would sweep away the entire continent in it, of course, Shin being at the center of it. Shin turned towards his right to greet Terran and others too, however, when he looked carefully, he found Terran in a bad condition. "T-Terran!?" "What happened to you!?" Terran''s fur, which would otherwise be in perfect position, was all upside down. There were by no means uniformly arranged and it seemed like he could hardly stand! He then looked at Kaily and found her a bit injured as well - a few bruises or burnt marks - also, her appearance had changed into that of a demi-human. He could identify her instantly though. Alira waspletely fine though. In fact, she was energetic enough to push Shin down right after he finished meeting Ae. Alira started licking him too. "Master!" "Are you alright!?" "Why did you leave us alone and go by yourself?", she asked many questions for which Shin justughed awkwardly. "But what happened to you two?", he asked Terran and Kaily. "About that...", both of them simultaneously looked towards Ae with sliding eyes. ''Why are they looking at her?'', Shin too looked at Ae only to find her looking away. It was as if she was avoiding their gazes. "Ae, what are they saying?" "Did you do something?", Shin almost immediately asked her. "Uh..." "The thing is..." "..." She was trying toe up with a reason but her mind didn''t support her. If she had thought any more, then her mind would have been overcooked and smoke would have starteding out of her head. "I kind of bashed* them.", she said awkwardly. "B-bashed them...?" Shin looked at her with a weird expression. He then looked at Terran and Kaily nodding their heads. "Did you two seriously get beaten by Ae?", he asked. Both of them nodded again. What surprised Shin more was that Ae didn''t have even a single scratch on her body. This was something to think about since Terran was quite strong and with Kaily''s assistance, it would have been easier to deal with Ae! "Ahem, I wonder what had happened...", Shin murmured. "..." *Bashed - strike hard and violently. Chapter 193 A Special Attack "So, any news regarding master?", Terran asked the returning elven scouts. "Unfortunately no.", the leader of the scout group replied. It seemed as if he was a bit tired for some reason - he had explored arge part of the forest after all so it was understandable. "Hmm..." "I think tomorrow will be better.", Terran said while looking towards the starry sky. ''Yet another day has passed and there is no news regarding master...'' ''Surely he is alive after all the crest is still present but I am unsure if he is safe.'' ''He might be strong but there are times when even strong ones are hunted just because they underestimate or let down their guard.'' ''Well, master will surely be safe. He is not the one to let his guard down.'', there were tons of thoughts going on in Terran''s mind. ? He was unsure if they should go in search of him. They knew that it would be a hindrance or cause some sort of problem because of which Shin left them here. So he wanted to respect his wishes, however, after finding the first beast who spoke with him and released him from his misery, partially though, he was tense since he wanted to repay the favor as well. So in this manner, a few days passed. Exactly around 7 days, it was the first time when the scouts returned with good news. "We-" "We found him!", said many of them. "What!?", Terran and others were surprised and happy at the news. "Where? How is he?" "Did you ask him why he left suddenly?", Terran jumped forward to ask this. Alira was sad all these times and after hearing this, she too stood up and got excited since she finally knew that they were going to meet soon. "Well, we found him but we didn''t get the chance to approach him.", the elven leader said. "What?!" "Yes. It was probably because we exhausted too much amount of mana but we could no longer afford to move forward." "Our body had be too weak due to aging so even a single step could have been fatal.", he said. "I-" "I see." Terran looked a bit satisfied and worried at the same time. He still wanted to know if Shin was alright and why he left suddenly but there was nothing that he could do other than ask about him. "So, where did you see him specifically?" - he asked. The Arb elves told about the farthest end, the route that would take them eventually towards the human kingdom Loria. Loria - even though it had less poption, it had been established ages ago. Even before Terran was born, the kingdom was present - of course, at that moment it was only known as a vige but it had the same name. "Hmm..." Terran wanted to run and immediately go and find Shin however he held back. Yes, he held back his desire with all his might in order to prevent making any mistakes. He was a wolf now and he had to ept that fact. His level had been dropped significantly and his powers were deeply restricted which meant that he wouldn''t be able to stand against powerful beasts. Thus, he decided to stay there instead of wandering without actually knowing the exact direction and getting into danger again and again. And even though he had taken those all precautions and thought about all these things, he was forced to go! Yes, in the end, he did go however this time, it was not to find Shin directly - it was to find Alira! She ran away as soon as she heard where they had seen Shin without even thinking anything properly. Terran came to know about this when he could no longer find Alira. "Everyone is present here except her!", Terran was referring to Alira. "Now where did she go?", right after asking this, he decided to go and search. Of course, the elves were tired so Terran decided that it was enough if they rested instead of getting into trouble by joining them. Though the elves leader and others rmended themselves joining, Terran forbade again. The only ones that could go and exit the forest were Terran and Kaily. Initially, Terran thought that he would be enough to find Alira, however, the forest seemed new to him! Many new trees had grown after all and many other changes had taken ce. So of course, it would bepletely new to him. "Brat, it''s better if I apany you.", Kaily knew the forest well since she was present here all this time. It was a good idea if she were toe with him after all she could even provide potions for him to heal. Other than shapeshifting or changing appearances, she was highly knowledgeable about the forest so it was beneficial. "Alright, let''s go." Both of them then ran towards the direction which the elves had specified. "How troublesome..." "..." Terran sighed again and again because he kept getting into idents. "This body is highly inconvenient!", he eximed. "Haha, what are you talking about brat?" "I think this body is perfect in this kind of forest.", Kailyughed at Terran. Terran was hanging upside down. It was the work of a ''Trap Tree'' whose roots work like a and capture the prey and pull them upwards. Of course, the roots are stronger than the steel so the prey often is unable to escape and dies because of hunger. After that, the tree absorbs the natural mana from the dead body which starts to leave the body. "Tsk, free me already grandma!", Terran called out Kaily. "Whom are you calling a grandma!?", Kaily looked at Terran with ferocious eyes. "Ugh, sorry..." "Will you please free me!", he cried. "Sigh..." "Destroyer Eyes." Kaily murmured that right after which her eyes started to glow with red light. All of a sudden, the steel-reinforced roots tore into shreds and Terran fell on his head on the ground. "Wha-" "What was that!?", Terran was surprised to see that he was freed so easily but more than that, he was awed by Kaily''s attack. "Hehe, that was my special attack..." "Sp-special attack?" "..." Chapter 194 Changing Set Of Skills "Yes, it was my special attack - Destroyer eyes!", she smirked as she said that. Terran was startled as well as fascinated after hearing that. The attack was superb after all. It took no time to free and there was no harm done to him so he was d to know that she had such an attack. He could easily fall into another trap so the said attack would help him again! "Phew, d that it worked and you didn''t burn into ashes...", she murmured. "Huh? What did you just say?", Terran''s eyes widened when he heard her say that. "N-nothing! It''s not important.", Kaily kept her calm smile as if she had said something unimportant. "No, I definitely heard you say something about ''Burn into ashes!''. What was that?" Terran was not someone that would let her go just like that. He had every right to ask since she really did just mention something bizarre. "Actually, the special attack that I used earlier is hard to control..." "And?", Terran looked at her with a ferocious gaze with imaginary ck smoke surrounding him. He wanted her to get to the main point of the matter quickly. "Ahem, so, when that skill is used, it strains the eye due to which I have to try hard not to blink." "And what will happen if you blink?", Terran asked. "Well..." "Everything that I saw just before blinking would be destroyedpletely.", she said while looking in the opposite direction and trying to walk away. "I see." "That is nothing to worry about." When Kaily heard Terran say that, she was surprised. She thought that he would be pissed after hearing that and would try to scold her and chomp her! But quite the opposite happened, for now at least. She stopped walking further and was about to return when Terran showed his true colors. "Did you really expect me to say that!?" "How dare you use such a bizarre attack!?" "Were you out of your mind?", he asked while shouting at the top of his voice. "...", and from that day onwards, Kaily stopped trusting all those who would show apletely different attitude with respect to the situation. Terran sighed and looked a bit tired. It was because his mana was drained a bit. The roots apparently drain mana while the prey is kept captive forcefully to kill them faster - of course, the trees spend energy and their own mana in this process. "Anyway, we should continue moving forward...", Terran looked towards the farthest point that he could see from there but could find nothing since they were surrounded by nothing but trees. Of course, there was free space but it was just as big as a ser stadium probably because the roots were spread everywhere - some called this ce Root Land - not a creative name. In any case, now Terran decided to continue the journey before which he wanted to ask Kaily for advice if they were heading in the right direction. "Um, is this the rig-" "What the heck!?", he turned back only to be surprised. Before him, apletely different being was standing. It was for the first time after a couple of centuries that he had seen the being. "A human!?", he took a few steps back instinctively. He had already started to hate the human race since the beginning and the hate had probably be a part of his instinct which forced him to jump backward or take a few steps backward. Yes, instead of attacking, his instincts were telling him to run away - probably because kindness was mixed with the ''hate''. But a human? Did Kaily transform into a human now? But the rule was that a part would remain as a wolf then how could she end up being a human? Perhaps it was only the appearance of a human with some internal organ of a wolf? Not precisely but yes, she transformed into a demi-human. Other than having a young girl''s body, she had wolf-like ears. Her hair was ck while her skin was pale white - quite fair. Her deep ck pupil made her look almost exactly like a human, though, the ears made sure that she was a demi-human. The ears, unlike humans, popped a little to the verticle right above the head which Terran missed at the moment because he was startled by her mere appearance. "It''s me, brat! Did you already forget my change of appearance curse?", She sighed. Although not a curse, it was something simr since she no longer had her individuality. ''This is the price I paid for messing with thews of nature.'', she sighed again and again. "Ah it''s yo-" And just when he heard her voice and was about to sigh with confirmation, the roots pulled him up yet again. Yes, he fell into the trap the second time. "Ugh, not again..." He was hanging upside down now. Well, he could easily free himself but he thought that Kaily could do it better. "Hey, free me already!", he shouted. "Oh my, didn''t you say that my skill was too dangerous?" "Why do you want me to help now?", she smirked as if she was teasing him. Well, while it was true that it was dangerous, Terran too knew that Kaily wouldn''t go ahead and do something that isn''t tested. After being cursed for messing with nature, she had learned a big lesson and therefore she would always do things after thinking at least ten times! So Terran knew that the skill could be trusted if Kaily was the one using it. "I''m sorry for that, now hurry up and help me!", he shouted yet again. "I ept your apology brat but the thing is, I can''t use that skill...", she denied while shaking her head. "What do you mean?" "As I mentioned, it is a special skill which was avable only in that form. Now that my form changed, the set of skills granted to me has changed too." "..." "Huh?" Chapter 195 The Attacker - Part 1 "Huh?" "What did you just say?" Terran waspletely shaken by her words. This was probably the first time she had ever mentioned her changing set of skills with her changing appearance. "You mean to say, your skills change too just like your appearance?", Terran asked yet again for confirmation. "Isn''t thatmon sense brat?" "If my appearance were to change into a mermaid, do you really think I would die from living underwater?" "I would definitely get a skill that will let me breathe inside the water!" "Also, if I were to change into a bird, wouldn''t I get a fly skill that would let me fly?", Kaily asked. This was indeed shocking. Without a doubt, this meant that Kaily had an infinite number of skills since she could change into an infinite number of beings. Of course, she couldn''t control her changes and the skills that she would possess but that doesn''t negate the fact that she could use almost all the skills out there! *gulp* Terran wanted to take more time thinking about this so he stopped asking her anything and used his own skill to free himself. Of course, this time, instead of being freed by just destroying the roots, the entirendscape was destroyed! Yes, since Terran didn''t have any active short-ranged efficient skill, he was forced to destroy the trees to free himself. "..." "Brat did you really just do that!?", Kaily shouted at Terran after seeing the sand storms popping out of nowhere which plucked the trees with their roots intact from the ground! "Well, I had to use my skill Sand storm, I didn''t have any other better ones.", he nodded his head as if he had done something great. Kaily dodged the effect of the skill by using a barrier which was a skill that she gained after the change of her appearance. But a question lingered - Did Shin ept her by knowing that she could gain skills by changing her appearance or was it simply to increase the familia members? - after all, her stats and profile were never revealed. Did Shin just didn''t bother to look at the profile, or did he look at it and control his emotions? The answer is yes! Shin had seen her profile and thanks to the system''s message he was sure that it would be best to ept Kaily into their group. [Profile] Name: Kalierin Von Sex: female Age: ??? Weight: ??? Race: ??? [ Half Wolf Addition ] Rank: ??? || Max. rank: S Level: 49 || Max. level: 50 HP: 499/499 || Max. HP: 500 MP: 200/510 || Max. MP: 600 Exp: 2316 || Max. Exp: 9999 Atk: 51+??? || Max. Atk: ??? Def: 57+??? || Max. Def: ??? Speed: 52+??? || Max. Speed: ??? Int: 100 || Max. Int: 109 [Skills] [Active] 1] Shattering Roar Lv.3 2] Stealth Lv.3 [Passive] -- [ Titles ] 1] Infinite Transformation [ series: curse ] -> the user transforms in a set amount of time -> restrictions: none 2] Infinite Skills User [ series: curse ] -> can gain and use new skills upon transformation. -> restrictions: none These were the stats that Shin had seen before naming her. Of course, Kaily did be her name which she loved to call herself. In any case, Terran was a bit upset for now, perhaps furious! "Listen, from now on don''t hide any secrets!", Terran said. Kaily looked at him and replied by saying, "Uh, I will try my best to tell all the important info beforehand." In any case, Terran was now freed and Kaily was as good as new to go. Therefore, without arguing about anything else, both of them started to march towards the ce which the elves had indicated. So without fighting anymore, they continued and soon arrived near the ce which the elves had indicated. "Uh, I can pick up some scent which closely resembles master but for some reason, it is a bit different at the same time.", Terran sniffed around the ce as his nose felt a bit itchy. He had been with Shin for quite some time so he had memorized his scent, after all, sniffing him out was the only chance for him to get out of a dangerous forest if he were to get lost. Kaily didn''t know about that but she trusted him when he said that. "What do you mean by something is different?" - Kaily asked. "I don''t know..." "For some reason, the scent feels strangely simr but at the same time, it feels way differe-", and just as he was saying that, an attack wasunched towards him. A de of wind was shot right at him as if it was aimed at his head. "Dark Shield!" "Wha-" *bam* The attack ended up hitting the barrier which Kaily erected. She was able to hear the sudden movement of the bushes and the wind because of the enhanced ears that she had gained after transforming. Demi-humans are somewhat demons and somewhat humans. Since the demons prioritize dark magic over any other, she could use that as well. Of course, it was the same skill that she used earlier to protect herself from the sand storm. "Show yourself!", Kaily shouted. Terran jumped a few steps towards Kaily as if he was attempting to regroup and n something. They could whisper and discuss if they were near each other. The shield was down and Kaily repeated herself, "Who are you!? Show yourself!" While she expected to take the matter to a verbal level to see if the attacker was intelligent enough to speak verbally, she did this to expose his or her position so that she too could attack instead of just defending. Kaily looked at Terran only for an instant when he realized her n. She wanted to expose position and while keeping the attacker busy in conversation, Terran could go around and attack as if he was ambushing the attacker. Of course, things didn''t go their way since the attacker replied with attacks instead of any verbalmunication. A few more des of wind were fired at them rapidly which forced Kaily to use the barrier yet again to cover herself and Terran at the same time - the barrier was big enough to amodate them and spare some space. Chapter 196 The Attacker - Part 2 *bam* *boom* The des of winds continued to hit the barrier continuously. They were being fired again and again giving no time to rest. Of course, it would take arge toll on the attacker as well as it would consume a lot of mana, but the same would be for the defender too. So the first one to be down was the one who had less MP. Kaily was suffering from this a bit. Although she had a special condition that let her transform into various beings and use their skills, her MP, HP, and all other basic stats were normal. That is, they would increase only if she were to level up. Because of this very reason, even if she were to gain a powerful skill, she would fail to use or could use only a limited number of times due to the limited MP. So in order to counter this problem, leveling up was a requirement that would help her in long-running. But for now, her MP was less, lesser than her original in fact since she had used the same skill twice and was continuously using up her MP to keep the barrier on. Terran wasn''t told about this but he wasn''t foolish enough not to realize this. Therefore, he decided to use some sort of attack to keep the attacker in check. His eyes started to give off a faint brown light which seemed a bit orangish. Right after that, he used his skill Sand storm. Since Kaily was inside the barrier, she wouldn''t be affected by it, but this would definitely affect the attacker by at least blocking his or her view or forcing the attacker toe out. ''Good...'' ''This was a good move.'' Kaily was satisfied by the move that Terran made. The reason was simple, she was going to keep the barrier up anyway so instead of keeping it up while blocking, she could use it while they were attacking! This would give them an upper hand since the attacker would turn into a defender for a few minutes at least. Unfortunately enough, they were wrong. The des of wind that were being fired were strong enough to cut through the sand storm. Yes, a Sand storm attack would create a few cyclones or tornadoes containing sand which would then move in an unknowing manner. The des just cut right through them and stabilized the wind in no time. "Ugh, this is bad..." "I thought that we could prevent the attacker from attacking but it seems like it is a wind-type beast that has an advantage in the wind." - Kaily concluded. Terran looked at her with a shocked expression realizing that she had almost ended up using her entire MP. "Looks like there is no other way out." Terran''s eyes started to glow with a golden light rather than any faint brown light. It was bright enough to force Kaily to turn back to take a look at it. "Those eyes...", Kaily noticed the bright glow from his eyes. They seemed familiar to her which made her realize what they were - Dragon Eyes! Yes, even though Terran had be a wolf, for the time being, he was a dragon earlier and would eventually retain its capabilities. Those very capabilities had turned into skills and had been stored since earlier. He decided to use that skill right now in order to find the location of the attacker and see the amount of MP or HP the attacker is left with. *zoom* Everything around Terran became slow. In fact, everything appeared to be moving slowly thanks to his dragon eyes. As the saying goes - ''Nothing escapes from the dragon''s eyes.'' - it seemed as if Terran could just see anything and everything. Yes, he could see right through the bushes and the trees and the rocks that surrounded them. Although the vision was not clear, he could roughly see their aura or shape. "That is-" And within a few seconds, he was able to find the attacker. "Huh?" "Isn''t that..." As mentioned earlier, the dragon eyes could see through almost anything and everything - just like the Golden eyes or the All-Seeing Eyes. Thus, it could also be used to see if a monster is named or not, and if it, then what precisely is the name? - these all could be found out. And right now, Terran could see the name of the attacker which forced him to stop Kaily from thinking about any attacks. "Miss Ae?", he murmured. Not an hour had gone before Shin had mentioned Ae. Thus, the name was imprinted in his mind so he could almost readily tell that the attacker was none other than the same wolf that was being searched by Shin! ''Master...'' ''I found her!'', Terran started with a bright smile. The attacks were stilling and Kaily was blocking them, but Terran, instead of doing anything, was just smiling. Perhaps he was thinking about the reaction that Shin would give upon finding out that Terran had found Ae. Whatever, he decided to approach her while using Shin''s name. "Hey!" "Hear me out!" "We aren''t your enemies!" "We are your friends! We are with Shin, do you remember him?" Kaily butted in too realizing the situation, "Yes, we are with Shin! Don''t you know him?" "We are helping him find you!", he shouted at the top of his voice. The attacks stopped right after Ae heard Shin''s name and just rushed forward. As she arrived near them, they found that Alira was present with her. It seemed like she had already found Ae a while back and had been chatting with her for a while. "Alira!?" "If you were with her then couldn''t you have told her that we were on her side!?", Terran looked with furious eyes. "Tehee. I thought it would be fun to see you watch the fight.", Aliraughed as if it was not her problem. Ae, after walking a few more steps forward, asked, "So, were you really sent by him?" "Yes, we were-" And just as he was about toplete his sentence, lightning came down from the sky and struck him hard. "..." Chapter 197 Youth Regaining Potion It was not only Terran but also Kaily who got hit by the lightning. They called their master by his name after all so it was understandable that they were going to receive some punishment. Of course, it was only after that did they realize that they had said his name by mistake. After seeing this happen, Ae, who previously was a bit suspicious, now became sure of it - ''Since they were desperate enough to take master''s name, they would surely be his servants.'' She looked at Alira to whom he had already taken a liking to and asked, "You, are you master''s servant as well?" "Yes.", Alira nodded with a smile on her face. Well, Shin did term it as friends however this was something that beasts wouldn''t understand that easily - they are after each other''s lives every time so they wouldn''t have time to think about the term friends. That was why, whenever Shin told about friends, they thought that it was a roundabout way of saying that all of them were his ves. Of course, subordinates was the other term which Shin used often. "So, where is he?" "I have been searching all this time but I have yet to find any clues about his whereabouts!" Upon seeing Ae so tensed up, Terran after shaking his body to remove the dust and recovering from the shock, said, "Master was desperately searching you all this time." "But a few days ago-" Terran exined all that had happened and Ae believed all those things. There were two reasons for which she believed them, one - they were conversing so easily without any change in emotion which Ae considered to be the truth. Second - they all had crests on their heads of chest or arm which were simr to the one she had. With that, she was able to identify if they were of the same familiar or not. "Hmm..." And right after that, she decided to take the help of goblins since they were almost at the edge of the forest. She already knew them and since they feared high rankings, they would do anything to save their necks. After thinking and suggesting this, Ae along with others, went towards the goblins'' vige or cave only to find about Shin. Since Terran and Kaily hade to find Shin, they thought that it would be better to inquire from the goblins if possible and went along with Ae while agreeing to her sound argument. Soon enough, they met Shin after crossing all the dead bodies and the entire kingdom and reaching almost at the center. Of course, the other side of the kingdom which was lined by a totally different kingdom altogether was safe since Shin and the monsters never went that way, but it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that Shin conquered a human kingdom and ced a human - Kerin - to lead all while sparing only a few nobles who seemed worthy enough to serve him. "I..." "I see, so you weren''t hurt by her but were hurt because you identally spoke my name...", Shin had a weird expression on his face. "Then what did you mean by bashing them up?", Shin turned towards Ae and asked this. "Well, they sure did get burned and hurt because of the lightning..." "But other than that, I hit them a few times when they challenged me.", Ae''s ears were down as if she was emotionally unstable. "Huh? Why would you challenge her?" Shin was confused when he asked Terran and Kaily. They all came to find Shin so there was no need to challenge each other or fight, so something was surely up. But what was it? Shin wanted to find it out. "Uh, master, she said that she was your number one subordinate and she was the most favorite of all so we kind of challenged...", Terran said this while trying to avoid Shin''s gazes. "Nani!?" He looked at Kaily who tried to avoid gazes too and realized that Terran said a shocking truth. ''They fought for a silly reason like that?'', he was genuinely surprised. ''Aren''t they a bit too...'' ''Uh...'' ''What to say...?'' Shin couldn''t even think properly anymore after hearing that. ''Sigh, never mind. In the end, I found Ae and I can now rest for quite some time peacefully.'' After handing the kingdom to Kerin and exining many things, Shin and the rest of them returned to the forest where the Arb elves were waiting for them. They were happy to see Shin return and were surprised to see many more wolves and goblins joining them. The goblins couldn''t enter the deep parts of the forest since they would be attacked by monsters that are stronger than them, but due to Shin''s presence and his Aura which spread keeping the beasts away, they could easily enter the forest. Of course, he deactivated the skill Aura control till they arrived at the center of the forest. The elves were startled because of this but after seeing that it was being liberated from Shin, instead of running, they stood while trembling believing that he had no ill intentions. Of course, he activated the skill again to prevent them from being scared anymore. After that, all of them had a nice talk with Shin as he exined what had happened so far. Seeing that a pack of shadow wolves had joined them, arouse a reason for toast and banquet and yet again the elves went and collected some great fruits and some meat this time of other monsters for the party. "Haha, now I can finally rest.", just when Shin had said that, he noticed someone waving his hand at him. ''Huh?'' When Shin looked at him, he waspletely baffled. A small tree-like twig was waving one of his tender and small branches at Shin, which he confused with an arm. Of course, he identified him almost instantly the moment he looked at his name and murmured, "Mr. Mo?" Right after that, he rushed towards him with awe. Earlier, Mo was a gigantic tree that was feared to be one of the most dangerous trees, but right now, he looked nothing more than a thin sapling or a nt. He was hardly taller than Shin. "Mr. Mo, is that really you?", he asked despite having confirmed earlier. "Y-yes.", Mo seemed somewhat sad when he answered that. "Wha-" "What happened? Why did you grow smaller?" Well, Shin had somewhat guessed the reason but still wanted him to answer to be sure if that was right. "The potion which the witch gave..." "I think it regressed my age in nt form instead of regressing or turning back me into a human.", he sighed. ''Interesting...'' ''Does that mean we can use that potion to regain our youth?'' ''A youth potion!?'', Shin''s eyes were filled with beaming light and stars. It was as if he found something interesting yet again and of course, this time it was definitely something that should be thought about. Regaining youth was something that almost all desired and even if they didn''t, they would definitely want to return to their younger forms and re-live their lives or make things better. Without a doubt, it was a way to avoid death or decelerate death and this was what Shin was fascinated about. He immediately called Kaily towards him. He asked after her arrival, "Hey Kaily, did you know what effect your potion had on Mr. Mo?" "Uh, master, I think it helped him regain his youth...", she said this while looking at the ground. "Ah, so you knew what effect your potion had." "Does this mean that you lied about your curse-breaking potion?", Shin asked while ring at her. "N-no." "That''s not it..." She curled her hair a bit with her fingers and then said, "I really had the curse-breaking potion and it was the same potion that I gave him, but it had a weird effect." "What do you mean?", Shin was confused by what she meant. "Master, the knowledge and the books that I learned earlier said - the curse-breaking potion may transform into youth regaining potion under special conditions." "And I think, keeping the potion for quite a longer period turns them to the said potion.", she mumbled. ''Hmm, so that''s what happened.'' ''She partly knew that the potion might work as youth regaining potion but wasn''t sure.'' ''Maybe that''s why she was a bit hesitant while looking at the potion.'' "So, how many more bottles of this potion do you have?", Shin asked. "I think, five more.", she mumbled. Her voice was low probably because she was apologetic. But Shin had nothing to scold her about, in fact, he was happy because of the youth regaining potion. Youth regaining - a potion that rewinds the time of the person to his previous self, giving him the effect of regaining his/her youth. ''If the potion was used carefully, it could also be used as a superior healing potion.'', Shin smirked. And he waspletely right after it, regaining youth is nothing but going back in time or somewhat simr to it. Only the body changes and since that happened, even if one has lost his arm, he might be able to regain it if the potion is used - after all, all the cells which might have been dead for a long time gets re-created with the help of mana and energy stored in the potion! "Keke..." "Ha..." "Hahahaha!" "Splendid Kaily!" "This is awesome!" "I never thought that you would have developed such a potion!" And with that, Shin startedplimenting and praising Kaily with which her mood improved soon enough. Right after that, they re-joined the banquet. "Erm, what about me?", and Mo was left behind, hiding behind a tree. Chapter 198 The Session Shin and all slept nicely after the banquet. They were pretty tired on top of which they had a lot of fun which exhausted a lot of energy out of them. The goblins slept out in the open which was the same for others whereas the elves slept in their own tree houses. Of course, they were nning to sleep outside as well, but Shin asked them not to do something unnecessary and be normal. Obeying him, they used the treehouses just like usual. It was yet another morning and Shin was the first one to wake up. Well, there were some arb elves that were guarding the area but they hadn''t slept thest night. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that those specific guards were nocturnal. After waking up, Shin walked around and looked at the Shadow wolves that were fast asleep. ''Sheesh, today I have to name them...'' Just thinking about it made him nauseous. Naming was a hard task. He would by no means take it lightly either and because of that, it would often put a lot of strain on his body. Though it would increase the rank and power of his familia, this was not something he could do overnight. ''Well, I think I can soon keep my promise...'', he looked at Deoras while thinking that. A few hours passed by when Shin returned after hunting a few monsters. He brought them while thinking about breakfast. Not all were awake yet, but a majority of them had already been waiting for Shin''s arrival. After bringing a few monsters and making them appear right in front of them, thanks to the inventory, everyone started eating as if there was no tomorrow. And while they were enjoying this, a new storm was starting to emerge. Yes, a storm that was soon going to engulf not only the forest of Thuren but also all the nations neighboring them. The fact that one of the human kingdoms met its doom and a monster did that became a topic that spread around like wildfire. Shin''s name had started to be known everywhere. From the moment when he almost burned an entire city of Levonia, posters were stuck in the walls representing his figure. Though his name wasn''t known, he was already regarded as an S-ss destroyer-level monster that was capable of bringing down an entire kingdom. Since Levonia was too cautious after Shin''s attack, the news failed to reach most of the kingdoms and since Loria was way down south, they had no idea about Shin or his appearance. However, after bringing down an entire kingdom and changing its jurisdiction, Shin''s name became rather famous. Of course, none could take his name directly. They could neither think lowly of him nor give him any puny low-ss level because all those that did, met some or the other punishments. Therefore, a rule was made - ''Never call out his name.'' Anyone who dared to will be punished severely. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that many mothers now deviated from the story of a demon eating their children to ''Shin'' eating their children if they were to stay awake instead of sleeping. And due to this, a few meetings were soon conducted. The humans as well other races were forced to decide what course of action they needed to take because the downfall of one of the richest nations was conceived as a threat to all of them. At the same time... In the royal pce of the Kingdom Nrowon (pronounced as Rowon), a round table conference was set in motion regarding thetest turbulence that urred. There were about 25 people out of 30 sitting in the hall where the meeting was urring. It was particrly a dark ce probably because it was being held in secrecy - their own identities were to be kept secret as well. None of them knew each other with their original names, they would only address each other with just an alias. However, there were a few people with extraordinary power and tremendous responsibility and poprity whose identity couldn''t be hidden even with an alias. They were the ones who preceded the meeting and were in charge of all the major decisions - they were given some powers in the discussion. There were only five of them with such power and they were the ones that called the meeting. Out of the five, the one with the highest power was actually unknown. It was probably decided that the head of the meeting shouldn''t be biased and chose someone with extreme qualities in judgment to reside - of course, they didn''t inquire about his/her identity. The other four were well known. One went with the title of Sword God, another had the title of Mystic Saint. The other two also had somewhat simr titles such as the Destroyer and the Ice Queen. Well, they were so strong that they could practically destroy an entire kingdom if they wanted to. The kingdom of Nrowon served as a ce where they came together and held meetings twice a year. Thest meeting was held two months ago and so the next one should have been at least after four more months, but the matter was considered serious enough that all of them were summoned by the Great Five - the ones who lead the meeting. Everyone sat in their respective seats as usual. The remaining five or the Great Five were thest to arrive. Out of them, only four arrived and took their seats. The person unknown, the head, he then finally entered and the moment he did, all the members stood as if they were paying respect. He didn''t look at anyone and just walked right towards his seat and sat as if the matter didn''t concern him. While wearing a weird mask that hid not only emotions but also his aura, he said in a low voice, "Let the session begin." The deep voice marked the start of the session. Chapter 199 Diverting Attention The session started right after the Head announced. Many of them were somewhat aware of the reason for the meeting. They were aware of the danger that was posed by Shin. Out of all the members sitting in the hall, one of them stood up and after shing a scroll to everyone started to read whatever was written in the scroll. "Here is the concern of all the human kingdoms that surround the Kingdom Of Loria." A lot was written in the scroll, however, the core matter was that all of them were afraid of a single beast - Shin. His name had be so renowned that it would bring shivers down everyone''s spine. Just by taking his name, they would be subjected to punishments by nature so it was evident that this being was not a normal one. "So, the kingdoms are asking us to think of a proper solution regarding this matter." - with this, the man concluded and sat back on his seat. Some of them started discussing with each other right after that while some were wondering about things on their own. It was not an easy topic to think about. ''Shin'' - the name itself was well known earlier too because the so-called wolf God also had the same name. This was one of the reasons that forced all of them to hold a meeting urgently. ''Is this perhaps the Wolf God''s reincarnation?'', one of them thought. ''Is this the Wolf God''s child?'', this was something that another fellow had in his mind. While all of them had different things to say, they thought one thing inmon - Shin was somehow rted to the Wolf God. The Great Five had simr thoughts as well. They wanted to know more about the beast Shin so that they could take appropriate measures against him. "I think we must eliminate him as soon as possible.", said one of the members who was sitting just next to the great five. "Eliminate him?" Some had already thought about that and thus supported his thoughts. "I second this." "Yes, I think the same should be done." However, there were some who were against this decision. "I think it''s for the best to first look into the matter more closely and then decide." "Lord Sky, I think you have be soft-hearted.", a guy smirked and actually mocked him. "That''s not it Lord Rai, I think we should first investigate the matter properly." "It is too soon to judge him as an evil being." Lord Sky was a respected person among all of them. ''Sky'' was just his alias so his identity was unknown. However, despite that, building great respect among the members was a great achievement! "Haha, I think you are just scared.", Lord Rai replied trying to mock him yet again. "It''s not that I am scared. I am just thinking that it would be better to take some precautions and gather more information regarding this matter." He wasn''t wrong, they knew nothing about Shin other than the info that was provided from other kingdoms such as Levonia and some spies from Loria. Both of them were voicing their thoughts. Of course, the decision was to be taken by altogether and it had to be approved by the head so it was practically useless to argue at the moment. Though, Rai seemed a bit arrogant and wanted his demand to be taken. Yes, there were many that supported him but the same was for Sky as well. p "Hmm, your thoughts do sound convincing...", the Ice Queen said this while looking at Rai. ''The beautiful Ice Queen is supporting me!?'' ''Yes! Now the members will start respecting me even more for sure!'' ''Such a pure beauty. She was both, beauty and brain!'', tons of thoughts started popping inside Rai''s head. The Ice Queen was a gorgeous woman. She had tremendous influence in society (the exact role will be revealedter). Her blue hair and icy-blue jewel-like eyes got her the name of Ice Queen. Of course, she used Ice magic and simr forms. Her chest wasrge enough to look as if it was some treasure box! Any man would go crazy for her. The tight white like maiden clothing which she wore showed her gracious curves. "Then...", Rai was overjoyed to see one of the Great Five supporting him and was about to ask for the confirmation of the n however he was stopped even before he could say anything. "I think Sky''sments are better.", she said in a low voice. ''Bi*ch!'' ''How dare you choose him over me?'' And right after that, his thoughts took a 180-degree turn. In any case, now everyone started to think of Sky''s advice was better and wondered about that. The Great Five started to think too of the situation. Although they did suggest some thoughts, that didn''t mean that they couldn''t think other things. Yes, one by one, they started toe up with ideas of their own. Someone said about sending a spy to get some info while others said about assigning a role to the beast. A beast capable of bringing down a kingdom would be either extremely powerful or extremely wise. Seeing that there weren''t many damages done to the buildings andndscape, most of them concluded that the beats had tremendous intelligence. Because of that, he would fit to hold one of the positions. Many were against this because they knew nothing much about Shin. Some did support this idea but it was only one a whim. "Sigh, this is giving me a headache. I have no idea about what we should be doing." "I mean, why are we even breaking our heads for this matter?" "Isn''t it obvious that this beast is making himself known purposefully?" "Could it be that someone is orchestrating all this? He might be wanting to divert our attention on some random beast and then do his job." - Sword God said all this in just one breath. And the moment he said this, the entire hall went quiet. "..." Chapter 200 The Conclusion The meeting went on for three straight hours. Everyone was tense and was giving their own suggestions and opinions on the matter. Although eliminating Shin was the idea that was supported the most, there were a few other ideas that caught everyone''s attention. Some wanted Shin as a pet because they thought that all he had was strength which they could outss easily. Others thought that they could use Shin as a puppet to destroy other kingdoms that get in their way - of course, these were something that deeply rooted down to their personal lives. It had nothing to do with others'' welfare. The unknown head probably realized their ns and decided to halt any further discussions after a long three hours. "That''s enough." - just these words were more than enough to render everyone silent. The entire hall was engulfed with silence all of a sudden. It was no surprise since this would happen quite often, every year. But yes, the head seemed somewhat interested in this matter as well. Although his identity waspletely unknown, the respect for him was great so everyone quieted down to hear his wordings. "I have decided." He didn''t ask for anyone else''s opinion anymore. After hearing all their thoughts, he decided upon something which was supposedly going to be the decision or the end result of the meeting. No one would even dare to question him anyway. "We will leave the wolf alone." "Sir?", although no one questioned, they seemed surprised by the decision. ''Leaving such a dangerous beast alone?'' ''What is sir even thinking?'' "My foresight tells me that he is going to be someone that will save humanity, in fact, the entire world in the near future." The moment he said this, everyone stopped thinking. Their previous thoughts changedpletely. *gulp* ''No way, did he really use foresight for such a matter?'' So, here''s the thing, even if the Head''s identity was basically unknown, some of his powers were out in the open. Yes, they knew a few things about him which included some of his skills or powers, and ut of them, the skill ''Foresight'' was special. It was a skill that he stumbled upon by chance - as the story goes and everyone believes. He is free to use that but why was everyone shocked to hear him saying that? It was simple, the skill foresight had limited use because of the vast future that it could show. To be precise, it posed a huge threat to the user - the user''s lifespan will be reduced. Also, he could use the skill foresight only twice a year - this has nothing to do with the number of meetings a year. That was why everyone was shocked because he used the skill that could essentially tell about the future on a mere beast based on rumors. "Sir, please, don''t use that skill on such trivial matters.", said one of the many men. "I support his plea. It was a waste to use on such a trivial matter, Sir." "Trivial?" "You mean to say, saving the world is a trivial matter?", he asked. Everyone shut their mouths yet again and concealed their thoughts. His words were just too dominant. "If the world can be saved because of this small beast then I''m more than ready to support him." "It was just a doubt because ''His'' resurrection and the arrival of the news of such a beast coincided, but now I''m sure that the Supreme Celestials have selected this individual to bestow their powers." "What!?" "The Supreme Celestials?" All of them were baffled by this deduction. The same was with the Five Greats including the Head. He was surprised too while saying this. "I see, but now that we know this, what do we do Sir?" "Do we support him, or do we just stay out of his way.", Sky asked. "I think, we should let him be." "ording to my foresight, he will soon establish a nation of his own and after attaining a human form, he will surelye to us." *gulp* ''Attaining a human form?'' ''This-'' ''It''s as if he is walking the same path as the previous Wolf God from the tales...'' ''But attaining a human form, I wonder, if he really can do that.'', some of them started to think deeply on this matter as soon as the Head mentioned the attainment of a human form. "Make sure to treat him well because no matter what, he mustn''t be angered." And that was thest thing the Head said right after which the meeting was adjourned. About 23 members agreed with what the Head said while the remaining 6 excluding the Head, disagreed with him for some reason. It''s not that they were opposing him, but they thought that the Head was relying too much on the skill foresight after all Foresight cannot show the exact truth or footage of the future. It has only a 30% proficiency of showing the exact future so some of them failed to ept that they would have to bow or treat a wild beast like he was someone higher than them. Everyone left one by one with their own thoughts and worries. Some were kings of some nations while others were renowned fighters so they had their own concerns too. Regardless, the one who was concerned the most was none other than Sky. ''I wonder if this really is alright...'' ''Leaving him would be the right thing to do right?'' ''Although I did think rationally, I have my own worries as well, after all, my kingdom is just next to Loria.'' While thinking that, Sky left the hall and was probably one of thest to leave. Now, only the Great Five remained inside. "Sigh looks like all of them left.", the Head sighed. "Yeah, but I must say, you are good at acting.", the Ice Queen said whileughing gently. "Please, don''t humor me. You are way better than me." "The same applies to all of you.", this was remarked to the three others as well. "We thank you for praising us, Sir.", all four of them bowed down as if they were respecting him. "Will you stop teasing me? Sigh, let''s drop the act and get to the main point." "Yes.", the four of them replied in unison and took their seats. "What do you think about this being whose name even we can''t say?", his eyes turned red and started to glow. Chapter 201 Shocking News The four of them nced at each other. Their eyes started to glow with some other color other than red. Earlier too, their pupils did have those colors but they didn''t emit any light. It was only now that they were giving off a weird form of glow which usually happens with Shin when he uses a skill. "Yes, this is indeed weird." "How are we unable to call that beast by his name?" "Is nature really trying to say that we are weaker than him?", the Ice Queen asked with a soft tone. There was a sharp rise in her voice though, marking that she was a bit agitated or confused. Other than the names of the Celestials and Supreme Celestials, they never faced the trouble of names. Since the Celestials and the Supreme Celestials stood at the highest point in the hierarchy, their names could only be called with respect - their names had to be spread too so yes, their names could be taken but one must not forget the respect that they had to give while taking the names. That was why Kira was able to call the God of Death ''Yama'' by his name. The Head sighed after hearing the Ice Queen. He too had some doubts regarding this matter. In any case, the situation was inevitable so it would be useless to fret longer regarding this situation. "But, is it really true?", the Ice Queen suddenly asked this out of nowhere after a few minutes of silence. There was a change in her tone yet again. "What?", the Head realized that the question was addressed to him, however, he failed to understand it so in return, he had to reply with a question. "I mean, the foresight that you talked about earlier..." "Was that just a bluff or were you really stating the truth?" "Is he really going to attain a human form in the near future, just like ourselves?", she asked. All of them started to nce at each other''s faces while waiting for the Head''s answer however instead of opening his mouth and saying anything, he just nodded his head. With this, it waspletely clear that Shin was definitely going to attain a human form but that doesn''t mean his wolf form would cease to exist. This was indeed surprising, but what was more surprising was the fact that the Ice Queen mentioned a few words - ''just like ourselves.'' It sounded somewhat weird but yes, she totally meant that. In fact, it was not that surprising for the five greats because none of them was human originally. As mentioned earlier, there were very few beings in the world who were sessful in attaining human forms. Although their numbers were only very few, they were still present. Only some were known publically and others were kept secret. Some never revealed this to the world and thus only a very few or in fact no one knew about this - the great five were an example of that. Yes, including the Head, the remaining four were also non-humans. The only ones that knew about their transformation intoplete humans were the Celestials, Supreme Celestials, and the Great five, which is themselves. Other than these selected few, none knew about their transformed states. Yes, they were living among the humans while pretending to be humans when they were originally something else. One of the reasons was that they wanted to overthrow the human kingdoms and establish their own nations. Since humanity was the race with the most poption, it would require a lot of power to defeat them in battle and then im victory. In other words, internal conflict could resolve everything for the non-human race and they could easily conquer the humans. After their transformation, they too ended uping to this very conclusion and decided to infiltrate and live among the humans and strike back when necessary. However, this didn''t mean that transforming into a human was easy. While temporary transformation did exist, one couldn''t conceal their blood lust, aura, killing intent, and powers. It would require out-of-the-world kills to do all that - Shin had some of those such as Aura control and other skills as well and he would continue to gain more. So, when one mentions transforming into a human, it usually means that their appearance changes to that of humans and they gain a certain set of skills as well. "Hmm, so he really will aim to be a human then does that mean we should call him to our side?" "Was this why you asked those puny humans to stay out and not disturb him?", the Ice Queen asked. "Yes. That was my intention." "Also, there is something else that I have to tell you guys.", after a moment of silence, he again seemed serious. "Yes?" All paid attention yet again. No one other than the Ice Queen was talking in the first ce, it was probably because they had many things in their minds. "Other than this beast, there is one more huge news..." "A huge news?" "Yes." "As you guys know, the Supreme Celestials bless beasts and other races with names." "A certain incident took ce a week ago near the forest of Islea." "What is it?", all of a sudden the Sword God asked. "Well..." "You guys do know about Kira, don''t you?", he asked. "Ah, that strong ck wolf thatmands death?", the Sword God asked. "Yes." "A rumor had been going on in the forest that he was dead because he had vanished but it seems like he appeared all of a sudden out of nowhere." "Huh? What do you mean by that?", the Sword God couldn''t understand the reason for this to be such unusual. "What I''m trying to say is, Kira appeared in the forest of Islea!!!" "Yes, so what is weird about that?", the Sword God asked yet again. "Man..." ,m "Are you all muscles and no brain?" "The important term here is ''Islea'', the ce where ''He'' reincarnated a while ago!" And with this, the hall was filled with silence yet again. Chapter 202 The Next Plan - Part 1 "Ah..." "I see. So that''s what you meant.", the Sword God understood after the exnation. The mysterious being or person was being referred to again and again. No one said anything about that probably because they knew about him. Also, they refrained from mentioning the being specifically. "Yes." "Either ''He'' is collecting all the strong beasts possible so that he can wage an all-out war or it is just a coincidence." "Whatever, for now, we can''t do anything." "At least, not until the n wars for all the races are over." All of them nodded their heads and then went on their ways as if the meeting was now finally adjourned. But of course, there was more to the matter that they were discussing and thus all of them thought about investigating the matter on their own. [ In the forest of Thuren ] *yawns* ''That was a good sleep.'' ''I feelpletely refreshed! This is way different from healing.'' "Yes, sleeping and resting are really necessary." Shin stretched his body as he thought these things. He then looked at the sky which was still dark. To be precise, the sun wasn''t up in the sky yet. ''The stars sure are beautiful...'', Shin smiled. And seeing him smile, Alira approached him. "Master, are you happy?", Alira asked all of a sudden while rubbing her body against his. He wasn''t startled by this because he had already sensed her walking towards him. Also, he used to do these sorts of things - rubbing fur against each other or licking - with Ae so it was not much of a shock. "You''ve asked an interesting question...", his eyes seemed to have a sort of kindness or warmth in it. They suddenly got small, not too small, enough small to give off a gentle vibe. He gazed at all the wolves that were lying around, sleeping soundly. Then he turned his gaze towards some of the elves that were on the ground and in the trees. Next Kaily, Terran, and Mo, and following them were the goblins. He took turns in looking at all of them while recalling the funny adventure that he had so far. His gazes finally stopped at Ae and after seeing her sleeping soundly, he chuckled and said, "I''m so damn happy at the moment!" Seeing Shin smile, Alira felt a weird warmth inside her body. The feeling which had sprouted the first time they met, now grew further and this would continue to grow in the future as well. She was young and failed to realize what this feeling was, yet, she would definitely realize it one day. Shin resumed watching the stars in the sky. The view was just too beautiful to take your eyes off of them. "Do you see these stars, Alira?" "They are just like jewels in the vast ocean-like sky." "They are hidden in the day but appear in the night, in other words, hidden gems which can be seen only if certain conditions were met." He continued his stargazing and expected Alira to watch the stars as well. But she did not do that. Instead, she continuously stared at Shin and his sparkly eyes. Shin didn''t notice her doing this since he was too busy looking at the stars. This continued for another ten minutes or so after which Shin decided to stroll around a bit. By now, he waspletely fearless. He had long before realized that he had too much of a strength for a normal wolf and by just leveling up, he would just get stronger. And while thinking about that, he had something that was bothering him. ''I''m not leveling up anymore.'' This was surely a serious matter. Hunting beasts no longer gave him many experience points. Also, he was suffering from handicap all this time - the dual-ss, which he had gained earlier, which was supposed to be like a cheat too, was disabled. Yes, that was why he was no longer seen using those sses. This was a penalty for failing a mission and to make matter worse, the punishment included ''90% Exp deduction''. So every time he hunted anything, he would only get 10% of it. He was initially pissed because of this but now, he no longer thought about that. This was because he knew that they would be reactivated soon enough. [ Dual Skills are disabled for 4 months ] [ Time left: 06:07:29:33 (6 days 7 hours 29 minutes 33 seconds) ] [ 90% Exp deduction applied ] [ Will be removed once the dual sses are regained ] ''I think, I shouldn''t make too much effort for hunting anything for another 6 days since I won''t reap any benefits.'' Well, the sses were supposed to give him cool skills or items but since he didn''t have any exclusive inventory that time, it would have been useless. He wouldn''t actually carry them on his body - that would be way too weird. But now, it wouldn''t be a problem, in fact, he could probably store them for quite a long period of time and that too many of them. It seemed as if everything was happening in order yet again and probably the disabling of the sses was a boon. p "Sigh, I wonder, just how far can I go with this body..." - this was another thing he was worried about. He had his fair share of troubles. Being a wolf wasn''t an easy thing, now that he had got used to the body, it wasn''t much of a problem, but there were very limited things that he could do. Also, humans had a variety of cultures in this world and Shin wanted to go and see all those things. For that, he thought that being a human was necessary. ''Hmm, I want to go and see other races as well...'' ''Since this is a fantasy world, there would be dwarves, elves, demons, dragons, and many other races with their own thinking and stuff.'' ''I want to go and meet them too...'' ''I don''t know why I have this feeling, but something always keeps me pushing forward...'' ''Something...'' ''Something that wants to me rule over all those beings.'', he had a gentle expression on his face till now but the moment he thought this line, a darkplexion suddenly covered his face. Chapter 203 The Next Plan - Part 2 The dark expression that covered his face was weird and it happened unintentionally. Also, what he thought waspletely true, there was some force that was pushing him forward constantly. Andtely, many quests have been regarding making ves ¨C although those weren''t mandatory and Shin skipped them or ignored them, they were some quests that actually promoted very and hierarchy. Shin realized that at an early stage and now while thinking about it, he realized that his mind was being affected because of the Job which he had received earlier ¨C Ruler. As mentioned, the Ruler is a job that allows a certain individual to rule other beings. This is one of the reasons due to which no being in the world, other than the Celestials and Supreme Celestials, is able to call him by his name or treat him disrespectfully. ''This isn''t that bad.'' ''Ruling over all the monster race and promoting peace and tranquility would be the best thing that I could do.'' He too was in support of the job. His heart raced at the thought of standing on top of others. Whether this was a good thing or not would be known at ater date. ''For now, I should prepare my next n.'' ''I have a lot of beings under me¡­'' ''Goblins, Shadow Wolves, Arb Elves, a tiger cub, a witch, a weird tree, a dragon, and Ae.'' ''I think with all of them, I can win the n wars. But yes, only wolves will be allowed since it is a war within our specific n.'' ''I have the Shadow wolves so there is nothing to worry about regarding that.'' Shin started to think about the future. He was their leader so he was in charge of making huge decisions. Their survival also depended on Shin so he had to make a precise decision. ''Hmm, the n wars are still a few months away.'' ''I think, making a town woulde first.'', Shin nodded his head. The forest of Thuren was one of the dangerous forests out there and the reason for that was simple ¨C the Earth Dragon (Terran), The ck Poison Master, and The Ice Phoenix ¨C lived in or near the forest. If these three were ignored, all other monsters were below Shin''s level so he could handle them if he tried. Stronger beasts were expected to be in the interior of the forest, however, because of Arb Elves warding items, they were shifted to the middle areas, and thus, building a town was possible in the centermost space. It would serve as a powerful base if Shin were to somehow control all other monsters in the middle areas and force them to act as guards. This would increase their chances of being safe. Shin waited until it was dawn. Although some elves were awake all night, he wanted to have a proper chat with their chief. Soon after all the elves were awake and the night shifters went to sleep, Shin went to the chief to have a private talk. "I see, so master, you want to build a town in this area." "Yes. The town will initially be small but then soon expand little by little." Shin already had 5 swamps under his control. He wanted to include those swamps and the creatures dwelling there in his n. Therefore, he already had a n of building a huge empire that extended far out of the forest. Of course, a human kingdom was already under his control as well. The one appointed in charge of the kingdom and its working ¨C Kerin ¨C would be making weekly reports to Shin. "I think it won''t be much of a problem." "However, even we got the dwarves to help us build the huts and houses." "Huh? So you weren''t the ones that built it?", Shin asked with surprise. "Unfortunately, no." "Although our mana is quite excessive because we are in the middle of the forest, our physical strength is minimum." "Because of that, we cannot do many physically hard works, and building a hut or something would be nearly impossible for us.", the elves chief concluded. "Hmm, I understand." "So you are saying that we need the help of the dwarves to build a different variety of houses for goblins and wolves¡­" "Yes.", the elven chief nodded his head. "Then, where can I find the dwarves? Do they have a kingdom of their own?", he asked. "Yes, master! They have their own Dwarven Kingdom." "In fact, it is one of thergest kingdoms out there." ''So, I need to go and persuade them to help us build us huts¡­'' "How far is the kingdom?", Shin asked. "I think the distance would be 800 Km towards the north." "Huh?", the moment Shin heard that it was as if his eyes popped out. "Eight¡­" "Eight hundred kilometers?!" "Yes." ''What the heck?'' ''Just how far is that?'' ''I mean, I would have to cross tons of kingdoms, and only after that would I reach that ce.'' ''But¡­'' ''This doesn''t make sense.'' ''If they are so far away, then how the hell did the Arb Elves ask them toe and build huts?'' ''In fact, they aren''t even capable of exiting the forest so this makes no sense!'' Shin was about to ask about the method which they used to contact right before which the chief said, "Actually master, the dwarves live in a modified superkingdom." "That is why their kingdom is considered one of the best." "Also, I know that you were about to ask that ''How they would go to other kingdoms to build huts or other buildings?'' right?" "Uh, I was gonna ask something else but yes, I want an answer to that question as well." "Oh, apologies." "Ahem, the dwarves can use high degree magic as well and the magic tools which they have developed are of the rarest quality." "And while developing new tools, they ended up developing a magic tool that would help them teleport to different ces." "Teleportation?!", Shin raised his voice all of a sudden. "Y-yes." "Other than the dragons, Celestials, and Supreme Celestials, they are probably the only race that can use the legendary lost Teleportation magic via tools." Chapter 204 The Next Plan - Part 3 ''I see, so teleportation magic is umon and the dwarves can use that because of the tools that they have developed.'' ''Hmm, looks like I can get quite a few interesting magic items from them.'' "And, what was the question that you wanted to ask, master?", the chief asked. "Oh, yes. What I wanted to know was how you guys were able to travel that far?" "I mean, you guys can''t even leave the forest so how were you able to ask the dwarves to help you in building the houses?", Shin asked. "Ah, master, I think you misunderstood what I said." "Huh?" "I did say that the dwarves build the houses for us, but I didn''t mean to say that we went to their kingdom and brought dwarves!", he smiled while saying that. "¡­" "Then¡­?" "How¡­?" "Master, one thing that you should know is that dwarves are highly curious creatures." "They would like to explore new things and build new things whenever they get the chance to." "And in such a manner, a group of few dwarves ended up in this forest while searching for materials about five hundred years ago.", he said. "They fell in danger soon and we happened to help them. As thanks, they build houses for us.", he said proudly. "¡­" "I see¡­" That was not the answer that Shin was expecting. He was thinking that the elves would reveal their secret or some hidden tool that allows them to teleport or something but what the chief said was totally simple and nothing else. ''I better stop getting my hopes high.'' "Anyway, to build the town, I need to travel that far?", Shin asked. "Well, I think there is no need to do that, master." "The dwarvese once every four years to check our houses and rebuild them if any is destroyed." "So there is no need to go that far. They will be here pretty soon.", he smiled and said this humbly. "I see." "That means, I can directly talk to them when they arrive here." "Yes, master. You can do that." "Splendid." "But, when are they going to arrive exactly?", Shin asked. "I think they will be here in ten days ¨C on the day of Sato.", the chief said. "Sato?" That was a new term which he heard. Also, he had no idea that the days had names of their own. "Ah, it is the sixth day of a week." ''I see, so they refer to Saturday as Sato.'' ''Also, since it is the same day every four years, I think the season and everything else behaves the same way as it did on Earth.'' *Ding* [ There are seven days in a week namely: Monto, Tueto, Weto, Thuto, Frito, Sato, Sunto ] "¡­" When the system suddenly showed the days and their names, Shin had an awkward expression on his face. ''Removing thest parts and just adding ''To'' to the names of the weeks? Isn''t that toome?'' ''In fact, Sunto (Sunday) almost spells and sounds like Santa!'' ''So, what about the months?'', Shin asked the system in his mind. ''Don''t tell me the people here added ''To'' to the names after erasing a few parts just like before!'' *Ding* [ There are twelve months namely: Janue, Febue, Marue, Apue, Maue, Jue, Julue, Augue, Sepue, Octue, Novue, Decue ] ''Ah, instead of ''to'', they used ''ue''. Sigh, I better stop criticizing these names. Just a waste of energy.'' "Ok, we will wait for them to arrive. Go and discuss the matter with other elves, I will deal with the goblins regarding this.", Shin addressed the chief. "Yes, Master.", the chief bowed and then went to tell others. Shin then arrived near the goblins who woke up from their nights of sleep. He then told them about the matter and asked if they wanted to stay with him. He was nning to change their lifestyles. Until now, the goblins were staying in caves that were either formed naturally or were formed by some beast. They didn''t have that great of a skill to dig and form a cave for themselves and this was probably one of the reasons as to why they were hunted easily or were less in number. By changing their lifestyle, Shin would not only help them livefortably but would slowly impart the cultures on them. Although the change might be minimal at the beginning, in the future, there would be no difference in goblins and humans when it woulde to intelligence and handling of things such as agricultural practices, trade, and other things. Well, he gave the goblins choices. If they wanted to live here, they would evolve and if they were to leave, there would be no harm. He tried to be considerate but it was more of an act because he never wanted anyone to leave. They were already a part of his n anyway so there was no need to even ask for their opinions. Also, they were more than ready to do what Shin asked. Kaily, Alira, Terran had no objections and the same was with Ae. But she had some lingering regret as well. ''Will we just settle here?'' ''What about n Wars?'' ''What about mom and dad?'' ''What about the revenge?'' A few thoughts had clouded her mind. She was constantly thinking about this. Shin noticed her. She could tell that she had some fluctuations in emotions and due to that, he approached her and whispered in her ears, "I haven''t forgotten about the revenge." After saying that he walked past her and started talking with Mo. Ae''s expression changed after that. Now she was much more cheerful because she realized that Shin had not forgotten that. ''Yes¡­'' She then looked at the ground and understood what Shin meant by building houses and changing lifestyles. ''''So, he is nning about the initial moment as well as thinking about the near and far future.'' ''Yes, no matter what happens, I will get my revenge.'' ''I wonder what mom and dad would have been doing if they were alive?'' "¡­" Chapter 205 Soul Forms ''Hmm, while we wait for them to arrive, I think it is in our best interest to prepare ourselves for n Wars.'' ''It is soon going to take ce so we need to train a bit.'' ''But I have no idea what those wars exactly are. I mean, what''s the use of it anyway?'' Shin had some questions that were confusing him. On top of that, he was wondering about the requirements to be epted in the n Wars. Whether different races were epted or allowed to participate in the event was a point of concern. ''Hey system, can you give me an borate detail of the n Wars?'' - he relied on the system info. *Ding* p [ n Wars -> Prestigious war festival where the leader of a particr race is decided by the Supreme Celestials ] [ n wars are presided over by Celestials. They can be termed as deathmatches and there are no restrictions to weapons or type of magic ] [ n Wars have two specific rules, out of which the second one was added recently: 1) None other than the participants can intervene during a war/battle/match 2) Only two participants can be reced or switch ces with already existing participants ] [ n Wars of three variant forms -> Inner n War, Outer n War, and Total n War ] [ Inner n War -> War among ns in which only the races that are simr to the race of the leader of the respective n can participate ] ''I see, so since I belong to the race of wolves, then only the wolves can participate in this.'' [ Outer n War-> Members of different races but of the same n can participate ] [ Total n War-> Any member can participate ] ''Interesting...'' Shin was now greatly interested in the n war. However, he still had one question in his mind. ''What merit do we gain by participating in the war?'' He understood that it was some festival or ritual sort of thing that would ur on a grand scale however he had yet to know about the exact benefits. *Ding* [ Various rewards and blessings are given in the war by the Celestials and Supreme Celestials ] [ One can even be an apostle of the said beings ] ''Rewards...'' ''This can definitely boost my strength. I must not let this change pass by. I have to definitely gain at least some rewards.'' ''Also, this is probably the best way to make myself famous.'', Shin smirked as he thought about that. He was roaming around the forest while thinking about this. He was no longer scared of any beings in the forest. In fact, there was probably no one that could put up a fight in front of him. Surely he was a high level being in the forest. But he was to maintain caution too. Kaily had mentioned a certain being who was resting in the forest. Shin didn''t take that seriously at first, however, when Kaily started to describe the being in detail, his instincts forced him to take precautions! Kaily had mentioned when they were returning from the kingdom of Loria. She had mentioned many more things regarding the dangers of the forest and its outline, but Shin was confident because he had the system with him. He could easily see the map of the forest thanks to the system and with that, he would never get lost in therge forest. Unfortunately, the map that the system created could cover only a distance of 500 meters in all directions so this gave him another reason to be careful. "By the way, system, I feel uneasy in this wolf form..." "Can you helo me in gaining the human form?", Shin asked. This question came out of nowhere. He might have been ufortable earlier, but at the moment, it was quite normal for him to behave like a wolf. It had be a habit of his or a part of his to be precise so this question did seem weird. *Ding* [ Affirmative ] "Great!" "Then tell me the easiest way to be a human!", his eyes sparkled. [ To gain human form, soul form needs to change ] [ Host''s soul form is identified to be that of a human''s which is an abnormal case ] [ Therefore, the host needs to feed on some human to gain the characteristics of a human slowly while activating the ss Predator ] "Nani!?" He was astonished after reading the texts shown by the system. "Hold on a sec, didn''t you say that the chances of bing a human are too low?" [ Affirmative ] "Then..." *Ding* [ Those chances were calcted before analyzing the host''s soul form ] *gulp* Shin felt a chill along with all his bones. He was suddenly excited for some reason. "So, all those who desire to be a human, have to eat humans while activating the ss predator? But, what''s the guarantee that all would possess the same ss?", he asked. [ Conditions and requirements differ for different beings ] [ Though, the base condition remains the same - changing soul form ] [ By changing the soul form, one may even turn into a different beingpletely, however it depends on thepatibility and the closeness of a race ] [ Since dragons and elves are some of the ancient races, from which the human race is believed to have originated, they have a rather high chance of being a human ] [ A goblin race which is said to have just one link with the humans - disgust - their chances are rather too low or negligible ] "Wait, so does that mean if I am able to change my soul form into that of a dragon soul, then I will be able to transform into a dragon?" [ Affirmative ] [ Note: The host''s soul form seems to have been mutated but the base is that of a human''s ] "Mutated?" [ Affirmative ] [ Your soul seems to have five soul forms mixed namely - dragon soul form, demon soul form, elf soul form, human soul form, and wolf soul form ] [ As long as you eat a set required number of these beings, you will be able to transform freely into these beings without using any mana or life force ] *gulp* ''I see...'' ''Hey...'' ''Am I really getting goosebumps?'' His fur was indeed standing because of the news given by the system. It was as if another cheat was revealed to him. Indeed, this was no less than a cheat. And thus, his fourth cheat was revealed! "Hmm, well, I have one more question..." "When you mentioned changing soul form, does that mean I will no longer be able to get back to my wolf form?" [ Affirmative ] "Eh?" "That''s..." Shin thought for a few seconds and realized that he wanted to have the wolf form as well. He did not want to change the way he was bornpletely. "Actually I want to be able to transform back to a wolf, so is there no way that can happen?" He suddenly remembered a famous quote - "One needs to lose something in order to gain something." He thought that the system would probably say something that would closely resemble the quote, however, it said something that was not rted to the quote at all. *Ding* [ The host can acquire other soul forms instead of changing his actual soul form, that way, the host may regain his previous form or change back to any other form as wished ] "Huh?" This confused Shin at first but when he thought about it, he realized what the system was trying to say. ''I have other soul forms mixed with my original soul form, so if I justplete other soul forms while maintaining the original soul form, then I will be able to transform into other beings!'' [ Affirmative ] ''Wait, is this a normal urrence? Can other beings do this?'' *Ding* [ A few beings in the world have this capability, but they merely transform into two forms - human form and their original form ] ''I see, so I''m a rare case?'' [ Affirmative ] ''Yes!'', his eyes started to sparkle yet again. He could wait no longer and wanted to immediately know the requirements forpleting all those soul forms. ''So, what are the requirements? How many members of those races should I eat?'' - he asked. He was earlier speaking out loudly probably because he was excited, but now, he was speaking in his mind. *Ding* [ Requirement topletely acquire - dragon soul form: -> Eat 10 S-Rank Dragon (0/10) or -> Eat 100 A-Rank Dragon (0/100) ] "Are you kidding me...?", Shin looked at the flying screen with awkwardness. "Dragons are one of the rarest beings in the world!" "They can hardly be found but you expect me to eat that many dragons? And S-ss? What is that, a special grade of some sort?" He wasn''t sure about what the system had tasked him to do. He didn''t even know about the ssification grade system so there was no idea that he would know that there were in fact, tons of dragons in humans and other kingdoms. Category of dragons: G-Rank (God Rank)-> Dragons having power equivalent to the Gods (Supreme Celestials). S-Rank -> Dragons having the power to destroy an entire Kingdom A-Rank-> Dragons having the power to destroy major cities of a Kingdom B-Rank-> Tamable dragons having the power to destroy small cities of a Kingdom C-Rank-> Lowest rank of dragons - includes infants of dragons. Easily tamable and can be used in ce of horses to draw wagons or used at various other works or raised as pets. While other races have lower ranks which go up to F-Rank, even the weakest dragons are ranked as C-Rank. Contrastingly, there is a lower grade called D-Rank for dragons. Yes, it is contrasting because the D-Rank is given to their eggs! To be precise, if their eggs were to be dropped on a D-Rank monster, the said monster is destined to die. Chapter 206 Sudden Visit - Part 1 [ Requirement topletely acquire - dragon soul form: -> Eat 10 S-Rank Dragon (0/10) or -> Eat 100 A-Rank Dragon (0/100) ] ''This is too much.'' ''Dragons...'' ''Just by hearing that name, my heart throbs. The system wants me to eat 10 of the top-tier dragons?'' ''Well, killing A-Grade dragons would be better than facing the almighty S-Grade.'' ''But that would mean I would be required to hunt more.'' ''Sigh, this is a tough decision to make...'' [ Requirement topletely acquire - elf soul form: -> Get a blessing from Supreme Elf Celestial or -> Eat 500 elves below the age of 50 (0/500) ] "Ridiculous!" Elves live a long life - this wasmon knowledge. So based on that, an elf that is less than 50 years old could be considered an infant whenpared to a human. ''This system...'' ''It really wants me to be a murderer...'' All of a sudden Shin imagined himself eating the elves. There was a sea of blood on the top of which a lot of bodies had been piled. He was standing at the peak of the pile and had a hand of an elf in his mouth. His white fur had been painted with red. His eyes were shining with a red light instead of the usual green. ''This...'' ''The more I imagine it, the sicker I feel...'' He then looked at other texts shown by the system. [ Requirement topletely acquire - demon soul form: -> Drink the Supreme Demon Celestial''s blood or -> Eat 1000 Demonized beasts (29/1000) ] [ Requirement topletely acquire - human soul form: -> Eat 5000 humans (87/5000) ] While everything else had two options, for the human soul form, there seemed only one option. Also, he had progressed quite a bit in that matter. The same was with the demon soul requirement. It had also progressed a bit. Shin had done that unknowingly. He had hunted many beasts among which some had demon energy. Without realizing it, he ate them as if his only goal was to satisfy his hunger. As for the humans, he had already eaten tons of adventurers in the outskirts of the Kingdom of Loria. The same included other humans who came after him out of Loria. "Hmm, now that I see carefully, it mentions ''eat'' and not ''kill''. But what does exactly counts as ''eat''? Should Ipletely eat a beast or something simr?" *Ding* [ Even a single bite would suffice however ''Eat'' in the scenario should include the death of the eaten being ] Shin had probably found a loophole in the requirements. He could just take a bite from the Arb elves while they were still alive. Of course, the system mentioned that there never existed a loophole and it was all his imagination. ''I see, so I must kill first and then eat...'' "But why is killing necessary?" *Ding* [ Not killing, but death. ] [ The host needs to eat a dead being. ] ''Oh, then does that mean the beasts that aren''t killed by me will also add up to the requirements if I eat?'' [ Affirmative ] ''Hmm, not bad.'' ''Then I can take their help as well.'' He thought about his n hunting and bringing tons of beasts to him especially those that have demon energy. That way, bing a demon would be much sooner and easier, however, there was a catch, demonized beasts were at least ten times stronger than normal beasts of the same level and power. Yes, at least ten times and the power could be even several hundred times higher as well. This was no joke since this could cause many casualties. Therefore, Shin had to ensure that he didn''t get careless. Though turning into a human was much easier than he thought, He just had to kill roughly 5000 humans and eat them. Of course, others could kill and provide him, but for now, he thought from his own perspective. "Hey system, will the requirement be met if I go to the graveyard and eat the deceased?" Shin knew that the power of his n was currently low. He had to preserve numbers and prevent anyone from dying. Going out to hunt humans would be a dangerous task so he tried to think of an alternative. *Ding* [ As long as the body contains soul essence, the host may eat ] "Soul essence?" [ Soul essence -> The spiritual energy emitted from the body due to the presence of a soul. A soul usually leaves the body after two hours of death. The soul essence however would remain for another hour. ] ''Oh, so the main purpose of eating a body is to eat the soul essence...'' Shin finally understood the motive behind eating an individual to gain soul forms. ''Hmm, then I can''t eat those who have been dead for long.'' ''In fact, three hours dy seems less so no matter how many humans are killed, if they cannot reach me within three hours, then it''s all for naught.'' He finally understood the transformations. Now he had to find a good time to go and carry out the work so that he could turn into at least one of those forms. "Master Shin!" And as he was wandering on his own, he heard someone call out to him. He turned back only to find an Arb elf running towards him. "You...?" He had no idea who the elf was since he had no name. Also, he had never seen him earlier, of course, even if he had seen, it would be quite hard to remember since there were a lot of Arb Elves. Also, since their faces sometimes vary greatly with respect to the depth of the forest in which they are present, it would be way too confusing. "Master Shin, I have an important message to convey you...", he said as he approached Shin. "Yes...?" ''What could be so important that they couldn''t wait for my arrival?'' Well, Shin had be their leader and for that, many Arb elves were assigned to protect him in secret. Of course, Shin knew about this since he had already spotted them. He could feel their auras and the system had also mentioned that he was being observed by the members of his n. In any case, right now, he wanted to know the message that the young elf wanted to say. "The dwarves have arrived.", he said. "..." "Huh?" This came as a surprise to him. He was clearly told that it would take them quite some time before they were going to arrive. But to his surprise, they arrived soon after he left the ce to stroll around. "Why did they arrive today?", he asked as he was startled with a raised voice. "That..." "I''m not sure, master.", he replied with a soft tone. ''Hmm, is something wrong?'' ''Could it be that they havee to cause trouble?'' Many thoughts arose in his mind however suppressed them. Right after that, he started running back since he wanted to ask them about the city ns and many more things. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ Your... ] The elves that were guarding him in secret were left behind when he used his skill. Probably his excitement couldn''t be suppressed because of which he ran as fast as he could. ( Under the Great Elder Tree, The Arb Elves'' Chief''s home... ) "Um, may I know the reason for your sudden visit?", the chief asked. There were four dwarves that hade. Their heights were roughly double that of the Arb Elves - a normal young adult human''s height. They had red skin and some white-colored tattoos engraved that spread over the entire body. The clothes that they wore seemed to have been made with the skin of some beast. The ne and jewels that they wore were also different. At first, it seemed like some blue-colored beads attached to a string, but on closer observation, anyone could say that it was a ne made up of Blue Dew Crystals. Blue Dew Crystal - One of the rare crystals in the world. It is used to make various artifacts. A single crystal can give enormous raise in one''s magic power. Because of how rare they are, they are extremely valuable. One could even lose his/her life because of these. The ne that the dwarves were wearing had more than five crystals on it. So their magic power was probably raised to the maximum! "Huh!? You dare speak to me?" "You lowly elf!? How dare you!?", said the biggest guy among the four dwarves who was heavily built. "..." Chapter 207 Sudden Visit - Part 2 The elf chieftain was surprised by the way they talked. Earlier, a set of dwarves that used toe were too polite, however, the band that came right now didn''t have any manners at all. They were arrogant and looked down on everyone. It might partially be because the elves looked like kids, that is, too young. Whatever, the disrespect that they showed got to the nerves of all the elves that gathered near the area. "I beg your pardon but-", the chief tried to calm them down. Despite being disrespected, he kept his cool and tried to talk. He didn''t want to create any huge mess since they were in need of the dwarves. Of course, the dwarves on other hand thought highly of themselves. "You!?" "How dare you talk even after calling you out?" "Do you want to die?", said the same dwarves. The chief was bewildered at the moment. He wanted Shin to arrive as soon as possible. He had already sent the message to him so he was expecting Shin to arrive anytime soon. ''Why have theye suddenly?'', the chief had a lot of doubts. Recently, news about the dwarves had been spreading like how they were going around and destroying a lot of ns if their demands weren''t fulfilled. He was afraid that they hade to do the same here as well. ''Maybe they are trying to provoke us so that they would get a satisfactory reason to oppress us.'', the chief concluded. ''This isn''t good¡­'' ''What they are doing might end up opposing master''s wishes. If that were to happen, then even the Elf Celestial might get angry.'' ¨C the chief thought. He now considered Shin as his master so Elf Celestial was just another term to him. Whatever, right now, handling the dwarves was the main problem. Shin would be able to handle them easily, but he refused to do so for the time being. He wanted to see what the chief of elves and others were capable of. Of course, that didn''t mean that he was ready to hear the dwarves babble whatever came to their minds. Shin was already present at the scene. He rushed quickly after all. But he denied others from notifying his arrival. The chieftain did notice Shin, but he stayed quiet since Shin didn''t want to expose himself. He understood this from Shin''s eyes expressions. "Haha, listen you low punk." "Just because our n decided to help you earlier, doesn''t mean that you reached our level." "Your status will remain of low birth ¨C that is, servants!" "Hahaha, servants of the Forest! Damn puny ves!" The dwarves kept criticizing again and again. They were getting on Shin''s nerves. Not only him, but they were also getting on everyone''s nerves. Had they not been of such a respected big kingdom, they would have already been butchered by the elves and others. Also, since Shin was present, no one dared to take any action. They weren''t supposed to step up and say anything even if they were insulted. Of course, if Shin was being insulted, then that would be a different matter. "But what do I see here?" "Goblins, Wolves, and Elves havee together?" ,m "Have you lowly beings formed an alliance?", the huge dwarf asked. ''There is something that I don''t understand¡­'' ''Dwarves are supposed to be good-tempered. They are supposed to respect each race, then what is this behavior?'', the chieftain asked himself. That is indeed true, their behavior did seem unusual. Also, Elves were a high-ranking race like the dwarves. No matter what kind of elves they were, they ranked high, higher than the dwarves, so their making fun was way too weird. "Haha, now it will be much easier." "You three puny races, submit yourselves to the Dwarven Kingdom." "Just imagine, you being a part of such an extravagant kingdom¡­" "Rejoice, you all will live an extravagant life as well, under me, that is.", the huge dwarf said. The elves clenched their fists. The same was true for all the goblins. Terran seemed a bit angry at their remarks and the same was true for everyone that was present there except Shin. He didn''t seem angry, in fact, he wasn''t bothered by what the dwarf said. All he wanted to do was build a kingdom and now a new obstacle hade in front of him, this was quite natural. He didn''t hate the fact that this was happening because the more the obstacle, the more he would be ensured that they were walking on the right track. He was going to calmly talk over to them and discuss the matter just when the dwarves had to go ahead and make just one single big mistake which got Shin infuriated. The huge dwarf looked around and found a white wolf ¨C Ae. She seemed extremely shiny and gorgeous. Since Shin was hiding behind the trees and listening to what they were gossiping while erasing his presence, he wasn''t found. But Ae was right in their sight. "Wow, a white wolf¡­" "How rare is that?", he said while pointing at Ae. The elves looked at Ae when the dwarf pointed his finger towards her. "Do you want that, boss?", asked another dwarf. "Of course, you idiot. Do you know what extraordinary clothing can be made from its fur?!", he asked with a raised voice. "Y-yes." "You guys, our boss really likes that wolf." "Hand it over and you will have nothing to worry about for the rest of your lives.", said another dwarf. "¡­" For a few seconds, everyone present there was ncing at the ones standing beside them. A drop of sweat was clearly visible beside their forehead which slowly dripped down their chin. *gulp* "I am not sure that you will be alive after saying that to take care of us.", the chieftain remarked. "Huh?" *Boom* There was a sudden explosion that surprised the dwarves. They turned back immediately only to find mes slowly surrounding them. The mes formed a circle around them with just one single line extending which formed a firewall. And from the same firewall emerged the one being, whom they shouldn''t have angered. Chapter 208 Sacred Beasts A pair of eyes stared at them from the mes. The eyes were glowing with yellow light. It was as if a God was watching them. "Wha-" "Just what is going on!?", the huge dwarf asked while sweating profusely. The tattoos on his body had started to give a faint red light already right after the explosion urred. The dwarves looked at the tattoos and seemed much more scared. ''A-'' ''A fire-type sacred beast?'', the huge dwarf asked himself. ''What is such a being doing here?'' So, what are sacred beasts? Sacred beasts are those beasts whose powers have reached a tremendous level. They can rival the Celestials easily. However, despite having such powers, they refuse to be Celestials since being a Celestial means losing one''s freedom. What does that mean? Just by reaching the power level of a Celestial, one cannot be celestial. One just bes eligible at that point. To be a celestial, one has to pass the trials of the Supreme Celestials, and only after doing so, will they be able to represent the Supreme Celestials and be termed as Celestials or the Mortal Gods. But what happens then is that the Celestials have to obey everything that the Supreme Celestials say. Also, their every action will be limited and be controlled by the Supreme Celestials since the Celestials would be representing the Gods! (Supreme Celestials) Thus, God wouldn''t want their reputation to be tarnished and therefore would restrict the actions of the Celestials. That is the reason why many of the beasts who reach the power level of the Celestial, refuse to be the ves of Gods. Instead, they desire to increase their powers and reach the level of God someday. Of course, that was what Shin, the previous Wolf God did. Currently, there are 13 Sacred beasts around the world. They belong and control different elements and are h0lders of different and unique powers. Sacred beasts: 1> Sacred beast of Time: Roaring Lizard 2> Sacred beast of Space: ck-Leon 3> Sacred beast of Thunder: Purple-Thunder Dragon 4> Sacred beast of Fire: Volcanic Phoenix 5> Sacred beast of Earth: Immortal-Shelled Tortoise 6> Sacred beast of Water: Leviathan 7> Sacred beast of Wind: White Tiger 8> Sacred beast of Forests: Green Bear King 9> Sacred beast of Apocalypse: Poison Fanged Naga 10> Sacred beast of Runes: All-knowing Panda 11> Sacred beast of Life: Tree of Life 12> Sacred beast of Death: ?? 13> Sacred beast of ??: ?? Apart from these 13 beasts, there are others among different races that have attained the same power level but refuse to be Celestials. This doesn''t mean that it is easy to be a Celestial. There are hardly more than ten that have attained that level of power. Of course, their identity remains unknown. There have been instances of them appearing now and then, but there is no one to confirm their existence ¨C they can''t provide definite proof. The tattoos on the dwarves'' bodies are engraved with special ink. It was invented by them after finding different crystals and using them as materials to create something simr to alloy. With that, they can detect if there is danger nearby. The tattoos shine with different lights when they are exposed to any danger. The power of the beasts is represented in colors as well. For example, red color means a fire type whereas green refers to a tree ¨C specifically the tree of life. So when the tattoos on the dwarves'' bodies started to shine with bright red light, they immediately guessed it to be a sacred beast and that too of a fire type. Of course, the only possibility of such a beast was the great phoenix. However, little did they know that there existed another beast, that had a simr power level. ''Ding'' [ You have transformed into me Wolf Emperor ] [ You have used the skill me Vortex and me Wave ] When the dwarves turned their heads the other way. They found a wolf walking towards them while being engulfed in mes. He had used two skills at the same time. A small fire tornado was revolving around Shin. With his power, he could end up burning the entire forest so he refrained from letting the fire tornado go. He used the skill only to intimidate the dwarves and yes, he seeded in doing that. "O-oh great being, we greet you." ¨C the dwarves bowed and said this almost immediately. This was a strategy used by many to refrain from angering a sacred beast. Also, that was all that they could do. If they were to question, the beast would just kill them ¨C this wasmon sense. The elves and others bowed in front of Shin as well. It was normal for them, but at the same time, abnormal. It was their first time seeing Shin''s me emperor form so they were quite astonished and surprised. "We do not know how we offended you but please forgive us." ¨C the giant dwarf said. ''What is such a being doing here?'' ''I mean, was there any being as strong as the fire sacred beast Phoenix!?'' The dwarves were shaken by the fact that there existed another fire sacred beast. p Of course, it was not known to anyone in the world. But yes, there were many others that were unknown but Shin was the only one who was as strong as the current Phoenix ¨C in his me emperor form, that is. "Forgive you?" "Hahaha." "Do you really think that you deserve it?", Shin asked with a deep voice. His size was bigger than usual after all he was in a transformed state so his voice seemed matching to his size. *gulp* ''Offending a sacred beast is something that we cannot afford to do.'' ''But it looks like we have already upset it¡­'' ''What do we do?'', the dwarves were thinking hard. ''Oh yes¡­'' ''Can''t we negotiate with the sacred beast?'' *gulp* ''Of course we can...'' ''They have high intelligence so obviously, they would be interested if we offer them our high-quality artifacts!'' Chapter 209 A Deal The dwarves thought highly of the artifacts that they crafted. Of course, those things were their pride, after all, none in the entire world could make artifacts as extraordinary as them. Also, one would die to receive the items crafted by them. Naturally, this helped in the rise of their kingdom and rank. Thus, it was obvious that there would be at least a few odd dwarves who would be arrogant because of this extra privilege of being a high-ranker. And because of that, they got the idea of trading their items with their lives. They were absolutely sure that Shin would love them. "Insects¡­" "Do you think that I will be interested in your puny artifacts?", Shin asked with a roaring voice. A slight earthquake was experienced by the dwarves at this point just because of Shin''s voice. To top it all, they were having goosebumps just because of Shin''s appearance. *gulp* For an instance, they felt as if their deaths had been sealed at the hands of the sacred beast, however, fate had some different ns. Shin was indeed raged out because of which, he used one of his trump cards ¨C transformation. While it was true that he would have loved to have their artifacts, he thought that after killing them, he could just steal or im from their bodies. Nevertheless, little did he know that he couldn''t do that since all their had were low-tier items which were quite close to trash. Yes, the system realized Shin''s intentions as well as the current situation and suggested a better n. ''Ding'' [ The system rmends the host to ept the proposal ] ''Huh?'' ''System¡­?'' ''What are you talking about?'' ''Why should I ept the deal when I can just kill them and-'' ''Ding'' [ Only low-tier items are detected on their bodies. ] [ The host will have no benefits in iming those. ] [ Furthermore, killing the dwarves would make you a foe of the Dwarves kingdom which also ounts for negative points. ] ''Hmm¡­'' Shin thought about this carefully for quite some time. The dwarves had their eyes closed tightly in fear. It all depended on Shin''s decisions at the moment. ''Well, if I let them live, they would inform their king and would be my enemy either way.'' ''So¡­'' Shin had a hard time deciding it, but then he realized that the dwarves wouldn''tin about this to their king. And why was that? It was because, if they were to trade with a sacred beast and gain the trust of the beast, then that would be the biggest merit for the kingdom. It is believed that the current dwarven king is a Celestial. If they were to have another being, with the power of a celestial backing them up, wouldn''t they be pleasured? After realizing this, Shin smirked and thought about letting them go, of course, after giving them some conditions. "Hear me out, you puny dwarves¡­" The moment he started speaking again after a few moments of silence, the dwarves were startled. "I am going to give you one chance to save your lives.", Shin said. The dwarves'' expressions changed all of a sudden from grief to a weird smile. It was as if they were rxed or to be precise, found a way to save their lives. They found hope so it was obvious. "Y-yes¡­?" They were nervous right now too. But the fact that they were oppressed to such a degree without even knowing what their crimes were, was too ridiculous. "As you stated, you will provide me with artifacts." "Not just any artifacts, but the best of the best and only regr basis." "If you were able to do so, then I would guarantee to save your kingdom once as long as I''m alive if ever it is in trouble.", Shin said. This was more than what the dwarves could have asked. The mere fact that they got the sacred beast''s proposal was legendary. Not only would their position in their kingdom rise, but also, they would be rewarded with tons of things. A sacred beast''s words are the truth ¨C tons of people say that. The more they lie, the lower their power gets ¨C this was a weird thing that other beings made up. It waspletely false. Although the sacred beasts didn''t lie and would keep all the promises that they made, their powers had no rtion to their words. Regardless, the dwarves trusted Shin. They all smiled while tears flooded down their eyes. "Yes." "Now, build arge city for their elves, goblins, and these wolves.", Shin said. "Huh?" What Shin said sounded unreasonable. He said this out of nowhere which surprised the dwarves as well. "Um, you mean to say that we have to build an entire city for them?", thergest dwarf present there, asked. "Yes.", Shin nodded his head. "Um¡­" "By any chance, could it be that you have taken them under your protection as well?", another dwarf asked. "That''s right.", Shin replied honestly. ''Ah, now I see¡­'' ''So this is how we offended him.'' They finally realized their mistake. But now, that was the past. Now all they had to do was agree to build a city Shin where those who were under him could stay. "Yes, I think we can do that." "But first, we have to return to our kingdom and discuss this with his highness." "Only then can we bring tons of materials with us and other workers¡­", said the dwarves. ''Hmm¡­'' "Alright, I approve it." Right after this, the dwarves left the ce in five minutes. They had to now exit the forest or something and return to their kingdom to discuss regarding a new sacred beast-level power that has risen. *phew* ''Man¡­'' ''That was a lot of hard work.'', Shin said to himself while returning to his normal form when the dwarves left. "Hahahaha." "Hahahaha." "That was wonderful!" "No, that was marvelous! Just marvelous!" All of a sudden, a loud voice was heard by everyone present there, including Shin. It was a male''s voice apanied by pping and footsteps. Chapter 210 An Old Friend - Part 1 "I wanted to see how you would solve this, but you were surprisingly cunning!" "Way to go!" The voice continuously echoed around them. The Arb elves were as surprised as the rest. But they seemed surprised for something else. It was as if they recognized the loud voice somehow, especially the chieftain. He felt that the voice was too familiar. While the voice echoed initially, it then became unidirectional. They were able to easily tell the direction from which the voice came and thus, almost immediately turned their heads towards the south ¨C the direction opposite to the one the dwarves took to exit. Since it was a forest and there were abundant tall trees, sunlight failed to easily reach every part of it. Because of that, the interior of the forest still sumbed to darkness for quite some time. And precisely due to that, the person''s face couldn''t be seen easily. Yes, it was only seen when he approached all of them. But that was different for Shin. He had already used his skill to find out the oneing towards him. ''Ding'' [ You have used the skill All-Seeing Eyes ] Right after using that, he recognized the person. He too was feeling the voice to be somewhat familiar but now he was sure about the person. "Haha, so it''s you¡­", Shinughed out slowly. Seeing Shinugh, the elves and others were less tense. Terran and Ae, who had assumed an attacking stance of a wolf earlier, were now rxed. Soon enough, the person''s face was in sight of everyone. "L-lord!?", the Arb Elves were shocked to see Elvion walking towards them. Ae could feel chills just by looking at the elf that was approaching them. She had yet to know who he was. The goblins and the wolves had a different reaction though. They were surprised and perplexed at his sight. But Elvion''s identity was limited to only a few members. This meant that only the leader earlier joined the wolf pack, and the goblin mages knew who Elvion was. Others were just surprised by the intimidating aura that was around him. ''Just look at hime in a style¡­'' ''I''m pretty sure that he always kept his aura hidden, but right now, he doesn''t care.'', Shin smirked. "That was splendidly done.", Elvion said while approaching Shin. "Well, that was the least I could do.", Shin just replied naturally. "But what is this about? I never knew that you were watching us!", Shin asked with a little sarcasm. "Ohe on¡­" "You clearly knew that I was watching you, otherwise, why would you use your Fire form?", Elvion asked. ''He is right¡­'' ''I knew about this¡­'' ''But, I did not know who it was.'' Yes, right before Shin entered the me Wolf Emperor state, a system notification popped up. ''Ding'' [ You are being watched by a Celestial ] That was all the text said. Shin instinctively knew that the being was watching Shin see his wits and strength. If the being were to decide that Shin was a pushover, then it would waste no time to kill him and those around him ¨C of course, that would mean that they would get the support of the Dwarven kingdom saying that they saved the dwarves from being killed. That was why, Shin became the me Wolf Emperor ¨C not because Ae was insulted, it was because of the Celestial that was watching. He was partially angry at the celestial that watched him. ''You guys again¡­'' ''You can watch this as a T.V. show, but would never bother to help us¡­'' ''Just where does your arrogancee from, you bastards?'' "Well Whatever, you tell me, how did you happen to be here?", Shin asked. "Ah, I had something important to discuss with you.", the elf celestial said. "Something important?", this picked Shin''s interest. If there was something that a Celestial would deem to be important, then it would be a case of at most importance ¨C was what Shin had deducted after thinking for a few seconds. Thus, without wasting any time, he decided to discuss the matter. Both of them went towards the pond nearby and started talking about the matter. Meanwhile, the elves who witnessed Shin and Elvion talk had totally different types ofments to spare. "Did¡­" "Did you guys just see what happened?" "Y-yes." "Master Shin and Lord were speaking to each other as if they were friends¡­" "Yes, like equals, right?" The elves whispered among themselves. The same was with the goblin mages. The young goblins were confused as to why they were so surprised. The same was the case with other Shadow Wolves. And after the goblin mages and the leader of Shadow Wolves exined them, they finally understood how big of a matter this was. Kaily, Alira, and Ae too had doubts but after listening to Terran''s exnation, knew what was going on. ''''Keke, I can''t believe that master knew the Elf Celestial¡­'''' ''''The third strongest Celestial in existence, bing his friend is indeed a big matter.'''', Terranmented. Well, this was no surprise since the tattoos on the dwarves'' bodies showed that Shin''s me Wolf Emperor form was already as strong as an average Celestial. No wonder they were scared. They had their king, a celestial too, so they could dominate others. However, there was another being with the power of a celestial before them, they had to be scared. Since, in a battle between celestials, both the celestials will be gravely injured or one of them will be killed. Either way, nothing goodes out of it. Well, if the dwarven king were to fight with Shin, then the entire kingdom will be affected ¨C this is a bigger disadvantage. So the dwarves readily agreed ¨C they weren''t fools after all. Shin and Elvion chatted for a long time about something important which Elvion had mentioned. They were given privacy since it was not a matter into which mere individuals who had little power could get into. "I see¡­" "So, if I''m right, you need me to help you with that?", Shin asked. Chapter 211 An Old Friend - Part 2 "Yes." "It is probably you who can help me at this moment.", Elvion said. "Hmm¡­" Shin started to think about the matter which Elvion just mentioned. ''He wants me to apany him to the Kingdom of Elves¡­'' "But Elvion, why would you need me to apany you?" "I mean, everyone would dly ept you if you enter their kingdom and disy your power." "Also, how would this help you?" Shin wanted to be rified before he could ept his request. This was because Elvion''s request was bizarre. Not only did he appear out of nowhere but also he asked for help as if it was normal. "Sigh, I thought about exining the situation while we were traveling but it seems like I have no choice." "So here''s the thing- recently there are some spies that have entered the Elven Kingdom." ''Spies¡­?'' "I ampletely sure that there is some traitor within the kingdom and maybe even among the royal family." p "So, I can''t trust anyone in the kingdom." "I see¡­", Shin started thinking deeply on the matter. "So, here''s a secret that I am going to reveal¡­" "We Celestials are bad at hiding our strength and presence.", he said. "Ha?" "What do you mean by that?" Shin seemed a bit confused. Someone like him could gain the skill Aura control quite easily so he had taken for granted that the Celestials could use that too. But that didn''t seem to be the case. "Actually, we Celestials need to seal our powers to mask our presence." "And because of that, during the time of need, we cannot unseal it as quickly as it is required, and thus we would end up making major mistakes or could even die.", Elvion said. Shin''s eyes were leftpletely open. ''I never knew that the Celestials had such a weakness¡­'' ''But why did Elvion reveal it to me as if it was nothing?'', Shin was shocked yet again. As a matter of fact, he seemed surprised by something else. When he asked the system to confirm if what Elvion said was the truth or not, System ended up saying that it was the truth. ''Does Elvion trust me that much? Or is he just that desperate?'', Shin went round and round in his own mind while trying to figure out. "I know that you are able to mask your strength, somehow." "So I wanted you to apany me and keep me safe until I find out the spies and the traitor.", Elvion said. ''Ah¡­'' ''It makes sense.'' ''He wants my help and is probably worried about the elves.'' ''He suspects that some other kingdom is interfering in their matters.'' "So, what do you say?" "Will you help me?", Elvion asked. "¡­" Shin didn''t say anything and kept quiet for a few seconds. ''Hmm, the n wars are much closer and the dwarves would return soon too to build the town¡­'' ''How could I leave the ce during such an important situation?'', Shin questioned himself. "Ah, you must be worried about rewards¡­" "Don''t worry, if you would help me, I will give you extraordinary items. I promise.", Elvion said. "That''s not it Elvion." "The thing is-" Shin then exined everything that was going on, in his mind. "Oh, so you are busy currently¡­", Elvion''s gaze seemed tock emotion at the moment. With just this, Shin could say that Elvion was quite desperate. ''What do I do?'' ''If I don''t be here, then it could cause a lot of problems¡­'' ''I need to take revenge for Kira and Siara too¡­'' ''Ae would be mad if I don''t do this and we would be distanced.'' ''Then again, rejecting a Celestial would be bad as well¡­'' Shin was looping in his mind since he couldn''t get the right thought of what to be done. ''System, you are the only one that can help me right now.'' ''Please tell me, what should I do?'', Shin asked the system. *Ding* [ The system advises the host to ept the Celestial''s cry ] [ Provide the condition that ¨C you would help him after the n Wars are over ] [ Ask the Celestial to be patient and help you till then since the spies wouldn''t cause much harm since they have been for a long time in the Kingdom ] "¡­" Shin was awed at the texts that were disyed on the screen. ''For a mere system, your advice and words have been lined perfectly.'', Shin thought. Right after that he looked at Elvion and ryed the message normally. "Hmm, what you are saying is the truth." "The spies might have been in the kingdom since long." "There might be a reason that the traitor hasn''t done anything yet." "The chances are more that they wouldn''t do anything for the next few days so I think I can help you with the n Wars till then¡­", Elvion concluded. "Yes, let''s do that." Shin smiled after hearing that and almost immediately returned and informed about the matter to others. "So, in conclusion, Elvion would be staying with us for a few more months." He didn''t mention about himself going to help Elvion, but did mention that Elvion would be helping them. All the elves, goblins, and wolves were quite surprised and excited to hear that, but what shocked them more was the fact that Shin kept calling the Elf Celestial with his name. ''As expected from master¡­'', Terran and Kaily nodded their heads as Shin''s respect rose high in their hearts. Elvion then stayed in the small vige for many days until the dwarves returned and started building the city for them. The unit of dwarves that came was about 200 in total who started building. They seemed more than happy to build for Shin after knowing his identity which was defined by the previous four dwarves who were also present at the scene. Shin was forced to show his me Wolf Emperor form all the time in front of the dwarves. It was quite exhausting since his point of vision would be higher, but he managed somehow. Chapter 212 The Three Blind And Deaf Shadow Wolves The building of a new town had started. Shin had a n to expand the area to create a new kingdom. The entire forest would be used for that. As mentioned earlier, the forest was listed as one of the most dangerous forests out there. It was also considered to be quiterge. So if a kingdom were to be made in the whole area that would cover the entire forest, then it would easily be asrge as the great four kingdoms of the humans! Of course, this was Shin''s n. He wanted arge kingdom, however, he had to take it slow. A kingdom isn''t made overnight! The dwarves continuously reviewed the idea with Shin and for at least 2-3 days, there was no construction work. They were nning about the designs and various other things that were to be installed. Not only Shin but Elvion too gave some suggestions. When the dwarves met Elvion, they were too surprised to even stand. While Shin did introduce Elvion as just another normal Elf, the dwarves could easily recognize him because of his face and because of the fact that he couldn''t hide his strength for now. ''We made the right decision.'' ''Looks like this Sacred me Beast has many connections with the existing Celestials¡­'', many dwarves had these thoughts. Nevertheless, they started the construction work which escted quite quickly with the help of goblins. While goblins were no more than mere fools with low intelligence, they could at least do what they were told of. Of course, they couldn''t think on their own, but could refer to the goblin mages or the dwarves in case of making mistakes! ''Sigh, I wonder how long it would take to finish building the town.'', Shin sat thinking about thepletion while the work had just begun. Elvion was busy with the work too as he gave his own insights to the dwarves. While the work continued, Shin led the wolves to another ce to train for the uing n Wars. Since he only wanted to take small revenge and earn some rewards, he thought that the wolves were tough enough to help him aplish. He included Terran in this too, without forgetting the fact that he was a Dragon! "Hear me out." "We will be training for the uing n Wars.", Shin was too direct. He had no time to waste and he didn''t want to talk in a roundabout way. Deoras, the one who led the Shadow Wolf pack, informed that there were other Shadow Wolves in the woods waiting for hismand. "Master, I have a few more subordinates." "They would also like to join the n wars.", he said with a lowered head. "Ah, call them out then!", Shin said. Right after Shin said that Deoras howled with all his might. ''Aooooooo'' And in a few seconds, many Shadow wolves started to appear from practically everything that had a shadow. The shadow of the trees, rocks, in fact, even from Shin''s shadow ¨C the wolves started to arise ande out making their appearance official. "This¡­?" "Pardon me master, but I had no other choice but to assign them to protect you.", was what Deoras said. From Shin''s shadow, 3 Shadow Wolves emerged which meant that they were with him all this time. "Since when?", Shin asked. "From the beginning, master." "The moment we returned to this forest, I asked them to protect you.", Deoras nodded his head while saying that. ''Wait, doesn''t this mean that they heard everything that Elvion and I talked?'' ''And they would have probably even heard me talking to the system?'' ¨C while most of the time Shin talked to the system in his mind, he would sometimes mistakenly talk out loud. That was why he was taken aback. *gulp* "How can you do that?" "Doesn''t this mean that they were listening to my entire conversation and were watching my actions?", Shin seemed a little furious. "Ah, no master, that isn''t possible.", Deoras said. "Please take a closer look at them.", he asked. Shin turned his gaze towards the three shadow wolves that emerged only to end up being surprised. "This¡­?" "They¡­?" He was confused. He knew not what to ask right now. "Yes master, they are blind." "On top of that, they are deaf as well." The moment Deoras revealed this, chills ran down Shin''s spine. "Wait a second, if they are blind and deaf, how can they protect me?", Shin asked. He was curious about it because the story didn''t seem to fit. "Master, these three are probably the strongest Shadow Wolves out there." "In fact, they are as strong as me or probably stronger than me.", Deoras said. "Huh?" "Yes, and just because they don''t have the ability to see or hear, I was made the leader." "Other than that, they shouldn''t be underestimated." "Especially, their Aura sensing skills is something that shouldn''t be looked down upon.", he said. ''Aura sensing skill?'' *Ding* [ Aura Sensing Skills -> A set of skills that allows the user to sense the aura of every individual within a minimum range with a radius of 50 meters ] [ With training, the range could be increased ] ''Ah! There you are system!'' ''Tell me, why didn''t you inform me beforehand about these three?'' ''I''m pretty sure you knew about them!'', Shin was a bit mad at the system. *Ding* [ The system couldn''t detect any murderous intent from them ] [ The system decided that it was beneficial for them to remain with you ] ''Yeah, I know that, but at least inform me from next time!'' [ Command epted ] "Nice, I''m impressed¡­" "But, if they really can''t hear or see, then how would youmunicate with them?", Shin asked. "Telepathy¡­" "That is the only way that we canmunicate with them.", Deoras said. "Wow, does that mean you know telepathy?", Shin asked. "Yes." "Not only me, but two others in the wolf pack other than these three have gained the skill Telepathy.", Deoras bowed his head a bit while saying this. ''Nice¡­'' ''I want to know about them too, I wish I had telepathy skills¡­'' Chapter 213 A Delicious Meal Shin didn''t seem to mind the three shadow wolves anymore. They were like his bodyguards so he felt extra-safe but at the same time, he had to be cautious since one could never tell when they would change their mind. More than that, the closest ones usually assassinate and thus, he had to be careful. Whatever, Shin was now busy with the training of the wolves. Elvion gave some detailed exnation about the n Wars to Shin after which he understood what his role was. ''Hmm, if I challenge the boss of a n and win, then I would be the leader of their n?'', he asked himself. He knew that such a thing was possible but didn''t know if the masses would ept it. They would never want someone else to join their ranks after all. Wolves are meant to be hostile so this much was unexpected. Whatever, Shin continued to guide the wolves. Terran had better control over his powers and the same was true with Ae. Alira and Kaily also practiced. Shin taught them how to assassinate. "So, you both have to stay far behind and kill anyone that tries to harm our people.", was what he said. Kaily and Alira agreed and started their training with the Shadow Wolves too. The Arb Elves couldn''t participate in this since they couldn''t even leave the current forest. While Shin knew that an item could help them, it would be too difficult to obtain that but had thought to do that a littleter. Shin went on hunting daily and hunted many bigger animals. This eventually raised his levels and skills. Some skills were close to perfection. [ Profile ] ,m Name: Shin Sex: Male Age: 1 year Weight: 9.1 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Highlord Wolf ] Rank: A || Max. rank: ??? [ Level: 79 || Max. level: 80 ] [ HP: 1200/1200 || Max. HP: ??? ] [ MP: 920/920|| Max. MP: ??? ] [ Exp: 8955 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 641 || Max. Atk: ??? ] [ Def: 470 || Max. Def: ??? ] [ Speed: 1015 || Max. Speed: ??? ] Int: 95 || Max. Int: ??? Mana Space Lv.2: 170/170 [ Stat points acquired: 2980 ] [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Bite Lv.10 2] Dash Lv.10 3] Copy Lv.8 4] Heal Lv.8 5] Transformation Lv.5 6] me Wave Lv.5 7] Dark Maniption Lv.5 8] All Seeing Eyes Lv.8 9] Aura Control Lv.10 10] Dragon''s Roar Lv.3 11] Dragon''s Aura Lv.3 12] Hymn Of The Dragons'' Lv.??? 13] Total Curse Immunity Lv. Max 14] Curse Eraser Lv.5 15] HP Eater Lv.8 16] Wind Run Lv.7 17] Aero sh Lv.6 18] Dispel Lv.4 19] Hurricane Lv.3 20] Winter Breeze Lv.2 21] Wind Maniption Lv.4 22] God Wind Lv.??? 23] Steal Lv.3 [ Passive Skills ] 1] Cold Resistance Lv.10 2] Heat Resistance Lv.10 3]Shock Resistance Lv.7 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.5 7] Language Trantion Lv.4 8] Poison Resistance Lv.5 9] Poison Destroyer Lv.6 10] Protector Lv.3 11] Pain Nullification Lv.3 12] Fire Resistance Lv.3 13] Mindcraft Resistance Lv.4 14] Gift Lv.??? 15] Ultimate Growth Lv.??? 16] Mental Defense Lv.3 17] Seal Resistance Lv.6 These were his new stats. After hunting a lot of beasts, he had finally arrived at level 79 and was just one step away before he could evolve yet again. Yes, the days had passed and now, n Wars was just a week ahead. Shin was away all this time, he didn''t stay in the town that they were building. He had been informed earlier that he would be going for training while trying to hunt a stronger beast and yes, during this time, he fought an exceptional being. He left Elvion in charge of the town. He was more than enough to protect everyone. Also, since Shin had three shadow wolves always with him, he was safe as well. Thus, when Terran wished to join Shin, he refused to state the said reason. Thanks to that, when he battled a creature that was as strong as him, only he was hurt. Yes, he battled the ck Poison Master, the same master that Kaily had talked about previously. She wanted to prevent their meeting since she knew that they might end up causing huge destruction ¨C She was right. They did cause the destruction of almost half of the forest. While many trees perished, the same happened to all the beasts that lived in the vicinity. The ck Poison Master was a gigantic snake-like beast. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that it was ten times the length of Shin. "Hiss, how dare a mere beast barge into my territory.", the serpent said after seeing Shin collect some fruits from the trees nearby. "Huh?", Shin was startled because of the voice. *gulp* ''Now I know why the system was warning me¡­'' Yes, the system had earlier posted a warning notification to prevent Shin from approaching the ce. [ Warning ] [ The system advises the host to change the targeted destination ] The purple-blue scales of therge snake were apparent. Its yellow glowing eyes seemed like that of Terran''s ¨C like that of a dragon. Anyone would be nervous after looking at such arge beast. Although Shin had faced beasts that wererge, they didn''t give off such an aura. Yes, the aura that Shin felt was at least at his own level. ''I have never felt such a strong aura in a beast.'', Shin said to himself. He then red back at the snake and asked, "I only visited here to collect some fruits, what''s the big deal? You want a fight?" "¡­" "Hahahaha, hiss¡­" The snakeughed loudly when he heard this after pausing for a few seconds. It then looked at Shin and said, "It''s been forever since Ist met such a daring fellow¡­" "Or should I say stupid!?", his expressions changed almost immediately. Other than their auras and strengths, there was one moremon thing between them. And that was¡­ ''Looks like I will be having a delicious meal tonight.'' And that was their thoughts where both of them salivated. Chapter 214 Threatening: Choose Your Words Wisely The snake then swiftly released its poison. Shin wouldn''t have realized that the poison was released if not for the system. *Ding* [ Heavy Toxic Poison has been released to the air ] [ Due to the passive skill Poison resistance, the poison doesn''t affect you ] Shin was about to run from the ce if he wasn''t resistant. But the moment the system mentioned that, he suddenly got a boost of confidence. "Is that all¡­?", Shin smirked. ''Huh¡­?'' ''My poison¡­'' ''Did it fail to work on him?'', the serpent was shocked to see Shinpletely fine. He was expecting Shin to faint anytime soon, but in contrast to that, Shin was smiling as if he waspletely fine. "Do you really think that poison of this level can affect me?", Shin smirked yet again which infuriated the snake. ''Hiss¡­'' "You forced me." Right after that, the snake opened its mouth widely and shot another wave of poison gas which spread even more rapidly covering the entire area in an instant. ''What the-'' The poison was different from earlier, in fact, Shin could see a colored gasing out of the snake''s mouth. Earlier, it was colorless but now, it was orange colored. *Ding* [ You have resisted the poison ] However, even this was not enough to cause any damage to Shin. "Sigh, poor you." "Did you really think that your poisons were going to do something to me?" "Haha.", Shinughed. Well, he was trying to taunt the snake. It was probably wanted to test the upper limit of his resistance. Also, for some reason, he wanted to fight someone of his own level, and only after provoking him would he stop using the poisons and start fighting for real. But the snake didn''t give up. He kept on releasing different poison gas. ''What the heck¡­?'' ''Just how many types of poison does he have?'', Shin asked himself but the system ended up answering. *Ding* [ It is estimated that the snakes of ''Pentaserpen'' species have 5 types of poisons ] [ The foe belongs to the said race ] ''I see.'' ''So what kind of poisons can then use?'', he asked. *Ding* [ The five poisons are: Paralytic Poison, Frost Poison, Heat Poison, Heart Poison, and Death Poison ] The moment the types of poisons were stated, Shin was baffled. He knew that the serpent released a ton of poison into the air but he never knew that they would be these types of poisons. ''And what the heck is heart and death poisons?'', he asked. [ Heart poison -> A type of poison that targets only the heart. It doesn''t do any damage to any other part of the body so usually the effects won''t be known unless it reaches the heart ] [ Death poison -> A mixture of previous poisons. When even a single drop of it enters a host, first it causes paralysis by affecting the nervous system, then it starts to freeze the internal organs and heats proteins and cells ultimately damaging them and causing them to burst. Then finally it targets the heart specifically causing it to stop and leading to the death of the host ] ''Wait, then do you think that my skill can help me to resist such a poison?'' *Ding* [ Your skills may prolong your life but cannot prevent death ] After reading all this, Shin was sure of one thing, if he were to have such a poison, then he would have no reason to fear anyone and could just kill them swiftly. ''So, he hasn''t used that poison.'' [ Affirmative ] ''I see, if he were to use that poison, then his life will also be in danger since he too inhales and if he is a Poison breathing type of snake, then yes, he would die too.'' Shin was sure about this. There were five types of poison-rted beasts in this world. Shin had inquired about this earlier from the system and the elf elders before entering the inner forests. 1] Beasts that spit poison and shoot them in the form of liquid. 2] Beasts that leave poison breaths and use the poisons generated in their poison nds in the form of gas. 3] Beasts that inject the poison directly into their foe by biting. 4] Beasts that cover themselves in the poison to prevent themselves from being eaten or even touched. 5] Beasts that store poison in their body after eating poisonous nts and generating on their own. The toxins be so powerful that even after cooking or burning them, the poison retains its activity. ''Ha, so hees in the second category?'', Shin smirked. "So, even you fear to use death poison, don''t you?", Shin asked. *gulp* ''How did he know?'', the serpent panicked because of what Shin asked. He started looking here and there trying to find some lie or some random thing to say when Shin said, "Look here, I am not trying to harm you." "Instead, I was just passing by and you were the one who threatened me." The serpent stared at him as he said that. ''For some reason, he is resistant to all of my poisons.'' ''I know that I am in my weakened state and cannot unleash the full potential of my poison, but still, being able to stand without any changes in the body after healing that much poison, he has definitely eaten some weird stuff.'' ''In any case, I can''t use death poison because that would be suicide, all I can do is frighten him and let him go.'' "Alright¡­", he squeaked a bit. ''Huh¡­?'' "Alright!", his voice became deep all of a sudden. "I will let you go! But don''t you dare enter my territory again.", he said arrogantly. Shin red at him because of his voice and words. "If I were you, I would choose my words wisely.", Shin said while unleashing his aura after deactivating the skill Aura control. ''Zoom'' ''A¡­'' ''A dragon!?'' The poison master saw a dragon shape in the aura that was released. Chills ran down his spine the moment this happened because the weak wolf that he had been looking at was a ferocious beast waiting for his chance to grab and eat the serpent. "¡­" Chapter 215 Assuming Things On Your Own ''What the-'' ''I never heard that there a strong beast such as him in this forest.'' The serpent was too shocked to even think anything straight. He was no longer sure that the small pitiful wolf that it had seen was the same being that was in front of it right now. ''No way, could he really be a dragon?'' ''I felt the presence of the Earth Dragon disappearing from the Lian ins¡­'' ''Could it be that this is him¡­?'' ''It''s a gamble but, if it really is him, then maybe I might end up going out of the situation without being harmed.'', he thought. *gulp* The serpent mustered the courage to blurt a few words, "Aren''t you the Earth Dragon from Lian ins?" "How did you undo your curse? And how did you assume a fake form?", he asked. "¡­", Shin didn''t say a single thing when the serpent mentioned this. He thought that it would be worthwhile to listen to what he had to say. "Since you stopped speaking, looks like I was right!", he raised his voice. "Haha, what are you so proud of? And why are you teasing me this way?" "You should have told from the beginning that it was you." "Yes, in the world, the ones who can be perfectly fine even after being exposed to my poison are only two beings, the Poison Fanged Naga and the great Earth Dragon." p What he said was right. In the snake branch, the strongest snake to exist in the world is the Poison Fanged Naga. While it does state that the poison is present in its fangs, that ain''t entirely true. It''s a sacred beast that can create poison out of thin air. Yes, if it was intended, he could just look at a beast and create poison inside the beast''s body, killing it instantly and because of that, Naga is also known as Poison King. Another reason why he is recognized that way is that he is immune to all kinds of poison and venom. No matter what kind of venom or poison it is, as long as it is produced by a beast, he can always render it useless since poison is his strength. Yes, the strongest the poison, the more his power grows. Now, regarding the Earth branch category, the only beings in the world that are least affected by any type of poisons are of the earth branch. It means that they are affected, but only a little. However, the strongest earth branch being ¨C the Earth Dragon ispletely immune to poisons. Only if Naga were to bite him and a ton of poison were to enter the bloodstream ¨C only then would the Earth Dragon be affected. "And I can feel the dragon aura from you." "No wonder you felt familiar.", the serpent said. "¡­" Shin was quiet even after everything the serpent said. He wanted to hear more and thought that it was best for him to be quiet for a little longer. He wanted to frustrate the serpent and due to frustration, many would end up speaking the things that should remain secret. Shin nned this and he seeded. By keeping his mouth shut for just a minute more, he was able to hear the serpent''s biggest secret. "Ahe on!" "Why the silent treatment?" "Are you angry because I attacked you earlier!" "Sheesh, forget that, Hiss." "We were once on the same boat, weren''t we?" "But now, it seems as if you have been freed. But look at me, I am still trapped because of the curse and cannot leave this piece ofnd." "That''s why I''m a little sensitive when the topic is about my territory. If only I could leave my territory, I would have never been angry.", he said. "So, forgive me and tell me, how were you able to break your curse?", he asked. "¡­", Shin smirked after hearing all this. He then said, "Guess what, you shouldn''t be blind." "You should always confirm whether what you conclude is true or not." "When the heck did I ever mention that I was an Earth Dragon.", Shin raised his voice while saying this. "Hiss¡­" "You aren''t?", the serpent asked. Shinughed and said, "Of course, I am not Terran." "T-Terran?", the serpent asked in confusion. "Yeah, the Earth Dragon about whom you were talking about.", Shin smirked and continued. "Though, it is true that I was the one who released him from his curse. Although it is notpletely broken, I''m sure that within a few more years he would bepletely free." "Wait, so he really has been freed? And you were the one who freed him?", the serpent asked. Shin nodded his head. Shin thought about making a proposal with the serpent about freeing him and making him his subordinate when suddenly the serpent started crying. Yes, tears broke out from his eyes and covered his oval-shaped face. "It''s¡­" "It''s been so long since I ever felt that I could be freed.", he said in a low voice. This felt genuine. Shin could feel the deep emotions emerging from the serpent. "¡­" ''I am wrong¡­'' ''Why would I make him my subordinate?'' ''Poor beasts like him are all trapped and after I free them, I am trapping them yet again.'', Shin said to himself while staring at the ground. ''Being a subordinate is nothing but being shackled.'' ''I guess, Terran too feels that way.'', Shin regretted what he did back then. While it is true that he freed Terran, he shouldn''t have used the opportunity to make him his subordinate. He realized his wrongdoing and decided to not treat someone else''s suffering as an opportunity. But that didn''t mean that he would go and do charity work. He had to see his gain first and if there is none, he would only help if there was no harm. He looked at the serpent and said, "I can free you, but I have just one condition¡­" "Yes, I agree to be your subordinate, hiss.", the serpent replied almost immediately. "Huh? I-" "Please name me and free me." "I want to roam and discover the forest and other ces with you.", the serpent said. "Listen, you have a very bad habit of assuming whateveres to your mind." "I haven''t even told so how do you assume that I would ask you to be my subordinate?" "¡­" Chapter 216 Experiment "I have no interest in making you my subordinate.", Shin said. "¡­" The serpent became quiet all of a sudden. He thought that all-powerful beasts capable of reasoning wanted subordinates so that they could be safe and protected. He was right, Shin was the same too, but he realized that one shouldn''t take advantage of others suffering. "Then, what do you want me to do?" "You wouldn''t be helping me for free, would you know?", the serpent asked. Shin nodded his head, "You are right." "Nothing is free in this world.", he said. "But what I am going to ask is very simple." "I am ready to do anything if I can be freed.", the serpent said. "¡­", it then became quiet for some time. None of them said anything. Perhaps Shin was thinking about what to say. The serpent kept staring at Shin while waiting for him to tell. "Just three times, I want you to help me three times in the future.", Shin said. "¡­" "That''s all¡­?", the serpent asked. "Yes.", Shin nodded his head. "Really? Is that really all?", the serpent asked yet again. "Yeah, I am asking you to help me thrice. Nothing more and nothing less." After hearing this the serpent said, "That is equal to nothing!" "It''s as if you are agreeing to help me in free.", the serpent said. "I was ready to even trade my soul but all you are asking is for my help three times?" "Do I have to speak in some othernguage for you to understand?", Shin asked. "Ah, no. I mean-", the serpent was baffled by the proposal because it was advantageous to him. "Just tell me, do you ept or not?", Shin asked. "Of course I ept it. Why wouldn''t I?", the serpent epted it almost immediately when Shin asked. "Cool, but I''m unsure if I can dispel the curse entirely." ¨C Shin mentioned the most important part at the end. "Eh? What do you mean?" "Well, my power is also limited so I can only dissolve a part of the curse. But I think that much would be enough to let you break free and go wherever you want.", Shin said. "¡­" The serpent was fine with that. The curse that he received was a major one ¨C he had received it from one of the celestials. Earlier, when the forest was being raided by many humans, and many beasts were being killed, he took the role to kill the humans. Not to mention, he ughtered almost 5,000 humans and ate them as if they were nothing. The Human Celestial of that time put a curse on the snake that not only shackled most of his power but also made him unable to get out of its territory. If he was let loose, he would have definitely be one of the sacred beasts, however since he was stuck in one ce, he couldn''t do much and just wait for his death just like Terran. Shin did realize what he was going to do, he was going to break free a dangerous beast. How did he know? Well, the system was warning him again and again continuously without any rest. p *Ding* [ Warning ] [ The system advises the host to not free the serpent Raka ] [ The system advises the host to not free the serpent Raka ] [ The system advises the host to not free the serpent Raka ] [ The system¡­ ] Regardless of that, he used his skills to dispel a part of his curse. But he wanted to see if he could dispel his entire curse, so he asked the system, ''Is my curse powerful enough to dispel his entire curse?'' *Ding* [ Affirmative ] [ Warning ] [ The system¡­ ] ''Ugh, I''m tired of hearing them. Mute!'' ''But anyway, I won''t remove the curse entirely.'', Shin knew what he was doing. He was not going to trust some random snake that he met. He would still keep some hidden things so that the snake doesn''t out-wit him. Therefore, only after winning Shin''s entire trust would Raka be freed since Shin wouldpletely erase the curse once he trusts him. The system was muted and now only pop-ups were seen. Shin neglected them and focused on Raka ¨C the name mentioned by the system. "Alright so, let me start.", Shin said. "Yes.", Raka closed his eyes expecting the miracle to happen as soon as he opened his eyes. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Curse Eraser ] [ The curse on the target will be erased partially ] The second notification was because of what Shin had nned earlier. And yes, he could control to what extent he wanted to erase the curse as long as he can erase itpletely. There were two reasons because of which he didn''t want to erase the cursepletely. One ¨C because he wanted to keep Raka in check. Two ¨C because he was conducting an experiment. He wanted to know what were the conditions under which other races were being transformed into a wolf. Since Terran turned into a wolf after his curse was partially erased, he wondered if it would be the same with the snake as well. And to his surprise, he was right. It took no more than 2 minutes right after which Shin said, "Ah, you can open your eyes now." *Ding* [ 40% of the curse on target has been erased ] [ 60% of curse remains due to which the target will go under a certain transformation rted to the host ] Therge snake that previously existed was no more. In ce of it, a young wolf with blue fur sat with its eyes closed. As he slowly opened his eyes, he found that his level of vision had increased. Also, he started feeling weird since this was the first time that he could smell and hear so extraordinarily. ''I knew it!'' ''Heck yes, the experiment was a sess.'' Shin smirked and asked, "What do you think? How do you look right now?" "What do you-?", Raka paused. His own voice surprised him because he could hear the voice much more clearly and loudly. "Just, what did you do to me?" "¡­" Chapter 217 Subordinate "Ah, I freed you from your curse, but notpletely." "Probably this is a side-effect of that," Shin said. He wasn''t saying the truth and had no intention of saying it, since he did it deliberately. Of course, he didn''t exactly want Raka to apany him but wanted his help with a few things since the n Wars was a week away. And since he wanted to experiment, he thought that Raka would be a perfect subject for that. Nevertheless, he never expected the experiment to seed. Whatever, Raka had now been turned into a wolf too. Shin nced at his stats finally, only to find it quite simple. It looked a lot simr to Terran, but the only difference was that this time, instead of a dragon, a snake had transformed ¨C Well, both of them are reptiles anyway. [ Profile ] [ Name: Raka ] [ Sex: Male ] [ Age: 1020 years ] [ Weight: 21 Kg ] [ Race: PentaSerpen ] [ Blood-Moon Serpent ] [ Rank: A || Max. rank: S ] [ Level: 50 || Max. level: 100 ] [ HP: 585/585+5 || Max. HP: 600 ] [ MP: 800/800|| Max. MP: 800 ] [ Exp: 1299 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 170 || Max. Atk: 999 ] [ Def: 566 || Max. Def: 999 ] [ Speed: 185 || Max. Speed: 300 ] [ Int: 81 || Max. Int: 90 ] [ Skills ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Poison Breath Lv.4 2] Mimicry Lv.4 3] Flight Lv.1 4] Poison Spikes Lv.4 5] Wrap Lv.3 6] Swallow Lv.4 7] Great Snake Aura Lv.4 8] Future Vision Lv.2 [ Passive Skills ] 1] Thermal Detection Lv.4 2] Blood Poison Lv.4 3] Poison Resistance Lv.1 There were all the skills of the snake Raka, after 40% of the curse was dispelled. While most of the skills were level 4, some were level 3. Level 2 and level 1 skills were also present. This meant that, if all the curses had been lifted, then all level 4 skills would have been level 10. Shin was a bit surprised by the skills as well. He thought that the serpent would have many more skills, but there were only a few. Despite living longer than Terran, the serpent had fewer skills. This was something Shin couldn''t understand. ''Hmm¡­'' ''Could it be¡­?'' ''Are some skills locked because the curse is not fully lifted?'', Shin asked himself. It wasn''t confirmed, but Shin had had the feeling that whatever he thought was right. But he wasn''t going to think too much about that because, right now, the serpent was a bit baffled. He had to exin the situation properly to him and only then would the snake understand Shin''s worth. "So, when I dispelled Terran''s curse, he too turned into a wolf.", Shin said. "Huh?", the snake was surprised by what Shin said. He had yet to know who Terran was, but with the way Shin spoke, he instantly understood that Terran was indeed the same Earth-Dragon. Shin was not babbling some lie or fabricating anything. ''''Does this mean that I will be stuck in this form forever?'''', the serpent wanted to know. "No." "I think, as soon as I erase the entire curse, you will be freed from that body.", Shin nodded his head as he said, as if he had full confidence in what he was saying. However, in reality, he had no idea if what he said was true. He didn''t know if the serpent could indeed regain its previous form, but he did hope for such a thing to happen. He could again think of this as an experiment and dispel Raka''s entire curse. However, he had already been told that his skill was not capable of that. Also, he still didn''tpletely trust Raka and thus kept quiet about it despite being curious. "In any case, I have helped you know. You can roam wherever you like, but don''t forget to help me three times when I''m in need.", Shin said. Raka kept quiet for a few seconds. He was still new to the body and was experiencing weird feelings. He could hear his heartbeat and could smell around a wide range. Moreover, his instincts seemed to have be even sharper, which was a good thing. Also, his body was now a little less flexible but capable of forming a wide range of movements. And thanks to the fur covering his body, he could feel warm. He was a cold-blooded beast earlier, because of which his body''s temperature would change too easily. But now that he had obtained the body of a mammal, that difficulty was resolved. ''This body¡­'' ''It is not toofortable, but it sure is warm.'', he said to himself. He then looked at Shin and said, "I am sorry to ask this but, I think you should take responsibility for screwing up." "Huh?", Shin was surprised at what Raka started saying all of a sudden. "Yes, you never told me that I would be trapped inside a wolf''s body." "Since I am not familiar with this body, I want you to protect me for a few days", he said. "¡­", Shin didn''t reply and just stared at him when he mentioned this. He was thinking about where it was worthwhile to agree. "But¡­" "No wait, a few days won''t suffice." "I want you to protect me until I have regained my body. Since my body has be much smaller and weaker, I might end up being hunted by manyrger bastards.", Raka said. "¡­" Shin stared for a while and then said, "I cannot do that." "I do not protect strangers", he said. Well, he was trying to get some benefit actually and wasn''t trying to protect him. He expected Raka to bribe or do something simr, but to his surprise, Raka said, "Is that so?" "Then, from today onwards, I dere myself as your subordinate." "Now, as a superior, you have to protect me", Raka said. "¡­" ''There we go, we are back at the same topic.'', Shin frowned as he heard what Raka said. ''Why is he so eager to be my subordinate?'', Shin made a weird expression while thinking about it. Chapter 218 A Last Mission Before Evolution "Why the heck do you want to be my servant?", Shin asked. "¡­" The serpent thought for a few seconds and then said, "First of all, I will die because of my weak state." "So, if I am your subordinate, you will definitely protect me." "Yeah, I heard that earlier.", Shin had a dumbfounded expression. That was because he was looking for some different answer and the real reason, which he suspected to be something else. ''I wonder why such a strong beast gives up its ego and pride to be protected by me.'' ''As far as I know, no matter how weak a beast bes, it will never lose its pride.'' ''It would end up dying rather than being protected, so I am sure, there must be a totally different reason.'', Shin said to himself. ''Well, Terran is an exception in my mind.'', Shin branded Terran as an exception to this case, probably because he thought that Terran had simr goals as him ¨C hate towards humans. "And since I have to help you three times, staying around you will give me those three chances earlier." "Not only that, but when your skill evolves and you will be able to erase the curse, then I could just ask you to do it immediately. You won''t have toe and search for me, nor do I have to keep searching for you." Raka did have a point there. However, little did he know that Shin''s skill had leveled up enough that he could erase his curse anytime. Shin looked the other way when he mentioned thest reason. For the time being, he epted such half and weird-spirited reasons. "So, will you be following me from now on?", Shin asked. "Yes.", Raka nodded his head and epted that. "¡­" Shin thought about exining his situation first and wanted Raka to think carefully. He didn''t want to put Raka into unnecessary trouble. "I see." "So, you have to take part in the n Wars¡­", Raka murmured. "Yes", Shin replied. "Aha, alright master. That''s not a problem. I will still be under you from now.", Raka said. He had already started to refer to Shin as ''Master''. ''Sigh looks like somehow I ended up gaining another ally.'', Shin smirked. This time, it was purely because of luck. The serpent seemed a bit too weird because the entire conversion has been flooding in a different direction since the beginning. Whatever now, Raka was part of the crew and swore his loyalty to Shin. Of course, he did say that as soon as all the curse was going to be erased, he would leave Shin''s side too. Shin then started walking down the same path. He had some more work to do and a little more to train. He wanted to reach level 80 before participating in the Wars because it would help him a lot. Also, more than that, he was expecting his skills to evolve. That way, there would probably be no wolf out there that could stand up to him. "Raka, do you know where other strong beasts live?" "I have a mission to kill them.", Shin said. He wasn''t lying, there really was a mission given by the system for this task. [ Mission: Kill 100 beasts that are above level 60 (57/60) ] [ Rewards: ] [ -> 1500 Exp ] [ -> Evolution ] This mission popped up exactly when Shin had reached level 78. Since then, he has killed a lot of level 60s, but his exp hadn''t risen much. That was because he was far too strong to gain any exp by killing low levels. Of course, the level 60 beast is a strong beast in this forest. The three strongest beasts that existed nearby were Raka, Terran, and the Volcanic Phoenix. Other than these three, which are near the threshold of leveling, that is, level 100, all other beasts are way below level 80. Of course, when the system mentioned ying beasts that are above level 60, it meant that Shin would have to kill any and all beasts that are stronger than the lowest threshold. So, it could be a beast of level 80 or even 100, it didn''t matter, all he had to do was kill beasts above level 60 and till now, all the beasts that he had killed were in their sixties. 17 more were to be hunted and this was a good opportunity for Shin to hunt them, since Raka might have a better idea about his part of the territory where Shin hadn''t visited. "Yes, I do know a ce where some strong beasts reside, or rather, those bastards reside there." "Bastards?", Shin was surprised after Raka used such a term. "Yes, I think, there are 3 ape beasts if we move a little further", Raka said. ''Keke, those bastards who dared to make fun of me when I was trapped will soon be killed by master.'', Raka said. Shin smirked and said, "What are their levels?" "¡­", Raka fidgeted his head a bit as if he was trying to recall. After thinking for a few seconds, he said, "I think their levels were somewhere in the upper 80s." This meant that those beasts were above level 85. Shin has yet to reach level 80, so this could be a good challenge and a way to gain some extra Exp. He smirked and said, "Upper 80s¡­" "Cool, show me the ce.", Shin said. Raka, without wasting any time, started to lead the way and Shin followed closely. He wasn''t sure about this and had to think again while walking because he wasn''t going to face a single beast, but a total of three, and all of them were in the upper 80s. ''Man, I am really being foolish yet again.'', he said while smirking. Yes, he was being foolish right now, but whatever, he just needed 3 more beasts to finish the mission. After that, he could safely move towards level 80 and could then evolve and get stronger. ''Alright Apes, just you wait, here Ie!'' Chapter 219 The Hiding Ape Raka then took Shin to a ce that was a little far away from his territory. He was thinking about teaching a lesson to the three Apes that were continuously always making fun of him. Those three didn''te close enough to him because they knew that he could at least move in his territory. Also, as soon as Raka used his skills, they would flee almost immediately. Yes, since they were always on the trees, their agility was incredible. These apes, which were supposed to be highly intelligent, behaved like monkeys. Whether it be using trees and jumping around or imitating others, they would do it to their fullest ¨C yes, they were easily mistaken for monkeys, but they were apes. Whenever Raka tried to sleep, they woulde and disturb his sleep by throwing boulders or branches. Raka would get enraged and by the time he got ready to attack, they would have already vanished. This would infuriate Raka even more as it continued every day. Now that he was finally free, he thought about teaching a lesson to them with the help of Shin, since his level had dropped quite a lot. Shin kept walking behind Raka and wondered how these apes would be. ''''Hmm, if they are indeed above level 80, then it might be a little pain in the ass to fight them at the same time.'' ''But I will manage somehow.'', he said to himself. He had been doing that all this time, so this was nothing new. . . . It took no more than ten minutes before they arrived at the designated ce. And right after they arrived, many rocks started flying towards them. Shin dodged them almost immediately after activating his eyes. *Ding* [ You have used the skill All-Seeing Eyes ] By using this skill, he was able to see the trajectory of the rocks and, since he was agile enough, he was able to dodge the rocks easily. They were about half the size of Shin and were thrown with brute force. If even one of them had hit Shin, then he would have been injured considering his weak body. The three shadow wolves were out by now. Each one of them destroyed two to threerge rocks with just their mouths. Despite not having eyes and just sensing aura and movement, they were able to do that. ''Man¡­'' ''Just how do they do that?'' "¡­" ''I should be ashamed¡­'' ''I use skills such as All-Seeing Eyes to see the course of the rocks and then dodge it, but then, even if they don''t have eyes, they could do it much more easily.'', Shin sighed as he thought this. He then looked at Raka, who was perfectly fine as well. He dodged the attacks too, which was thanks to the sharpening of his senses. ''If my senses weren''t as sharp as now, I would have got hit by those rocks yet again.'', he thought. Yes, these were the size of rocks that were always being tossed at Raka, and considering his gigantic body, he wouldn''t get much hurt. But still, that doesn''t mean one would toss rocks for no reason. This infuriated Shin a lot and he looked at the entire ce. It was a field covered with a lot of bamboos and other trees that had a flexible but strong trunk and branches. Thanks to his skill, he could see right through the trees and could find where the apes were. They were indeed hiding behind somerge trees amidst these bamboos. Shin was infuriated because they threw the rocks and hid. Because of this, he ended up releasing his entire aura in one go. *Zoom* A wave of air sted off from Shin and spread in a circle. The pressure suddenly built up as the wave traveled far and wide. Yes, this pressure was due to Shin''s aura. He red right at the apes that were hiding behind the bamboos. ''This¡­?'' ''Has master unleashed his aura?'', one of the shadow wolves said. Chills ran down their spines. For a second, they were scared when the aura was released all of a sudden, but then they realized that this aura belonged to Shin because they had felt the same a few minutes ago when Shin was talking with Raka in his snake form. Raka too felt chills. ''Earlier, because my level was high, I could bear this pressure.'' ''But now that my level has been dropped, this seems too terrifying.'' Actually, Raka was put under a curse that trapped him in his territory. It did nothing to his level, which meant that his natural resistance and immunity to other skills and aura were higher. However, when the curse was erased by 40%, he ended up transforming. Not only that, it caused another side effect at the cost of his freedom ¨C dropped his level and many other resistances. The same thing had happened to Terran, so it was bound to happen to Raka too. Whatever, now that he could feel the pressure that was being emitted from Shin, he could easily tell that he was no ordinary beast. ''Even for a mere level 80, this is quite the pressure that he is applying¡­'', Raka thought as he gulped arge amount of dry saliva. What he meant by that was, Shin was emitting a pressure that was beyond what a normal level 80 beast could handle. And yes, he was right. The ape that was hiding was so frightened because of the pressure that Shin applied, it started to move. It aimed at running away while betting everything on its agility. "Oh no you don''t.", Shin said in the faintest voice, right after which he vanished from the spot where he was standing and appeared right in front of the ape. A small ripple was caused on the ground where Shin had vanished. *Ding* [ You have¡­ ] Even before the notification could pop up, Shin had already traveled the distance that he wanted. The shadow wolves were left behind and waiting while continuously sensing Shin''s aura. Earlier, Shin was angry, but after looking at the ape, he had a weird astonished expression on his face. Chapter 220 The Fire And Earth Apes Shin''s expression was noteworthy. It was as if his jaws dropped. He continuously stared at the stats that the system showed because it seemed way too ridiculous. [ Fire Ape ] [ Level: 89/100 ] That''s all the title showed. It did not show any other stats nor did it show any skills. This seemed way too weird to Shin because this had never happened before. So why did it happen now? This was something Shin had to figure out. Moreover, having a look at other stats would always give Shin some extra boost in confidence and would enable him to make ns ahead of his time. However, now, it seems impossible to think about anything. Other than the one revealing that the ape was of the fire type, only its level was mentioned, which was almost of no use. He started questioning the system''s scanning process. The ape had red fur like that of fire. The same was its eyes, which were bright red. It was as if just looking at its eyes would set Shin on fire. However, he had no trouble doing so. The ape was just trying to avoid looking at Shin. For some reason, it was still trying to run away by either turning towards its left or right. But each time it tried, Shin would just vanish from the previous spot and would appear right in front of him. Thanks to that, the ape couldn''t escape. "Hey, you-", and just as Shin was about to ask about the ape, he heard a loud cry. "Brother!" "What are you doing to my brother!? Get away from him!", said another beast that appeared from the sky. It was as if he was falling from a great height, but in reality, the beast had jumped that high. Shin could see the beast clearly and after seeing its stat too, he couldn''t help but smile in confusion. [ Earth Ape ] [ Level: 87/100 ] "Ha!?", that was all he said while dodging its attack. The ape bashed the ground with its heavy fists, causing arge crack to form. ''If that had hit me, then I would have been killed instantly.'', Shin thought. He then looked at the ape that had just recently arrived andpared it to the fire ape. While the fire ape looked frail and weak just like any other ape, the Earth ape was more like a gori. If not for the fact that the system mentioned him as an ape, he would really have considered him to be a gori. While its body was huge, its hands contributed to half of its body''s size. It had rocks engraved on all parts of the body. "Brother, are you alright?" "You aren''t hurt, are you?", the Earth Ape asked with a heavy tone. He seemed genuinely concerned about the Fire Ape. "Yes, I am-", and just as Fire ape was about to say that, the three shadow wolves ran towards the Earth Ape to kill it. That was because they had felt a killing intent from the Earth Ape that had just arrived. "No wai-" And even before Shin could say anything, all three of them dashed towards the Earth Ape and started attacking it with their various skills. While one would bite, the other would fire a shadow ball. When the Earth Ape try to attack, they would almost instantly turn into shadows and hide in its shadow and then appear right behind them biting off a giant piece of flesh and then repeating the same. This caused the Earth Ape to bleed a lot. And seeing this, the Fire Ape was angered. "How dare you injure my brother?", he shouted. Just like his brother, he started emitting arge amount of killing intent, which made him the next target for the shadow wolves. They dashed towards the Fire Ape to do the same when, suddenly, one of the wolves'' tails was grabbed by the Earth Ape. He swung his arm as fast as he could with all its strength and bashed one of the shadow wolves like a piece of clothes. ''Bam'' ''Crack'' ''Bam'' He kept swinging his arm. The shadow wolf vomited arge amount of blood as his internals were getting thrashed. Any more and he would end up dying, Shin could easily say that just by looking at him. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ You have used the skill Bite ] p And with this, Shin vanished yet again from the ce where he was standing and ripped off the Earth Ape''s entire right arm. And when this happened, the Earth Ape screamed in anguish and pain. The Fire Ape stopped raging and took a look at what happened when he, too, was attacked by the remaining two wolves. They bit out somerge part of flesh from the Fire Ape''s body, after which all their eyes were on Shin. His entire body was painted red. He was standing with an entire arm in his mouth while the shadow wolfy on the ground. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Heal ] His eyes started to glow with green light right after which, the shadow wolf was surrounded by the same green light. While it did seem like it was quiet everywhere, there was just one scream that could be heard, and that scream originated from the Earth Ape who had his arm ripped. Shin spit out his arm and continued to heal the shadow wolf. "You better not die¡­", he said in a low voice. The shadow wolf wasn''t breathing. No matter how powerful and strong a wolf is, it can never withstand such brutal trashing. The ape continued to scream while the fire ape moved forward to try and stop the blood. Shin stood quietly and kept looking at the shadow wolf who was on the verge of death. The remaining two shadow wolves, who couldn''t see, knew the entire situation as they felt the disappearing aura of their friend. They slowly walked towards him as his aura faintedpletely. Chapter 221 The Last Ape His aura disappearedpletely even though Shin continued to use healing skills on him. Shin kept staring at the pool of blood around the shadow wolf and kept on using the skill again and again while a single thing kept popping up on the screen. *Ding* [ The skill cannot be used on the target object ] ''Object¡­?'' "¡­" He kept on activating it again and again, but there was no use. The shadow wolf had died and could no longere back to life. ''So much forpleting the mission¡­'' Shin thought that if he hadn''te here toplete his mission, then the shadow wolves would never have gotten into any danger or wouldn''t have died. "¡­" ''Damn¡­'' ''I feel so useless.'' "¡­" ''''I don''t even know his name¡­'', Shin said to himself. He didn''t know if the wolf that died had a name or not, but he assumed that he had a name and kept on regretting not asking him. But whatever he thought, he didn''t stop activating the skill. "Master, he is no more¡­" "Please don''t waste your mana on a dead body like him.", Raka said. Right after those words entered Shin''s ears, he turned his head furiously towards Raka and stared at him with tear-filled red eyes. Yes, he was crying because of one dead shadow wolf whom he didn''t even know that deeply. This was genuine because he had indeed spent some time with the shadow wolves earlier when he hunted some beasts. ''Come on¡­'' ''Get up¡­'', he told himself while shedding tears. And just when he was thinking about the shadow wolf, the Earth and Fire Ape ran towards him with rage to kill him together. "I thought Apes were supposed to be smarter.", he said in a low voice as he turned towards them with rage. His switch flipped too quickly and he went from sad mode to angry mode as if it was meant to happen. "Well, say goodbye to your lives", he said and dashed away almost immediately. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Dragon''s Aura ] [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ You have used the skill Bite ] [ You have used the skill Dark Maniption ] He used all these skills in order as they were mentioned by the system. First, he used the skill Dragon''s Aura to render fear and paralysis on the apes, which decreased their agility by almost 90%. Then he used the skill dash to move at a high pace towards them. Then he used the skill bite to bite off their heads with a single skill which was possible right now thanks to his increased experience of doing different things. And finally, he used the skill Dark Maniption to cover the Shadow Wolf that had just died with a nket made up of Darkness. "Rest easy, no sunlight will bother you from your sleep.", Shin said in a low voice as he circled the wolf. ''Why am I so emotional¡­?'' ''He was just a stranger¡­'' ''Then, why¡­?'' "¡­" ,m ''Is it because I spent time with him? ''Is it because he was a part of my n¡­?'' ''Will I cry for every member that dies?'', Shin asked himself as he shed somest tears. ''No¡­'' ''I won''t let anyone else die in such a way.'' He recalled the brutal thrashings that the shadow wolf suffered before its death. He was already suffering his entire life because he had no vision and hearing ability. Yes, living was a pain for him, but now, even death was painful, which made Shin burst with anger and killing intent. He was angry with himself for failing to protect him. ''He was alive¡­'' ''When I used my healing skill, he was still alive¡­'' ''But even after that, I couldn''t save him.'', he med himself. It was true, at his level right now, it was evident that he couldn''t heal the shadow wolf. The rate at which the shadow wolf lost its HP was at least ten times more than the amount of HP it gained due to healing. So, he ended up dying. As Shin was thinking about the wolf, a thunder sound was heard. Shin turned towards his right, only to find another Ape right in front of him. The ape that arrived was covered in thunder and even without looking at the system, he could say what elemental type the Ape was. [ Thunder Ape ] [ Level: 81/100 ] Shin recalled the fact that Raka had mentioned that there were three Apes in total. Shin''s eyeballs trembled as thest Ape arrived. "Wee, we have been waiting for you.", Shin said sarcastically. The Ape didn''t say anything as he watched his two brothers beheaded. When Shin used to hunt beasts of the same level, they would only give a maximum of 100 Exp, but since the beasts whom he killed were of higher level, he received 1250 Exp at the same time. He only needed 150 Exp more to reach level 80, but that didn''t matter to him anymore. He was now focused on something entirely different. The Ape, after a few seconds, finally realized what had happened and ended up screaming in a rage, "Brothers!" "Tsk, I don''t want to hear your scream." *Ding* [ You have used the skill Dash ] [ You have used the skill Bite ] Shin vanished and aimed at the Ape''s neck. He thought that it was going to be easy to bite off the Thunder Ape''s neck as well, but little did he know that the Thunder Ape was continuously covered in high-density Thunder. *ZZZD* Even though Shin was resistant to electric shocks and thunder, he felt that. He was pushed back because of the thunder. ''I have experienced this a lot of times¡­'' Yes, earlier, when he used to fail missions, he used to get zapped, and now the situation seemed somewhat the same. He was zapped by thunder, but not by the system. It was by the Thunder Ape, whose thunder was ten times stronger than those that Shin had experienced. This causes him to bounce back. But yes, that was not the only advantage that the Thunder Ape had. He was also fast, quite insanely fast, just like thunder, and by no means, could Shin keep up with it. "¡­" Chapter 222 Killed The Thunder Ape The ape instantly appeared behind Shin and struck him with all his might. *Bam* Shin failed to dodge the attack. His eyes couldn''t keep up with him. Compared to the Earth Ape, the Thunder Ape had slimmer and thinner hands with less power. However, the thunder that was imbued with the punches and other attacks was much more harmful than a normal punch from the Earth Ape. Also, since the Ape was fast, he could unleash the attacks continuously without any rest. *cough* Shin ended up coughing blood from just a single punch. If more had hit him, then he would have ended up in a critical state. He took a look at his HP and concluded that another hit could make him dizzy. [ HP: 790/1200 ] *Ding* [ You have used the skill Heal ] [ Your HP is recovering ] [ +1 ] [ +1 ] He started to regain his HP but even before he had regained 100 points, the Thunder Ape appeared beside him. *Bam* And even before Shin could think anything, he was hit with another fist. *Ding* [ Critical hit suffered ] [ -630 ] Due to the hit near his heart, he lost almost all of his remaining HP. [ HP: 220/1200 ] *cough* *cough* Shin started coughing even more blood. The remaining two shadow wolves acted quickly and rushed towards the thunder Ape to attack him. ''No¡­'' ''They aren''t as strong as me¡­'' ''A single critical hit and they will be dead.'' "¡­" ''Dang, he is not even as strong as the previous ones, but just because of his insane thunder, I am being stopped?'', Shin asked himself. Raka too rushed to help the wolves and to attack the Ape. He thought that this would count as help so he thought about attacking. Shin saw Raka approaching. ''Fool, you''re level is too low.'' ''Just a shock from the thunder might kill you.'' He thought all this in split second. It was because he didn''t want to lose anyone else. Yes, a shadow wolf was already dead and now he couldn''t see others die due to which, he thought of every move possible that would pave a way for his win. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Dragon''s Aura ] Due to this, the speed of the Thunder Ape was reduced significantly. [ You have used the skill Dash ] And with this Shin''s speed increased but this was not enough to reach the speed that the Thunder Ape was running in. [ You have used the skill Wind Run ] And finally, because of the skill Wind Run, Shin was able to barely reach the same speed as the Thunder Ape. Without Dragon''s Aura, he would have never been able to achieve the same speed as the thunder ape, at least, not right now. ''You''re done.'', Shin said in his mind as he rushed forward in iparable speed. *Ding* [ You have used the skill All-Seeing Eyes ] Due to this skill, the ape appeared even slower than earlier, and thanks to this skill, he could predict the trajectory and the direction in which he would swing his hand. [ You have used the skill Winter Breeze ] Shin had thought this skill to be useless and hadn''t used it much. However, he thought about experimenting on it recently when he was out hunting other beasts. He found that the skill had a very amazing useful effect on the fire-type beasts. It lowered the intensity of their mes and all their stats were reduced by 10% However, on other beasts, it decreased their speed by 1% which may seem less, but it was a necessary percent right now. He didn''t want to give any chance to the Thunder Ape and wanted to eliminate it without fail. *Ding* [ You have used the skill, Aero sh ] [ You have used the skill Bite ] Well, only the Aero sh seeded in hitting the Thunder Ape. Shin had aimed at its neck, however, Ape was fast enough to avoid the vital spot. Instead of its neck, aero sh ended up shing away one of its eyes ¨C The left eye. The Ape just turned towards its left side and without even thing, threw a punch with all its strength. Unfortunately, Shin had his mouth open as he was about to bite. The Ape''s first hit Shin''s face. He got thrown at least ten meters away after that. However, some of the teeth grazed it first which caused it to bleed. The ape, after standing there for a minute because of its left eye, ran towards Shin. ''Damn, I fu*ked up¡­'' [ -193 ] [ HP: 27/1200 ] The ape almost immediately appeared in front of Shin. Shin''s eyes seemed a bit blurry but he could definitely see a shadow standing in front of him. He was dizzy since the hit almost shook his entire face affecting his brain. The ape pulled his right hand back and was about to punch again when suddenly, he paused. It was as if he was paralyzed. These things didn''t matter to Shin and he started to attack constantly with Aero sh since that was the only fastestunching attack he had in this form. The Ape''s neck was shed. Right after that blood sprayed everywhere and a blood fountain was formed from the Ape''s body. Shin was entirely covered in blood by now, by his own blood and from the blood of those three apes. ''Did¡­'' ''Did I defeat him?'' ''But¡­'' ''How¡­?'' ''Why did it stop midway and get killed by me?'' ''Did it really die?'', Shin''s vision got blurrier so he didn''t know if he killed the ape until the system announced it. *Ding* [ You havepleted the mission ] [ You will be rewarded with 1500 Exp points ] *Ding* [ You have leveled up ] [ Lv.79 -> Lv. 80 ] [ Your evolution will start shortly ] [ Auto-activating the skill Heal to recover from the injuries ] Right after seeing this, Shin ended up fainting. The healing skill was activated by the system because without that, the evolution process couldn''t proceed. He was surrounded by pools of blood. The shadow wolves and Raka walked up to him, but yes, just what happened due to which the Ape stopped midway before punching Shin? Chapter 223 The Second Evolution - Part 1 *Ding* [ You havepleted the mission ] [ You will be rewarded with 1500 Exp points ] *Ding* [ You have leveled up ] [ Lv.79 -> Lv. 80 ] [ Your evolution will start shortly ] [ Auto-activating the skill Heal to recover from the injuries ] This was what the system showed. This meant that only after healing from his injuries would Shin be able to evolve. He could evolve even when he was injured, which happens sometimes in nature, but such an evolution is often dangerous and disadvantageous. It is dangerous because thepletion of the evolution process isn''t guaranteed as the beast may end up dying. After all, its body would just explode because the evolution was stopped midway. It is disadvantageous because most of the energy from the evolution process would end up in healing the injured beast. Because of this, the evolved beast wouldn''t be as strong as it should be. The system didn''t want this to happen and because of that, it decided to only proceed with the evolution after Shin was healed which was definitely one of the best decisions that it had taken until now. In any case, the mystery remains, why did the Ape pause before punching Shin because a single punch was more than enough to kill Shin at that moment. So what had happened exactly? Well, it was rtively simple and for that, one has to go a few seconds back. When Shin used many of his skills to attack the Ape, he got quite distracted. Furthermore, after the Aero sh caused it to lose an eye, it got infuriated and tried to punch at Shin and seeded in doing so. However, since Shin''s teeth grazed him, he started to bleed. The same was true with its eyes too which were bleeding constantly. The ape tried to touch its eye as he failed to realize what had happened because it urred too quickly, Raka used his skill Poison Breath. Of course, since the ape was turning the other way, he couldn''t see Raka use the skill. And as soon as it made contact with the Ape''s blood, the poison immediately started to flow towards its heart. Yes, it was the poison that would affect the heart specifically, called Heart Poison, as mentioned earlier. The fellow Shadow Wolves could sense the poison with their auras and almost immediately disappeared into Raka''s shadows. It would have taken at least ten to twenty seconds before the poison could start taking its effect, however, the ape rushed to kill Shin. Because of rushing, and anger, the poison acted faster as his blood pressure rose which caused the Ape to experience a heart attack. But before its heart could stop due to Cardiac Arrest, Shin ended up using Aero shes randomly which shed the Ape and let him gain the experience. That''s how the Ape was killed and that was why it stopped before punching Shin. So, it was all thanks to Raka that Shin was alive. But of course, if the poison hade in contact with Shin when he was vulnerable, he would get affected too. That was why Raka used only a little of it. But in the end, he failed since all the blood emitted from the Thunder Ape, fell on Shin''s body. Some entered his mouth but there was nothing to worry about since the system was handling the case. Also, the poison would be way too less concentrated right now, and considering his natural resistance, it wouldn''t affect him at all. Anyway, the system continued with the healing process while giving out a few notifications. *Ding* [ Completing the remaining leveling processes simultaneously ] *Ding* [ The skill Shock Resistance has leveled up ] [ Lv.7 -> Lv.8 ] [ The skill Poison Resistance has leveled up ] [ Lv.5 -> Lv.6 ] After this, there were no other notifications. His body continued to heal because of his own skill. His MP was still high so it was possible since only his HP was the bare minimum. Regardless, the shadow wolves and Raka kept watching Shin. ''Even though the master has be unconscious, he is still healing himself.'' ''Really, he is the strongest wolf that I have ever encountered.'' ''And those skills that he unleashed¡­'' ''I knew it.'' ''I wasn''t mistaken.'' ''He really had the spirit of a dragon inside him.'' Earlier Raka was thinking that the dragon-shaped aura which he saw earlier was because Shin was Terran, but after he rified, Raka understood that Shin was powerful enough to have one of the strongest auras on the ¨C Dragon''s Aura. And yes, that was the name of the skill too, so it was no coincidence. He and the shadow wolves waited there and guarded him since there were still many beasts nearby that could get attracted to the smell of the blood and attack Shin. It took almost 5 hours for Shin to recoverpletely from the wounds. However, he was not awake yet. But the system was working properly. As soon as the healing was finished, it initiated the next process. *Ding* [ Low MP detected ] This was because the healing skill almost ended up draining the entire MP which was necessary. [ The process of Evolution has been shifted due to low MP ] [ The Evolution will continue after all the MP has been recovered ] It took another hour for Shin''s MP to recoverpletely. And finally, after that, his evolution began. *Ding* [ Condition for evolution is suitable ] [ Commencing Evolution ] As soon as these notifications popped up, Shin started to glow in white light. Raka and the wolves were surprised because of this. "Eh? This¡­" Both the shadow wolves had crests on their chest. Yes, the same crest that had a wolf''s face with a triangr design showed that they belonged to Shin''s n. Raka was yet to be a member, so all he could do was stare. The crests started to glow with white light as well and it was true for the shadow wolf who was supposedly dead. Yes, both the wolves and Raka were surprised to see this. Other members of the n who were back at the town were equally surprised when the crest on their hands, cheeks, chests, shoulders, bellies, or legs started to glow. *Ding* [ Collecting all existing characteristics ] [ ¡­ ] Chapter 224 The Second Evolution - Part 2: Alive *Ding* [ Collecting all existing characteristics ] [ Scanning all the existing skills ] [ Proceeding to evolution ] The light just kept growing stronger. In the town as well, everyone was surprised when the crest started emitting strong white light which was more than enough to blind everyone for an instant. Since it was getting dark, the light felt brighter than ever. [ Scanning all the followers under the host ] *Ding* [ Detecting 1 severely injured follower ] [ Proceeding to heal the follower ] And a few seconds after this notification popped up, the Shadow Wolf that was thought to be dead, started to levitate in the air. He wasn''t dead yet. Yes, all its body''s function had been halted, but it still wasn''t dead. It just had entered into a death-like state and thanks to Shin, who had been constantly using the Healing skill on the wolf, he was able to sustain it till now. And since he ced the nket made out of Darkness, the wolf had started to heal on its own since it is one of the characteristics of the Shadow Wolves that their HP starts to recover 10% faster when they are ced in dark ces. Due to this, the wolf was somewhat alive. Yes, it was just a death-like state and not death. The system detected that there was still a method to save the wolf so it ended up spending some time on the Shadow Wolf. The shadow wolf gotpletely engulfed in the white light soon after which, its HP returned back to normal. It started to breathe again and soon regained sense. ''Wha-'', he was surprised because he could feel a strong aura surrounding him. But the aura felt familiar as well, he didn''t know how to react so he just stayed calm. And just when he thought that he couldn''t see or hear, its eyes suddenly started to recover and the same was true with his ears. Now it waspletely healed but he had yet to realize. When he slowlynded on the ground, and after the light vanished, he started to sense the auras again in order to see where Shin and others were. But to his surprise, he could see a much clearer image than normal. ''Wait a second, what is this¡­'' He started to hear too, the sound of the wind, the sound of thunder in the sky, and the sound of trees swinging due to the fast wind ¨C everything was audible to him right now. He opened his eyes only to get even more startled. He could see everything, his eyes had returned to normal. ''This¡­'', he had no words to describe his feelings. He looked straight only to find Shin engulfed in bright light and other wolves standing beside him. He started to walk forward towards them. Raka''s jaw dropped when he saw that the shadow wolf, who was supposedly dead, was walking as if nothing happened. ''Oh my God¡­'' ''Does this mean master can bring even the dead back to life?'', Raka asked himself while sweating profusely. *Ding* [ Healedpletely ] [ Detected 2 shadow wolves with mid-level injuries ] [ Commencing the process of healing ] The system dered and then started healing the remaining two blind and deaf shadow wolves as well. They too were covered in white light and were being healed. They too regained their sight and hearing ability. For the first time in their lives, they were quite happy. Since they were born, they were deprived of sight and hearing capabilities which were one of the most essential things required for survival. They were abandoned by their own parents but after meeting Deoras'' parents, they stayed together. As their family grew bigger, they started to feel happy. Yes, they were like brothers to Deoras. At some point in time, Deoras came up with a brilliant idea. He helped them in sharpening their animal instinct and told them what they could do despite not having eyes and ears. Although they couldn''t hear, they were able to talk with Deoras because of some random connection ¨C this was when Deoras developed telepathy. Thus, they never knew the color of the sky nor anything around them. They didn''t even know how everything looked. They weren''t even aware of their own body and just imagined it based on what Deoras and a few others who could use telepathy said. *Ding* [ Healed Completely ] They regained their sights and could now hear clearly. It was for the first time that they saw the sky, though it was dark, they were d. Tears fell down their eyes as they looked at Raka and each other. They bowed almost immediately after talking to each other. They knew that this was all possible thanks to Shin, who healed thempletely. Seeing this, Raka thought, ''Is he some form of God?'' ''Unbelievable¡­'' *gulp* ''I should never offend him, nor make an enemy out of him.'' ''Betraying would be thest thing that I would do if I have a death wish.'', Raka swallowed arge amount of dry saliva as he thought this. True, he finally started to fear and respect Shin. While he knew that Shin was powerful, he now learned that he could do many other things that were almost impossible for even the Celestials to perform. Nevertheless, the evolution had begun, and since no one else was hurt, the process continued. *Ding* [ Evolving into a superior race ] [Previously given jobs detected ] [-> Sage, Healer, Necromancer, Berserker ] *Ding* [ Compatibility of the jobs with Predator and Hunter is high ] [ The detected jobs are perfect for the superior job Ruler ] [ Merging¡­ ] *Ding* ? [ Jobs merged ] [ New job created ¨C Supreme Ruler ] The systembined the earlier jobs with the existing jobs and formed a new job entirely. Perhaps this was something that the system thought would be necessary. This would, without a doubt make him stronger. This was a boost that he was looking forward to so that he could manage all the foes in the n Wars. Also, he never forgot about the incident regarding Kira and Siara. "¡­" Chapter 225 The Second Evolution - Part 3: Complete *Ding* [ New skills will be given from respective jobs ] [ Active skill Telepathy gained ] [ new ] [ Active skill Regeneration gained ] [ new ] [ Active skill Necromancy gained ] [ new ] [ Active skill Rage gained ] [ new ] These were the skills that he gained from his previous jobs. *Ding* [ All skills from the previous state will be inherited ] [ The skill Dash has met the requirements ] [ The skill Dash will evolve ] [ The skill Bite has met the requirements ] [ The skill Bite will evolve ] [ The skill Aura Control has met the requirements ] [ The skill Aura Control will evolve ] [ The skill Cold Resistance has met the requirements ] [ The skill Cold Resistance will evolve ] [ The skill Heat Resistance has met the requirements ] [ The skill Heat Resistance will evolve ] [ ¡­ ] [ The skill dash has evolved into Speed Run ] [ The skill Bite has evolved into Blood Crunch ] [ The skill Aura Control has evolved into Aura Domain ] [ The skill Cold Resistance has evolved into Complete Cold Nullification ] [ The skill Heat Resistance has evolved into Complete Heat Nullification ] Right after this, the evolution proceeded. The wolves were happy since they had been healed and now their job was to protect Shin. They knew that he was evolving so they ensured that not a single leaf fell on his head nor any other beast dared to approach him. Raka too ensured his safety by strolling near him. And after aplete 8 hours, the process of evolution finally ended. It was early in the morning when the sun was not out yet. Shin opened his eyes slowly. He was somewhat dizzy but at the same time felt freshened up. *blink blink* He looked ahead only to find one of the shadow wolves walking in circles around him while the remaining wolves guarded his left and right. Even Raka was guarding him but from behind. The light had stopped glowing from Shin''s body an hour ago. All four of them rushed towards him when that happened but he didn''t respond so they continued to protect him and resumed their position. "Ah, good morning guys¡­", Shin said. He said whit hesitation after finally waking up. The moment his voice left him, all four of them turned towards Shin and rushed towards him. "Master!", all four of them said in unison. "You are finally awake.", Raka said with a smile. Shin nodded his head while a drop of tear fell from his eye when he looked at the shadow wolf whom he had thought to be dead. "You-", Shin kept staring at him when the wolf smiled back at him and exined what had happened. The remaining two shadow wolves had said the third shadow wolf who was thought to be dead about how Shin worried about him and med himself. He showed his appreciation by bowing and thanking Shin for worrying about him. He also thanked because he regained his senses. The other two wolves did the same and thanked him. ''Wow, did my evolution cause their healing¡­?'', he was too surprised. Earlier, when he evolved, he was all alone. He didn''t have any followers nor did he have any friends. Because of that, the benefit of evolution was only limited to himself. But now that he had many followers and an entire n, others too got a little benefit from his evolution. *gulp* ''I''m excited to see my stats¡­'', Shin said to himself and then asked the system almost immediately to disy his profile. [ Profile ] [ Name: Shin (Male: 1.5 years) ] [ Race: Level 80 Lupus ( Exp 0.01%) ] [ Wolf Lord ] [ Rank: A || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 2000/2000 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1300/1300|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 1013 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 890 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 1855 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 290 || Max. Int: 999 ] [ Mana Space Lv.3: 200/200 ] [ Stat points acquired: 3000 ] [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Blood Crunch Lv.1 (1/5) [ evolved ] 2] Speed Run Lv.1 (1/5) [ evolved ] 3] Copy Lv.8 4] Heal Lv.8 5] Transformation Lv.5 6] me Wave Lv.5 7] Dark Maniption Lv.5 8] All Seeing Eyes Lv.8 9] Aura Domain Lv.1 (1/5) [ evolved ] 10] Dragon''s Roar Lv.3 11] Dragon''s Aura Lv.3 12] Hymn Of The Dragons'' Lv.??? 13] Total Curse Immunity Lv. Max 14] Curse Eraser Lv.5 15] HP Eater Lv.8 16] Wind Run Lv.7 17] Aero sh Lv.6 18] Dispel Lv.4 19] Hurricane Lv.3 20] Winter Breeze Lv.2 21] Wind Maniption Lv.4 22] God Wind Lv.??? 23] Steal Lv.3 24] Telepathy Lv.1 [ new ] 25] Regeneration Lv.1 [ new ] 26] Necromancy Lv.1 [ new ] 27] Rage Lv.1 [ new ] [ Passive Skills ] 1] Complete Cold Nullification Lv.1 (1/5) [ evolved ] 2] Complete Heat Nullification Lv.1 (1/5) [ evolved ] 3]Shock Resistance Lv.8 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.5 7] Language Trantion Lv.4 8] Poison Resistance Lv.6 9] Poison Destroyer Lv.6 10] Protector Lv.3 11] Pain Nullification Lv.3 12] Fire Resistance Lv.3 13] Mindcraft Resistance Lv.4 14] Gift Lv.??? 15] Ultimate Growth Lv.??? 16] Mental Defense Lv.3 17] Seal Resistance Lv.6 The profile seemed a little different and Shin recognized what the changes were. The stats were mentioned next to each other instead of clearer separation and they had increased insanely. Some skills had evolved, but he somewhat guessed earlier that they would evolve since they weren''t leveling up anymore. However, what he was surprised to see was a few more skills were added to his active list. He had never seen them earlier but was intrigued by them because now they gave him more options to choose and attack when in danger. While their levels were indeed low, they would definitelye in handy. Shin stood up only to find his point of vision had been elevated. Yes, his height had been increased by a few centimeters. Although he was still shorter and smaller whenpared to other wolves, he definitely grew. Also, there was something different with his fur. While earlier, the color of the fur waspletely white, now it seemed as if a silvery tint was mixed. He then waited a few more minutes while talking to the wolves and Raka after which, he suddenly recalled the reason why he hade here. "Ha¡­", he sighed. "Now let''s go to our destination.", he immediately said without wasting any more time to the wolves who nodded and surrounded Shin. "Master¡­?" "Where would you be going?", Raka asked. "To the Central Swamps¡­", he said. Chapter 226 Greeted By The Residents Of The Central Swamp "To the Central Swamps.", Shin said. His entire travel was for this specific reason. Earlier, it was mentioned that he owned fie swamps in total, for surrounded the forest while one was in the middle of the forest. Shin had nned to visit the ce and ask the monsters living there to protect the vige while he was gone. He would be taking the wolves with him. Alira and Kaily wouldn''t stop and follow him which was true for Old man Mo too who was now no more than a twig. Regardless, the town wouldn''t be safe if strong monsterse forward and attack the ce. ? Also, he couldn''t trust the dwarves. ''They might hold a grudge and after seeing our power weakening, they might try to destroy the vige and kill all the elves¡­'', Shin thought earlier. Yes, the Dwarves didn''t give a damn about the Arb elves which was evident from their threat earlier. They would be thinking about killing the Arb elves and fleeing to their empire so that they would be safe and their King would take care of Shin, as they believed him to be the strongest out there. Shin was cautious and thought of all the possibilities. While he would be away, the only ones that could protect the towns would be the goblins and those from the swamps since they would be obeying his orders. Considering the fact that the swamp is in the middle of the forest, there would be tons of monsters living inside it who would be a lot stronger than what Shin could imagine. They would definitely do the job, and thus, that was Shin''s aim. In any case, he did gain another helper ¨C Raka ¨C who was strong too and could protect the ce while Shin was gone. He could ask the people from the Kingdom Loria, Kerin for help, however, interacting at this stage with the human kingdom after raiding them would seem weird. Shin had nned something else for the future. Regardless, after hearing him out, Raka and the remaining wolves walked with him. The shadow wolves could see and hear now which made them confused at the start but after a bit of experience, they had mastered themselves and jumped to an entirely different level. Their senses were heightened to the maximum thanks to their healing. *tap tap* After walking for thirty minutes, Shin and the rest arrived at the Central Swamp. There were many other beasts that they encountered on the way, but Shin let them go by just scaring them with his new skill ¨C Aura Domain. Yes, the skill was so strong that any beast within a certain range couldn''t person its best and would be so frightened that it might end up fainting. [ Aura Domain -> The skill allows the host to create a domain filled with the host''s aura ] [ The targets trapped within the aura will be subjected to massive killing intent and pressure originated from the host''s soul ] [ Half of the target''s skill would be locked and the remaining would be reduced to half their level temporarily ] [ If the target is weaker than the host, it may suffer a critical hit due to the pressure and die because of sudden heart attack due to fear ] Yes, the locking of skills was mentioned for the beasts or individuals that were stronger than him, even their skills would be locked when they are inside his Aura Domain. He experimented with it and found it to be way more useful than Aura Control. The reason why he didn''t need the previous Aura control skill was that he was able to suppress his aura now. He could release whenever he wanted to. Thus, Aura Domain, which is an evolved version of Aura Control with various other effects proved to be revolutionary. In any case, now Shin arrived near the Central Swamps with his followers and the moment he did, a weird lizard emerged from the thick muddy water. The lizard had brown scales on its body with some light yellow to golden lines that progressed till its eyes. It then bowed and said, "Wee, your highness." "We had been awaiting your arrival.", the lizard said while standing on both of its hind limbs. Shin was startled when it greeted him. He thought that they wouldn''t recognize him as their rulers, but to his surprise, they greeted him readily, Moreover, Raka and the shadow wolves were frightened to see such a strong lizard emerging from the swamps. ''Just how long had such a beast been in this forest?'' ''Why have I never heard about it?'', Raka continuously questioned himself. Yes, the lizard that just emerged from the swamp wasparable to Raka in his peak. And such a beast was bowing its head and greeting Shin. Raka slowly turned his head towards Shin and the wolves did the same only to realize how great of a power Shin was. "Yeah, I want all the residents of this swamp toe out and greet me. I have something important to discuss.", Shin said. He acted as if he was unfazed but in reality, he was equally surprised. This was his first timeing closer to the Central Swamp. Earlier, he did roam the entire forest, but in the middle areas, there were many such areas that Shin had avoided. He waited till he was stronger and now when he was finally strong enough to be proud, he walked right into their Terrain. "As you wish, your highness.", said the lizard and went right back into the swamp. The swamp was filled with muddy water but it wasn''t that deep. Of course, there were some caves erecting from the swamps where the strongest beasts lived. All of them started to emerge. They all soon got out of their terrain and greeted Shin by bowing and kneeling in front of him. Alligators and Lizards weremon urrences but there were many snakes and frogs too, in front of him. ''Who are they?'', Raka was surprised because he had never seen such snakes before. Chapter 227 Behaving Like A King *gulp* ''I thought that I knew all the snakes that existed in this forest¡­'' ''But looks like that was just my imagination.'', Raka thought. Yes, how could he know all the variety of snakes in the forest? He was not their king. Even though he was powerful, he would only make them scared and cannot earn their respect. Thus, it was obvious that there would be many more snakes in the hiding and because of that, Raka had no idea about those brown little snakes that were half his size in his snake form, appear out of the swamp. They were all bowing as Shin stood in front of them. ''Since I am their king, I should behave like one.'', he concluded. "Hear me my subjects, there is something I need your help with.", he said in a dominating voice. "We will fulfill whatever you desire, your highness!", all of them said in unison. Their voices were so loud that for an instant, it felt as if the ground trembled, after all, there were more than 1000 of them if they werebined. Shin then exined his situation and told them about the n wars. He then asked them to protect his ce as he was away and not to harm the elves. The lizards and the remaining residents stared at each other for a second and then said, "We will do as you say, your highness." ''This is weird¡­'' ''Is there no opposition at all?'', Shin was surprised to see how loyal they were. He thought that at least some would rebel since they couldn''t ept a tiny wolf being their king, but none. Not even a single one said anything against him. It was as if their minds were controlled or as if they respected and feared him at the same time. Well, this was bound to happen because the residents of the Central Swamp came to know about the rumors rted to Shin. The residents from the Northern Swamps, that is, the Lian ins had visited the Central Swamps where they spread the news about Shin. "Do you know, our new ruler turned the Earth Dragon into his pet." "He could control the wind and bend it to his own will." ¨C these were some of the rumors that the people from the northern swamps spread. The residents of the Central Swamps had previously thought about revolting against Shin, but after hearing what the people from Lian ins said, they changed their minds. However, there still were very few who didn''t believe such an exaggerated rumor and were still nning to revolt, but the next news that came blew their minds. "He became the leader of the entire Goblin Tribe that lived outside of the forest." "He single-handedly destroyed an entire nation ruled by humans." "He made the Arb Elves his ves and forced the dwarves to obey him." "He is toying with all the strong monsters of the forest." These rumors were too exaggerated, but these were more than enough to create fear in their hearts. They understood that if they were to offend Shin, then they would not see the sun the next day. ''I too had some doubts when I heard these things¡­'' ''But after seeing the great snake Raka following him after being turned into a snake, I pretty sure that they weren''t just rumors.'', the gigantic lizard, who had appeared to greet Shin earlier, concluded. There were some among all the ones that greeted who thought that Shin was weak. Yes, even now, there were some who doubted him but they didn''t raise their voice because they didn''t have any support from others. ''I thought, if there would be someone who would oppose me, then I would show my powers¡­'' ''That way, others would be in check¡­'' Yes, this would have been an effective strategy to prevent anyone else from opposing him. But oh well, since no one was willing to go against him, it was good too. Regardless, after saying this much, he said, "I will be going then." "Eh?" "Your highness, that''s all?", the lizard who seemed like a representative, asked. "Say, what is your name?", Shin asked. He could see from the system that the lizard didn''t have a name but still asked because he wanted to seem a little ignorant so that he could make some conversations with them. "Forgive me your highness, but I do not have a name.", the lizard said. ''Ha, I knew that¡­'' ''But reaching this level without having a name is pretty amazing¡­'', Shin smirked when he looked at his level. [ Race: Level 93 Grigard King ( Exp 67.03%) ] This is what the status showed. ''The Grigard from whom I stole the title was he weak.'' ''Its level was low as well whenpared to him.'', Shin said to himself. ''Did they get stronger in just one year?'', Shin was surprised. He wanted to know if it was true for others too and when looking at their status, they were too low level. [ Race: Level 21 Grigard ( Exp 33.01%) ] [ Race: Level 28 Poison Toad ( Exp 93.11%) ] [ Race: Level 29 Grigard ( Exp 0.06%) ] [ Race: Level 31 Swamp Snake ( Exp 3.92%) ] These were the levels and races that popped up as he looked here and there. They were too weak but there were some that were quite strong too! [ Race: Level 57 Slimy Mudfish ( Exp 55.98%) ] [ Race: Level 86 Vanishing Frog ( Exp 7.33%) ] [ Race: Level 91¡­ ] [ Race: Level 92¡­ ] They were no more than ten of them that gave the terrifying aura. Yes, some of them were of higher level whenpared to Shin. *gulp* ''If those who are above level 80 want to kill me and take my position, I think they would be able to do that with ease.'', Shin thought as he looked at them. But of course, no killing intent was detected, not from a single one of them. They all had their eyes closed and were still kneeling or in a lower position than Shin as if theypletely thought of him as their King! Chapter 228 Sleeping In Peace The Grigard King said, "Your highness, we would love if you see our ce." "We have made a special ce for you too.", he said. Normally, when a guest arrives, they usually treat with care and give them a ce to rest. The grigard and others thought the same too but forgot the fact that other than them, no one else likes to live in dirty mud. Of course, some others may, but Shin definitely doesn''t like to do that. Nevertheless, he thought that what the Grigard King said sounded interesting and thus nodded his head to take a look at what they had prepared. The Grigard King then started to lead Shin who followed. The shadow wolves and Raka followed Shin and acted as if they were his bodyguards. Yes, they had to protect him from dangers so it was necessary for them to follow him everywhere. "Here your highness, this is what we prepared for you.", the Grigard showed the grand thing to Shin. Shin waspletely baffled when he looked at it. ''A¡­'' ''A cave?'' Yes, the residents worked hard and built a den for Shin to live in whenever he came by, It was at a higher ce and carved right into the sturdy rocks that were right in between the swamp. The dirty mud water would definitely not reach that ce. Also, Shin will be able to live up there while watching everyone''s actions which was perfect for a king! He was genuinely surprised and said, "This touched my heart¡­" "Who came up with this idea?", Shin asked. The Grigard King was hesitating a little to show the ce to Shin. However, when Shin said that he would be departing right after he arrived, the Grigard King felt a sudden distance which he didn''t like. Rather than being distanced, he would like to be scolded if anything was wrong with the den. He didn''t want the hard work that the residents put to go into vain and thus, he mustered all his courage and showed the ce to Shin. "He was the one who came up with the idea.", the Grigard King called the young Frog who was covered in mud. The frog just hopped once and was already near them. It was half the size of Shin. ''Well, I was surprised the moment I set foot here because I had never seen snakes and frogs live together¡­'', Shin said to himself. ''But now, I am much more surprised by this amazing work.'', he again looked at the den. The outer walls had some carvings of wolves so Shin couldn''t wait to see what was inside. He thenplimented the young frog, "Your idea was just splendid." "Good job, keep on thinking amazing ideas.", Shin said with a smile. "I am happy as long as you are happy, your highness.", the frog said. Shin nodded his head after he heard the frog say that. He then looked at the Grigard King and asked, "I would like to rest for a while inside the den, is that fine?" "Yes of course." "Please follow me.", the Grigard King said. It then led to the pathway that would ultimately lead to the den. It was a circr pathway that rotated around therge rock. Shin walked and then finally reached the den. He ended up being even more surprised when he arrived because the interior of the den was much more than what he could have asked. In fact, it seemed nothing like what he had seen until now. *gulp* ''Unbelievable¡­'' ''Is everything here made up of Crystals?'' Everything was shining brightly. Yes, Shin and every one of them had arrived early in the morning when the sun had already risen. Because of that, the shine due to the crystals wasn''t seen. If it was dark, then the entire swamp would have been lit by the number of glowing crystals that were ced there. In fact, the designs made were extremely praiseworthy. The ce for Shin to sit and a ce for his lover and kids was also made separately. After Shin saw all this, he was baffled yet again. He just kept on praising how the work was made. ''If Grigard hadn''t said that they were the ones that made this, I would have mistaken these works to be made by those dwarves.'', Shin thought. Initially, he thought that it might have been a little dirty, but now his doubts had been cleared. ''The ce is quite cool¡­'' ''It feels rxing¡­'', he thought. ,m Right after that, he said, "I will be resting for some time. This ce feels perfect." The grigard bowed its head and then walked out. The shadow wolves guarded the interior whereas Raka guarded the entrance of the ce as Shin slept on the rectangr b like the bed that was made. ''Oh well, my purpose foring here has been achieved.'' ''I will rest a bit for now.'' He fell asleep soon as he got on top of the bed and ced his head on it. In any case, he never had such a pleasant sleep. He was literally snoring which showed how much of a deep sleep he had. . . . Somewhere in the far east¡­ In the desert areas of Rekka, a man wearing brownish rag-tagged clothes kept walking despite the strong sandstorm. It was as if he wasn''t affected by it. His eyes were indeed closed, but he didn''t seem scared. The closing of eyes was merely to protect them from the sand and nothing else. The strong winds could not stop him. Well, he had been walking in the storm for an hour already. Yes, this was thend of sandstorms where they wouldst for more than two to three hours. Regardless, the man didn''t budge. But after a while, the storm stopped and so did the man. There were many vultures flying in the sky. As he sat on the soil, a vulture came flying towards him. Other than its eyes which were glowing with faint red light, the vulture waspletely ck! It had some white paper wrapped around its leg ¨C it was obvious that it was a message of some sort. ''Is this true?'' ''Our God has been revived?'', the man said while tearing up. Chapter 229 Accompany The vulture flew away right after delivering the letter while the man continued to shed some more tears. ''Yes, we can finally be saved¡­'', the person said to himself. He stood up immediately after thinking that and then started walking again only to arrive near a valley. The storm had stopped by now since he was no longer in the region of great Sand storms. Regardless, he entered the valley and kept walking for a few more minutes after which he came across a gate. The valley was quite narrow. The sandy mountains on both sides were quite tall and if one tried to look at their peaks, it would feel as if they are touching the sky. There was arge silver gate in between the mountains. It was stacked right in between them. It was sorge and wide that it stretched from one end of the mountain to the other. And there were two other men, standing in full armor and a spear, guarding the gate, one on each side. Just as this person approached the gate, both of them almost immediately bowed. "Greetings your highness.", they said. "Aish, didn''t I mention you not to call me that? That title only befits our God.", he said. Both of them nodded their heads and said, "Please forgive us but unless he has returned, we have to refer you that way." The manughed and said, "Haha, fine then. I will ept it for now." Right after that, he asked, "Come on now, will you open the gate or should I jump over it?" "Eh? Yes. Of course, we will open it.", both of them stood up. While one held the left side, the other held the right side of the gate and pushed it gently. The gigantic heavy gate opened with just a gentle push! The man then walked slowly with his hands behind. His form was majestic, no one could say that this was the same man who was crying a few minutes ago. After entering the gate, there were tons of people wearing some old clothes, that greeted him. "Your highness!" "Your Highness!" All of them started to shout and dashed towards him. He dodged them swiftly while smiling and after waving his hand, vanished from the site. And right after that, he arrived at the castle that was built in such a deserted ce. The castle was built on a high area from where the king could gaze upon his people. Also, it was to symbolize that a king is higher than his citizen. "Your highness, you''ve returned.", a beautiful and gorgeous woman with light blue hairs wearing beautiful white royal clothes approached him. "Yes.", he nodded his head as he removed his shirt. Thedy then took that shirt and hung it on the chair nearby. She then touched his well-built muscr body and six-packs and asked, "Um, won''t you join me right now?" She asked this lustfully as if she was inviting him to her bed. But the man openly refused. "Well, not today." The woman''s expression changed all of a sudden. After that, she hugged him from the back and asked, "What''s the matter?" "Did something happen, darling?" The man then raised his head as he made eye contact with her and then said, "Our God¡­" "He will soon being to save us." Just as he mentioned this, the woman suddenly stepped back and started tearing up as well. "You-" "You mean to say that our God has been revived!?", she raised her voice. "Yes, I think it is better to believe that¡­", the man said as strange hairs started growing out of his body. "Then¡­" "Does that mean we can finally go to the outside world?", the woman said as she too started growing weird hairs on her face and arms. "Yes." "Since this is what our God Shin said before passing away thest time, it will definitelye true.", the person''s voice and appearance changed. He suddenly turned into a gigantic wolf with brown fur. The woman also turned into a she-wolf with blue fur as they rubbed their bodies against each other. . . . *yawns* After resting for quite some time, Shin woke up from his deep sleep. He then looked around him only to find some lizards guarding along with the shadow wolves. "Your Highness.", the shadow wolves quickly sensed Shin waking up and thus approached him. They bowed their heads as they called him that. "Your Highness? Since when did you start calling me that?" "DIdn''t you refer me as Master, earlier?", Shin asked as he yawned. "Yes Your Highness, but as we heard that lizard call you with this title, we thought that it was much more befitting." "We have ryed the message to other members of our n and from now on, you will be referred that way, your highness.", one of the shadow wolves said. "Sigh, it''s not as if I care what you refer me as¡­", Shin yawned yet again. After walking a few steps, he noticed Raka entering the den as well to great Shin. He greeted in a simr manner. The lizards who were walking on two legs bowed and greeted Shin as well. Shin nodded his head and just walked out only to find different beings in the swamp doing different things. Some were either chatting with each other or some were just busy discussing some serious topic. But no matter who it was, they were doing something, at least, until they spotted Shin. As soon as one of them saw him, he greeted with a loud voice, "Your Highness!" Right after that, the remaining residents bowed their heads as well. Shin greeted them and said, "I will be leaving soon towards the town¡­" As mentioned earlier, the Arb Elves lived in the middle of the forest, however, the forest was vast, and thus was the middle portion of it. To be precise, they weren''t exactly in the middle. Yes, they upied only a portion of the middle while the exact center was upied with the swamp. Shin knew it the moment he felt the rich mana here. "I hope you all will apany me to my town.", he said. Chapter 230 Home Right after Shin asked them to follow me, all of them readily agreed. They had promised to protect all the n members living in the town that was being built in the central areas. The Grigard King walked forward and encouraged everyone. "Prepare yourselves, we will leave soon!", he said. Shin smiled and then slowly descended down the path and arrived at the swamp. His feet got dirty yet again because of the muddy water in the swamp. He looked at the Grigard and said, "The Apes that we killed-" But even before he couldplete what he wanted to say, the lizard bowed and said, "Yes your highness, we have already brought them here as per Sir Raka''s orders." ''Wow, Raka performed a task without my orders¡­?'' ''Hold on a second, till date, all the works were essentially done by me.'' ''Every time, it was me who was giving them orders, and only after that would they follow it¡­'' ''No wonder their intelligence stats never increased.'', he concluded. Anyway, the three apes'' bodies were brought near the swamp. The Grigard king asked everyone not to touch it since Shin was the one who hunted it and only based on his decision will it be eaten or used for other purposes. Generally, when a beast eats another beast, their power increases and so does their experience. The same applies to beasts that are stronger with different attributes. For example, if a lizard were to eat the body of the thunder Ape, it might gain a skill of thunder attribute or might evolve in the future into a thunder lizard. Yes, it is only a possibility and despite the chances being quite low, it can happen. Shin had no idea about it and thought that they wanted to eat the Apes. But before he could give out any order, he still had a question to ask. "Hey, how do you all survive?" "I mean, I saw the predators and the preys living in the same swamp, so what do you guys actually eat?", Shin asked the Grigard King. "Your Highness, we used to kill each other and used to satisfy our hunger in a simr manner." "But that was only under the rule of our previous king." "Right now, thanks to you, we do not hunt the ones who live with us." "Rather than that, he has a hunting team who go out and hunt various beasts so that we can eat. Although a lot of casualties ur every time they go, we continue to do it.", the Grigard King said. ''I see¡­'' ''So a lot of them get injured while hunting¡­'' p ''Well, that is obvious after all, not everyone is strong here, and considering the fact that they are living in the center of the forest, there would be many other beasts stronger than them.'', Shin realized something. He thought that, if his people continue to live in swamps and hunt in this manner, they would end up in a lot of losses. ''Hmm, the town covering only a small area won''t benefit me at all¡­'' ''I need this entire forest to be my Kingdom.'', Shin thought. Right after that, he stored the bodies of the apes in the inventory. ''My God¡­'' ''What was that¡­?'', the Grigard King was surprised. The bodies of the apes vanished right after Shin stared at them. The residents of the swamps started to fear him more. In fact, this was the moment that led to the title that would be given to Shin, which would be more than enough to spread fear in the entire world ¨C Annihtor. This title didn''t sound that honorary, but it did more than just convey the meaning. Yes, it literally meant that if Shin wanted, he could annihte a being just with a single nce. He looked at the Grigard King and said, "I have something to discuss with you once we reach the town." The Grigard King bowed its head as he heard Shin say that. After a few minutes, everyone started moving. Shin was standing in the front while Raka was just behind him. The Shadow wolves were hiding inside Shin''s shadow yet again. They thought that they could protect Shin better this way. Next was arge crowd of Grigard King, Grigards, Snakes, Alligators, Frogs, and Smanders, that followed Shin''s gang. The pressure suddenly increased in the area. All of them were exhibiting at least a little amount of aura. But whenpared to the host shots ¨C the top 10 beasts of the Central Swamp, it was nothing. Yes, their auras could beparable to Shin''s aura. Of course, if Shin were to use his Aura Domain, they would be rendered useless. Regardless, they walked down a particr path which Shin had followed to reach the swamp. It took them some time, about half a day before they reached the town. The simple reason because of which it took half a day was ¨C Shin wanted to do some introductions with the people of the Swamp. He could have done it when they were in the swamps, but it just slipped out of his mind. While he could just randomly see the status and know their names, if any, and know their skills and weaknesses, an introduction might increase their bonds. Yes, this was the only reason why they werete despite the fact that they could have reached the town within an hour or so if they traveled at their fastest speed. Regardless, all of them finally arrived at the newly half-built town. Dens? There were plenty. Houses made of wood ¨C tons of them. Some huge ce to make reservoir like a pond orke ¨C mud was dug from a lot of ces. These were the works that were being done. Yes, the houses were being built, dens were being readied and the ce for ponds andkes were being chosen with the digging on progress. Shin was away for a day or two and after seeing all this progress, he was baffled. It didn''t seem like a vige yet, but it was more than enough to make him smile. "Home¡­", that was the only word that came out of his mouth after seeing the half-built mini town. Chapter 231 Old Members "Your Highness, wee.", the Arb elves greeted him immediately. The upper limit of the town where the Arb elves could go to the maximum ¨C was where Shin arrived right now. What this means is that, the ce where the Arb elves can go without aging. If they step even a bit out of the ce, they will age by a little. This is where some of the Arb elves were present who were overseeing the work and process that was being handled by the ton of dwarves that had arrived. Shin looked at them and smiled. Then he looked at the dwarves who paused their works and were bowing when they heard about his arrival. Shin then approached them and said, "I''m greatly impressed by the work." "Thank you for yourpliment, your highness.", said a dwarf that was leading the team of dwarves here. While they were all respecting Shin, they were frightened too at the sight of tons of other monsters that apanied him. Yes, the lizards, snakes, toads and frogs, and many more just surprised them. One of the Arb elves, who was supposedly an elder but in a child''s form approached Shin and asked, "Your Highness, are these the new members of our n?" Shin shook his head. Upon seeing this the lizards felt a bit disappointed. They thought that they would be part of his n and were happy because of that, but after hearing Shin shake his head in denial, they seemed a bit down. But of course, their moods took 180 degrees when they heard his next sentence. "They aren''t new, they are in fact one of the oldest members of the n." "It might be true that I formed the n recently, but they all were under me since the moment I had set out to look at the world.", Shin said. "Oh, I understand.", the arb elf bowed his head as he heard that. The lizards and others suddenly smiled because of that. It was as if they were on cloud nine. Well, no crest could be seen on their bodies yet and the reason was, Shin hadn''t actually epted them to his n. While he knew they existed, he never exclusively meant them to be a part of his n. The same was for the system, it too never epted them as nmates and just thought of them as mobs or extras. But now, when Shin mentioned that they weren''t new but old members, the same wolf crest appeared on their body which became the proof of their being a part of the n. [ n name: Lou Shin ] [ n Leader: Shin ] [ n Vice-Leader: ] [ n Ranking: 893 ] [ n Power: 7 ] [ n Members: 5534 ] These were the details that were often shown about the n and it remained the same. When it showed that the n members were more than 5000, Shin knew immediately that the members from the swamps were included. And thus, now when they gained the crest, it remained the same which proved his hypothesis to be correct. Well, Shin asked about the remaining members and got to know that they were at the end of the town. He then decided to go and meet them and exin the situation. Also, he wanted to show his marvelous form which he received after being evolved. There were four more skills that he wanted to test and thought about doing that after some time while going to hunt with others. And, he had to discuss the n wars which were going to happen. After a lot of estimation, it was decided that it would take at least 3 days to get to the forest of Miracles where the n wars were soon to ur. Moreover, many of them had to travel in a group due to which, they might end up attracting a lot of attention from various beasts out there. In order to avoid all these, they had to move quickly, swiftly, and cautiously while protecting themselves. Shin then walked towards the end of the town when Alira spotted Shin. She quickly dashed towards him and jumped towards him. "Your Highness!", she said with a raised voice. She was quite excited to see Shin after some time. "Haha, Alira, you are as yful as always.", Shinughed. Kaily and Terran dashed towards Shin as well. Ae followed them but walked calmly and elegantly towards Shin. "Your Highness, wee back.", Ae greeted him as well. She just nodded his head and blinked a few times as if he was epting her greeting. After this, Mo too arrived. He had grown up a little fromst time but was still no more than a twig. The four dwarves from earlier and the elf chieftain arrived as well along with the goblin mages, elders, and Deoras who were eagerly awaiting his return. They were all surprised and astonished to look at Shin''s new form but it was exactly as they expected since they knew that he was going to evolve. Of course, the form looked much more majestic than earlier so being astonished was inevitable. They came to know this from the light that was being emitted from their crests and from the shadow wolves who exined the situation via telepathy to Deoras. "Your Highness, all the wolves are ready for the wars¡­" "We are just waiting for your orders.", Deoras said. Without wasting any time, Shin said, "We leave tomorrow early in the morning." The announcement was finally made and they were ready to make their march. Yes, only five days were remaining for the wars and since they were going to leave tomorrow, they would arrive a day before the battles start. This way, they will be able to look at all the preparations done by the celestials and their ves. Nevertheless, Elvion, who had asked for Shin''s help, had left a few hours ago in order to make some necessary preparations and work rted to the Wars. ''Looks like the big day has finally arrived¡­'', Shin said to himself. *Ding* [ Mission ] [ new ] [ ¡­ ] Chapter 232 The Biggest Mission Yet *Ding* [ Mission ] [ new ] -> Reach the Arena for n Wars safely [ iplete ] -> Rank among the top 10 Wolf ns [ iplete ] -> Find Siara and Kira [ iplete ] -> Avenge Kira and Siara [ iplete ] -> Aide in Ae''s evolution [ iplete ] [ Rewards ] -> Tier 1: --> 10% exp [ 10% increase in exp towards leveling up ] --> Re-birth: Memories of Wolf God Shin [ Inherit the memories of the previous God of Wolves ¨C Shin ] -> Tier 2: --> Skill: Future Sight [ Allows the user to nce into the future ] [ With an increase in level, the host can nce deeper into the future ] --> Item: Wolf-w attachment (wind-type) [ An item that could be attached to the ws of a wolf. ] [ Increases dexterity of ws ] [ Increases attack power of all the spells of wind attribute by 5% ] -> Tier 3: --> 1 drop of Phoenix Blood [ It is believed that a phoenix has to power to rise from the ashes after the death of its physical body and is considered immortal ] [ Its blood is considered to have the power to bring the dead back to life ] [ 1 drop and bring 1 being back to life if the being is made to drink the blood within 00:00:02:00 ( 2 minutes ) after death ] --> Skill: Bloody Impact [ A 360 degrees st causing a critical hit and guaranteed bleeding effect if the target is within the radius of the skill ] When Shin saw this new mission pop up, he was pretty anxious. He suddenly recalled how foolish he was and how idiotic he was after seeing the rewards. ''Blood of Phoenix, didn''t I already have a drop?'' ''When the shadow wolf died earlier, I could literally use it to bring him back to life!'' ''How did that slip my mind?'', Shin''s eyes trembled. Well, he was quite angry and was busy ming himself. Because of that, he couldn''t see the assets he had and the methods that he could use to save someone. ''Damn¡­'' ''How much of an idiot I could be?'' ''If it weren''t for evolution, then he might have really been dead.'', Shin grit his teeth as he thought that. Also, he was simultaneously astonished by the fact that he would be inheriting memories of the previous Wolf God. ''Why is the system giving me someone''s memories as a reward?'' ''Is it because I have the same name as him?'', Shin wondered. It is true that the Wolf God was worshipped by almost all the wolves out there, however, he was someone who was long dead. So the question arises, how will the system give the wolf God''s memories to Shin? And why would it give, in the first ce? Does Shin have any connection with the wolf God other than the name? All these questions were left unanswered, for now at least. In any case, the rewards were appealing enough but the tasks seemed simrly difficult. For example, ranking in the top ten among the wolf ns might be too hard of a thing to do. Regardless, Shin by no means had inferior ones by his side. Terran and Raka are strong and so is Deoras. The same implies to Ae who has leveled up quite a lot in the past few days. Considering the fact that other shadow wolves have undergone tough training was enough to loosen Shin''s mood. ? ''Wolves¡­'' ''Since only wolves will being to the n wars, I don''t think I need to bring others with me¡­'', he was thinking about leaving the goblins behind as well. However, there were different sectors or categories in the n wars, as mentioned earlier. But nowhere was it mentioned that it was necessary to participate in all of them. Also, even if it waspulsory, Shin could just use the same wolves to participate in all of the events and that too wouldn''t break the rules by any means. Regardless, after announcing that, he gathered everyone to discuss other things too. In this discussion, five teams were made. One ¨C those who will apany Shin to the n wars and will participate in it. In this group, the leader was Shin and the ones who were going to follow him to the event were ¨C Terran, Ae, Alira, Kaily, Deoras, his pack, and Raka. No one other than them was allowed to follow them. Two ¨C the second groupprised of those who would be protecting the town that was being built. This group included everyone from the Central Swamps except the three strongest ones ¨C the Grigard King, the Alligator King, and the Frog King. The leader of this group was the fourth-strongest ¨C Vole King. Vole -> small rodents that are rtives of lemmings and hamsters. Three ¨C the third group had the above-mentioned kings. They were required to visit other swamps and ask them to prepare themselves to move. Shin wanted them to live nearby so there would no longer exist residents in other swamps. But that didn''t mean the swamps would cease to exist. Yes, Shin had different ns for that. He was thinking about using necromancy on the dead ones of the swamps. They would work as a perfect defense for the Kingdom that Shin was trying to build. Four ¨C this group consisted of goblins and arb elves. The goblins were required to undergo training by using the knowledge of the arb elves. Shin wanted to see at least one Goblin King or Goblin Lord by the time he returned. Five ¨C thest group included the Dwarves and Mo. Mo helped in identifying the trees suitable for making houses and the dwarves were required to cut and built. Of course, there were some dwarves that were significantly stronger than designer dwarves ¨C those who only worked their brains ¨C and thus, Shin segregated them to work better. "Alright, everyone should take a rest now." "As mentioned, we will begin tomorrow!" ¨C Shin announced. Right after this, everyone went to sleep and rest as per Shin''s orders because they knew that the big day when they would finally be able to show their skills, was soon toe. So in order to show their full potential, they had to rest. Chapter 233 Crossing The River In Inventory? It was soon morning again but the first one to wake up was Shin. He had a lot of things going on in his mind due to which he couldn''t sleep properly. To top it all, he had to make different ns. Also, he kept staring at the missions that were given by the system. [ Mission ] [ new ] -> Reach the Arena for n Wars safely [ iplete ] -> Rank among the top 10 Wolf ns [ iplete ] -> Find Siara and Kira [ iplete ] -> Avenge Kira and Siara [ iplete ] -> Aide in Ae''s evolution [ iplete ] The very first thing that was mentioned in the mission was to reach the Arena safely. While it did sound like something normal, Shin kept wondering about the word ''Safely'' that was used in the sentence. For some reason, it seemed like a keyword. ''If it were to be easy, then why would it be in the list of the mission?'', he questioned himself. He suspected that there was some danger that they had to face if they thought about going to the Arena. But what could the danger be? What could threaten someone who has evolved to that degree? If thought carefully, there were tons of things that Shin couldn''t aplish. ''One mistake and I could lose everything¡­'', this was the only thing that he kept thinking about again and again because he wanted to avoid useless mistakes happening. Also, there was something else that he was concerned about. Previously, he saw that the system was disying rewards in the form of tiers. [ Rewards ] -> Tier 1: --> 10% exp --> Re-birth: Memories of Wolf God Shin -> Tier 2: --> Skill: Future Sight --> Item: Wolf-w attachment (wind-type) -> Tier 3: --> 1 drop of Phoenix Blood --> Skill: Bloody Impact These were the rewards that were mentioned by the system. So Shin wanted to know if he could im all the rewards or just from a single tier. ''Hey system, does this mean I can only choose the rewards from a single-tier?'', he asked. *Ding* [ The host will get the rewards from all tiers ] This was what the system said and it made clear that he would be receiving all the rewards. Now it was definitely tempting but it seemed too generous for some reason because Shin had yet to face the dangers. ''Then why are they mentioned in separate tiers?'', he asked the system. *Ding* [ It is just a design granted after the host''s evolution ] "¡­" ''Never mind, it was foolish of me to ask.'', Shin made a weird face after hearing that. Regardless, he stretched his body and went through all the skills. His MP was full and so was his HP. He wasn''t fatigued nor was his mental state unstable. He ensured everything was fine because he howled and woke everyone else. One by one, all the wolves woke up. The same was with the goblins and the elves followed by the dwarves who woke up one by one after hearing his loud howl. The residents of the swamps spent the night under the trees on soft leaves. Of course, they were provided with adequate dinner ¨C the meat of various beasts that were killed by the shadow wolf pack. Well, in any case, right after that, they all gathered at one ce and waited for Shin to give instructions. "Ahem, good morning everyone.", Shin greeted everyone. "Good morning, your highness.", the response was good. Everyone greeted him back simultaneously. The voice literally echoed for a few seconds. "So, after having the breakfast, we will leave.", Shin said. Actually, the meat would stay fine even after being hunted ¨C it was thanks to the elves'' magic. Yes, it was some sort of preservation magic just like Shin''s inventory. But of course, it was of a lower level whenpared to his inventory. Everyone agreed to what he said. The meat was provided to the wolves. Without wasting any time, all of them started to feast. Well, they were hoping for victory and with Shin''s presence, they had full faith that they would win. There was not even a single dot of doubt which was surprising because no one can ce this much trust in any other ¨C of course, Shin was exceptional. After having breakfast, Shin stored a lot of meat in his inventory. He thought that they would just hunt when they would be hungry. However, while hunting, some of them might get injured which Shin wanted to avoid as much as possible. At first, they were shocked by Shin''s inventory, but they then realized that being shocked by Shin is normal ¨C Annihtor ¨C he who would annihte foods with just a nce was also a nickname which would have been developed if he hadn''t exined himself. Of course, he still got that title which he would use proudlyter. Regardless, all of them finally departed after Shin shouted, "n Wars, here wee!" Shin was leading at the front. Ae walked right beside him, on his right side. On his left, it was Terran who walked. And right behind him, it was Raka. These three wolves seemed quite determined to keep Shin safe after all he was their King and he was the one on whom they were dependant. Just behind Raka, Deoras and his pack followed closely. The three shadow wolves were still hiding inside Shin''s shadow. They werepletely observing and scanning the surroundings with their auras. Hiding aura is quite difficult. Yes, one could easily disappear from sight but one couldn''t hide their auras that easily ¨C it was earlier mentioned by Elvion too. Even someone as strong as him couldn''t do that, then obviously weaker beasts had no chance in aplishing, yes, no chance unless they gained the skill Aura control and had a system. They walked a bit faster too. They didn''t want to waste any time as mentioned by Shin and thus, they wanted to reach as fast as they could. ''First of all, we need to get out of this forest.'' ''However, the moment we cross this forest, we would reach the great river that connects this forest and the Forest of Miracles ¨C Islea.'', Shin thought. Well, he had decided to cross therge river, but only after reaching it did he know how much of a bad idea it was. Yes, it took them no more than 8 hours before reaching the river. Until they reached the river, no one stopped. The wolves were strong, so even after walking quickly for all this time, none of them was tired. Shin waspletely baffled when he took a look at the river. It was way toorge than what he had anticipated. The flow of water was vigorous too. One would just end up drowning and get pulled by the river if they tried to enter. "Your Highness, it is the rainy season, so this much was expected." "But I don''t understand how we can cross this, surely, your highness has a n right?", Deoras asked. Other wolves waited while wagging their tails ''Damn bastards, they knew about this and didn''t mention?'', Shin grit his teeth. Shin wanted some time to think so he announced, "It is rest time. Take some rest and recover from the little fatigue that you might have umted." "We will cross the river after 30 minutes.", he said. While everyone agreed to him and rested, Shin started to think of a way to get out of this predicament. ''A raft¡­?'' "¡­" ''Na, we aren''t humans to do that work.'' ''Also, it would end up getting destroyed immediately because of the fast-flowing water.'' ''Hmm, what do we do?'' Shin thought with all his might while checking his skill status as well. "Ah!" Shin suddenly got an idea. Well, to be precise, he got the idea for the Shadow Wolves. ''The shadow wolves can just hide in my shadow and if I cross somehow, then it would mean that they would have crossed as well.'', he thought. ''But the question is, how would I cross this?'', he kept wondering. ''Also, how would Terran and Ae cross this? What about Alira and Kaily? They too have to cross right?'' Alira and Kaily were with him as well. They too wanted to look at the n wars and participate in it. While Shin prohibited them from participating, he did allow them to apany them. And as he tried thinking more and more, he suddenly realized that there was a much better option! ''Hold on a second, why don''t I store everyone in the inventory?'' ''Since I can make the items in the inventory appear anywhere within the radius of 1 km, then can''t I make them appear on the other shore of the river?'', Shin asked himself as he smirked. ''Yes, this is feasible.'' However, then again, there was a problem. How would he cross? This was the main problem since he had to go with them, otherwise, he wouldn''t have track of their activities. So, he had to think hard about himself now because, if he couldn''t, then he would have to go separately. ''Hmm, I still have time, let me think.'' "¡­" Chapter 234 An Important Work To Do While others rxed, Shin was busy finding a way to cross the river. First of all, he gave them some meat to eat and regain energy. It was mealtime anyway so it was obvious that they were hungry. Apart from that, he wanted to rest for an hour at least so that he coulde up with a n. For now, some of the space in inventory was empty and he was thinking about sticking to this n, but then he suddenly started going through his skills to find if there was a suitable skill that would let him cross. He had each and every skill in his mind but wanted to check once again to see if he was forgetting a skill. However, he had no skill that could help him to cross the river. And when he was thinking on this topic, he suddenly recalled something. ''Wait¡­'' ''System, hadn''t you mentioned something earlier?'' ''Something about using my n mates'' skills with some boosts?'' *Ding* [ Affirmative ] ''I wasn''t paying any attention so could you exin it to me again?'', Shin asked. He was actually referring to the time when the system notified him that he could use other skills besides his own skills. Yes, they were divided into two sectors, one ¨C where the host could inherit the skills of the ones whom he named, two ¨C when the host has formed a n and has n members. He could use the skills of either of the beings mentioned above. *Ding* [ The host can use the skills of his nmates with a certain amount of boosts ] [ The skills of all the members would be boosted by 100% when the host uses ] [ The skills of members with the higher level that Shin would follow the previously mentioned condition ] [ The skills of members with lower levels, whenpared to Shin, will follow the previous condition with an additional boost of 1000% ] ''I see, so if I use Terran''s skill, then the total boost would be 11 times its original power.'' ''But if I try using the Grigard King''s skills, who is at a much higher level than me, then the boost would remain at 2 times its original skill¡­'' Shin understood it perfectly. He realized the advantages that he had with this. Yes, no matter if the member is stronger than him, or weaker than him, he would still be able to execute their skills with twice its original power. This means, they would have no doubt regarding Shin and would always believe that he is stronger than them. Whereas, if the members were weaker, they would respect him from the get-go since their strength would be obvious. The reason why he asked the system about this was that he wanted to see if any other member had a suitable skill that he could use. ''Lemme take a look¡­'' He looked at everyone''s status and profile in search of some suitable skills which wouldn''t dy them anymore. However, none of them had any such skills. Shin took a look at the map, which he requested from the system, only to find out that there was just one small ce from where he could cross the river. Yes, and that was the mountain peak. ''Hmm, will I make it in time if I rush to the mountain and then cross to the other side?'', he questioned himself. Any other method didn''t seem feasible and considering the fact that the river kept bing wider until it joined the sea, there was no other way. He had to look for a narrower part and that was only in the mountain. Unfortunately enough, the mountain wasn''t a part of either of the forest. It was actually located in one of the human kingdoms which appear after passing through the forest, towards the West. Yes, as mentioned earlier, the Kingdom Of Rein, which was one of thergest kingdoms had some mountains that separated it from the forest of Thuren. (Towards the West, there was one of thergest human kingdoms which were considered to be most prosperous out of all the kingdoms ¨C the kingdom of Rein. The kingdom Rein wasrger than Levonia and was well protected by nature itself. Its starter town, Arcale was rarely attacked by any monsters due to the presence of mountains that separated the forest of Thuren from the kingdom.) The river that originated from one of the tallest mountains, Grekko, was called the Rein-Grekko river, because of the name of the kingdom and the mountain since the kingdom imed the mountain to be a part of their territory. Of course, they built birders a bit away from the mountain since the connection of the mountain with the forest caused a lot of dangers for the starter town as mentioned earlier. Shin doesn''t even require going to the top of the mountain. Even at the base of the mountain, the river would be much narrower and he would be able to cross it. And thus, after deciding this, he approached his men. However, there was a new problem, how would he approach them and say that he can help them cross the river but he himself can''t do it. It would not only be awkward but also would be superme. Shin by no means could bring himself to say anything rted to it, at least, not right now unless he made up some random excuses that made sense. He then decided what he had to say after thinking for a minute or two and then raised how voice, "I will help you cross the river." The wolves blindly believed what Shin said without even raising a single question. They hadplete faith in whatever he did and knew that he would never joke on such a serious matter and thus, all of them just nodded their heads as if they were gesturing that they believe him. "Alright then, just close your eyes.", he said. All of them did as they were asked. Shin didn''t want them to realize that he was using the same inventory skill as earlier to basically teleport them. After they closed their eyes, Shin quickly used the inventory to store them inside, and without wasting any time, he made them appear on the other side of the river. For a second they couldn''t hear any sound but right after that, they could hear the gushing sound of the water that was flowing rapidly with great force. "You can all open your eyes.", Shin said. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Telepathy ] All of them opened as he instructed and found themselves on the other side of the river. Half of them werepletely shocked while the rest nodded their head as if they knew this would happen ¨C of course, they only pretended to know while they were surprised as well. However, they were surprised for another reason. When they looked at the river, a little ahead they could see Shin standing. Yes, he was still on the other side of the shore. It was weird cause they heard his voice a few seconds ago and it was calm and deep as if he was next to them while asking them to open their eyes. "Don''t worry about me, I have some important work to do.", Shin said. They heard his voice yet again cleanly and finally realized that he was using telepathy tomunicate with everyone at the same time. Deoras waspletely shocked to see this happen. That was because, until now, in the entire world, no one has ever performed a mass Telepathy! Yes, while the skill Telepathy was like a blessing, it could only be used between two individuals, that was its only w. However, when Deoras noticed that Shin was addressing everyone in their heads via telepathy, he realized something which he should have realized long ago ¨C Shin is someone who is able to break thews of this world, or to be precise, he isn''t restricted by thews. Regardless, they heard what he said but they were unsure of the n. They thought that Shin would be leading them till they arrived at their destination, so why would he tell about some other work? ¨C all of them started to wonder. But it wasn''t their ce to ask him anything. "Here.", Shin gave a map to them. "Follow the directions mentioned in the map." ¨C he said. Shin was cautious, he had drawn the map from the start even before they were ready to depart. Of course, he handed this to Ae and asked them to leave. "I will join you guys within a day.", Shin said. They agreed and started to walk down the path mentioned on the map, but of course, they were a bit hesitant. Now that they had gone, Shin started to walk towards the Grekko mountain and was soon to use his skills so that he could join them quickly. However, he hadn''t realized how dangerous it could be to go alone. Chapter 235 Another Plant-Type Monster At first he walked slowly because he didn''t want to see the n members that he was in a hurry. After they disappeared from his sight ¨C meaning, they reached a certain distance, without wasting his time, Shin activated his skills and almost disappeared from the ce. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Speed Run ] Since the skill had evolved, the speed at which Shin traveled was almost twice his maximum speed before! Yes, his maximum speed earlier was when hebined Dash and Wind Run, but now, just the evolved skill Speed Run exceeded the speed limit of the previous by twice! He ended up covering about one-eighth of the entire distance needed to reach the mountain. After traveling that far within a few minutes, he decided to pause as his MP would have almost dried out if he had continued using his Evolved Skill. [ MP: 597/1300|| Max. MP: 9999 ] ''I was so happy because of my increased speed and evolved skills that Ipletely forgot about the MP burden¡­'' While it is true that as skills evolved, sometimes they would consume lesser MP, however, for something that you need extra power or speed boost, you would require to spend more MP! Since his skills evolved and were no longer its older self where it merely just raised his agility, Shin had to constantly check his MP as even a little usage of the higher skills could cause the entire drainage of the MP. That was why, he was shocked to find that within a few minutes ¨C about five or ten ¨C his MP was reduced by more than half! *huff huff* ''This is dangerous.'' ''If I had not seen the MP stats, I would have run out of it.'' ''¡­'' ''That could have been the most dangerous situation.'', Shin said to himself. All his skills require the usage of MP. The only exceptions are ¨C Wind Run and Aero sh which he received from Ae. Of course, if he were to just use the system in such a manner that he would be able to use the skills of his n members, then there wouldn''t be any need for his MP, however, the MP of the members would decrease. What if they were in a dangerous situation and had only one skill to use? And what if without caring about that, Shin ended up using the skill from that individual? It would have no other options other than facing death! Yes, that is why, no matter what the situation, Shin cannot be careless since not only he, but also his n members would be affected by whatever step he takes. Anyway, he then continued to walk as he thought about all these things. Also, his MP was slowly recovering and it would easily take about thirty minutes before his MP had been recoveredpletely. ''Hmm¡­'' ''If all of my skills evolve, then that would end up throwing me into trouble since the amount of MP that I have won''t be able to keep up with the skills¡­'' ''In the future, if my MP doesn''t increase drastically, then I don''t think I would be able to use more than one or two skills¡­'' He pondered about it when he realized that he had a mana space. [ Mana Space Lv.3: 200/200 ] It was not much of a thing but yes, he could withdraw those 200 MP whenever he wanted and probably they could save him at times, but they were quite less too. ''As long as I don''t have 10,000 MP, I would never feel safe.'', he said to himself. He was actually walking right beside the river. Yes, he thought that he would be safe, or naturally ignored the fact that there could be danger from the river as well. All of a sudden, he was walking, some tentacle-like stuff emerged from the river at a high pace and grabbed one of Shin''s hind limbs. [ Warning ] The attack was so fast, that the system too waste to disy the warning sign and could only do so after the attack almost hit Shin and was about to wrap around his limb. "Huh?" He was startled. He turned his head only to find his right hind limb wrapped by green weed-like stuff. At first, it felt prickly and stationary, but then it started to pull Shin''s leg. "What the-" The pebbles on the shore made Shin slip easily. There wasn''t enough room to provide friction. In fact, the soil made his leg sink a bit before he could do anything. "How dare you attack me sneakily!", Shin howled. He thought that it would be wise to look at the status right now, however, he refused to do so because the tension was high. He could clearly see the thing that was wrapped around his leg and pulling him was made out of grass so without wasting any more time, he used the best skill for the moment! *Ding* [ You have used the skill me Wave ] [ A wave of me has been formed and dispatched from the host ] Yes, a literal me wave surrounded Shin and sted away from him, burning the tentacle-like grass. Before it could be burnt anymore, the grass withdrew and since it was pulled into the water, the fire too extinguished. Shin quickly jumped far away from the edge of the river and became extremely cautious. He then used his skill All-Seeing Eyes to look at what was present under the river that attacked him. *Ding* [ You have used the skill All-Seeing Eyes ] ''Huh?'' He saw a weird nt emerging from the river. It seemed no different from a weed. ''System, what exactly is that?'', he asked the system. *Ding* [ River-Weed ] [ A highly dangerous nt-type monster that resides in water bodies, especially in Rivers ] ''No wonder¡­'' ''Old man Mo was also an example of nt type monster.'' ''It is true that there are a lot of nt-type monsters, however, seeing one such hostile is the first for me.'', Shin said to himself. Other than some trees in the forest of Thuren, Shin never encountered other nt-type monsters so he couldn''t help but wonder about them. Chapter 236 Incoming Danger *Ding* [ The river from here contains many river-weeds ] The system disyed this message as an extra. ''Hmm, I think I know why.'' Shin saw the width of the river which had been reduced by a bit. On top of that, while the water sure was flowing quite rapidly with great force, the bed region areas had water much calmer. Since many beasts would think about crossing the river by moving towards the narrower region, the nt-type monsters could hunt them easily. Due to this, the area had be nutrient-rich and because of that, more and more nt-type monsters were present ¨C especially the River-Weeds. Shin realized that after which he kept on using his skill All-Seeing Eyes to walk carefully. But just as he had walked a few steps, he suddenly realized that he wasn''t alone. Yes, he took a look at his own shadow only to find the three shadow wolves hiding in his shadow. "You three, you were still hiding in my shadows?", Shin seemed surprised when he found them. The three of the shadow wolves emerged from the shadows. They suddenly bowed and whimpered while asking for punishment. "Please punish us, your highness." "We failed to protect you earlier.", one of the shadow wolves said. Well, it was not their fault. They had never earlier faced an aquatic nt-type monster. Also, the monster was a master at hiding its aura since it was being underwater while unleashing its tentacles-like grass ends. "Ah, it''s fine." "It''s not like you would be able to protect me always.", Shin said. He meant that only to cheer them up, but it had apletely different effect. ''Even if we remain with his highness, we can''t protect him always¡­'' ''Is this what he has thought about us?'' "¡­" All of them suddenly went quiet. They realized how weak they were. Yes, for some time, they thought that they had grown stronger because their senses had been regained, but it was now that they realized that they were nowhere near the threshold that is required to even be with Shin. ''Unless we are at least as strong as His Highness, we won''t be able to protect him.'' They understood that they were too weak right now. ''In our current state, instead of helping, we would just get in his way and in the end, we would be the one to receive help.'', the shadow wolves realized. They were weak, at least not at the level in which Shin was currently residing. But that didn''t mean they couldn''t get stronger. The realization just now became a strong will that showed them their aim. Now all they had to do was get stronger to protect Shin, the one who not only saved them but also helped them to an unimaginable degree. "Alright, you three, I think you should get back inside my shadow.", Shin said. "Yes.", the three of them bowed and then returned to his shadow. ''Sigh, I can''t believe I forgot to order them to go with others¡­'' ''I know¡­'' ''This is probably Deoras'' n.'' ''He wants to let these three remain with me so that they can be of some help.'' ''But Deoras, I think they would be in trouble constantly if they remain with me.'', Shin thought. Well, he continued to use his All-Seeing Eyes as he walked while looking around and observing his surroundings. He took a look at his MP which was almost full by now. Yes, All-Seeing Eyes didn''t consume too much of the MP. The regaining of the MP was literally faster than the amount was consumed by the All-Seeing Eyes. [ MP: 1213/1300|| Max. MP: 9999 ] He could use his skill Speed Run yet again to cover arge amount of distance. However, this time, he decided to remain cautious as well since the number of River-Weeds around the area where he would be running would have increased. His eyes started to glow with green light as he used the skill Speed Run. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Speed Run ] And yet again, his agility increased and he covered another one-eight of the distance that he had to travel. Now, in total, he had covered about three-eighth of the total distance required to travel. Yes, out of this, two-eighth were while using the skill while another one-eighth was when he walked for about thirty minutes. *huff huff* ''I consumed a lot of MP again.'' ''But it''s a good thing that I kept a track of it.'' And just as he thought that he used his skill All-Seeing Eyes again which he had deactivated temporarily. ''The system was right, there are tons of River Weeds here¡­'' Basically, the entire riverbed was filled those River-Weeds. Shin basically could see them clearly without using All-Seeing Eyes as well since the water was extremely clear. They looked like normal grasses protruding out of the water, but he could actually see how dangerous they were. Yes, he saw their levels and decided to avoid them. [ Race: Level 78 Weed ( Exp 91.01%) ] [ Race: Level 65 Weed ( Exp 41.33%) ] [ Race: Level 53 Weed ( Exp 19.27%) ] [ Race: Level 49 Weed ( Exp 16.11%) ] [ Race: Level 3¡­] These were the levels that he came across. For mere grasses to be this strong ¨C it meant that they devoured beasts and other types of animals frequently. If not, it would be nearly impossible for them to grow up to such a level. And since they were of such a high level, they could withstand the strong waves. Shin decided to walk further away from the river as he continuously saw them as a threat and because of this, he forgot about the threat that the forest itself could give. A wild boar suddenly came charging towards him from the forest. If not for his animal-like instinct, he wouldn''t have known that there was a danger approaching from the forest. p Also, the system too yed a role in portraying the danger. [ Warning ] [ Iing Wild Boar from the forest ] Yes, the three shadow wolves emerged from the shadows before the boar could approach Shin and attack it. Yes, they were able to sessfully injure it by biting it, however, the boar kept running until it fell in the river while bringing the shadow wolves down it. "¡­" Chapter 237 A Longer Route ,m ''There we go.'' ''I knew it, instead of helping me, they will be the ones that will need help.'', Shin made a weird expression as he saw all the three shadow wolves falling right into the river. This ce was filled with the river weeds as mentioned earlier, so even a slight touch in the river surface was enough to attract their attention. Well, no need to even touch the water in the river, all it took was to just stand beside it to attract them. But right now, the wolves were in the river where the deadliest water weeds remained. ''Now how do I bring them out?'' "¡­" It was seemingly tough but Shin did think that the shadow wolves could get out on their own. Though, he had a little doubt. And yes, his doubt was legit. As he thought, the river weeds caught their legs and prevented them from doing anything. In fact, the river weeds started pulling them towards the riverbed. Basically, the River Weed were monsters that looked like tall grasses however they had mouths right at their base. Though they had no eyes, they had hyper-sensory skills that let them feel the aura just like the shadow wolves. They had sharp teeth in their mouth which proved that they were carnivores. Their mostmon preys were fishes and boars that would usually run towards the river. Shin seemed somewhat frustrated right now but he knew what he had to do next. He was quick-witted and thus came up with a solution quickly. "There is only one answer-" ''Inventory!'' Right after that, the three shadow wolves vanished from the water as they escaped from the grip and got stored inside the inventory. Without wasting any time, he then let them out on the surface just next to him. The shadow wolves were surprised because they were suddenly out of the water. ''What just-'' And then the moment they turned their heads towards their right, they found Shin standing with a devil-like aura around him. "I told you guys to stay inside the shadow, right?" "Then why the heck did youe out?" "Want to y hero?", Shin was legitimately angry. He knew that they tried to protect him and that was their job as assigned by Deoras, but Shin would be just fine by himself. They were not only wasting his time but also were wasting his energy. If not for his inventory, he had to search for some other skill that could save them. He doubted if there were any other skills that would work and if there really wasn''t any skill, the shadow wolves were pretty much fu*ked up! The shadow wolves whimpered again but right now, this would have no effect on Shin. He red at them and said, "Stop the acting and get back into my shadows." "Try doinging out again and I would kick you out from my n.", Shin warned them. He was pretty serious this time. No one had disobeyed him until now, and the ones that did ¨C the shadow wolves in order to protect him were given a warning. They understood that Shin was pretty serious and was not joking around and hence they said, "Forgive us, your Highness, we will obey you." "We won''te out unless you order.", they just repeated what Shin wanted right after which they vanished into his shadow. Without thinking anymore and just sighing, Shin continued his walk. Before knowing it, he had already arrived at a ce from where he could cross the river. Yes, the river was quite narrower. Although he couldn''t reach the other side with a simple jump, he could at least try swimming. The strength of the wave was ten times less than earlier so he could definitely do that, however, he decided to think otherwise. Yes, even though he could cross it, he decided to walk forward and the reason for that was River-Weeds again! This time, not one, not ten but a total of more than a hundred River-Weeds growing from almost the same ce were present. It was precisely because of them that the waves didn''t seem too strong as the water got obstructed. Since most beasts would think about crossing from this ce, the grasses grew taller and the river-weeds multiplied. He could see some skulls and bones of various parts of the body of various other beasts. ''Sigh, how dumb should a beast be to go right into its death?'', Shin questioned himself. Whatever he had nothing to do with them right now. Without wasting any time, he used his skills and again dashed forward. He didn''t stop or rather didn''t want to stop unless he could see the river cleared. However, in this process, he ended up reaching the mountain Grekko. Of course, since he arrived, he thought about exiting soon as well, but the system had different ns for him. Perhaps, it was because he took this route that a new mission popped up. *Ding* [ Mission ] [ new ] -> Defeat the Mountain God nca [ iplete ] -> Collect the secret Three-Star stones from nca [ iplete ] [ Rewards ] -> Title: Ruler of the Mountain Grekko -> nca as subordinate -> 50% HP recovering potion x1 When this new mission popped up, Shin was annoyed. He was trying to concentrate on one thing but the system wasn''t letting him do it. It was partially his fault as well since he chose the current path. Yes, when Shin and Ae had first arrived in the forest of Thuren from Islea, they had to swim across the same river. However, it wasn''t rainy season then, and also, the river actually got narrower at another part. The part was further down of the river but the reason why Shin refused to go that was that it would consume too much time! Well, now he was proved otherwise since the current path was taking much longer. Even though a new mission did pop up, his previous mission seemed to be in danger. ''What if I get injured?'' ''Wouldn''t that mean I failed to get to the Arena safely?'', he wondered. "¡­" Chapter 238 Encountering The Mountain God [ Mission ] [ new ] -> Defeat the Mountain God nca [ iplete ] -> Collect the secret Three-Star stones from nca [ iplete ] The system had hardly given the notification but after seeing it, Shin ran with all his might into the mountain. Yes, he arrived there pretty quickly and then searched for the so-called Mountain God. He wanted to defeat him as soon as possible. He was thinking that it would be quite an easy job. But he was actually wrong. Although it wasn''t impossible, it definitely wasn''t easy. After all, no normal beast would get the title of Mountain God. Yes, when Shin climbed the mountain, he faced two to three beasts. While they were just boars, they seemed quite strong. Earlier, he had seen a boar too that tried to rush into the river for some reason. It was nowhereparable to the ones that Shin faced. But oh well, he dealt with them pretty quickly. It was partially thanks to his evolution but the most creditable thing was his new skill ¨C Rage. This was one of the skills which he thought about using while he ascended the mountain and yes, his decision was definitely right. [ Rage ] [-> All stats are doubled temporarily ] [-> Int stat will be halved temporarily ] [-> Aura Domain will be activated as a side-effect ] [-> Consumes 10% of HP per use ] [-> Lasts 00:00:05:00 (5 minutes) ] Basically, the skill rage was a skill for berserkers. Yes, those types of sses usually don''t use mana much due to which the skill rage usually ends up consuming their HP. Yes, Shin discovered its effect only after using it, and thanks to that, he was able to show a remarkable result. In a single attack, he defeated two of the boars that tried to attack him and the remaining one boar was killed with a total of two attacks. But whatever, his skills would be elevated due to the skill. Also, since the skill Aura Domain would be activated as a side effect, it would still mean that some amount of MP will be consumed, but that would also help him in the end. Though, the only disadvantage of the skill is that his Intelligence would be halved temporarily. When he had activated the skill, he took notice of the stats too and what the skill said was indeed true. [ HP: 2000/2000 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1240/1300|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 1013+1013 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 890+890 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 1855+1855 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 290-145 || Max. Int: 999 ] [ Mana Space Lv.3: 200/200 ] [ Stat points acquired: 3000 ] Regardless, he continued to walk up the mountain when suddenly he felt a weird presence. "This¡­" He raised his head only to find a beast standing on top of a raised huge boulder. All he could see was a dark shadow and nothing else which reminded him of a scene that he had long forgotten. Yes, it reminded him of Kira. The moment Kira had appeared, he had felt a simr amount of chills. Right now, he was a bit astonished by the aura that the beast gave. Without a shred of doubt, Shin concluded that the beats were the ones whom he was targeting. The reason was simple ¨C only beasts capable of making him feel chills could be strong enough to have the title of the Mountain God. ''System, disy its status.'', Shin said as he gulped arge amount of dry saliva. *Ding* [ Profile ] [ Name: nca (Male: 30 years) ] [ Race: Level 100 Tigris ( Exp 99.99%) ] [ Great White Tiger Monarch ] [ Rank: SS || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 3499/9999 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 8991/9999|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 9999 || Max. Atk: 9999 ] [ Def: 9999 || Max. Def: 9999 ] [ Speed: 9999 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 180 || Max. Int: 999 ] [ Skills Gained ] -< cannot be shown due to the host''s low level >- p ''This¡­'' ''No way, this is not just difficult, it is definitely impossible.'' Shin could barely look at the bizarre stats. He had nothing that he could say after seeing those. Yes, the stats seemed way out of the ordinary which definitely was something that one would expect something from someone who was a God! ''Level 100¡­?'' This was the first time he had encountered a level 100 being. Of course, his mates were close to 100 but were never 100. Simply looking at the number hundred was more than enough to baffle him. Also, he couldn''t even look at any of its skills which gave him much more disadvantage. Earlier, the somewhat same thing happened with him when he was facing the Apes. Although their levels were not 100, their status was definitely hidden for some reason. It was as if the system was deliberately hiding. The same situation was being repeated when the system didn''t let Shin look at the stats of the mountain God. Of course, this did piss him off a bit, but in front of such a being, he couldn''t afford to be angry right now. ''Why would the system give me such a mission¡­?'', he asked himself while he looked at the ow HP of the beast. ''Hmm¡­'' ''For some reason, its HP is low¡­'' ''Is it injured?'', this was the first thing that crossed his mind. Yes, he had encountered a somewhat simr situation earlier. When he had first arrived in this world, he encountered the Grigard which barely had any HP left because of some sort of injury. While that was something he considered lucky, now was the situation too when he thought that he was lucky. But would he really say that? "What have youe here for, Lord of the Swamps?", the beast asked with a heavy tone. The voice was deep enough to make anyone normal faint and its re could give anyone a heart attack. Shin was now standing in front of such a beast. Shin''s life was like a ything for the Mountain God. In any case, it was surprising to see that the Mountain God knew about Shin. "You..." "You know me?" Chapter 239 Self-Harming Attack "What have youe here for, Lord of the Swamps?" This was what the Mountain God asked. He was definitely not your average beast, Shin could say that after looking at its stats. Though, he was surely curious as it seemed like the Mountain God knew who Shin was. "Do-" "Do you know me?", Shin asked. "Haha, who doesn''t know about you?" "The one who became one of the rulers, the one who destroyed an entire human kingdom and the one who has Dragons as his ve¡­", the Mountain God said. When he actually said this, Shin recalled Terran''s original stats. Even Terran wasn''t level hundred but that didn''t mean he couldn''t reach that level. Yes, his maximum was in fact Lv.110. This meant that if he were to grow stronger, he could eventually break through the threshold and further level up by another ten levels. However, it was true that until now, there was not a single beast that Shin had encountered who was level hundred. And while thinking this, he suddenly thought something, ''What if he is a Celestial?'' There was a high chance that the beast in front of him was actually a Celestial. That was because the titles usually shouldn''t be having the word ''God'' in this world. Yes, God actually meant Celestial while the real Gods, who ruled from the heavens were Supreme Celestials. If nature went ahead and granted someone the title of Mountain God, it could essentially mean that the being is either a Celestial or someone who is Celestial Caliber! Though, Shin smirked as he heard the mountain God praise him. "Then why don''t you guess why I came here?", Shin asked the beast. The beast stared at Shin as its eyes started to glow with red light. "So, you too came to kill me¡­", the beast said. What it said wasn''t exactly correct. Shin did some here to defeat the beast, but he didn''t have to actually kill it. That was because the system said something else. If he were to defeat the beast then it would be his subordinate and thus, in the end, Shin would be the one who would grow stronger from this by having another being by his side. Shin red back at the beast. His eyes were glowing with faint green light. It was as if both were having a staring contest. Yes, their eyes were locked on each other. ''He is definitely stronger than me¡­'' ''However, his HP is less.'' ''If I can somehow reduce his HP¡­'' And just as Shin thought this, he remembered that he had a skill that would eat away the foe''s HP and transfer a bit of it to the host. He smirked in confidence. *Ding* [ You have used the skill HP Eater ] Just as he activated the skill, the beast''s HP started to drop. The beast flinched right after which it lept towards Shin with its mouth wide open. An orb of white light formed around its mouth which then sted away towards Shin. The attack was fast, but not fast enough to prevent Shin from escaping it. However, Shin still got hit by the attack. Yes, he did try to run, but something weird happened. *Ding* [ Due to the foe''s skill, the Host''s stats have been reduced by 50% ] ''Huh¡­?'' *Boom* The orb hit Shin right on his chest and sted him away. The shadow wolves who were inside his shadow were terrified since earlier. They could feel the beast''s aura and have concluded that Shin''s aura was at least ten times lesser than the beast''s. Even if they came out, they would fail to protect Shin so they let Shin handle it. Also, since Shin seemed confident, they thought that he had some ns to defeat the beast. On top of that, Shin had forbidden them from exiting his shadow. So they remained inside. Because of that, Shin was hit by the attack. ''Damn.'' Shin felt that attack. Since all of the beast''s stats were maxed out and considering the fact that Shin''s stats were halved, the hit was critical. Shin coughed a lot of blood as he closed his eyes and stopped himself from getting pushed back any more. The orb was no more since all it did was explode and send Shin backward. Shin opened his blurry eyes to look at his HP. ''You''ve got to be kidding¡­'', he thought as he widened his eyes. [ HP: 139/2000 || Max. HP: 9999 ] He was baffled by the decrease in HP. *gulp* ''Did I overestimate myself?'', Shin questioned himself. He then raised his head to look at the beast only to end up being surprised yet again. "He¡­?" The beast did leap towards Shin, but after that, it didn''t move even a single step. Instead, it was unconscious and was lying on the ground. "What the¡­?" *cough* He spat some more blood as he looked at his HP decreasing. ''My HP is still decreasing¡­?'' "¡­" ''Looks like my internal organs have been damaged greatly¡­'', Shin thought. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Heal ] His HP now slowly started to recover. He then looked at the beast''s stats only to be shocked yet again. [ HP: 893/9999 || Max. HP: 9999 ] "¡­" Shin then walked towards the beast and looked at him. ''A tiger¡­'' He knew that the beast was a tiger after looking at its race and rank. Yes, he knew since the start, but despite that, he went ahead to battle with it. ''If Alira were to grow, would she look like him?'', he questioned. He asked this because the tiger in front of him was a white tiger too ¨C the so-called mountain God. But he was unconscious and in front of him. "Sigh, look at you lying in front of me¡­" "If I were some ruthless animal, then you would have been dead by now.", Shin murmured. Well, he would have killed even if he wasn''t a ruthless animal. Just that, because of the system he stopped. ''He might end up harming me if I heal him¡­'' ''But if I don''t then he might just die.'', Shin thought. "¡­" *Ding* [ You have used the skill Heal on the foe ] Chapter 240 A Bigger Threat *Ding* [ You have used the skill Heal on the foe ] He ended up using the skill to heal the tiger. Yes, he was injured right now, but he thought that the beast was in much more danger. Though, after using the skill on himself for a few seconds, he had healed up a little. However, it was nowhere enough. He was still suffering from pain. But when he looked at the Tiger''s decreasing HP, which decreased much faster than him, he couldn''t stop but cast the spell on him. ''Sigh, I cannot use Heal on both of us¡­'', he said to himself. p He had yet to gain such control and the skill had yet to level up. But oh well, it was more than enough at this point. He sat there, near the Tiger as his vision continued to get blurry. "You three¡­", he said in the lowest voice possible. The shadow wolves immediately knew that he was addressing to them. Without wasting any time, all three of them came out of the shadow and appeared in front of him. "Yes, your highness?", they asked. "I don''t think I can hold any longer." "My vision is blurry and in this state, I am expending a lot of mana¡­" "So, I hope that you three keep a watch of the surrounding.", Shin said as he finished casting the healing skill on the Tiger. One of the tiger''s organs was also injured just like him and due to the skill, his condition stabilized as the organ was healed up to some extent. [ HP: 4378/9999 || Max. HP: 9999 ] He had regained almost half of his HP when Shin finally fainted. Yes, he wasn''t conscious so obviously, he couldn''t use the skill to heal himself. But the system could definitely do that ¨C this was one of the greatest advantages of this system. *Ding* [ Commencing Auto-Heal ] And with this, Shin was being healed too. The shadow wolves did as they were told and started observing the surrounding. Well, what Shin thought, came true. The beasts in the surrounding that were staying away because of the Mountain God''s presence, started to approach them. It was because the Mountain God''s Aura had decreased a lot. It did increase again when Shin healed, but they probably noticed that he was unconscious. Therefore, in order to take advantage of such an opportunity, the beasts lurking in the forest rushed with all their might. The shadow wolves sensed their presence and started to attack them even before they could reach Shin and the beast. "Shadow Ball!" "Shadow Fangs!" "Shadow w!" The threw wolves used three different attacks individually. The boars and monkeys that tried to attack the White Tiger were blown away. The wolf that used Shadow Ball, fired a ck-colored sphere which ended up killing many of the low-level beasts. The one who used shadow w ended up shing away five of the boars that charged towards him blindly. Andstly, the one that used Shadow Fangs, ended up chewing away from the head of two to three monkeys. There were some small foxes too that were running towards the wolves, but the moment they spotted the ughtering, they turned around and ran away. In around ten minutes, there were at least fifty dead bodies and many more injured. The shadow wolves fought hard to protect their master. However, they too reached their limit. They had exhausted themselves and all their mana had been consumed. They had suffered some damages as well since some of the attacks of the monkeys and boars hit them ¨C boulders and rocks also caused some damages to them. They were thrown by some of the monkeys and tossed by some boars from their heads. The situation wasn''t looking good for them but they still persisted. When their mana had been emptied, they used their physical attributes to cleverly dodge by turning into shadows and biting the foes by approaching them. But they suffered even more injuries since getting close was already dangerous enough. While wolves did have great agility, in terms of power, wild boars had an advantage. A single dash from them could end up being fatal. *Huff Huff* They could barely breathe. But no matter how hard it was on them, they didn''t let even a single beast reach Shin or the Tiger. *Bam* Suddenly a loud sound was heard. *Creak* Right after that, some of the trees started to fall. Other trees started to wave from one side to the other as the shadow wolves watched. They could already sense that someone powerful was marching towards them at great speed. *Bam* The tree in front of them ended up sting away as well and from the darkness, appeared a huge Boar. Up till now, the boars that appeared were either slightlyrger than the wolves or were almost of the same size. But right now, the boar that appeared, was at least five times bigger than the previous boars. It had gigantic tusks like that of an elephant. Moreover, it had golden strips like Raka running all along its body till its eyes. Its eyes were yellow in color but would look golden in the presence of light. Of course, anyone could guess that the King of the Boars had arrived. It had sharp ws too along with a long and heavy tail that could blow away an entire tree. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that an elephant in the form of a boar was present at the scene. It was a big threat for sure, but a bigger threat than it was the boars that followed him. There were nearly 500 boars behind him who rushed while turning the forest into dust! *gulp* The shadow wolves couldn''t help but swallow arge amount of dry saliva as they felt the massive aura and pressure developing. ''How do we fight that?'', while one of the wolves thought this, ''How would we fight them?'' was another''s question. "Heh¡­" "Just look at these tiny ants." "They think they are some bigshots just because they killed some puny insects¡­", said therge boar in a deep voice. Chapter 241 Shadow Wolves Vs Boar King "They think they are some bigshots just because they killed some puny insects¡­", the Boar King that stood in front of them said in a loud and deep voice. It had that presence that could easily make anyone die in fear. In any case, the way the boar looked at the shadow wolves ¨Cwas simr to an elephant looking at an ant. Yes, it could literally squash them under his legs if he wanted. *gulp* The shadow wolves stared at him. They were overwhelmed with fear and couldn''t think straight. On one side, they could feel their instincts shouting in fear and telling them to escape. On the other hand, their hearts are asking them to prevent the boar from attacking Shin. The boar then looked at Shin and nca who were unconscious. "Well well, look at the mountain God¡­" "This is a perfect moment to kill him!", the boar said. His eyes then started to glow with red light as a sphere started to form right between the space formed by the tusks. Yes, the sphere was red in color as well. "Brothers!" "Let''s stop him!", one of the shadow wolves raised his voice. The remaining shadow wolves rushed to attack the boar before it couldunch its attack. However, before they could prepare their attacks, the boar fired the red sphere. The sphere contained enough energy to blow away the mountain god and Shin at the same time. Also, it was powerful enough to make them fatally injured. ''After his highness went through the trouble to heal the Mountain God, you dare to attack him?'' The wolves appeared in front of nca. "Shadow Ball!" All three of them shouted in unison right after which a ck-colored sphere appeared in each of their opened mouths. They fired the, too. The red sphere and the three ck spheres collided. *Boom* A huge explosion urred as a result of the collision. A lot of smoke and dust was generated. The wolves thought that they had managed to stop the boar''s attack, however, the red sphere continued to move towards them and appeared out of the clouds of dust. The wolves weren''t surprised. They had already sensed the aura of the sphere which hadn''t dissipated. Well, despite sensing it, they failed to dodge the sphere. To be precise, they didn''t dodge the attack. They were standing right in front of nca. So, if they had moved away from the ce, then the attack would have hit nca and he might have ended up in a much worse condition. They couldn''t let it happen. Because of this, they bore the attack with all their might. But the attack was too strong for their bodies to hold. They were blown away as their blood sttered all over Shin''s and nca''s bodies. They were blown at least twenty meters away. *cough* While two of them coughed arge amount of blood, the third one stood up immediately. The one who stood up was the same one who had experienced death once. Yes, the attack didn''t affect him as much as it did to the others. The reason was simple, the other two wolves tried to protect the youngest shadow wolf too in this dire situation and pushed him back a bit. Because of that, his injury wasn''t fatal. But others had their organs ripped and damaged very badly. They barely had 10% of their HPs remaining. While the third wolf didn''t get severely hit, his HP had also dropped by a lot ¨C only 40% of his HP was left. He looked at his elder brothers who were at the brink of death. He became infuriated when he saw this. "You bastard!", he raised his voice. Right after this, he rushed with all his might towards the boar king. He used a powerful skill with great bacsh. He hadn''t shown this skill to anyone until now, not even Deoras knew about this. When he used it, his aura kept growing stronger. His brothers, whose eyes were blurry and they could hardly hear anything, felt the massive aura through their senses. "Shadow Drive!", he shouted. He was then covered with a ck aura after which he dashed with all his might towards the boar. No matter how big the boar king was, he too was a beast. Of course, this meant that he would feel pain for sure and would suffer damages. But all those things didn''t matter to the wolf right now. He gathered all his mana and energy that was left in his body and rushed to attack the boar king. *Boom* He hit the Boar King directly. Yes, the boar king didn''t even bother to dodge. He just charged forward too in order to show who the real boss was. Well, that was something he ended up regretting because one of hisrge teeth ended up breaking in half. The wolf''s attack hit directly at one of its teeth. Due to this, arge crack was formed seconds after which it broke in half and fell down. Only 10% of the wolf''s HP was left. The bacsh that was mentioned earlier was nothing but heavy damage to the wolf in return for a massive attack. Because of that one single attack, he was supposed to lose 20% of his health, however, since the boar charged forward, he ended up losing 10% extra. Yes, just a simple charge without any skill was enough to take away 10% of the wolf''s health. No wonder 90% of HP was taken away when the remaining wolves were hit by the skill. "My precious baby!", the Boar King shouted when one of his teeth ended up breaking. ''Oh no, the wolf is so dead¡­'', the boars standing behind the Boar King concluded in fear. "How dare you!?" "How dare a puny insect like you do this to my baby¡­" "You bastard!", the boar shouted as he looked at the wolf and charged at him again. "Great Graveyard!", that''s what the Boar King called its next skill. "¡­" Chapter 242 Aura Domain And Great Graveyard "Great Graveyard!", the Boar King used one of his strongest skills. It was a well-known skill. Yes, the Boars that were standing behind the Boar King suddenly got excited when they heard the name of the skill. They started to chant, "Hunt the Wolf!" "Hunt the Wolf!" "Hunt the Wolf!" "Hunt the-" The wolves suddenly got scared. They were confused. Although their hearing abilities were decreased right now because of a heavy hit, they could still hear the loud chanting. Their HP continued to decrease, however, they could feel the weird sensation in the air. Yes, the boars that were standing behind the Boar King, were getting excited about reasons unknown. And this excitement was definitely increasing their Aura. This Aura seemed a bit too strong for the wolves. But more than that, the skill that the Boar King used, was something to be afraid of. Yes, first of all, the name of the skill was a huge clue ¨C Great Graveyard. Graveyard literally means a burial ground. So when the wolves heard this, chills ran down their spines. But of course, this was just the starting of being surprised. They knew, that their deaths were near. They would have had some hope if Shin was awake, but since he didn''t show signs of waking anytime soon, they were terrified. However, a new hope did rise. Due to the massive aura and pressure that caused the uneasiness, nca woke up. The White Tiger with the title of Mountain God that had nearly 50% of its HP, woke up from its slumber as it looked at the boar king and its intense aura. He then stood up and raised his voice, "What are you doing in my territory, Avan?" The Boar King looked at nca. For a moment he said nothing, but after that, he smirked. "You are finally awake nca!" "Haha!" Since both of them were able to call each other''s names, it would be obvious that they were equally strong. Regardless, the Boar King smiled shamelessly as if it was proud to see nca get up. "Look at this new skill which I got as a gift from the Celestial.", he said with a pretty evil smile. "New skill?" "What are you even talking-" Before nca couldplete his sentence, he felt a massive pressure pressing him and forcing him to bend. ''What the-'' He lifted his head and looked at the Boar. "Domain¡­?" "Your Aura Domain?", nca grit his teeth. "You think you can suppress me with your domain?", he raised his voice right after which, he too used his skill Aura Domain. Yes, all of a sudden, the pressure changed. It practically vanished. It was as if both of them canceled each other. Point to be noted, Aura Domain is a universal skill. It is a skill that all high-level beings in the world have. All those beings, who have crossed their limits will gain this skill at a certain time. The strength depends on the power, energy, and soul of the being, therefore, even at the same level, the strength and pressure felt due to the Aura Domain may be different. Regardless, the skill that the Boar King was boasting about was definitely not the Aura Domain. It was the skill Great Graveyard. Yes, when nca and the wolves looked around, their surroundings hadpletely changed. All of a sudden, a graveyard appeared out of nowhere. For humans, a graveyard is usually where people are buried in fancy coffins, or some decorations are made on top of the dead body. But for animals or beasts, only a small sound mound would have been left. Though humans do that too, it is too little or only done by poor ones. In any case, a graveyard with sand mounds appeared out of nowhere. Yes, it practically appeared out of thin air. Suddenly ominous energy could be felt. The aura of the surrounding area got thicker. "This¡­" "This is your doing?", nca asked. "Why? Are you scared?" "¡­", nca didn''t reply as he was indeed nervous. He was already injured and to top it all, a skill that was out of his knowledge was being used. "Haha, it hasn''t even started.", the Boar Kingughed. "What do you mean?", nca asked. "Rise!", he said in a deep voice. Right after he said that the sand mounds started shaking. And from the mounds, weird skeletons started to appear. It was either legs or hands or skeletons of both. But ultimately, aftering out of their sleeping ce, they formed a body. There were about a hundred sand mounds and with them, a total of hundred skeleton monsters appeared. 40 of those skeletons belonged to deers, 20 belonged to boars, another 20 belonged to gigantic worms, 10 belonged to foxes and the final 10 belonged to tigers. These were the skeletons that emerged from the sand mounds. Their eyes were red in color. The shadow wolves werepletely scared after seeing the skeletons walking. More than that, nca was also surprised, yes, he was surprised until he saw the ten tiger-like skeletons walking too. "Huh¡­?" "They¡­?", he raised his voice a bit with astonishment. The Boar King noticed and to answer his curiosity, he said, "Why don''t you take a guess? Who can they be?" "N-" "No way¡­" The moment he saw a hole on one of the skulls of a small baby tiger, he instantly realized who they were. "What are you doing with my family!?", he roared. The roar paralyzed all the boars that were standing behind the Boar King. Even Boar King was shocked. However, it didn''t affect the skeletons since they didn''t have any emotions. Yes, the paralysis and surprise were because of fear, since the skeletons knew not of that, they weren''t fazed. In fact, they kept marching towards nca and the wolves. "You bastard!" "Did you kill them?", nca asked. "Why of course, I did.", he smirked. nca was hurt because of the Boar King. Yes, both of them were friends but when he visited the ce that the Boar King had invited him to, he betrayed and attacked him. No wonder his organs were damaged. Author''s note: Want to chat with me? Want to see my ns for the future? Want to suggest some characters to the novels or any plots you want to add? Want to see some illustrations? Want to see 100 words of the next chapter in advance? Then join my newly created Discord server - https://discord.gg/Wdjrb5akVX You can dm me on Instagram as well - @1st_manga_king Want to donate some towards making the novel? Here''s my Paypal mail - [email protected] (every dor counts) Chapter 243 Necromancy Vs Great Graveyard - Part 1 The boars then surrounded the mountains and even went other ways to find nca who barely escaped the attack and ran as fast as he could. Because the boars had surrounded various ces, he couldn''t even go and reunite with his family. He tried taking a deviation and came to the side of the mountain after descending which, one could enter the forest of Thuren when suddenly some boars spotted him and went to attack him. Thanks to Shin, those boars died since he killed them. But that was exactly when nca met Shin. ''A white wolf that is so much like a pup and can use Aura Domain¡­'' ''Is he the Ruler of Swamps?'', nca asked himself. Right after that, he asked Shin the question and that was how the events progressed. Well, right now, because of the strong skill that the boar king used, nca and the wolves were baffled. That was because the skeletons that marched towards them weren''t some bones stuck together. Yes, they behaved just like any other beasts or just like their forms before dying. Also, the fact that they were emitting aura and mana around them, it would be safe to assume that they could use skills as well. To top it all, none of them seemed weak. If the boar king could store only 100 skeletons, then he would most definitely choose those that were the strongest. After all, the stronger the skeletons the stronger he will be. More than that, some of the skeletons were from nca''s family. Yes, the Boar King hunted his family after ambushing nca. Not only were there the skeletons of tiger cubs, but also ofrge adult tigers who were supposedly his wives. "How dare you, Avan!?" nca shouted and rushed towards the Boar King. His ws started to glow with white light but before he could sessfully attack the boar king, the Skeleton Tigers leaped at nca. They were strong as mentioned earlier, but now in their skeleton form, not only did they obey Avanpletely, they also didn''t feel pain. Even after the bones were separated, they would stick back together and attack nca again. Yes, regrettably, he kept attacking them despite knowing that they were his family. He didn''t stop, he continuously shed them with his ws, but every time he did, he would feel the pain in his heart. His face was drenched with tears. Well, he wasn''t having too many problems in facing the skeleton tigers, but when the skeleton boars and worms rushed towards him, it was quite the trouble. He was continuously using his Aura Domain to cancel out the Aura Domain of the Boar King. Due to this, he had one less skill, and thus he couldn''t apply pressure to pin them down. Nevertheless, the skeletons rushed to attack nca. Some of them turned towards the Shadow Wolves who were barely alive. Well, nca was thinking about saving himself. Although he had recovered a lot of health, he was still a bit injured. Shin stopped using his healing skill before he could recover his entire HP as a result of which, minute injuries were still present in his organs. In any case, the wolves barely had any HP left. The same was true for their MP as well. They could use only one more skill at max. Yes, and instead of using the skill to save their lives, they used it to attack and fend off the skeletons that were approaching Shin. "Hyaa!" "Authority of the Mountain God!", nca shouted. All of a sudden, he started shining with white blinding light. Avan was surprised and the boars were too. But this light seemed like a little light of hope for the wolves. Yes, due to their blurry eyes, this light could only beparable to a light from the torch, but it was more than enough for them to feel relieved about. The white light emerged from his body and in a sting wavy manner, it left his body in 360 degrees. All the skeletons around him werepletely destroyed. All their parts spread and fell here and there. Although the sand mounds were still present, nca didn''t care about it much. He then turned towards Avan and rushed with his entire body shining. But unfortunately, before he couldnd a blow, he ran out of MP. Avan just swung hisrge tail which hit nca directly on his head. *crack* The sound of his skull cracking was heard for a moment after which he was blown away near the shadow wolves. "Argh¡­", his head started aching pretty badly. By the time he opened his eyes again to look at Avan, the boars behind him marched forward. They probably thought about trampling every single one present there. The ones leading those boars were the skeletons. Yes, all the skeletons had been assembled yet again. They marched forward and were approaching nca and the Shadow Wolves. None of them, none of them had any MP except, Shin. "Am Ite to the party¡­?", Shin woke up and after observing the situation, asked this. The Boar King, who was standing a bit far away from him, noticed Shin waking up. "Huh?" "I thought he was dead." ''Doesn''t matter, I can always trample insects like that.'', he thought. "Your Highness!", the three wolves shouted. They were happy because Shin woke up, but they didn''t ask him to protect them. The very next words that left their mouths were ¨C "Please run away your Highness!" They were worried for him. Yes, they thought that Shin was injured and in his current state, he might now have a chance to face the skeletons, boars, and the Boar King. Even the great Mountain God couldn''t do, so how could Shin do anything? *Ding* [ You have used the skill Speed Run ] He vanished from there and appeared right in front of all four of them. "I''m d that you are worried about me, but leave this matter to me.", he said in a deep voice. [ Profile ] [ Name: Shin (Male: 1.5 years) ] [ Race: Level 80 Lupus ( Exp 7.01%) ] [ Wolf Lord ] [ Rank: A || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 2000/2000 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1300/1300|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 1013 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 890 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 1855 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 290 || Max. Int: 999 ] [ Mana Space Lv.3: 200/200 ] [ Stat points acquired: 3000 ] He looked at his stats. His HP had been recovered and so was his HP. He had nothing to worry about right now. "But what can you do against those immortal skeletons?", nca asked. Yes, the very reason why nca lost was that all his MP was consumed while battling the skeletons. Also, he continuously got hits from them due to which his HP decreased further, and thus, he was reduced to this state. He repeated himself, "Don''t worry, I will take care of these small fries." He literally called the skeletons that nca had trouble with ¨C small fries. *Ding* [ The Boar King Avan has used the skill Great Graveyard to create the Skeleton soldiers ] Shin red at Avan when he read the info from the system. After hearing that, he did think that Shin was being hrious, but after he used his next skill, he was taken aback and realized that Shin wasn''t spouting nonsense. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Necromancy ] And just as he used this skill, all the dead bodies in the surrounding suddenly got covered with ck smoke. Yes, from those bodies, the smoke that covered them rose up and took their shape. They literally were likepletely ck smoke but they were filled with energy. Their eyes were glowing with bright green light and more than that, the aura that they emitted was quite different from those skeletons. Yes, while the skeletons did seem immortal, they did suffer a lot of physical damage. The skeletons could attack and assemble again and again because only the parts of their bodies were getting separated. ? However, if their parts were going to bepletely damaged, then they would have no choice but to sleep forever. But the undead that rose from Shin''s skills was literally like smoke on whom, physical attacks didn''t work, yes, not unless they wore some physical armor or had some conditions met. So it was obvious who had an advantage here. "Avan was it?", he again looked at the Boar King as he shouted. "Let''s see, whose skill is stronger¡­" "Your Great Graveyard, or my Necromancy¡­?" Chapter 244 Necromancy Vs Great Graveyard - Part 2: Maximizing Attack Shin looked at the Boar King and smirked. Then withplete confidence, he said, "Let''s see, who wins¡­" "My Necromancy, or your Great Graveyard¡­?" Although he was just challenging Avan, it hurt its pride. Yes, he couldn''t bear to see a puny wolf have such a skill. ''A mere white wolf has such a skill¡­?'' ''But didn''t that person say that this is an epic rank skill that is rarest of the rarest?'', Avan asked himself. He was confused and shocked by the skill that Shin used. Yes, both of them used Undead Skills, but Shin''s was better. It was obvious from the reasons stated previously. The smoke took the shape of all those dead animals. It was obvious that they retained their skills as well. Of course, just like the skeleton warriors, they didn''t have any self-consciousness. Yes, they couldn''t think for themselves. Regardless, there were at least 300 dead bodies around. Foxes, boars, monkeys, worms, and what not? All the beings that had been previously ughtered by Shin and also by the shadow wolves were present there. They now became undead and became a part of Shin''s strength. When Shin nced at them, he could see something floating on top of them. [ Levels topletely regain powers: 1/5 ] [ Levels to revive: 1/100 ] ''Huh?'' ''What are those?'' He was confused. What did it mean by levels before reviving? He ended up asking the system. *Ding* [ The specified detail shows the levels required before the undead could regain itsplete strength to its previous form ] [ The below text represents the level required by the undead to gain the authority to regain its body or reside in another body ] ''I see¡­'' ''So in order to regain its former powers, it needs to level up only 5 times¡­'' ''But it needs to reach level 100 before it can revive?'' ''It looks like it will take a long time before any of them can be revived.'', Shin was right. In any case, this was not the situation to think about this because the battle had already started. The undead foes and undead friends started to sh against each other. "Crush their bones into pieces!", Shin shouted and as per his orders, his army literally went and started attacking the bones to such an extent that multiple cracks appeared soon enough after which they ended up cracking. Shin''s undead army couldn''t exactly use any advanced skills, but they could definitely use some basic skills such as ''Bite'' and ''Tackle'' despite the fact that theycked physical body or teeth. Yes, without having them, they could perform those attacks. They would just make the mana gather at those ces and then attack. When Shin looked at them attacking in such a manner, he was surprised. ''Undead isn''t supposed to be intelligent¡­'' ''Then how the hell are they able to use their skills like that?'' Whatever, the foes were crushed in minutes. The skeletons were on the ground and were no longer getting up. The reason was simple, their bones were crushed. Earlier, the reason why they were able to assemble again and again was because of the Boar King''s extreme mana. Yes, using his mana, the bones were able to re-attach themselves. However, after being cracked, just a mere re-attachment won''t do the job. They would require proper maintenance and healing only after which they could continue doing what their job was. Even if the Boar King was a strong being, at max, he could be as strong as nca. Thus, he couldn''t spare any mana for their healing since he exhausted a lot already. After attacking the wolves and then attacking nca, he couldn''t have much mana left. Needless to say, a lot of mana would have definitely been used to make the skeletons move. Regardless, Shin had a lot of mana to spare. Yes, even after using the skill necromancy, he had a lot, and when it spells a lot, it means a lot of mana is left! [ MP: 1280/1300|| Max. MP: 9999 ] The only amount of mana that was deducted was due to the usage of Speed Run. No MP was consumed when he used the skill necromancy. And why was that? Well, it was rtively simple, instead of MP, the skill demanded something else. And that was HP. Yes, the ones who were being turned into undead, had HP bars beside them. [ HP: 100/100 ] [ HP: 100/100 ] [ HP: 100/100 ] [ H¡­ ] Since they had been turned into undead for the first time, all of their HP was at 100. Yes, all the 287 beasts that had been turned into undead had 100 as their HP. Of course, this would have meant that Shin lost 28700 HP and since he doesn''t have that many, he would have already been dead ¨C of course, this ain''t true. That was because the amount of HP that was deducted from Shin was only 287. [ HP: 1713/2000 || Max. HP: 9999 ] That was the nature of his skill Necromancy. [ Necromancy ] -> Mana Free Skill. -> Consumes 1 HP per undead created -> HP points of the undead would be set at 100 at level 1. -> With the increase in the level of undead, the HP would increase. -> The increase factor will be previous HP multiplied by the increased level. This was quite overpowered since he could, right now, summon a total of 1999 undead and still remain alive ¨C of course, a single hit after that could kill him, but this was just a possibility! The undead went forward to attack the boar army. Blood sttered as if there was no tomorrow. Out of about 500 boars, only 200 survived. "You are getting on my nerves!", Avan shouted. "And you fools, if we can''t get any damage done on the undead, then why don''t you attack the spell user?", Avan shouted. The boars heard their boss speak and changed their approach immediately. "Looks like you are just slightly more intelligent than these dogs¡­", Shin grinned as he said this to Avan. "You-" All the boars charged towards Shin. He prepared himself to attack, but before he could, the undead rushed towards him as they murdered many of the boars. However, there were too many boars who sessfully approached Shin. They just charged straight and that was when Shin activated what he was supposed to do since earlier. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Aura Domain ] The moment he used that skill, the boars that were charging towards him with great speed, became ten times slower. Many of them were pinned on the ground due to pressure. Even Avan, who was in a ss of his aura, broke sweat as he felt Shin activate his Aura Domain. ''A¡­'' ''A white wolf using Aura Domain?'' ''It was already ridiculous to use an Undead skill¡­'' ''But now he could also use Aura Domain?'' ''No way¡­'' ''Could he be-'' ''Could he be the rumored ruler of the swamps about whom HE talked about!?'', Avan''s eyeballs were shaky. He waspletely scared after that. nca was indeed surprised earlier, but now, he started to expect even greater things. ''Someone with the title of Ruler Of Swamps cannot be weak¡­'' ''I knew that¡­'' ''Yes, I knew that he was strong, but¡­'' ''What is this strength? Just how much power is he hiding?'', nca started asking himself. *Ding* [ You have used the skill, Aero sh ] And the boars were being chopped one by one with the attack. Avan could no longer see this. He opened his huge mouth as he prepared for the next attack. A red-colored sphere, simr to earlier but quiterge was formed. He fired it as soon as it was formed. He neglected the fact that his own people, the boars were standing near Shin. All he wanted to do was eliminate Shin. "Master¡­?", all the boars who saw him attack started sweating profusely as their hearts realized that they were left behind and betrayed by their king. Yes, they realized that they were just pawns and while realizing this, all they could do was see their brethren get shed by Shin''s skill and the gigantic Red Sphere approaching them. Most of them closed their eyes, epting their fates decided by their King. ''Rascal, despite knowing that his men would be caught up in the attack, he went ahead and fired it.'', Shin grit his teeth. ''System, add 2000 stat points to attack!'', Shin said to the system. *Ding* [ Command epted ] [ Atk: 1013+2000 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Stat points acquired: 1000 ] Right after that, his body shone in green light for a second. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Rage ] [-> All stats are doubled temporarily ] [-> Int stat will be halved temporarily ] [-> Aura Domain will remain activated ] [-> 10% of HP will be consumed ] [-> Lasts 00:00:05:00 (5 minutes) ] With this, all his stats such as stats rted to attack and defense doubled. But what Shin was looking for was doubling of the attack stats. [ Atk: 3013+3013 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] Yes, in order to counter the huge level difference and strong attack, Shin needed this boost. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Shadow st ] [ ¡­ ] Chapter 245 Impaled Shin knew that the Boar King was quite strong. He came to this realization after taking a look at his status. [ Profile ] [ Name: Avan (Male: 78 years) ] [ Race: Level 93 Scrofa ( Exp 73.19%) ] [ Boar King ] [ Rank: S || Max. rank: SSS ] [ HP: 4340/5999 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1099/5999|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 5999 || Max. Atk: 9999 ] [ Def: 5999 || Max. Def: 9999 ] [ Speed: 999 || Max. Speed: 999 ] [ Int: 91 || Max. Int: 95 ] [ Skills Gained ] -< cannot be shown due to the host''s low level >- Although Avan''s speed was quite less, his other stats were higher than normal. Of course, they were still less than nca''s, but it was definitely more than Shin''s. Shin realized that his attack stats were too low to counter the mega attack that the boarunched. Therefore, he used two thousand of the stat points on the attack stats. Thanks to that, the attack power of all the skills increased drastically. Also, when he used the skill Rage, the already increased stats ended up getting doubled. Thanks to that, his attack power was 6016. This was a little higher than that of Avan. Yes, Shin calcted all this instantly because no matter what happened, he wanted to eradicate the Boar King. Well, he could have used the skill, Aero sh. However, he knew that the skill would end up shing the sphere instead of stopping. With the sphere''s momentum, both the sliced halves would still proceed to move towards Shin and might end up colliding. Basically, Aero sh was no good. Due to that, Shin recalled all the skills that he had only to conclude that there were no good skills to counter the Boar King''s attack. Therefore, he ended up using one of Deoras'' attacks. Yes, he knew that he could use his subordinates'' attacks, and after recalling that, he asked the system to show a suitable skill from Deoras to counter Avan''s attack. *Ding* [ The skill Shadow st from Deoras is found to be suitable ] Right after this text, he used the skill. A dark sphere appeared in his mouth which he soonunched. The sphere that was formed by Shin was as big as Avan''s. Considering the fact that Shin''s attack power and MP was more than Avan right now, it was not too hard to judge who was going to win. However, things didn''t go as nned. Yes, when both the sphere collided, the shock wave produced from the attack blew away almost all of the boars. Although it was not fatal, all the boars were hurt a bit. Since Shin was lighter than most of them, he was the first one to get blown away. And because of his low intelligence stat right now, he could hardly think of a way to prevent himself from getting blown away. In contrast to that, nca and Avan were huge. Although nca wasn''t as big as Avan, he was quite heavy and the shock wave didn''t blow him away. Avan was the heaviest there, so the shockwave just startled him and did nothing more. *Boom* Since Shin''s attack power exceeded only by a little, both of the spheres ended up nullifying each other. A few seconds after the loud explosion that urred due to the collision and nullification, Avan tried to re at Shin. But Shin was no longer present at the ce. Yes, he was blown away after all. A huge crater was formed due to the explosion and some pebbles had blown away. Avan was definitely shocked by this, but what he was much more shocked with was that Shin was now fatally injured. Well, the same applied to him. Since Shin ended up getting blown away, he was saved from the explosion. However, he ended up falling on a broken branch of a tree that had a sharp end like a knife. It ended up piercing his abdomen. As for Avan, he was bleeding a lot too because of the explosion. nca was affected a little as well but not as much as Avan. Other Shadow Wolves were fine because they turned themselves into shadows after regaining a bit of MP to get away from the explosion. Since they focused on this, they failed to protect Shin. *cough* Just because his defense was high due to the skill Rage and because Aura Domain was activated as well, the damage was rtively less. Some of his organs, which would have been otherwise been ripped off, were fine. The timer for the rage skill is five minutes. Within this period of five minutes, Shin wouldn''t be able to think like how he usually does. Yes, even after the intelligence was halved, it was almost at the same level as Avan. However, being halved suddenly and having the same intelligence all along is two different things. Thus, it was particrly hard for Shin. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Heal ] Having low intelligence doesn''t mean he cannot think. He activated the skill to keep his HP in check and if possible,pletely heal. However, Avan wasn''t going to wait for Shin to getpletely healed. He had already felt his terrifying powers so he was sure that if Shin were to recover, then it would be trouble for him. "What are you doing!?" "Go kill him!" "Kill him before he recovers!", Avan shouted. The boars looked at Avan and then turned their gazes towards Shin, whose abdomen had been impaled. Even if they weren''t as intelligent as Avan, they could instantly realize whose side they were to take. Yes, while Avan tried to kill them along with everyone else afterunching a lethal attack, it was Shin who protected them. Even if it was unintentional and even if it was to protect himself, Shin did save all their lives. Without wasting a single second, all the boars stood up and faced Shin. And now, when Shin looked at them, he was sure that they would end up destroying himpletely, ''Ah, shit¡­'' ''If all those boars attack me, then I''m as good as dead¡­'' Chapter 246 Offering Loyalty ''Ah, shit¡­'' ''If all those boars attack me, then I''m as good as dead¡­'' He thought that the boars were about to attack him, however, in reality, something else was in their minds. After turning towards Shin, all of them bowed. Yes, they assumed the same position as earlier when Shin was suing the Aura Domain, except this time, they were doing it with their own will. It took just an instant to break the trust and establish a new trust. Yes, they knew how strong Shin was, at least, they realized it after seeing him fend off Avan''s attack. With this, they were sure that he would definitely be able to protect them. Moreover, even with all those power, he wasn''t arrogant ¨C some even thought this. They decided to leave Avan''s side and join Shin out of the blue. ''Huh?'' ''What are they doing¡­?'', Shin was confused after seeing them pinning themselves against the ground. The same reaction was given by the shadow wolves who emerged back from the shadows. Even nca and Avan were surprised by what was happening. All the remaining, about 200 boars, were literally showing the signs of their loyalty towards Shin. *Ding* [ 213 boars have decided to serve you ] [ Would you ept them? ] [ Yes/No ] The system asked. When it disyed the notification, Shin was absolutely confused. That was because, how could someone just randomly leave their own tribe and join a stranger''s n or something simr? ''Hey, do you really think that all of them are loyal?'' ''What if they betray meter?'', Shin asked the system. *Ding* [ Loyalty cannot be measured ] [ Chances of betrayal will be 0% after the host has epted their wish of serving you ] "¡­" For a moment, it felt as if Shin didn''t have any choice. But then again, he was indeed given a choice to reject. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Telepathy ] With the help of telepathy, he started conversing with all the 213 Boars who were ready to offer their loyalty to Shin. There were around 50 more boars there who were against the idea of joining Shin. They were rather thinking about being with Avan since they trusted their own kin more than others. They immediately rushed towards Avan as if they wanted to report the betrayal of the boars, however, Avan could clearly tell even without them telling anything. He was frustrated and started shouting. "How dare you insects even think about joining that bastard?" "Did you forget all the times I have protected you?" "You filthy betrayers!" "You backstabbers!", Avan was using interesting words as he was angry. They were definitely something that a normal beast would never use. Then again, he was a highly evolved beast so it was possible for it to use such words if he hade by any. However, the boars didn''t reply. They were busy conversing with Shin and the moment they felt that Shin used mass telepathy, they realized that they were in front of a beast whose power was on the same level as the Mountain God or higher than him! After talking with the boars, Shin realized why they were so eager to offer their loyalty to him. Actually, the Boar King Avan was a ruthless king. Just like earlier, he would always consider his men as pawns. The ones whom he would praise would be the pawns that were either useful to him or would give him profit always. As for others, he would force them to go and huntrge beasts or set up traps and do other things. Also, the Boar King was a ruthless carnivore. It would even eat its own kin and would term it as punishment or some other useless reason. Seeing this, many were terrified and never rejected what he did. Like any other strong and intelligent beast, it too wanted to set up a kingdom of its own. But foolishly enough, it went ahead and tried to attack a human kingdom ¨C of course, he failed miserably. However, after hearing the fact that Shin was able to destroy one of the wealthiest human kingdoms, his anger peaked. Due to that, after realizing that Shin was his foe and that too a strong one, it didn''t hesitate to attack, despite putting his own men in danger. ''System, is there any benefits in epting them and making them a part of my n?'', Shin asked. *Ding* [ The advantages exceed the disadvantages ] [ Hence, it is beneficial ] [ Here are the following benefits: ] -> You will have more followers and subordinates resulting in many more skill choosing options. -> The rank of your n will increase -> Since the boars are power-type beasts, destroying rocks, trees, boulders, etc would be an easy task for them. These three main benefits were given and after seeing them, Shin didn''t hesitate to ept them as his followers. ''Then, yes. I ept.'' *Ding* [ You have epted 213 Boars as your subordinates ] [ They have officially joined the n Lou Shin ] *Ding* [ n name: Lou Shin ] [ n Leader: Shin ] [ n Vice-Leader: ] [ n Ranking: 795 ] [ n Power: 9 ] [ n Members: 5747 ] The n power increased by 2. Shin was surprised after seeing that. This was because, there were no new beasts that he had named. But oh well, he soon realized that there were two boars with names that joined. Obviously, it was natural for the power to increase. However, when Shin looked at the familia power, it remained at 7. He now realized the difference. Basically, if he were to name some beast in his n, then both, the n power and familia power will increase as the beast would end up bing a part of his familia as well. But, if he were to just add a beast with a name to his n, then only the n power will change with no effects disyed in the familia power or rankings. He understood this after a bit of spection. Regardless, now, the crests appeared in various ces on the bodies of the Boars. Chapter 247 A Dangerous Skill The crests were shining with white light. Although the glow was faint, it was more than enough to catch everyone''s attention. Yes, the boars that still ran towards Avan could see the remaining members obtaining the crest. ''We never got crests from our king¡­'', they thought. They looked at Avan to seek an answer when they saw himpletely astonished. Even nca was surprised when he saw the crests appearing on the bodies of the boars. ''No way¡­'' ''Did he really just give crests to all of them?'', nca waspletely surprised and baffled by the sight. He could have never imagined for such a thing to happen. Well, it was never exinedpletely before but crests are rare symbols or emblems. When the system did tell Shin that the crests actually tell if a being is part of a n, it never exined the rest of the things. Not every n member can have crests. In fact, in a n, it might be possible for not a single person to have any crest. So the question arises, what is crest? What are its exact functions? Why is it so rare? First of all, a crest is like a mark on the soul made on the beings that voluntarily enter a n after offering their entire loyalty. As long as they aren''t entirely loyal, they would never be able to obtain a crest. And if one doesn''t obtain a crest, the n leader can immediately know that the soul is corrupted or the being has foul intentions. In that way, he can eliminate him right away. Next, the crest lets the subordinates use a portion of the n leader''s or vice leader''s mana. Sometimes, quite rarely, they may even use their skills. Of course, this was only valid when their lives were very in extreme danger and they were one of the high rankers in the n. Not everyone could do that. The crests give other boosts as well. For example, it increases the growth rate of a beast and also gives chances for evolution. And finally, it is believed that from the moment they gain crest, all their bad deeds in the past would get erased. Yes, since even beasts believe in after-life and karma, having a crest would only leave them with good karma. Of course, if one does wrong after gaining the crest, then he would gain bad karma. But the previous bad karma before obtaining the crest would have definitely vanished. That was how it worked. Since one could always do bad deeds and then obtain a crest to prevent the bad karma from affecting their next lives, nature made having crests quite rare. Only the leader with extreme capabilities can provide crests. But Shin, without his own realization, kept giving crests as if it was free. Yes, he thought that it was normal to have one and thus didn''t react much ¨C the above-exined things were its hidden reasons and points that one should be aware of. That was the reason why nca and Avan were surprised. Nevertheless, he was still angered. Without wasting any time, he shouted, "Attack!" All the boars opened their mouths, yes all the boars that were on Avan''s side. A red-colored sphere started forming in their mouths. Avan did the same too. He was probably going to use everyst bit of mana he had o eradicate everyone. The boars on Shin''s side opened their mouths as well to shoot a sphere just like the boars on Avan''s side. But of course, whenpared to Avan''s powers, the little boars wouldn''t be able to do much! ''Damn, the heal is taking too long.'' It had already been three minutes by now and there were two more minutes left. Shin''s intelligence stat was still halved, despite that, he came up with a brilliant idea. ''All I need to do is recover my HP right¡­?'' He looked at the undead that he raised a few moments ago. They all had HP and Shin had the skill HP Eater ¨C you get it right? It was simple, all he had to do was use the skill on them and gain their HP. Basically, Necromancy was like a broken skill which he realized right now. And after smirking, he dly used that skill since he had no sympathy for the unknown undead anyway. *Ding* [ You have used the skill HP Eater ] And right after that, he took some amount of all their HPs. The Undead were still present since Shin didn''t take all of their HP. Yes, only some from all of them were more than enough for him to recover. [ HP: 2000/2000 || Max. HP: 9999 ] His HP became full in an instant. The impaled abdomen was also healed as he removed the wood with the help of his mouth. ''Now¡­'' ''As for them¡­'' Shin looked at Avan and other boars who were about to fire the attack. Yes, before finally thinking of a skill to use, they ended up firing. The same was true for the boars that were on his side, they too fired the red sphere. *Ding* [ Warning ] [ The collision of the attacks would cause an explosionrge and strong enough to blow away the mountain Grekko ] "¡­" Shin looked at the dangerous notification that popped up. He knew what he had to do the moment he got the notification. ''I have to prevent them from collision¡­'' ''I think there is just one way¡­'' Shin''s eyes started to glow with intense green light. His aura increased as well. The skill Aura Domain was still activated with rage, so the effects of the skill which he was using were multiplied or increased as well. ''I have used this skill just once¡­'' ''I thought about never using it after using it once during the hunt in the past days¡­'' ''But after seeing the warning, I don''t think I have much of an option.'', Shin grinned as he nced at the spheres that were about to sh. ''Here we go...'' Chapter 248 God Wind And Gods Breathe ''Here we go¡­'', after thinking this much, he used the skill about which he had been thinking. *Ding* [ Do you really want to activate the specified skill? ] [ Yes/No ] This was the first time the system too specifically showed a separate notification regarding the activation. Yes, even the system knew how dangerous the skill was and had set up a different mechanism for its activation. With a little hesitation, Shin said in a loud voice, "Yes!" The moment he did that, the shadow wolves and nca got startled. They had felt the growing aura from his body so they kept staring at what he was trying to do. Finally, when he shouted, the skill finally got activated after the system''s notification. [ Command ept ] *Ding* [ You have used the skill God Wind ] [ The Six Great Winds Are Being summoned ] [ The Hot winds have been summoned ] [ The cold winds have been summoned ] [ The Sea Winds have been summoned ] [ The Land Winds have been summoned ] [ Heaven''s Wind has been summoned ] [ Hell''s Wind has been summoned ] [¡­] [ All the winds havebined to develop strong force and pressure ] The six-strong winds blew away all the spheres that were about to collide. Yes, all the spheres vanished from the sight towards the sky and exploded high up there. There were two good things that happened from this, Shin was finally able to summon all six winds, and second, the skill ended up evolving. *Ding* [ The skill God Wind has met the requirements to evolve ] [ The skill God Wind is evolving¡­ ] [ The skill God Wind has evolved into God''s Breathe ] Earlier, when Shin had used this skill once, he had summoned two types of wind. They were more than enough to almost end up killing all the trees around him. Yes, the cold winds literally have so low temperatures that they can even freeze an entireke or river. They ended up freezing all the sap inside the trees earlier. The hot winds are the opposite. They carry such heat that they would end up burning anything that would evene close to it. Since Shin had summoned these two winds earlier, the lives of the trees were preserved. Of course, after the popping up of the two notifications, he deactivated the skill. But now, he ended up using it again. The reason why it evolved so quickly was because of its rarity and uniqueness as well. Since its level wasn''t being shown, one couldn''t say what level it was. So of course, it could evolve whenever it wanted to. In any case, now the skill evolved which was a good thing. Regardless, the attacks had been fended up and Shin''s HP was full. He got boars on his side and nca too didn''t seem hostile to him, so what else could be better than this? Yes, you got it right, killing Avan and getting tons of experience would definitely be top-notch. And Shin did exactly that. He, without wasting any time, unleased Aero sh which shed away Avan''s body in half vertically. His body got separated to a right and left and fell down as arge amount of blood painted all the boars near him in red. The boar near him werepletely surprised by what happened. That was because it happened so fast that their minds couldn''t even process it. All they did was look at the dead Avan that was minced into two pieces. *Ding* [ You have leveled up ] [ Lv.80 -> Lv.81 ] [ Name: Shin (Male: 1.5 years) ] [ Race: Level 81 Lupus ( Exp 97.18%) ] [ Wolf Lord ] [ Rank: A || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 2000/2000 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1300/1300|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 3013 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 1000 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 2000 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 292 || Max. Int: 999 ] This was what his status showed now. *gulp* ''Just what-'', nca was surprised as well. Well, this was bound to happen. Shin''s stats were doubled whereas his attack stats were sky-high. Obviously, the Boar''s defense, which was low, couldn''t stand it. Aero sh cut through him and went ahead while cutting many more trees in the area. Shin then grinned and said, "So, how do you want to die?" The boars that took Avan''s side realized that they fked up! All the boars on Shin''s side rushed and ended up killing the remaining by either stomping them or by dashing and crushing their bodies. In the end, they all returned andid low in front of Shin who walked and used the skill Heal on nca after his skill Rage had been deactivated. Furthermore, he used the skill Heal on all his subjects present there including the shadow wolves. They all recovered their health but all this took almost an hour. Shin had deactivated his skill necromancy and let the dead rest. The graveyard had vanished long ago but the skeletons were still present. It was as if the skeletons were summoned along with their graves but now the graves returned to their ces but the skeletons were left behind ¨C this was a conclusion that Shin came to. Regardless, he looked at the mission that was left iplete. [ Mission ] [ new ] -> Defeat the Mountain God nca [ iplete ] -> Collect the secret Three-Star stones from nca [ iplete ] [ Rewards ] -> Title: Ruler of the Mountain Grekko -> nca as subordinate -> 50% HP recovering potion x1 It still showed iplete which meant that Shin had yet to defeat nca. Thus, he said, "nca, would you like to have a spare with me?" nca looked at Shin and immediately said, "I ept my defeat¡­" "Huh?", Shin was surprised. He thought that he would get another good fight with nca, but without even thinking about it, he ended up epting his defeat. And yes, this was even epted by the system! [ Mission ] [ new ] -> Defeat the Mountain God nca [pleted ] Now the only thing that was left was the second task. -> Collect the secret Three-Star stones from nca [ iplete ] ''Alright, let''splete this and gain the rewards. Then I can cross to the other side and rejoin with the group.'' ''But I wonder...'' ''What could they be doing right now...?'' Chapter 249 A Way To Revive The wolf pack that continued without Shin, soon enough entered the Forest of Miracles. After crossing the river, one had to walk for about ten minutes to finally reach the forest of miracles. And yes, they had already arrived. Deoras and others were fearless right now. That''s because they had Shin''s backing. But yes, his absence did make a few of them worry. Right now, the strongest in the pack was Deoras, and following him were Terran, Raka, and Ae. And the weakest one was among the shadow wolves. But the weakest one with a name was none other than Alira. She was previously level 29 when she met Shin, but then she showed exponential growth after hunting a lot of beasts. Yes, right now she was at level 38. Still, she was one of the weakest. In any case, the forest was chilling. It was already nighttime. All of them had walked a lot. Deoras thought about sleeping in the open right now and resting for a while. Although Wolves were beasts that would usually hunt during nighttime and sleep or rest during the day, after meeting Shin, their actions had been changed a lot. It could partly be because Shin behaved somewhat like a human. Right now, they decided to rest as per Deoras'' order. Yes, he didn''t decide this on his own, he used the skill Telepathy to contact Shin to ask if they could rest. ''Your Highness¡­'', Deoras used his skill Telepathy. ''Yea, what is it Deoras?'', Shin answered in return by using Telepathy. Deoras then exined how it was night and he wanted to let others rest as they had been exhausted. Also, it was time for their sleep and thus they couldn''t continue any longer. Before answering Deoras, Shin asked, ''Can you describe your surroundings¡­?'' Deoras looked around him only to find many trees. There were somerge and some small trees with a lot of leaves. They looked quite normal. Deoras described this to Shin right after which Shin said, ''Then, walk for another mile. When you find an area which is not surrounded with any trees, only then start resting.'' ''As you wish, your highness.'' And their telepathy was over. Shin was being cautious and was ensuring their safety. Since it was night, one couldn''t tell from which direction danger would approach. Despite having good vision and sense of smell, the wolves could easily be killed if there was a high level of being residing in the trees. Also, the trees are considered to be territories of not just some pun insects or birds, even deadly and strong snakes reside. Monkeys were some other mischievous and strong beasts that resided on the trees. Due to this, Shin asked Deoras to find an open location. That way, there would be almost zero percent chances of attacking sneakily. Deoras did as he was told. He walked a little further after rying the message to everyone and found an open location. As per Shin''s orders, they decided to rest here. Of course, they didn''t have anything to eat, but they slept somehow. A few of them changed shifts and guarded despite the hunger, but they managed it somehow. Regardless, they still had to walk for another two days before they could reach the designated ce. Shin had nned to re-join them by the time the second day passed. . . . "Hey nca¡­", Shin called out to nca who had epted his defeat and was basically trying to sleep right now. It was nighttime after all and it needed some rest. Also, it had lost its family, so it needed some time to get rid of that weird feeling that continuously tightened his chest! Shin looked at him and then continued, "I want an item from you¡­" That was all that Shin need to say. nca all of a sudden looked towards him and then his eyes started to glow. Right after that, a small circle was formed in front of him. The circle then turned white and started to glow with bright white light right after which, from it, an item dropped. "You want that right? You can take it¡­", nca said as if he didn''t care about it. He continued to stare at the sky as the circle disappeared leaving behind the item that Shin required the most! It seemed like a small box but when Shin opened it, he found three stones in it. All the stones had three stars drawn on them. ''This¡­?'' The notification popped up right away. *Ding* [ You havepleted the mission ] -> Defeat the Mountain God nca [pleted ] Now the only thing that was left was the second task. -> Collect the secret Three-Star stones from nca [pleted ] [ You rewards will be given: ] -> Title: Ruler of the Mountain Grekko [ gained ] -> nca as subordinate [ gained ] -> 50% HP recovering potion x1 [ gained ] Yes, he gained all three rewards right away. He understood about the first reward because a separate notification popped up. *Ding* [ You have acquired the title ''Ruler of the Mountain Grekko'' ] [ Every being residing in the Mountain will have no choice but to obey you. ] [ You can see moments and changes of everything that happens in the mountain the moment you close your eyes ] p Shin was surprised by the benefits but it was good. He even got the 50% HP recovering potion which automatically got stored in the inventory. But he wasn''t so sure about the second reward, that is, making nca his subordinate. He wanted to ask nca about it, but he seemed quite uncooperative. Shin thought about consoling him first. "nca¡­" "Life and death is just a matter of chance¡­" "You should¡­", and before he could continue, he suddenly recalled something. [ Levels to revive: 1/100 ] Yes, he recalled these words which he had seen levitating on top of undead that he summoned. "nca!", he raised his voice. nca was startled. He again turned towards Shin. "Yes?", nca didn''t seem that interested in what Shin was going to talk about. "¡­" "I think I can revive your family.", Shin said. "¡­" Chapter 250 A Frightening System "I think I can revive your family.", Shin said. "¡­" "Ha!?", nca was totally surprised by this unexpected piece of news. He was steadying his heart so that he could forget his loved ones who were no longer in this world, but after hearing what Shin said, nca had no choice but to be astonished and confused. "Wha-" "What are you even saying?", nca asked. "Haha." "You heard it right. I think, I might be able to revive them.", Shin repeated himself. He did think about using the phoenix blood, however, the problem was, too much time had passed. If you recall the information regarding the phoenix blood, it could only be used in under two minutes. [ Phoenix Blood ] [ -> It is believed that a phoenix has to power to rise from the ashes after the death of its physical body and is considered immortal ] [ -> Its blood is considered to have the power to bring the dead back to life ] [ -> 1 drop and bring 1 being back to life if the being is made to drink the blood within 00:00:02:00 ( 2 minutes ) after death ] Therefore, the only feasible way was to use necromancy and let the undead level up. Though, he wasn''t sure if they would be apanying him throughout the journey. ''Hey system, what happens to the undead that arises from necromancy.'', Shin asked. *Ding* [ The undead may apany the host along the journey or they may vanish into darkness and be re-spawned againter ] [ The undead would automatically get tagged so the host can summon their souls from the depth of darkness ] The answer was quite useful and was exactly what Shin wanted to hear. He immediately said to nca, "If I use necromancy on them, then there would be a chance to revive them." However, nca got the wrong meaning, he thought that by reviving, Shin meant turning them to undead since he mentioned the skill Necromancy. "No! It''s fine. It would be better if they rest in peace than turn into undead and always roam here¡­", nca said. Shin immediately understood that nca had misunderstood something. He then, painstakingly, exined everything regarding his skill necromancy and why he said that they could be revived. Of course, he had seen the info from the system as well and had a better understanding of the skill right now. After exining everything, nca finally understood. Tears drenched his face immediately right after which, he bowed in front of Shin. "Please be my master¡­" ''Huh? Wait a second¡­'' ''Right after saying this much, he is asking to be my subordinate¡­?'' Shin was surprised himself. He knew that nca would think about thanking Shin and would be forever grateful to him, but he never thought that he would directly ask Shin to be his master. ''Did the system predict this to happen¡­?'', Shin asked himself. ''No¡­'' ''To be precise, the system knew that this would happen¡­'', Shin''s eyes widened. He then started to think more on this matter when another thought came to his mind, ''Did the system manipte me to think about the skill necromancy at the right time so that nca would readily be my subordinate¡­?'' *gulp* The thoughts that bombarded his mind were too frightening! ''For now, I think it is better to forget those things¡­'', Shin thought. Right after that, he looked at nca who had been pinned to the ground by himself. "Fine, I will be your master¡­" After everything was said and done, Shin couldn''t back off. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Necromancy ] He used the skill on the left bones. Yes, their souls were pulled out from the Darkness right after which, they took the form of young tigers. They were now tagged so after undoing the necromancy, he could summon them anytime and anywhere he wanted. He then exined his situation to nca about how he had to get going. He couldn''t stay in the same ce. nca understood what Shin meant. He didn''t ask for anything else and bid him farewell. He entrusted his family with Shin. Since they had to level up, they had to fight all sorts of beasts and other things. The shadow wolves got inside Shin''s shadow. Right after that, he started running down the mountain. Of course, for now, he had forgotten about one of the most important things ¨C the three-star stones that he received from nca. Why was nca having them? And why did the system demand them? While not looking at the info and throwing them inside his inventory, he just casually started running as if there was nothing to worry about them. But little did he know what storm those three small stones would cause in a few months or years in the future. ''It''s definitely a frightening system...'' In any case, that was not something that he could decide anyway. The system knew him better than he knew himself. Therefore, he left everything on the system and just watched it from the sidelines ¨C at least, he thought that way, but he was a major part of the system''s plot. Right after descending the mountain, he thought that it would take him a lot of time before he could rejoin. Also, it was night time and he was feeling a bit sleepy. He suddenly ascended the mountain and bit and slept there. Since he was the ruler of the mountain right now, no one could harm him. Of course, everyone''s moments were right in front of his eyes. Also, he asked the shadow wolves to protect him for some time. He wouldn''t sleep for long and would wake up early in the morning to continue running. And the wolves did exactly as they were asked. So, in the end, Shin reserved his strength for now so that he could wake up early and then rejoin his group as soon as possible. The night was cold, but not unbearable. It was pleasant in some way. When Shin woke up in the morning, he found the three shadow wolves in deep sleep beside him. *yawns* "¡­" ''And they were supposed to protect me¡­'' Chapter 251 Void Tiger Spirit *yawns* "¡­" ''And they were supposed to protect me¡­'', he looked at the shadow wolves who fell asleep near him. Well, he couldn''t exactly me them because they were tired too. But abandoning their jobs in such a manner could cost a life. If they be careless again and again, the result would tend to change. But he knew that they would absolutely obey him no matter what, so them sleeping all of a sudden seemed suspicious. ''I should wake them up and ask¡­'', he was curious. Actually, out of the three, if one or two were to sleep and the other was to guard, then they would be able to guard throughout the night by changing shifts. This would be the perfect situation. But considering the fact that all of them were asleep, he realized that either they had been put into sleep by someone or they smelt or ate some sleeping potion. The second was highly impossible since they wouldn''t eat something carelessly. So the only conclusion that Shin could think of was that they were put to sleep by someone. And just as he was wondering this, he saw a shadow in the fog. Since it was early in the morning, there was a lot of fog that covered his vision. The shadow slowly approached Shin. For a moment, he was startled. But then he thought about using his all-seeing eyes, however, he suddenly recalled the privilege that he got after attaining the title of Ruler of the Mountain Grekko. He closed his eyes right after which, he could feel the presence in a much better manner. Also, it was as if he could see from the perspective of different things. Yes, when he closed his eyes, it was as if, his point of vision lowered as he became a rock. Next, when he tried to be a tree, his point of the vision was quite elevated. Of course, he was able to see through the fog because of this. He right away found that it was nca approaching him. He opened his eyes as nca finally became visible. "Ah, master, you are awake?", he asked. "Yes, but¡­" "What are you doing here?", Shin asked. nca then exined what had happened. When Shin and the shadow wolves left the mountain, nca thought about waiting for their next visit. He was returning to his cave when suddenly he felt Shin''s presence again. He still had the title of God of Mountains so obviously, he could feel the presence better in the mountains. And someone as strong as Shin''s presence was much easier to detect for him. He immediately rushed down to see if he returned for something only to find him resting and the shadow wolves guarding. After chatting with them, he realized that the wolves had gotten used to day life instead of nightlife, like Shin. But nca still was much more active during the night. So he said that he would keep a watch while others sleep. The shadow wolves were refuting, but then Shin ended up speaking and approving that. Precisely due to that, the shadow wolves slept as well. "Huh?" "I said?", Shin was surprised with what nca narrated. "Yes." ''Wait¡­'' ''Did I literally sleep talk?'', Shin was somewhat embarrassed right now. He had never done this before so he wasn''t sure what had happened. But oh well, he hid the fact that he talked in his sleep. "Didn''t you, master?", nca asked. "Ah, yes. I did." "I forgot because I was a bit dizzy since I woke up.", Shin said while changing the course of discussion. nca nodded his head as if he understood what Shin was talking about. He then said, "Then master, what about them?" "Shouldn''t we wake them?", he asked. Shin shook his head and said, "Let them sleep for a bit more." "They must have been too tired for sleeping so soundly." "When I will be ready to leave, I will wake them up.", he said. nca then asked, "Then master, should I hunt and bring something for you to eat?" The moment he mentioned that Shin recalled that he had a lot of meat in the inventory. He also recalled the fact that he hadn''t given any meat to the wolves that went ahead without him. ''Ah¡­'' ''That was a miscalction¡­'', he closed his eyes as he thought this. ''I wonder if they would have eaten anything yesterday¡­'' ''I mean, if they really wanted to eat, they could always hunt¡­'' ''However the forest of Islea is at least ten times much more dangerous than the forest of Thuren.'', Shin thought as he sat. ''But Deoras and his wolf packed were raised in that forest.'' ''Although it was not from this side of the area, they would be aware of at least some details regarding the forest.'' ''Hmm¡­'' ''Whatever, I will just apologize and give them a lot of meat when I rejoin.'', Shin decided. "-aster." "Master!" "Huh? What!?", Shin was surprised when nca jumped andnded in front of him. "Why weren''t you responding, master?", nca asked. "Ah¡­" "Nothing¡­" "I was just thinking something.", Shin said. "Then what about food? Should I go and bring or-", he asked. But before he couldplete it, Shin said, "Yeah sure, go and get something delicious." "Though, before that, there is something I want to ask.", Shin said. "Yes, master?" "Do you really think that the Boars would have safely reached the town that I am building?", Shin asked. Yes, Shin had sent the Boars towards the vige. He couldn''t possibly take them to the n wars and couldn''t abandon them since he had decided to take them under him. That was why he decided to send them to the town. "Yes, don''t worry master." "I have used the skill Void Tiger Spirit¡­" "As long as I''m alive, a tiger spirit as strong as me would protect them until they arrive.", he said. "I-" "I see¡­", Shin nodded his head. Right after that, nca left to hunt and get something to eat. Chapter 252 A Death Glare After nca left, Shin had a lot of time. Yes, instead of wasting it, he immediately started thinking about a topic that had been bugging him. *gulp* ''Is this really the right thing to do¡­?'' *Ding* [ You have used the skill Necromancy ] The moment he used the skill and imagined an undead appearing before him, arge Boar made out of the smoke with green shining eyes appeared out of the darkness near the trees. *gulp* ''I ended up making him an undead, but what if he levels up and gets revived?'', Shin asked himself as he looked at its three distinct stats. [ Name: Avan ] [ Levels topletely regain powers: 1/10 ] [ Levels to revive: 1/100 ] Shin understood this only after looking at the stats. This undead particrly had a name ¨C Avan. That was because, once a being is named, the name gets imprinted or engraved to the soul. Since Necromancy is basically pulling the soul out of the darkness and giving them a temporary body, their name would still be attached to their souls. Shin had turned Avan into an undead too because he didn''t want to waste an opportunity of getting a strong subordinate. But yes, even now, nothing more than these three stats could be seen. He couldn''t see what the skills the undead could use, nor could he see their attack power and defenses. Well, only their HP was visible after all. [ HP: 100/100 ] Also, there was something else Shin observed in the undead Avan. The number of levels required for him to regain all his powers was twice as much as others. On the contrary, only half of the total level was required for him to revive. ''Hmm, I wonder what decides the stats in the undead.'' Literally, there seemed only a few differences between Avan and other boars. One ¨C he was much stronger than them with a higher level almost reaching 100. Two ¨C he lived much longer than all of them. nca soon returned while Shin was thinking. "Here master, I''ve hunted a Smoll Deer for you.", nca said. "Small deer?", Shin asked. "Yes.", nca replied. It was a deer with yellowish-brown fur. Shin started eating. "Wow!" "What''s with this taste?" The deer was especially tasty. For someone who enjoyed eating a lot of beasts in the past, this was definitely one of the best that he had. He immediately looked at its stats but soon realized that all it stated was ''''. Of course, all he could see was its type too. [ Smoll Deer ] He realized that nca was talking about the Deer''s name instead of its size because it was asrge as any other average deer. Regardless, Shin kept eating it when suddenly he had the urge of looking at nca''s status. [ Profile ] [ Name: nca (Male: 30 years) ] [ Race: Level 100 Tigris ( Exp 99.99%) ] [ Great White Tiger Monarch ] [ Rank: SS || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 9999/9999 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 9655/9999|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 9999 || Max. Atk: 9999 ] [ Def: 9999 || Max. Def: 9999 ] [ Speed: 9999 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 180 || Max. Int: 999 ] [ Skills Gained ] -< cannot be shown due to the host''s low level >- His MP was a little less since he had used some amount to hunt the Smoll Deer. Also, a lot of it was being consumed because of the long-activated skill Void Tiger Spirit. Although Shin couldn''t actually see it, he knew what it was called as nca mentioned it. Yes, nca was already a part of the n and thus the rank had been raised yet again but this time, by a lot! [ n name: Lou Shin ] [ n Leader: Shin ] [ n Vice-Leader: ] [ n Ranking: 499 ] [ n Power: 10 ] [ n Members: 5748 ] The n members count had increased by 1 and the same was true with n power. Whereas for ranking, they were in the top 500 right now. Whatever, the reason why Shin wanted to see nca''s stats was that he suspected something. He then asked the system, ''Yo, could you show me Avan''s old stats?'' [ Profile ] [ Name: Avan (Male: 78 years) ] [ Race: Level 93 Scrofa ( Exp 73.19%) ] [ Boar King ] [ Rank: S || Max. rank: SSS ] [ HP: 4340/5999 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1099/5999|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 5999 || Max. Atk: 9999 ] [ Def: 5999 || Max. Def: 9999 ] [ Speed: 999 || Max. Speed: 999 ] [ Int: 91 || Max. Int: 95 ] [ Skills Gained ] -< cannot be shown due to the host''s low level >- These were the stats that was recordedst time by the system. Of course, Shin could summon and look at the stats history as well. It was within the capabilities of the system. But yes, he was not just simply acting on a whim. After thorough spection, he noticed a simrity between nca''s and Avan''s stats. Yes, it was their ranks. = ? [ Great White Tiger Monarch ] [ Rank: SS || Max. rank: SSS+ ] = [ Boar King ] [ Rank: S || Max. rank: SSS ] = These were their ranks. When Shin took a look at his own rank, he realized what made a huge difference. = [ Wolf Lord ] [ Rank: A || Max. rank: SSS+ ] = Yes, the system had been telling that Shin couldn''t see the stats because of his low level. But when he looked at Avan''s stats, he realized that Raka and even Terran were of simr levels earlier. So it was not necessarily the levels that made the difference! Yes, what made the difference was Rank! Because Shin had a lower rank whenpared to other stronger beasts, he couldn''t look at their profile. ''Maybe that is also a reason why I couldn''t look at the profiles of those Apes¡­'', Shin thought after which, he gave a death re at the system screen that was showing Avan''s stats. "¡­" ''What do you have to say in this matter, system?'' ''Is my conclusion wrong?'', he asked the system. nca was nervous because of the death re that Shin was giving. Of course, he was doing that to the system, but for nca, it was as if he was doing it to the air. ''Is it really right to trust him with myself and my family?'', nca asked himself. "¡­" Chapter 253 A Massacre And The Start Of Evolution Series nca, for a moment doubted his decision. It was not his fault though, anyone would ask the same thing if they were to find a wolf looking at the nk space and ring at it. In any case, whatever Shin concluded was exactly right. Even the system, which was trolling Shin all this time, had to admit it. *Ding* [ Congrattions ] [ The host has figured out one of the hidden secrets of the system ] [ The improper texts will be changed and the proper texts will be added ] [ The host will be rewarded with an increase in the intelligence stat by 10% ] [ Int: 292+29 || Max. Int: 999 ] Well, he didn''t feel any changes though after the rise in the stats. Yes, the system did admit that it made the mistake, but the way it did was way too weird. Instead of a simple apology, it ended up congratting Shin as if he hadpleted some hidden mission. This only ended up pissing him more since he felt as if the system was continuing its trolling. Whatever, now that he got a raise in the int stat and realized the truth, he had a clear aim. ''I have to raise my rank as soon as possible¡­'', he said to himself. But then again, he wanted to be clear about the ranks and what it exactly represented. Whether it represented strength or rarity? Shin wasn''t so sure, so in the end, he ended up asking the system. ''System, can you exin to me about the ranks?'' The system then started the lecture. *Ding* [ Ranks -> A form of measure of strength and rarity of a being ] [ The increase in rank urs when a being achieves a higher status and title ] [ If the host wants to raise his rank, he need to level up quickly and evolve again to raise the status from Wolf Lord to Wolf Monarch ] Shin understood what the system meant. Also, he noticed that the system didn''t follow an exact pattern of evolution for Shin. Rather, all it did was take some random names and associate them as he evolved. Wolf warrior was in the evolutionary history, but then, Wolf Lord and Wolf Monarch weren''t necessarily the next in line. Shin understood that even earlier when the system meant that his level was lower for the remaining stats to be revealed, it was right. Just that, Shin didn''t understand the right way and only realized now. Regardless, he had finished eating breakfast. The shadow wolves were so sound asleep that even the smell of the blood and food didn''t wake them up. Shin waited after finishing whatever he had. His mouth was covered with blood which was dripping continuously. The river was nearby so he just went and ended up washing his entire body and when he returned, the shadow wolves were finally awake. "Ah, what nice dreams were you having?", Shin asked sarcastically. "Your Highness¡­" The shadow wolves looked at each other and then looked back at Shin only to end up apologizing. "We apologize, your Highness, we were wrong." "We shouldn''t have slept.", they said. But well, Shin wasn''t even thinking about that. But after seeing them begging, he thought about acting tough as if he was irritated and angry because of them. He ended up forgiving them after they kept on apologizing. In any case, since the matter was over, Shin then began walking towards the forest Islea. He had wasted too much time here so he thought about running again. nca decided to move into the vige as well. He had gained a crest too, earlier. He left the mountain as he had nothing to do there. Yes, if he were to join Shin, then he would be able to teach a thing or two to Alira. Also, he was the strongest among all the members that formed the Lou Shin n. Even Shin wasn''t as strong as him, but yes, no one knew that. Even nca thought that Shin was stronger than him and this was one of the many reasons that made him readily ept him as his master. Regardless, Shin ran as fast as he could while using his skills. Of course, he used the skill Speed run and Wind run. Although they did drain his MP quite quickly, he could easily rest even while moving. Rest while moving? Yes. Shin got this idea only after thinking for a while. His size was quite less. The shadow wolves that were with him, were more than twice as big as him. So, as he rested, the shadow wolves could just carry him on their backs. In fact, they could do this the entire time without letting him do any of the work. But that way, it would take way too long since their speed was nowhere close to Shin''s speed. So, it was necessary for Shin to use his skills as well. Nevertheless, he did that and soon enough entered the forest. After entering it, he started walking slowly since it had been quite some time since he hade here. ''This brings back memories¡­'', he looked at the familiar trees. Even after a span of around a year or so, the trees were still the same. Of course, no beast or monster destroyed them. He had mixed feelings ¨C he was constantly being reminded about Kira and Siara and about how they were betrayed. Especially, the brown wolves of the Bi n, if he were to find even a single member of that n, then he would, without any hesitation, kill them mercilessly. *tap tap* And as he continued to walk, he came across the ce where Deoras and the rest were supposed to rest. ''Huh?'' ''Didn''t I tell them to rest here?'' ''Did they already leave?'', Shin was surprised. Although it was about to be noon, he never expected them to leave without him. ''Uh, I think Deoras made them move.'' ''Sheesh, he is too punctual¡­'' After letting the matter go, he continued down the path on which the wolf pack had passed. Yes, the journey seemed quite peaceful; peaceful until a stream of blood was found after walking for a while. Shin''s eyes widened as he noticed a wolf''s head that was stabbed and stuck on a tree. ''Huh¡­?'' ''That is¡­'' At first, he indeed thought that a wolf''s head was hanged on the tree using a spear. But when he took a good look at it, it was a fox! Yes, the moment he got closer, he found that it was a Shadow Fox. There was a lot of blood over there along with tons of dead bodies that belonged to foxes. *gulp* ''Just what the heck happened here?'', Shin was utterly confused with the scene. He knew not what to think of it since it all looked like some massacre had happened here. Even Shin, who had killed tons of humans back in Loria, felt this scene much more bizarre. That was because the heads of the foxes were handed on the trees using various spears which seemed as if they were made by humans. ''System, how many of them have been ughtered here¡­?'' *Ding* [ 439 bodies of dead foxes are found ] The moment system responded that Shin was bewildered again. ''No wonder a stream is flowing¡­'' When it was mentioned that a stream of blood was flowing, it literally meant that a stream was flowing with a lot of blood. Yes, any more blood and it could end up bing a Blood River. Shin then found a lot more footprints on the ground. Yes, some of them definitely belonged to the wolves that Shin knew. With his sense of smell, other than blood, he was also able to sense Ae and the rest of them. ''They definitely went this way¡­'' ''But wait, does that mean, these foxes were killed before them? Or did this happen after them?'', Shin was quite confused. That was because the blood markings and everything else looked quite fresh. Yep, it was as if the massacre had happened a few minutes ago. Shin suspected that, and his doubt came true. The killing had indeed urred a few minutes ago, as per mentioned by the system. *Ding* [ It is estimated that the foxes were killed 20 to 30 minutes ago ] *gulp* ''And when do you think Deoras and the rest of them passed through this area?'' *Ding* [ The estimated time is about 40 hours] And the moment he heard that he activated his skill Speed Run. He suspected that the ones that killed these foxes were probably chasing Deoras and the gang. For some reason, Deoras didn''t choose to fight and thought that it was wiser to run. If this decision was right or wrong, Shin would decide only after re-joining them. But of course, the moment he activated his skill to run as fast as he could, a different, entirely unrted notification popped up which was definitely meant to slow him down. [ Evolution Series has started ] [ New mission ] [ Nine Tails ] [ ¡­ ] Chapter 254 Suspicious Behaviors [ Evolution Series has started ] [ New mission ] [ Nine Tails ] [ -> Eat 500 red-tailed foxes ] [ Reward ] [ -> Gain Nine Tails ] ''Evolution series?'' ''What the heck?'' Shin was utterly confused because he had no idea about what the system was doing right now. The system definitely knew that Shin was in a hurry. He had to go and meet up with the rest of his group. He was worried about them since the ones that killed the foxes could be just behind them and might have wanted to chase and kill them too. He was way too anxious but the system, without considering these things, ended up showing an entirely different thing. p With the mention of the evolution series, Shin noticed that the system wanted Shin to eat all the foxes that were present here. Perhaps there would be a certain change in his body, but he wasn''t sure about it. After looking at the rest of the notification, he realized that there was no timer which meant that it was not necessary for him to eat the foxes right now. Also, there weren''t enough foxes there, to begin with. He had to eat 500 foxes while only the bodies of mere 439 foxes were present. Thus, even if he did eat right now, it was not as if something was going to happen. Besides, if he were to leave them here, they would end up getting eaten by other beasts that lived nearby. Thus after thinking for a while, he came up with an idea of storing the bodies of the foxes in his inventory and eating them sometimeter when he gets free or after he had regrouped with his pack. He stored the bodies and then started running forward. Of course, he didn''t even take a good look at the evolution series that the system disyed. Well, after using the skill just for once, he ended up finding his people. But of course, they weren''t free enough to greet him. *Bam* *Fwoosh* A lot of spears were being thrown from one direction. When Shin arrived at the scene, he waspletely surprised by the ones that were throwing the spears ¨C Ogres! ''What the heck?'' ''Ogres?'' ''Why are they using the weapons made by humans?'', Shin asked. How was he so sure that the Ogres were using weapons made by humans? Simple, it was because, when Shin had visited ces like Lenovia or Loria, he had seen the spears that the adventurers or the guards used. All of them had distinct designs as if they were carved by some special cksmith. Of course, simr designs were present on the spears that were being thrown. "Your Highness!" Alira shouted as she noticed Shin. Well, Deoras and Ae had felt his presence as well including his scent, but they were a tad bit busy in dodging the spears and protecting their fellow friends from the attacks. All of them turned towards Shin and after seeing him, they suddenly felt a gush of energy in their entire body. The ogres, that were throwing spheres and were using strong magic, has no choice but to take a step back when they saw the wolves'' tenacity. There were about fifty ogres. They were green in color just like the goblins but had incredible physiques. They were extremely strong when ites to magic casting and brute strength. Though, they weren''t that smart and usual acts based on instincts. But that didn''t mean they wouldn''t get smarter if they lived long or leveled up. Shin red at them the moment he came. The ogres that had thrown away their spears, continued to take steps back. The wolves slowly walked forward as they growled. The ogres all of a sudden ran as fast as they could upon seeing which, the wolves were about to run towards them. Shin then said, "Stop. Everyone, return." Right after hearing that, all the wolves that were about to chase the ogres, walked towards Shin instead of chasing them. Some of the wolves were confused. They thought that they could kill the ogres and level up by gaining a lot of experience. Yes, they somewhat doubted Shin''s decision. But what Shin did was the right thing. He thought about it for a moment and immediately stopped then from following. Why? Because he pitied them? Of course no. Shin is not the type of being that would pity his foe. He wouldn''t show any sympathy and instead think about eating them as if they were just another snack. As there were various snacks out there in the bakeries or shops on Earth, the beasts in the forests were in a senseparable to them when the matter was regarding Shin. In any case, Shin had started doubting the moment heid his eyes on the ogres. They seemed too afraid to do something like this on their own. With little intelligence, they would never dare to attack a group of beasts, especially if there were a lot of them. While Shin''s pack was indeed small, it still contained a lot of members. Attacking them wouldn''t be something the ogres would consider. Also, the fact that they attacked a group that was at least four times bigger than themselves ¨C the red-tailed foxes ¨C and sessfully killed them, was either a sort of miracle or there was a deep scheme behind the act. ''Why would the Orcs fire the spear aimlessly?'', was the first thing that Shin asked himself as he saw the ogres throwing the spears in bizarre directions where not even a single wolf was present. ''Weird¡­'' ''In the previous ce, not even a single spear missed its target¡­'', Shin recalled the scene from the previous ce. ''Hmm¡­'' And when the Ogres abandoned the remaining spears and ran away, it looked way too unnatural. ''Huh?'' ''Don''t they know that showing back to an enemy is the worst thing that one could do?'' ''Especially if you want to be prey, then that is exactly what you need to do.'' ''Are they idiots¡­?'' ''Well, not that I expect them to have any intelligence¡­'' And just as he had thought this, he looked at the intelligence stats of the ogres that were running away. ''Huh¡­?'' ''These¡­'' ''These are idiots?'', Shin was utterly surprised after that. [ Int: 97 || Max. Int: 99 ] After seeing themon stats, Shin realized that something was wrong. ''It''s not that they are running away¡­'' ''Do they want us to follow them?'' Shin realized that this might have been a trap. After realizing all these things, he took the decision and prevented the massacre of the wolves. Yes, the ogres who thought that the wolves would follow them, were in the end, disappointed. They were by no means some noobs. Instead, it was as if everything that did was nned. Of course, the wolves soon forgot about the group that tried to attack them and started conversing with Shin. The three shadow wolves emerged out of the shadow and narrated the story of how Shin defeated, not only the mountain God but also a strong Boar King. The stories were bound to be exaggerated. Shin made noments in what they said or was asked. He was just d that all of them were safe until he arrived. "Your Highness¡­" "We are hungry¡­", Alira said after approaching Shin again. "Huh?" "Hungry?" Shin then suddenly realized that he had not given the meat to them earlier. "Didn''t you hunt?", he asked. Alira shook her head in denial. Shin almost immediately looked at Deoras who was leading the group. All of a sudden, he lowered his gazes. Well, he couldn''t do anything since he wasn''t explicitly ordered by Shin. But he should have at least thought about the food, or did he think that everyone would be fine without hunting? Deoras isn''t an idiot to make such weird decisions. Shin walked towards him and asked, "Deoras, why didn''t you hunt yesterday?" Deoras, with his head lowered, said, "Actually your highness, I did search the nearby areas, but not even a single beast was found." "Ha!?" "Do you even understand what you are saying?", Shin asked. "This is the forest of Islea, one of thergest forests in the world!" "It is popted with tons of beasts. Even at the edge of the forest you would find hundreds of beasts and you are giving me an excuse that you didn''t find a beast to hunt?", Shin asked with a raised voice because Deoras'' excuse sounded toome. "No your highness, I am speaking the truth." "When I went hunting yesterday with one or two other shadow wolves, there was no beast that we could find." "It was as if all the beasts that previously existed in this ce had disappeared.", Deoras said. ''Deoras is not the one to lie¡­'' ''Come to think of it, I didn''t encounter any beast on my way.'' ''The system too mentioned that the foxes were dead and their bodies were around for about twenty to thirty minutes¡­'' ''Usually, even a minute was more than enough for beasts to swarm around.'' ''Weird¡­'' Shin drowned in his own thoughts after that. "¡­" Chapter 255 The Massacre Of The Dark Elves - Part 1 After Alira repeated herself, Shin snapped out of the confusion. He then decided to look at the situation right now and think about other beastster. But of course, there was definitely one thing that he had concluded. He thought that all the beasts that were present towards the edge of the forest had moved towards the deeper parts perhaps to spectate the Arena and the n wars of the wolves that were soon to be conducted. Nevertheless, he doubted if lower beasts that weren''t intelligent could think about doing such a thing. He then looked at Alira and the rest of the wolves and dumped a lot of meat that he had stored in the inventory on them. Of course, he saved the bodies of the three apes and the red-tailed foxes for himself. He had a mission toplete and also had a thought about eating the apester. The wolves didn''t start eating. It was as if they were waiting for Shin to start. But of course, he had eaten earlier so he asked them to continue. Within q matter of an hour, the entire meat was eaten by all of them. Of course, in between, Shin too joined as he couldn''t resist the tempting smell despite his stomach being full. Regardless, after eating and resting for a while, Shin then said, "Let''s start moving." "We need to cover a lot of distance today." He never nned to reach the destination today. There was still a long road left before he could enter the middle of the forest. Yes, since Islea wasrge, this much wasmon. Anyway, the wolves agreed and were about to move when Shin recalled those highly intelligent Ogres. ''Did they really run away?'' ''Or did they prepare some trap ahead?'', this was something Shin was not so sure about. Therefore, he asked others to rest for ten more minutes. And during this time, he asked Deoras and Terran, to go ahead and check if there were any tripsid out. Of course, as they ran to check, Shin too activated his all-seeing eyes to take a look if anything was wrong or not. He could literally see through any objects thanks to the eyes, but it had one disadvantage, and that was the range. The range of all-seeing eyes was quite limited due to which, he couldn''t see through the entire forest or anything else. In any case, others waited and rested for some more time as per Shin''s orders. Time passed and soon another ten to twenty minutes had passed but there was no sign of Deoras or Terran. It was weird because Shin had asked them to just take a look at the next 1 km which was not that far. It wouldn''t have even taken them five minutes to go ande back after having a look. But yes, right now, both of them were missing. ''If something had gone wrong, then Deoras would have mentioned using telepathy...'' "..." ''Come to think of it, he never mentioned about the ambush of the ogres before I arrived here.'' ''He could have mentioned that too using telepathy...'' "..." Shin became a bit skeptical, ''What is it? Did Deoras end up bing a fool or did he seriously forget one of his skills?'' While he tried to limit himself to only these thoughts, other thoughts just came flooding in. ''Did he betray? Or was he nning to betray?'' Shin didn''t want to have such stupid thoughts but oh well, in the end, he ended up thinking about this possibility as well. And just as he was thinking this, Deoras finally used his skill tomunicate with Shin. Of course, it was no good news! ''Your Highness...'' ''Yes Deoras!?'', Shin responded quickly. He was thankful that Deoras hadn''t betrayed him and it was either of the first two options. ''Massacre...'' ''Massacre?'', Shin was confused with what Deoras said. ''Yes your highness, we are watching a tribe being massacred.'', he said ''Huh?'', Shin was intrigued and astonished at the same time after hearing his words. ''Tell me properly Deoras, what do you mean by Massacre of a tribe?'', Shin asked. And then Deoras exined what was going on. . . "Terran, I think we should head a little further for examination...", Deoras said after checking around the 1 km distance that Shin had mentioned. ''But his highness only mentioned about the first 1 km. He never Saud anything about going ahead.", Terran debated. "But I have a weird feeling about the ce ahead." "We would be walking all the way forward, so don''t you think it''s for our best if we check a little-" That''s all Deoras could mention before a cry broke out. "Help!" Someone, rather, many were shouting for help. Deoras and Terran, after agreeing to their condition of scouting a bit forward, ended up moving forward to take a look at what was happening when they found a vige in the forest caught in a fire. "Wha-" It wasn''t surprising. There were no beasts around and there was a vige in the edge because of it - it was as if somehow all of these seemed connected. When they took a good look, the residents of the vige were no one other than elves. Yes, a vige of elves was being attacked. Of course, the elves here looked way different than the Arb elves. They had dark skins and thus, it wasn''t too difficult to identify who they were ¨C Dark Elves! Terran and Deoras immediately identified them. Yes, the dark elves were getting massacred by the same Ogres that they had encountered earlier. In the tribe of Dark Elves, about 90% were females and the remaning were males. Of course, due to this, they weren''t that physically attributed. Though, in terms of magic, they were second to none. If an elf and a dark elf were to fight using mana, then the dark elf would be the victor. While elves are indeed loved by mana, Dark elves can store much more mana than any normal elves. However, since the word ''dark'' is associated with their name, almost all the races in the world hate them and think of them as lower beings or evil beings! Chapter 256 The Massacre Of The Dark Elves - Part 2 Yes, precisely because of that, all the beings in the world actually hate them. Even the beings that have been living since the beginning ¨C the dragons ¨C detest the dark elves. Terran and Deoras were no exceptions. They too had these feelings the moment they saw the Dark Elves. Of course, while they did see the Ogres be ruthless beings and the ones that were in the wrong, they couldn''t help but stay neutral as they hated both of them. While watching the brutal scene of the Dark Elves being rap*d and killed by the Ogres, Deoras and Terran forgot about returning. The cries that reverberated in the area made even the trees shake in fear or to be precise, excitement! It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that even the trees hated the Dark Elves. That was why, only when Deoras snapped out of it and realized that they were quitete, he used his skill to contact Shin. After understanding all this, Shin asked just one simple question, ''You didn''t jump in there to save them, did you now?'' ''No your highness. We didn''t do any of those foolish things.'', Deoras said. The moment he mentioned the denial, Shin''s eyes became wider. He recalled a small moment from the time when he first met Deoras. - "Why did you save us?", Shin, who was quite smaller than now and was covered in blood, asked the simrrge Deoras. "Ha¡­" "Do you need a reason to save anyone?", Deoras replied. - This was the only thing that Shin recalled right after which, he immediately knew that something was wrong. ''Deoras, don''t move from that ce. I will be there in an instant.'', Shin said. ''Yes Your Highness.'', Deoras stayed there after agreeing to what Shin said. Shin then looked at Ae and Raka. He then said, "I will be away for few minutes." "Ae is the leader and Raka is the vice-leader till then.", Shin announced. All of them were confused because of the sudden announcement. Alira and Kaily were about to walk towards Shin and ask what had happened when suddenly Shin vanished from the location. Raka and Ae could barely follow his moments for the first two seconds after which he literally vanished and was no longer visible because of the trees. As he said earlier, he really did arrive at the scene in an instant. He found Deoras and Terran who were looking at the scene intensely. Also, the cries that echoed throughout the area made them excited for reasons unknown. Yes, they were wagging their tails unconsciously. They were so immersed in seeing them killed and getting rap*d that they couldn''t even feel Shin''s presence. "What are you two doing?", Shin asked. They were startled by the sudden voice. They immediately turned back only to find Shin standing there. "You-" "Your Highness.", both of them walked towards him. "Stop.", Shin said right after seeing them walk towards him. He was serious right now upon seeing which, Deoras felt guilty. ''He must be angry because I wasted a lot of time¡­'', this is what he thought. But Shin didn''t even think about the wasted time. He said, "Just what is going on there?" Right after that, he too walked forward to look at the horrific scene. But weirdly enough, he didn''t feel any anger. It was as if, his heart was getting calmer. If it wasn''t for the system, then he wouldn''t have noticed the reason for such calmness and the reason for the gush of those weird emotions! *Ding* [ You are being affected by a Mindcraft Curse ] [ Due to the passive skill Mindcraft resistance, you aren''t affected by the curse ] [ You have been rendered to bepletely immune ] After these messages, Shin realized that some curse was used which was affected Terran and Deoras because of which, they were behaving a bit weirdly. He then turned towards the elves and activated his skill. *Ding* [ You have used the skill All-Seeing Eyes ] Right after using that, Shin noticed that something was wrong with the elves. Their body''s gave off some ck soot. Of course, it was not being generated by their bodies, rather, it was as if the ck thing was stuck to them. And all of the weird ck smoke seemed connected. When Shin nced carefully, he could see the smoke actually being connected to the hears of the dark elves, where it is usually believed that the soul of a person exists. Well, if it was true, then the process of heart transnt would have eventually transferred souls! But yeah, the system had once exined that the heart in this world was the vital point. Shin could indeed see a white orb in their hearts which was covered with the ck smoke. So, instead of assuming it to be their souls, he just thought of it as their main center of mana core which stored mana and let them use it freely. Regardless, he couldn''t just keep on staring and see the massacre. A lot of female dark elves were already dead and the fire was spreading rapidly. Shin, without wasting any more time, first removed the curse on Terran and Deoras by using the skil Curse Eater. Right after that, he used the skill HP Eater to reduce the HP of all the ogres at the same time. Yes, this way, any of his weak attacks could also kill them. The same was true with the dark elves, if they just gave simple hits as well, the ogres might end up dying due to their already low HP reaching zero! *Ding* [ You have used the skill Aura Domain ] [ You have used the skill Dragon''s Roar ] Thebination of these two skills was more than enough to make the ogres lose their consciousness. Yes, the Aura Domain already frightened all the Ogres right after which, using Dragon''s Roar made them faint. Well, it was true for the Dark Elves as well. Not even a single dark elf was conscious after Shin used both of his skills without actually revealing himself. "¡­" Chapter 257 Choice To Kill Terran and Deoras too felt the effects of the powerful skills. Since the Dragon Roar was more like a sound that would intimidate others, it worked on Terran and Deoras. For a minute, they too were scared. Thankfully, because of their strength, they remained conscious under the effects of the domain and roar. Well, Shin had yet to practice his Aura Domain properly. Since it was a ranged skill, it would even affect those that he had to protect. He had to practice until he could form a domain for a particr individual instead of actually using it in a wide domain. Regardless, Shin then looked at Terran and Deoras and then said, "Help me clean up." Initially, they didn''t understand what he meant by that, but after seeing him separate the ogres from the Dark Elves, they realized that they too had to do the same. Weirdly enough, they no longer felt the hate towards the Dark Elves that they were feeling earlier. Of course, they didn''t ponder much on it and continued doing the task. Soon enough, the ogres were thrown towards one side and the dark elves were separated towards the other. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Shadow Restraints ] This skill originally belonged to Deoras. So instead of specifically asking him, Shin used it right away and restricted the ogres'' movements. Of course, Deoras was baffled when he looked at Shin using one of his skills. ''It''s shocking no matter how many times I see him¡­'' ''Despite being a white wolf, the weakest type of wolf among all, he can use strong and powerful skills from other types¡­'', Deoras smirked secretly. Shin then said, "Deoras, go ahead and get the rest of the pack." Deoras agreed and ran immediately. Well, the reason why he asked Terran to stay behind was that he would end up being useful and could help in some or another way. Yes, thenguage that the Dark Elves used would be different. Of course, even if they could use anguage simr to wolves, it would be much useful to know theirnguage. Shin wasn''t sure if Deoras could understand theirnguage. ''He did say that he heard them shout for help, but I''m not sure if they actually mentioned the world help or were saying something else¡­'', Shin thought. But then again, his logic was a bit wrong and correct at the same time. It is true that the elves wouldn''t speak thenguage of some other being when their lives were in danger, Yes, when someone''s life is in danger, they wouldn''t have the liberty to talk in some othernguage since they would be quite scared and frightened. Thus, it was true that they would have spoken some othernguage. But it was also true that Deoras understood them. The reason was simple, he and his pack had lived in the forest of Islea for a long so obviously, they would know most of thenguages in the forest since they would havemunicated tons of times. Even if it was dark elves, whom everyone hated, Deoras would have at least some idea as theirnguage was basically an ancient version of the elves, just like the Arb Elves! Regardless, Shin asked Terran to be with him because he was a dragon. Since he knew the ancientnguage, he could converse as well. He would be much better than Deoras would understand only a few words. Nevertheless, both of them waited for a few minutes after which, the Dark Elves opened their eyes one by one. The moment they opened their eyes, they found Shin and Terran standing in front of them. Some of the females were half-naked as their clothes were torn. They immediately covered themselves with any and all piece of clothing that had fallen around and stared at Shin who looked at all of them one by one as they slowly recovered from the skills'' effects. They kept staring at Shin who had no aura at all. Yes, because of that, they were a bit at ease. Due to his small appearance, they weren''t scared either. But yes, when they saw Terran, they would shiver a bit. He was scary looking after all. Nevertheless, they all kept their calm. Also, Shin had something to speak about. He was about to start when the ogres started recovering from the effects as well. They started talking in confusion. Terran and Shin could fully understand what they were saying whereas the Dark Elves had no idea. "What is going on!?", the ogres looked here and there as they couldn''t move. The shadow restraints directly paused their shadows. This meant that their shadows were actually paralyzed and couldn''t move due to which, they too ended up bing immobile. It was a terrifying skill yet very easy to break loose from it. Yes, as long as the shadows grow in size and to such arge scale that the movement of the being no longer affects the darkness, he would be able to move. To be precise, when it was nighttime or in darker areas, where their shadows wouldn''t be explicitly visible, they would be able to roam despite the usage of the skill. The ogres were making a fuss when finally, Shin raised his voice. "Dark Elves, I hope you can understand thenguage that I''m speaking¡­", he didn''t know if his words could reach them or if they could understand. But yes, thankfully, the skill trantor did their job and they understood everything that he was saying. Terran was also understood since he knew theirnguage. Though, in his mind, he questioned himself, ''High Highness does know a lot ofnguages¡­'' ''But I wonder, how could someone who has lived such a short life could know that manynguages and that too fluently¡­'' And with that, he paused thinking and concentrated on whatever Shin was saying. "I am giving you two options, choose one - let them live, or kill them.", he said as he referred to the Ogres. The Dark Elves, who didn''t exactly understand what Shin was trying to do, realized that the ogres were on the other side, and for some reason, they couldn''t move. Chapter 258 Vast Energy After hearing his question, they thought that the ogres could be killed. Of course, those elves, that were rap*d, saying with a drenched face, "Kill them!" After hearing that, Shin looked at others for an answer. Yes, just as one of the women mentioned killing the ogres, the remaining started blurting out as well. They started chanting in unison as if they wanted ogres to be killed badly. Shin looked at their desperate tear-filled eyes that wanted the ogres to be killed brutally. But he could see that there were some kids among the Dark Elves who were looking here and there and were chanting after looking at others. A weird sense of confusion lurked in their eyes. Shin, after realizing that it would be too much for kids to see a brutal murder, said, "Fine then, I will grant your wish." He looked at the ogres and imagined about storing them inside his inventory and of course, it worked. The ogres, that were talking or trying to move, vanished. The Dark Elves, that were chanting, suddenly became quiet. They wanted to see blood but found nothing, not even a spec of dust. They were about to ask Shin about what happened to them, when they heard their kids chant, "Kill¡­" "Kill¡­" Of course, they realized what Shin did. They immediately tend to their kids and asked them to keep quiet after which, Shin had a sympathetic smile on his face. He looked at Terran and said, "I think my job is done here¡­" Terran understood what Shin meant. Terran moved forward and then said, "Please go and cover yourself properly." "Also, after sending the kids inside, His Highness wants the adults of the tribes including elders toe out." And with that Shin just sat down in the mud and rested when the rest of the pack arrived. All of them were surprised and many more talkings happened. Terran did the exining work while others listened. Ae sat close to Shin and after licking his face a bit, said, "Are you tired, Your Highness¡­?" This was the first time Shin had specifically heard from Ae, the word Your Highness. He licked her face too and said, "Yes¡­" "I am tired¡­" Terran and Deoras saw the romantic moment that Shin was sharing with Ae, but they just turned a blind eye to them and thought about giving them privacy. The Dark Elven Adults and elders were about toe out of their houses when Deoras and Terran personally went and said toe a littleter. Also, they asked the members from the pack to go a little far away from the ce since they wanted to leave Shin and Ae alone. Of course, they were at least trying to do that. "Then rest a bit, your highness¡­", she said with a lovely voice. Shin looked at her eyes as he felt a bit drowsy. He then slowly lowered his head and ced it on her abdomen. "Then, let me sleep for a minute¡­", Shin said as he really fell asleep. Yes, the fatigue that hit him right now, wasn''t something that his body had umted. It was something that his mind had umted. He had be mentally tired. Although he had a system, it couldn''t help with the mental fatigue. Also, he wasn''t actually feeling sleepy, but for some reason, his entire body including his soul urged to sleep. He slept peacefully on Ae''s abdomen. The gentle breeze blew as it made the grasses and their fur flutter. No one was allowed to make any noise. If they did, then Ae would bite them personally ¨C is what Terran and Deoras announced. Ae didn''t hear any of this but she did make a scary expression when someone tried to walk past the ce. The Dark Elves remained in the small huts that they had built. The vige was not that big and there weren''t any more than 300 Dark Elves. In any case, they remained inside as Terran and Raka went and conversed with them. Along with Terran, Raka too knew theirnguage. Yes, he too was quite old, perhaps, even older than Terran. Thus, he too knew the ancientnguage. The reason why the Dark Elves''nguage hadn''t developed was that they were practically isted by everyone. Only once, in the entire history, there was only one time when a Dark Elf had be a Celestial. But the ending for the Celestial was not very good. It could be said that despite sacrificing his life instead of other Dark Elves, they were still punished and shunned by other races. Right now, they were at Shin''s mercy. Although he was asleep, they all knew that he was someone they had to pay their respect to. Dark Elves had a unique power, they could see the energy that a being has inside them. When they looked at Terran and Raka, they were utterly surprised because the amount of energy they had inside them far exceeded the previous Dark Elf Celestial. Of course, when they looked at Shin at first, he gave off no aura at all. Seeing this, they all felt confident and weren''t scared. But they soon realized that they couldn''t even see the amount of energy that Shin contained. Yes, his body seemed empty when they used their powers on him. This made them even more confused. ''There could only be two reasons why we can''t see the amount of energy that his body has¡­'' ''One ¨C if the being has no energy at all¡­'' ''And Two¡­'' *gulp* ''If the being is so noble and has such arge amount of energy that our eyes cannot perceive it¡­'' While thinking this, one of the Dark Elf Elder secretly announced not to offend Shin no matter what. But what was the reason why they couldn''t see the energy within Shin? For sure, the amount of energy in him was less than that of Terran and Raka, then what was the reason? Chapter 259 The Shadow Wolf Generals Jealousy As mentioned earlier, the amount of energy Shin had or used was definitely less than that of Raka and Terran. Even if they were cursed and most of their powers were sealed, they still had the power inside them. As for Shin, no matter how hard he tries, right now, he cannot defeat Terran and Raka if they were to regain their peak form. So the Dark Elves should have been able to see the amount of energy that Shin had clearly. But yes, they failed to see and the reason was quite simple actually. Shin had the energy for sure, but the energy wasn''t stored inside his body. It was entirely andpletely stored in the system. If the energy was indeed inside Shin''s body, then his body wouldn''t be able to handle that much amount of energy. No matter how you look at it, for Shin''s age, that much energy is abnormal. Even Ae is also abnormal. But the only reason she is able to handle the amount of energy inside her is that she is continuously growing every day. For Shin, that''s not true, He isn''t exactly growing in size until and unless he actually levels up. Even leveling up doesn''t guarantee the growth of his body. Yes, until he evolved, his body size was almost simr to what it was in the past year! So, in conclusion, the system was the one that had all of Shin''s energy. It was the one that would let Shin use the skills since it was the one that gave him the skills. Further, it was responsible for many other functions which couldn''t be exined by mere logic. Their eyes couldn''t detect the system and thus, to them, it felt like he had an abnormallyrge amount of energy which they couldn''t detect with their insignificant eyes. Regardless, the rumor had already been spread and all the Dark Elves knew what a strong beast Shin was. Terran and Raka, the only ones who could understand theirnguage, heard the rumor as well. They either chuckled or smirked after hearing it. Yes, they weren''t the least bit surprised since they had already epted that Shin was stronger than the rest. Well, when Shin made all the ogres vanish, it had a huge impact on the Dark Elves as well. The rumor about him annihting with just a nce started by them as well. After Terran and Raka revealed the fact that this wasn''t the first time that someone or something was annihted, they took it to their hearts and realized how much of a terrifying beast Shin was. Though, they knew he was kind as well because out of every beast who hated them, the only one who lent a helping hand was Shin. Of course, they couldn''t disturb him as he slept so they thanked Terran and Raka. The remaining wolf pack still hated the Dark Elves but behaved well due to Shin''s presence. Also, they didn''t want to look bad in front of Deoras, Terran, and Raka. The Shadow Wolf General mentioned earlier, who was trying to flirt with Ae, also kept quiet as he didn''t want to look bad in front of her. He had evolved splendidly within this short time thanks to the boost received from Shin and was grateful for that. He no longer loved Ae but yes, he was still attracted towards him. Although he was about 9 years older than her, he still felt a weird chest tightening feeling! Yes, after seeing Ae and Shin cuddle, he felt weird. He couldn''t stand watching them and slowly went out of the vige. Deoras noticed him leaving and after informing Terran, he followed him. There was a small pond nearby. The shadow wolf general was aware of that since he too had spent a lot of time in this forest. After standing near it, the shadow wolf general said to himself, ''s, only the strong have the ability to take whatever they want¡­'' He realized that he was indeed in love. No matter how much he denied it, he couldn''t stop himself from loving her. Although, the first time, he was a bit arrogant when he met her, but he changed gradually and now he was more like thinking about her safety rather than coption, of course, he wasn''t in heat. "If only I was his highness and she loved me¡­", he thought about being Shin for a moment. Deoras heard this and almost immediately jumped in his direction. He heard the movements and turned back only to get a paw-p from Deoras. "Do you even know what you are saying?", Deoras asked as he breathed heavily. The shadow wolf general lost 5 HP just from the p. He was by no means weak, if you take a look at his stats, what would know how much it had grown and be stronger. Yes, he went from Lv.69 to Lv.77 within the time period of a month and half! [ Profile ] Name: -< none >- Sex: Male Age: 9.6 years Weight: 25 Kg Race: Lupus (wolf race) [ Shadow Wolf General ] Rank: A || Max. rank: ??? [ Level: 77 || Max. level: 80 ] [ HP: 845/850 || Max. HP: ??? ] [ MP: 500/500 || Max. MP: ??? ] [ Exp: 5113 || Max. Exp: 9999 ] [ Atk: 230 || Max. Atk: ??? ] [ Def: 280 || Max. Def: ??? ] [ Speed: 550 || Max. Speed: ??? ] Int: 75 || Max. Int: ??? [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Shadow Lv.4 -> A skill that allows the user to turn into a shadow. -> Consumes 1 MP per second. 2] Shadow Restraint Lv.5 -> An attack capable of freezing/paralyzing an opponent by attacking the shadow for 5 minutes. -> Consumes 8 MP 3] Shadow Illusion Lv.3 -> Creates multiple shadows of the host which are capable of inflicting damage to the foe. -> Consumes 10 MP 4] Shadow Destruction Lv.5 -> A shadow attack that can pass through any object and cause an explosion with a range of 5 meters. -> consumes 25 MP 5] Shadow Sphere Lv.4 -> Sphere of energy made of the shadow is fired -> Consumes 20 MP 6] Protector -> Can take any attack while being undamaged for 1 second. -> Consumes 50% MP ,m [ Passive skills ] 1] Poison Resistance Lv1 -> Will not be affected by low-level poisons Chapter 260 System Holder His stats were definitely high and so was his intelligence. He seemed a bit mature as well, but unfortunately, he still couldn''t get over with Ae. Also, the wish that he just made, he imed a p from Deoras. "Do you even know what his highness does?" "And do you think you cane even close to what he does every day?", Deoras asked. The shadow wolf general was quiet. He was overheard and of course, couldn''t help but be embarrassed and hear him shout. "And, didn''t I tell you to forget about sister Ae?" "His Highness is in her heart, you can never take his ce.", Deoras said. Upon listening to this, he got angry and ended up talking back. "I don''t think so¡­" Deoras was surprised when he heard him give back answer. "Huh? Did you just talk back to me?", he asked. The shadow wolf general didn''t say anything else and just kept quiet. "What boy? You grew so big and strong that you could just talk back to your superiors?", Deoras asked in an angry tone. The shadow wolf general had already been trying to hold tons of emotions inside him. He ended up shouting, "What''s so good about that pup?" "If I was as lucky as him, then I would have also gained lots of lovers! Yes, he is just lucky!", he said. Well, in reality, what he said was true. If not for is the luck of getting a system, he would have been doomed. Getting killed by humans or even his own kin was his fate. Regardless, Of the fact that the shadow wolf general said this, would have meant that he had seen some moments that probably felt lucky to him. "Lucky?" "Haha!" "I never saw him get lucky." "But even if he did, what''s that got to do with you?" "Don''t you know, luck is also part of someone''s sess and power.", Deoras said. It was as if he had a lot of knowledge inside him and suddenly essed it. Regardless, after what he said, the shadow wolf general didn''t speak even a single word. When he thought about it, for some reason, it felt quite convincing. He then asked, "But how do I suppress this feeling¡­?" He was desperate. He knew what was right and what was wrong, yet, he couldn''t control himself. Deoras realized that it was time for him to be taught many things and thus he followed him behind because if it had beenter, then the shadow wolf general would have ended up betraying Shin. This might end up tarnishing Shin''s reputation when he would have built a kingdom. Also, this would open a path for others to betray as well. Deoras, by no means, wanted this to happen. Thus, he looked at the shadow wolf general and said, "Why don''t you pledge your loyalty to Ae as well?" "Don''t you think you will be satisfied by protecting her?", he asked. Of course, he wouldn''t be satisfied, but right now, his mind was ready to ept any and every route that could lead to Ae. Without thinking even for a second, he said, "Yes! I will!" "I will talk to his highness about this." "Now, let''s go back.", Deoras said convincing the shadow wolf general to return. Of course, now was not the time to discuss about this since Shin was asleep and the matter at hand was dealing with the Dark Elves so Deoras waited until these things were over. Regardless, Shin slept for another hour before finally waking up. He didn''t wake up on his own, rather, Ae woke him up. "Wakey wakey your highness¡­", she said as she licked his face. *blink blink* Shin opened his eyes slowly only to find Ae''s face. He had gotten used to this a long time ago but now, after feeling it again, he smiled. p He said, "Just five more minutes¡­" "But your highness, we would bete if your sleep any longer." "You need to do something about the dark elves and then we have to start walking towards the Arena¡­", she said. Shin suddenly realized that he had to take care of the dark elves as well. He then forced himself to wake up and sit only to find the entire ce,pletely empty. He looked here and there and finally found the wolves and dark elves who were peeking from the side of the huts and from the huts respectively. He then stood up and said, "I apologize for showing such a pathetic side of mine¡­" The moment he said that Deoras, Terran, Raka, Alira, and Kaily immediately rushed from the sides all saying at the same time, "There is nothing to apologize, your highness!!" They all they looked at each other and ended upughing as all of them literally said the same thing. What else would you expect from a familia? Although Raka was not part of it, he too said the same thing. Regardless, Shin too ended upughing after hearing this. He then said, "Get the elves out." "I have something important to discuss with them." Terran and Raka immediately went and asked the Dark Elves toe forward and meet Shin. First of all, the males and especially the elders walked forward. Following them were females who wore a different outfit ¨C made up of leaves. Their tension vanished. Yes, the dark elves were not that nervous anymore. That was because Shin seemed quite joyous and the one tough freely. He even apologized first so the elves thought that he was someone with whom, they could hold a proper conversation. The wolves from the familia including Raka made a pathway by standing on the right and the left side. The elves walked in the middle and then bowed in front of Shin. One would usually start with saying praise or one would usually beg, but the elder''s first few words surprised Shinpletely. His expressions changedpletely after hearing that. "Are you the System Holder?", the elder asked. "¡­" Chapter 261 Accepting The Dark Elves "Are you the System Holder?", one of the elders asked. "¡­" ''Huh? What did he ask?'', Shin''s eyes widened when he heard that. ''I don''t think I heart it right¡­'' ''Yes, the trantion skill might have been broken¡­'', and just when he was thinking this, another elder repeated himself. "Your Highness¡­? Are you really the System Holder?" Now he was sure that he wasn''t mistaken. He looked at their eyes which were a bit watery and were expectant as if they were awaiting his answer. He said, "Ahem, yes. Is something wrong with that?" The moment they heard this, they could no longer bear the happiness inside them. Yes, all of a sudden, all of them shouted and jumped in joy. ''Huh?'' ''What are they doing?'', Shin was utterly surprised yet again as all of them were shouting in joy. Terran, Raka, and the remaining, members were surprised as well with what they were doing. "But how did you know about this?", Shin asked. The remaining members were still wondering what a system holder meant. Yes, they were still confused about it and were startled after seeing the Dark Elves celebrating. "We offer you our utmost loyalty, Your Highness.", the elders and other dark elves too, bowed in front of him as if they were offering their loyalty to him. "¡­" This only got even more confusing because they didn''t answer his question. He looked at them and asked again, "Say, how did you know about this?" One of the elders raised his head and said, "Through a prophecy, your highness." "Prophecy?", now this was something interesting. Shin then asked, "Prophecy? What prophecy?" "Your highness, about 200 years ago-" "Wait wait, what!?" "200 years ago?", Shin was astonished after hearing that. "Yes your highness, 200 years ago the prophecy was made.", the elder said. ''Well, prophecies usually do tell a bit about the future so I guess it isn''t that surprising, but 200 years ago someone knew about the system and about my reincarnation?'', Shin thought. "Our previous ruler, His Highness Evenrion made the prophecy.", the elder elf said. The Dark Elves were previously arge and proud tribe just like the Elven tribe. Both of them lived in grandiose ces. They were each other''s friends. But this friendship didn''tst long as a conspiracy ended up terming the Dark Elves as the enemies of the elves. The dispute increased to such a level that a war broke out between them. The dark elves had many more friends of other tribes. They asked them to help in destroying the elves and were actually sessful in doing so. Thus, came the era of the Dark Elves whichsted no more than 150 years. Yes, in that 150 years, the friends that had been previously been made, vanished. Instead of being a friend, they became a foe and helped the rising Elven kingdom which had received the blessings of various other Celestials. Celestials biased their decision. They naturally hated anything dark or ck since it symbolized evil. No wonder they sided Elves instead of the dark elves. So, another war broke out with a resultplete opposite to earlier. The elves, who now became rulers, knew that what happened with them, could happen with the dark elves too. Yes, as other races sided with them, they could end up siding with the dark elves. Due to this, they did various murders and other criminal acts and med all on the dark elves. It was not hard to make an elf look like a dark elf. Regardless, due to this, all the hate was directed towards the Dark elves. Because of this, they were shunned by others. After running away to the forests and settling in small viges, they finally thought that the hate would end soon. But even after many centuries, the hate still existed. The dark elves were a lot in number and thus they had to have a king always. Although they did run away, they still made a kingdom in the forest of Islea. Unfortunately, they have hunted again and all the dark elves were slowly killed one by one. Now only a few viges remained and the vige which Shin stumbled upon right now was one of them. This meant that they didn''t have any rulers for the past 200 years and they were stuck up in this ce. They said all these things to him and after exining how bad their situation was, Shin said, "Fine fine, I ept you all under my wing." He knew that this was what all of them wanted. He was going to build a kingdom for all races after all so epting dark elves wouldn''t hurt. But yes, he had to do something about the fact that everyone was getting the curse as soon as they look at the dark elves. ''Yo, system, tell me, man, how do I cure this problem permanently?'', Shin asked. *Ding* [ The curse of hate ] [ Requirement for activation: Make 10 or more races hate you. ] [ Requirement for deactivation: Make 10 or more races love you. ] ''I see, so, if we take into ount that they need 10 races to love them instead of hating, then I think the work would be easy.'' ''Wolves are one race, lizardmen another, Mo is another, Alira and nca another, Terran another, Raka, the goblins, the Arb Elves, the alligators, the-'' ''Well, there are more than ten races back at home. I think, once they visit the town, the curse will be lifted.'', Shin thought. Well, he was absolutely right, He had to lift the curses from them for the first time after which, if they don''t develop any natural hate, then the problem with the Dark Elves would be solved. "So, how many of you are there?", Shin asked. "Including children, there are about 345 of us.", one of the elders said. "I see¡­" "Alright then. Since I have already mentioned having you under my wing, I will fulfill my promise." Shin then asked Terran and Raka to tell them to return to the town that was being built. Of course, the beasts in the forest could be the problem due to which, he asked Terran and Raka to go with them as well and return before n wars had started. But Terran and Raka protested that they wouldn''t be fast enough to reach on time. "I see¡­" Shin understood their ims. Of course, they could have agreed but they stated the obvious. "We apologize if we disappointed you, your highness.", Terran and Raka said. Shin didn''t answer them or say anything to them and started to think about what could be done. The dark elves had to be protected, but yes, they could live here until Shin finished the n wars and returned. But there was a huge problem, the dark elves mentioned that they had many more members in their tribe. But recently, a month ago, many of them were killed with the beasts in the forest of Islea moved towards the site of n Wars. Therefore, after the n wars ended, the beasts would again return to their territory. Many would end up dying that way as well, so Shin had to think about something. ''Can I store them inside the inventory?'', he asked the system. He wasn''t sure if time passed inside the inventory for living things. Truth to be told, the items that he stores in the inventory remain fresh or as it is. But for living beings, it might have been different. So he asked the system if time actually stopped for them as well. *Ding* [ The system doesn''t advise storing living objects in the inventory ] [ It causes heavy destruction of energy from nature which may result in disorder and cmity ] [ The time for living beings passes ten times slower inside the inventory ] This is what the system mentioned. Shin understood what it meant by the destruction of energy from nature. As thew states, energy can neither be created nor can it be destroyed, except nuclear reactions where energy gets converted into a mass or vice-versa. But when Shin adds a living object inside the inventory, the energy that is supposed to be in nature, vanishes and gets stored inside the system which nature cannot identify. Thus, this may cause irregrity. That is why the system was prohibiting Shin to do this. Shin''s n was good, storing the Dark Elves inside the inventory until everything was over. However, the system didn''t support him. Regardless, he said, "Join us." "Come with us to the ce where n wars are going to take ce." "You will be with us until the wars are over and after that too, you would always be with our group till we return." This reassured them. This would definitely help in protecting them. All the Dark Elves lowered their heads after hearing this, "We understand, your highness." The females too were out by now including the kids. They all prepared some materials that would be required in the journey such as food, water, clothing, etc. "Alright then, let''s start moving!", Shin said after everyone was ready. And finally, they started walking and wouldn''t stop before arriving at the ce where n Wars were going to take ce! "..." Chapter 262 The Festival - Part 1: Provocation After epting the Dark elves, Shin and the party walked further towards the deeper areas of the Islea forest. The n was to reach the arena by the night of the third day, but they ended up reaching right around the evening. Yes, as they kept walking, they noticed pirs that had some colorful gs and designs on them. It was as if a gateway was made to invite all the beasts to attend the n wars. Shin was surprised to look at all the decorations. That was because it seemed as if a human had decorated them. But then again, humans were bound toe as well since the Human Celestial would be present! Moreover, other beasts that had intelligence were capable of doing this. Regardless, Shin and his gang walked a bit further only to find many beasts from different races gathering. They had formed various groups of their own and were chatting. But the moment Shin and his gang entered, all of a sudden, their auras changed. Moreover, q little amount of killing intent was being emitted. Yes, it was not because of Shin, but because of the dark elves that apanied them. It was weird, but yes, Shin could see weird ck smoke from them too as if they were cursed as well. ''Sigh, just how much hate do other races Harbour against the dark elves...?'', she asked himself as he felt the warning sign from the system. *Ding* [ Killing intent detected ] Even if the system hadn''t shown this warning, Shin could have easily guessed that all the races out there, wanted to kill the Dark elves for some reason. In any case, their killing intentions didn''t matter to him since they were all low leveled. [ Level: 17 || Max. level: 30 ] [ Level: 19 || Max. level: 30 ] [ Level: 19 || Max. level: 30 ] [ Level: 21 || Max. level: 30 ] [ Level: 32 || Max. level: 50 ] Yes, the foxes, roons, deers, etc, none of them were even close to the average level of Shin''s squad. Despite being weak, they had the gall to look at Shin directly- this was what the wolves in his pack thought. Almost immediately, another wave of killing I tent was released which dominated the previous wave. ''Wait, who the heck is so strong? This killing intent is suffoca-'' Shin turned back only to see the scary faces of his pack. The moment they saw Shin turning back, all of them changes their expression quickly. However, it was not quick enough to dodge Shin''s vision. He saw their expression clearly and was about to chuckle but remained calm and continued walking. After walking a bit far, they found arge building. ''Wow...'' Shin was utterly surprised since the building wasn''t present earlier, qt least notst year when he was in the forest. He walked towards the other end of the wall where the entrance gate was present. But of course, the gate was closed. He knew that this was the arena where the wars were going to happen. Regardless, he looked at other beasts that were standing near the building and were chatting. Well, he wanted to talk with them too, but no matter whom he approached, they would give him a look of disgust. At first, he thought that they were giving that look because of the dark elves that were following them. But he then soon realized that he had asked his pack and the elves to stay near the walls until he took a look at the ce. Since the three shadow wolves were in his shadow, Deoras allowed. But others didn''t. Thus, Ae argued that she would go with Shin and after hearing this, none rejected. Yes, he was now walking with Ae and no one else. After recalling this, he questioned the look of disgust. ''Were they really looking at me like that?'', he questioned. *Ding* [ Affirmative ] ''Huh?'' ''I mean, why!?'', he asked again. *Ding* [ It is because of the color of the host''s fur ] Right after the system mentioned this, Shin understood what was going on. Since white wolves were considered the weakest, they were easily hated and bullied by other races. Especially, in all part n wars, other wolves hurt the white wolves pretty badly. Because of that, they had a bad reputation. Of course, since Ae and Shin were white wolves, the hate was directed at them as well. ''I see...'' ''No wonder I keep feeling the killing intent from behind me...'' Shin wasn''t referring to the killing intent from other races. He was referring to the killing intent emitting from Ae who was pissed over the fact that they were looking at them with disgust. Shun continued to walk without minding Ae. He wanted to look around the ce as many stalls and shops were set up. Yes, shops by dwarves, elves, humans, and many other races were set up. ''It looks like a festival...'', Shin thought. Yes, n wars were like an event celebrated rarely. Of course, it was thought to be a festival since it was only this time when races from various ces could gather and bond together. They end up making friends, pacts, and many other things. Therefore, this was treated as a festival. As for humans, they would earn a lot of gold during this event. The beasts don''t use gold or gold coins or anything simr. But still, they collect only for this day. They end up paying in the stalls, in betting, and buying things. Of course, the things sold were at least 10 times much costlier! Shin looked around. There were fascinating stores with different types of food that smelled best. Due to his enhanced sense of smell, he was tempted even more. However, unfortunately, he didn''t have even a single piece of gold. ''Come to think of it, I have never even seen gold...'', was what Shin thought. But no, he had seen a lot of gold back in Loria. Despite being the actual master of those gold, he couldn''t buy anything as he didn''t have it with him right now. ''Sigh, I should have stored some amount of gold...'', he thought as he regretted. In any case, he kept walking past the stalls when he suddenly got an awesome yet sneaky idea. ''Why don''t I use the system''s inventory function to sneak in some of those amazing looking food...?'', his cunning mind thought. But of course, he wouldn''t do that. He still had a lot of meat inside his inventory so their lives were not at risk due to the shortage of food. Therefore, he declined the thought and continued walking. After taking a good look at all the stalls, he thought about heading back towards the main building which was made for the Arena. He wanted to take a look at how the interiors looked but couldn''t of course, because they were locked. Even with his all-seeing eyes, he failed. Yes, all-seeing eyes were capable of looking through objects but there was a barrier that restricted even his skill. Even the system disyed a message that bugged him a little. *Ding* [ All-Seeing Eyes has failed to see through the erected walls ] [ High-level magic prevents the host from using All-Seeing eyes for an hour ] After this, Shin gave up the thought of taking a look at what was inside since he would soone to know when the Arena would officially open. He walked back towards the ce where his people were waiting only to find them disputing with some other race. "Ha!?" Shin was utterly surprised to see a group of men, that looked like vultures, standing near Terran and Raka and talking angrily. Shin had previously asked everyone to not provoke anyone or give in to anyone''s provocation while he was away, but it looked like Terran and Raka didn''t follow what he said. He then rushed towards them while raising his voice, "What is going on!?" Terran and Raka noticed Shin approaching them and immediately said, "Thank God you arrived, your highness." Shin was about to ask them to exin the situation when one of the vulture-men said, "This dog is your king!?" And they said something that totally infuriated every wolf in Shin''s pack. They were about to jump and attack the vulture-men before which, the Dark Elves cast their magic and attacked the vulture-men, rendering them paralyzed and flightless! "You-", Shin was surprised to see the dark elves attack. "We are already hated, so it is better for them to hate us more rather than start hating your people, your highness¡­", said one of the elders of the dark elves. "¡­" Chapter 263 The Festival - Part 2: Pretending To Prevent Info Theft ''What does being hated have anything to do with this?'', Shin had a weird expression on his face as he looked at the dark elves. He then turned his head towards the vulture-men and with the same expression, thought, ''They are the ones in the wrong.'' ''So obviously they are the ones that need to be punished.'' "¡­" "Tell me, why did youe here?", Shin asked after thinking all that. He red at all the vulture-men who were essentially muchrger than him. But since they were on the ground, as they fell earlier due to the impact from the magic of the dark elves, their point of the vision was a tad bit lower than Shin right now. As he red at them, chills ran down their spines. Of course, he had no intention forgive them and letting them go without giving a proper exnation. And while he was asking, another vulture-man, who was much bulky,rger, and stronger than the puny ones arrived. "I was the one who sent them.", he said with a deep voice. "Master!", all three of them immediately got up and walked towards the vulture-man who arrived. He seemed, a bit different from others in another aspect as well. The vulture-men, in general, had wings, beaks, and eyes like vultures, but the remaining body was like that of a human. They had no tails. ,m For the vulture-man that arrived right now, he had a long, rather, very long tail. Of course, it was equally heavier. It was touching the ground and as he walked, the tail left marks behind. "Yes, I was the one that ordered them toe here.", the vulture-man said as he red back at Shin. Shin looked like a puppy in front of him. It was true for everyone in the pack, he considered himself quite powerful. His eyes were glowing in red as he stared at Shin and then the dark elves. "I was wondering what the waste dark elves were doing here¡­" "But it looks like, they all followed a cheap piece of meat thinking they could regain their honor in the n wars¡­", he said. Shin just kept quiet and listened to whatever trash talk he had to do. All he did was, check the vulture-man''s status. [ Profile ] [ Name: Nile (Male: 15 years) ] [ Race: Level 49 Gyps ( Exp 87.08%) ] [ Vulture-man ] [ Rank: A || Max. rank: S ] [ HP: 580/580 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 450/450|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 413 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 200 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 825 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 89 || Max. Int: 999 ] [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Vulture Cry Lv.5 -> Calls all the vutures nearby -> 10% increase in attack stats. 2] Vulture Eyes Lv.6 -> Advanced form of Bird''s eye. 3] Sharp ws Lv.4 -> Sharpens and increases the dexterity of the ws when attacking. -> 5% increase in attack stats. 4] Fly Lv.7 -> Enables flight -> Increases dexterity of wings -> Decreases fatigue umted by the wings -> Decreases body weight by 10% 5] Vulture Aura Lv.5 -> Unleashes aura that can dominate all weak beasts nearby within the radius of 100 meters. 6] Aero sh Lv.7 -> Unleashes des of wind 7] Wind God Form Lv.9 -> Takes the form of the Wind God for 10s. -> Consumes 50% of total MP -> 400% increase in speed stats -> 200% increase in attack stats -> 100% increase in defense stats -> 50% HP regained. [ Passive skills ] 1] Chosen One Lv.??? -> Chosen by God Of Wind to inherit one of His skills. 2] Constant Anger Lv.3 -> Remains always in a state of constant anger These were his stats. Shin, quietly observed his stats as he made his judgment. Of course, right after looking at its level, he was sure that he could defeat him pretty easily. But after looking at some of his skills, both active and passive, he was rather surprised. "Haha!" "You puny dogs¡­", just as he said this, Ae lost her cool. She almost instantly ran towards Nile. But of course, he wouldn''t let her approach him. [ Warning ] [ The targeted foe has used the skill Vulture Aura ] [ Host is being affected ] [ The system advises the host toy out his aura domain ] Well, for the first time, the system advised too quickly. Yes, Shin wasn''t exactly being affected by the aura that the vulture gave out. What he was actually affected was by seeing Ae getting pinned down on the ground. ''System, what level is Ae at?'', he asked. [ Ae is at Lv.65 ] "¡­" Shin totally panicked when he heard that. He had earlier noted that Ae''s max level was Lv.65 and wanted to make her evolve as soon as she reached that level. Without Shin''s help, it would be quite hard for her to evolve. However, he never realized when she ended up reachingLv.65. But in any case, after seeing her getting pinned to the ground due to a skill used by the vulture-man, Shin couldn''t show any sign other than disappointment. He was about to use his Aura domain, but something weird and unexpected thing happened/ He soon realized what Ae was doing. It was thanks to the system. *Ding* [ The system believes that the individual Ae is acting/pretending to be affected by the aura ] [ The system believes she doesn''t want to reveal her trump card after noticing some individuals watching her ] ''Huh?'' ''Who is watching her?'', Shin was surprised. He didn''t know that there were others that were watching her other than his own mates. Of course, when he turned his head a bit, he realized that all the races there were watching with keen interest at the drama that was taking ce. ''No way¡­'' ''Is he sent by someone else too?'' ''Is it because they want to see our cards?'', Shin questioned himself. [ Affirmative ] *Ding* [ Among all, there are some individuals that are watching her, who cannot be identified ] [ It is beyond system''s capability ] The moment Shin heard this, he instantly realized who those beings were. ''Celestials, eh?'' He smirked. He looked at Ae who was pinned down. Of course, others were under the effect of the aura and were pinned down as well. It was all Ae''s n. The moment she rushed towards the vulture-man and the moment when he unleashed his aura, Ae almost immediately asked everyone to pin down under its effect. But when did she tell them to do what she was doing? Yes, without Shin noticing it, she had also acquired the skill Telepathy. Moreover, she had also acquired the skill ¨C Eye of Analysis. All these were acquired, without Shin''s knowledge. That was why he was aware of the fact that he had the skill of unleashing aura and thus had an answer regarding it ready in her mind. Shin got to know this after asking the system. [ Affirmative ] [ The individual Ae has the skills Eye of Analysis and Group Telepathy ] He was the only one standing right now under the vulture-man''s pressure. He could hear some other beasts whispering to themselves, ''He really was the strongest one among them. Yes, sometimes appearances can be misleading.'' Shin then smirked after hearing all that. ''Ae¡­'' Shin''s eyes started to glow with green light as he called out her name in his mind. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Telepathy ] ''Eh? Your highness?'', she was surprised when Shin called out to her using telepathy. Of course, Ae forgot to say the n to Shin. Well, she never nned to say because she didn''t want Shin to kneel before anyone. How could she see her lover kneeling in front of someone even if it was just for acting? ''Why did you start this act?'', he asked. Ae flinched because Shin realized what she had done. She said via telepathy, ''I''m sorry your highness but I thought this was the best course of action to prevent others from knowing about our skills.'' After hearing that, Shin startedughing out loudly. "Hahaha!" "Haha!" The vulture-man, who thought that he had to focus on Shin to make him kneel on the ground, was surprised after seeing Shinugh. Other races were surprised as well. They made somements, "Did he finally go insane?" "Yes. That must be the case." "Hahaha!" "So what if they know about our skills?" "It''s not as if these weaklings can do anything even if they knew our secrets¡­", Shin''s eyes started to glow yet again with green light as he smirked and looked at Ae. *Ding* [ You have used the skill Aura Domain ] "¡­" Chapter 264 The Celestials On Their Knees *Ding* [ You have used the skill Aura Domain ] The vulture-man''s skill couldn''t hold even a candle in front of Shin''s Aura Domain. The skill was so powerful, that Nile''s skill got canceled on top of which, he ended up getting pinned to the ground. It was a burst of Aura Domain which spread far across, even covering the entire building that was made for Arena. All the beasts out there were on the grounds. None of them were strong enough to withstand the pressure in the domain. Well, since it was a burst of Aura, even Ae and the remaining members in the group felt it. Though, they weren''t forced to bow. Yes, although they felt the aura, it was as if they were fine. It was because Shin had changed something after asking the system. ''Hey system, my own nmates are getting affected when I use the Aura Domain¡­'' ''How do you expect me to use it when they will be hurt as well?'', Shin asked the system when it had advised to do that. *Ding* [ The skill Aura Domain is flexible ] [ The host can control and freely choose its target despite the outburst of aura and spread of domain ] [ The host''s handling skill is trash ] [ The system advises the host to improve his control ] And when the system mentioned all this, Shin was a bit angry. ''So now you can call me trash, eh?'', he asked in a sarcastic manner. [ Affirmative ] And the system ended up responding to him. ''Let me show you then, to what degree I can control my skills¡­'' Taking upon the challenge, he sessfully controlled his skill and prevented Ae and the remaining members of his n including the dark elves from getting hurt. The vulture-man was pinned on the ground. The same was true with other beasts. Shin opened his mouth and said just one thing, "Getting in my way is inviting death. If you have a death wish, then you can approach me with ill intentions anytime you want." "Also, those who want to know about my skills, have toe and beg in front of me first, instead of sending such weirdoes¡­", Shin said as he red at the wall of the Arena. After saying this much, he lifted the Aura domain and walked away along with his gang towards the stalls. . . . "So what do you guys think?" "The beasts that have arrived till now, are they worth noticing?", a person, wearing a red mask and sitting on one of the chairs that were arranged across a rectangr table, asked the remaining members who had upied the seats. There were about ten of them, yes, ten celestials were present. All of them were wearing masks in order to prevent any mocking based on appearance or whatever. This was to prevent any fight within the Celestial Group. Also, when they were going to make their presence known to the beasts, they didn''t want their faces to be seen by others. "No¡­" "Till now, all the beasts that have arrived are weak." "And with their speed of cultivation, none of them will pose a threat.", said another person wearing a blue mask. The masks were distinct. They had no holes at all. All they had were various designs on them while being painted in different colors. Well, they were celestials, ack of a few holes wouldn''t prevent them from breathing or seeing! Regardless, they talked about the beasts that were entering while sitting in a rtively dark room with less light. There seemed to be five men and five women in the room, all wearing masks of different colors. They were all looking at a weird screen which was nothing other than water that was spread to make a rectangle on which they were watching all the beasts that were arriving. Well, the reason why this screen was of importance was that they could take a look at the stats of other beasts. Yes! The same stats that the Supreme Predator System shows Shin always ¨C exactly the same stats were up on the water-screen. In any case, it could have been just a simple analysis screen just like the analysis skill that Ae had, but whatever, the fact that they could see stats and skills just like Shin, was truly something fathomable. Also, the question remained ¨C Could they see his stats too? No, they failed to see his stats. When they saw Shin arrive, they were able to see everyone''s stats except him. "Wait, what is up with that group?" "Isn''t it too overpowered?", a person with a ck mask asked. "Whenpared to other groups that arrived earlier? Then yes. But if wepare to the previous n wars, I think they are about average.", said the guy with a blue mask. "You are missing the point, it''s not just one or two, all the wolves in the group are close to level 50." "Other than that, there are wolves that are nearing level 80." "I don''t think I have ever seen a wolf pack this strong¡­", the ck mask guy said while arguing with the blue mask Celestial. "Hmm¡­" "Eh?" "What are Dark Elves doing with them?", a female celestial with a yellow mask asked when she spot them. All the celestials turned their head towards the screen without wasting even a single second. It seemed as if they were unaware of what was happening. This showed their limit to knowledge. While the Supreme Celestials could know what was happening in almost every part of the world, the celestials could only know what was presented in front of their eyes. *gulp* "Interesting¡­" "Who is their leader?" "Who was the one that could win the trust of even the Dark Elves?", the celestial with a green mask asked. She was a female too. "No¡­" "That''s not it guys¡­", the one with a red mask, who is known for hisposure, spoke all of a sudden with a nervous tone. "What?", the blue mask looked at him when he said that. p "Look at the race of those individuals¡­", he said as he pointed at Terran''s and Raka''s stats. Two of the celestial got up from their chair almost immediately. "Dragon!?" "Serpent!?" They had no words. Their throats went dry with such intense surprise. ''How could dragons end up turning into a wolf?'' ¨C while one asked this question. ''How could a snake turn into a wolf?'' ¨C the other continued with this. Regardless, all of them were sweating all of a sudden. "Hahaha." "This is crazy!", the one with the ck maskughed as he continued to stare at the screen. All the celestials looked at him. "Are you alright?", the celestial with a yellow mask asked. "Look at that.", he said while pointing his hand towards a nk status window stating ''Status cannot be disyed.'' [ Status cannot be disyed ] [ You do not have enough Authority to view the status ] After reading these texts, the one with the ck mask keptughing while leaving everyone in surprise. *gulp* They couldn''t believe their eyes. They weren''t able to see a being''s status. This had never happened before, at least, not with any beast they had encountered so far. They somehow maintain their cool, but that was all a show. They knew how confused and nervous they were on the inside. It was not that they were afraid, it was just some variability that they hadn''t expected. After discussing for a while, they thought about stirring some trouble to see Shin''s abilities. That way they would have known if he indeed was a threat or not. They were the ones who asked the Vulture-man to go and provoke them while promising them some gifts. The vulture-men had just arrived in the ce and after getting a sudden vision from the celestials, they were filled with pride and joy. That is because almost no one gets the chance to meet up with the Celestials! That was how they stirred the trouble. "Do you think he can expose his skills? Isn''t he weak whenpared to them?", the blue masked Celestial asked the green masked celestial who set this up. "All he needs to do is provoke, nothing else." Everything went ording to their n until Ae started her acting. "Aren''t they just acting?", the blue-masked Celestial asked. All celestials other than him nodded their head. They could clearly see that it was just another act. And they even knew Ae''s intentions for acting that. Though, they knew their skills. All they wanted to do was know Shin''s skills but when they saw himughing all of a sudden, they were taken by surprise. Moreover, when Shin used his Aura Domain, two of the ten Celestials ended up falling on the ground after their chair broke. They were almost in the same kneeling position as other beasts out there who were under the effect of Shin''s Aura Domain! "This¡­" All the celestial there were utterly shocked with what happened. They couldn''t see his level but after experiencing the Aura Domain, they could say one thing for certain ¨C He is no ordinary beast! Chapter 265 Careless Proposal: Neglecting Aella "Your highness, where are we going?", Ae asked as they walked away from the ce. They weren''t leaving the ce, but yes, they no longer would stay there. Shin wanted them to eat and remain healthy. Also, the n Wars wouldst long, so they had to secure a ce for themselves where they could rest before the event started and while the event progressed. "We have to find a ce to rest.", Shin said as he walked past all the beasts that had their heads lowered. None dared to even look at Shin. While they thought that others were weak, they could by no means taunt anyone when Shin was present. Regardless, he didn''t care about them. He found a good spot where he could rest along with the remaining. It was a little highnd after seeing this, Shin decided that this was a good ce since he could look at other beasts and many other things happening near the building. Since everything would be in his sight, they wouldn''t miss a thing. Also, he wanted to take a look at everyone that entered this area. That was because, he was expecting the wolf brothers, who supposedly killed Kira, to arrive soon. ''Just wait until we meet¡­'' ''You won''t be spared¡­'', Shin grit his teeth and sat on the little raised mound. The rest of the gang sat below the raised ground while their heads were turned towards Shin. Ae went and sat near Shin which she usually did. So it was nothing unusual. But whatever, all of them were resting. Shin thought about eating or bringing something from the stalls as he saw many salivating over the smell of the food, unfortunately, he had no money or gold. He just dropped meat from his inventory which they started eating. Their minds got diverted as their tummies started to fill. Still, Shin understood that in order to satisfy everyone and not be disappointed, he had to carry gold with him next time. "Ae, you never told me about your new skills¡­", Shin murmured as she sat near him. "Eh?" "New skills¡­?", Ae acted as if she was surprised and was hearing what he asked for the first time. He said, "Yes. Don''t act innocent, I know that you have new skills¡­" Ae smiled and said, "Yes¡­" "I just didn''t get a lot of time with you¡­" "Earlier, we used to be together for almost the entire day¡­" "However, after creating the n and having many more subordinates, you never spend time with me again¡­", she said with a low voice. "That''s why I couldn''t tell you about those things¡­", her ears were bent as if she was apologetic. Shin realized that it was indeed his fault. Well, he just kept on getting busy with the missions and other members. He had to get stronger as well so he was spending more time in hunting and understanding his skills. Yes, he was trying to use his skills in many ways. He was trying to know the limits of the skills and their flexibility. But of course, it was true that he neglected her somewhat. Shin then, in a low voice, said, "I''m sorry. I¡­" But before he could proceed, Ae slowly moved her right forelimb and ced it on Shin''s face, just below his mouth while trying to force him to shut his mouth. Shin was surprised by this act. "Don''t say anymore, your highness¡­" "Apologizing doesn''t suit you.", she said. "The ruler can never be wrong. And you are male¡­" "And I am a female. I have been with you, so no matter whether you are right or wrong, I should be the one to apologize.", she murmured. "That''s the right thing to-" And this time, Shin ced his paw on her mouth to prevent her from speaking. "Who said that a male is always right?", he asked. ''That¡­'', Ae didn''t know how to answer that. "Just remember this, it''s a great saying that everyone needs to know.", Shin said. "A great saying¡­?", Ae wants curious. Terran, Raka, Deoras, Kaily, and Alira ¨C these all were sitting close to Shin. They were named so it made sense that they sat the closest to him. Of course, they could hear everything they were talking about. But pretended not to know. Alira was eager to y with Shin. She wanted to ask many things about what they were speaking and doing, but she stayed calm. She was intelligent too and thus had now learned about patience. Hence, she was being patient and was waiting until their talk was over. "Behind every sessful man, there is a strong woman.", he said. It was a saying from his previous life which he said right now while expecting her to understand his intentions. He did not want her to apologize for everything. Instead, if she were to argue with him, he would be much happier. "Man¡­?" "Strong woman?" "Are you talking about humans, your highness?", Ae asked. ''Ah, sh*t¡­'' ''I messed up.'', Shin realized that he didn''t change the saying and said the exact same thing. Of course, it was made for humans and by humans. SO obviously they would have the terms man and woman. He had to change them to a male wolf and a female wolf. But the saying would feel much weirder if he were to add those words. ''''Behind every sessful King, there is a strong Queen.", this is how he changed. This one fit perfectly as both humans and beasts had kings and queens. Ae understood what he meant by the quote, but for some reason, she averted her gaze and then lowered her head while looking at the ground. ''Eh? Did I say something wrong?'', he looked the other way, towards his pack only to find everyone''s eyes sparkling with excitement. Without knowing, Shin ended up proposing to Ae. It was only after thinking about it, did he realize what he said. He ended up blushing and looking away as well. The second time when he said the quote, he ended up being loud due to which, everyone in his group heard, everyone including the Dark Elves as well. Thus he could do nothing but look somewhere else as he was embarrassed. Of course, there were some folks who were ready to tease him for what he said ¨C those folks were none other than Terran, Raka, and other named beasts near him who were quite close to him. While for others, it was like some ro y or act that they were watching. In any case, Shin looked at the screen that disyed one message since earlier. Yes, it was regarding the progress of the mission. *Ding* [ Mission ] [ new ] -> Reach the Arena for n Wars safely [pleted ] -> Rank among the top 10 Wolf ns [ iplete ] -> Find Siara and Kira [ iplete ] -> Avenge Kira and Siara [ iplete ] -> Aide in Ae''s evolution [ iplete ] [ Rewards ] -> Tier 1: --> 10% exp --> Re-birth: Memories of Wolf God Shin -> Tier 2: --> Skill: Future Sight --> Item: Wolf-w attachment (wind-type) -> Tier 3: --> 1 drop of Phoenix Blood --> Skill: Bloody Impact He could see that the first task waspleted. There were four more tasks left. He then recalled after looking at thest task that the system mentioned Ae had reached Lv.65. After thinking about it for a few seconds, he decided to help her evolve. There were certain conditions that one has to meet to evolve. Also, there are many choices that special beasts are given while evolving. They sometimese to regret their previous decision after evolving. Shin didn''t want Ae to go through such a situation. But now was not the time for the process of evolution as Shin detected the very few individuals whom he had wished to meet at thest. Yes, the four wolf brothers, appeared! They walked straight towards the building that was erected for the n Wars. Chills ran down Shin''s spine when he looked at them and as for Ae, she started shivering, both with anger and fear. . . . ''This is interesting¡­'' ''Do they have some rtionship with those four rulers that arrived?'', the celestial with his blue mask asked himself while looking at the water screen. They were all watching Shin closely after he threw ament on them - "Those who want to know about my skills, have toe and beg in front of me first, instead of sending such weirdoes¡­" "..." Chapter 266 The Wolf Brothers The four rulers that the Celestials were referring to were the wolves that Shin was eyeing. Yes, the four wolf brothers, earlier five but now four since Kira is thought to be dead, arrived at the scene. They were attending the event as well so it was normal for them toe. Of course, a major reason why Shin came to the ce was for them. Ae, whose body was shaking with anger and fear, couldn''t wait until she could get her revenge. The reason for anger was simple, and the reason for fear was because of the immense aura that surrounded them. There were six wolf brothers in total: 1] Devis 2] Lurion 3] Kira 4] Freris 5] Aaron 6] Gargus These six wolves had a characteristic of their own and were famous throughout the continent. Every race knew about them and there was no one that didn''t fear them. Devis, or the first brother, was the strongest out of all of them. He was feared even among his brothers, but of course, they had a good rtionship. Devis had a greyish fur with purple glowing marks extending from its eyes to its tail following its entire body. It wasn''t too difficult to say what type of wolf it was ¨C Dark and Lightning. Yes, the wolf had two different attributes which it could control ¨C dark as well as lightning. Thisbination made it one of the strongest being out there. The second beast was Lurion, who was even feared by the Celestials. He was a master at necromancy. He could raise the dead just like Shin and could make them fight. Out of all the undead, it had five greater undead out of whom, four were previous celestials and one was a mighty dragon. He basically went to their graves and pulled them out which was quite disrespectful. Next was Kira, controlling the dark attribute. But that was not all, his leadership and other qualities were much greater than other wolves. Also, in one-on-onebat, no one could defeat him ¨C this was amon saying that went around. The fourth brother was Freris, the controller of mes. He was the one that had set the area on fire which ended up burning many wolves from the white wolf and midnight wolf ns to death! The next wolf was Aaron. He had a characteristic brown fur. It was obvious that he controlled the earth attribute. Also, he was one of the fastest out of all of them. Finally, the sixth brother was none other than Gargus, a wolf that controlled the wind. His fur was distinctively green, a little light green, and not as green as the leaves. They were all ssified as rulers and had title. Of course, these were one of the races that dominated the entire forest of Islea. Only four wolves were present there. It appeared that the first brother or the great wolf Devis hadn''t arrived. Also, since Kira wasn''t with them, the arrival of only 4 would make sense. Therefore, their stats were insane! They were monstrous and Shin only realized it now. Earlier, Shin couldn''t see Kira''s stats. This meant that he couldn''t see the ruler wolves'' stats. But now, he was quite stronger than his past self. He was about 10 to 12 times stronger, and the system was much better. Thanks to this, he was clearly able to see the stats. ''No wonder Ae is terrified¡­'', Shin thought after he looked at their stats. [ Profile ] [ Name: Gargus (Male: 15 years) ] [ Race: Level 91 Lupus ( Exp 00.03%) ] [ Wind Wolf Emperor ] [ Rank: S || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 2500/2500 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1500/1500|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 3999 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 1299 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 5999 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 97 || Max. Int: 100 ] [ Profile ] [ Name: Aaron (Male: 18 years) ] [ Race: Level 91 Lupus ( Exp 99.03%) ] [ Earth Wolf Emperor ] [ Rank: S || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 2500/2500 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1500/1500|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 2999 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 1599 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 2999 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 96 || Max. Int: 100 ] [ Profile ] [ Name: Freris (Male: 25 years) ] [ Race: Level 92 Lupus ( Exp 05.55%) ] [ me Wolf Emperor ] [ Rank: S || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 2500/2500 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1500/1500|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 3999 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 1299 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 5999 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 97 || Max. Int: 100 ] [ Profile ] [ Name: Lurion (Male: 60 years) ] [ Race: Level 95 Lupus ( Exp 99.91%) ] [ Death Wolf Emperor ] [ Rank: S || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 3000/3000 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1700/1700|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 4999 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 1299 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 2699 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 99 || Max. Int: 100 ] These were the stats that Shin could see. Yes, all the four wolves, that arrived had insane stats. Shin, even after training hard and leveling up, still had a long way to go before reaching their level. Of course, his n had members that were simrly strong ¨C such as the Lizard king and Alligator king, etc. But they weren''t present here. The only ones that could help him were Terran, Raka, and Deoras who had yet to reach that much proficiency. Ae would end up being killed instantly because she was far weaker. Unfortunately, Terran and Raka''s curse held them back. Well, Shin could any time undo Raka''s curse, so he had one insurance. But for Terran, he couldn''t do anything. He had yet to give it a try, but still, Terran wouldn''t be able to handle them right now if the curse wasn''t liftedpletely. ''They are right in front of me¡­'' ''I want to kill them¡­'' ''But even a single wrong step could cost the entire lives of my n mates¡­'', Shin thought. That was why he just kept staring at them while trying to control his killing intent. He prevented the killing intent from being emitted. He looked at Ae and murmured, "Calm down¡­" "Soon enough, they will pay for what they had done.", Shin said. Both Shin and Ae were aware that whatever Kira and others went through was thanks to the wolf brothers. Of course, Aaron was the biggest reason why this happened. They were the ones that betrayed him. While they were thinking this, they spotted a group of wolves arriving at the site. The four wolf emperors turned back when the remaining wolves arrived. There were many, some brown while others ck, which was the mostmon color. However, there was just one wolf, who stood out from the rest of them ¨C a white wolf. ''He is¡­'' Shin''s eyes widened when he looked at the wolf. ''Lan!?'' He said this as he took a look at his name disyed by the system. [ Name: Lan (Male: 15 years) ] He didn''t bother seeing anything else. This was more than enough to shock him. He slowly turned his gazes at Ae, who was much more infuriated and felt betrayed after seeing him. Yes, she too noticed him. ''Calm down¡­'' *Ding* [ You have used the skill Telepathy ] He didn''t want Ae to do anything stupid. She nodded her head after hearing hismand and kept a low profile. All the remaining wolves saw Shin ring at the four rulers who just arrived. The ones who were always with Deoras recognized them instantly and understood what Shin wanted to do. Of course, Alira, Terran, Kaily, and Raka failed to understand his intentions but knew this much from looking at his ze-filled eyes that he was going to take those four ruler wolves down. Meanwhile, the celestials that were seeing all this happening suddenly had an interesting thought in their head. They were surprised to see that Shin had some sort of rtion or grudge with the four rulers that arrived. That was because they believed Shin came from a different forest entirely while the ruler wolves just walked a few miles to reach the arena on their home turf! ''This is getting spicy¡­'', thought the Celestial with the ck mask. All the celestials present there were excited. After seeing this from their screen, they got an idea to get back at Shin for insulting them earlier. Of course, Shin was not going to sit back and watch them pulling some strings. He was going to give them a taste of their own medicine. Regardless, Lan had betrayed them and so did Aaron, Shin had concluded this and had finalized to kill them by isting them somehow. Chapter 267 Siaras Arrival Shin sat down again on the mound as many other races came. They took other areas to rest. Yes, there were multiple areas that one by one, was getting upied. As for the area where Shin and his mates were resting, it was actually quite close to the main path from where the beasts or different races would arrive. Regardless, the presence of many humans made Kaily sick. She couldn''t stand and watch them. She was a witch but despite that, she couldn''t look at humans as they were one of the main factors that caused the copse of her kingdom and the death of her father. The same was true for Terran. He too despised the humans that arrived. His past was quite a sad one ¨C being betrayed by his friend. So it wasn''t shocking to see him hate humans after that. In any case, the n Wars were going to be held the next day. Till then, all the beasts upied a certain area and rxed. ,m But it was not that simple and easy. The area was limited, and the races were many. The number of beasts that arrived, exceeded thest time. So there was bound to be some friction. Some started to fight over ces while others fought due to the loss or humiliation they sufferedst year. All of them were neglecting the fact that the n wars were typically for the wolves and were mainly regarding the wolves. The wolves were considered to be from the ancient prestigious ns. Half the elite ns in the world had wolves in them and were made by them. Also, the n wars were somewhat done in order to praise the Wolf God Shin, who was capable of defeating many Supreme Celestials. While this is what different beasts and people believed, the reality was totally different. The wolves were hated by most of the Supreme Celestials. However, they knew, they knew that there could be another wolf that could ascend ande to kill them again. They wanted to prevent this from happening due to which, some of them started making pacts with the wolves while others, asked the Celestials to take care of the wolves during the Arena. Yes, while it was typically unknown, thousands of wolves were massacred by various Celestials. They would be called in the name of the prize and audience and then will be killed, while leaving no trace of themselves. They would just dub the killing as fights between the tribe or n and nothing more. Of course, due to this, the rtionship between the wolves kept deteriorating as time passed. Due to this, the wolves couldn''te to rely on or trust one another. However, after many years, the six wolf brothers were the only ones that created a new bnce within the entire wolf tribes. Well, the bnce didn''tst for long. Soon enough, they decided to kill Kira and now, only five remained who wanted to rule over the rest of the wolves. It was already nighttime, the fights had decreased. Everyone from Shin''s side was already asleep while Shin kept his eyes wide open. He was ensuring that everyone was protected. Moreover, he had things to check. He was observing his surroundings to find Kira and Siara. He believed that they would appear here since the system went ahead and mentioned a task rted to them. Unfortunately for him, they wouldn''t be appearing any time soon. Shin''s eyes became a little heavy when he used Telepathy to wake Deoras and Terran. ''Hey guys, I''m a bit sleepy right now¡­'' ''You take over.'', he said and slept right away. Terran and Deoras woke up from their good sleep and stretched their bodies. They then took a small stroll around in the same area while observing if everyone was fine. The lightings were spectacr. The variousmps that emitted lights were dressed on the shops which made them look beautiful. Deoras was d that he was able to make it here. In any case, the night was soon over. Deoras and Terran were the only ones looking after everyone that night. *blink blink* Shin opened his eyes in the next morning only to find others all awake and stretching their bodies. Of course, Deoras and Terran were sleeping right now. It was a wise decision. They needed to be in their top form in the wars and hence, it was best to sleep now since they hadn''t thest night. All of them were ready to take part in the wars. But before that, Shin had to go and check their numbers. Yes, yesterday, when he was roaming with Ae, he had gone and registered themselves for the war in a stall. He had to mention who was going to participate and what their levels were. Leader ¨C Shin Lv.81 Deoras Lv.87 Terran Lv.79 Ae Lv.65 Raka Lv.50 Shin mentioned the names along with the levels of his familia. Of course, there were others who weren''t named yet but were quite strong, in fact, stronger than some of the familia. Such as the Shadow Wolf General who was Lv.77 and a few other wolves who were in their seventies. Regardless, he registered all of them one by one. As for the dark elves, he didn''t do for them. The dark elves weren''t required to fight. In fact, Shin asked them to rest and not do anything while the Lou Shin n will take care of everything. Now, Shin and Ae walked towards the same stall to take a look at their number and when the arena would be opened. Many other beasts were present there as well. Some were the old ones, who had arrived before Shin, and others, that arrived after Shin. In fact, there were some that were even arriving right now. In any case, when the beasts saw Shin making his appearance, they either vanished from the stalls or lowered their heads. Of course, other beasts who had arrivedter had no idea why such a thing was being done. Nevertheless, they followed too and lowered their heads. Shin took a look at the board in the stall. ''I see, we have about three more hours before the opening ceremony of the Arena.'' ''After that, one by one all the ns would be called to make an appearance¡­'' ''And finally, the n wars will officially be tomorrow?'', Shin was surprised after reading all of these. ''Perhaps the celestials decided to postpone the event¡­'', Shin concluded. After reading all the info, he and Ae returned to their area. And just as they left the stall, the remaining beasts asked, "Why were we lowering our heads in front of them?" And after hearing the reply, the beasts understood what a terrifying being just passed by without causing any harm to them. They were literally on the grounds trying to understand how their lives were spared. After exining everything to his n mates, Shin then announced, "Everyone, conserve your strength." "There will be many ns that might try to taunt us, but don''t let their provocation get the best of you." "Remember, we are from the Lou Shin n, that doesn''t know defeat.", Shin raised his voice while giving the speech after hearing it, all the wolves howled! This surprised some of the races nearby, but they didn''t do much and kept quiet. In any case, Shin and the remaining members were training their bodies and minds. And while doing so, Shin finally, found the person whom he had been looking, for quite some time. ''No way¡­'' A group of white wolves entered the ce. It was not that surprising to see the white wolves, but what surprised him was he found Siara among them ¨C yes, Siara was leading all the white wolves that arrived. "Si-", he was about to march towards her, but then decided to wait for a little longer. That was because Siara seemed to be in a foul mood. Her expression wasn''t by any means showing goodwill. It was as if she was irritated and angry at the situation. Also, Shin felt a weird chill when he looked at her. He decided to take a look at her profile and when Shin took a look at her stats, he realized what a monster Siara hade to be! *gulp* ''Looks like Siara went through a lot after losing her daughter and husband¡­'' ''No wonder she has a foul expression.'' ''Probably she trained like crazy and hunted every beast she encountered¡­'' ''Otherwise, umtion of these stats wouldn''t make any sense¡­'' [ Profile ] "¡­" Chapter 268 The Event Begins! [ Profile ] Name: Siara Sex: Female Age: 7 years 216 days 23 hours 11 minutes 30 seconds Weight: 70 pounds ( 31.751 Kg ) Race: Canis lupis [ Wolf ] [ White Wolf Warrior ] Rank: C || Max. rank: A Level: 20 || Max. level: 25 HP: 275/300 || Max. HP: 325 MP: 150/170 || Max. MP: 320 Exp: 1912 || Max. Exp: 3000 Atk: 190 || Max. Atk: 300 Def: 180 || Max. Def: 300 Speed: 430 || Max. Speed: 500 Int: 51 || Max. Int: 190 [ Further details cannot be shown due to the host''s low level ] These were Siara''s stats thest time Shin had met her. He was weak and thus couldn''t even ess her skills. Even a mere Lv.20 was a lot to achieve at that time. Yes, Siara was one of the strongest with just a mere Lv.20. But after an entire year, her hardships and experiences caused her to grow much stronger. Although she couldn''t bepared to Shin right now, her growth was definitely something to look at. After looking at her current stats, Rexpared her to a monster not because her stats were more than him, but because she was able to grow exponentially in just a year! [ Profile ] [ Name: Siara (Female: 9 years) ] [ Race: Level 68 Lupus ( Exp 07.34%) ] [ Wolf Lord ] [ Rank: A || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 950/950 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 760/760 || Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 650 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 570 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 1300 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 79 || Max. Int: 999 ] [ Skills ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Aero sh Lv.7 2] Wind Cutter Lv.5 3] Wind Barrier Lv.5 4] Sonic ws Lv.4 5] Wind st Lv.7 6] Wind Clones Lv.4 7] Wind Spears Lv.3 8] Wind Run Lv.2 [ Passive Skills ] 1] Paralysis Resistance Lv.2 2] Hypnosis Resistance Lv.4 3] Nocturnal Vision Lv.9 These were her current stats. Although she was just a bit stronger than Ae and quite weaker than Shin, her anger and pain were by no means less. It would require someone to be really hard on themselves to achieve such a level of strength in such a short period of time. She wasn''t even part of Shin''s n. Yes, the members of his n would get boosts due to which their growth had increased exponentially. As for Siara, there were no such boosts and she achieved this on her own. But still, this was nowhere enough to defeat the Wolf Rulers. Her powers were quite insufficient. Of course, it was surely interesting to watch the remaining white wolves behind her. Their powers were quite low whenpared to her, but there were six of them who were almost as strong as her. Shin recalled that Kira had made a faction of she-wolves that consisted of seven strong warrior wolves. When Shin looked at them, he instantly realized that they were the same female wolves that Shin was thinking about. ''Well, I have found Siara¡­'' ''Now all I need is to find Kira.'' ''I wonder when he will appear¡­'', Shin thought as he waited for the arena to be opened. Of course, Ae was feeling weird every since Siara had arrived. It was as if someone she knew was nearby. But she couldn''t search or do anything when she was with Shin and continued to follow him around. About after three whole hours, the arena finally opened. Yes, the main gate was guarded by many knights. Some were humans while others belonged to different races. Whatever, they would ensure that no one would do anything foolish. They stood on both sides of the gate as everyone walked in. Shin and his gang too walked inside the Arena only to end up in arge stadium that was crowded with tons of various races. Yes, there was amentator, there were spectators and there were kings of various kingdoms sitting on the seats provided to them and watching from above. Also, all those that couldn''t make it to the arena, could watch from their castles or pces via the water-screen system that the blue masked celestial had created. Due to that, people all around the continent could watch the n Wars. As mentioned earlier, this was an event specifically for the beasts lurking in the forest. It was a form of raising their fame and making their debut. In a sense, all the humans and other kingdoms were eager to watch this as they wanted to see if there is a beast that is harmful or dangerous. If there would be any unknown ones, then they would immediately conduct another meeting to discuss the matter. That was why everyone was watching the n wars via the water-screen. Of course, there was another thing that interested them. Thest time, they had seen the tremendous power of the wolf brothers. The fights left them with excitement. Hence, they wanted to get the same feeling again and were eagerly waiting for the beasts to get into action. Regardless, all the beasts that wanted to participate, were asked to enter the Arena. Of course, Shin and his gang entered and were waiting to be called. As soon as any group entered, their names will be called and their levels will be revealed in front of everyone. This was to make thepetition fair and square. Under the jurisdiction of the Celestials and their blessings, one could call anyone''s name as long as they are weaker than the celestials. This had happened earlier when Alira called out Shin''s name and didn''t receive any punishment. Yes, the system mentioned that she was being protected by a celestial. Without a doubt, this meant that the celestials could call out Shin''s name, but was that really true? Could all the celestials call Shin by his name? Or were there a selected few who were tremendously stronger than the remaining celestials and had lived for centuries that could call out his name? In any case, it would be revealed sooner orter! For now, all the beasts were entering the building. Before actually going out to the battlefield in the arena, they were stopped by in the resting ces ¨C or the special waiting ces built for them. As mentioned earlier, the building wasrge ¨Crge enough to fit more than 10,000 people so there were a lot of ces that were reserved for the beasts and their ns. Rex and his people were given a chamber as well where they were resting. They could view the crowd and thementators including the kings via the water screen that was avable in the chamber. "Good afternoondies and gentlemen." "I am your dear host, Commentator Reosan! Nice to meet you!", he introduced himself. ''Reo-san? Or was it Reosan? Felt somewhat like an American-Japanese mixed name¡­'', Shin thought for an instant and let go of the thought. Thementator was just a human having blonde spiky hair and wearing silvery-white clothing. He didn''t have a mic or something but did have a small water screen in front of him. When he spoke, everyone could hear as the voice transferred via the screens. "Before we start the event, let me introduce you to the kings and queens and various other gentlemen that are invited by the great Celestials!" He looked towards the 7 elders and 8 kings and queens that sat upstairs so that they could watch everyone from an upper angle. He went ahead and introduced all of them. They weren''t that special and were mostly the ones who missed the opportunity to visitst time. But yes, there were three notable figures among them. One of the elders ¨C Grancrest Conquerer Diza -> Rank SSS+ adventurer. He was called an elder because he had already retired and had now be a guild master! Next was a King called ¨C Julius Voran Beluza ¨C Lv.95 human and probably one of the strongest in the history of humans. And finally was ady ¨C Edler Lady Gana, a mythical saint who wandered around the continent to learn many things. She is the master of all the Trading houses in the world ¨C in simple terms, she is one of the top 3 richest person''s in this world. Yes, she is an elf and not a human! After finishing the intros, Reosan looked at the screen. "Let the eveeeent, begin!", he announced after receiving the celestials'' permission via the same water screen. Everyone immediately got excited and awaited various beasts and races to appear. There were some sellers selling some candies and other edible things in the stadium. Not only humans but also elves, dwarves, orcs, ogres, foxes, and even some wolves sat in the stadium, in the spectators'' seats. "..." Chapter 269 Devis Making His Appearance Reosan then started to announce the ns and their teams. "Now, let''s wee, the wolf n that ranked first in thest event¡­" "The n Fangs!", Reosan announced. The crowd went crazy when they heard the name. Shin and his nmates were surprised by the cheering. It was as if everyone was waiting to see them. ''n Fangs? Who are-'' Before he could arm himself, he saw five wolf beasts walking toward the arena. The first wolf that appeared was the fire wolf with orange to red fur. He seemed quite giant for a normal wolf''s size. In any case, the crowd cheered for him by calling his name ¨C "Freris!" "Freris!" They kept chanting his name. As mentioned earlier, due to the powers of the Celestials, it was fine to chant anyone''s name here. They were able to protect the spectators from getting hit by lightning or receiving any other punishments. Regardless, he was the first one to appear. The wind wolf Gargus and the Earth wolf Aaron were next. When they started chanting Gargus and Aaron''s names, Shin''s and Ae''s blood started to boil. A little amount of killing intent was emitted by both of them. Deoras and Terran noticed yet again how Shin and Ae would get mad whenever they see the brown wolf. ''So, he is a foe that needs to be killed...'', Terran and Deoras concluded almost immediately. Well, Deoras lived in the forest of Islea for a long so it wouldn''t be weird if he knew about the wolf brothers. Yes, he knew about them and had some knowledge regarding their powers. However, that didn''t mean he was exactly afraid of them. He was afraid, but earlier. After having Shin''s support, he no longer feared them. In any case, Lurion was the next toe forward. Some of the spectators were afraid of him while others cheered for him as well. The celestials however had a stern expression on their face while watching from a dark room. "What do you guys think, should we let him go this time?", asked one of the celestials who was wearing a ck mask. The one with the blue mask said, "I think we should kill him¡­" "He is too strong and evil¡­" "He might end up destroying many lives.", he concluded after saying this much. "Hmm, if we all unite, I think we can destroy him¡­", the female celestial with a yellow mask said. "Haha, I alone am enough for him.", the celestial with a ck mask made a remark. He knew exactly how strong Lurion was. He knew about his five greater undead yet he said that he alone was enough. And when he mentioned this, all the celestials just chuckled and rxed. That was because they knew the ck-masked celestials'' powers and believed that he could indeed take care of Lurion. In any case, all of them remained calm and the ck-masked celestial too sat back in his seat and waited for the next beast to appear. All the celestials that were present here were eager to meet this certain beast. He had yet to make his appearance. Yes, in the past too, he hadn''t made his appearance and had left everything to Kira. Kira was the one who led the n to victory with the remaining four brothers. But now, with his absence or to be precise, with his death as per what everyone knew, the big dog had to join the battle. *dud* *dud* *dud* The ground started shaking as the first brother, the Dark Lightning wolf Devis made his appearance. The purple and gold lines that extended from his eyes to his tail while traveling all the way on his body made him a unique attraction. The spectators were charmed by the lines but more than that, they were enthusiastic to see what Devis could do. Devis had his aura under his control. Probably, he didn''t want to reveal his strength yet. But everyone whoid their eyes on him could feel a weird shiver deep down in their souls. That was true for the almighty Celestials as well. Actually, that was not all. The other reason why all of them were wary was that he was the second beast, after Shin, whose stats even they couldn''t see. Of course, Shin tried seeing his stats and couldn''t believe what he saw. It was as if he was looking at Kira''s stats from a year back. [ Profile ] [ Name: ??? (Male: ??? years) ] [ Race: Level ??? Lupus ( Exp ??.??%) ] [ Immortal Wolf Monarch] [ Rank: ??? || Max. rank: ??? ] [ HP: ???/??? || Max. HP: ??? ] [ MP: ???/??? || Max. MP: ??? ] [ Atk: ??? || Max. Atk: ??? ] [ Def: ??? || Max. Def: ??? ] [ Speed: ??? || Max. Speed: ??? ] [ Int: ??? || Max. Int: ??? ] [ Mana Space Lv.???: ???/??? ] [ Stat points acquired: ??? ] [ Further details cannot be seen during the host''s low level and low rank ] Shin was utterly surprised by the stats. His eyes were left wide open when he looked at them. He couldn''t find the right words to say anything after all the bizarre question marks were all over the ce. And the system too said that his level, as well as rank, was lower than Devis. Even, his name wasn''t seen despite being announced by thementator. Shin was a bit startled. That was because, even nca, who had reached Lv.100, had his stats lying in the open and Shin could look at them. Even if he couldn''t see the skills, he could at least look at the stats. But for Devis, none of those were seen either. The question marks were surely surprising but there was something else, that started and baffled Shin. Those were the words mana space and stat points. Yes, until now, only he had ever seen such stats on his profile. Never had he been in a situation where others had those stats and those points. So, seeing this right now, made him nervous. However, because of the constant anger and hate, his nervousness was wavering. But oh well, it was indeed surprising to see such a strong beast make its appearance. As for the celestials, they could see the exact same thing as Shin could. The difference between the previous case and this case was that, when they tried looking at Shin''s profile, it was as if the ess was denied or it was locked. But right now, they couldn''t see Devis'' stats not because it was locked. It was probably because he was that many times stronger than them. All the celestials there realized this but didn''t know which one to fear the most ¨C a small white pup that looks quite innocent but has his status locked or a massive beast with interesting fur having question marks all over its stats. In any case, everyone cheered for Devis as well and continued with the remaining. Yes, without a doubt, those five wolves were the same wolves against whom Shin and Ae held a grudge. Although Shin only knew Aaron, he hated all of them. It wasn''t too hard to know who nned to kill Kira. Shin wanted to kill all five of them in front of therge crowd and then eat. He even wondered how they would taste. But yes, there was something that concerned him. He had seen the stats of the four wolves out of the five. But thest one, who was probably the gigantic wolf out of all of them, he had yet to see. But even without seeing, he could feel a weird chill running down his spine. It was as if he had met his match or to be precise, he had met someone who could actually kill Shin with just a single howl. Shin was nervous, his forelimbs were trembling a bit. ''n wars¡­'' ''I certainly did not expect to meet such a monster here¡­'', Shin said to himself. Just looking at Devis made him nervous. However, the other wolves werepletely fine. Terran, Raka, Deoras, and remaining everyone including Ae, werepletely fine and seemed unaffected. That was probably because Devis had his aura controlled and it was as if he was just a normal gigantic wolf. Also, they weren''t actually present in the scene. Seeing someone from a screen and actually being there is totally different. Hence, because of that too they didn''t sense any danger. It was obvious that they would feel this way right now. However, when they went out to the arena, it was only then they realized what a true monster actually was! "¡­" Chapter 270 The Pandas Skill Restriction One by one every n was being called. Shin and his gang had no interest in anyone else besides the Fang n. Most of them were weak as Shin analyzed and looked at their status. But yes, he was waiting for the n in which Siara was to be announced. That was probably another n that he was eager to see. They were definitely stronger than most others, specially Siara, who was probably the leader of the White wolves. "Now let''s wee, the n of white wolves called the Warriors.", Reosan announced. Yes, Siara had formed a n of white wolves and had named it Warriors. That was possible because many wolves in the ns had the title of Warrior Wolves. Regardless, all the spectators were surprised when they saw a n that was formed with white wolves. Yes, as mentioned earlier, white wolves are supposed to be the weakest among all other wolves. The color of their fur usually symbolized who was stronger. The main reason why this basis was ssified was that the wolves with different furs could master a particr element or go ahead with a particr type of skills, as for those of white color, they knew nor what to master - this was what the truth was. However, after a lot of years had passed, the info had been changed into - White wolves cannot use any attributes as there exists no attribute that matches their white fur. "Haha!" "Look at that! Those wolves want to participate in the war! Haha!", everyone startedughing as they looked at them. It was indeed hrious and they weren''t the ones to be med. But still, mocking them so openly was indeed rude despite knowing that the one and only wolf God Shin was also a white wolf, to begin with. Regardless, she kept quiet and endured their mocking. While some of the members of the Warrior n wanted to shut their mouths, Siara asked them to stay cool and prevented any more hate from the mass. Of course, there were in total three beings that were either excited or confused after hearing her name - Shin, Ae, and Aaron! Yes, when Aaron heard her name, he was utterly surprised. Those that were called out to the arena, were then sent towards the gate on the opposite side of the entrance where they would be allowed to choose their number and cement of battle and then would be given rooms or chambers to rest. Aaron and the remaining four wolves had formed a n and had already gone to their room. They were watching everything that was happening via the screen and hence when Aaron noticed her and her name was revealed, he couldn''t do anything but be confused. ''Why is she alive?'', he asked himself. He looked at the screen as his eyes started to glow in faint orange light. ''Her aura has grown stronger as well. Even if it is far weaker than me, for someone to get that strong in just a year...'' ''This is unfathomable...'', he said to himself as he grit his teeth. Other wolves who were beside him, saw him worrying about something. Although they had no idea about Siara, since she hadn''t been that famous in the forest, they roughly knew about her. Especially the me wolf Freris knew. He too was a bit surprised to find her appearing here when they thought that she was dead. In any case, after her many groups were announced and one by one everyone appeared. Finally, it was Shin''s turn. His n was going to be announced. All of them stood up and walked up to the entrance when Reosan took the n''s name. "And now we have the n Lou Shin and its leader Shin!" Shin walked forward with the ck wolves behind him. Of course, only he and Ae were white. Alira and Kaily were also present in the n as they marched forward. When they saw Shin, they started tough. "Haha, what are kids doing here?", some ogres and foxesughed as they saw him present here. However, it was only 2% of the entire stadiumughed and mocked. The remaining everyone was surprised to see him make his presence. Moreover, they were nervous and their body trembled. It was not because Shin emitted any aura. It was because of his fame that had spread far wide. Yes, all those who had heard of the recent incidents regarding the destruction of Loria and invasion of Lenovia, knew who he exactly was. He was famous among the humans as they hated and feared his strength. The same was true with some elves who were intrigued to see him. Whereas other beasts, who were from different forests, called him by one name - The Predator! Just a nce at him and one would be deceived by his appearance. The mere 2% wereughing but they soon stopped after seeing their fellow mates, sitting beside them, swallowingrge chunks of dry saliva. "What''s wrong? Why are you trembling...?", a roon asked a pigeon sitting just next to him. "..." "Nothing..." "Nothing has happened yet...", the pigeon said as he kept staring at Shin and his gang. Among all the spectators, there were some other dignified members who were surprised by his appearance. The two elders mentioned earlier and a king, three of them smirked as they saw Shin. It was not because they belittled him. Rather, it was because they wanted to see him. They weren''t being arrogant or were trying to re at him, rather, they had their eyes closed and with a lowered gaze continuously tried to nce at Shin. Shin felt their gazes through but couldn''t feel any sort of killing intent behind the gazes. ''Have I met them before...?'', a weird question arose in his mind as they continuously stated at Shin. In any case, Aaron wasn''t that surprised when he saw Shin. All he did was re at the water screen. "Is he the one?", Lurion asked Aaron. "Yes, brother. He is the one whose name I couldn''t take a year back. Even brother Kira couldn''t-", before Aaron couldplete his sentence, Lucian activated his Aura Domain and pinned Aaron to the ground. "B-brother?", he was confused and startled by the sudden release of aura. "Don''t refer to that bastard as a brother.", Lurion said. "Y-yes. I won''t...", Aaron agreed immediately after which Lurion stopped using the aura domain and continued to stare at Shin. Regardless, since Shin and members of his n were introduced, they went to the other side and the announcements continued. A weird panda was standing in front of a stall with various numbers. On the wooden table in front of him, there were many inverted wooden bs. "Wee, please choose one of these." "They contain a certain number and ording to that it will be decided whom you will be fighting...", the panda said. There was a board right behind him where the numbers and drawings of the ns that had chosen already were disyed. It was in a diagram format and the match-up was present. ''The Fang n choose B4?'', Shin looked at the board. Match among the ns under group A will be conducted on one day and of Group B on another. The finalists of both groups will fight in the final round on another day. Shin had no interest in fighting with others. He wanted to quickly end the battle with the Fang n and kill them. Although he didn''t have a n right now and whenpared to them, he was a bit weak. But he never once thought that he would lose. ''If I get B3, I can fight them...'', he thought and tried to search for B3. His emotions took the best of him as he decided to go for B3. The fact that he forgot about cing top 10 in the wars toplete a mission and the fact that he had to search for Siara and Kira,pletely slipped his mind right now. ''I just have to see what numbers are present behind the wooden bs...'', he thought. If he could see the numbers of the inverted wooden bs, then he could choose B3 and fight the Fang n right away. His eyes started to glow with faint green light right away as he thought about using his mostmon eye skill - All-Seeing Eyes. *Ding* [ The skill All-Seeing Eyes cannot be used due to the passive skill ''Skill Restriction'' ] But what a pity, he couldn''t activate the skill as the Panda in front of him had a fearsome skill of his own ¨C Skill Restriction ¨C which prevented the usage of any skills within the radius of his 50 meters. "..." Chapter 271 A9 The panda who was managing the numbers was no weaker than Shin. He was hiding his aura and seemed quite docile due to which Shin didn''t care much. But after seeing the system notifying him about the restriction of using his skills, he realized that the panda was no normal being. Without wasting any time and without panicking, he tried to look at the panda''s stats. Of course, if he was using a skill called Analysis or something simr, then that too would have been restricted. However, since he was using the system directly to take a look at the stats, the skill restriction wouldn''t work for him. [ Profile ] [ Name: Dorphan (Male: 89 years) ] [ Race: Level 83 Mnoleuca ( Exp 90.55%) ] [ Happy Panda ] [ Rank: A || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 2000/2000 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1900/1900|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 799 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 1200 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 150 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 99 || Max. Int: 100 ] Shin wanted tough after seeing the stats. ''Happy Panda? What kind of status is that?'', he controlled and prevented himself fromughing. Also, the stats were more or less what Shin thought and predicted to be. Although the speed was way too low, which was obvious for a panda, its defense was higher than Shin. The same could be said for MP and his level as well. Other than that, everything was like Shin or less than him, of course, except its age too. Regardless, Shin had nothing to do with him right now. All he had to do was choose a wooden b. The panda was indeed standing happily and was waiting for Shin to choose. But by the time Shin took a look at the stats and thought about all those things, another group had already arrived. It was a group of Hyenas who loved teasing and taunting others. In a fact, it was kind of their gic habit. Yes, even if they didn''t want to tease or mock anyone, their mouths would work on their own and whatever they say would feel like a taunt. Therefore, they always tried to keep their mouths shut. A group of seven hyenas were just behind Shin''s group and wanted him to hurry up because they wanted to go and look at the water screens so that they could see what other races and groups were participating in. Until they went to the room, they couldn''t look at otherpetitors. They couldn''t even hear the announcements as thementator only spoke loud enough to be heard through the screen. He used the water screen in front of him as the mic which transmitted the sound only via the screens thus it wasn''t audible to anyone else. That was one of the reasons why the forest was calm and quiet despite n wars being held. "Can you please hurry up?" ¨C this is what they wanted to ask and instead, they ended up asking in a rude tone, "You bastards, what are you wasting time for? Can''t you hurry?" The hyenas ended up sounding rude just as usual. Moreover, it felt as if they were belittling Shin''s gang. The moment they said that all the wolves turned their heads towards the hyenas and red at them. "Huh?", said the wolves with no names. "Ha?", said Deoras and Raka. "Heh?", said Ae, Alira and Kaily. "¡­", Terran said nothing and just red. "Eh?", said Shin as he heard all of them make one or the other noise. He then looked at the Hyenas who were trembling after being the target of so many res. "We apologize." ¨C this was something simple that they wanted to say, instead, they ended up saying, "You bastards, what are you ring for? It''s not like we won''t apologize." ''I want to die¡­'' ''Why am I a hyena!?'', said their leader who closed his eyes shut after saying all that. Well, this only further enraged Shin and his gang. But for some reason, Shin found it funny. Of course, that was because of the status effect that he checked on the hyenas. ''Who are these to talk to us like this? Are they some hotshot?'', Shin questioned. ''I saw many beings tremble after seeing us, but these punks outrightly badmouthed us?'', he asked himself. And this curiosity led him to check all their stats. [ Race: Level 29 Hyaena ( Exp 81.00%) ] [ Race: Level 28 Hyaena ( Exp 63.57%) ] [ Race: Level 25 Hyaena ( Exp 11.79%) ] [ Race: Level 23 Hyaena ( Exp 07.55%) ] [ Race: Level 23 Hyaena ( Exp 09.41%) ] [ Race: Level 22 Hyaena ( Exp 11.06%) ] [ Race: Level 19 Hyaena ( Exp 00.55%) ] They were barely even Lv.30. After seeing that, Shinughed. Of course, this was not the main reason, it was because of the status effect that the system showed. [ Passive Skills ] 1] Mock/Taunt Lv.Max -> Rude toning of words to taunt everyone within a radius of 500 meters. -> Increases the chance of dodging the attacks temporarily -> Decreases Communication skill temporarily [ Status Effect ] -> Mockery After seeing the passive skills and status effect, he couldn''t control hisughter. Earlier, he was trying not tough after seeing the status of the panda, but after seeing the stats of the hyenas, he had no choice but to burst intoughter! Regardless, after seeing Shinugh, all the res vanished. He then said, "Pardon us, we will be going soon." The hyenas, after being relieved and hearing that, wanted to thank and apologize. They were about to open their mouths when Shin used his skill. *Ding* [ You have used the skill of Telepathy ] With this, he was able to converse with them. ''Don''t speak, just a gesture is fine.'', Shin said using telepathy. After hearing that, all of them bowed in order to show their appreciation. But a big question yet remained unanswered, how was Shin able to use the telepathy skill despite being under the range of Skill restrictions? It was quite simple, the passive skill of the panda was quite powerful indeed. It could render all skills useless within its range ¨C at least, that''s what was known. But that wasn''t true. If he could indeed do that, then the celestials and even the supreme celestials would be useless in around him. This would make them, not only vulnerable but also weak as heck. *Ding* [ The skill All-Seeing Eyes cannot be used due to the passive skill ''Skill Restriction'' ] This was the notification that had popped up earlier and after looking at the panda''s skills, Shin realized that this skill restriction was applied only to certain skills. Yes, it would only work on skills that came under the category of observation, heightening senses, or something rted to the physical body. As for telekinesis and telepathy, they would have no effect at all. Of course, Shin tried other skills as well and the only skills that he could actually use were none other than Aura Domain, Dispel, Steal, and Telepathy. He couldn''t even use Heal so he wasn''t sure anymore about the limitations on the skills. Regardless, he activated all these skills one by one, and the moment he felt his own eyes glowing and power surging from his body, he would abruptly de-activate his skills. Regardless, now that he used telepathy as the Hyenas to remain quiet, he decided to choose a random wooden b. He ced his paw on top of one. The panda then lifted it and flipped it so that Shin could see what group and what number they got. "A9?", he looked at the tag. The panda, without wasting any time, moved towards the board and ced the name of his n and tag on the board. Right after that, an elven maid appeared who took the tag and then asked Shin and his gang to follow her. Without wasting more time, they followed. She was wearing the maid outfit and since Shin was in the front and had a low point of vision, he could see all her private wearings. He smirked as if he was in heat or horny. Ae, who observed him doing this, marched faster and towards him only to nibble at his right ear. "What are you doing, your highness?", she asked while being enraged by his activity. Shin didn''t say anything and just turned his eyes in the other direction as he walked. "Here...", the maid then showed a specific room which had the same tag ''A9''. "Please rest here until your group''s name or your n''s name is called out.", she said in a soft voice. "..." Chapter 272 Green Hawks Vs Red Tigers - Part 1: A1 Vs A2 After getting inside the room, Shin found the water screen which disyed other groups. Well, on the board, when Shin''s tag A9 was attached, there was no one beside it or matched to it. This meant that their opponents were yet to be decided. Regardless, for now, he was a bit rxed but at the same time, he continued to think about the wolf brothers. ''I have to get stronger as soon as possible¡­'' ''Even with this evolution, I can barely handle them¡­'', he thought. Also, he realized that he needed others'' help. He couldn''t do anything if the wolf brother''s tried to massacre his group. Therefore, without wasting time, he went ahead and used the skill Telepathy to call for some help. ''Hey, can you guys hear me¡­?'' Well, after asking for help and telling them what to do, he continued to watch the next groups. Their stats weren''t that amazing. Even Alira would be able to defeat them easily. Every group that came after that was the same. None of them was worth the challenge for him. Basically, this was the norm every year. Beasts with about only 20-40 level range would being. Although there would be some exceptions, the majority of them wouldn''t even cross Lv.40 mark. The introductions continued for about another hour finally after which, the battle matchings were shown. The battles were going to take ce in orders, first for Group A and then Group B. This means that, as soon as the first round of Group A ends, the first round of Group B would begin. "This year, the honored Celestials have decided to go with the battle format fromst time.", Reosan said. As soon as he mentioned this, the crowd went crazy. Last time, which was about three to four years ago, the battle format was different. One member of a n would fight until they have given up or rendered unconscious. For example, if there was a team with lizards, then one of them shoulde forward and continue battling for the team alone with the team members of the other group. Yes, so this meant that one side would have a single member battling while the other side had an entire team battling. While this did seem unfair, the celestials asked them to go with this n. Of course, they weren''t merciless or cheaters, they did give one privilege to the team that sent only one member ¨C the choice of switching and a 10% boost in all of their stats for 10 seconds after the match starts. ''Hmm, weird¡­'', Shin was confused a bit and so were other members after Reosan exined it again to the neers. Of course, for now, he had many doubts, but this would be cleared after watching the first round of Group A. "In total, 64 ns have joined us today, to fight and win the top spot." "Out of these 64 ns, 20 ns of wolves have joined us.", he announced. "Huh?", Shin was surprised after hearing that. He basically stood up from his seat because he hadn''t seen any other wolf n until now. ''Siara was leading one and the Fang wolf n was one¡­'' ''Including us, it would be three¡­'' ''Where the hell did another 17e from? I didn''t see them¡­'', Shin was utterly surprised. Deoras noticed that Shin was troubled by something and thus asked, "Is everything alright, your highness?" Shin shook his head and then told about his confusion by asking the question. Deoras heard it and then smiled. It was as if he knew the answer. "Your highness, actually¡­", he then exined what the process was. The n wars were specially for wolves, as mentioned earlier. That was because wolves were one of the strongest predators in the forests. Although tigers and lions of the same level were stronger in general, their numbers weren''trge enough to threaten others. The only reason why Wolves are the main attraction in the events is that their numbers are more, and they are generally strong creatures. Of course, in order to note them or keep them in check, these wars and events are held. Also, it is a form of respect shown towards thete wolf God Shin. It was all an act though. The celestials wouldn''t want to celebrate or praise someone from some other race. They did it just to keep the wolves satisfied. No matter how evil a wolf was, it always respected Shin, the Wolf God. Whatever, the wolves who won or participated thest time, would have their names registered. They just had to send one representative to choose a tag on thest day of the n wars, the previous one. That was how other ns had already been registered. They probably arrived at the Arena earlier and were allowed to enter. Though, their names were surely called out during the announcement. In any case, now Reosan announced the first group''s first round and asked the tag numbers to appear at the entrances. "The first match is between tag A1 and A2, the Green Hawks Vs the Red Tigers.", he announced loudly. The moment they heard the names of the ns, all of them were thrilled to see them. After hearing the names of two strong ns, the way they responded made the entire building almost tremble. Shin and his gang waited to see the members of the ns that were announced. First, the members of the Green Hawks appeared from the left side, with respect to the elders'' and rulers'' points of view. The members of the Green Hawks were vulture-like birds. Of course, all of them had a green gem on top of their head and probably this was the reason for the name Green Hawks. In total, seven members appeared. Shin was surprised by their appearance, but not by their stats. Yes, their stats were hriously low after all, in fact, they almost matched the stats of the hyenas that they had met a few moments ago. Of course, whenpared to the hyenas, their levels were a bit higher, but it was nowhere near to even half the average of Shin''s entire n! [ Race: Level 35 Buteo ( Exp 00.00%) ] [ Race: Level 30 Buteo ( Exp 25.57%) ] [ Race: Level 30 Buteo ( Exp 47.79%) ] [ Race: Level 27 Buteo ( Exp 91.95%) ] [ Race: Level 26 Buteo ( Exp 09.01%) ] [ Race: Level 24 Buteo ( Exp 99.06%) ] [ Race: Level 23 Buteo ( Exp 00.55%) ] Shin didn''t exactly look at their entire stats. All he looked at was their levels. That was because he wanted to take a look at what they were capable of. Yes, he wanted to enjoy it as well. ''Since there are no televisions or mobile phones in this world, I might as well enjoy this as a movie.'', he thought as he looked at the screen. ''What a pity, if there were some popcorns and coke, then it would have definitely been enjoyable¡­'', he said to himself while sighing. "Sigh¡­" When others saw him sighing, they thought that it was probably because of some serious reasons, but after seeing him unfazed and changing his expressions right away, they realized that they were overthinking. Out of the seven hawks, six of them seemed to be of the same type. Thest one seemed a bit different though. He seemed much bigger and stronger. It was evident that he was their leader. Also, he didn''t know about aura control so he was constantly emitting his aura. After feeling that, many races in the crowd realized that he was quite strong. Well, the people in the crowd who felt the aura, were he weak so their opinions didn''t matter anyway. In any case, the next group was out right away. Yes, the n of Red Tigers was what made everyone much more interested. The same was true with Shin. He wanted to see what this n was about. He hadn''t seen either of these ns during the announcements. That was probably because they were inside, near the board when the announcements were being made. There would be many more groups about whom they wouldn''t be knowing but oh well, Shin had a system and Ae had an appraisal skill, so all was well, for now, that is. The Red Tigers n then made their appearance. The first one to walkout was a gigantic red tiger with ck and yellow stripes all over its body. It had a huge ''X'' shaped scar on its forehead. Also, there was another scar that seemed like a sh mark that extended from its right year till its jaws while going through the right eyes. Yes, it had only one eye! "¡­" Chapter 273 Green Hawks Vs Red Tigers - Part 2: Grabbing The Supreme Celestials Attention The red tiger that walked out had only one eye. It was bizarrely huge and emitted a rather strong aura. The ones in the stands or in the stadium got chills when they saw him making his appearance. The leader of the Red Tigers was out ¨C Tireon, that was his name. It showed on the water screens. Also, Reonsan announced it as well. Earlier, the mere introductions were done via the screens, but now, when the battle wouldmence, he would have toment on the situation with all his might in a loud voice. After all, instead of watching from the screen, the crowd would enjoy a live fight. If they were only allowed to see via the screen, then they would have sat in their habitats or home and asked the celestial to make a screen appear for them specially, of course, if they could contact or meet the celestial and force him to do, that is. In any way, after the leader made his appearance, one by one, the red tigers came out. There were seven of them as well. The tigers that cameter, weren''t as big as Tireon. Though, they too had this weird aura around them which gave others chills. Moreover, they too had scars all over their body but unlike their leader who had a missing eye, they were fine and had no major losses. Regardless, Shin didn''t waste even a single second taking a look at the stats of the leader of the Red Tigers. However, the only thing he looked at was his level. The moment he noticed his levels to be he low, he stopped glossing over and looked at the arena via the water-screen. [ Name: Tireon (Male: 18 years) ] [ Race: Level 36 Concolor ( Exp 21.21%) ] [ Tiger General ] Also, he took a look at all their levels to check who had the upper hand. [ Race: Level 36 Concolor ( Exp 21.21%) ] [ Race: Level 35 Concolor ( Exp 00.00%) ] [ Race: Level 31 Concolor ( Exp 01.79%) ] [ Race: Level 27 Concolor ( Exp 69.88%) ] [ Race: Level 27 Concolor ( Exp 77.01%) ] [ Race: Level 27 Concolor ( Exp 19.20%) ] [ Race: Level 22 Concolor ( Exp 19.15%) ] After seeing their levels, it was quite clear that the Red Tigers n was quite higher in level whenpared to Green Hawks. In fact, there were two tigers that were almost at the same level. Though, the sizes still varied. The reason for variation in size was simple, the max level before an evolution for them was Lv.35. Hence, they could only proceed to the next level after evolving. That was why the exp was also stuck at 00.00%. In any case, Reosan then announced to start the battle after discussing a few more things. "Green Hawks n, which rank 1042 in n rankings and Red Tigers n, which rank 988 in n rankings will face each other." "The leaders from both the teams are asked toe forward.", he announced. Tireon, the leader of the Red Tigers and Hawins, the leader of the Green Hawks came forward. "Since the Red Tigers rank higher than the Green Hawks, they will get to choose a wooden b.", he announced. All of a sudden a panda with a table and, two wooden bs appeared. He was the same panda that had the skill restriction passive skill. Of course, he was probably in charge here as well since the leaders could cheat. Regardless, Tireon choose the wooden b that was to his right. The panda then lifted the wooden b and from it, a light shed brightly to the sky. It was a ray of red light. "Red light was emitted. This means the n Red Tigers will fight individually whereas the n Green Hawks will fight as a group." The wooden bs would emit two lights in total, blue light, and a red light. Of course, it would be emitted by separate bs. If the Red Tigers n had chosen the other b, then they would have gotten to fight as a team. This would have given them much more advantage than the Green Hawks had right now. Regardless, the Green Hawks were happy right now after hearing that they would get to fight as a team. As for the Red Tigers, they weren''t particrly sad or unhappy. But they were a bit dissatisfied with the light that was emitted. Regardless, since they would receive boosts and considering the fact that their leader was quite strong, and there was someone else who was almost as strong as him with them. Therefore, they had nothing to worry about. And since their stats were already high, the boosts would be more than enough topensate for not having a team. Their leader was especially known for going solos. In fact, tigers mostly hunt solo. Due to this practice, it really didn''t matter to them if they were going to fight individually. Rather, if they were going to fight in a team, then there might have been internal conflict as they would end up snatching someone else''s target or get in others'' ways. This would have hindered them from showing theirplete power and potential and the Green Hawks n which was a bit behind them could have ended up winning as they were a lot stronger when it came to a team''s coordination. Also, the fact that they could fly was an advantage in itself. No matter how strong the attack was, if it never hit them, then it would be useless! They knew that and thus, they thought about flying from the start. But yes, this didn''t mean that the members of the Red Tigers didn''t prepare a n or strategy to their advantage. They weren''t fools so they put their minds into work only to develop a not so perfect, but good n that could end up turning the so-called advantage into a disadvantage! While everyone from Shin''s gang was concentrated on the Arena, Shin was focusing on something else entirely. *Ding* [ Warning ] [ The Supreme Celestials are trying to peer into the host''s stats ] [ Profile ] [ Name: Shin (Male: 1.5 years) ] [ Race: Level 81 Lupus ( Exp 97.18%) ] [ Wolf Lord ] [ Rank: A || Max. rank: SSS+ ] [ HP: 2000/2000 || Max. HP: 9999 ] [ MP: 1300/1300|| Max. MP: 9999 ] [ Atk: 3013 || Max. Atk: 4999 ] [ Def: 1000 || Max. Def: 4999 ] [ Speed: 2000 || Max. Speed: 9999 ] [ Int: 321 || Max. Int: 999 ] [ Mana Space Lv.3: 200/200 ] [ Stat points acquired: 1000 ] [ Skills Gained ] [ Active Skills ] 1] Blood Crunch Lv.1 (1/5) [ evolved ] 2] Speed Run Lv.1 (1/5) [ evolved ] 3] Copy Lv.8 4] Heal Lv.8 5] Transformation Lv.5 6] me Wave Lv.5 7] Dark Maniption Lv.5 8] All Seeing Eyes Lv.8 9] Aura Domain Lv.1 (1/5) [ evolved ] 10] Dragon''s Roar Lv.3 11] Dragon''s Aura Lv.3 12] Hymn Of The Dragons'' Lv.??? 13] Total Curse Immunity Lv. Max 14] Curse Eraser Lv.5 15] HP Eater Lv.8 16] Wind Run Lv.7 17] Aero sh Lv.6 18] Dispel Lv.4 19] Hurricane Lv.3 20] Winter Breeze Lv.2 21] Wind Maniption Lv.4 22] God''s Breathe Lv.1 (1/10) [ evolved ] 23] Steal Lv.3 24] Telepathy Lv.1 [ new ] 25] Regeneration Lv.1 [ new ] 26] Necromancy Lv.1 [ new ] 27] Rage Lv.1 [ new ] [ Passive Skills ] 1] Complete Cold Nullification Lv.1 (1/5) [ evolved ] 2] Complete Heat Nullification Lv.1 (1/5) [ evolved ] 3]Shock Resistance Lv.8 4] Predator Lv.??? 5] Hunter Lv.??? 6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.5 7] Language Trantion Lv.4 8] Poison Resistance Lv.6 9] Poison Destroyer Lv.6 10] Protector Lv.3 11] Pain Nullification Lv.3 12] Fire Resistance Lv.3 13] Mindcraft Resistance Lv.4 14] Gift Lv.??? 15] Ultimate Growth Lv.??? 16] Mental Defense Lv.3 17] Seal Resistance Lv.6 The profile showed up and started to go up and down and moved weirdly. After that, his inventory was being shown in which he had many items kept. Shin had already experienced this earlier and now, it was happening again. He realized that something was going wrong, after all, the Supreme Celestials were forcing the system to disy his stats. He couldn''t do anything other than be startled or shocked. While the battle was going to start anytime soon, the Supreme Celestials started to look at Shin rather than having their interests set on the first battle. [ The Supreme Celestials are trying to see the host''s stats ] [ ess Denied ] [ The Supreme Celestials are- ] ''They want to see my stats?'' ''System, do not let them ess any information!'', he ordered the system. [ Command epted ] "¡­" Chapter 274 End Of Battle Within Seconds And A Sub-Mission [ Command epted ] The system prevented their ess to the details. Yes, as it was doing on its own earlier, now it was aided and given permission by Shin to keep everything safe. As mentioned earlier, Supreme Celestials are none other than the Gods! For some reason, they were now interested in Shin. Yes, all this time, they had no interest or didn''t try to heck his stats or anything else. But now, they seemed to force the stats out. Of course, in the end, they failed. Although sometimes, the system was being blocked by supernatural entities ¨C may it be Celestials or Supreme Celestials ¨C the system still seemed superior. For example, that one time when the system refused to show the Half-Dragon stats. [Half-Dragon Wolf ] -> Information cannot be provided due to the interference of Celestials. [ Enabling forceful extraction of the details ] [ Error code: 03015 ] [ Details cannot be provided due to the interference of the Celestials ] This was what the system showed at one point when Shin had received the transformation ability of a Half-Dragon. It clearly stated that the system was being influenced or interfered with by some celestials. However, as a matter of fact, the Celestials here didn''t seem to have any authority over the system. After thinking all these things, Shin coulde to only one conclusion ¨C there were perhaps rankings in the celestials and those with only lower ranks had been gathered here. Yes, this would make sense because the Celestials are one of the most revered beings, why would they waste time on some mere wild animals whom they can kill in an instant? Why would they try to please other nations when they had no one to fear? The same applied to the Supreme Celestials, why would they not try and kill Shin if they couldn''t see his stats? Perhaps, there was something blocking them or preventing them from doing so. In any case, right now, the matter is resolved as the Supreme Celestials gave up on trying to see his stats. *Ding* [ Information was protected sessfully ] The system showed this text at the end of all the struggle that it went through. Shin smirked and sighed after seeing the message and for at least some time, he could rest easy. Ae was a bit worried because Shin seemed out of it, but now that he returned to normal, she too sighed and just sat beside him as if she hadn''t noticed his weird reactions. In any case, now both of them stared at the screen from which the match was going to be disyed. The Red Tigers n had to attack individually while the Green Hawks will be in a group ¨C it would be a fun battle. To start it off, the second strongest from the Red Tigers n came forward. He climbed the arena stage, which was mostly t rocky ground. Next, all the members of the Green Hawks n flew onto the Arena and created a formation. Before Reosan, the announcer could announce anything none could attack or use any skills ¨C that was a rule. Hence, the hawks even prevented themselves from flying right now. "So now, the first match..." "BEGINS!", Reosan announced it and as soon as he did, the battle started right after which it ended. It happened so fast that everyone could hardly believe it. Shin particrly, waspletely blown away by what just happened. Even if the Red Tigers n was ranked higher than the Green Hawks n, a single beast being able to defeat all seven hawks was something unimaginable. So how did it exactly happen? As soon as Reosan announced the start of the contest, the hawks tried to fly to the sky to attack in the air. This way, the tiger beast would be a bit vulnerable. Also, the space to dodge for the hawks would be tremendous! Hence, it was almost perfect for them. The red tigers had already figured out a solution for this and precisely because of that, the second strongest came out instead of the Leader. [ Race: Level 35 Concolor ( Exp 00.00%) ] He was a Level 35 Red tiger with two insane skills ¨C Iron Gravy-Pressure and Firest. With the Iron Gravy-Pressure, he prevented the hawks from flying. All of them were pinned to the ground. This reminded Shin of his own pressure-based skill ¨C Aura Domain. Secondly, after they were rendered flightless, he used the skill Fire st, a typical strong fire-based skill with great destructive power to st them all out of the stadium. *Boom* All the hawks, including their leader who had been caught off guard, were blown far away from the main arena podium and were mmed to the walls. The crowd, who wanted to cheer them, went insane after seeing this happen. All the members who were specially invited such as the kings were utterly surprised after seeing the high intelligence of a beast and theirbo skill usage. The same could be said about Shin''s gang who had their eyes left open. "The winner is¡­" "The Red Tigers n!" "They move to the next round!" "Ss for A1, unfortunately, you have been eliminated.", Reosan didn''t even take the name of their n. Finishing a battle in just 10 seconds, was a new record set by the Red Tigers n. And without any question, a simr quest arose for Shin as well. *Ding* [ Sub-Mission ] [ -> Finish a match within 10 seconds ] [ Reward -> 2x boost in all stats for 24 hrs. ] [ Do you ept? ] [ Y/N] And why would Shin reject this? The reward was extraordinary for a sub-mission. "Yes." And hence he epted the mission. Regardless, it was only the end of the first match. There were many more matches to be done. Without any question, the next match was going to take ce in group B and their contestants had already been asked toe out and wait just near the gates until the first match was over. And since, it was over now, they were called. "Let''s wee the n Arrogant Squirrels and Spotted Leopards, tag B1, and B2 respectively.", Reosan announced. "¡­" Chapter 275 A Tactic To Learn: An Unexpected Win The audience roared in excitement. Both ns entered the arena proudly. The Arrogant Squirrels n was first to arrive in the middle of the arena. Then, came the Spotted Leopards n. The Arrogant Squirrels n contained squirrels that were indeed small in size. However, rather than being cute, they had these stern expressions on their faces. Indeed, one could say that they were arrogant after hearing their mocks. Yes, their mocking behavior was somewhat simr to the hyena group that Shin had met earlier, however, this time, they weren''t under any status effect or curse. It was just them undermining their opponents after gaining a lot of power due to an immense amount of luck. As for the spotted leopards, they seemed rather docile for being a wild animals. Some girls from the human race and the elf race wanted to pet the leopards. Regardless, none of them was weak. Their strength was more or less on par with the Red Tigers with their leader being an Lv.33 Leopard. Their yellow fur had spots on them which were obvious from their n name. B1 -> Arrogant Squirrels; n rank: 1443 B2 -> Spotted Leopards; n rank: 1197 Unlike earlier, each of the ns showcased its strength to the crowd. While it was for the crowd to see their strength before the battle, both ns were actually trying their best to intimidate each other. Both ns believed that if they did that, they would have a better chance of defeating their opponent. Of course, the leader of Arrogant Squirrels (Lv.30) was asked toe forward and choose a tag. He got a blue tag meaning they would be required to defend. As for the Spotted Leopards, they had to attack individually. Regardless, one of the Leopards ¨C the leader ¨C entered the main podium or ring following whom, all the six squirrels appeared. They were ready to go against each other at anytime. Shin carefully observed both ns. In order to finish the battle within 10 seconds, he would have to n his attack and defense well. Learning from his opponents and others was no shame, so yes, knowing your opponents was the best thing he could do. nning ahead, and knowing your opponents ¨C he was only thinking about these two things. However, before he could think of a n, the announcer Reosan boomed loudly. "Second match, are you ready?" The crowd roared again. Each of them was excited to see the match, especially since the battle between the Red Tigers n and Green Hawks n was rather exhrating. "Second match, let the battle begin!" In a blink of an eye, a member from the Spotted Leopards marched in to attack the squirrels. As for the squirrels, all of them dispersed making it hard for the Leopard to catch any of them. After dispersing, they kept attacking again and again with some energy ball attack ¨C "Lightning Ball!" "Fire Sphere!" "Freeze!" These were all some of the spells used by the squirrels. Although the Leader of the Leopards was fast, in fact, quite fast that he was able to dodge attacks from almost every direction, he didn''t have infinite stamina! But whatever, the squirrels were surprisingly agile as well. The leopard was having trouble dealing with them. They seemed all around the ce. ''If I were present there¡­'' ''I would have just used my Aura Domain to subdue them¡­'', Shin thought as he looked at the screen. Anyway, the leopard continuously fired attacks from its mouth and ws but none of them seemed effective. The crowd was going wild as with more than a minute in, none of them had stopped moving! The squirrels continued running around and made the Leopard confused soon after which they attacked at once to knock him out. Of course, the same happened with other leopards as well. None expected the squirrels to win against the higher ranking Leopards, but after seeing the oue, everyone went wild as they were surprised. The battle did take quite some time, but it finally came to an end. The Leopards couldn''t find a way to break through the deadlock and fell victim to the Squirrels'' dispersion tactics. The audience pped their hands loudly. Some of the members of the crowd were also whistling at the Arrogant Squirrels n of the battle. Shin was once again surprised by the battle. He did not expect the oue of the battle at all. Unexpectedly, he also wanted to join the crowd and p for them, but oh well, he couldn''t do so. What a match! Ae looked at Shin thoughtfully, "I think we can learn a few of their tricks and strategy." "Why so?", Shin asked. "The Arrogant Squirrel n had used their most valuable trump card, their small sizes and agility constantly to confuse the foe. I believe that was how they managed to keep their foothold strong." Shin nodded in agreement. "I agree." Shin was happy cause Aemented and thought for a second. "If we could use the same strategy, we might be able to prevent massive losses as well as win the battle.", Ae suggested. "And it''ll be much more efficient too." "I''ll take note of that." "But Ae, this might be only possible if all of our members join the battle ¨C that is, a group battle for us." "Also, we need to maintain high speeds at all times. While these points do decrease our foothold, I think having this strategy in the mind might help us.", Shinmented. Whilst the battle between the Arrogant Squirrels n and Spotted Leopard n ended, another battle also took ce. It was a battle between the Night Bats n and Lone Kobolds n, each of them tagged A3 and A4 respectively. However, it was less interestingpared to the battle they had witnessed. Shin thought it was less appealing and didn''t think much about it. Of course, he did hear the speaker announcing the winner of that battle. "The winner of this match is, Night Bats!" Once again, the crowd pped for the winners. Chapter 276 Merciless Kill Soon after the previous battle ended, Reosan called out the next contestants. It was the most anticipated battle out of all and without any doubt, one of the greatest groups and the previous champions were marching forward. The crowd went wild again as Reosan announced the group. "Let''s wee the Shadow Spiders and Fang n tagged B3 and B4 respectively." Shin''s eyes darkened as he watched the Fang n. That n was his biggest enemy, having the ruler wolves. "Your Highness¡­", Ae looked at Shin in concern. "They appeared¡­", Shin muttered as his eyes were glued to the screen. The Shadow Spiders were standing in a straight line, while the wolves from the Fang n were sniggering at their opponents. Shin had a sudden urge to kill them at this instant. Fang n ¨C Rank: 04. Shadow Spider n ¨C Rank: 840. The rank of the Shadow Spider n was probably the highest they had seen until now whenpared to the rest. However, when Fang n was considered, everything in front of them turned into nothing. The humans that were invited, the elves, the Celestials, and also the elders including the kings and queens felt agitated and irritated when they saw the Ruler Wolves marching forward. Even if all of them attacked right now, they weren''t sure to bring the Fan n to its doom. Reosan asked the leader of the Shadow Spider n toe forward to choose a tag however before he couldplete what he wanted to say, Lurion spoke. "Ha¡­" "No need to choose from the tag¡­" "Just ask them what they want to do¡­" ,m "Whether they want to attack individually or in a group?", Lurion continued. The crowd went silent after hearing this. They knew that the members of Fang n were strong, so strong that one couldn''t even imagine. Lurion''s statement wasn''t to underestimate the shadow spiders, it was made just out of pure confidence. None could argue either because getting on their bad side would be the worst thing that one could do. Yes, with the absence of the top 3 ns, no one could stop the Fang n if it were to go violent. As mentioned, the Fang n ranked 4, and this too was when Kira was present. Without a doubt, their powers had decreased because of Kira''s absence, however, due to evolution, Kira''s absence no longer bothered them. In fact, they were much stronger than earlier. Despite this, there were three ns that they couldn''t defeat no matter how hard they tried. Even the leader of the Fang n ¨C Devis ¨C couldn''t defeat them. Hence, if they would have been present here, the Fang n would be under some restrictions as they wouldn''t want to get killed. But due to their absence, the Fang n had nothing to fear ¨C not even Celestials! The shadow spiders n decided to go with the group attack and after hearing this, Reosan announced the match to start. "Let the next match begin!" The me wolf marched forward while the shadow spiders n moved forward. Just the size difference was more than enough to shock them. They almost immediately said, "We give up!" On hearing this, Reosan wanted to announce that the Fang n was victorious without even fighting, however, just as he tried to say anything, Lurionid out an Aura Domain which almost petrified Reosan. The domain wasrge and covered the entire Arena. The spiders could obviously not move because of this interference. The me wolf, taking advantage of this, fires a st of fire at them. Shin trembled in anger. The Fang n had won. Not only that, they werepletely ruthless towards their opponents. The Fire Wolf roasted the spiders and mercilessly had them as lunch. "The winner of this match is, Fang n!" The wolves from the Fang n howled victoriously before exiting the arena. It was to show their pride and strength ¨C basically showing off. They made sure that everyone would know that if anyone dared to question them or stand in their way, their fate would be the same as the Shadow Spiders. While there was some difort, the crowd still cheered happily for the Fang n''s victory. However, 90% of them were trembling in fear. "What- There was no death before this battle!", Ae shrieked. She was shocked at the Fang n''s audacity. Shin clenched his paw. He was really furious, and he did not do a good job at hiding it. His killing intent spread in the entire room he was sitting at. All the wolves from his n had no choice but to look down as they felt chills running down their spine. "B*stards, how could they do such a disgusting thing!", Shin yelled in anger. Ae had rarely seen Shin this angry, so Shin''s sudden rage made her scared for a while. She did not dare to approach him at all. Shin leaned backward as he rubbed his temple. He tried to calm down, but his attempt was futile. His killing intent became stronger and stronger as time passed. Eventually, Ae had to stop him. If he were to continue any longer, all the wolves would be scared to death. "Your Highness, please look at me.", Ae instructed him. At first, Shin did not reply nor did he do as instructed. His mind was all over the ce, so he didn''t even hear her. "Your Highness?", Ae said, a bit louder this time. "What?", Shin grunted. He tried his best not to snap at the others. "You have to calm down.", Ae said as she was surprised too. She never heard Shin speak so rudely to her, but oh well, his anger seemed genuine. "Calm down? Did you see what they did? They were nothing but a disgrace to all wolves!" Shin barked. "I just want to kill them¡­" "But look at them, what the heck are they even doing? Hadn''t the spider n given up?" "I know, and I totally agree with you. But if you don''t calm down, you would be endangering our wolves instead." Then, Shin realized the truth behind Ae''s words. He took a deep breath and instantly, his rage diminished little by little. "I''m sorry, I couldn''t control my temper earlier.", Shin apologized to all the wolves. The wolves just smiled and shrugged it off. They were still terrified to say anything. Ae grabbed Shin''s forelimb and squeezed it gently. "We are going to be okay.", she reassured him. Shin nodded as a small smile appeared on his face. Chapter 277 An Easy Win The day passed by quickly as all the groups battled with each other. The members of the crowd could be seen exiting the ce to buy something to eat or to rest and recharge in order to watch the next battle round. Of course, there were also some who joined the crowd brimming with excitement and ecstasy. A few people also took the opportunity to sell some food items for the people in the arena. From the ssic sds to the most expensive meat including various juices and fruits, nothing was less. The sellers were approaching people one by one. They would ask whether the person was hungry, and if they were, they would offer the food suitable to the person. The audience was really d that there were some kind-hearted sellers who were willing to sell food items in the arena. Although some of the members of the audience did stand up to exit the arena, most of them didn''t want to miss a single part of the battle. Day 1 of the battles would normally be long, but since some of the battles ended in a blink of an eye, the times had been cut short. Of course, there were a few thatsted quite long too. Many ns had fought which had made many races go wild. While some cheered with all their might, some booed and wanted a side to lose. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm and noise never seemed to recede. Finally, it was time for Shin''s n to battle. His n was tagged at A9, and they would be battling against the n that was tagged as A10, which were the Desert Lions. For Shin''s n, only 5 of them would participate; which are Shin, Ae, Raka, Terran, and Deoras. It would be the same for the Desert Lions as well, they too had 5 members in the group so this seemed fair. As both ns get ready to enter the arena, the announcer spoke, "It''s time for the battle we all have been waiting for, Lou Shin n and the Desert Lions!" The crowd cheered loudly. Everyone here had heard of the great Shin, and they were very excited to see him in a battle. Even the celestials were intrigued to see Shin''s ability in a battle. They had long heard about Shin''s greatness. However, they had never gotten the chance to witness it by themselves. This time, they could finally confirm the greatness of Shin using their own eyes. "Both ns, please enter the arena!", the announcer said loudly. And so, both participants from both ns entered the arena together. The Desert Lions were slightly intimidated by the sight of Shin, nheless, they held their heads up in confidence. "Since the Desert Lions are of lower ranking than Lou Shin, could I have the Desert Lion''s leadere forward and choose a wooden b?" Immediately, the Desert Lions'' leader walked toward the announcer and casually picked up one of the two wooden tes. Then, a blue light shone from the wooden te. That meant that all of the Desert Lion''s members would defend against an individual member from the Lou Shin n. Shin took this opportunity to step forward. He had agreed with a quest, so he needed to be the one to end the battle in 10 seconds. "Wait, Your Highness.", Ae sent a message to him using telepathy. She stopped Shin from walking any further. Shin looked behind to see Ae, wondering why she called him. "Let me handle this, it wouldn''t be good for you to show your strength in the very first battle.", Ae said this using telepathy, trying to make Shin believe that what she was saying was for his best. Well, in other cases, Shin would have taken her advice, as there was nothing wrong with what she mentioned. However, there was a sub-quest before him too. No matter what, he had toplete it, to get the small rewards at least. [ Sub-Mission ] [ -> Finish a match within 10 seconds ] [ Reward -> 2x boost in all stats for 24 hrs. ] Doubling all his stats would definitely be useful, however, the only problem was, that he wasn''t sure if the match between his and the fang n would be within 24 hours. If he could have all his stats doubled when fighting them, then obviously it would be a lot helpful. Therefore, he took Ae''s advice for this case and asked her to take care of them. Of course, Ae went straight towards the Desert Lions. ''They shouldn''t possess any threat to her¡­'' ''Although she has yet to evolve, her level is already much higher than theirs¡­'', Shin thought as he looked at the leader of the Desert Lions and the rest. None of them, except their leader, was above Lv.40. The leader was Lv.43, which was obviously way less to be a threat to Ae. Of course, as Shin had anticipated, the battle was over in a matter of minutes. Ae was more than enough to take care of all of them. The crowd had gone wild when they saw different types of Wolves entering the Arena ¨C it was also their first time looking at a wolf with deep blue color ¨C Raka. Also, the prejudice that white wolves are weak had stuck in their minds. Seeing Ae go instead of Shin, who was a white wolf, as well as any others, they thought that Shin was just trying to test their strength. Little did they know that Ae would be fierce enough to end the match in mere 5 minutes ¨C taking about 1 minute per beast. She used only three skills to end the match ¨C Wind Run, Wind st, and Wind Cutter ¨C the skills which Shin had yet to learn from Ae or to be precise, copy or gain from her since she is his first vessel. Wind Cutter was another form of Aero sh, it was about 5 times much stronger and sharper. As for Wind st, it was the formation of a sphere of wind that would st away from Ae''s mouth hitting the opponent, in the end, causing potential damage. "Lou Shin! Lou Shin!", everyone cheered Shin''s n as he won. ''Sigh, so many cheers even when this wasn''t the main event¡­'' ''What will their reactions be when I fight the Fang n members?'', Shin smirked as all of them returned after the winner''s announcement. Chapter 278 Siara Vs The Platypi - Part 1 After their match ended, it was time for the next match. Shin wanted to watch this match for specific reasons ¨C it was the match in which Siara was participating! "Where are you going, your highness? Aren''t you going to watch her match?", Ae asked Shin. Afterpleting their match, the Lou shin n returned to the ce given to them. "Well, I wanna go out for a walk¡­", Shin replied. ''Well, it''s not like they are gonna lose.'' It was a match between Siara''s n, the White Wolf Warriors, and Mirabile typus. Since it was Siara''s n and she was participating, Ae was a bit worried but Shin wasn''t as he had already checked the status of all typus. [ Race: Level 48 Ornithorhynchus ( Exp 41.21%) ] [ Race: Level 35 Ornithorhynchus ( Exp 11.63%) ] [ Race: Level 27 Ornithorhynchus ( Exp 73.00%) ] [ Race: Level 26 Ornithorhynchus ( Exp 14.20%) ] [ Race: Level 15 Ornithorhynchus ( Exp 99.19%) ] Even though they had some nasty skills like [Paralyzing poison], [Blinding], [water sh], etc, he still thought that Siara and her n could easily win. "This.", he was in awe when he saw the skills of the typus, or rather, a single skill made him bewilder, especially, that of the typi leader. But he had full confidence that Siara could defeat these typi who called themselves great. After all, the level gap was very big. ''Yep, there is no way you typus can win.'' Shin concluded. ''R.I.P'', Shin looked at them with pity before going out. . . . The Mirabile typus were the ones who got the chance to lift the b and when they did the color of the light was blue which obviously meant that they would take a defensive position. "I am going." "No, I am going." "I said I am going." An argument started between the members of White Wolf Warriors. "You imbeciles let the master choose who will attack.", said the strongest wolf after Siara. ''Even though I know master will choose me.'', the exact same wolf thought with a smirk but she wasn''t the only one with these thoughts. There were others too, thinking that they would be allowed to go. However, a majority of the members thought that the second strongest wolf would get the opportunity. "I choose myself.", Siara dered. "Yes, yes master we knew you would choos- wait what!?.", All of them said simultaneously as they thought that they were the ones going to be chosen. "Let me repeat, I choose myself, meaning, I will fight them and end the match as soon as possible." after that Siara didn''t even bother to listen to their suggestions orin and started walking towards the arena. "You all have two options either surrender or die. Though I prefer the second option but to save time for both of us you all can just surrender.", Siara said with a cold gaze and deep voice. After seeing the Fang n kill, she didn''t even hesitate to im that they would be killed. Siara said with an intimidating voice. "How dare a mere white wolf say that!?", said the leader of the typus even though he was freaking out due to Siara''s but that wasn''t the only reason. In thest match when the typus saw a white wolf that looked very innocent defeat the desert lions within minutes; a chill ran down his spine. They even thought about surrendering but if he would have done that then everyone would have made fun of his n for getting intimidated by a mere white wolf so it mustered all its courage and entered the arena. ''Not every white wolf can be strong, right¡­?'', he kept asking this question to himself, thinking, the answer in a positive way. If he would have lifted the b with red light he might as well have kissed his chances of winning goodbye. All the typus surrounded Siara as soon as the battle started. Small darts appeared in the mouths of all the typus and were simultaneouslyunched towards Siara which she easily dodged using the skill [wind run]. The darts kept on appearing out of thin air and were continuouslyunched which she kept on dodging with ease. "Is that all you got?", Siara asked with a smirk. Siara and the leader of the typus attacked each other with their skill [Aero sh] and [water sh]. A big green light emitted as Aero shed wasunched with a gust of wind while arge amount of water gathered right in the typus'' mouth as itunched water sh. [Aero sh] Passed through [Water sh] cutting it as if it was a piece of tender meat and shed one of the typus'' legs resulting in making him scream in pain. [Aero sh] [Aero sh] [Aero sh] [Wind st] [Wind st] It waspletely a one side massacre. Only three members from the typus n were alive, yes only three the rest two died or rather, were killed by Siara. "I have to use it.", the typus leader said to himself. He waspletely covered in cut marks and bruises. If someone looked closely he could find some cracks in its beak. "You both¡­" "Yes, master?" "Protect me I am going to use a skill. I need to make some preparations." "Yes, master." Both of them replied as they trusted himpletely. Both the typus dashed towards Siara. Despite their small feet, they were quite agile. [Water sh] [Paralyzing poison] A water sh and a ck dart wereunched toward Siara which she easily blocked using her skill [Wind barrier]. [Water sh] [Water sh] Both of them were continuously using their skill water sh which was easily blocked by Siara. Siara used her skill [Wind st] due to which both of them flew and fell to the ground. Before both of them could do anything Siara used her skill [Aero sh] and sliced both of their head. Before their death what they saw was something they would never forget even after their death. They still had shocked expressions after their death. Siara was disgusted when she saw this too. Chapter 279 Siara Vs The Platypi - Part 2 The leader of the typi was eating its dead subordinates. When he saw that thest remaining two subordinates were also he rushed towards them and ate their dead bodies. "It''s all because of you!", the leader of the typus screamed in anger. "What the heck!?", Siara said, confused and disgusted at what the leader was doing. She waspletely shocked when she saw the typus growing bigger in size. It was now bigger than her. Spikes grew from its back. It regenerated its leg. Its w grew bigger and sharper. Its aura was now more intimidating. . . . ''This, this is crazy.'' Shin thought as he looked at the profile of the typus leader. [Profile] [Name: Pole (male: 15 years)] [ Race: level: 48 Ornythorhynchus ( Exp 41.21%) ] [typus Lord] [Rank: C || Max rank: A] [HP: 450/450 || Max HP: 3000] [Mp: 500/500 || Max MP: 7000] [Atk: 330 || Max Atk: 1999] [Def: 390 || Max Def: 499] [Speed: 770 || Max speed: 1300] [Int:69 || Max int: 399] [Skills] [Active skills] 1] Peck Lv. 5 2] Scratch Lv. 4 3] Paralyzing Poison (dart) Lv. 5 4] Water sh Lv.6 5] Water st Lv.7 6] Blinding Lv.5 7] Hypnosis Lv.1 [Passive skill] 1] Cannibalism Description - Eat 10 members of the n to boost the stats by 10x for 2 minutes. Effect - Temporary boost in host''s and skills'' levels and stats by 10x with -5 intelligence and +100 MP and +100 HP. Consumed - [6/10] . . . Each and every stat would increase. Also, with an increase of levels of the skills by 2 and Pole''s level by 5, it gave it significantly greater strength. He dashed towards Siara and used his skill [Scratch] which was blocked by the skill [Wind barrier]. As soon as the wind barrier vanished, Pole sneaked up from behind. With its increased agility, it was able to do so. Pole [pecked] on Siara''s head which seemed to be very painful. An intense battle started between pole and Siara but still, she had an upper hand. Yet, she tried to think of a n. Even though Pole had a boost in his strength he was still getting injured. Siara kept on using her skill [Aero sh], [Wind st], [Wind run], and [Wind barrier] To fight against the typus leader, causing a lot of damage and reducing his HP little by little. Though, she too was getting hurt in the process. ''It''s time to get serious¡­'', she thought this right after which, her aura got wilder, causing an intense amount of pressure in the surrounding. Right after that she disappeared and reappeared in front of Pole which scared the sh*t out of him. [Aero sh] [Aero sh] Two aero shes wereunched towards him but he managed to dodge them and reappeared in front of Siara and scratched her but Siara instead of backing used her skill aero sh yet again. She could have used any other skill as well right now, such as Wind Cutter, but she just didn''t want to. One of the reasons was that she wanted everyone to believe that Wind Cutter had limited use and she hadn''t mastered it so that, when fighting stronger opponents, she could use it as a trump card. Another reason was that Pole was dodging her attacks easily. Aero sh and wind cutter had almost the same speed, but wind cutter would consume more MP for more damage, hence, if dodged, more of her MP would just go to waste. Well, all of a sudden, a fountain of blood was created and a sound of thud could be heard. The leader, who had gotten the boosts due to the passive skill, couldn''t hold any longer. 2 minutes had passed by and so did its life, which was taken away by Siara with a simple skill as Aero sh, that shed away its neck leaving a fountain of blood and making all the spectators go silent for a few seconds. Even members of her n were surprised with how she finished off thest typus. They couldn''t stare at her cold and dead eyes. Also, they couldn''t actually rejoice or be happy about their win after seeing all the blood on Siara''s white fur. Siara walked out of the arena which was nowpletely silent, not looking back even once soon after which the announcement was made as the crowd went crazy. Noise filled in after the little silence. Cheers could be heard and congrattions were obviously on the way. "¡­" . . . *Grrrrrrr* "How is this possible?" "We had to sacrifice the life force of our n members to get this stronger but she..." The wolf brothers were pretty pissed off. As they mentioned, they had to sacrifice every n member to get this stronger, but Siara, even though she wasn''t at their level, she was still getting stronger at an extraordinarily faster rate without actually doing anything shady. "We need to get her out of our way." "You are right brother we will kill her in this n war." All the wolf brothers decided and agreed to this. . . . The next battle was between The Big Sloths and The Desert Serpents. The next battle soon started. Big Sloths'' n leader''s level was 50 whereas the desert serpents'' leader''s level was 55. Raka and Terran who were watching this from the screen werepletely in awe. ''One is too fast, one is too slow. Obviously, the serpents will win this round...'', both of them thought. The sloths were extremely slow creatures whereas the Serpents were extremely agile. So it was a normal conclusion that both of them drew. The sloths got a chance to pick the bs as their rank was lower than serpents. What they got was a blue light but still, instead of being happy, they got into a bigger problem. The serpents would get a 10% boost which means they would get even faster. Literally, everybody present there facepalmed themselves after thinking about it for a moment. Six members of sloth got into a defensive position, waiting for a member from the Desert Serpents to attack. Chapter 280 Bats Vs Spider - Part 1 People thought that sloths would lose very badly but instead, they all won that too not by a slight margin. Their battle didn''t have any specific to be remembered, except for the fact that the sloths made a great win against the serpents, who were expected to win. Even though no desert serpent was killed, they lost very badly against slow creatures like sloths which were very shameful. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that their n members would be called the slowest creatures in existence. Well, all the members of the big sloth were celebrating their victory. Shin was currently sitting in the ce where his n rested before registering in n wars, yes, at the outside area. He had earlier left the room and gone out, just as the match had reached its end. "How are the constructions of the town going on?", he asked the dwarves using his skill telepathy. "Everything is going on well, your highness.", the dwarfs replied. After asking a few more things, normally, his expression changed. Suddenly Shin''s voice turned serious as he asked, "Have they departed?" "Yes, your highness.". the dwarves replied. "Alright, good. Carry on¡­", right after saying this, he stopped talking to them and instead, connected himself to the Grigard King "How far have you all reached?", he asked. "Your highness we are about to cross the river and within ten hours we will reach there.", Grigard king answered immediately as Shin reached out to him. "Good but when you arrive at this forest, make sure you stay hidden. Use your high-level camouge skills if required¡­" "Don''t stir anymotion." "Keep hiding until I ask you to enter this ce¡­", Shin gave them strict orders. "Yes, your highness.", the Grigard king replied with a respectful tone. As soon as he said those words through telepathy, he broke the connection and started going back. What he saw after returning was a white wolf jumping here and there simultaneously wagging its tail and two other wolves trying to calm her down. "Have you finally gone insane?", asked the wolf with brown fur which was obviously terrain. "Yes, I think that must be the case.", said the wolf with blue fur which was obviously Raka. And the wolf with white fur, Ae, was overjoyed after seeing her mother and was jumping here and there. Shin didn''t know if he imagined it or not but he could literally see her eyes sparkling. ''What the heck?'', he thought. She would have run straight away to meet Siara if Shin wouldn''t have stopped her. "Calm down we will get a chance to meet her.", Shin said in order to prevent her from running to Siara. Currently, the battle between the big sloth and the desert serpents was over with the sloths being victorious. Now another battle was about to start between two ns. The next two ns were ¨C The Supreme Bats and The Scheming Spiders. ''Wow, spiders again? Well, many ns with simr races could be expected¡­'', Shin thought as he looked at the screen. Regardless, Shin wasn''t much interested in these smaller matches right now. He had missed a match that had taken ce a while ago ¨C Siara''s match. He went out to check about his men and construction when Siara''s match started. And only arrived after her match was over. While consoling Ae and talking to others and discussing the future ns, the battle between Sloths and the serpents was over as well. And now, a new match was starting. Well, when Shin checked their profile he waspletely in awe. ''What the heck?'' This was the second time he was saying that. In any case, he was literally surprised to see the stats of the members of the next match as well. . . . In the arena, the bats lifted the b and a red light shed. The supreme bats would attack and the scheming spiders would defend. The leader of the bats came forward to attack. Both creatures had very low intelligence so it would be a battle purely based on skills and brute strength, at least, that''s what it was thought. Of course, their rankings were far below that of Shin''s n. The spiders started shooting webs at the bat while it was trying to dodge. The leader of the bats sometimes attacked the spiders while other times dodging their attacks. [Bite] [Scratch] These two main attacks were from the Bat''s side. [Weeb shoot] [Poision throw] While these two were being done by the spiders. The battle continued. The battle wasn''t very thrilling as there were some clumsy moves and clumsy attacks. The battle was very slow at times as well. But this didn''t mean that none of them were pausing before attacks. Regardless, the crowd was slowly getting bored and they definitely didn''t see the next movesing. Suddenly something unbelievable happened! The leader of the bats, split into two and then into four and soon there were more than thirty in the sky, pping their wings and forming crowds. This was possible thanks to the skill - [duplicate]. Using this skill he could create how many ever bat like him. However, there was a catch, the clones created would be three times weaker. All the bats started using their skills - [Aeriel sh] [Sonic Wave] [Super Sonic], etc. The spiders were having a hard time dodging the attacks since they weren''t present in an environment where they could hide and attack sneakily. Regardless, they tried their best to dodge the attacks and yes, they even dodged most of the attacks ¨C except, for the [sonic wave] and [super sonic], which were aimed at them to make them confused. "It''s time to end the battle.", the bat leader murmured to itself. All the cloned bats in the sky dashed toward spiders except one which was obviously the bat leader, the original body. The spiders were agile and tried to dodge, but the flock of bats grouped and surrounded thempletely right after which they rushed towards their bodies. The bats started to suck the blood. If someone looked closely at the bat leader then they would notice some drops of blood falling from its mouth. Chapter 281 A Huge War, Soon To Occur No, it wasn''t his own blood. It was the blood of spiders that he was currently enjoying. These bats made up of his skill were practically dimensional transporter that was connected to his mouth. Yes, anything and everything these bats ate or drank would be directly transported to his mouth. This was an incredible skill, other than the fact that the duplicates were three times weaker, since the leader of the bats didn''t even have to do anything on his own. He could just sit and hide somewhere and ask his duplicates to go and hunt or drink blood. This way, there wouldn''t even be a chance of betrayal since all of them are duplicates. Plus, the chance of his life being in danger was almost zero ¨C but it wasn''t zero! Yes, all of a sudden, all the bats disappeared and the bat leader had a horrified expression. The leader also fell to the ground. The spider-leader startedughing but thatugh soon turned into a scream which was the case with each and every spider in the arena. Weirdly enough, members from both the ns were on the ground. They also fell to the ground. Everybody was shocked to see this. The spiders nor the bats'' leader had fainted. Both of them were conscious but were in half-death situations. This was due to their skills which were [Toxic Blood] and [Damage Reversal]. The [Toxic blood] would make their blood poisonous which was more than enough to destroy many internal organs ¨C this skill was used by all the spiders when the bats tried to suck their blood. The skill [Damage revarsa] - > 50¨G of the damage suffered by the host will be reversed to the attacker. [ Condition: The host should drink the blood of the target. ] Both skills were pretty nasty but the bat leader had an upper hand. Ten minutes passed by the bat and the spiders were alive and were able to speak some words but no one was agreeing on forfeiting. In short no one was agreeing to defeat. Even the bat leader, who could rece himself with his teammates, refused to give in. ''What the heck should I do¡­?'', Reosan was very much troubled with the battle and with the crowd as well. They seemed to have been getting bored as most of them were booing. ''Not the bats, nor the spiders, none of them are giving up. I should think of something soon.'', Reosan thought. He just didn''t have any idea why the leader of the bats was so adamant about not giving up and letting others take his ce. Regardless, just when he was going to suggest something and ask for a substitute, the members of the spider n fainted. What actually happened was, that when the bats sucked the blood of the spiders, they got poisoned because of the blood toxin. The bat suffered from paralysis and heavy damage to internal organs due to corrosion. Of course, with the help of damage reversal, half of the damage was transferred back to all the spiders from whom he had sucked blood, making it seem like an attack that damaged all the group members. In the end, the spiders ended up fainting as the damage suffered by them kept increasing. "The Supreme Bats n is the winner!", Reosan announced finally, making the audience sigh heavily. This was probably the longest match in the arena and if not, then definitely a long match that bored everyone. Spiders and the bat leader were taken to the ce where the injured beasts are healed. ,m . . . ''Those ba*tards must being soon. I guess there is no other option than waging a war¡­'', Shin thought with a serious face. He looked tensed for some reason. Well, he recalled something rather unpleasant after all. It had been about 2 days since the n wars started. The previous day was when Shin had participated, but Siara''s first appearance was on the following day, which was now. Shin kept wondering about something now and then. He sometimes went outside and was using telepathy to contact all his nmates who were back at the town that was being built. ''There is no way to avoid it¡­'' ''I guess, I have no choice either¡­'', Shin said to himself. . . . On the very first day of the n wars, when Shin had arrived¡­ In one room the wolf brothers were discussing. "We should kill Siara and that puny Shin before they be a threat to us.", said one of the wolf brothers. "We can''t afford to wait until he grows stronger. I think by the time the n wars end, we can go ahead with the n. Lan, go call all our n members." The reason why Fang n was so strong was simple ¨C they had sacrificed many of their nmates to increase their power. Yes, they found a method to convert life energy into exp, that boosted their growth and helped them level up. They grew stronger too in the past few years after all! Lurion also called the Death Wolf, gave out orders to Lan to go and ry messages to all the n members they had. Freris, Gargus, Aaron, Lurion, and Devis, all five of them still had a lot of m members. If added all of them, the number would be roughly 4000-4500. Lurion had nned to attack everyone after the n wars ended and when the Celestials left temporarily to retrieve rewards from the Supreme Celestials! He was confident he would be able to kill everyone, including both Shin and Siara. Of course, he had no idea about Shin''s n and the number of n members he had. If they knew about it, they wouldn''t have thought rashly, or wouldn''t have underestimated them. Regardless, theirbined n was super powerful as well. Their n had abination of Fire, Wind, Earth, and Lightning wolves, almost all the types of primal elemental wolves. By no means were they weak either. Since they finalized to attack, a huge battle was soon to ur, between the Fang n and Lou Shin n! Chapter 282 Soul Contract Lan Dashed with his full speed to call the n members but he didn''t know what he was going to get himself in. Shin, when wandered outside, looked at a familiar wolf who was Obviously Lan. ''Where is he going¡­?'', Shin secretly followed him. ''Did he really betray and if he did why?'', many thoughts were going into his mind. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say his mind would burst any movement. He really wanted to know what was going on in Lan''s mind. More or less, Shin thought that he really did betray, but there still was a question mark sitting on his head. As soon as they entered the forest area, a bit outside of the festival ce, Shin used his aura domain to pin him down. "Arg!", Lan was surprised when the pressure literally threw him to the ground. He was hugging it, not knowing what was going on. "What do have here?" Shin asked him with an intimidating tone, trying to pretend he didn''t know who Lan was. "M-m-master Shin!?", Lan said with a shaky voice. He waspletely freaking out, trembling after seeing Shin appear in flesh. Shin didn''t look much different from earlier. Only his fur increased and his height a bit, more than that, his voice remained the same, including the terrifying aura. ''What should I do¡­?'' ''He will end up killing me after what happened to Kira¡­'' ''There is no way that he will give me a chance to-'' "Tell me where you were are you going.", before Lan could think anything, Shin asked with a dominant tone. Lan then exins everything clearly. The wolf brothers had ordered Lan to go and ask their nmates to prepare themselves so that there would be an all-out war. Lan was just tasked with sending the info and telling them about it. "Well, now that I know about this I think I should just kill you¡­", Shin said, ring at Lan with cold eyes. "No don''t kill me. I promise, I won''t let them know that you interrogated me¡­", Lan tried to save his life the moment Shin mentioned killing. "Nope, I am killing you.", Shin said with a sinister smile, trying to intimidate Lan a bit. "Trust me please." "Trust you!?" "How can you say the word trust from that filthy mouth of yours? You are a dog that bites the hands that feed you¡­" "You expect to live after killing your owner?", Shin asked furiously, wanting to know the truth. "That¡­", Lan was confused, not sure what to say. "And other than that, how can I expect you to keep your mouth shut in front of your new owners?", Shin asked, trying to be rude. "Soul contract¡­", Lan murmured. "Soul contract¡­?", Shin repeated with a confused voice. [Soul Contract ¨C A contract made between or among beings with a soul. If the contract conditions are vited, the soul of the viter crumbles, leading to instant death and no rebirth] ''Wha-'' ''Interesting¡­'' ''How do we form the soul contract¡­?'', Shin asked the system after a small pause. [Soul contract is formed when two souls agree on its establishment.] ''That''s easy.'' Shin thought. "So do you agree on keeping your mouth shut and not say a word of what happened now to the wolf brothers?", Shin asks immediately, without wasting any more time. "Yes, I agree!", Lan said immediately. He knew that if he dyed, then Shin wouldn''t hesitate to kill him. Suddenly Lan''s chest glowed but soon the light faded away. For an instance, Shin''s crest appeared on Lan''s chest. Of course, after the light faded, the crest vanished, but if one had to tear his chest and peek inside, he would find a crest still present on its heart! "Alright then, since we have formed the contract, you can go and do the duty that you were asked toplete.", Shin ordered, deactivating the skill Aura Domain. "Yes, I will run as far away a- Huh? What did you say?", Lan was surprised to hear Shin say that he could go and ry the order to the Fang n members. "Didn''t you hear me?" "Let me repeat myself, bring them all!" "Doesn''t matter if there are 1000 members or 2000. Even if there are 10,000, I don''t care, but make sure that you ry the message to all. Not even a single one should miss¡­", Shin''s killing intent leaked, making Lan tremble a bit. ''One would ask to run away and not ry the message since it would be a massacre of all the members arrive and attack¡­'' ''But why is he asking me toplete this job¡­?'', Lan lifted his head only to look at Shin''s eyes. ''No way¡­'' ''Don''t tell me¡­'' ''He is confident that he can win against all five-thousand members?'', Lan asked himself as he lowered his gaze. ''I wanted to kill all the members of Fang n anyway¡­'' ''Also, in order for me to get stronger, I need to kill as many wolves as possible¡­'' ''The entire nmates of the Fang n could definitely give me a ton of Exp¡­'', Shin smirked as he saw Lan running away with his tail between his legs. . . . ''Well, today is the third day of n wars. Now if we win against this n, then we will reach the quarterfinals¡­'', Shin looked at their opponents. "Next match is between Lou Shin n and ck Scorpions." "Due to all the previous battles, and the fatigue, an hour of rest time will be provided. The audience may replenish their energy or have their lunch meanwhile. The battle will start in an hour¡­", Reosan announced. Shin''s members and those of ck scorpions were just outside the rooms, thinking it was their turn to enter the Arena. However, with Reosan''s sudden announcement, both the ns went separate ways to rest. The audience then exited to have meals and as for the kings and queens that were present, meals prepared by special chefs were served to them. Shin too rested, thinking about the mission toplete the match in 10 seconds! Chapter 283 Sub-Mission Cleared ''Well, what the heck should I do if we are the ones defending.'' Shin thought as he wouldn''t be able to defeat each and everyone within ten seconds. That was because, if they get the blue light, then they have to defend. If that were the case, then the opponents woulde one by one. By no means can the match end in mere 10 seconds. He had another thing to worry about too. The ns that he was going to faceter, would be stronger than the previous ns. Obviously, stronger ns would move up. Hence, finishing them in 10 seconds would also be ridiculously hard. Regardless, Shin, who waited for the current fight, wanted to focus on the situation at hand. He waited for the leader of the scorpions to go and lift the b right after which, a red beam of light was erected towards the sky. ''Looks like I was worrying for nothing¡­'', Shin said to himself as he smirked. "Your highness let me go.", Ae asked, demanding that she would be allowed to fight. She wanted some more praise from Shin. "Nope, not happening. This time I am going.", Shin said. "But-" "No buts." There were two reasons why Shin denied her to fight ¨C one was because he wanted to end the match in 10 seconds. And the second reason was that Ae wouldn''t be earning a single Exp points if she were to battle. She had yet to evolve, so for now, her exp meter had hit its highest value. Ae started making puppy eyes but Shin didn''t care as he just wanted toplete his mission. Shin entered the arena. The ck scorpions started trembling as soon as they saw hime forward. ''Should I surrender?'' ''There is no way we can win against them...'' They already saw what Ae did even though she wasn''t the n leader. ''That wolf pup wasn''t even the n leader yet she was so powerful...'', the scorpion leader thought. ''Her name isn''t even famous. As for the n leader, Shin, there is hardly any beast in this forest that hasn''t heard his name¡­'' ''His power would be at least ten times more than Ae¡­'', the scorpion leader concluded. ''Since the match has been started by me, then even when they surrender, the system should count this as a proper match¡­'' ''Should I ask them to surrender¡­?'' ''Ugh, not like they will listen¡­'' ''They will say the same old dialogue about me being a small white pup¡­'', Shin sighed as he thought about it. "Begin the match." Nevertheless, he decides to ask them at least once. "So, would you want to-" Even before he finished asking them, a reply was heard from their end. "We surrender." "¡­" "Huh?", Shin was surprised when he heard the phrase from the mouth of the leader of the ck scorpion n. "And the winner is, Lou Shin n.", Reosan didn''t waste even a second to announce that. *Ding* [Sub-Missionpleted] [End the match within 10 seconds] pleted] [Reward: 2x boost of all stats for 24 hrs] [Press im to ept the reward] [im] "..." Shin looked at the system notification that appeared seconds after they dered their defeat. ''Hmm, im¡­?'' ''Safe¡­'' ''I thought that the reward will be given directly, but it looks like I can im whenever I like¡­'' ''Yes, for now, I will leave it as it is, and im it when I am in danger¡­'' ''Or perhaps, when I battle the Fang n¡­'', Shin thinks as he walks down the main area towards his nmates. Ae was both happy and confused. She didn''t know that all Shin had to make was his appearance. ''His Highness must have anticipated this. That''s why he took the action to prevent Miss Ae from wasting her energy¡­'', Rakka and Terran whispered in each other''s ears. ''Well, I guess we have sessfully entered the quarterfinals.'', Shin concluded as all of them started returning to their rooms. Although the match ended within ten seconds, to be precise, only a second or two after the match started, the audience was not satisfied. After all, none of them used any skills nor showed any of their powers. It was just verbalmunication and that''s all. Some even wanted the jury to take action and make a system so that those who want to give up, can do so even before they enter the main podium for battle. This way, the time of the audience would be conserved and the battle could go much fastly and smoothly. Regardless, the Celestials took that into consideration. It was also mentionedst time but they hadn''t been enacted. Looks like this time, they took it seriously and thought about implementing it the next time! "The next battle is between Heavenly Monkeys and Great Gigards.", Reosan announced. When the word ''Grigards'' was mentioned, for an instance, Shin recalled his members. Well, he knew It very were that there were many other Grigards living out there, however, hearing their names did make him feel a bit weird. Anyway, the name of the n Heavenly Monkeys sounded a bit too over the top. He was interested in them as well, and for a good reason too. When he took a look at their status, he couldn''t help but be surprised. Because, unlike before, where the ns had super unique skills, this time, the level of the participants itself was high. Heavenly Monkey n consisted of beast monkeys who were all above level 60. There was something else that surprised him, even more, when he looked at the profile of the monkeys, especially their leader. [Name: Don Wukong (Male: 130 yrs)] ''Ha!?'' ''Don Wukong¡­?'' ''Isn''t it way too simr to Sun Wukong, or is this just a coincidence?'', Shin was baffled after seeing the name and recalling the name of the famous Monkey King. ''I see, now the name of the ns, Heavily Monkeys, does seem to make sense¡­'' Don Wukong was even holding a stick, or to be precise, a heavenly staff that was also way too simr to the staff that Sun Wukong used to hold. *gulp* ''This is gonna be interesting¡­'' Chapter 284 The Heavenly Monkeys Vs The Dark Tigers - Part 1 In the arena, the grigard leader lifted the b since they were of lower-ranking whenpared to Heavenly Monkeys and the light that shed was red. This meant that individual members of the Grigards had to attack thebined defending team of heavenly monkeys. The leader of grigards entered the arena. He wanted his lower-ranking members to go and attack so that he would have an idea and a rough estimate about the levels of the heavenly monkeys. He could even spot their weaknesses. But all the members were a bit nervous. Instead of helping the leader to spot mistakes, they would end up making mistakes and might make him lose and give motivation to the Heavenly Monkeys. Due to this reason, he thought it was best for him to go first. "Let the match, begin!", Reosan announced. He spotted the weakest among them with the help of his skill [Weakness detection]. It was an Lv.63 monkey. The grigard leader used his skill [Poision fang] against the monkey, thought to poison it, however, the monkey ended up pping him instead. [Thunder p] was the skill monkey used. Well, the Grigard didn''t surrender even after noticing the level gap. The p definitely paralyzed the Grigared for a second as it was one of its effects. He mustered all his courage and attacked the monkeys once again which was his biggest mistake. After the battle, no, it wasn''t a battle, after a long pping session, the grigard gave up. The members, who cheered their leader earlier, were now lowering their gazes in embarrassment. Not to get their n embarrassed anymore each and every member of the n gave up. Instead of being an intense battle that the audience wanted, it was a battle filled with a cringe. The next battle was between White Wolf Warriors and The Big Sloths. Since the big sloths ranked lower than the white wolf warriors in which Siara was the leader, the big sloths had to choose the b again. Unfortunately enough, their luck wasn''t that good this time and they got a red beam of light. This time big sloths were at a disadvantage as they were the ones attacking. The battle continued for some time but soon the big sloths lost the battle. The audience was expecting that this time also they would be able to see some time unexpected just like in thest match of big sloth but this time nothing like that happened. The battle seemed a bit slow-paced. Also, the attacks were useless. Everyone expected The white wolf warriors to win from the performance earlier, and the same thing happened. The next battle was between the Fang n and The Giants. It was obvious that the Giants had a lower ranking than the Fang n. They were moving to pick the b but the fang n, just like earlier, asked the Giants to do what they wanted. They decided to take upon the offer and defend, thinking that was the best thing they could do. Like many, they could have just surrendered from the start, but they wanted to see the difference between their strengths and the strengths of the members of the Fang n. The only problem was, they weren''t sure if they were going toe out alive! And just like that, Aaron entered the podium while the remaining stayed behind, either yawning or just thinking about something else. This time too, it wasn''t even a proper battle. Aaron used his aura domain and pinned down all the giants. It was clear that the giants lost but not letting them surrender he killed the all. It was their bad decision to not surrender from the start. The nation of giants, and the elders of the said nation that had arrived, couldn''t do anything more than just grit their teeth and hold back their anger while clenching their fists. Of course, seeing this scene Shin was enraged yet again. "That imbecile how dare he!?", Shin raised his voice while looking at the screen in the room. He kept ring at the screen as Reosan went forward and announced the matching of the next battle. The next battle was between two strong ns ¨C Ice Fox and Dark Tigers. However, since both sides were strong, the battle just kept on getting dragged out. Regardless, the dark tigers ended up winning it. These battles were of some strongest ns. Many more battles happened after which the quarter-finals started. The quarter-finals weren''t worth mentioning either. The battles weren''t that exciting despite the participation of the strong ns. Generally, one would make mistake and the other would exploit it. Also, if none of them made any mistakes, it was bing a battle of endurance. Regardless, none of them were that noteworthy. Even Shin''s battle, which sent shivers down others'' spines, was soon forgotten as it seemed to be the same tactics since earlier. In any case, the one battle that was the best and became memorable was thest match of the Quarter Finals - The Heavenly Monkeys VS The Dark Tigers. Not many skills of heavenly monkeys were revealed and the only skills they knew were [Thunder p], [Scratch], [Bite], and [Lightning Run]. The Dark tigers lifted the b and the light that shed was blue light. They weren''t that lower ranked than the Heavenly Monkeys, yet, the difference was indeed shown. The aura and the crowd, most of them openly supported and cheered for the Heavenly Monkeys. As for the Dark Tigers, some even booed and tried to decrease their morals. "Let us show them the power of our n¡­", the leader of the Dark Tigers said. One of the monkeys from the Heavenly Monkeys n entered the arena. Unlike the previous battles, this time, killing was allowed ¨C though, even earlier, Fang nmitted murders that no one questioned. The leader of the ck Tigers sent the weakest member, expecting to have a good fight, to showcase their strength. A fierce battle did indeed start. However, the monkey easily killed the tiger from their group. "¡­" Chapter 285 The Heavenly Monkeys Vs The Dark Tigers - Part 2 "How dare you!?", seeing one of its members die, the leader of the dark tigers was pissed off. While the killing was allowed now, seeing someone else kill your nmates would definitely enrage you. The battle continued and many tigers got injured but the monkey looked as if he was enjoying this battle. ''Such terrifying power and he isn''t even the leader.'', the leader of the tigers thought, as he kept getting angry. The fact that he himself didn''t go up to the podium and let others fight was confusing. Well, it was the request of his nmates after all. After seeing one of their fellow members die, they all thought about protecting their leader. So instead of letting him go, they jumped onto the podium. ''Even if we die, we will at least bring glory or at least help master to notice the weaknesses of the enemy¡­'', some of them thought. The monkey used [Thunder st], creating arge explosion that killed two more tigers consecutively due to which he managed to anger the leader even more. [Illosinory eye], the tiger used his skill due to which the monkey went nk for a second. However, the effect didn''tst long. It then returned to his senses the next moment. ''What was that¡­?'' ording to the monkey what he saw was his family and his n members dying in front of him. But regardless of that, he was easily able to break the illusion. On a battlefield, even a second is enough to turn the tide. This was one of the most famous sayings in the beasts which seemed to be true. The tiger used its skill [Illisinory eye] Due to which the monkey went nk for another second. [Dark st] [Dark sphere] [Dark sh], the leader of the tigers started using skills one after another seeing which other tigers also started using skills. The monkey wasn''t able to protect itself due to getting hit by skills one after another. It was barely able to stand after getting hit by those deadly skills. The leader of the tigers dashed toward the monkey and used his skill [Dark w]. A ck to purple light covered his ws which started extending. He was about to tear the head of the defenseless monkey but suddenly he froze for a second. It was as if someone paused him and then resumed him. Due to this, his w shed only air as the monkey had already disappeared. The audience was also shocked as the only thing they saw was a wisp and a lightning bolt. The wisp entered the body of the leader of the dark tiger''s n and the lightning bolt touched the monkey due to which both the monkey and the lightning bolt disappeared. Everything happened in seconds. "He surrenders." Suddenly they heard Don Wukong''s voice who said these words pointing at the injured monkey in his hand. Everybody was shocked seeing this scene. Don Wukong entered the arena and stared at the remaining tigers that were alive, due to which all of them started shivering. Of course, one can surrender, but the way Don Wukong did it was too dirty. The leader of the Dark Tigers wanted to kill the monkey for revenge, however, Don Wukong prevented him from doing so, which only enraged him even more. Also, the leader''s body still trembled for some reason, recalling the moment when it had be immobile for a second. Don Wukong entered the arena which obviously meant that he was going to battle them. He stood there as Reosan announced, "The Battle Begins." The leader of the ck Tigers was quite angry, however, he did not want to see the rest of them die too. The lives of his nmates were much more important right now. He inhaled and exhaled heavily, trying to calm himself as he was going to announce surrendering. However, before they could do that, all of them froze yet again. ''What the heck¡­?'', all the tigers were surprised, not knowing what happened. "Do you all really think that after trying to kill my n member I would let you live¡­?", Don Wukong spoke in a deep tone, that sent shivers down everyone''s spine. "Huh¡­?" "What do you mean? Didn''t you just kill my n members? You think your members are special?", the leader of the Dark Tigers used all of his power to just speak what was in his mind. Don Wukong didn''t give a shet about what the tiger said and just used one of its most dangerous and destructive skills ¨C [Heavenly Thunder]. "Heavenly Thunder!", he shouted as he raised his right hand towards the sky. Dark clouds started forming, instantly after which, yellowish-golden lightning fell down, making a loud noise, enough to make on deaf! The explosion caused by the attack was more than enough to destroy the entire arena, including all the walls. If not for the protective barriers erected by the Celestials, everyone present there would have been dead! Dust of cloud rose from the ground after the skill was used. It covered the entire podium, obstructing others'' vision. Well, some of the audience had fainted because of the loud sound of the thunder, as for others, they were trembling. ? Regardless, as the dust settled down, the only one that stood at the podium was none other than Don Wukong. Also, only the leader of the Dark Tigers'' body was visible on the podium. It waspletely burnt. None other bodies were found. To be precise, they had turned into ashes! Reosan didn''t hesitate to announce that Don Wukong won the match. The crowd, that hadn''t fainted, went crazy after hearing the announcement. They started screaming after a moment of silence. Don Wukong, who kept shocking everyone after every battle, became an instant favorite. Now, most of the people were cheering for their ns. Plus, the ones that were betting, threw all bets on the Heavenly Monkeys and Fang ns. In any case, with the end of the battle, the quarter-finals came to an end! Chapter 286 Mother Vs Daughter After the end of the quarter-finals, the semi-finals were soon to start. Of course, it was supposed to be held the next day, however, since the previous battles ended too early, there was more than enough time to conduct the rest of the matches. Surely enough, all the battles till now were thrilling. Though there were some expected oues, there were some cases where the match went out of hand too. Regardless, four ns qualified for the semi-finals: White Wolf Warriors, Lou Shin, Heavenly Monkeys, and Fang. Lou Shin n was matched up against White wolf warriors and Heavenly Monkeys had to battle Fang n. The audience couldn''t wait for the semi-finals to begin. Everyone was impatient and couldn''t wait for the 1-hour break to be over. Soon enough, the break was over and everyone returned to their seats. There were many who didn''t even leave their seats, in anticipation of the matches. But there were many, that went and bet upon the teams. The first match was between the White wolf warriors and Lou Shin n. As soon as Reosan announced, all those who had yet to arrive at the stadium and take their seats, rushed with all their might, causing a lot of uproars. By no means could they miss this match. Both the n entered the arena due to which anxiety in the audience increased. "It''s been long, Siara...", Shin looked at Siara as he asked this using his telepathy. He then walked close to her before any further announcement was made. The members of Shin''s n, especially Ae, all stood behind him. Ae was the most excited one to meet her mother, but she had to stay behind when Shin mentioned about exchanging a few words with Siara. They hadn''t got the chance to meet earlier. "Yes, master Shin¡­", she said as she bowed her head a bit. Her eyes still seemed dead, even after meeting Shin. Well, she wasn''t even surprised when she saw Shin. That was because Shin was just too famous and she had been hearing his name from time to time. She knew that he was alive. "I should have surrendered as soon as I heard about you¡­" "But forgive me, master Shin, I have my reasons to not lose¡­", she said with a hint of sadness and rage in her voice. They didn''t exchange any more words after this. The white wolf warrior n, specifically, Siara was asked toe forward and pick a b. Their n was weaker in strength and ranking. She walked forward and lifted a b - blue light emerged from it. So, one member from Shin''s n had to fight against all the members of Siara''s n. Well, they had already decided whom to send first. Considering the fact that Siara was present in the other n, Ae couldn''t help but beg to let her go. Of course, this time, Shin couldn''t deny her. He had alreadypleted the mission but hadn''t imed any rewards, so it was fine if he didn''t go. Since Ae requested a lot, he decided that she would the one to start the battle. Ae walked up to the podium, standing in front of all the members of the White wolf warriors n. She didn''t speak a word to her and just wanted to show how much she improved in thest year. Of course, she missed her mom, but she would always get a chance to talk to her after the battle was over. "Let the battle¡­" "BEGIN!" Reosan announced loudly momentster, all the white wolf warriors started attacking with their respective skills. The majority of them were wind types, but some were of ice types too. Some shot ice shards at Ae while others used wind des - the attacks were deadly and Siara didn''t want Ae to die, but she knew it better, that Ae didn''t seem like the small pup she knew back then. ''If she remained with master Shin all this time, then by no means would she be weak¡­'', she had concluded this much earlier, even before the match had begun. Ae used her skill [wind run] and started dodging the attacksunched by the white wolves. She sprinted towards one of the wolves and attacked her using [Aero sh] but she underestimated their teamwork as three wolves quickly used their skills, destroying [Aero sh]. Their wind des were insanely strong. While they were indeed weaker than Ae in terms of levels and skills, if theybined their attacks, they could easily defend or cancel out her attacks. When the three wolves used wind des simultaneously to cancel out Aero sh, only two wind des vanished along with Ae''s attack. There was still another wind de from the third wolf which paved its way toward Ae. Needless to say, she dodged the attack with the help of Wind Run. However, when Siara used the next skill - [Wind st] - Ae failed to dodge it. It was because her attention was diverted as she tried dodging the third wind de. A sphere of circting heavy winds hit her abdomen, almost throwing her out of the podium. It was clear that the n White Wolf Warriors had an upper hand by now. Ae used [Huricanne] and finally managed to break their formation while also managing to injure some wolves but it seemed that luck wasn''t with her as the wolves quickly took another formation. The battle continued with Ae sometimes being able to break their formation but they would create another formation almost instantly and position themselves. Their teamwork was wless, even Shin could see that. The Celestials sitting in their meeting hall and watching this battle also made them a bit impressed. Regardless Siara used [Sonic w] to attack Ae who defended herself by using [Aero sh]. Both the skills shed causing shockwaves. Siara used [Aero sh] continuously which Ae was barely able to dodge. Many deep cut marks appeared on her body due to those continuous attacks. [Wind st] Chapter 287 Shin Vs Siara [Wind st] Siara used another of her wind sts, however, Ae wasn''t a pushover. She too used [Wind st] to counter Siara''s attack. [Wind st] Siara and Ae used their skills simultaneously. Two gigantic spheres of wind collided with each other, creating an impact that almost blew away the podium. Unfortunately, since Ae was weak, she was the one who ended up getting hurt as both the attacks united and backfired on her. "Give up¡­", Sara said with an intimidating voice but Ae dashed toward her without saying anything. Ae was Lv.65, at her peak condition when she should have evolved. Because she hadn''t evolved, she wasn''t able to get exp and level up. Considering the fact that Siara was at Lv.68, which was just 3 levels away, the battle should have been pretty much on the same level. Unfortunately, it wasn''t. After all, Siara had her group attacking Ae. Despite getting a 10% boost in her stats, her Wind st was significantly weaker than that of Siara''s. One of the reasons was the low level of the skill. Since Ae hadn''t used that skill often, its level was significantly low, only Lv.3. As for Siara''s wind st, it was already Lv.7. "If that''s what you want then fine¡­", Siara mumble while using her skill [wind st]. All the other wolves also attacked Ae by using multiple skills due to which in the end Ae lost the match. ''Why am I not stronger? Why? WHY!?'', these were her thoughts before passing out. She thought she could stay beside Shin and help him always. If something troubled Shin, then she thought that she could protect him, but after looking at herself, she realized, how pathetic she was. Reosan announced that Ae fainted and the next participant was asked toe forward. Of course, it was none other than Shin who walked forward. Two elves brought Ae to the side and cast Healing spells on her to heal her injuries. Shin could have healed her instantly, in fact, if left alone, she could have been healed by herself as she had the privilege of being Shin''s first vessel. However, the elves were present beforehand and their task was to heal the injured. So, Shin didn''t stop them from doing their jobs. "Now, the one entering the podium, is the leader of the Lou Shin n, none other than, SHIN!", the moment Reosan announced this, chills ran down everyone''s spine. The audience started to cheer. The celestials now peeked with much more interest and the same was with everyone who looked at the screen either from the rooms in the stadium or from various ces in other kingdoms. Shin walked forward and stood on the podium, looking at all the white wolves. He blinked once or twice, recalling how Ae was attacked by wind sts. He wasn''t exactly angry. Though, he did feel a bit irritated - after all, it was the first time when a member of Lou Shin n lost! As Shin entered the podium, a chilling gust of wind started to blow. Everyone who raised their voice, cheering for him, calmed down. They could feel a weird killing intent. Shin red right at Siara who stood in front of him. "Let the battle, begin!", Reosan announced. Even after the announcement, Shin just kept ring at Siara. Even though he could have ended the battle when it started just by pinning them to the ground by using the aura domain, he refrained himself. It was a way of respecting Siara, at least, initial respect. This time the wolves were more cautious and Siara was expecting him to use a strong attack to try and end the battle in a second but instead, he disappeared and reappeared in front of her. It was as if he teleported! She took a step back only to find Shin vanishing yet again. ''This¡­'' She turned her gazes towards her right only to find Shin re-appear in front of another wolf. Shin used [Blood crunch] As soon as he appeared in front of the wolf and threw her away; all the wolves present here were females. In the same way, he disappeared and reappeared in front of another wolf and knocked it out with a dash. Shin kept on disappearing and reappearing in different ces due to which members of the white warriors reduced from seven to only two, and about five of them became unconscious. ''I think I should also create formations with my n members.'', he thought as he looked back at the formation in which Siara''s n was. It was quite effective against Ae after all. He used his skill [Wind run] and dashed towards the one more wolf and knocked it out as well. Siara on other hand, who tried to chase Shin, only ended up being left behind. She not only failed to chase Shin but also failed to save her members from Shin''s attacks. "I¡­" "I cannot lose¡­" "I have yet to take revenge for my husband¡­", she mumbled. The crowd went crazy after the performance and were yelling loudly, yet, Shin could hear what Siara just said. "With that pitiful power, there is no way you can take revenge for Kira¡­", Shin said with a calm voice. His emotionless gaze was more than enough to send a shiver down her spine. Only Siara was left and the rest wolves were knocked out. The audience didn''t dare to blink an eye in fear that they would miss something extraordinary. Shin stood by as he let Siara stand up by saying just one thing - "Is your resolve that weak¡­? Come on, stand up." Shin kept ring at Siara as she stood. They just looked at each other for a few seconds. Just as a feather from a crow, hit the ground, both of them dashed toward each other using their speed-enhancing skills. [Aero sh] [Aero sh] Both of them used their skill with Shin''s [Aero sh] overpowering Siara''s [Aero sh]. Siara used [Wind st] hoping that it would hurt Shin or at least, dy his movements but neither did it leave even make a contact with him nor did it dy him. Shin used his skill [Aero sh] continuously due to which many cuts appeared on Siara. He didn''t want to kill her, so he kept targeting the least vital spots. Chapter 288 Don Wukong [Wind Cutter] [Aero sh] Siara used both of these skills simultaneously to outmatch Shiro''s Aero sh. Unfortunately, even with thebined attacks, Shiro''s skill remained victorious. Even if the skill level gap wasn''t much, the actual level gap between the two was a lot. So,bining just two skills wasn''t enough to stop Shiro''s Aero sh. Needless to say, the attack hit Siara and almost dragged her back. With no one else being there, all she could do was give her best to try and defeat Shiro. Inside her, she already knew that defeating Shin would either be impossible or will be very difficult. As of now, she had never seen Shiro lose. Even in the past, once or twice, she thought about Shiro''s presence. ''If only he was present there that day¡­'' ''Then the massacre could have been prevented¡­'' But she was wrong. Shiro wasn''t that powerful back then. Other than helping in healing, he couldn''t do anything else. He was just a low-level pup. With the exception of his cheats, he was weak, hence, the tragedy couldn''t be avoided. Regardless, this was how Siara felt. She red at Shin just when she was hit with another skill - [Dark Sphere]. It pushed Siara almost until the finishing line. The attack was strong and damaged Siara a lot too, with only 10% of her HP remaining. Not letting her attack Shin used many skills pinning her to the ground, as she was left with only 1% of her HP. Just one more attack and it was the end for Siara. She would end up dying, hence, Shiro had to be extra careful. Even if she fell to the ground and suffered some HP loss, it was an end for her. He thought about stopping his attacks now. Siara was barely able to stand due to all the attacks. ''If I attack her anymore she possibly might die.'' As he thought this, he recalled that using Aura Domain didn''t do any damage. It just made the opponent unable to fight or made them pass out if they were too weak. Considering the fact that Siara was not going to give up and battle, even more, he used the skill. *Ding* [You have used the skill Aura Domain] Siara, who had just stood up, was again pinned to the ground and this time she passed out due to the terrifying aura. "The winner of the battle is Shin from the Lou Shin n." "They move up thedder, and now are one of the semi-finalists!", Reosan announced loudly. The crowd never went silent, and continued to cheer as the result was announced. Without wasting any more time, as soon as the members of the previous battle departed, Reosan made the announcement regarding the next battle. "Heavenly Monkeys Verus the Fang n!", just these words were more than enough to make the crowd go wild yet again. Well, there were some that supported the Fang n, just because they were too strong. As for others, they supported the Heavenly Monkeys, wanting to kill the Fang n for killing theirrades, n members, or in general! Heavenly monkeys and the Fang n entered the arena. The heavenly monkeys had a lower n rank, it was obvious that they would choose the b. The Fang n, yet arrogantly asked what the heavenly monkeys wanted - whether to fight as a group or fight as individuals. The members of Heavenly monkeys left the decision to Don Wukong, their leader. Don Wukong, walked forward, without asking or replying to any of the Fang n''s, or rather, Lurion''s suggestions or questions. A blue light shined from the b - the heavenly monkeys couldn''t ask for better. Gargus, the wind wolf stepped forward, entering the podium. The monkeys surrounded Gargus whom they were about to battle even before the battle began. His aura was terrifying even though he was the weakest of the wolf brothers. "Let the battle, BEGIN!", Reosan announced. [Heavenly Lightning] Without wasting any time, Don Wukong used one of his strongest skills, Heavenly Lightning, to summon the lightning. Gargus didn''t even move a single inch. The lightning descended and hit Gargus. The light was bright, just like earlier. The same could be said about impact too. However, after everything was visible again, Gargus stood, smirking at Don Wukong. Don Wukong and many other spectators were surprised. The simple fact that Don''s skill wasn''t able to even put a scratch on Gargus was bizarre. When he used the same skill against the Dark Tigers, they werepletely annihted. Well, this showed him the clear difference in power between the two beings. Regardless, before he could snap out of the shock, Gargus vanished from his sight and jumped on top of a monkey, ultimately biting half of his throat and gulping it down, and taking a few steps back. The monkey, whose throat was eaten, almost half, bled to death in some few seconds. When Don Wukong saw one of his members die, he grit his teeth wiping the one drop of tear that escaped his eyes. From his birth, his family and his friends were hunted. He had to struggle from the start. There were many times when he was almost killed. He always wondered, why he wasn''t born as a human because the difference between a human and a monkey seemed rather minute. While humans enjoyed the vast majority of thend, all they could do was stick to certain ces or trees, and live always in some sort of danger in the wild. This was all because he was born a weak creature. Soon enough, his entire family was killed and being the only one in arge forest, that was too injured, he knew not what to do. All he could do was plead, and pray. Weirdly enough and fortunately, his prayers were answered. All his struggles stopped when he got a name. Sun Wukong, also called the Monkey King, who was a supreme Celestial, named him after taking pity on him since once upon a time, he too was as weak as him. "Wukong¡­" "Your name will be Don Wukong.", Sun Wukong announced, appearing in front of him while sitting on a cloud. Chapter 289 Heavenly Defying Thunderstorm "Don Wukong¡­" The name gave him many perks, ultimately even letting him evolve into a higher monkey race. From that day his lightning attributeS skyrocketed. In addition to that, he even received a magical item - Sun Wukong''s Heavenly Staff - which gave him further boosts. Despite not being able to use the staffpletely, just its mere presence was more than enough for his attributes and overall strength to be increased by several folds! He was sure that he would be able to use the staff to its full potential sometime in the future. When he became so stronger he wished for two things. The first one was to show other races that monkeys are a superior race. The second one was he never want to be lonely, he never wanted someone he knew to die and that''s why he promised himself that he would never let any of his n members die. Unfortunately enough, he couldn''t keep his promise. One of his nmates was killed right in front of him and he couldn''t do anything. "YOU F*CKER.", Don Wukong shouted with his bloodshot eyes. He used his skill [Dark lightning]. Dark Lightning was very different from Heavenly Lightning. In terms of strength, both of them wereparable, however, the amount of time needed to attack was less for Dark Lightning whenpared to the Heavenly Lightning. Unfortunately, even this attack missed Gargus, or to be precise, he dodged it with ease. He appeared in front of another monkey and killed it too. Don turned back only to find another pool of blood. Gargus smirked at Don''s confusion and pathetic look on his face. He suddenly had an evil idea. He disappeared and reappeared in front of each and every monkey, except Don, and separated their head out of their body creating many blood fountains. He would just use his ws to do that. Needless to say, Don Wukong could do nothing other than standing there and watch all his n members getting massacred. After a long time, he felt weak and helpless. What could he even do? Nothing. His speed seemed way too less whenpared to Gargus. On top of that, his skills never hit or didn''t work on Gargus despite hitting, so what exactly was he supposed to do? All these thoughts invaded his brain and almost made him crazy. Combined with the fact that his friends and teammates die, he really did forget what he was doing or wanted to do right now. It was as if, his instincts took over his body. "Ha¡­" "Ha¡­" "Hahahaha.", he startedughing while looking upwards at the sky. With this, even everyone in the audience realized that Don had gone insane after seeing his close ones die! He attacked Gargus with each and every skill it had like a mad monkey. Gargus either dodged all those attacks or took them head-on and remained standing as if he was barely grazed. Don Wukong, who had almost gone mad, had ended up using a lot of his mana. Only a little was left, probably, it would get over if he used one strong skill. But oh well, his body was being controlled by his instincts. It was as if, his body realized that he had little mana, and almost immediately switched from using skills to using the magic weapon lent by Sun Wukong. All the Celestials that were watching, swallowed down arge chunk of saliva as they saw the magic weapon yet again. They had already seen it earlier when Don Wukong had previously appeared. But no matter how many times they looked at it, they couldn''t prevent themselves from admiring it. They could clearly tell that it was a God-Tier item. If they could get their hands on the staff, probably they could end up bing stronger as well. Regardless, Don Wukong used the staff and attacked Gargus. The staff extended, covering all the distance between him and Gargus. Gargus, on the other hand, who had no idea about the magical staff, remained at the same ce, thinking to take on the attack head-on. No matter how sturdy his body was, Sun Wukong''s staff''s attack power was by no means to be underestimated. A single blow from it could destroy mountains and change the weather. Unfortunately enough, Gargus took the attack head-on, suffering from excessive damage. Despite not being able to use all of its powers, Don Wukong was able tond an attack, which finally had an effect on Gargus. He almost puked as his muscles almost tore with the attack, leaving a heavy concussion on his head. Yes, Don Wukong finally defeated Gargus - at least, that''s what everyone thought for a minute. Unfortunately, he wasn''t unconscious. ''If I lose, he will kill me¡­'', Gargus suddenly got chills as he recalled Devis staring back at him for losing. So, concussion or not, he unleashed onest, final attempt, a final attack. Of course, until now, no one had seen him actually using any of his skills. All he did was tear and destroy his opponents with his bare limbs and sharp teeth. This was the first time they were witnessing one of its powerful skills. [Heavenly Defying Thunderstorm] Just the name of the skill was enough to send chills down everyone''s spines. After the activation of the skill, all of a sudden, clouds started forming in the sky. It looked almost simr to Don Wukong''s Heavenly Lightning. But this was a bit different, as the wind started blowing rapidly and was getting stronger by the minute. A real thunderstorm was summoned in the Arena, which would have blown away the audience if not for the protection barrierid by the Celestials. Well, this attack was more than enough to defeat Don Wukong, who almost had no mana and was the victim of one of Gargus'' strongest skills. "Arghhh!" Only Don''s scream could be heard as a cyclone had been formed in the arena, blocking everyone''s vision and by the time everything was clear, Don Wukong, was on the ground with his arms and legs twisted! Fortunately enough, he was alive, barely clinging to his life. But anyway, after seeing all the blood ssh and his limbs twisted, the audience went silent before Reosan finally announced, "The winner of the match is, Fang n!" Chapter 290 The Finals Don Wukong, who was left unconscious, was taken away by the elves for treatment. As for the dead bodies, some ogres took them away. The podium was cleaned almost instantly by some working high-quality ves. They wanted the final match to be held today so that the next day could only be kept for awarding ceremony. There was plenty of time before it was evening, so, the final match could be held. Moreover, people all around the continent were eager to watch it. Hence, not to waste time and dy the schedule, the match was soon going to start. The audience was excited thinking about two mighty ns fighting. Some brought some fruits to eat, while others bet money as usual. "I bet 200 gold coins on Fang n." "For me, 800 gold coins on Fang n." "500 gold coins on Fang-", and so on. The bets mostly were on Fang n. Truth be told, Fang n was hated and despised by many. Their deeds of massacres, murders, looting, and scheming were famous all around the continent. There were hardly any species that liked them. Of course, the ones in the ns also hated them because of their ruthless behavior. Many of their nmates died and became their nutrition so obviously, they would be hated even in the n. But none could say anything or raise their voice. The strongest n, which ranked higher than the Fang n, could stop them, but they didn''t bother to do so. That was because they too would suffer heavy damages. A fight between top ns wouldn''t leave them unscathed, hence, they didn''t bother with these things. Hence, just because of their strength, none said anything. "I bet 3000 Gold coins on Lou Shin n.", a weird guy, wearing a mask with somewhat pointy ears said as he ced arge brown bag in the betting area. Everyone who was near the ce was surprised to see such arge sum being bet, but of course, on a n that seemed far weaker than the Fang n! Although Shin''s name was famous, others'' names had hardly been heard. Even Ae almost easily lost against Siara. So, none could believe or have hope that the Lou Shin n could win against the Fang n. Everyone awaited the members to appear and the battle to start, but more than two hours had ended up passing just waiting! Some members of the audience started to make a fuss and the same could be said about those who were watching from the far via the screen. ''Just how long are they nning to make us wait?'' ''Only some dogs are going to fight¡­'' ''Why must I leave my work and watch them?'', some people started to think this way. Regardless, there were some issues due to which the fight got dyed and it was already almost evening right now. Continuing the fight at night time wouldn''t be the best - although the wolves and many species could see better in the dark, the humans, who were the majority, couldn''t help butin. Hence, Reosan made an official announcement of the match stating that it would start the next day. Everyone goes back to their home or goes to the rooms given to them in the stadium. As mentioned, the stadium wasrge enough to fit thousands of individuals. Some rooms were assigned to the people who hade to watch the battle so that they could rx. . . . The next day both the ns entered the arena. The Fang n had arrogant expressions as if the fate of the match was already decided. Reosan, who had already made the announcement for both the ns to appear, went a bit back and waited for all the members toe forward. Since it was finals, it was going to be much more dramatic. If Shin said he wasn''t nervous he would be lying. One of the best parts of the matches was hearing both sides trash-talking each other. The crowd would always go quiet when anyone contesting would start trash talking. "Do you all think you have a chance to beat us?", Aaron looked at the members of the Lou Shin n. He red after which, he shifted his gazes towards Shin saying, "You are just a puny regressed beast nothing else." ''What? What is he talking about?'', Shin asked himself as he still didn''t know that Aaron overestimated him, thinking he is a mighty dragon that had regressed itself and turned into a wolf! ''What does he mean by regressed¡­?'' ''Uh¡­'' ''Wait, does he know that I was reincarnated?'', Shin was surprised, thinking that would be the case. But no, looking at Aaron''s smug face, he couldn''t help but think that he had no idea about this. Well, the reason why Aaron wasn''t scared was that a beast can regress only after it reaches a certain level. Regressing is one of the options. After a beast regresses, many of its skills would be sealed and the power of the remaining skills would be decreased. If the beast wants to be stronger it needs to cultivate once again, trying to level up by gaining exp. Even though their speed of cultivation would be higher there are chances that they would be killed due to which beasts never choose this option. Since Aaron believed that Shin was a dragon, that had regressed into a wolf, he thought that his powers would be either sealed or would be weak. Aaron was just assuming all these things earlier, but after hearing about Shin''s high rate of leveling up, he had no choice but to believe this assumption. Anyway, that was the reason why Aaron wasn''t scared of Shin even after thinking that he was a mighty dragon. "Just surrender and you all will have an easy death.", Lurion said with a dominant tone, releasing a bit of bloodlust. "¡­" Both the sides kept quiet for some time finally after which, Reosan butted in. "Please lift the b.", Reosan said to Shin. Chapter 291 The Great War (1): Shin Vs The Wolf Brothers Shin walked forward to the podium to choose a b when he heard an arrogant and deep voice. "There is no need. You can just choose whatever you want.", Devis said in an intimidating voice. This was probably the first time anyone had heard Devis speaking. Even the wolf brothers, who were with Devis for so long, hadn''t heard him speak for more than a few months! This was a surprising event even for them. Just why did he speak right now? Because Lurion was going to do that anyway. "Hmph, so arrogant.", the audience thought after hearing what Devis said. Well, this was not different from their usual opinion. "Man¡­" "You are so arrogant. There is no need for your sympathy. I can kill you all with a simple paw p.", Shin said this with a smug on his face, as if he was provoking them. As soon as the audience heard Shin say these words they started discussing among themselves who was more arrogant. ''He is no better than the Fang n. He too is arrogant, even more, arrogant than them!'', many thought as they gave an evil look at Shin. ''F*ck! I should have taken upon their offer. This way, it would be guaranteed that we would fight only one of them each time¡­'', Shin cursed internally after seeing the red light sh on the b. Only one member from the Lou Shin n coulde up to the podium to attack the Fang n members. Of course, it was Shin who walked ahead. There was no way he would let others go considering the fact that they would end up getting killed. Also, it was not as if Shin wasn''t confident about winning, but he was just nervous. He did have the 2x boost of all stats for 24 hours unimed. So, if he were in a dire situation, he could just im the reward whenever he wanted. Moreover, he would be getting a 10% boost in all stats ording to the rules. In total, he would have a 120% boost in all stats, after he imed the reward, for 24 hours. (How 120%? -> If his original stats were at 100%, there would be a 10% increase by the rules, before iming the rewards. So, his stats would be at 110%. After iming the reward, it would get doubled, and hence, his stats would be at 220%, meaning 120% total increment.) Regardless, Shin walked forward and stood in front of all the wolf brothers. He slowly opened his eyes ncing at each of them. Of course, he didn''t bother taking a look at their status since he couldn''t see their skills. In any case, before Shin could attack or use any skills, Gargus walked forward from the group. "Everyone keeps saying that he is strong and amazing. Well, let me prove how wrong you are¡­" "Let the battle, BEGIN!", Reosan announced right after Gargus moved forward and said that. Shin failed to understand what Gargus wanted to do, but it didn''t take him long to find it out. "Aura Domain." Gargus used his Aura Domain to impart pressure on Shin and to intimidate him so that everyone could see how much of a p*ssy he was. However, even after Gargus used his Aura Domain, there was not even a hint of ufortable expression on Shin''s face. Rather, it felt as if nothing had changed. Shin tilted his head while saying, "Did you do anything?" The crowd could most definitely feel the pressure from Aura Domain and the same was true for Shin''s nmates. Gargus was utterly surprised to see Shinpletely fine. Lurion, Freris, and Aaron were equally surprised as well. If Gargus had used Aura Domain against them, they would feel at least a little bit of pressure. But no, Shin felt nothing. It was as if he was resistant to aura domains, or rather, the aura domain didn''t affect him as his spirit was stronger than the rest. Aaron joined in, using his Aura Domain too. With the addition of another Aura Domain, Shin should definitely bulge, if not, at least show a change in emotion. However, yet again, Shin felt nothing. He wasn''t trying to actposed, he really didn''t feel anything. Out of all the members in Lou Shin n, Terran, Raka, and Deoras too didn''t feel much of the pressure from the Aura Domains. "What are you doing? I don''t feel anything at all. Are you guys joking?", Shin raised his voice, mocking Aaron and Gargus in front of everyone. The crowd startedughing after hearing this. They went from serious watchers toughers for a few minutes as Shin really seemed unaffected by their aura domains. Though, even when they wereughing, they were under immense pressure. Following Aaron, Freris came forward too, using his own Aura Domain. This time, Shin did feel a bit of pressure, but it was less. ''Yes¡­'' ''Now it does feel a bit ufortable¡­'' ''I see¡­'' ''So they weren''t fooling around¡­'', Shin realized. He smirked thinking how their aura domains were nothing more than sh*ts. The three of them started smirking after seeing Shin show signs of tiring out. ''Sigh, just because I am a little ufortable¡­'' ''They think they have defeated me?'' He got pissed off. *Ding* [You have de-activated Aura Control.] And the moment this skill was deactivated, a wave of killing intent hit the wolf brothers. Even Devis, who was calm and had his eyes closed, suddenly took a step back. Lurion was baffled and the audience almost fainted. The three wolves'' aura domain vanished too with just the de-activation of aura control. Shin''s Aura transformed into a dragon, a demon, and a divine being - at least, this was what the three wolf brothers saw. "See! Didn''t I tell you that he was a freaking dragon!?", Aaron screamed at the top of his lungs, while taking a few steps back and looking at the transformed aura behind Shin, which had two red eyes and a dragon''s head like figure. Chapter 292 The Great War (2): Clash Of Aura Domains Aaron was baffled by feeling and looking at Shin''s aura. He couldn''t think straight right now. "What are you even talking about!?" "He isn''t a dragon¡­" "He is a freaking devil from hell!", Freris looked at his devilish aura side as made his ims, rejecting what Aaron was saying. He thought that a devil was much scarier than some dragon. As for Gargus, he had apletely different opinion. "What the heck are you guys even saying?" "Can''t you see¡­?" "He is a Divine Being¡­" "A Supreme Celestial for sure¡­", Gargus said as his voice broke. He was trembling in fear, unable to say anything else. The three of them were scared and were almost pinned to the ground. It had been a while since Shin had de-activated his Aura Control. With its effects, he realized that the skill matched Aura Domain. After all, Aura Domain is a wide range skill and de-activation of Aura Control can mimic the effects of the skill. Lurion decided to step in. He too felt chills running down his spine after feeling Shin''s Aura. ''Tsk¡­'' He red at Shin right after which, he used his skill to try to dominate Shin. Lurion used his Aura domain trying to overpower Shin''s aura but both of them were on the same level. ''Wha-'' ''Are we both equally strong?'', Lurion was surprised. Shin''s aura was more than enough to match Lurion''s Aura Domain. ''No¡­'' ''And here I thought Kira was a threat¡­'' ''This fker right here is a bigger threat¡­'' ''Wasn''t he just a healer wolf? Didn''t Aaron report that? Then why the fk is his aura so strong?'', Lurion was losing his mind. He knew that he had gone through a lot to get this powerful. But Shin, who was not even half as big and half as old as Lurion, was literally as strong as him. ''His aura domain is too scary¡­'', Lurion said to himself. What aura domain? Shin had yet to use that skill. He had merely deactivated his Aura control and this was the result. If he had used his Aura Domain, then Lurion would have been on the ground too. Seeing all of them struggle, Devis decided to step in. "Enough.", Devis said in a deep voice. He released his aura domain, whichpletely spread throughout the entire arena. ''This¡­'' Shin was almost pinned to the ground. He could barely stand. His nmates, including Terran and Raka, were forced to pin him to the ground. As for the wolf brothers, they were lying on the ground as well. *crack* Even the celestials who were sitting in a strange room, found pressure on them, their tables cracking and chairs breaking. They used their powers to reinforce them and repair them immediately. But this was enough to show, how strong Devis was, as just his aura sent chills down everyone''s spines, making them quite ufortable, almost impossible to even breathe normally. Arge amount of the audience fainted because of the immense pressure. *Ding* [You have used the skill Aura Domain.] Shin''s eyes started glowing with bright green light, seconds after which, the pressure on him eased a bit. His nmates, who were almost squeezed under Devis'' Aura domain, felt at ease and could now stand up. But of course, the pressure was still present. It was clear that Devis was dominant and much stronger than what Shin had anticipated. He red at Devis while ring at Lurion, who was standing fine along with the wolf brothers. Yes, they were up since Devis no longer concentrated his aura domain on them. But of course, they too could feel an immense amount of pressure now since Shin had used his skill. The audience felt a bit at ease now. Shin''s aura domain was counterattacking Devis'' skill instead of adding more pressure. Certainly, if he wanted, he could cause the adding effect. It was at his discretion how to use his skills. ''Monster! He is a monster for sure¡­'', Shin thought. ''But I am a monster myself too.'', he grinned as he imed the rewards. 2x boost in all stats for 24 hours; this was immediately applied. Up until now, it seemed like Shin''s aura was far behind or smaller whenpared to that of Devis. But seconds after iming the reward, his aura started growing stronger. Devis couldn''t believe his eyes. He could see and feel Shin''s aura growing and almost reaching the same level as him. ''What the-'' Because of the sudden increase in the aura, Shin failed to control itpletely. About 90% of the audience fainted. The elders and kings that hade almost puked. It was as if their hearts were going to st at any moment. As for the wolf brothers, all except Devis were on the ground yet again, pinned and almost immobile. Shin''s nmates seemed unaffected, probably because as long as he wasn''t exactly targetting those of his n members, they would remain unhurt and would only get the benefits of the skill. *creak* *Bam* About seven of the celestials fell on their butt as Shin imed his reward. The celestial with a ck mask was levitating in the air, still in the sitting position with one crossed leg despite his chair shattering into pieces. The celestial sitting beside him fell to the ground. Embarrassed, he tried to get up but at the same time, he ended up grabbing the blue-mask celestial''s leg to get support. Weirdly and unfortunately, he took down the blue-masked celestial down who was on his butt now too. Literally, there was a crack in the sky due to the sh of two aura domains. ''This is¡­'' ''This is not a joke.'' ''He is as strong as me, if not, stronger than me right now¡­'', Devis smirked. ''I can finally have an interesting battle with a fellow wolf¡­'', Devis continued to smirk as he thought this. He wanted to have a fair fight with Shin, but just as he was going to take a step forward, Lurion howled. *Aoooooooooo* And as soon as he did that, the eagles that were flying in the sky, turned into wolves as theynded on the podium, in the Arena. "¡­" Chapter 293 The Great War (3): Numbers *Aoooooooooo* The eagles flying in the sky, turned into wolves as theynded on the ground after hearing the howling. Manny demi-humans that were in the audience seats, turned into wolves as well, surprising their fellow members beside them. Some, who had even almost fainted, regained their consciousness only to transform secondster, after hearing Lurion''s howl. Suddenly many moles dug the ground and came out, transforming into wolves after that. Somerge insects, that were in the nearby trees also transformed into wolves, and entered the arena, rushing through the main gates and causing amotion. All the wolves that transformed within the stadium or dropped from the skies or dug their way from the ground, had ck furs. As for those wolves that entered via the main gates by demolishing them and causing a ruckus, had other fur colors - reddish-orange, purple-ck, light green, and deep brown. These wolves belonged to the ns that the individual members of the Fang n led. For example, the wolves directly under Freris were those with Orange fur. The ones with deep brown were under Aaron. Light green-furred wolves came under Gargus whereas Purple-ck furred ones were under Lurion. All of them appeared, threatening the audience and every other individual in the stadium. The elders and kings were surprised by their entrance. Devis and Shin, whose auras had been shing, suddenly ended due to thismotion. It was true that Devis indeed had a hand in approving the n of attacking everyone with all of their members, however, right now, he did not intend to do so. He wanted to engage in a battle with Shin, who seemed strong enough topete against him. But Lurion destroyed his hopes. ''Phew, this was the first time I have seen master Devis smirk¡­'' ''If I had not summoned the troops, then I would have been as good as dead¡­'', Lurion said to himself, sighed in relief, not realizing that he made everything up. In any case, there was something else that Shin was worried about. ''How the heck can these many wolves use the skill transformation?'' ''Isn''t it supposed to be a rare skill? How can these many wolves possess it?'', he was surprised and thought that all the wolves that appeared, actually used a transformation skill to disguise themselves from the start. *Ding* [Transformation is a rare skill, not possessed by many.] [The skill to transform all the recent wolves that appeared was used by Lurion.] [Skill name: Supreme Transformation.] [-> It allows the host to transform his targets below the level 80 to transform into creatures that the host has killed.] Shin was in awe reading the description of the skill. ''Damn, it is such an overpowered skill. Let me use my skill to copy it¡­'', Shin thought looking at the description of it. *Ding* [You have used the skill Copy.] [Error] [You cannot any skill from the chosen target due to a big level gap.] And yet again, he failed to do so. In any case, he didn''t mind it much, since there was a bigger problem at hand. There were thousands of wolves surrounding the entire stadium. It was a dangerous situation. Shin had already realized that the Wolf brothers wanted to massacre all the beings here, perhaps to set an example or they could have some other purpose. However, he didn''t think much about it considering the fact that there were other bigshots present here, also, the celestials wouldn''t let the Fang n cause havoc here. Well, at least, Shin thought that they would be stopped, but to his surprise, no one intervened. Half the audience, who regained their consciousness, were too scared to say anything against the Fang n. As for other ns, they too barely lift their gazes. They were all just terrified. The celestials, who were supposed to stop the Fang n, didn''t do anything. Shin was indeed surprised, however, he was still emotionless. Devis couldn''t back down now, and hence, pretended that he was the one who ordered the wolves toe. "It''s time for a great massacre¡­", he said in a deep tone. Lurion and the other wolf brothers stood immediately, preparing for an attack. Other members, who just appeared, were about to attack as well. Reosan could hardly understand what was going on. He wanted to raise his voice, but he was held back too, by a wolf that kept constantly ring at him. *gulp* Devis was quite confident, but the same was for Shin too. When he looked at Shin''s emotionless expression, he wondered, ''Why is he not scared or terrified like others?'' ''What is that confident look of his?'' ''Why do his eyes say that he has everything under his control?'', Devis asked all these questions to himself, failing to realize Shin''s ns. Ae, Raka, Terran, and Deoras, including other all shadow wolves, ran and surrounded Shin in order to protect him from all the sides. Shin was not surprised when his nmates arrived near him. He was least concerned about that and maintained an emotionless expression. This further made Devis question, ''What exactly is in his mind?'' "Just give up and ept your fate. Even though your n has some members, they are nowhere near the number we have, haha.", Lurion said with a smug on his face. Despite everything that Lurion said, Shin was still calm, or to be precise, his eyes started to glow. And then all of a sudden, hundreds of beasts appeared from thin air. There were many lizards from the swamp, many snakes, alligators, toads, and frogs that were somewhat gigantic, and some other beasts too. "This¡­" Chills ran down everyone''s spine because the numbers that had appeared in front of them were almost equivalent to that of the Fang n. Unfortunately enough, they weren''t of that high level. They couldn''t possiblypete against the wolves from the fang n - Lurion pointed that out,ughing as loudly as possible. "Enough of your nonsense.", all of a sudden, a loud voice was heard, and from one of the entrances, many wolves from the fang n were sted away. As the little cloud of dust settled down, a few individuals appeared - The Grigard King, The Alligator King, Frog King, and the Vole King. Following them, even nca appeared with a roar. *ROAR* Chapter 294 The Great War (4): Happy Panda Isnt Happy Anymore All the beasts the individuals that appeared via the gate, made Lurion takes a few steps back unconsciously. That was because, they more or less, seemed as strong as the wolf brothers. The Grigard King was Lv.93, Alligator King was Lv.92, Frog King and Vole King were Lv.91, and finally, nca was Lv.100. Perhaps, nca was the only one among them who could overpower the wolf brotherspletely. "Your Highness, this¡­", Deoras was surprised to see all the members from the Lou Shin n and those of higher levels from the swamps appear. Moreover, they were surprised to see a white tiger, who seemed as ferocious as Lurion and the rest, appear. But by seeing the crest on its forehead, they knew that it was on their side. "Ah, the amount of mana that they had was just too much. I couldn''t store them inside the inventory so they came walking¡­", Shin said as he smiled, while looking at Deoras. ''Damn, howe there are so many strong individuals in his n?'', Aaron and Lurion asked themselves, confused and petrified for the moment. Their expressions had changed, this included everyone in the audience and of other ns as well. For some reason, they found a weird push and some confidence that the Lou Shin n could overpower the Fang n. "We have to stop this.", one of the celestials said. The sword celestial grabbed his sword and stood up in order to intervene in the battle. Wings bulged out of the back of the eagle celestial and when he removed his mask a beak could be seen. A long nose popped out followed by many pimples when one of the celestials removed his mask seeing that the three female celestials who were attracted to him were inplete shock at how ugly he looked in contrast to what they had in their minds. Even his shiny skin was fake after all it was a goblin celestial. "Let the battle continue. It is interesting.", all of a sudden, a voice reverberated in all of their heads. They all stopped. ''Why¡­?'' ''Why would the Supreme Lords¡­'', the celestials wanted to know the reason why they didn''t want the Celestials to intervene in the battle. However, the Supreme Lords weren''t interested in telling them about it. Regardless, without wasting any time, one of the celestials used telepathy to let Reosan know that the battle will be continued. ''What¡­?'' ''But¡­'' The match begins.", Reosan announced. "What ''match begins''? We are dying here. They are attacking us. Stop this freaking battle!", a shout from the audience could be heard but no one cared. As soon as Reosan announced the match to start, the wolves went on a rampage, killing anyone in their way. As for Shin, he asked his nmates to take care of the lower wolves. He himself thought that it would be best to transform into a me wolf as Freris appeared in front of him. Shin used his transformation skill and turned into [me Wolf Emperor] to intimidate the wolves. Freris, who looked at Shin''s me wolf form, was surprised. Well, he immediately turned the other way and ran with his tail behind his legs. ''Huh?'' ''Did he really just run away?'' "¡­" ''I transformed to fight him, to see who has stronger mes¡­'' ''What''s even the point of running away¡­?'' Shin didn''t care about it much as Devis appeared in front of him. He kept marching toward Shin, to have a one-on-one battle despite the hugemotion. After approaching Shiro, Devis stared directly at his eyes. Both of them took a deep breath before unleashing their attacks. [me st] [Dark st] Arge ball of fire formed in Shin''s mouth and then sted away toward Devis. The same was true for Devis as well. A ck ball of the dark attribute was formed in his mouth and sted away towards Shin. Both the attacks collided mid-way. *Boom* Arge explosion urred. But this was not enough to stop them. They used their skills yet again. [me st] [Dark st] And while the explosions urred one after the other, and as the audience had mixed reactions, in a corner of the arena, the happy panda could be seen, arranging the bs. He did nothing wrong and just kept on arranging the bs. Weirdly enough, even in thismotion, he was calm and he would have continued this way, sadly enough, he was interrupted by three foolish wolves. "Brother, there is a panda here¡­", said one of the wolves with ck fur, as they approached the happy panda. *Grrr* They tried to scare the panda, but he had no reaction at all and continued staring at the bs. "Get ready to die!", shouted one of them. But the panda continued to do his work and didn''t bother to reply or react to their ims and sayings. ''What the heck is wrong with him?'' ''Everyone is scared right now but this bit*h is just standing there and continuing his work as if he is mocking us!'', the strongest one among the three wolves thought. "You piggy Panda! Can''t you hear us!?" Two of those wolves raised their voices, "You fker! You have offended us! You cannot live even if you begged now! Don''t me us!" The third wolf, who was the strongest out of the three, got irritated and jumped toward the happy panda. He thought that the Panda was ignoring him, thinking that they weren''t worthy of their attention. All the wolf did was jump towards the panda, but the panda didn''t budge at all. Even with a stable target, the wolf missed because of the high desk-like table on which some bs were ced and ended up crashing on the main board where all the rankings and matchings were being updated. "Oops I¡­", the wolf was about to tell that he missed the target when suddenly, he was hit by a strong punch. *Boom* Just one punch from the Happy Panda sent the wolf flying. Happy Panda wasn''t happy anymore. Chapter 295 The Great War (5): The Nightmare Hunt [me st] [Dark st] Both Shin and Devis used the same attack yet again, but this time, before both the attacks could hit each other to cause an explosion, a wolf came flying only to get caught up in both of their attacks. Yes, before their attacks could collide against each other, the wolf came right in between them and got hit by both the attacks. Sadly enough, it died right then and there. No way could it survive Shin''s and Devis''bined attacks. Needless to say, the punch from the panda was fatal enough. Regardless, both Shin and Devis decided to continue what they had left off and attacked each other yet again. [Dark Sphere] [Fire Ball] Both of themunched another set of powerful skills at each other but before they could sh, another wolf came in between and waspletely incinerated. ''What the heck?'', Shin and Devis, both were confused. They wanted to know what was happening, but they couldn''t take their eyes off of each other. They attacked each other yet again, but this time too, the same happened. They were interrupted by another wolf flying their way and getting caught up in their attacks. ''What the fk?'' ''Did somehow theye to know that I got a boost and the boost is going tost only for 24 hours? And because of that, they are trying to dy our fight by jumping in between?'', Shin thought sarcastically, looking at two dead bodies of the wolves near them who had got caught in their skills. And while Shin and Devis were confused, Happy Panda entered the arena. Shin''s and Devis'' aura domains were active. Everyone was fighting under the boost or pressure. Regardless, the audience was the one who was suffering the most. However, when Happy Panda entered the arena, all of a sudden, the pressure or benefits from either of the aura domain vanished, or to be precise, the skills themselves were stopped or ended. People in the audience whose hearts were about to burst and lungs were about to st due to the unbearable aura of Shin and Devis, were relieved. They didn''t want to know how the aura disappeared. They were just thankful. ''Oh, Ipletely forgot about his skill.'', Shin thought looking at the happy panda who seemed to be angry currently. The happy panda opened his eyes and a bright golden light which was more than enough to blind someone shined from it. For some reason, this action of the panda sent chills down the spine of the people in the arena including Shin and Devis. "Damn, why did he appear? What do we do now?" "Even if we all attack him together, we can''t defeat him.", the celestial wearing the ck mask, said with seriousness. . . . In the sky, there was someone, lying on the clouds as if it were his bed and pillows. There seemed to be two red horns on his head with sharp fang-like canines protruding from his mouth. He was wearing a red garment, that was made from the blood of a phoenix. There was a flute in his left hand which he held loosely as he nced down at the arena. He was the Supreme celestial who permitted the celestials to continue the battle between Shin and Devis. "Hmm, looks like things are getting interesting.", he mumbled with his eyes still closed. ''Panda-senpai hadn''t opened his eyes in thest 6969 years.'' ''Looks like there is going to be catastrophe¡­'', the supreme celestial thought. . . . Back in the arena, the panda looked at the two wolves who were almost roasted. Shin and Devis watched the panda walk in between them and then grab the hind limb of each of the wolves and drag them away to the same ce, from where he hade. Shin, Devis, and many other wolves including the audience were watching what was happening. As the panda vanished from the sight again, the pressure slowly returned but the silence prevailed, at least, until a loud bang was heard. *bang* The sound of the panda who was ruthlessly punching the dead bodies of the two wolves could be heard, echoing throughout the arena. After some time, the noise could no longer be heard. ''Well, that was weird.'' Everyone thought before putting all their focus into the battle. Shin and Devis didn''t use their aura domains this time and rather, started attacking each other just like earlier. This time no one interrupted and the skill [me st] and [Dark st] shed making a very powerful impact that pushed many beasts away. Both the Lou Shin n and Fang n attacked each other with their deadly attacks but the Fang n seemed to have a bit of the upper hand right now. Ae, the Grigard king, the giant frog King, Terran, Raka, Alira, and some powerful n members were battling with the strong generals while the weak members were fighting the other weak ones from the Fang n. The shadow wolves had an upper hand in the battle due to a skill [Shadow travel]. The skill enables the host to enter a shadow and jump out from another. They were the perfect assassins and with their help of it, they killed many dark and lightning wolves of the fang n. A lightning wolf disappeared and reappeared in front of a shadow wolf and killed it using [lightning sh]. Casualties from both sides were expected when there was a war. Soon on the battlefield, the shadow wolves had be the main priority. The frogs, grigards, and snakes proved to be dangerous due to their dangerous poisons, giving an advantage to Shin''s n. No wolves approached them recklessly. This decreased the casualties a bit. Regardless, there was an intense battle going on between Shin and Devis who were bombarding each other with their life-threatening skills. [Aero sh] [Nightmare Hunt] While a de of wind wasunched towards Devis, he just vanished all of a sudden only to reappear behind Shin to attack him with his ws. *sh* *Drip Drip* "¡­" Chapter 296 The Great War (6): Summoning Argant Devis attacked with his ws, wounding Shin a bit. Shin flinched a bit, taking a few steps back. In any case, the same was true with the other wolf brothers. They too attacked Shin and to be precise, this was why he couldn''t dodge Devis'' attack. If they hadn''t interfered, then Shin would have been able to avoid Devis'' ws with the help of his All Seeing Eyes and Agility-based skills. Devis was angry when he found that other wolves interfered. He was about to give them a scolding before which, Aaron rushed forward and attacked Shin. [Rock Throw] Hundreds of small rocks wereunched toward Shin at a very high speed but Shin dodged them using [Speed Run] and [Wind Run]. Gargus took advantage of the situation and used [Hurricane] which Shin tackled using [me Vortex]. At that time Devis used [Dark Dragon]. A dark dragon made out of the aura, sted away from Devis'' mouth towards Shin, injuring him badly. On the other side of the arena, Ae and the rest were battling the generals of the Fang n. If the wolf brothers were the leaders of the n, there were bound to be generals too. The generals weren''t all that strong, but they weren''t particrly weak either. The weakest among them was Lv.59, due to which, they seemed to be losing, but one couldn''t judge everything based on the levels alone. One of the generals, the strongest among them, who was a dark wolf was battling against Ae. Ae used [hurricane] skill trying to injure the wolf but he used [Dark st] and literally destroyed the tornado. Things weren''t looking good for others too. Devis looked here and there, scanning the entire Arena. Their grand n had to seed. They had to show their dominance. The only ones that stood in their way were Lou Shin n. Hence, Devis decided to forget about one on one fair fight and decided to end everything. "It''s time Lurion.", Dervis said without any emotion in his voice and upon hearing these words Lurion just nodded. Lurion summoned his legendary five summons. Their foul aura filled the whole arena. Two skeletons appeared at first, both of which seemed quite strong. One of the skeletons had a robe and a staff made up of bones as if he was a lich while another one had a sword and ck armor. Then appeared another one, that had four hands and two wings. These were the three humanoid summons. As mentioned earlier, Lurion had control over 3 celestials'' and 2 dragons'' bodies. The three humanoid-form skeletons were none other than celestials when they were alive. As for the next summons, they were the skeletons of dragons. One of them had two heads and walked on four legs while the other had a long neck and two legs and two hands. It stood on its two legs. Needless to say, they were just skeletons, with no flesh or muscles. All of them had red-colored energy or to be precise, an aura surrounding them. Shin looked at the summons, stunned. He was a bit hurt right now, however that wasn''t even a problem at the moment. The summons was what shocked him since now he had to devise a n to stop them. He did have the skill Necromancy, but they would only be able to get a low-level summons. Those summonses won''t be able to match the five legendary skeleton summons of Lurion. ''I was right¡­'' ''I should have killed him even before he had the chance to use his necromancy to summon them¡­'' In any case, Lurion then summoned hordes of skeletons. Everyone in the stadium was surprised by this Death Magic. Tons of skeletons just appeared by tearing the ground. Ae and others, when battling, suddenly were rendered immobile as skeleton arms grabbed their limbs while appearing from the ground. They tried their best to fight, but Shin knew it more than anyone else that unless Lurion ran out of mana, they would keeping. ''Danm it!'' ''I have no other choice. I guess it''s time to reveal all my cards.'', Shin thought before returning to his original form. The majestic me wolf emperor form disappeared and a normal pup was visible again. What happened next shocked everyone. *Ding* [You have used the skill Necromancy.] Right as he used the skill, ck smoke came out of the dead bodies that were all over the arena. They had a green-colored light shing in their eyes. Everyone present there was surprised. But the one who was baffled the most was Lurion. That was because it costs arge amount of mana to perform necromancy on the targets that aren''t killed by the host. In the arena, there were casualties on both sides. Of course, all the dead bodies in the arena weren''t because of Shin. They were killed by his nmates. Hence, to actually raise them from the dead, his mana shouldn''t have been sufficient. This was the reason why Lurion was surprised. Given Shin''s mana, he should have only been able to raise 50 or to max 70 of them before passing out. However, not only did he raise hundreds of dead bodies, but he also seemed perfectly fine. Before they could digest the fact that Shin was able to perform necromancy on so many individuals, another shocking thing happened. Shin started to sing summoning a magic circle followed by a portal from which, the Shadow Dragon, Shin''s old friend, Argant appeared. ''A dragon¡­?'' ''A dragon in flesh¡­?'', Lurion''s entire body trembled. Even if he did have two dragons, they were just skeletons and could by no means showcase 100% of their powers. Argant, a true shadow dragon''s appearance, was nerve-wracking, sending chills down everyone''s spines. The audience gulped downrge chunks of dry saliva as they watched the dragon. Everyone who watched the dragon from the screens from far away ces, had their jaws dropped. *gulp* Shin stared at Lurion''s face and smirked. He then murmured, "So, who is the dog now?" "¡­" Chapter 297 The Great War (7): Shin In The Sky Hearing Shin say that the wolves got angry, but what could they do? In front of a true dragon, they were nothing more than bugs. Even the Celestials, who were watching from the screens, gulped arge amount of saliva when Argant appeared. Therge majestic Shadow Dragon red at all the wolves present there. He then slowly turned his gazes towards Terran. It took him no more than a second to realize who Terran was - a mighty Earth-Dragon. Even if Argant was a strong shadow dragon, ranked in the upper tens, he was no match for Terran, who had lived way longer and had way more contribution. Terran was at least a hundred times much more famous than Argant. The moment heid his eyes on Terran, he couldn''t help but flinch. He then turned his gazes at Shin, a bit scared. ''Did he turn the almighty Terran into a wolf?'' ''Did Terran disobey him? Or did he like attack him and try to cause him damage?'' *gulp* ''I better not do anything like that, or else, I would be turned into a wolf too.'' ''I better give it my all to annihte all his enemies¡­'', Argant thought. s, it was another misunderstanding! In any case, after a short pause, the battle continued with the Shadow Dragon pping Devis face with its tail. Devis dodged it easily though, but the tail almost grazed him. The shockwave from the swinging of the tail pushed Devis further back, making him almost touch the boundaries of the arena. Since Argant kept Devis busy, Shin decided to attack the other four wolf brothers. Lurion''s five summons and the three brothers attacked Shin. Lurion didn''t personally attack Shin as he had to control the summons and doing it put him under a lot of stress. The first one to attack Shin was none other than Freris. Seeing that Shin had a chance to see whose me was stronger, he ended up transforming into me Wolf Emperor yet again. [Fire st.] [me st.] Freris used Fire st whereas Shin used me st, both of whose attacks collided resulting in a small explosion. Shin didn''t wait for the explosion to subside. Just as the explosion had urred, Shin dashed forward and in an instant, entered the explosion. He knew that he wouldn''t be affected by the fire and instead, his strength would increase, hence he absorbed all the energy from the explosion and then attacked Freris with a me Vortex, this time, trapping Freris in the ming tornado. Freris didn''t waste any time either. He too used one of his strong skills - Fire Tornado - which was quite simr to Shin''s me Vortex. The fire tornado generated from the inside collided with the ming tornado, both of which canceled each other as they spun in the opposite direction. However, the embers from the tornados ended up falling all over the stadium. If not for the barriers erected a few seconds ago after Argant''s appearance, everyone in the audience would have been on fire if the embers were to touch them. As for some wolves, the embers did fall on their fur, lighting them on fire a littleter. However, there were many fire wolves, in Freris'' n. They only got powerful thanks to the mes. ''Using mes is a bad idea¡­'', Shin realized. He was going to deactivate the me wolf form when all of a sudden one of the dragons that Lurion had summoned,unched ck-colored mes at Shin. [Dark me.] Shin noticed the extremely hot mes that were making their way toward Shin. He disappeared and reappeared in front of the dragon and used [me st], to attack the dragon almost instantly to deal damage. The dragon that had just one head was the one that had released the ck mes, and Shin was attacking it. Seeing this as a chance, Lurion led the other dragon, the one with two heads, to attack him. Two ck-colored boulders wereunched towards Shin but he dodged the attacks by using [me Wings] with the help of which he was able to fly away for a bit, sessfully evading the attacks. Shin then used [Blood Crunch] and bit away from arge piece of bone from one of the dragon bodies. The third summon, the one with wings and four hands, dashed towards Shin and punched him due to which one of his hind limbs broke but Shin wasted no time healing it. The punch had thrown him off the ground, but just when he felt that his leg had broken, he almost instantly used the skill Heal topletely heal himself. This surprised Lurion and the other wolf brothers. ''No way¡­'' ''His bones should have been broken, but he-'', Lurion was surprised. He could barely think anything after seeing that. Regardless, the summon chased Shin and kept on punching Shin continually using all four hands. Fie, this time, its bones caught fire. Since Shin''s body was solid mes, or to be precise, if one touched, they would get burnt unless otherwise, Shin prevents. Hence, the bones caught fire. But the summon just tried to blow away the mes, but unfortunately, failed to do so. All could only watch the skeleton burn into ashes as itpletely got engulfed in me. They were finally aware of how strong his me wolf emperor form was. After seeing all this, they decided to attack while maintaining some distance. The remaining four summons including three other wolf brothers attacked him. [Boulder st] [Heavenly wind] [Fire Shot] ,m [Dark st] [Dark mes] A different set of skills wereunched at Shin. All of them used their skill which was about to hit Shin but he suddenly disappeared. The deadly skills shed with each other and created a very strong shock wave. The ground cracked as arge explosion urred, blowing away a lot of wolves within its radius. Even the wolf brothers were pushed back a bit. After the dust settled, they looked here and there, but couldn''t find him anywhere, at least, not until one of the members of the audience shouted as he pointed at the sky, "Look there!" Argant carried Shin and flew to the sky, to save him from the attacks. "¡­" Chapter 298 The Great War (8): Aellas Butchering "Phew, that was close¡­", Argant said as he stared at Shin. He thought that he did a pretty good job in saving Shin, and expected praise, however, in contrast to that, Shin said, "What the heck are you doing?" "Eh?", Argant was surprised. "Your task was to keep Devis busy. Why are you here?" "Now what if he attacks me suddenly?", Shin asked, looking below only to find Devis opening his mouth wide as if aiming an attack at them. "Look, he is even ready to attack.", Shin said. "Sorry master¡­", Argant said as his ears lowered, seconds after which a dark sphere appeared in front of Devis'' mouth. It did seem like a normal Dark st in which, a ck-colored sphere of dark attribute would appear and then st away to hit the opponent or target. However, the ck sphere that was formed this time, had a little purplish tint with some sparkles all around it. These sparkles seemed somewhat like an electric current. ''Lightning¡­?'', just when Shin had realized that Devisunched his attack. Shin and Argant were pretty high in the sky. The distance between them and Devis was a bit vast too, so it should have taken a few seconds for the attack to reach them, right? However, in contrast to that, the sphere traveled way faster, and appeared right in front of them in just a mere second! It was almost as if the sphere teleported. Both Shin and Argant were quick to act. They wasted no time saving themselves. While Shin wanted to save himself from the attack, Argant wanted to protect Shin. Regardless, both of them used a skill, which ended up having double the normal effect! *Ding* [You have used the skill Dragon''s Roar ] And exactly at that movement, Argant too used a simr skill - Shadow Dragon''s Roar. *ROAR* Both of them roared at the same time, causing sound waves to travel all the way in the air, making the wind move with it and ultimately resulting in a sonic wave. The mere Dark Lightning Sphere that Devis had used ended up moving downwards as it couldn''t fight against the sound waves and ended up falling down, on the ground and almost destroying the entire Arena. When the massive sphere fell on the ground, all the stronger beings just cast their Aura Domain to form a barrier around themselves. As for others, they sought protection from the aura domain of their masters. Ae and other members of the Lou Shin n were protected by nca and the residents of the swamps. The total number of death due to Dark Lightning Sphere: 18 [15 from Fang n, 3 from Lou Shin n.] Yes, three did die from the Lou Shin n, three low-level swamp residents. In any case, everyone present there was utterly surprised. Both the high-level beings just unleashed Dragon''s Roar. It made sense that Argant did it, but Shin too? This was just too surprising for everyone. "Didn''t I tell you!? He is a dragon too!", Aaron raised his voice yet again, only to shut his mouth after seeing Devis re back at him. In any case, the entire arena was quiet because of the previous loud roar. As for the Celestials, the expression on their faces was noteworthy! Regardless, after seeing Shin''s roar and the same of Argant, many other ns that held grudge against the Fang n, gained unparallel confidence. They now believed that Shin would win no matter what happened. Hence, all the beasts who held grudges against the fang n also joined the battle. Out of them, one was an important and noteworthy figure - Don Wukong. Since Don Wukong cherished his nmates more than his life, the grudge that he held was too deep since his nmates were killed. Although he was quite injured earlier, after going to the healing center, he waspletely fine now. Even if his strength had not returnedpletely, he was strong! The people started to raise their voices and cheer. It was as if a sudden earthquake had urred. Taking advantage of themotion of many beasts entering the arena, the wind wolf general attacked Deoras using [Wind cutter] but Deoras dodged the attack easily by using his skill [Shadow Travel]. Deoras attacked the general by using [Shadow Sphere] which was countered by [Razer wind]. Raka and Terran were together fighting me wolves whereas Ae continued to fight a wolf with dark attributes. [Dark Crunch] One of the dark wolves attacked Ae from behind, almost biting her neck off. Ae was surprised by the sudden attack. She thought that she would lose her life when all of a sudden, the dark wolf that had jumped towards her, went flying the other way. It ended up crashing on the walls, forming cracks all around it. Ae turned around only to find Siara standing beside her. "Whose daughter do you think you are aiming at?", she said as she howled. Ae''s eyes were filled with tears when she heard this and saw her mother standing right beside her. "M-" But before she could call out to her, another Dark Wolf attacked. Although the attack missed both of them, a lot of dust was raised in between them. It was as if a wall of dust was formed, separating them yet again. *Grrr* The tears in her eyes vanished. She turned to her left only to find a wind wolf that had attacked a second ago, causing the rising of the specks of dust. "How dare you!?" She raised her voice, seconds after which, she attacked the wolf with the same skill consecutively. [Wind sh] x 10 She unleashed multiple wind shes in anger, wanting topletely eradicate the opponent. For a second, she closed her eyes as a little bit of dust went inside. Little did she know that she would be shocked after opening her eyes. The wind wolf, that had unleashed its attack earlier, was now lying in pieces. Not one nor two, but tens or hundreds of pieces. It waspletely butchered with her attacks. Blood had been sttered everywhere and the audience and other wolves, who were shouting, cheering, and attacking each other, suddenly became quiet yet again. ''Looks like I overdid it¡­'' "¡­" Chapter 299 The Great War (9): Habitat Domination The battle continued with White Wolf Warriors facing the Earth wolves. Ae joined them and was able to perfectly fit in their formations, leading to a much better attack ratio. Grigard King and other swamp residents fought whoever they encountered first. Grigard king was extremely strong, and the same could be said of others who had the King titles. They were killing wolves as if they were slicing cheese! They wasted no effort in massacring all those that they encountered. A small glimpse of their battles could be seen in the corner of Shin''s eyes. When a Dark wolf tried to attack the Grigard King with [Dark st], he easily dodged it and attacked with his tail, killing the Dark wolf almost instantly. A wind wolf tried to fight with agility and ran at full speed towards the Grigard King, but before the wolf could cover the entire distance, a swamp appeared on the way preventing him from running forward and trapping the wolf in the swamp. It was one of the skills of the Grigard King, in fact, this was a skill that one learns after reaching the Lv.90 - Habitat Domination. Habitat Domination: This skill creates the user''s most desired habitat, resulting in a sharp increase in stats and causing a decrease or no change in the opponent''s stats. All the residents of the swamp with the king title could use this species-rted or habitat-rted skill. The same was true for nca. He could use this skill to create a mountain-like atmosphere. Regardless, thanks to this skill, the wind wolf was trapped in the swamp, struggling to get out. The Grigard king wasted no time in killing the wolf by actually controlling the swamp topletely suck it inside. Other beasts on Shin''s side killed a lot of wolves which was true for the other side as well. There had been a lot of casualties that couldn''t be overlooked. Thanks to the joining of other ns, the battle progressed rapidly with a lot of massacres happening within seconds. Don Wukong also led the charge with the help of his nmates, killing more than 10 wolves in a minute. He refrained from using Heavenly Lightning or attacks with wide range since it could potentially kill the members of the Shin n. He wouldn''t want to suffer from Shin''s wrathter. Amidst all the battles, there was one battle that was too noticeable at the moment due to arge amount of blood that got sprayed into the air, as if a blood fountain was formed. *splurt* Blood spluttered out of Deoras'' body. His head wasn''t intact with his body anymore. "Finally! This f*cker is dead.", a wind wolf General, who had shifted his position and had started attacking Deoras, said in excitement and relief thinking one strong wolf was finally dead! He was strong, way too strong for Deoras to handle. However, he had been exhausted and terrified because of Shin''s Aura Domain and the release of Aura control. He could hardly make any decisions or showcase strength befitting his level. Regardless, the general''s joysted no more than five seconds. He was snapped back to reality when he heard just two words - "Surprise surprise." These were thest words the wolf heard before the world started spinning for him and within his range of vision, he saw was his headless body and a fountain of blood, realizing, the fountain of blood that the audience was awed by was his, and not that of Deoras! His vision then nked. The audience could still not get over what they saw. The war was just an excitement to them at this point, giving them lots of chills. And now, on the other side in the same arena¡­ [Earth st] [Poison Fang] Two lightning wolves were fighting Terran and Raka. Terran killed one of the wolves easily as he had an attribute advantage, experience mattered too. Despite not being much experienced in a wolf body, Terran did have a knowledge of how to battle, so, it was not much of a hindrance. But when it came to Raka, who had been a wolf for not too long, it was a little tough. Also, being a wolf of water attribute, it couldn''t withstand the Lightning wolf''s attack easily. When Terran saw Raka struggling, he immediately rushed to help and used his skills. An explosion urred on the ground which caused the wolf to fly and fall to the ground, and before he could stand Raka ran towards him and bit him on the neck. Due to the poison, the wolf died. "Listen, you are a wolf of water attribute, you shouldn''t have gone to bite him! What if he had used electric discharge? You would have been a toast by now.", Terran scolded Raka, who looked like a puppy in his eyes. But Raka defended himself saying, "Okay fine, I have not got used to this body so mistakes are bound to happen." He ended up revealing that this was not his original body! "Huh?" "Are you not a wolf?", Terran asked, realizing that such a high-level wolf wouldn''t follow Shin for no reason! When Terran asked this, Raka became annoyed. "Why are you acting as if you don''t know?" "Don''t you have Dragon Eyes? Can''t you see through this curse?", Raka asked. Terran paused for a second. ''How the heck did he know that I have Dragon eyes?'', he was surprised as well. Well, Shin had revealed to Raka that he had a dragon friend which was none other than Terran. As for information regarding Raka, Shin had no time to disclose it to Terran. But yes, Terran did suspect the chances of Raka being a different being earlier too, however, when he used his Dragon Eyes, he couldn''t see any changes. There were two reasons why his dragon eyes failed to detect anything - one, the curse was simply too powerful. Two, Terran was in his weakened state, in a wolf body. The dragon eyes couldn''t exhibit their full potential! In any case, Raka walked forward to tell who he actually was when all of a sudden, Terran sensed danger! Terran suddenly jumped back, chills running down his spine. "¡­" Chapter 300 The Great War (10): The Earth Dragons Reappearance A dark wolf released its foul aura when it saw its friend dying at the hands of Terran and Raka. ''If I don''t run, I will get killed¡­'', Terran''s animal instincts made him think this way when he felt a weird evil aura emerging from the dark wolf. He would have run away, if not for his pride and his real identity which he recalled a few secondster. "¡­" ''Wait a second¡­'' ''I, the great earth dragon, am thinking about running away¡­?'', he questioned himself. What could be more shameful than this? - an earth dragon is running away from a mere wolf! Everyone in the world wouldugh at this joke and if they find out that this was real, all the fame that Terran had built up in the past centuries would turn into specks of dust. "Hahaha!", Terran startedughing all of a sudden as he realized what was wrong with him. All this time, he had been near Shin, and sensing his unfathomable strength, Terran reminded himself that he was of lower ranking whenpared to Shin. This mentality was shown even now, thinking for a mere second that he was weaker than a mere dark wolf! Even if Terran let go of his pride and that egoistical nature, he would still not be able to ept that a puny nameless wolf would be stronger than him. The same was true for the fact that he considered Shin to be stronger than himself, but only for a time being. He thought, that if he was in his original form and had all his strength, then Shin too would be no match for him - this was his thought earlier, just after he had joined Shin on his journeys. But over a period of time, his mentality changed. Rather thanparing himself with Shin, he epted the fact that Shin was his master. Anyone can be a master just by naming another creature, however, no one can be a master in the heart of another creature unless he shows something extraordinary, something that the other creaturecks. Terran saw a great leader in Shin. Being a strong creature was good, but if one knew not how to use that power, it was just a waste. All this time, Terran apanied Shin, seeing him slowly gather forces from the scratch. In his eyes, Shin had be someone who doesn''t make mistakes, and even if made, it wouldn''t be obvious to others and he would be able to fix them immediately. Regardless, these were all the thoughts that Terran had or felt about Shin. Right now, he was ashamed of the fact that he thought about running from a mere dark wolf that was slightly stronger than average. Terran red at the dark wolf that still emitted the same foul aura. He asked, "Do you think you are strong enough to scare an Earth Dragon such as me?" The dark wolf didn''t respond as it failed to understand what Terran meant and prepared itself to attack by concentrating arge amount of mana in its mouth as if it was going to st a beam or fire a cannon. Terran didn''t wait for the wolf''s response. He vanished from the ce where he was standing and appeared right beside the dark wolf. Fast and furious were the only words to describe Terran''s movements currently. However, the dark wolves were known to be especially agile. Terran''s speed wasn''t nearly as enough as the dark wolf which vanished too from the sight and reappeared behind him, firing a ray of ck-colored mana, which sted through the air, making its way all the way to Terran and ultimately hitting him. The attack was from a close range and was concentrated at Terran''s head, hoping for it to bepletely burned off. Some members in the crowd hade to like Terran as they saw his battles and usage of skills. They even liked Terran-Rakabos that they performed quite a couple of times in the arena. So seeing one of their favorite characters in a dire situation, almost close to death, they couldn''t help but raise their voices and shout for help - some calling out to Shin loudly! The audience thought that it was game over for Terran. On the contrary, they were left surprised and stunned yet again, after seeing what happened. The attack of the dark wolf had caused arge amount of dust to rise. A cloud of dust had been formed which blocked the vision of the spectators. But Terran''s shadow could still be seen in the brownish smoke. They could see that something was growing and transforming slowly. First, the tail erged which emerged out of the dust cloud. Terran''s body expanded. His body structure changedpletely. Wings appeared on his back, the fur on his body reced by scales. His teeth grewrger and became sturdier as his jaw and face expanded and erged. As he pulled himself to stand on two of his legs, his head emerged out of the dust. His already visible gigantic body, still brown colored, was a big flex. s, as the dust settled, everyone finally saw the majestic creature - a Dragon. While Argant wasn''t all that famous, he still received a lot of attention from everyone just because he was a dragon. Whereas Terran, who was quite famous, revealed his true form which left more than hundreds of people speechless. The celestials, who had already seen through Terran, didn''t show any special reaction other than saying, "So, one of them has finally revealed his true form." The wolf brothers and other wolves from the Fang n had their jaws dropped at the sight of a dragon bigger than Argant. "A-" "Another dragon!?", Gargus and Freris flinched as they stared at Terran. Devis smirked, and then wiped off the expression from his face. He looked at the Great dragon Terran in awe and curiosity as he wanted to test his strength against him! s, Lurion and Aaron were about to die from an heart attack when they found out that Terran was not a wolf, but rather, the one and only Earth Dragon from the Liam ins. "¡­" Chapter 301 The Great War (11): The War Continues Terran stood elegantly, just his appearance more than enough to shake all the enemies present there. One important thing to be noted was that - everyone knew Shin had conquered the Great Earth Dragon of the Liam ins. They knew that he had turned the dragon into his subordinate or ve, but none knew that Terran was the same dragon that they spoke of. He had his eyes closed right now, calming his mind. ''I became too soft.'', he thought. He recalled the vigor that he had before he was sealed. He recalled the moments how he devoured an entire vige of orcs, how he massacred an entire n of Trolls and how he conquered one of the human empires. He recalled the fear that everyone felt when looking at him earlier. His eyes opened slowly, shining with golden light. Indeed, a dragon''s eyes are extremely beautiful, just like gems. Terran''s golden eyes were indeed mesmerizing. If it weren''t for the fact that he was such a huge dragon, many would havee running just to have a proper look at his eyes. Raka, who looked at Terran''s majestic form, smirked. ''This bastard¡­'' ''Did he really have to transform and show off?'', he asked himself. "¡­" It waspletely quiet for a few minutes, and all of them shunned. They were surprised after all. The same could be said about Shin. He too waspletely baffled when he saw Terran. Why? It was because he hadn''t lifted Terran''s curse entire, so just how was it possible for him to transform? When Shin asked this to himself, the system answered almost instantly as if it was waiting for this opportunity. *Ding* [The individuals Terran and Raka can freely transform into their original forms for a certain amount of time.] [They cannot maintain their true forms for longer unless their curses are liftedpletely.] The system exined it and now Shin was aware of it. Terran''s sudden transformation was a shocker to him for sure, but it was a good thing at the same time as it made all the foes in the arena, tremble in fear. Well, Shin was about to take advantage of themotion to attack others when Raka too ended up transforming into his original form. He didn''t want Terran to be the only one to flex. He too wanted to participate and enjoy the moment. Raka''s blue fur turned hard, scales covering his entire body. In a minute, a mighty humongous serpent was present in front of all. The celestials could only smirk and look at the scene. It was enjoyable for them too! *Hissss* A snake''s eye almost looked the same as a dragon. Raka''s eyes were as beautiful as Terran''s. Everyone was just awed and confused at the ridiculous situation. First, a wolf that was about to die, turned into a gigantic mighty dragon. Second, a blue wolf that seemed pretty normal, turned into a majestic serpent! What will happen next? Will a fly turn into a Sky King and join Shin? Shin looked at them and decided to use his curse removal to actually let them fight him in their original forms. *Ding* [Would you like to disable all of Raka''s curse?] [Y/N] ''Yes¡­'' Secondster, a ck aura left Raka''s body, enabling him to regain all his stats. His aura just got intense, so intense that other than Devis, everyone almost got pinned to the ground. "This¡­" Since his skill had leveled up, he could even lift the curse on Terran too, but only by 80%. A 20% of the total would still be left. Without wasting any time, he used the skill on Terran too. A ck aura left from his body. A burst of both of their auras covered the entire stadium, making everyone cower in fear. Both Terran and Raka turned their gazes towards Shin. They wanted to show him their gratitude for what he did. "Master¡­", the word slipped up. Terran had gotten used to calling Shin ''master'' and hence, forgot that they were calling him ''your highness''. But oh well, Shin didn''t mind that. However, he did mind the time that was being passed in just revealing their true forms. ''Raka, Terran¡­'' ''Stop wasting time and start annihting all the enemies.'' ''Leave none of the foes alive. If they surrender, try to restrain them, however, those who dare to have foul intentions and want to attack, show them no mercy.'' Shin used his telepathy to convey his words. "Yes, your highness.", Terran said as he recalled what he had to refer Shin with. Raka too said the same, seconds after which, they were on a role. Where ever they nced, it was destruction. None of the wolves were able to survive even a single attack of theirs. They were indeed holding back, as they knew that the attack could end up destroying the barrier and then killing the audience, however, despite doing so, cracks had started to form on the barrier. The wolf brothers, and the audience, including the celestials, couldn''t help but wonder, just how was Shin able tomand two top-tier monsters!? If Argant and nca were added, Shinmanded 4 super-strong creatures. Just what was in Shin that made them obey him? - many pondered. In any case, the battle continued with Raka attacking Lurion''s summons. He specifically targeted the dragon summon that had two heads and a celestial, whereas Terran attacked the lich and another dragon that had only one head. Of course, thest summon, the one with four hands and two wings was being dealt by Deoras and the Shadow Wolf General that liked Ae. Both of them were able to dodge and attack the summon with great coordination. Shin continued his halted battle with Devis and the wolf brothers. He could see openings now, the wolf brothers were startled after all. The battle was heavily titled in Lou Shin n''s favor! Freris, Gargus, and Aaron decided to attack Shin, but Argant, who had finished dealing with the other target, stopped them and attacked them. Shin stood face to face with Devis. "¡­" Chapter 302 The Great War (12): Don Wukongs Revenge Somewhere in the arena, Don Wukong and Gargus were fighting. Apparently, Gargus tried to attack Shin but was flung away thanks to Argant''s attack. And now, he fell right in front of Don Wukong, who was all bloodied. He had just killed five wolves in an instant. He was about to search for another target when Gargusnded right in front of him. Gargus, who didn''t even notice Don Wukong, stood up and ran towards Argant, to attack him. He thought that with Freris and Aaron attacking, they had a chance to kill a mighty dragon. Fie, before he could even reach Argant, a bolt of lightning struck him, pushing him back. Although the lightning didn''t do any damage to him, he was a bit surprised. This attack wasunched by Don Wvukong who wanted revenge for the death of hisrades. Since it was Gargus who finished them, he had sworn about killing Gargus with his own hands. What better opportunity than now? Gargus, who had exhausted arge amount of mana and was a bit tired with low motivation and very little confidence, was right in front of his eyes. How could he let this chance slip by? "You punk you think you can defeat me!?", Gargus yelled as he noticed Don Wukong walking towards him. It didn''t take him even a second to realize that it was Don Wukong who attacked him. In any case, Don Wukong knew that he was no match for Gargus despite his weakened state, but still wanted to try. He realized that Gargus was still strong as the bolt of lightning that he fired with all his strength, did no damage to Gargus. Regardless, he kept marching forward with the Heavenly Staff in his hands, wanting revenge. Argant, who thought that he could handle three wolves - Freris, Aaron, and Gargus, realized that he was a bit overconfident. The wolf brothers were strong, and even if he was a mighty dragon, his reserves weren''t infinite. Since the wolves were a lot more flexible and masters at dodging, Argant instantly knew that fighting against three of them was one of the toughest things right now. Thankfully, Don Wukong arrived and stalled Gargus. This made it easier for Argant as he now only needed to take care of two wolves. "You will die by my hands!", Don Wukong announced as he vanished from his position. He was casually walking earlier with his lowered head, but right after saying that, he vanished leaving only traces of lightning behind. Gargus was surprised, unable to follow Don''s movements. Just as he blinked once, Gargus was right in front of him. In Gargus'' range of vision, there were two things - one, Don Wukong and the sparkles of lightning around him, and two, the staff that Don carried. Don had actually swung the staff with all his might. It was just next to Gargus'' head, about to st him away. "Wha-" That was all Gargus could said before getting hit by the heavenly staff. *Bam* "¡­" *Boom* The staff hid his face so hard that some of his teeth almost shattered, his jaw dislocated and sent him flying. He ended up getting trashed into the walls, forming arge crater. The crowd, that had missed Don Wukong''s strike, and were looking at the Dragons, finally paid attention to their small battle. They were surprised to find one of the wolf brothers getting trashed. Gargus was stuck in the wall for a second, his consciousness wavering, but he somehow managed to stay awake. *blink blink* From his blurry eyes and through the clouds of dust in front of him, all he could see was Don Wukong''s brightly shining red eyes. Chills ran down his spine. Don Wukong wasn''t satisfied. Although the blow was huge and Gargus suffered from a heavy impact, Don didn''t feel any satisfaction. He wanted to kill Gargus, that was his vow and before that was fulfilled, nothing would be able to satisfy him. Gargus, who slowly regained his visionpletely, realized what had happened. ''What the heck happened¡­?'' ''How did that monkey get so strong?'', Gargus asked himself, confused at what just happened. He could feel his jaw almost hanging away from his mouth. ''Ugh, this pain¡­'' *blink blink* He blinked a couple more times and then finally used a lot more strength to free himself. "You-" Gargus wanted to shout - ''you bastard'' but just as he had got out of the walls and was about tond on the ground, Don Wukong appeared right in front of him. A sparkle and trace of lightning could be seen which showed the path that Don took to reach Gargus. The lightning sparkle traveled all the way through the cloud of dust, showing that he had gone through the cloud without actually disturbing it. But the heavy gust of wind followed him behind as if it wasgging and blew away all the cloud. Arge amount of dust rose yet again, forming clouds due to the gust but whatever, this was the least bit of interest for the audience. What they wanted to see was Don Wukong and Gargus, however, when one member from the audience, turned his gazes towards their battle, he found that the heavenly staff that Don Wukong had swung, was about to hit Gargus'' face yet again. "Bastard!" *Bam* *Boom* This time both the sounds were heard almost instantly. Gargus was again hit in his face and was mmed into the wall. Since Don was quite close to the walls and Gargus this time, he didn''t spare any time and added a barrage of attacks to the previous attack. *Bang* *Bam* *Boom* He kept swinging his heavenly staff, hitting Gargus every time he swung giving him heavy blows one after the other. Don''s eyes were filled with rage. *cough* *Boom* Gargus could cough blood and would then again get bashed. Don didn''t spare even a single second. But as his rage kept increasing every time he hit Gargus, some words came out of his mouth which many audiences nearby heard. "This is for all the blood of my nmates that you spilled!" *Boom* "This is for killing all my nmates¡­" *Boom* "And this is for underestimating the strength of our bonds!" *Boom* "¡­" *huff huff* The sound of Gargus getting sted echoed throughout the arena. The audience that sat right above the walls, kept experiencing tremors as Gargus was getting mmed. "¡­" *huff huff* Don was tired, panting heavily, but the pain in his heart still lingered as tears and blood-drenched his face. Yes, Gargus was all bloodied right now, with no consciousness. He was no longer alive. [ HP: 0/2500 || Max. HP: 9999 ] *Ding* [The individual named Gargus is dead.] The system notified Shin of Gargus'' death. "Huh¡­?" ''What?'' ''How!?'' ''Who!?'' ''Who killed him!?'', he ended up asking a series of questions. Shin was surprised when he saw this notification as he knew not how he died or who killed since he was busy with his own battle that wasmencing. "¡­" *Ding* [The individual named Don Wukong killed the Wind Wolf Emperor Gargus.] ''Don Wukong¡­?'', Shin was surprised. ''How¡­?'' [The battle has been recorded and the host may view itter.] "¡­" "Alright¡­" "¡­" While such a big deal happened on one side of the arena, on the other side¡­ Raka was having a difficult time. Even though he was in his original form he was fighting a celestial summon that was being revived again and again. His mana pool was exhausting at a rapid rate as his attacks were way above average. Also, he was handicapped. He couldn''t use poison since his other friends and nmates could end up getting poisoned. And since the celestial was a summon basically made up of skeletons, the poison wouldn''t exactly work on it anyway. Poison was one of his strengths - so, if he couldn''t use it, he was basically handicapped. With a limited mana pool, he was somehow managing to keep the celestial summon engaged and busy, preventing it from attacking anyone else. It had now turned into a battle of endurance - either Lurion ran out of mana first, or Raka. The toll on Lurion was even greater. He had to maintain and revive tons of summons in the arena. It was not an easy task. By the number of times all the summons had been revived, he should have already run out of mana, so how was he fine even now? Simple, he had an innate skill with him. Just like Shin''s mana space where he could store mana and could replenish himself whenever wanted, Lurion too had a skill that worked simrly. Necrospace - a space created to store summons from necromancy. Instead of using this space for storing his summons, he used it to store mana. In the early stages, he tried testing this method and it was sessful. So, right now, Lurion''s mana was being replenished constantly however, this couldn''t go on forever! His reserves were getting depleted at a rather faster rate whenpared to others, so he too was troubled. "¡­" Chapter 303 The Great War (13): Emergence Of The Two Half-Dragons A few minutes earlier, when Don Wukong and Gargus were fighting, at the center of the arena, Shin''s and Devis'' fight was going on. Shin smirked as he looked at Devis when both of them were staring at each other, waiting for the opponent to attack or show any movements first. Shin smirked, trying to mock Devis to force him to attack first. He did not want to drag the battle any longer and wanted to end it soon. His stats were almost equivalent to Devis right now or to be precise, slightly greater than Devis just because of the doubling of the entire stats! Shin was in his Wolf Emperor form right now, concentrating only on Devis. "You all are just foolish to think that you could defeat us.", Devis said without any emotions in his tone. "¡­" ,m Shin didn''t react. Rather, he just covered his already covered body withyers of mes. The mes covering Shin''s body started going wild, anotheryer of me covering his body. Simrly, ayer of darkness covered the Devis. Both were finally ready. They waited for a few seconds before which both of them ran simultaneously at each other, headbutting themselves and causing a huge impact. For the onlookers, it looked as if they disappeared right after which, a st urred. Soon Shin and Devis could be seen again but just like thest time, they disappeared within a few seconds. They were visible only momentarily. This time not one but multiple sts urred due to which the whole arena trembled. The audience, who sat in their seats, almost fell down. It was as if earthquakes were urring one after the other. Well, the tremor was not only because of Shin''s and Devis'' attack but also due to Don Wukong''s attack, but oh well, it was the end result that made everyone tremble in fear. *Boom* *Boom* sts could be seen and thundering sounds could be heard. Both of them were on par with each other. With Shin''s mana which seemed to be never-ending Lou Shin n was having an upper hand because of his necromancy. However, without defeating Devis, it would be impossible for Lou Shin n to have aplete victory. Shin grit his teeth, seeking an opening to strike, however, Devis was strong. He was countering every attack that Shinunched. If heunched a fireball, Devis would attack with a lightning sphere. If he used Aero sh, Devis would use Dark sh. Their attacks would cancel out each other by leaving an explosion behind. Shin wanted to ask the system about ways to defeat Devis when all of a sudden, a notification popped up. *Ding* [The individual named Gargus is dead.] The system notified Shin of Gargus'' death. "Huh¡­?" ''What?'' ''How!?'' ''Who!?'' ''Who killed him!?'', he ended up asking a series of questions. Shin was surprised when he saw this notification as he knew not how he died or who killed since he was busy with his own battle that wasmencing. "¡­" *Ding* [The individual named Don Wukong killed the Wind Wolf Emperor Gargus.] ''Don Wukong¡­?'', Shin was surprised. ''How¡­?'' [The battle has been recorded and the host may view itter.] "¡­" "Alright¡­" "¡­" Shin was happy that at least one of the wolf brothers was dead. He even smiled, but when he saw Devis'' angry expression, who too had realized that Gargus was dead, chills ran down his spine. He knew that if he didn''t use all of his strength, he would lose, and losing against Devis would mean all his n members would end up either bing his ves or might just get ughtered. ''System, how do I win against Devis? My me Wolf Emperor form, which is the strongest form is only able to equalize our positions¡­'', Shin asked the system. But he paused mid-way, realizing something. He had forgotten about his half-dragon form. Just as he recalled it, the system too answered Shin''s question. [The system suggests the host to transform into a half-dragon.] [The chances of winning against the individual Devis will be increased by 15%.] Shin smirked, thinking about using his trump card which he had been saving all this time, but before he could actually transform, he heard Devis speaking. "Gargus is dead¡­" "Many other wolves are dead as well¡­" "¡­" "This is taking us nowhere¡­", Devis said in a deep tone. "Huh?", Shin was surprised when he heard Devis. He raised his gazes, staring at Devis when all of a sudden, a warning notice popped up on the screen. *Ding* [Warning!] [If the host doesn''t transform into a Half-Dragon, the chances of the host dying is 95%.] "¡­" ''Heh?'', Shin was utterly confused with this new notification,pletely unaware of why the system showed this right now. ''What do you-'' Shin wanted to ask what the system tried to tell, but he failed to finish his question. Despite not asking, he got his answer - not from the system, but from Devis directly. *Aooooooo* Devis howled at the top of his voice, surprising everyone present in the arena. Don Wukong, who had just finished killing Gargus, turned towards the source of the howl. The wolves that were fighting each other suddenly stopped. The entire audience, who had been observing Shin and Devis'' battles, had their eyes widened and jaws dropped. That was because just like Shin, Devis too had a card up his sleeve. After Devis howled, he started to glow with a bright golden light. Majestic golden scales covered his body. His jet ck eyes turned into shining golden eyes. Standing on his four legs, Devis turned into a half-dragon. Yes, just like Shin, Devis too had a Half-Dragon form which he just transformed into. With the addition of lightning and dark attributes, his half-dragon form just took his strength to a whole another level. In the entire arena, there was hardly anyone that wasn''t surprised after seeing Devis transform. Heck, even Shin and the celestials were bewildered after seeing the half-dragon form. "He is a dragon¡­?", Lurion, Freris, and Aaron asked in shock while looking from a far away ce while their own battles were going on. Among the wolf brothers, only Kira was the one who knew about Devis'' half-dragon form. In fact, Kira was the only one who was able to force Devis to use his half-dragon form while sparring. If not for the half-dragon form, Kira would have been the strongest. He lost to Devis just because of this form which boosted his strength, increased his defenses, and decreased others'' confidence. "It''s time to finish our battle¡­", Devis said boldly, thinking that he had already won just by showing this form. Aaron, Freris, and Lurion thought that they had won after hearing Devis say that in his transformed state. Argant, Terran, and Raka - these three were the only other strong creatures at Lv.100s having scales just like Devis. They were aware of how much of a difference it made by just having one''s body covered with scales. The Grigard King, Alligator King, and other reptiles with scales realized the same. The residents of the swamps actually trembled at the sight of Devis'' form. They weren''t aware that it was a half-dragon form, they just thought it to be a dragon form, hence, worrying about Shin. Although me Wolf Emperor form was great providing the effect of immortality, it wasn''t invincible. Here, immortality meant that as long as even an ember was left in the world, Shin wouldn''t die. He would just get transferred to that ce and take his original shape yet again. But there was a w to this, the title me wolf emperor would be reduced to me wolf general. However, if his life could be saved, then this small sacrifice was nothing. Shin knew this from the start and was hence confident. However, he didn''t want to escape. He wanted to win the war. And after seeing Devis transform into something that he thought only he had, he couldn''t help butugh. Shinughed bitterly as he took upon the system''s advice and transformed into his half-dragon form. He wanted to keep some of his cards hidden but currently, if he tried this then it might cost him his life. White scales appeared on his body. His ws grew longer and became sturdier. His tail grew longer and thicker, with armor-like scales covering his entire body including his head. "Wha-" And yet again, everyone was surprised by what they saw. Shin also had a dragon form! The smirk on Freris, Aaron, and Lurion''s faces vanished into darkness as fear, confusion and a sense of inferiority struck them. "Master Shin!" "Your Highness!" "Master¡­" Various nmates looked at Shin with their widened eyes. Everyone saw him in a different light now, the celestials who were already on the ground earlier due to the sh of auras couldn''t help but stand up all of a sudden and run towards the screen in front of them out of shock. Shin opened his eyes slowly after the transformation wasplete. Just a simple gaze of his emerald green eyes was more than enough to send chills down anyone''s spine. "What was that again¡­?" "Yea¡­" "It''s time to finish our battle.", Shin said with a deep voice, reducing Devis'' confidence by half by sticking his own dialogue on his face. "¡­" Chapter 304 The Great War (14): Cursed Yet Again Neither Devis nor Shin had any wings despite their transformation. They stood on their four legs as scales covered all the way to their paws, ws erged and sturdy. Both of them looked very different while still being the same. Devis looked like a majestic light or gold dragon full of glory while Shin looked like calm snow which could turn into a dangerous blizzard at any moment if underestimated. For the audience, it wasn''t even surprising anymore. They wouldn''t be surprised to see if both transformed into celestials or even Supreme celestials, though, thisparison was a bit too exaggerating. The celestial who were looking at the arena was sweating profusely. The situation was out of their hands as unimaginable things kept happening. First, hundreds of wolves appeared out of nowhere, second - tons of swamp residents and even strong creatures made their entrance. Third - some undead and a dragon were summoned. Fourth - two wolves transformed into a dragon and a gigantic serpent. Anf finally fifth - the two leading wolves had dragon-like scales covering their bodies, transforming into dragon-like beings or to be precise, transforming into half-dragons. The celestials turned their gazes towards others too as there were other shocking battles. They saw Don Wukong''s victory over Gargus. Also, Freris and Aaron who yed a big part in the Fang n seemed badly injured as blood dripped from their bodies and mouths. Argant had taken good care of them. As for Lurion, he waspletely pale, realizing that he had very less amount of mana left in his Necrospace. Terran and Raka were the ones who made Lurion pale as they continued to destroy all his summons. He couldn''t waste mana on them anymore as he was almost out of mana due to which the summons lookedpletely cracked and many bones of their bodies seemed missing. The other wolves of the fang n were also in a tough position as Ae, Siara, the Gigard king, the Alligator king, the Giant frog king, Deoras, and the shadow wolves had killed many of them. The general ranked wolves were all dead, maybe just one to two alive, the rest all dead. nca was taking good care of the lightning and dark wolves who seemed stronger than other wolves. His mouth was bloodied and his white fur turned red due to all the blood. Alira, the young tiger cub, would have been the same if she was here. But right now, ording to Shin''s orders, she remained in one of the rooms guarded by Kaily. They hadn''t made their appearance yet. The Dark Elves however were fighting brilliantly as a contrast to what everyone thought. Until now, not even one of them was killed, which was quite impressive. "¡­" The Fang n was doomed. The undead dragon that had two heads dashed towards Terran andunched [Dark mes] towards him, however, the attack was easily blocked with the skill [Earth wall]. The attack wasn''t much and the raised wall of the earth didn''t even have a crack on it. Terran used [Earth Shatter] and [Earth st] which formed a crack near the undead dragon right after which thousands of rocks flung at him from the cracks, eventually exploding as they touched the bones. ''A dragon¡­? You aren''t even worthy of that name.'', Terran said as he turned his back. He knew that his attack was more than enough to defeat the undead dragon. After seeing the amount of mana Lurion had, he knew that the undead dragon couldn''t have been revived. It was true. The undead dragon flew and fell to the ground due to the impact. One of his headspletely crumbled. After defeating the undead two-headed dragon, Terran thought that he could again focus on busting the remaining weak skeletons, but the undead with four arms and a pair of wings dashed towards Terran and used its strongest skills such as [Wing Cutter] and [Mana des] but Terran easily dodged them all. The undead lich was supporting the undead dragon and the undead monster from earlier, to help them defeat Terran, however, the lich''s attacks couldn''t change the oue. Raka was fighting the dragon with a single head and the undead warrior. Raka was handling the situation easily, except for the fact that he was running out of mana and was handicapped. The undead warrior tried to slice Raka''s head off with a sword that it held, but Raka''s body was covered with strong scales due to which, the de couldn''t even leave a scratch on his body. He didn''t even dodge it as he knew that a useless normal sword would have no chance against his scales. He then spat a ck liquid which melted some parts of the undead warrior, his bones falling on the ground and ending up vanishing due to the liquid. ''So what if I can''t use poisons? I can surely use toxic spit.'', Raka concluded. He knew that even a toxic spit was dangerous as others could get caught in it if he aimed in the wrong way, however, he trusted himself and his capacity to lock a target, hence, went ahead with the attack which was sessful. Raka and Terran were huge! But the stadium was much bigger than them and was easily able to amodate everyone. Needless to say, Raka prevented himself from taking his original size and limited himself to half the original size. As for Terran, the same was true. Regardless, the undead warrior dashed towards Raka and swung his sword once again only to fail yet again. However, the warrior didn''t give up and twisted and rotated itself, trying to increase the velocity at which the sword would strike. Raka knew what the undead was trying to do, so before it could gain any more momentum, he moved his mouth forward at a mindblowing speed and bit the sword with all his might, and held it. The undead stopped spinning and tried to free its sword only to find the same ck liquid melting away almost half the sword. Raka then soon left the sword, letting the undead warrior fall on the ground as he noticed the one-headed undead dragon dashing towards him while covering itself with a ck aura. Without wasting any time, he spits the same ck liquid at the dragon, melting its skull and its ribs away, yet the dragon didn''t stop. It moved even faster and hugged Raka tightly, surprising him. ''Wha-'' Fie, the ck aura that the dragon had around him was a curse, and now, it ended up cursing Raka as well. *Ding* [The individual Raka has been cursed.] [Curse identified: Inhibitor.] [Effect: The curse will dampen Raka''s growth and will turn him back to a wolf form.] "¡­" "Huh?" Shin was annoyed and surprised when he noticed this text on the screen. Raka was just freed from a curse and was cursed yet again. Not even an hour had passed! ''Just how weak is Raka against curses¡­?'' "¡­" Shin then asked, ''Wait, can''t I use curse eater to lift his curse again?'' *Ding* [Curse Strength: 9/10] [Source of the curse: The One-Headed Curse Dragon.] [Current level of the skill Curse Eater: Lv.5] [Required Level of the skill Curse Eater to lift the curse: Lv.9] "¡­" ''Wait, so what will happen to Raka¡­?'' ''His stats will be inhibited but will he really turn back into a wolf?'', Shin asked the system. [Affirmative.] [The curse is from a curse-type dragon.] [Only targets having scales will be affected by it.] [Any target affected by the curse will die.] [But if the scales vanish from the target''s body, then the curse will stop working and the host will gain adequate time to level up his skill and lift the curse.] [Conclusion: Regression to wolf form is a necessity.] The moment Shin read these texts, only one thing went through his mind, ''Beings with scales will be affected¡­'' ''No¡­'' ''Why am I suddenly getting this bad feeling¡­?'' Shin turned a bit towards his right only to see this bad gut feeling taking action. Since Raka and Terran were fighting nearby, the undead dragon that actually hugged and threw itself at Raka, ended up pushing him and finally touching Terran. *Ding* [The individual Terran has been cursed.] [Curse identified: Inhibitor.] [Effect: The curse will dampen Terran''s growth and will turn him back to a wolf form.] "¡­" ''Really!?'' "¡­" ''Argh! Fk! Dammit!'' Shin was at a loss for words after he saw what just happened. "¡­" Chapter 305 The Great War (15): Siaras Partial Revenge Both Terran and Raka were cursed yet again and now, they were slowly regressing to their previous forms. However, neither of them realized it as they trashed the undead dragon and then kept attacking others. Their sizes were decreasing slowly, but due to the intense battle they were having, or the mindset of finishing off their enemies, they barely noticed. Shin had to go out of his way and had to use telepathy to convey his message to them. ''Both of you have been inflicted by curse yet again, you do realize that right?'', Shin asked them using telepathy. Both Terran and Raka turned their gazes towards Shin the moment they heard his voice. Raka and Terran didn''t think much about the ck aura that was on the undead dragon''s body as nothing happened initially, but now, when Shin mentioned it, they re-checked themselves. "Come to think of it, I feel that my power is reducing¡­", Raka murmured. Terran nodded his head while he stared at him. *Poof* And within a few seconds, both of them ended up turning back into wolves! "This¡­" Shin had no words. Well, he couldn''t bother with them right now either as Devis, who had unleashed his card was standing in front of him. The same was true for himself, he had also shown his half-dragon form, so he had to concentrate on the matter at hand! He shook his head, forgetting about them for now, but asking them to remain alive no matter what. The crowd saw both, the dragon and the snake disappearing and started the chit-chat with the ones sitting next. They were confused as to what had happened. Was it perhaps an illusion? - one of them asked, while another denied. They kept arguing and gossiping about it, not knowing what was going on. While the audience was confused, the celestials seemed to know what was going on. They realized that Terran''s and Raka''s wolf forms were some sorts of restraints. After seeing that they regressed to that form yet again from the curse, they realized that they were perhaps freely able to transform to and fro from the different forms - this was way too shocking! That was because everyone knew that something such as transformation was not an easy feat and seeing them do this freely, surprised all the celestials. Their emotions were always on the edge. Regardless, the ones battling with them had the weirdest reaction. What they concluded was that the previous forms were some sort of bluffs and they couldn''t maintain it for longer! Of course, this was assumed by lower wolves and not the wolf brothers or wolf generals as they knew such a bluff didn''t exist. In any case, now that they were in weak forms, not as strong as earlier, the damages dealt by them would be greater as they no longer had scales to protect themselves. Taking advantage of the situation the undead warrior dashed and struck his sword on Raka''s back. The sword had gone rusty a long time ago and now half of the sword was melted but due to the amount of force used, Raka suffered heavy damage. Even if there was no cut, the impact from the weapon sent pushing him back. The undead dragon was useless right now, its bones scattered here and there. However, Raka tripped himself on one of its bones and fell to the ground, letting the undead warrior attack even more. *Bam* ,m Raka got up and tried to dodge, however, he was hit again. *Bam* He was losing HP at a fast rate. He tried to guard and carefully observe his surroundings this time, in order to dodge the undead warrior''s attack, but the sword was already in front of his face as if it was going to hit him in the next second! *Boom* *Boom* Suddenly the ground sted and the undead summon flew and fell to the ground. Raka looked at Terran who destroyed the undead. Their remaining bones could be seen on the ground. Raka shook his head, thinking about getting serious and not cking back on the next attacks. Terran attacked them using [Geo-Sphere] due to which their weakened bones cracked. After taking some hits from Terran the bones of the undead warrior cracked and crumbledpletely. The same was true for the undead dragons, all the bones in the surroundings ended up crumblingpletely! Therge battle on this side came to an end, with the result being - all the elite summons being trashed and Terran and Raka returning to their wolf forms after being cursed. ¡­ On the other part, a one-sided beating was going on. Aaron and Freris werepletely covered in bruises. Both of them were trembling in fear. Freris mustered up his courage and attacked the shadow dragon. If he hadn''t attacked, the shadow dragon would have finished him in a single blow, so he was forced to attack, in order to save his life or at least dy the shadow dragon''s attacks! He dashed toward the shadow dragon who seemed bored. ''Sigh, all this for nothing¡­'' The shadow dragon used [Shadow Sphere] and blew away Freris who tried to attack him. Freris flew far only tond in a circle that was formed with Siara, and the seven wolf sisters, along with Ae! All of them stared at him - they couldn''t have asked anything better. "You are the wolf that caused us so much trouble¡­", one of the wolf''s voice lingered in the circle. The majestic mes on Freris reminded them of the fire that was set in which tons of their nmates died. It had happened a long time ago, but none of them could forget it. While some didn''t know that it was Freris who did it, others knew very well! Especially, Siara, who was acquaintance with Freris, knew exactly what his fire was capable of. Siara looked at Freris, ring at him. Shin slightly turned his head towards Freris, and Siara''s direction, only to find that they were ganging up on him. He peeked at Freris'' stats to see if they were safe to deal with him. ''Only 148 HP left¡­?'', Shin asked himself. Yes, Freris had only 148 HP left. All his HP had disappeared due to all the sts and attacks he had been suffering all this time. Shin grinned, as he had already realized what was going to happen with Freris. "You bi*ches! How dare you look down on me!?", Freris raised his voice as he saw all the female wolves ring at him. He tried to gather a ball of fire in his mouth, to shoot and kill them immediately, but no, he couldn''t! His MP had reached 0! Yes, this was the real reason why Shin grinned. Even if he had 1 HP but had tons of MP, it could end up being fatal to the wolf sisters. However, since his MP was 0, he could do nothing other than have himself get killed in their hands! As Freris realized that he couldn''t form any fireballs or attack them, he trembled. It was as if death was shing in front of his eyes. He was sweating profusely as the mes on his body seemed a bit dimmer than usual - meaning, his confidence was rock bottom at the moment. During the end times, he uttered just a few words, as if begging for mercy - "Sister-inw¡­" He called Siara, his sister-inw, expecting her to spare his life. Fie, it made her mad as she didn''t have her husband with him. Recalling Kira''s disappearance, Siara got so much angry that she took a bite off of his neck, not killing him though. She ordered her other sisters to take huge chunks and kill him painfully while letting him be conscious while they take bites! "Argh!" He continuously shouted and screamed in pain. The wolf sisters were merciless, they didn''t let him die in peace. They were biting off those parts that weren''t vital as he could leave longer. Their white fur was all painted in red as they continued to bite and tear his flesh - not actually eating, but spitting it out so that even the crows wouldn''t eat it! "This is what you get for betraying us!" These were thest words Freris heard before his eyes were gouged outpletely, slowly after which he died. Thest blow was given by Ae, who bite off his exposed heart! "¡­" *Ding* [The individual named Freris is dead.] [The first vessel Ae gave the final blow.] [The individual named Ae will gain 5612 Exp.] *Ding* [Failed to gain Exp because the threshold is reached and evolution hasn''tmenced.] [Stockpiling the exp points until the evolution has finished.] "¡­" Chapter 306 The Great War (16): Inexperienced Aaron, who saw Freris dying while screaming, had fear instilled inside him. ''If they catch me, I won''t have a peaceful death.'' ''They will keep torturing me until I die¡­'', his thoughts were tangled, fear continuously building inside him and growingrger every second. He knew not how to handle the situation right now. Out of the five emperor-tier wolves, two were dead - two strong ones. Now, only three were left out of which, Devis looked fine in his half-dragon form but his opponent, Shin, too had a half-dragon form. Lurion seemed exhausted, even with the entire HP, he was weak as all of his MP seemed drained out. As for himself, his HP was quite low thanks to Argant''s attacks. ''Should I run away¡­?'', he asked himself, but the question automatically changed the next second. ''Can I run away?'' He wasn''t even sure if he would be able to escape from this ce, considering the fact that there were tons of bloody beasts battling here and there, with many monsters present that could gobble him up easily. By no means would the celestial stop him from leaving, but those who have a grudge against the Fang n would surely not stay quiet. It was supposed to be a battle between the Lou Shin n and the Fang n, but other ns meddled in between, almost no one siding with the Fang n. This meant that Lou Shin n broke the rules, as other ns sided with them - thinking this as a good argument, Aaron thought that he could stop the war and run away, to get more time and evolve. "Hear me out Celestials!", he raised his voice and then spoke his mind. Shin and Devis, who were initially ring at each other, turned their gazes towards Aaron, after listening to what he said. Argant, who wanted to kill him, stopped for a minute, as what he said made sense. Another reason why he stopped was to replenish his MP which was drained a bit. The celestials heard him, and after looking at each other, they thought that Aaron made sense. They were about to dere that Lou Shin n lost the battle when Shin raised his voice, "Hear me out. Lou Shin n was not the one who asked others to interfere." "Are you an idiot!?", he asked Aaron. "You guys were the ones who first asked the members of your n, who weren''t even registered, to join the battle, thus breaking the rules first." "As I mentioned, we asked for no one''s help!" "They chose to side with us, and I have no problems if there is any n that wants to side with you guys." Upon listening to Shin''s words, the celestials decided to change their decision and asked them to continue the war - Aaron''s npletely ruined. He looked here and there, waiting for at least one n joining them. The seven hyenas from earlier, and a n filled with Jaguars came forward. Aaron was happy for a second, but that happinesssted only until he heard whose n they were supporting! Yes! The Lou Shin n gained even more supporters! When Shin earlier mentioned that other ns could help the Fang n, he was a bit nervous. If others came to help them, then it would only get much more difficult for him to defeat them. There would be even more casualties. However, thankfully, it only boosted his numbers as many more ns joined him - they were strong as well. Aaron now knew, that he really fked up. He was sweating profusely, ncing at the pale Lurion and his master Devis. He was yet again not sure what to do to save his as*. He stared at Freris'' dead body which was in pieces. It was all bloody. The mes had long stopped. Just seeing the scene made him even more scared. "You are next.", the Shadow dragon spoke in an intimidating voice, pointing at Aaron. ''Argant. Do whatever you want but make sure that that fker stays alive till the end.'', Shin said via telepathy. Argant turned his gaze towards Shin only to find his majestic white armor and dominant green gaze. "As you wish, master¡­", he whispered, thinking about obeying Shin. But in reality, he was a bit disappointed. "Tch, looks like I cannot take your life, what a shame...", he muttered, audible enough. He made sure that Aaron heard that. ''What is he talking about?'' ''He is going to spare me¡­?'', the moment the word ''spare'' came to his mind, he recalled how Freris died. He felt a weird sensation, forcing all the way from his stomach as if he was going to puke. But he slowly raised his gaze, controlling himself. He saw that Argant was a bit distracted. He was looking towards Shin''s and Devis'' battle. In fact, everyone in his surrounding was looking at their battle as it shocked many. Thinking that this was an opportunity to escape, he decided to run away. Aaron dashed forward trying to escape but Argant noticed. He turned into a shadow and then traveled in the ground. Yes, no one could see him, but could only see his shadow. He was traveling as a shadow. Since Aaron was trying to run, he didn''t notice that Argant was chasing him. In fact, since he had turned into a shadow, it was rather difficult to notice that he was chasing him. Well, Aaron''s speed was too less whenpared to the movement of Argant''s shadow. He overtook him in an instant. When Aaron was trying to run as fast as possible, he noticed a gigantic shadow right under him. He raised his head towards the sky but there was nothing. When he looked down again, he found that the shadow had vanished. *Bump* And the next thing he knew was that he had bumped into something. When he looked in front of him, Argant stood firmly, ring back at him. "Pl-" *Bam* The shadow dragon kicked him as hard as possible, sending him flying in the air. *Boom* Just like Gargus, Aaron too was mmed into the wall, a few meters away from Gargus. Of course, he still had a lot of Hp, but no consciousness. Yes, he had fainted with a single kick from Argant. ''I hope that will take care of him for now¡­'', Argant thought as he looked towards the other side of the arena, the ce where Shin and Devis were battling. In fact, it was the center of the battlefield! However, in contrast to the high podium that existed earlier, only huge craters could be found. Shin''s and Devis'' attacks were too strong. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that they had destroyed the arena! Shin dashed towards Devis and used [Dragon Fang]. His fangs started shining and his neck stretched trying to bite Devis however, Devis dodged it with ease. Of course, Shin followed through with the same attack but this time, instead of dodging, Devis decided to attack. [Dragon w] Devis'' ws be sturdier and started to glow with faint purple light. Shin''s fangs were glowing with faint silvery-white light. Both of their attacks collided. Yes. Shin bit Devis'' fangs, which only lead to an explosion, blowing both of them away by three meters. Shin''s mouth seemed a bit bloody whereas Devis'' ws and limbs seemed fine. He wasn''t affected at all. This was because, there were no scales inside Shin''s mouth, but contrary to that, Devis had scales on his limbs, so he was safe. *Tsk* ''Is this because of inexperience¡­?'', Shin asked himself. Well, this was probably the second time he was using his half-dragon form. He didn''t have much battle experience in this form, so it made sense that Devis would have a little upper hand. In fact, Devis did hesitate in the start when he saw Shin use Dragon Fang, so he purposely dodged in order to avoid it. However, Shin used the same attack yet again. Since Devis knew how to counter it, he didn''t hesitate for the second time and attacked - thus, causing slight damage to Shin. It might be slight, but it was an advantage nevertheless. Everyone on the battlefield, who was thinking that both were of the same level and the same rank, had to now question their thoughts after seeing blood drip from Shin''s mouth. ''Your Highness¡­'', Deoras, Terran and Raka seemed worried as they nced at their fight. Everyone on the battlefield had stopped momentarily to observe them. "¡­" Chapter 307 The Great War (17): The Final Act (1) - Lurions Sacrifice "Tsk, that was one lucky strike, you bastard. What are you waiting for? Come again!", Shin taunted Devis. This time, both of them rushed yet again, Shin and Devis, both using Dragon ws to see who is stronger. This only resulted in tons of many explosions! The highly durable arena was going to be blown into pieces and would copse soon if this kept going on. The barrier that was protecting the audience from any direct attacks already had cracks on it and could shatter anytime soon. Everyone was anxious, excited, and shocked as they watched the battle continue. A lot of time had passed and there were a lot of dead bodies on the battlefield. Most of the members of the Fang n had either died or were in a half-dead situation. Many members of other ns were also either dead or were injured gravely. Since Shin was no longer focusing on using Necromancy on other dead bodies, the bodies just continued to pile up. Other than that, the battle between other lower members continued, but everyone knew, that the fight between Shin and Devis would decide who the true victor is. While Fang n were at a great disadvantage right now, if Devis was able to kill Shin, then they would end up bing victorious. Lou Shin n held the advantage, hence, it was necessary for Shin to win to end the battle with this advantage! [Dragon Breath] [Dragon sh] [Dragon Impact] [Explosion] Shin and Devis continued to attack each other, various attacks hitting on their targets. Of course, they could have dodged but didn''t think about doing so. First of all, Shin wanted to test the strength and durability of his scales. When he was hit by the consecutive attacks, he realized that due to the presence of the scales, he was only suffering one-tenth of the actual damage. However, this was the wrong time to test that since cracks started to form on the scaly armor. The same was true for Devis, who instead of dodging, continued to attack, thinking that it could overpower Shin with its attacks! *creak* *crack* Right now, both of their armors had a lot of cracks, visible to everyone else. [Dragon''s Roar] [Dragon''s Aura] Shin used two of the ssic skills that allowed him to demonstrate his monstrous self. The thing is, changing into a half-dragon form would automatically enable a dragon-like aura. It is only simr to a dragon''s aura but isn''t a true dragon''s aura. But when Shin activated his skill, a true Dragon''s aura covers his body. Needless to say, with just the deactivation of his aura control, a tiny amount of the dragon''s aura would be leaking from his body. Shin and Devis stared at each other for a few more seconds before which Shin asked, "Devis, must we continue this¡­?" "The decision is yours to make, mas-" "Marvelous punk.", Devis stuttered. For a second, Shin''s eyes widened a bit. ''Phew, that was close. Be careful Devis, everyone is paying attention here. If you mess up, it is going to be disastrous.'', Shin asked using telepathy. ''Yes, master, I will be careful. Apologies for the mistake earlier.'', Devis conversed with Shin using telepathy as well. Wait¡­ Just what the heck is going on!? Why is Devis referring to Shin as master!? And why is Shin conversing with him so easily when he seemed quite flustered earlier as if his life was in danger? ''Do you think with the amount of MP left, you will be able to get out of my attack unscathed?'', Shin asked. ''Yes, master. I have sufficient MP to use defensive skills. Even with my cracked armor, I think I will be fine with one of your attacks¡­'', Devis replied. Shin smirked as he heard this. As their conversation ended with telepathy, all of a sudden, both of them started to breathe heavily. *Huff huff* It was as if they were too tired - but this was just a show for others. In reality, the fatigue they had umted was very little! Everyone had seen the battle for a long time which was nowing to end since to everyone, it seemed as if Devis and Shin had very little mana left! ''Now ording to our n, I willunch a weak st towards Devis and he will act as if he got knocked out.'' ''The attack shouldn''t be too weak. It just needs to be enough strong to just push him out of the boundaries of the stadium, preferably near the forest so that he could hide or escape easily.'', Shin smirked as he was about to execute the final stage of his n! Shin used his skill [Hyper-Dragon st] making it as much weak as he could. He not only used very less MP but also gave in a minimal amount of effort in order to make it strong enough to only just push Devis out of everyone''s sight. *Boom* Shinunched a dark red-colored sphere towards Devis. Devis, who knew about the n, just closed his eyes and waited for the sphere to hit, however, things were not going to be as easy as they thought. Lurion dashed and took the hit, acting as a meat shield for Devis. "Huh?" "Ha!?" Both Devis and Shin were surprised when Lurion took the attack. He was nothing but a shameless wolf who had used his ways to apparently kill Kira and make his ce in the wolf brother gang. Also, he was quite cunning. He would value his life over others, so it was rather surprising to see him protect Devis. ''He closed his eyes¡­'' ''Does that mean he has used all his MP!?'', Lurion thought as he saw Shin preparing for an attack while Devis standing like a statue with his eyes closed. ''No, if he loses, then it ends for all of us.'' ''I need to buy some time.'' ''With his high level, he should be able to recover at least some amount of MP, after all his recovery rate should be fast.'' ''I have not lost even a little amount of HP. I can probably take on that attack! I have no choice!'', these were Lurion''s thoughts before he rushed in to take on the sphere that Shinunched. "¡­" Chapter 308 The Great War (18): The Final Act (2) - Lou Shin Clans Victory Due to the impact, Lurion flew and fell out of the stadium near the entrance of the forest. ''Damn it.'' ''Wasting our time. Why choose to protect him now all of a sudden?'', Shin thought as he formed another dark red sphere andunched it at Devis but another wolf acted as a meat shield this time. This same thing happened for two more times due to which Shin got annoyed. ''The heck is happening? Why are all the wolves suddenly sacrificing themselves for Devis? Shouldn''t they stay away and let us finish this? Did Lurion''s sacrifice make them motivated?'' ''Tsk, what a pain in the ass.'', Shin rolled his eyes as he sighed continuously due to the interference of other wolves. Shin was annoyed. He stared at Devis who was confused himself. Shin stared at him and took a huge decision on his own. ''Next time, I will fire an attack that would be strong enough to st away both Devis and the one who interferes.'' Another ck to red sphere appeared right in front of Shin''s mouth. It took some time, about a few seconds, but the sphere grew into arge orb. It was gigantic. Devis was sweating profusely when he saw the sphere that Shin was ready to fire at him. "No¡­" "Wait¡­" ''Master!'', Devis was somewhat scared. He thought that he couldn''t take the attack. Considering the strength of the sphere, Devis thought that his HP would be depleted entirely. Shin used arge amount of mana just for this attack. Out of all the attacks he had used today, this might have been the strongest and most powerful, enough to blow away the entire stadium. *Ding* [You have used the skill Giga Dragon-st] His eyes were glowing with bright green light as he fired the attack. ''Hmm, nowe, try to jump in between.'', Shin waited for that one fateful wolf to jump in, but this time, none came forward. Shin hadn''t included the fear factor in his equation. Just by looking at the gigantic sphere, those who wanted to jump in and try to be meat shields for Devis, freaked out. Regardless, the sphere wasunched and it was aimed at Devis. The strength of the attack being too strong would cause a lot of damage to Devis which Shin, at this point, didn''t want to happen. Shin''s worried expression vanished when from the corner of his eyes, he saw a wolf dashing toward them trying to protect Devis. ''Yes! Thank you!'', Shin was quite thankful all of a sudden. ''The impact of my attack will be reduced upon hitting this wolf however it will be enough to send him flying outside the stadium.'', Shin said to himself, only having his face covered with a dark expression secondster. The wolf never jumped. It did try to sacrifice itself for Devis, however, the mere wind st caused by theunching of the sphere blew the wolf away, preventing him to take even a single step forward. *Boom* The sphere hit Devis. As expected, Devis was sent flying, outside of the stadium. The barrier had been destroyed the moment Lurion was sent flying and now, due to that, Devis too was out. ''Ah, shit. I hope he doesn''t die¡­'', Shin had a foul expression on his face. *Boom* Devis fell way farther in the forest, just like Lurion, but way away from him and a little towards the other side. ''Safe¡­'' ''If I had not used the defensive skill, I would have been a corpse¡­'', Devis sighed. . . . At the entrance of the forest, Lurion lied on the ground, trying to get up. He spat a mouth full of blood due to the attackunched by Shin. Only 20% of his HP was left after taking that attack. His eyes were blurry, he could hardly keep them open. "Damn¡­" *cough cough* ''That bastard¡­'' Lurion was furious, the pain made his body boil. He didn''t think about Devis right now, rather, only Shin''s image was shing in front of his eyes. His body was trembling as he coughed even more blood. *cough* He suddenly felt a throwing pain in his chest. His body started emitting ck gas and the blood he was coughing soon turned ck in color. ''Just what was that attack!?'', Lurion thought that it was Shin''s doing. As he saw the ck smoke emitting from his body, fear engulfed him and he only med Shin and his attack for it. ''I don''t know what is happening to me¡­'' ''But if this is a curse, then master Devis can help me¡­'' He pulled himself up and started walking towards the Arena, slowly and steadily. His eyes were blurry, but still, he could look at the path that was leading to the Arena. What he failed to notice was a giant brown wolf standing a few meters away from him. He also started going towards the arena. . . . In the arena, the Fang n had lost and all the other ns were cheering. With Devis getting kicked out of the stadium, other wolves surrendered immediately. There was no more fight. The audience was cheering too as it was a thrilling war! Even the celestials who watched theplete battle were in awe. Members of the Lou Shin n were celebrating their victory. Some wolves rushed towards Shin and surrounded him, praising him and telling him how they won as if he didn''t know. Apparently, the system had recorded everything that had happened in the arena - everyone''s battle so Shin could watch them like a movie and see what improvements one needed. The fact that there were many casualties from his side too saddened him though. However, for now, he didn''t exactly think about that and just stored all the undead summons inside in the shadows. Furthermore, he asked the top-tier subordinates, such as the Grigard King, Frog King, Alligator King, and nca, including Deoras and many more, to stand back since the ceremony would soon start and he would receive the rewards. Chapter 309 The Great War (19): The Final Act (3) - Lurions Death And Kiras Trail Shin asked the top-tier subordinates, such as the Grigard King, Frog King, Alligator King, and nca, including Deoras and many more, to stand back since the ceremony would soon start and he would receive the rewards. He also mentioned controlling their groups and preventing them from eating any of the bodies lying around and instead, helping the other elves to pick the bodies and keep them aside. As for the dark elves and goblins, Shin asked them to pick up the dead bodies that belonged to his n members and take them to a separate room and wait for him to return. ''I can use my inventory to store them, however, that would only surprise everyone here. Also, it is not wise to showcase more skills in front of the entire world.'', Shin thought, reverting back to his normal form. And just when he had finished giving instructions, he felt a weird presence. He turned his head to the side only to look at the entrance of the arena. Shin noticed a wolf entering the arena. The wolf was practically crawling. Its lower half of the body wasn''t present and his remaining body was slowly disintegrating. It was Lurion! "Y-You bastard! Just what did you do to me!?" Lurion screamed at the top of his lungs looking at Shin with hatred. Shin waspletely confused. ''What do you mean what I did? Isn''t this war? Also, you were the one to jump when I tried to attack Devis, now youe and me me!?'', Shin wanted to finish Lurion as he stared at him. Lurion was crawling, trying to find Devis but it seemed that he was out of luck. "Master Devis¡­" "Where are y-", he couldn''t evenplete his sentence. As thosest words came out of his mouth, his entire body disintegrated. The ck smoke that was emitting from his body,pletely engulfed him as he vanished. ck dust which seemed just like ashes was left behind. Needless to say, the ground around Lurion, within the range of 2 meters, had turned ck. ''What the heck!?'' ''Just what happened¡­?'', Shin was utterly surprised as Lurion vanished. *Ding* [The individual Lurion has been killed.] The system notified Shin of Lurion''s death which made him realize that Lurion was indeed crying in desperation and was searching for Devis. Sadly, Devis was in the forest. *Boom* Arge sound had been heard when Devis mmed into the ground after flying for a few seconds, however, Lurion failed to hear. Just what had happened!? Was it the doing of some mysterious being? ''Who was the one that killed him?'', Shin asked. And just when Shin was asking a bunch of questions to himself, the system gave him another surprise. [Trails of the individual Kira have been found.] "¡­" ''Nani!?'', Shin stared at the notification on the screen that just popped up. Of course, there were his n members surrounding him so he assumed an emotionless expression. ''Find him.'', Shin asked the system to find Kira with the same emotionless expression. *Ding* [Command epted] [Finding Kira¡­] [¡­] The system scanned the entire arena and even broadened its range of search. *Ding* [Unable to find any individual with the name Kira.] "¡­" ''Yea¡­ you are utterly useless.'', Shin said to himself. He did find the trails of Kira but had yet to find him. Therefore, unless he found him, he couldn''tplete this grand mission. [ Mission ] -> Reach the Arena for n Wars safely [pleted ] -> Rank among the top 10 Wolf ns [pleted ] -> Find Siara and Kira [ iplete ] -> Avenge Kira and Siara [ iplete ] -> Aide in Ae''s evolution [ iplete ] These were the tasks that he was required toplete. Out of the five tasks, only 2 werepleted. The first one waspleted way back and the second one waspleted just recently. Actually, the wolf brothers that arrived had many ns merged within them just for the sake of the n wars. Clearly, Shin made it apparent that they stood above all these ns, and now, thanks to that, the second task waspleted as well. However, in the case of finding Siara and Kira, only half was done. Kira was yet to be found. Shin was annoyed as the system did detect a trail of his, meaning, he was present here. Unfortunately, even after searching the entire stadium, the system failed to find him. The thing that surprised Shin was the fourth task. ''I haven''t avenged them yet?'', Shin was confused. Definitely, the wolf brothers were killed one by one so the avenging should have been done. ''What''s going o-'', he paused asking himself as he noticed Aaron in a half-death state. ''Ah¡­'' ''He is yet to be killed.'' Shin then took a look at the final task which stated about Ae''s evolution. ''Hmm¡­'' ''Yea, her experience points are stockpiled as well. I have to help her evolve soon. But I wonder, why can''t she evolve on her own¡­?'', Shin questioned himself, not expecting any exact answer. Regardless, he took a look at the rewards for onest time so that he would get a good idea of what he would get when he finished the tasks. [ Rewards ] -> Tier 1: --> 10% exp [ 10% increase in exp towards leveling up ] --> Re-birth: Memories of Wolf God Shin [ Inherit the memories of the previous God of Wolves ¨C Shin ] -> Tier 2: --> Skill: Future Sight [ Allows the user to nce into the future ] [ With an increase in level, the host can nce deeper into the future ] --> Item: Wolf-w attachment (wind-type) [ An item that could be attached to the ws of a wolf. ] [ Increases dexterity of ws ] [ Increases attack power of all the spells of wind attribute by 5% ] -> Tier 3: --> 1 drop of Phoenix Blood [ It is believed that a phoenix has to power to rise from the ashes after the death of its physical body and is considered immortal ] [ Its blood is considered to have the power to bring the dead back to life ] [ 1 drop and bring 1 being back to life if the being is made to drink the blood within 00:00:02:00 ( 2 minutes ) after death ] ? --> Skill: Bloody Impact [ A 360 degrees st causing a critical hit and guaranteed bleeding effect if the target is within the radius of the skill ] ''Hell ya! I need toplete the tasks as soon as possible!'', and just when he thought that, Reosan announced it loudly. "The winner is¡­" "LOU SHIN CLAN!" "¡­" Chapter 310 The Great War (20): The Final Act (4) - Aarons Death Reosan was at first confused but after reconfirming from the Celestials, he announced Shin''s n to be the winner. The moment this was announced, fireworks were fired into the sky. Since it was almost evening, the fireworks looked good. The audience was cheering nonstop. Everyone from the Shin n who participated in the battle stayed close to Shin. Alira and Kaily too walked down from the rooms where they were asked to stay. Alira ran and jumped at Shin as she was quite happy to hear the results. Also, Kaily was smiling brightly too. However, the wolves that had surrendered after Devis'' defeat and the audience, were somewhat shocked after seeing Kaily. Rabbit-like ears and Wolf''s body with a tail that resembled a snake''s body as it was covered with scales and had fangs at the end - attracted their attention and made them wonder what sort of beast it was. The same could be said about the Celestials who were in awe of Kaily''s body features. ''Just how many rare and unique creatures does he have!?'', all the celestials were wondering the same thing. However, out of all of them, one such celestial, who wore the blue mask thought - ''If only I could get my hands on her¡­'' Other celestials could feel the energy that the blue celestial was liberating, but they didn''tment. They remained quiet as Reosan proceeded to announce further. "The top 3 ns will be rewarded. The top three rankings will exclude the Fang n who broke the rules. It will include the Lou Shin n as they took up the task to punish the ones who broke the rules.", Reosan said as he listened to the words of the Celestials. It was ultimately the celestials'' decision. Almost everyone seemed satisfied when the referee as he spoke these words. Shin was taking a look at the system message right now and decided to finish the unfinished task. ''Well, I guess I should finish the matter with Aaron before taking my rewards.'', Shin thought and dashed towards Aaron who was lying half dead. What Shin wanted to do was kill Aaron and finish the avenging task that he noticed in the system. Although killing in front of everyone had a chance of leaving a bad impression on him, it was Aaron, who had killed and angered many. So, Shin knew that he would be supported by others! He was about to use the skill Aero sh to kill Aaron, but just before he could do so, he heard an intimidating voice from his behind. "He is my prey, master Shin.", Siara said. Although it did sound a bit rude, as if Siara was ordering Shin, in reality, she was just too focused on Aaron. Her blood was boiling as she recalled all those moments of deception that Aaron had created. The mere fact that he was in her memories made her feel disgusted. Shin was ready to finish Aaron, but after hearing Siara, he gave up on the task and let her avenge herself. However, he couldn''t leave the task unfinished, and Aero sh had already been formed. *Ding* [You have used the skill, Aero sh.] Shin used the skill to brutally cut off Aaron''s limbs one by one, making him scream in pain. "Arrghh!", he screamed at the top of his voice. In the half-dead situation, when one is about to lose consciousness and cannot feel the pain as they would die soon enough when they couldn''t care less about anything else, Shin made it sure that he would remember the pain even in his next life! "Sp-spa-re m-me." Shin didn''t want to waste any more of his time by hearing the useless rampant of Aaron. He just walked away while murmuring in the faintest and lowest audible sound, "You can finish him off." He addressed this to Siara who was more than ready to kill him right away. Aaron, whose HP was decreasing at a faster rate due to the damaged internals and leakage of blood, could only cry and beg for mercy. However, Siara, who was in her peak state of anger, decided to kill him instantly. She wanted to waste no more time as everyone waited for the ceremony tomence. Also, from her heart, she was grateful as Shin left the task of killing Aaron to her. She used Wind de and killed Aaron by shing his neck, decapitating him right away. Herst words before killing him were, "Guess what, my husband is alive." Aaron, who was somewhat proud of having killed Kira, heard the one thing that took away all his pride. His pupils had dted the moment he heard this, but before he could process all the info, his head was chopped off. *Ding* [The individual Aaron has been killed by the individual Siara.] -> Avenge Kira and Siara [pleted ] Shin took a look at both the notification and was satisfied with them. Although he could have gotten a ridiculous amount of Exp if he was the one that killed Aaron, he refrained from doing so right now. The tasks at hand were finished. Other wolves from the Fang n could only see one of their leaders die while having their own heads lowered. In the presence of so many monsters, even a single movement guaranteed their death, so no one dared to move. Reosan and the audience held back for a bit as Aaron was killed. It was as if they watched a bonus entertainment show. The audience though, was a bit scared as Shin had imagined. However, many supported his decision. Many became fans of Shin and his n and everyone had their personal favorite. About 80% of the crowd had Shin as their n0.1 favorite. Another 15% had Shin as their no.2 or no.3 favorite as they supported Terran, Raka, or some other members. There were definitely other members that moved their hearts. Don Wukong was one of them, who was sessful in taking revenge. As for the remaining 5%, they hated Shin as they wanted Fang n to win and supported them. Needless to say, they were those who had ties with Fang n or had way too many evil intentions or wanted to have some connection or rtionship with Fang n. The cheers grew louder as Shin walked forward and rejoined his n, only to wait for Reosan''s announcement. Chapter 311 The Rewards (1) The top three winners were going to get their awards. The ranking was as follows: #1 Lou Shin n #2 Heavenly Monkeys #3 White Wolf Warriors The Heavenly Monkeys n was ranked higher than the White Wolf Warriors solely because of their n ranks. Since Siara didn''t object to this, the rank was considered final. If it was objected, another battle would have been asked to be fought - White Wolf Warriors Vs Heavenly Monkeys. However, in the Heavenly Monkey n, there were no other members left except Don Wukong. So there would be a heavy disadvantage for him. Well, Siara had no interest in the rewards of the n wars anyway as her sole purpose ofing here was to get revenge. Since Shin had helped him and had kept her daughter safe, adding the fact that he made her strong, she was extremely grateful and hence now decided to pledge whatever reward her n was to get in his name - Shin would get rewards for both the ranks! Reosan then announced, "The celestials are going to descend and give the winners the rewards that they deserve." Right after the announcement, a sh of light surrounded the entire arena, almost blinding everyone. Seconds after that, three Celestials appeared from nowhere, as if they had just teleported. The only ones who could see even in this blinding light were - Shin, nca, and a member of the audience, an elf-like figure who had bet on Shin''s n, as mentioned earlier. No one other than them could keep their eyes open, not even Reosan. Of course, Happy Panda was an exception. He could have kept his eyes open if he were here, but right now, he was inside, doing his job - needless to say, he had his eyes closed. This was against what the supreme celestial resting on a cloud, thought. The light then soon started to dim. The three celestials that appeared were: The celestial with a ck mask, one with the red mask, and one with a blue mask. These three were the strongest of all the Celestials gathered here and based on that, it was decided that they would be representing the Celestials. All three of them had human-like bodies. Without a doubt, they were stronger than any being present in the arena right now, however, not even the slightest of their auras could be felt. It was thanks to their masks. The three that descended from their rooms were almost equally strong, so it didn''t actually matter who gave the rewards to which position. The celestial with the blue mask came forward, to reward the ones that got the third ce - the White Wolf Warriors. As the blue masked celestial levitated in the air, all of a sudden, a staircase started to build. In a blink of an eye, an entire staircase connecting the ground to the point in the air where the celestial stood was built. It was as if the celestials were asking the lower ones toe forward - ''Bring your asses!'' That''s what Shin interpreted it as. The celestials wouldn''te personally to them. "The reward named - Hurricane Flowers will go to the leader of the ones that ranked third. Climb up.", the celestial said. His voice was deep and for some reason, a bit terrifying. It sent chills down one''s spine. Siara, as per instructions, came forward and started climbing the wide stairs one by one. There was nothing to rush, but she did increase her pace as it was rude to make the celestials wait. As she arrived at the topmost square, just above which the celestials levitated, the blue-masked celestial stretched his left-hand seconds after which, a set of greenish-blue colored flowers appeared. It had a weird scent, but what was weirder was the fact that a swirl of wind surrounded the flower making it flutter continuously. One wouldn''t be wrong if they said that the wind was originating from the flower. The flower was levitating too, not touching the celestial''s hand. It then slowly moved towards Siara. Siara couldn''t actually hold it. She had to bite or grab it with her mouth. She decided to do that and take it to Shin. The flower stopped levitating as it slowlynded on the square on which she was standing. She picked it up with her mouth and started climbing down the stairs. Soon enough, she walked straight to Shin and ced it right in front of him. "Please ept this master Shin. This is my way of showing appreciation for all the help that you have provided.", Siara said. "Uh¡­" Shin didn''t exactly try to be humble right now since he was going to get one of the three rare rewards for free, but he did show a little bit of his modesty. "It''s fine. I did what I felt was the right thing.", Shin just barely shook his head. "Thank you, I will ept this reward.", Shin said. Siara smiled as she rejoined her group and exined the situation. None of them objected to her decision of giving away the reward. As for Shin, who just got a thing for free, he asked the system to analyze and provide information about the flower immediately. *Ding* [Analysisplete.] [Name: Hurricane Flowers.] [Type: Herb.] [ss: S.] [Quality: 10/10] [Description: A special herb that has the attribute of winds stored in it. Any being that consumes the herb will either gain wind type attributes or will have its pre-existing wind type attributes enhanced.] [System advice: The system advises the host to save this herb for the individual named Ae as it will aid in her superior evolution.] After seeing the info, Shin realized the importance of the herb. Also, right now, the number of flowers with him was three! So, he could use one for Ae and one for himself if he wanted. He could save one forter too! But he thought about giving one to Siara as she and her n had worked hard a lot too. In any case, one for Ae was assured as the system too came to the conclusion that it would end up aiding in her superior evolution. Chapter 312 The Rewards (2) Soon after that, the red-masked Celestial came forward as the one with the blue mask moved back. This time, he too announced, "The representative of the Heavenly Monkey n,e forward." The Heavenly Monkey n had only Don Wukong right now. There was absolutely no way that anyone else could walk forward. Don Wukong, upon hearing the announcement, marched forward. He was standing near the boundary of the arena and had to walk all the way to the center to climb the staircase. Shin was quite close to the center. When Don Wukong passed Shin, he bowed his head slightly as if showing appreciation and then started to climb the staircase. In no time, he reached the topmost stair right above which the red-masked celestial was levitating. He said, "Congrattions on cing second." "Here is your reward.", the celestial moved his right hand forward. Secondster, an orb appeared from thin air and started to levitate right above his palm. The orb was made up of ss, having a small ''Z'' shaped yellow mark inside it which symbolized lightning. The celestial said, "The original reward for the second ce was a Fire Orb." "However, since you are closely rted to the lightning attribute, we agreed to switch the fire orb with a Lightning Orb." Shin noticed some simrities between the color of the rewards and the celestials'' masks. ''Hmm, the blue masked celestial gave the Hurricane flower which is almost blue in color.'' ''As for the red masked celestial, he was supposed to give a fire orb, which would have been red too. Does this mean, the ck-masked celestial, thest one, will give me something rted to dark or shadow attribute?'', Shin asked himself. Don Wukong moved both of his hands forward and gracefully received the orb. He then descended the staircase and walked a bit back, to the same spot where he had been standing earlier. He had no ns of giving it to Shin. It was something that would aid in his growth, so he would try to keep it for himself for sure. [Name: Lightning Orb.] [Type: Evolutionary Item.] [ss: S.] [Quality: 10/10.] [Description: A special type of item that enables a being to evolve into a different stronger rted species. Works only on certain individuals whose base attributes match the attribute of the item.] [Special Effect: Increases strength of all Lightning attribute skills by 200%.] ''Even if I had got that item, it wouldn''t have been much of a use¡­'' ''I have no one in the n that can use lightning attribute spells¡­'', Shin thought. As he was thinking about recruiting or adding someone of a lightning attribute, the final announcement was made. This time, the ck-masked celestial came forward while the red one went back. "I request the representative of the Lou Shin n toe forward.", the celestial with the ck mask said. Shin was particrly surprised when he heard him say that. The previous celestials didn''t request, rather, they ordered toe forward. As for the ck-masked one, it seemed as if he had some manners and wasn''t arrogant. At least, he knew how to address someone. Shin started walking forward. Everyone''s eyes were on him. He climbed the stairs one by one and soon arrived at the top most stair. He looked at the celestial who was wearing a ck gown and a ck mask. "You have blown away everyone''s expectations and have won the n Wars." "Once again, congrattion." Shin just bowed his head upon hearing that. "And your reward will be¡­" The Celestial then showed something which surprised Shin to no end. ''Wait¡­'' ''This is the reason why everyone wants to participate in the n wars?'' ''If I''m not wrong, Fang n got the rewardst year.'' ''And Kira was the central figure who received it.'' ''Does that mean, this is the reason why he had grown so powerful?!'' The item that levitated in front of the ck-masked celestial was none other than a heavenly elixir! [Name: Mortal Elixir.] [Type: Elixir.] [ss: SSS+] [Quality: 10/10.] [Description: A heavenly elixir. Doubles all stats permanently. Heals all injuries if any. Removes all poisons, if any. Transforms normal body to Heavenly body.] [System Advice: the elixir bottle contains 8 drops of elixir in total. The system advises the host to consume 5 drops to gain all the effects stated above and save 3 drops for future use.] The Elixir was ck liquid inside a ss bottle that had a red cap. After reading the description thanks to the system, Shin was wondering if Kira consumed this thest time. There was a possibility thatst time too there were five to eight drops of the Elixir inside the bottle. All the wolf brothers might have shared it. This exined why they were so strong. But then again, the wolves had lived long, so Shin didn''t have proof backing his im. He walked forward and used his inventory to store the Elixir right away. A second ago, it was levitating in front of the Celestial, but now, it was nowhere to be found. The Celestial was a bit shocked by this and the same was true with the audience who noticed how the Elixir vanished. While they questioned where it went, Shin humbly thanked the celestial as if saying that he was responsible for the disappearance of the Elixir. The Celestial didn''t say anything else. Shin just walked down the stairs after that. As soon as he reached the ground, the staircase vanished, each step vanishing one by one. The Celestials were still levitating at the same ce and ncing at Shin. If not for the mask, one could see their surprised expression. Nevertheless, the Celestials then went back to the room where they were sitting. They just teleported from the ce. As for Reosan and the audience, a bit more of the festival was left. Festival? Yes, festival. The n wars were like a festival. While the war and battle part was over, the real festival part with parties was soon going to begin. This would include many performances from different races and many other things. The shops that were stalled outside would multiply in number and increase. Shin and his gang returned to their rooms too. The same was true with Siara and her n and Don Wukong too. All of them waited for the cleaning of the arena and the beginning of the festival! Chapter 313 Exp For Everyone Some orcs and dwarves came forward to fix the arena and wipe out the blood stains there were spilled almost everywhere. Moles were also included in the process. They dug out the ground a lot to help in cleaning and clearing. The dances and various other programs were supposed to be happening in the stadium itself, so everything had to be clean. They wanted to make sure that everyone forgot about the blood and the mess and went home happy and that was the exact purpose of the programs. One by one, the shops started to multiply. Some shops that had cksmiths to repair weapons, vanished. They were only present to fix weapons if they broke during the battles, but now that it was over, there was no need for them to be here. But of course, they only closed their shops to enjoy the programs and nothing else. Shin and his nmates were provided arger room - the room for the ones that ranked first. It was about three times bigger than the previous small rooms. However, even if it was that big, not all the members that were present could fit. Hence, only a selected few, those who were higher ranked than the rest were allowed. "Master." "Your Highness." The swamp kings and nca, all of them bowed in front of Shin as he went and sat on a raised seat made by Terran. Even the higher-ranking Goblins marched forward and bowed in front of Shin, awaiting hismand. Since the war ended up in their favor, rewards, punishments and everything else had to be dealt with by Shin. This was revealed to him when a particr notification popped up as Shin walked back toward the room. [All the exp umted during the n Wars has been stockpiled and can be distributed by the host to the desired individuals.] [Subordinates'' Exp stockpiled: 102,097.] This meant that, if Shin wanted, he could instantly raise the level of his nmates. Of course, he wanted to know if he could raise his own, to which, the system gave a different answer. [The Host''s Exp has been stockpiled separately as the host has met the evolution threshold.] This was something that Shin had missed. [ Name: Shin (Male: 1.5 years) ] [ Race: Level 90 Lupus ( Exp 99.99%) ] When Shin took a look at his level, he was left stunned. ''Wait¡­'' ''How did I end up as Lv.90!?'' ''When!?'' ''How!?'' He couldn''t understand because the system hadn''t shown any leveling up notification. To kick his confusion out, the system answered him and cleared his doubts. *Ding* [Due to the critical situations generated and the doubling of the stats, the system had temporarily muted the unnecessary notifications.] Shin didn''t exactlyin about this as it was one of a kind surprise right now. Also, what the system did wasn''t exactly wrong either, so Shin had noints and remained calm to show his appreciation for the system. But he did realize that he couldn''t get into Lv.91 before evolving, and this was because the option floated right in front of his eyes. [Evolve] [Choose an evolution category.] [-> Dragon Wolf.] [-> Death Wolf.] [-> Arachno Wolf.] [-> Cmity Wolf.] [Based on the evolution category, the previous hybrid evolution will be modified.] Shin didn''t bother to look at the info on the evolution categories since it was not the right time. He was keeping everyone in wait as he was trying to figure out the experience points. Needless to say, he realized that there were 3 different categories of experience points that had been stockpiled - one for Ae, one for himself, and one for the entire n. Shin thought about something. Right now, everyone in the world knew about Shin''s and his nmates'' powers and strengths. If they evolve or level up right now, they might end up noticing the change, and hence, if any one of them tried to attack, their power levels won''t be a surprise anymore. So, Shin decided to give them the rewardster, once when everyone went back to their home. "Everyone, you did a good job." "The n wars for which we had been preparing, despite the changes in rules and conditions, we won." "You have my praise.", Shin said. "Please, we aren''t worthy of such words your highness.", Deoras bowed as he said this. "Yes your highness, we just did our jobs. It''s the least thing we could have done. We do not deserve such praise.", the Grigard King added. And after hearing both of them, one by one, everyone started saying the same thing. Rather than being humble, it was as if it had be their catchphrase. Shin didn''t mind it at all. In fact, he was in a great mood so he epted whatever they wanted to say. As for the dark elves and goblins, he said, "You both, take some rest." "You both are the ones that have the most casualties¡­", Shin addressed. Some were attacked from behind while others were shocked by hidden attacks. This reduced the number of the dark elves and the goblins. "Yes your highness.", they nodded. Shin then further added, "Your contribution to this war, I know everything about it. But for now, you have to wait. I will be sure to reward you all based on your contribution." "Thank you, your highness!", all raised their voice as their eyes sparkled in excitement. ''Ah¡­'' ''Why not be humble now and use your catchphrase?'' "¡­" ''Sigh, never mind. Increasing their levels will help me in the end anyway.'', Shin sighed a bit. Noticing his sigh, Ae asked, "Is everything alright, your highness?" Shin nodded his head and was about to answer when all of a sudden, a screen appeared in front of them, at the center of the room. A loud voice, belonging to Reosan, forced the announcement of the start of the festival to their ears. Shin, who had paused for a second, after the announcement, said, "Alright folks, looks like we will be enjoying the festival for a bit." "¡­" Chapter 314 Unknown Related Stranger Everyone was excited about the festival. There was a free food section where the meat of various animals was served. While these servings were made for beasts, it did feel a bit weird. Especially those beasts that were herbivores or their own kin that were being presented as food - this hurt them somewhat. However, the majority were hungry carnivores, who, even though cared about their kins and thought this was wrong, ate happily to fill their tummy. The festival had started and it wouldst for the next three days. Colorful lights were lighted everywhere made up of different crystals. It was like a DJ-Disco Bar or a Nightclub of some sort - only Shin could rte to it. Nevertheless, he and his mates marched forward with pride. When they made their appearance in the special seats provided especially for them, the crowd went quiet for some time and then started to make noises, as if enjoying the show and cheering for Shin and his squad. The seat prepared for Shin was different from the rest of the audience. Not only was it in a separate vacant section, but it also had a soft pillow-like nket. It was only true for Shin''s spot. Just left to him, Ae sat down and following her, Terran, Raka, Deoras, and the rest of the higher ranked ones. As for the lower-ranked ones, some stayed out of the stadium near themon area and others were in different rooms, enjoying the festival via the screens. First, opening dances were performed by some elves. The female elves were quite sexy, enough to make many males have a nosebleed. Continuing, various acts were being performed - some from old fairytales and some new ones made recently with new scripts. Overall, the program was somewhat nice. Shin and the gang watched it for three hours finally after which hunger hit them. ''Ugh, I am hungry.'' ''I think the same is with others but they aren''t saying anything since I haven''t gotten up.'', Shin realized. Secondster, he got up and whispered about having a meal to Ae who ryed the message to the rest of them. They left the scene and went to the special huts built specifically for dining purposes. As Shin and everyone arrived, the beasts that were already there were startled. While they ate like savages a second ago, with Shin''s and everyone''s arrival, they became a bit more modest and ate properly. Various meat and drinks were served on tes and leaves. There were some humans eating here too and the same was true with some orcs and other races. No one was fighting right now as they knew that fighting outside the arena was prohibited by the celestials during the festival and if one did fight, they would be forced to face the wrath of the celestials! Soon enough, Shin was finished with his food and drinks and walked out. It was the same for others, they strictly followed him. They would eat only after he started and would leave exactly when Shin would leave. ''Ha¡­'' ''I guess I will go back to the rooms and enjoy the festival from there¡­'', Shin thought. It was noisy. With his presence in the stadium, many beasts were ufortable, as if, they couldn''t give their best. Also, he seemed a bit tired. The fatigue was still present so he wanted to rest. But just when he thought about going back to the rooms, he heard someone call him. ''Master Shin.'' Shin stopped in his tracks and looked here and there, somewhat confused. The voice was a bit deep and husky, almost simr to that of Deoras but it wasn''t Deoras who called him. He could see Deoras just randomly chatting with Terran and Raka about something, so it couldn''t have been him. ''Who...?'' He asked himself, expecting no answer. Well, no one answered. ''Was I dreaming or what? Must be my imagination...'', he thought but secondster, he heard the voice yet again. ''Ma...ster Sh..in, can you h...ere me?'' ''Huh?'', Shin seemed surprised, however, his troubled self was relieved thanks to the system. *Ding* [An unknown but familiar entity is trying to establish a telepathic connection with the host.] [The system advises the host to use the skill telepathy to converse.] Shin realized that it was telepathy and without a second consideration, used the skill. Right after this, the voice became much clearer. ''Master Shin!'' ''Yes!?'' *Ding* [Telepathic connection has been established with the unknown individual.] ''Ah! Master Shin! Finally...'' The voice was wavy and somewhat familiar. Even the system mentioned that the individual was unknown but someone rted or familiar to Shin. Well, Shin immediately asked, ''Who are you?'' And the answer was just one word, which ended uppleting another task of his in the mission. ''Kira.'' The moment the name was pronounced by Kira, the system immediately put up thepletion of the task. -> Find Siara and Kira [pleted ] ''K-kira!?'', Shin asked in surprise. Earlier the system had detected his trail but couldn''t find him. Now, it seemed as if he revealed himself first. ''Where are you!?'', Shin wasted no time in asking this. ''Master Shin, I am near-'' Kira then gave his exact location and after hearing this, Shin immediately asked him to stay there. He was going to meet him right away. Kira understood the task and waited. "Um, guys, you go and rest in the rooms or gi enjoy the festival in the stadium." "I have some task to do. I will be back.", Shin said, only to hear protests from Terran, Raka, and Deoras. They didn''t want to let him go alone. The same was true with Ae, who wanted to tag along. Shin paused and said, "I will apany only one member since you all insist." They stopped protesting and waited for Shin to choose someone. ''I''m meeting Kira...'' ''If I take Ae then...'' If he took Ae, she could finally reunite with him. He knew not when he could contact Kira the next time as it seemed like he had his own circumstances to deal with. "Ae,e with me." ''I might as well help her in evolving after we are done talking with Kira...'' "..." Chapter 315 Kira And Aellas Reunion (1) Shin and Ae then walked away from the group. Shin strictly asked them to not follow him. He didn''t apany any shadow wolves either and just walked away. Actually, if one would have just imed that he was Kira, Shin wouldn''t have believed him and wouldn''t have gone all the way. But just because the system confirmed it, he decided to go. No one other than Ae followed him. They went back to the rooms as instructed. Shin walked back to the hut-like buildings that were built where they had their meals a few minutes ago. Kira was standing near the entrance of the building. Shin spotted a giant brown-furred wolf, but he wasn''t deceived by the appearance. The name ''Kira'' floated right above the wolf''s head. Kira smiled a little as he saw Shin arrive. However, his feelings became tangled when he saw Ae right beside him, apanying him. ''Master, she...?'' Since the connection was still present, Kira could ask Shin using telepathy. ''Don''t worry, I haven''t told about you to her. She is just following me as a means to protect me.'', Shin reassured Kira. After taking a few more steps, Shin almost arrived right in front of Kira. He wanted to talk to him, however, when Ae saw the big brown wolf, she was pissed off. She thought that he was blocking Shin''s path. *Grrr* "You!" "Move aside! How dare you block his highness'' path?", she raised her voice a bit, almost attracting the scattered attention from the nearby crowd. Shin turned his head towards Ae and red at her a bit, scaring her for a second. He said, "Stop creating amotion out of nothing." Ae didn''t argue and just shut her mouth by saying, "Yes." Her ears lowered a bit which was true for her head too. ''Kira, it wouldn''t be safe to talk here. Let''s go somewhere else...'', Shin said. Kira nodded his head. Shin and Ae then started walking and Kira started to follow them. ''Why did high highness Shin scold me...?'' ''Isn''t that wolf at a fault?'', Ae was feeling bad as she kept asking herself various questions. She turned her head back to check on the brown wolf because of whom she got scolded only to realize that he was following them! ''Eh!?'' ''Why is he following us?'', Ae seemed worried. ''Should I say something?'', she wondered. But after thinking for a few seconds, she concluded about not calling the brown wolf out. ''There is no way that His Highness isn''t aware of him...'' Ae kept quiet and followed Shin. After a few minutes, they entered the forest. Shin saw that many beasts were lingering in the forest, walking towards the stadium. It seemed as if they hade only to enjoy the stalls and program. He even found some beasts leaving as if their work was done and they had no more reasons to stay here. After seeing them, Shin decided to go further, deeper into the forest to talk with Kira. He continued walking and soon, after about ten minutes, they reached a deeper area where no one was present. Shin even made sure to use his All-Seeing eyes to check clearly - there was no one. Ae stood towards his left whereas Kira, who had disguised himself, was about ten meters behind them. Shin turned around and then murmured, "We are free to talk now." Kira nodded his head and said, "Yes¡­" Ae was now convinced that the unfinished task was rted to the big brown wolf. He stared at Ae for a bit after which he said, "Master, there is something important that I want to say, and it is regarding your name and your origins¡­" "Oh?", Shin stared at him. "But Kira, first tell me, how were you able to survive?", Shin asked. Ae, who was not meddling or trying to think much about their talks, suddenly felt chills running down her spine. ''K-Kira¡­?'', she was surprised when she heard the name. She looked at Shin who had no change in expression and stared at the brown wolf who seemed to talk casually as well. ''Did I mishear¡­?'', she asked, as she let the thought go, only to hear Shin call his name once again. "That was thanks to my skill master¡­", Kira said. Well, Kira was a dark wolf having some skills from the shadow branch. He could turn into shadow or into darkness just like Shin. "Yea¡­ but Kira, you could have at leaste and revealed yourself earlier. Why now? And what is that important thing regarding my name and origins? Who told you about it? Just what is going on?", Shin asked a bunch of numerous questions. "Y-your highness¡­" "You keep calling him with the same name as my father¡­" "Does-", Ae interrupted and wanted to be rified regarding the matter. Shin didn''t hesitate and instantly answered her. "Ah." "He is your father. He is Kira in flesh.", Shin said nonchntly. "¡­" "What!?", Ae raised her voice, hearing something unbelievable. Kira, who was going to exin the important stuff from the start, was now tangled in different things. The talking was not going with his flow, rather, he was going with Shin''s flow. Shin wanted to hear about Kira''s doings and why he approached him after all this time. He even wanted to know about those important things that he mentioned at the start - but, Kira had to calm down. Those topics were important indeed, but there was no hurry right now. He revealed and purposely called him by his name from the start in order to give some time so that he and Ae could reunite and talk for a bit. "Sigh¡­", Kira sighed right after which, his fur changed its color. His fur first turned white and then slowly turned ck. With the same gigantic appearance as earlier, Kira had assumed his normal form. ''He still looks as menacing as earlier¡­'', Shin swallowed arge chunk of saliva as he felt a wave of Kira''s aura hit him. Chapter 316 Kira And Aellas Reunion (2) Upon seeing Kira transform into his original form, Ae unknowingly started walking toward him. "F-" "Father...?", the word came right out of her mouth as she continued to walk forward. Kira''s ears felt tingly when he heard her call him that. Kira had many kids. All of them were males and just one was female - Ae. All except Ae had already died in the fire and were sometimes hunted by other beasts, so, seeing at least one of his blood, calling out to him, made him somewhat teary. He could barely say anything and just kept quiet. Ae then rushed forward as her emotions gushes out. She jumped at Kira and almost tackled him down. She was big right now and not a pup, yet, she failed to push Kira as he stood mightly. Nevertheless, she then started rubbing her fur against his and then licked his ears a bit saying, "Father! You are alive!" Shin could see Ae wagging her tail in excitement. In fact, she couldn''t understand the feeling that engulfed her. "Ae¡­", Kira looked at her as he licked. Both of them showed love to each other for some time as they continued to chat. Ae exined how she was so sad that she had lost both of her parents but then found Siara and now Kira. She couldn''t express her joy. Kira kept nodding. "You know father, I was scared¡­" "I was really terrified when you and mommy had vanished¡­" "If not for his highness Shin, I wouldn''t have been able to live on after that¡­", tears drenched her face. Kira then murmured, "I know, and I am grateful for that." "You know Ae, this world is unfair." "No matter how much we struggle, we won''t win unless we are strong." "I too, at that time, thought that I had grown insanely strong. I thought I was strong enough to rule the entire forest and no one could stand against me¡­" "But I was wrong¡­", Kira''s voice wavered a bit as it started to rain. "So you know what Ae, one must never stop growing." "Unless you have really reached your maximum potential, you cannot stop.", Kira was urging Ae to get stronger, either it is directly or indirectly. Shin was able to conclude a few things as he heard Kira''s words. ''Is he trying to say that the world is in peril? So, do we have to be strong enough to withstand the mass destruction that is going to happen?'', Shin asked himself, expecting no answer whatsoever. Kira then ended his conversation with Ae by saying, "And without a doubt, master Shin is way stronger than any beasts that I have seen so far. It''s best to follow him." After this, he walked forward towards Shin, leaving Ae at the same ce. He then said, "Master, as I mentioned earlier, I have some important news to convey to you." "It is about your name and your origins¡­" Since a little time had passed and Ae and Kira talked a bit, Shin was now ready to hear him out. "Yes?", he waited for Kira to exin. Kira cast a barrier around them. The barrier was semi-transparent and almost ckish in color. It pushed Ae out. He wanted to make sure that only he and Shin could remain inside. ''Well, he could have just told me using telepathy, but whatever¡­'', Shin did think about it, but then tossed it aside and braced himself to hear what Kira had to offer. "Master, do you know about your father¡­?" "Father¡­?" "You mean¡­" As Shin tried to recall the name, the system shed it right before his eyes. [Arnolius.] "Arnolius right?", Shin asked. Kira nodded his head and continued. "Yes, master. The great white wolf, Arnolius, was supposedly your father." "But do you know about his background?", he further asked. "Uh, is it important?", Shin asked. "Of course it is!" "I assume you don''t know so let me tell you¡­" "Master Arnolius, also referred to as the Great White Wolf, is from the Heavenly Wolf family.", Kira said as he stood straight. It was as if he was showing respect. He even emphasized and deepened his voice when he mentioned ''heavenly wolf family''. "Heavenly wolf family?", Shin asked, hearing the name for the first time. Kira nodded his head and started exining by giving an example. "Master, any family or n that has the word ''heavenly'' as a prefix is protected or blessed by a Supreme Celestial.", Kira said. And the moment he uttered those words, Shin''s mind blew. It was as if he was going to be introduced to something new. Until now, he had been dealing with Celestials, apparently who seemed somewhat reachable to him. But now, Kira has mentioned Supreme Celestials who seemed equivalent to those Gods that created the world! "Just like the Heavenly Monkey n-" Kira then told about the Heavenly Monkey n that had the prefix ''Heavenly'' as their leader and was granted blessing and protection from the Supreme Celestial Sun Wukong, the monkey king! Shin was getting invested in the topic as it kept getting interested as time passed. Although the Heavenly Monkey n''s leader, Don Wukong was blessed by a supreme celestial, the benefit was shared among all the individuals who joined the n. They were a lot stronger than the average monkeys and would grow stronger or level up at a much faster rate. Unfortunately, other than Don Wukong, no one survived. While this might seem to be some sort of offense since the n that a supreme celestial was supporting got wiped out, the Monkey King was just looking for fun and never took these things seriously. Though, there might have been some serious dangers that the Fang n had to face if Don Wukong had been killed. Kira then exined many more things about the Supreme Celestials and Celestials. There are many Supreme Celestials, but their numbers are way low whenpared to Celestials. How can one be a celestial? When one breaks through the level 100 and finishes his final evolution and then decides to follow a particr Supreme Celestial - this is how they do it. "I see¡­" "¡­" Chapter 317 The Heavenly Wolf Family (1) In order to be a Celestial, one needs backing from a Supreme Celestial. For example, a Bear Celestial and a Monkey Celestial might be under one Supreme Celestial. So, everything is dependent on those who are of a higher rank. If one hasn''t met the conditions, they can only be given certain blessings or protection. The Supreme Celestials want more celestials under them. Hence, they give blessings to many beasts. The reason for the blessing is to make them level up faster and reach the required conditions so that they can then promote the desired being into a celestial. Unfortunately, not many can survive even with blessings and protection. The word ''Heavenly'' is added to all those beings that are protected or blessed by the Supreme Celestial. The blessing and benefits from it could be for one individual or may be shared among the nmates. Regardless, it was of utmost importance to know that the ones that were blessed by the Supreme Celestials, could not be offended. So how was this rted to the topic that Kira was saying? "Master, have you noticed something different about yourself?", Kira asked. Shin was confused. He just shook his head in denial, saying, "No? I don''t think I am different¡­" Kiraughed a bit as he said, "Surely you jest, you might have not noticed this because it seemed toomon to you, but, master, aren''t you barely 2 years old?" "That''s true¡­", Shin nodded his head. "Then master, have you ever heard a wolf that is 2 years old, reaching the Lv.100 mark?", Kira asked. Shin didn''t seem too surprised by the question as he replied, "I mean, you can take Ae for example. She is at Lv.65 and is about to evolve. She is barely one and half years old." When Kira heard this, heughed yet again, this time due to pure joy. Kira then added, "Then Master, all the members in your n have an abnormal growth rate, isn''t that right?" Shin thought for a second and nodded his head. What Kira said was true. The members of his n would level up faster than any beast in the wild. But what of it? "Master, your father, Arnolius is from the Heavenly Wolf Family." "He is blessed with the protection from the Supreme Celestial Shin, our Wolf God." "And you are his son¡­" "Do you understand what I''m trying to say?", Kira asked in the end. Shin''s eyes were left wide open when he realized what Kira meant. Since Shin was blood emerging from the Heavenly Wolf Family which was protected by the Wolf God, his growth rate was abnormal! ''Wait a second¡­'' ''I thought my growth rate was abnormal because of the system¡­'' ''But was it because of me being a part of the heavenly family?'', Shin was surprised as realization hit hard. Shin asked, "But how do you know all this Kira?" Kira smiled as he said, "I had met a member of the Heavenly Wolf Family." "I hope you return to them one day¡­", Kira said. Shin thought about it a bit. ''The heavenly wolf family¡­'' ''Are they really the ones to whom I should be going?'' ''Is that the right thing to do?'' Shin was curious about his origins. As he was reincarnated, he only found himself as a pup surrounded by nothing but dangers. All around him, there were various humans who tried to kill him. He found many dead wolves too. He could recall the scene as if it was just yesterday that it had happened. But since he didn''t think about it much, he had never pondered much about it. After Kira''s mention, he thought that it was time for him to go and check his so-called family out. ''No matter how much I think, it just doesn''t make sense¡­'' ''Heavenly Wolf Family should be strong. The way Kira is referring definitely means that they are quite strong.'' ''Then just how did they end up dying in the hands of puny humans?'', Shin assumed that the wolves that he saw when he gained his consciousness in his world were from the same family. It was both surprising and confusing. The n wars were now over and his kingdom was slowly being built by the dwarves. He would go and check the ce, but after that, there was nothing more to do. Shin thought that finding out about his family could be his next step. While no exact mission was triggered, Shin was sure that knowing about his family could be the next big personal mission. He asked, "So, where do I find them?" "The West Terrain." "You need to visit the West Terrain master." "Somewhere in the western region, there is a desert and within that desert, you will find a small kingdom inhabited by the Heavenly Wolf Family.", Kira said. Shin asked, "Wait, did you visit the ce?" "No master. But I was told to inform you regarding this.", Kira shook his head as he added. "Told to inform¡­? Told by whom?", Shin asked. "I was told by a certain individual from the Heavenly Wolf Family whom I met about a year ago in this forest." "Apparently, he was able to feel your lingering aura on me and hence he asked me about you. I was forced to reveal¡­", Kira said as his legs trembled a bit. "Huh?" "There was absolutely nothing I could do in front of him¡­" "A God¡­?" "No¡­" "He was definitely a mortal wolf but his strength was nothing like any individual that I had evere across.", chills ran down Kira''s spine as he mentioned this. His eyeballs were shaking as his entire body trembled a bit. Shin could see that the great Kira was actually terrified! *gulp* He swallowed arge chunk of saliva as he saw Kira''s trembling legs. Shin then said, "Alright. I will go and find them. You can rx¡­" By saying this, he snapped Kira back to reality, enabling him to calm down. Chapter 318 The Heavenly Wolf Family (2) "But Kira, there is something that I don''t understand¡­" "Why did you transform yourself into a brown wolf and hide?" "You could have informed me regarding that from the start, on day one when I had arrived here. You were present here right?", Shin asked. "Yes, master. I was here from the start, however, I could not reveal myself in front of you and exin all this.", Kira said. "Why?" "That''s because of the celestials and the supreme celestials¡­" "They had eyes on you because of your fame and wanted to check you out." "Not a single of your moves were missed by them and hence I couldn''t bring myself to talk to you.", Kira said. Shin thought that Kira wasn''t making any sense. What did the celestials and the supreme celestials have anything to do with this? He asked Kira only to be replied with, "The Heavenly Wolf Family has gone into hiding master." "The celestials and Supreme Celestials want to kill them and if they end up knowing their hideout, they won''t spare a single second topletely eradicate them." "Since the wolf God is no more to protect them, no matter how strong they are, they would get annihted in mere seconds." "¡­" "But, why are they in hiding?", Shin was confused. Such a strong race might be weak against the Supreme Celestials, but there is no way that they would have been hidden from the very creators of the world! It was somewhat confusing and suspicious. Kira stared at Shin as he said, "Well, they are in danger as I said. And that is why they had to hide." "But how? Aren''t the supreme celestials the mightiest of all? How are they able to hide from them in their own world?", Shin asked, somewhat confused about it. Kira said, "Ah, their presence is being hidden because of a barrier that is protecting them. This barrier was one of the skills of the Wolf God Shin who performed it just before his death and it hassted all these years." Shin was somewhat impressed when he heard that. Usage of skills generally requires mana or MP. Someone, who was on the verge of death, used a skill thatsted even after his death, there were only two conclusions that one could gain from this - either the skill did not require any mana, or the skill was created using the beast''s life force! As one levels up, they grow older but they don''t move towards death. In fact, they move away from death - that is, they are heading towards bing immortals. The life force of a supreme celestial would be immense and that could exin why the barriersted all these years! While the idea seemed correct, he wasn''tpletely sure of it since he had never heard of any skill using life force instead of mana. Regardless, the key fact that the Heavenly Wolf Family was being protected by the barrier remained true. Shin then said, "So, west terrain is it?" Kira nodded his head to this. Shin took about a minute to think about it and then finally decided that he would indeed go and visit the ce. He wanted to know why Arnolius was so away from the West Terrain and many more things, but for now, they would remain a mystery to him. Shin then turned towards Ae as he said, "Alright Kira, anything else?" Kira shook his head. He said, "I wanted to talk about the one who gave you the name, but I too am unsure. I think it will be better if you find it out yourself, master." Shin nodded his head soon after which, he started to walk away from him. Ae realized that the talk was over and now, they were bidding Kira farewell, not knowing when they would meet next. However, before they could go far away, Ae requested Shin to give her permission to talk to Kira for onest time. Shin had no reason to refuse. "Alright.", he said. Ae ran towards Kira. After getting close enough, she said, "Father, I hope you see mommy as well." "She too must have been lonely without you¡­" "I hope you take care and be in good health.", Ae said as she turned around and rejoined Shin. As the rain continued to pour, Shin and Ae walked out of the soundproof barrier. However, just before exiting the forest and arriving near the festival area, a message popped up on the screen. *Ding* [Would you like to mark the individual named Kira?] [-> Y/N] ''Mark?'', this was rtively new and was the first time the system had asked something like this. ''What do you mean by that?'', Shin asked. *Ding* [Marking is a process of saving a certain individual''s or item''s data.] [It allows the host to know the exact position anytime and anywhere.] As soon as Shin finished reading it, he immediately epted the proposal. ''Yes. Mark him¡­'' *Ding* [The individual Kira has been marked.] And with this, no matter how far Kira went, Shin could always track him. Shin, who was supposed to exit the forest, actually walked in a bit different direction. Ae was confused. She thought that Shin''s work was done. This time, she didn''t hesitate to ask, "Master, is there still something that you wish to do?" "Ah, yes." "Oh, oki¡­", she continued walking with him, wondering what he wanted to do. It was drizzling even now. Ae''s and Shin''s fur waspletely wet and had increased in weight by a bit. When they stopped, Ae shook her body rapidly trying to dry herself. ''Huff. Now it feels good.'', she said to herself as he sessfully removed a lot of water from her fur but the moment she turned towards her left, she found a lot of water droplets on Shin''s face, most of which were due to her shaking her body vigorously. "I-" "I''m sorry!", she instantly bowed her head a bit, trying to beg for forgiveness, but Shin didn''t mind it. In fact, it was still raining so it made no difference. "No. It''s fine." "Anyway, I think we should begin¡­", Shin said, as he looked at the darkness around. "Begin what, master?", Ae asked. "Your evolution, what else?" "¡­" Chapter 319 Aellas Evolution (1) When Ae heard that, she was excited. She knew that she had reached a threshold and was not growing strong no matter how many beasts she hunted. She knew that something had to change, but it was only now she realized that she had to evolve. Not all beasts are aware of evolution at certain levels. Even if they reach a threshold, they would continue to think that they need to hunt stronger beasts to gain levels that are in fact, not true. After being revealed about her evolution, she started to wag her tail vigorously in anticipation of what Shin had in store for her. Shin looked at the system message that appeared at the right time showing various info regarding her evolution. *Ding* [The first vessel Ae can evolve into the following:] [-> Gale Wolf.] [-> Tempest Wolf.] [-> Aeolian Wolf.] [-> Siro Wolf.] These four options are disyed on the screen. ''I somewhat know the first and second one¡­'' ''But what are the third and fourth options?'', Shin looked at them with surprise as this was probably his first time encountering such words. The system then, regardless of his wishes, gave the details regarding all four options. [Gale Wolf] [-> a type of wolf race thatmands the strong wind and uses it as a weapon.] [-> the fur of such a race, white, is believed to have wind stored in it.] [-> all wind type attributes will be increased by 200% upon evolution to such a race.] [-> the individual will gain the skills Gale, and Gale Force if not previously acquired.] [-> chance of evolution to this race: 70%] [Tempest Wolf] [-> a type of wolf race thatmands thunderstorms.] [-> the fur of such a race, purplish-white, is believed to have sparkles of lightning stored in them.] [-> all wind type attributes will be increased by 100%.] [-> the individual may gain the affinity to lightning attributes.] [-> the individual will gain the skills Thunderstorm and Spark if not previously acquired.] [-> chance of evolution to this race: 55%] [Aeolian Wolf] [-> a type of wolf race thatmands sandstorm.] [-> the fur of such a race, brownish-white, is believed to have lots of sand capable of generating storms on their own, stored.] [-> all wind type attributes will be increased by 100%.] [-> the individual may gain the affinity to Earth attributes.] [-> the individual will gain the skills Sandstorm and Sand Wave if not previously acquired.] [-> chance of evolution to this race: 50%] [Siro Wolf] [-> a type of wolf race thatmands zing wind.] [-> the fur of such a race, reddish-white, is believed to have lots of heat stored in them.] [-> all wind type attributes will be increased by 200%.] [-> the individual may gain the affinity to fire attributes.] [-> the individual will gain the skills zestorm and ze if not previously acquired.] [-> chance of evolution to this race: 25%] These were the details of all the evolutionary options. Shin went through each of them carefully and then exined the options to Ae. It was quite clear that evolving into Gale wolf would only enhance wind-type attributes. Other options would provide her with sufficient other traits that would help her in the long run. Needless to say, other evolutionary options didn''tpletely change attributes. They just added another elemental characteristic to the previously existing one. If Ae were to choose the Tempest Wolf option, then she would end up with a lightning attribute. This would potentially increase her worth and make her much stronger. The same was for Aeolian and Siro options which would provide Earth and fire attributes respectively. While Ae wondered and thought about choosing one from them, Shin was wondering about the reward that Don Wukong had received. Previously, he thought that he wouldn''t get the chance to use the reward that Don Wukong received and hence thought that it was useless to him. So he did not mind Don Wukong keeping it for himself. There was not even a shred of annoyance or regret. But now, when the tempest wolf option appeared, Shin thought otherwise. If he had the reward, he would definitely help Ae to evolve into a Tempest wolf and then give her the so-called reward in order to enhance the strength of the thunder or lightning attribute to the same degree as her wind attribute. This would make her so much more powerful! Even Terran and Raka would require to think twice before facing her if that were to happen. But in any case, he did not possess the item right now, so he kept the option aside. He then went forward and looked at the Aeolian option which promised to give Ae earth-type skills. ''Hmm¡­'' ''I have more than hundreds of earth-type minions in my ranks¡­'' ''It would be better if Ae had something unique¡­'', Shin thought. Terran and all the swamp residents had the Earth-type characteristic in them. Since there were so many of them, having Ae convert into the same category didn''t seem to make her unique. It might increase her worth, but the increase would be limited due to arge number of simr beasts. Shin almost readily rejected the option. But, he smirked at the final option - Siro. ''Fire attributes¡­'' He himself was a me wolfmanding fire attribute. There was no one else having a simr attribute to that in his pack. If Ae were to gain fire attribute skills, her importance would increase significantly! She would be considered an official Queen in the n! Shin wondered about it. He decided to make Ae evolve into a Siro wolf - she would be more than enough worthy to stand beside him! This was the perfect solution that Shin thought of. While being a wind-type wolf, she could even master fire! Not only that, but when Ae would gain fire-based skills, it would be Shin who would benefit from it in the end. ''She must definitely choose this!'', Shin decided for her. But¡­ It seemed as if Ae had different ns of her own. "Master¡­" "Is it alright if I choose the Gale Wolf option?" "¡­" Chapter 320 Aellas Evolution (2)

?320 Ae''s Evolution (2)

"Is it alright if I choose the Gale Wolf option?" The moment Shin heard this, the ground under his legs broke apart. What she asked waspletely opposite to what he wanted. "Why¡­?", Shin asked. He couldn''t understand what she was thinking. The best way to know her thoughts was to ask her and that''s what he did. "I want to get stronger and with Gale wolf form, I think my wind attributes will grow significantly.", she said. Shin took a step back. The thing is, he didn''t exin all the percentage increases in stats. He just gave a brief note on what would happen. For example, he said - "With Gale wolf form, your wind attributes will increase significantly." And after this, he continued to say, "As for Tempest wolf, you will acquire lightning attributes." However, in reality, the increase in wind attributes was 200% for both, the Gale wolf and Siro wolf. Therefore, choosing the Siro evolution option would increase her wind attributes to the same level as that of a Gale wolf while adding fire skills to her arsenal. He then gave the exact information about all the wolves to get rid of her confusion and finally after hearing all that, Ae said, "Ah, then Siro wolf is the best choice!" She tried to smile while saying that as if she wanted to show that she was excited, but she failed to do so. The little smile only showed how dissatisfied she was with choosing the Siro wolf form. ''Uh¡­'' ''I don''t understand why she dislikes the Siro option. Out of all four, that is by far the best one¡­'', Shin thinks on the matter. ''System, what do I do¡­?'', he asks the system''s opinion. However, the system only replied based on the pure stats. *Ding* [Siro Wolf option is the best possible evolutionary option among the list of four.] The system too was with Shin. So he knew that he was right, but then a thought struck his mind. He asked, ''What are the disadvantages of evolving into a Siro wolf?'' ''No, could you give me the disadvantages of all the options?'', Shin asked, changing his question instantly as he realized that he had left out one of the most important factors that one should consider while evolving. *Ding* [Disadvantages: ] [Gale Wolf] [-> Chance of evolution: 70%.] [Tempest Wolf] [-> Chance of evolution: 55%] [-> Weak against Earth-type attacks/monsters.] [-> Loss of True-breed line.] [Aeolian Wolf] [-> Chance of evolution: 50%] [-> Weak against Water-type attacks/monsters.] [-> Loss of True-breed line.] [Siro Wolf] [-> Chance of evolution: 25%] [-> Weak against Water-type attacks/monsters.] [-> Loss of True-breed line.] There were three disadvantages mentioned in all except the Gale wolf form. Of course, since the chances of evolution were less than 100%, it was somewhat considered as a disadvantage or a drawback. This meant that even if there was a high chance of seeding in the evolution, there still existed a chance of failure. What would happen when one fails an evolution? It was simple. They will lose a few levels! Shin only came to know this recently when he had seen some Shadow wolves trying to evolve but failed to do so. They lost 3-4 levels in a go when this happened. Therefore, Shin was finally reminded of the fact that the Siro wolf had a low sess rate. If Ae failed her evolution, then she would have to use all those exp points that had stockpiled to level up yet again! ''Sigh, safe¡­'' ''It''s good that she didn''t ept Siro option and retaliated¡­'', Shin sighed. He then looked at the weaknesses that were disyed for each type. ''Why does the wind-type Gale wolf have no weakness¡­?'', he wondered as he stared at the screen for a couple of seconds. ''System, does wind-type have no natural weakness?'', Shin asked. *Ding* [A wind-type generally has no weakness. Its attack is effective against all-natural elements.] [Note: Even if a wind-type attack has no weakness, the beast/creature of the said type is said to be weak against various categories - electric, ice, dark, etc.] ''I see¡­'' ''The system is trying to say that, a wild-type''s weakness is actually the weakness of the beast. Since Ae is already a wind-type, her already existing weakness would be the same for the Gale wolf.'' ''Since it is a straight or direct evolution from wind-type to wind-type, there is no need for a special mention of the weaknesses¡­'', Shin nodded his head as he understood what the system tried to tell to him. Then he finally moved on to thest point - ''Loss of True-breed line.'' This was confusing, but not all that new to him. He knew what it meant by true breed, but losing the line was what confused him a bit. He needed rification and therefore didn''t hesitate to ask the system. ''Care to exin what the third disadvantage means?'', he asked. *Ding* [The individual Ae will lose the ability to produce pure affinity types if she were to evolve into any other forms other than Gale wolf.] This one sentence was more than enough to make Shin understand the essence of her rejection. The child produced by Ae would be of the wind-type, if and only if she were to evolve into a Gale Wolf. This is confirmed. But if she were to evolve into a Tempest Wolf, there is a 50% chance of a thunder/lightning type offspring and another 505 of a wind-type. The same is true for the other two options. In the case of Aeolian, 50% would be Earth-type and 50% would be wind-type and for Siro, 50% would be fire-type and 50% would be wind-type. This is what Ae disliked. She wanted to remain a true wind-type wolf and wanted to produce wind-type children. She imagined herself leading her mother''s pack and all the wind-type wolves. Shin didn''t know this. She isn''t some inconsequential character! She has feelings and emotions. She would have had ambitions too! Shin confronted her regarding this and asked her about it, only to finally realize that what he thought was true. She indeed hoped to be a true-wind wolf. And this was when a point clicked in Shin''s mind - Wind Guardian. "¡­" Chapter 321 Aellas Evolution (3) Shin recalled that there was this skill called Wind Guardian whose information was not avable thest time he had checked. He could neither check any of its details nor its level. Other than the name, nothing! The skill sounded superbly amazing. He thought about it for a second and tried to take a peek at the skill one more time. Unfortunately, the information on the skill was still hidden. All it showed was question marks as if his level was still insufficient to look at the skill. Also, he couldn''t copy that skill. He had tried to do it earlier but had ended up failing which made him realize that there were some skills in the world that couldn''t be copied by him. He thought that the skill was somehow rted to the Gale Wolf form. Perhaps, Ae knew something that made her want to opt Gale Wolf option. It could have been just an instinct too! Shin asked the system, ''Can you predict the benefit if she were to evolve into a Gale Wolf?'' Shin wanted to know what extra benefits or advantages will Ae get if she were to evolve into a Gale wolf in the future. *Ding* [Along with the stated benefits of the evolution, the individual Ae will have a chance to evolve into a Wind Monarchmanding the element of wind in the future.] This was more than enough to convince Shin to go forward with Ae''s wish. ''She isn''t some dummy¡­'' ''She has a will of her own. The same applies to everyone else.'' ''I think I should show more consideration towards them.'', Shin decided as he moved a little closer to Ae. "On second thought, I think evolving into a Gale Wolf would be a better choice." The moment Ae heard this, the expression on her face changedpletely. However, the changested only for a mere second as she tried to control herself. She didn''t want to show Shin what she actually thought. However, Shin could clearly see that she was excited as she continuously wagged her tail. He then said, "Alright, without further wait, let''s start your evolution." Ae nodded her head as she waited for the evolution to begin. As mentioned earlier, an individual beast can evolve on their own with their free will. But for beasts that have masters or are within a n, they need to obey the leader. If the leader prevents their evolution, they simply cannot evolve further. Also, they can evolve only after the leader permits their evolution. This was a simr case. Even after reaching a max level, she failed to know that it was time for her evolution. Since Shin notified her, she still didn''t know what forms she could evolve into. And now, finally, after confirmation, she was ready to evolve. "I, Shin, leader of the Lou Shin n, allow the first vessel Ae to evolve into the higher form - Gale Wolf.", Shin said loudly. It was as if he was speaking with nature itself as the moment he said this, small green orbs of lights started to linger all around them. Ae was in awe of the green orbs. She looked at them intensely, fascinated. But before she could enjoy the view a bit more, her body started to glow with bright white to green light. "This¡­" That''s all she could say before getting engulfed in the light. Shin sat down on the ground under the tree nearby and waited for the evolution to finish. He stared at the screen that disyed the time ofpletion of the evolution. [Time left for evolution toplete: 00:59:57 (59 minutes and 57 seconds)] ''Sigh, I need to sit here idly for a whole hour¡­'', Shin sighed. He was actually alert the entire hour. Since Ae was immobile during her evolution, she could be attacked from any side. Of course, there weren''t many beasts in the surroundings as they had moved to different parts due to the festival, so there could be a potential danger from even smaller beasts such as snakes! The interference of even a little bug could end up affecting the rate of sess so Shin was on his guard for an entire hour. The rain had already stopped and Shin, who had been sitting under the tree, was counting the leaves of the tree while being alert as he had nothing better to do. Just keeping an eye on Ae was boring, hence the counting of leaves. Regardless, an hour passed by soon. Shin approached Ae whose body was still engulfed with the white light. He checked the screen. [Time left for evolution toplete: 00:00:00 (0 hours, 0 minutes and 0 seconds)] The time had already run out yet Ae was still inside the sphere of white light. It was taking her some time. Shin waited. 1 minute¡­ 2 minutes¡­ 10 minutes passed by, yet there was no sign of her exiting the sphere. The light didn''t seem to get any dimmer either. Shin was somewhat worried. First of all, despite the timer hitting zero, Shin was sure that the evolution wasn''tplete. That was because neither Ae hade out, nor was the task of her evolutionpleted. It still showed the word ''iplete''. Therefore, Shin knew that something was wrong. Although failing an evolution isn''t fatal, it definitely destroys one''s morals and confidence. It is as if nature is telling you that - You don''t deserve to get stronger! Shin was worried. He started walking here and there, circling Ae. He couldn''t control himself and ended up calling out her name. "Ae¡­" "¡­" While calling her name didn''t seem all that great as there were no major changes or signs of her exiting, this one word saved Ae and helped her in evolving! . . . ''Where¡­?'' ''Where am I?'' ''What is this ce?'' Ae found herself in arge forest the second the evolution began. She found herself alone, silence all around. "Your Highness¡­?" "¡­" "Master¡­? "¡­" She tried calling out to Shin but there was no response. Only silence prevailed yet again! Chapter 322 Aellas Evolution (4) The ce was not a void. It was not some room. It was a forest, simr to the one in which they were standing but the difference was, that there was no sound at all. It was so quiet that it was actually scary! Ae turned her head here and there, looking all around for Shin because the ce seemed somewhat familiar, but no. Shin was nowhere to be found! This was scarier for Ae. ''What is going on?'' ''What happened?'' ''Why did master vanish so suddenly?'', her eyeballs started to shake vigorously. She tried to recall the immediate past of what had happened but fie, she could barely remember anything. It was a test of some sort. It seemed that way. If only Ae could recall the fact that she was undergoing evolution, then everything would have been easy. However, it seemed as if she failed to do so. The only thing she could remember was Shin standing in front of her and talking to her. As she closed her eyes and tried to live the same moment again, she could see Shin''s mouth moving, but no sound could be heard. ''What was master saying? What exactly happened¡­?'', she remained confused for another minute or so. *tap tap* She then decided to walk while trying to recall. However, when she tried to move her leg, she realized that she was shackled with chains. ''What!?'' ''Chains¡­?'' ''H-'' ''Whe-'' The chains appeared the moment she thought about walking. They weren''t present earlier. She was so shocked by the chains that she started to pull herself away from the chains, trying to break free from them. Unfortunately, she failed. Even after the hundredth try, she couldn''t move, let alone free herself. She was scared, all this time. The feeling of horror just kept pressing her towards the ground. But she didn''t give up. ''There is no way that master Shin would throw me into danger¡­'' ''For me, he searched the entire forest, invaded two human kingdoms, and even destroyed one of the human kingdoms¡­'' ''No¡­'' ''It''s not only me¡­'' ''Even for all the subordinates, he would never put them in a death situation.'' Ae believed in Shin. She believed in all the good deeds he had done for her. She believed in him blindly, trusting that he was nearby. She couldn''t smell, she couldn''t hear, and it seemed like her sense of touch seemed to go away as well. Her limbs had started to bleed yet she no longer felt pain - it was proof of her sense of touch fading away. ''Perhaps my sense of taste has already gone too.'', she said to herself as her entire body was hit with a lot of fatigue. ''I am tired¡­'' ''It would be better if I rest a bit¡­'' ''Master will surelye and rescue me, like always¡­'', she convinced herself that she would be saved by Shin. It was as if she had taken Shin''s help for granted. For all her mistakes, Shin couldn''t possiblye and save her ass! She had to learn to save herself too! In fact, Ae was definitely capable of doing so. She was not just some small pup. She was a bigrger than Shin despite his evolution. She could do way more than just give up! But right now, that was all in her mind. She had thought about Shin to keep herself motivated and try her best to be freed, but it had the opposite effect. She instinctively felt that it was the best choice to give up and wait for Shin toe. ''I will wait¡­'' ''He will definitelye¡­'' And finally, her vision started to blur out too. Thest of the five senses, the vision was also going away from her. Slowly yet steadily, she was bing blind. ''He wille¡­'', as this resonated in her mind, half of her vision was taken away. ''He will¡­'', only 25% of the vision remained. Even with that, she could barely see anything. It was dark. "He¡­", only 1% of the vision remained. What could she possibly even do now? She did not even have the will to fight or resist. She had already given up and with all the senses being snatched away, she would be nothing more than a yolk of an egg. "He-", and with this, 100% of his vision was lost. She couldn''t feel anything. She couldn''t see, touch, taste, smell, or hear anything. Her mind too became nk. It felt as if her brain was also not working, as if it was shutting down slowly. And as her brain almost shut down, a thought bombarded her mind. It took the form of a question as her belief changed into doubt - ''Will hee?'' Exactly at this moment, as if answering this question, a single word passed through all the barriers and reached her brain! "Ae." - Shin uttered the word as he waited outside for Ae to exit. The voice was filled with love and care. It was as if he was scared and worried as well when he uttered her name. Despite not being to hear anything, the word reached her. Even if the ears had lost the sensory functions, the word directly reached the brain, which had yet to stop functioning. ? Just a single word, as if working like an energy drink or an energy boost, suddenly rejuvenated her! A shock was sent throughout her entire body, giving her enough strength to re-develop her sense of hearing. It helped her re-develop her other senses as well - touch, sight, smell, and taste. ''I knew it¡­'' "I knew¡­" "I knew you woulde to save me, master¡­", Ae said as she walked out of the white sphere in her majestic form, by breaking all the shackles that restricted her. "Ae¡­", Shin called out her name in relief as she finally exited the white sphere which vanished into the thin air. "Yes master, I am back.", Ae said as she wagged her tail at the sight of Shin. "¡­" Chapter 323 A Main Mission Completed There were no words to describe Ae''s new form. Ae wasrger now, about two times that of Shin''s size. Her fur was white as earlier, but this time it had a hint of green. When Shin stared at her fur, he could see them moving as if they were fluttering in the wind. But there was no wind blowing. It was clear that the fur itself was producing strange wind. This was also mentioned in the description of the Gale Wolf. Other than this, Ae''s eyes had changed as well. While earlier, they seemed to be somewhat normal - just like any other wolf''s eyes, right now, they were brimming with confidence and strength. Adding the fact that they were greenish instead of pitch ck, they appeared like gems. Shin stood a little back and kept staring at her. Her limbs had bulked up a bit too and her neck was fatter than earlier. Her ears were a bitrger as well - overall, she had grown. Shin said, "Haha, looks like I am the only one who is retarded¡­" He considered himself a dwarf. That was because, even after so many evolutions, he was still short. Seeing Ae be big made him a tiny bit jealous as well! He then asked her about her skills - if she had gained any new ones or not. Ae nodded her saying, "Master, I learned two new skills." Without any hesitation, she immediately used the skills even before exining to Shin what the skills were. Well, of course, he knew what the skills were as it was mentioned in the description. Gale and Gale Force - these were the two skills that Ae learned after evolving. The skill that she used right now was Gale. Instantly, the wind started blowing rapidly. It was strong, tilting all the trees in the surrounding and almost breaking them and uprooting them! If not for Shin''s strength and only if his weight was considered, he would have been blown away in this fast and strong wind. "Uh, that''s enough. Stop.", Shin ordered seconds after which Ae stopped using the skill. The trees that were about to break finally breathed peacefully. The small beasts resting on the trees, that hang on trying to preserve their lives could rest easy. Ae then quickly used her second skill, trying to test that as well. ''Gale Force¡­'', Ae said to herself as she used the skill. The moment she used the skill, all of a sudden, shiny green bands of light could be seen moving in all different directions. Towards north, south, east, west, and even towards the sky and the ground - she could see many bands of light. The difference was, that some were quite thick while others were thin. These bands of light actually showed her the direction in which the wind energy was moving. The wind energy was associated with the wind itself and on witnessing the bands, Ae could rte them to mana. Her eyes were glowing with a green light which was a lot simr to that of Shin''s. After using the skill, Ae could feel that all her wind-type skills were boosted. Their attack power was increased by 100%, basically doubled and the mana consumption was decreased by half. She deactivated her skill and then looked at Shin. She then said, "I have analyzed the two skills that I received master. They-" She then proceeded to exin their functions and how they worked. Shin listened to her, pretending to not know but in reality, he had already taken a look at their description the moment she got. After she finished exining, Shin said, "Alright, our work is done. Let''s head back." Ae nodded her head as she followed Shin''s lead. They started walking back towards the arena and the festival site. Right now, Shin was extremely happy. It was because of the notification ofpletion of the task. In fact, it was not just the task, but the mission in entirety that waspleted! [Congrattion] [You havepleted the Mission.] -> Reach the Arena for n Wars safely [pleted ] -> Rank among the top 10 Wolf ns [pleted ] -> Find Siara and Kira [pleted ] -> Avenge Kira and Siara [pleted ] -> Aide in Ae''s evolution [pleted ] Shin kept smirking as he stared at the texts mentioning the word pleted''. It didn''t take him much effort to move his eyes over the rewards that were mentioned right below the previous texts. *Ding* [You can im the following rewards:] -> Tier 1: --> 10% exp [im] [ 10% increase in exp towards leveling up ] --> Re-birth: Memories of Wolf God Shin [im] [ Inherit the memories of the previous God of Wolves ¨C Shin ] -> Tier 2: --> Skill: Future Sight [im] [ Allows the user to nce into the future ] [ With an increase in level, the host can nce deeper into the future ] --> Item: Wolf-w attachment (wind-type) [im] [ An item that could be attached to the ws of a wolf. ] [ Increases dexterity of ws ] [ Increases attack power of all the spells of wind attribute by 5% ] -> Tier 3: --> 1 drop of Phoenix Blood [im] [ It is believed that a phoenix has to power to rise from the ashes after the death of its physical body and is considered immortal ] [ Its blood is considered to have the power to bring the dead back to life ] [ 1 drop and bring 1 being back to life if the being is made to drink the blood within 00:00:02:00 ( 2 minutes ) after death ] --> Skill: Bloody Impact [im] [ A 360 degrees st causing a critical hit and guaranteed bleeding effect if the target is within the radius of the skill ] Shin just casually looks at all the ''im'' options mentioned right beside the rewards. As he walks, he decided which reward he wanted to im right away and which he wanted to save forter. This way, he could have at least some card up his sleeve and grow stronger all of a sudden during moments of need. But oh well, Shin anticipated that there would be peaceful times after this. Little did he know that new trouble was already on its way! Chapter 324 A Conversation With Happy Panda Tier 1 reward consisted of two things, 10% exp gain and the memories of the wolf God Shin. As he looked at them, Shin wondered if it was the best time to im tier one. He had just recently reached Lv.90 and had yet to evolve. He too had reached the threshold and was given a set of options. Therefore, he knew that it was best not to im the tier one reward right now. 10% exp would just get stockpiled and as for the memories, he wanted everything to end properly before taking on some other big task. He then nced over at the following texts of tier 2. The tier 2 rewards could be imed right away and could even be useful. Especially, a new skill and a sort of attachment will definitely improve Shin''s position. He decided to im those rewards a few minutes after reaching the rooms. He moved on and took a look at the third tier. A drop of phoenix blood and another skill ¨C both of these would be super useful. Shin had previously saved a drop of phoenix''s blood but now, he would be given another drop as a reward. This was equivalent to being given another life! Shin didn''t hesitate and started iming the item-based rewards only to store them away directly in the inventory. He didn''t wait till they arrived at the arena for these items. As for the skills, he thought about iming them right away as well, but before he could, he arrived new the mound where they had rested earlier. Nearby, there were tons of beasts either talking orughing. It was quite a crowd and was definitely a disturbance for Shin. Therefore, he didn''t im the skills for now. He walked further and soon arrived at the arena but instead of heading towards the seats to watch the dances and singing going on, he headed straight towards the rooms, nning to im the skills and evolve in safety while being protected by his nmates. Ae was quietly following as well. But before Shin could actually meet up with anyone else, or arrive in the designated room ¨C he was stopped by a certain beast. "I wish to speak with you." Shin was surprised to see the beast approach him all of a sudden. Earlier, he was shocked to see the beast''s performance and power. He never actually got to have a good conversation with the beast. He never saw any other beast being approached by the said individual either so it was definitely a surprise. "Ha-" "Happy Panda¡­?", Shin murmured. It was none other than the great Happy Panda about whom even the great Supreme Celestial Sun Wukong hadmented. It was the same panda that dragged a few wolves only to finish them off just because they disturbed him while he was doing his job. Shin wanted to converse with him despite the surprise, but Ae, who saw Panda''s sudden approach as a threat, walked forward and interrupted. "Stop, don''te any closer.", she said as she stared and growled at the Panda who was slowly walking towards Shin from three meters away. The Panda merely scratched his chin and said, "I am not seeking violence. I merely wish to speak." Ae didn''t reply to what he said and just turned her gazes towards Shin. She asked, "Is it alright to let him closer, master¡­?" Shinughed a bit and said, "Yea¡­" Following it, he murmured, "It''s not like you can do anything to stop him if he really tried to make his way¡­" Ae failed to understand what Shin truly meant by that ¨C if he was joking or if he was actually serious. ''Is master saying that I am weaker than him?'', this is the conclusion that Ae was led to. ''Even after the evolution I am weak¡­?'', she turned her head towards the Panda who started walking yet again. ''He is nothing but a mere Lv.10¡­'', she said to herself after using the skill Analysis. By using that skill, she could check the details regarding skills, titles, levels, age, etc. of an individual just like Shin. However, when she used it now, Happy Panda''s level appeared to be only a mere 10. "I think this is not the best ce to talk. Let''s get a room¡­", Shin suggested. Happy Panda nodded his head and led Shin to a room that was on the ground floor. It was a different room, not associated with or taken by any other beast so far. "I wish to talk directly with you and you alone.", Happy Panda said with a little funny, but serious voice. What he meant was that he and Shin wanted to be alone in the room ¨C basically wanting Ae to step out. "Huh!?" "I can''t possibly leave my liege alone!", Ae retaliated before Shin even had the chance to say anything. ''Uh, liege¡­? Sometimes she calls me your highness, sometimes master and now liege¡­'' ''Sigh, I should once again make it clear to everyone to stick to a certain word. It feels weird for some reason¡­'', Shin was thinking something entirely different as his mind wandered out. But his attention was brought back when Happy Panda said, "If you can''t leave us alone, then so be it. I will just cast a soundproof barrier here so that you cannot hear our conversation." ''A barrier¡­?'', Shin was now paying attention to both of them. "I think that will be fine with you.", Panda said. Ae thought for a second and said, "Yes." After listening to the Panda, she realized that he didn''t have any ill intentions and probably only wanted to convey some words to Shin. Therefore, she was less hostile now. Basically, if Shin had asked her to step out, she would have been forced to do so. But oh well, he justid back and let them carry on the conversation. Now on to the main part ¨C Happy Panda formed a dome-shaped barrier that surrounded Shin and himself. Ae stood a bit towards the wall and only saw their mouths moving. And everything seemed fine, only until¡­ "What!?" "What did you say!?", Shin ended up raising his voice. He was so angry that the killing intent and his aura started leaking. Even with the aura control skill activated, his aura filled the entire interior of the barrier, ultimately forming a crack and sting it open. "¡­" Chapter 325 A Bad News Ae could only see Shin fuming and sting away the barrier that the Happy Panda had cast a few seconds ago. Shin''s facial expression scared Ae a bit as she had never seen him being so angry before. She wanted to move forward and ask about the matter, but her entire body prevented her from doing so. It was her survival instinct that almost paralyzed her and forced her not to go close to Shin purely because of the intimidating aura that had engulfed Shin right now. Happy Panda didn''t seem all that surprised and was still smiling a bit with his eyes closed. It was as if he had expected such a reaction from him after listening to what he had to say. However, he couldn''t let Shin scare all the individuals present in the arena. His aura was too vast and if left alone, it could end up covering the entire arena, almost paralyzing everyone and causing a panic. Therefore, he said, "Please calm down and listen to me." "I still have some of their words to convey¡­" Shin turned his gazes towards the Panda and listened to his other words. This time, Panda had cast the barrier yet again, this time, a bit weaker one expecting Shin to calm down and not go and break the second barrier. Shin did exactly as Panda had thought. He calmed down after hearing the rest of his saying. However, he was still worried and it could be seen on Shin''s face. It was as if, something was troubling him and this was without a doubt rted to the Happy Panda who whispered a lot of words into his ears. So, what exactly did the Panda say? == "Alright, now no one can hear us." Panda said this as he cast a soundproof barrier, separating them from the outer world for an instance. Shin looked around as he was intrigued with the skill, but that was not on his mind right now. He was more interested in what Panda had to say. "You might have already known but, I too am a Celestial¡­", the Happy Panda went ahead and revealed his identity. This came as a surprise to Shin because until now, he wasn''tpletely sure about the Panda being a celestial! Of course, he had seen the skill that could nullify other skills within a certain range and had also seen Panda''s stats, but he couldn''t rest easy. Especially, after seeing him drag away from strong minion wolves from the Fang n, Shin was sure that Happy Panda had to be at least in the level 90s. But now, after the revtion, everything became clear. But why? Why would someone, who went so far as to hide their identity, reveal it now? A weird tingly feeling in Shin''s throat made him ufortable as he thought about this. He asked, "A celestial¡­? Why are you telling me that?" Panda merely smiled and said, "I knew that you had already figured about my identity, but, this was a necessary step so that you could believe my next words." "¡­", Shin merely stood by, waiting to hear what he had in store. "Actually, your n is in danger.", Panda just straightly said. "Huh?" "What?", this indeed came as a surprise. "What do you mean by that?", Shin asked as he raised his voice a bit. "Uh, I think it would be easier if you knew the story of the downfall of the Supreme Celestial Shin, the Wolf God.", Happy Panda addressed. "Wait wait¡­" "How would I knowing that story help me in understanding why my n is in danger?" "Come on dude, I don''t have all the time in the world!" "Just tell me, what is going on. How and why is my n in danger?", Shin asked. "¡­" Panda was getting ready to tell a long story, but Shin just froze his mouth before he could even begin it. He clearly rejected the idea of listening to some long-ass story and asked Panda to exin in only a few sentences as he had no time to waste. Panda thought that it was essential for Shin to know about the story, but he too skipped it because of what Shin asked. "Okay, so the thing is, Eight out of the Twelve Supreme Celestials have ordered all the familias, ns, and followers under them to hunt and kill you and your n.", Happy Panda said. The moment Shin heard this, it was as if lightning struck in his ears. Something that he could have never imagined just happened. The Supreme Celestials, who are practically the Gods of this world, ordered the extinction of his n! Shin remained confused for a second as he didn''t know the reason for the happening. He asked, "Why¡­?" Happy Panda looked directly into Shin''s eyes as he said, "In order to know why you have to know the sto-" "JUST GODDAM TELL ME WHY!?", Shin raised his voice, instantly stopping Panda from saying anything more nonsense. Happy Panda did feel a bit disrespected, but he told nevertheless. "It''s because eight of the twelve Supreme Celestials were almost once killed by the Supreme Celestial Shin. In fact, The Wolf God''s demise was also because of the plot of these eight Supreme Celestials¡­" "They couldn''t destroy the Wolf God''s soul. It escaped their grasp." "This means that the Wolf God can be revived again, however, it is only possible if a potential vessel is found." "And the vessel is¡­" Happy Panda merely stared at Shin for a few seconds right after saying that, hinting that, there was nothing more that he needed to say. ''They are after me¡­?'' == The purpose of the n Wars, especially the participation of the wolves - although Shin was somewhat aware of that, it was finally officially revealed to him that this was only a way for the Supreme Celestials to kill the right vessel before it actually appeared. Going again Eight of the Twelve Supreme Celestials¡­ Going against even one is impossible for Shin right now. So what exactly will he do to protect his n and nmates? As he rages out and breaks the barrier, Happy Panda gives him a small solution to calm him down. "¡­" Chapter 326 Informing And Unifying "Ah, but listen to me. I still have their words to convey to you.", Panda said as he cast the barrier yet again. "Whose?", Shin stared at Panda as his aura kept seeping out. "Words of three Supreme Celestials out of twelve.", he replied calmly. "Huh¡­?" When Shin heard that, his mind seemed to clear a bit. Panda had been saying that eight out of twelve Supreme Celestials were after his neck. Since Shin was in the mortal realm, they couldn''t directly kill him and thus, they asked their followers to chase him down to the ends of the world and ensure that he dies. However, he never got to hear about the remaining four Supreme Celestials. Panda mentioned about them now. Instead of four, he mentioned about three Supreme Celestials and conveyed their words - what they wished for. "They asked me to inform you about this. Although they cannot give theirplete support to you since they are making themselves appear neutral, their followers will be able to provide you with some assistance during the time of need.", Happy Panda concluded with this. Shin''s rage vanished into thin air. Although this wasn''t everything that he needed, it was at least better than nothing! *gulp* ''My n is in danger.'' ''Three Supreme Celestials are pretending to be neutral but would help me if I require utmost help¡­'' ''Eight Supreme Celestials are after me¡­'' ''No matter what, I need to escape this ce with everyone before the festival actually ends¡­'', Shin realized the grave danger. He asked, "Tell me, what can I do to protect my n?" "Where should we hide¡­?" "No." "Can we even hide from the Supreme Celestia-", Shin was trying to seek a ce to be hidden when suddenly he recalled something that Kira had said not too long ago. "Hmm¡­" "That is¡­", Panda started to think after hearing Shin''s question. However, Shin was no longer in need of an answer. In fact, he had already found the perfect solution. ''Yes, the only ce where I can run away right now for safety is¡­'' ''The Heavenly Wolf Family!'' ''ording to Kira, the entire Family has remained hidden from the Supreme Celestials.'' ''The West Terrain¡­'' ''I had indeed thought about visiting that ce after everything was over. It was going to be more like a pic¡­'' ''But after what I have just heard, it is our only option if we want to stay alive.'', Shin decided immediately that he had to take an action. "Alright then, thanks for the warning¡­", Shin thanked the Panda and walked past him, walking towards the door to exit the room. ''Wait, eight and three, that is eleven Supreme Celestials¡­'' ''Who is the twelfth one¡­?'', Shin asked himself, wanting to ask the Panda, but he didn''t think that this was necessary for the moment. But one could easily say who the twelfth member of the Supreme Celestials was - it was pretty obvious from the smug-like smile on Happy Panda. Shin exited the room and then almost immediately summoned all the higher-ranking members to gather in their main room via telepathy. Deoras was apanied by the Shadow Wolf General, Raka, Terrain, Grigard King and many more hade. nca along with Alira hade as well, not that he had called for Alira, but she was with nca all this time. Shin entered the room like a boss while all of them stood in almost a circle in the square room, bowing their heads. Ae followed Shin closely as Shin walked up the raised seat made of bricks. He sat on top of it as he said, "You may lift your heads." Everyone now stared at Shin, expecting to hear something important or at least interesting. "Hmm¡­" "I will keep it short.", Shin said as he cast a soundproof barrier in the entire room. Shin then exined everything that Happy Panda had told him. He didn''t miss even a single detail and made sure to make everyone aware of their situation. Some of them werepletely shocked when they heard of this. As for others, they couldn''t believe that such a thing was happening. Being a target of a Supreme Celestial is in itself something that is hard to happen, but being able to get targetted by eight of them while getting support from three, was by no means a normal feat. Some were simply awed by the events. However, Shin was merely apologetic. "This is all happening because of me¡­", he said in a low voice. In the end, he was right. He was the one they were targetting and because of him, others were in danger. Therefore, he could just expel others from his n so that he could be the sole member, and that way, others wouldn''t be in danger¡­ WOULD IT REALLY BE THAT SIMPLE!? ''Heck no. It is the Supreme Celestials we are dealing with. Everyone here is nothing more than mere ants to them.'' ''They wouldn''t care if all the ants get crushed if, in the end, they could get what they want!'' - Shin knew this way better than anyone. Being a human, having the knowledge of how a powerful person thinks - he knew exactly how those beings would think. But despite that, he murmured. He murmured in the lowest audible voice for a second time, "All because of me¡­" "I won''t me you if you were to leave¡­" And his strategy was¡­ to get support! "No way in hell are we going to leave!", Terrain raised his voice as if there was no tomorrow. "Yes!", Raka voiced along with Terrain, and following him, Deoras said the same. ''Kek, easy peasy¡­'' Shin smirked inwardly as he saw everyone getting united and deciding to stay together no matter what. Although it would be safer for them to leave, it would be safer for him if they stayed together. ''Informing and uniting them¡­'' ''With this, step one isplete.'' ''Now¡­'' ''Four more steps to go. If I canplete the next four steps, our safety will be guaranteed!'' "¡­" Chapter 327 Deception (1) Shin had already thought of five major steps that would let him and his n sessfully escape or evade the threat. Step one - informing all the higher-ups of the n and encouraging them and unifying them. With this step, Shin made sure that his strong men remained with him. The more the number of stronger beasts, the safer he would feel. Step two - returning to the vige. Shin wanted everyone in the n to return to the vige that the dwarves were building. Since it was a centralized ce that was deeper in the woods, it would be considerably difficult for other races or groups to find them. Also, the strong monsters present in the forest would act as a preventive measure or barrier for the n and would slow down the foes. Step three - leveling up the members and allowing evolution. He had umted a lot of exp for the entire n. By distributing them, he would help others to level up and increase their strength - in the end, making everyone stronger. Of course, in this step, he had also thought about his own evolution as well. Step four - assistance from Loria. Shin would ask the Kingdom of Loria, which was already under him, to back them up. This way, not all humans could act rashly as going up against a nation and their army would be a little hassle and will cost the lives of their own members. Therefore, this was like a preventive measure against humans. Step five - journey to the West terrain. This was the final and most crucial step in the n. Shin wanted everyone to safely arrive at the west terrain and then somehow find the Heavenly Wolf Family and seek protection from them. If Heavenly Wolf Family''s blood indeed ran inside him, then there was a high chance that they would support him, however, it wasn''t confirmed. Thus, the fifth step did seem more like a gamble, but it was something that couldn''t be neglected. ''Alright¡­'' ''So right now our top priority is getting back to the vige safely¡­'' Shin thought about it for a few seconds. He knew that this was the best time to leave - without informing anyone. However, it would be very hard as all the eyes were on them since they had won the n wars. Even the slightest movement could make a headline - that was the situation. Therefore, it was quite hard to do anything quietly or silently. ''Hmm, I can store everyone in my inventory and silently get out of this ce.'' - Shin thought. Inventory was three-dimensional storage. It is basically a type of space magic thatpresses arge amount of space into a small proportion. As therge space ispressed, all the contents within it would naturally getpressed as well. Therefore, when Shin wants to store something in his inventory, he just looks at the object. The item instead of actually teleporting into a different dimension just gets highlypressed in the alternative space of the system. Of course, if actual physicalws were applied to this, it would mean that time would be infinitely slower or almost stopped, and hence, anything stored inside an inventory doesn''t age. Naturally, they won''t die either. Although Shin wasn''t aware of theplex theory andws that worked behind the creation of a simple inventory, he knew the function that it performed. With the earlier experimentation, he already knew that he could store living things inside the inventory. Of course, the system did once warn him not to do such things unless necessary, but this didn''t mean that he was restricted from doing it. Hence, he concluded that storing everyone in the inventory and using his skills to escape the ce would be the fastest and the most effective way to get away from the eyes of the Supreme Celestials - but was that really true? The supreme celestials had their eyes on Shin. No matter if he hid his aura or tried to run, they could see through everything. They would have their eyes on his movements. Even if he could fool others, he couldn''t possibly fool those all-mighty beings! Shin too realized that and thus, he needed something that could prevent himself from being detected. A fake¡­ or perhaps a body double. Something that would have the same stats as him - basically a duplicate of himself - would be the perfect decoy! But how could he do that? How could he get a clone that could fool everyone? While thinking this, Shin nced at all the skills that he had right now. Most of the skills were either too basic and attack rted or were too extreme. However, none of those skills could provide him with a solution to creating a perfect decoy. Ae nced at Shin who seemed troubled by something. She wanted to ask him to share about his trouble but before she could do that, all the members that were present in the room started talking to Ae regarding her new form. Some were intrigued and some were curious about how she evolved and how stronger she had be. Ae, for now, answered them calmly, leaving Shin to deal with the problem on his own. ''Hmm¡­'' ''The only thing that I can think about right now is Necromancy and Dark Maniption.'' With the help of necromancy, Shin would be able to raise a dead being. The problem was, the said being''s stats. Since Shin suspected that the Supreme Celestials could see his stats and many would even have analysis skills, he couldn''t fool them by using Necromancy on a mere dead body. The same was true for Dark Maniption. He could actually control Darkness and form a duplicate of his own - fleshed out from Shadow. However, the stats was the problem yet again. ''System, is there no way to give the clones the same stats as mine? Not forever, but for a few minutes?'' Shin hadn''t discovered all the functions of the system, but this didn''t mean that such a deceptive function would be avable in the system. Nevertheless, Shin asked. *Ding* [It is possible to transfer stockpiled/umted Exp but stats cannot be transferred.] "¡­" Chapter 328 Deception (2) *Ding* [It is possible to transfer stockpiled/umted Exp but stats cannot be transferred.] Shin saw the text sh in front of his eyes. It was quite disappointing to see this. If it had been possible, then his problem would have been solved easily. Now he had to think of something else, something deceptive that could save him and everyone present here. ''Hmm¡­'' ''If I use my skills, I think I can run away from this ce and reach the vige within a day¡­'' ''Or even less!'' ''But¡­'' Just when Shin was about to give up and think of a different solution, he recalled something. He recalled the fight he had with Alira - the tiger cub. Something was going to click together. It was as if he was close to a solution. ''Copy and Steal¡­'' ''With this, I can give skills to the undead.'' ''But how do I change their appearance¡­?'' "¡­" ''Transformation?'' ''Do I give them the transformation skill as well by using steal and copy?'', Shin asked himself. However, he was stuck in a constant loop of thoughts. The fact that by using the skill Steal, he can only get an ability or skill from someone else. He can''t pass it on to others. It''s simr to deleting from someone else''s profile. With copy, the target would still have the skill but he too would get a copy of it. Now the question was, how was he supposed to give his skills to someone else? ''Steal from me?'' He thought about using the skill Steal on himself, however, by deleting his own skill, he would just weaken himself. And even if he did, whom will he give that skill to? How will he give it to others? That was still the major question! A step away, he was indeed a step away from finding the perfect solution for this problem. As everyone continued to talk in the room with Ae, Shin continued to break his head by pondering about the set of desired skills. ''System, can you provide a solution? Is there no way for me to transfer a skill to others after copying?'', Shin asked the system. *Ding* [No method found as of yet.] Shin was tired of asking and getting the same negative reply. Well, he couldn''t even get mad at the system as it was helping him in knowing the truth. Shin ultimately gave up on trying to transfer skills. What he did now was think about escaping. He then told everyone about his n. He exined that the mechanism would be the same as the one that he used while crossing the river. He would store everyone in a small space and escape on his own. When he would arrive at a safe ce, he would let everyone out. But then, he also exined how this would attract attention if everyone suddenly went missing. "If only we could prepare some fakes¡­", he murmured. When Deoras heard this, his face brightened up. He walked a bit forward and said, "Your Highness, I have a solution." Shin raised his head and stared at Deoras, who in turn looked at Shin. He then slightly looked at the shadow wolf general standing behind him and then looked back at Shin. "Why don''t you use the ability of our kind, Shadow Creation?", Deoras asked. "Shadow Creation?" It was as if he had heard this skill for the first time, but when Deoras mentioned this, Shin finally recalled Deoras mentioning this long back. This had happened a month or two after Deoras had met Shin. . . . *huff huff* "Looks like we are safe for now, Deoras." "That was a huge gamble.", Shin, in his weakened small form, looked at the gigantic Deoras beside him. "I didn''t know that this ce was guarded by a race of spiders¡­", Deoras said as he continued to pant. "M-master¡­ they-", Ae slowly moved her paws and touched Shin''s fur. She then pointed her paw towards the front, indicating a swarm of spiders that stared at the three of them. "Damn!", Shin raised his voice, seconds after which all the spiders jumped towards them. Shin said, "Deoras, didn''t you say had a summoning skill that could call many other wolves from nearby areas?" "Can you call them? Because I think we really need their help." Shin, Ae, and Deoras were surrounded by spiders. Some were attacking them by throwing their sticky threads, poisonous threads, and toxins but the trio was doing an exceptional job of dodging all the attacks. Needless to say, Shin was even attacking some and having a feast. While the spiders did spit out venom, they themselves weren''t poisonous. So they only served as food for them. But in the end, Shin and the rest of them found themselves in trouble as they were greatly outnumbered. Deoras replied to Shin''s question, "I don''t have any summoning skill¡­" "But there is indeed a way to increase our numbers." After saying this, Deoras used his skill Shadow Creation, which created many identical Deoras''. All the shadow wolves created were basically a weaker version of Deoras. They didn''t even have a single skill. Well, they were lifeless, what else would you expect? However, they did a good job of slowing down the spiders. Shin, Deoras, and Ae came victorious in the end as they squashed, crunched, and filled their bellies with many of them. This was all thanks to the Shadow Creation skill. Shin wanted to copy this skill, but unfortunately, he couldn''t because of a certain condition that, or rather, penalty - the story regarding this, was for ater time. . . . Shin recalled the moment when Deoras had demonstrated this skill. He hadter once again exined about it, hinting that even his men, all the shadow wolves could perform it. However, it was quite far back and Shin had tossed the idea out as it didn''t feel much important at the moment. Only now was he reminded about it and realized that he could create a perfect deception with the help of this! Chapter 329 Deception (3) Without wasting any more time, he made a n along with Deoras. And for this, he required help from not only Deoras but also from many other Shadow Wolves. It took them about an hour to have everything ready. Everyone by now was aware of the n. About an hourter, Shin started packing the kinds of stuff - adding everyone to his inventory one by one. The shadow wolves were asked to hide in his shadows whereas the other beings just simply got stored in the inventory. Shin felt a little different when he stored stronger beasts. For the weaker ones, it was too easy. Just ncing at them and thinking about using inventory was enough. However, for Grigard King, nca, Terran, etc, Shin had to concentrate a lot more. It drained him of his mental power as he finished storing everyone. Without dying any further, Shin snuck out with the help of Happy Panda. Happy Panda carried Shin as if he was some lifeless object and walked out of the arena. This was to deceive the guards. Furthermore, many more beasts were present outside, buying and eating various things in the stalls. Panda casually walked by with Shin wrapped with a towel. The moment he was out of everyone''s sight, he let go of Shin. "Good luck.", Panda said as he turned back and walked towards the arena with the same towel, but this time, holding rocks inside. Shin and everyone from the Lou Shin n had left! Not even one was present in the arena. Except for their body doubles, that is. From the beginning, all the stronger beasts in Shin''s n had been hiding their aura, so it was not much of a problem. As for the weaker beasts, they didn''t need to hide their auras as it wasn''t all that fierce. It was simr to the audience and hence didn''t warn or cause much of a threat. Shin had his aura and presence hidden from the start anyway, so, their vanishing, didn''t rm anyone at all. The body doubles did emit a tiny bit of aura, but this was just barely enough to make up for the aura of the lower-ranking beasts from Shin''s n. As the shadow wolves had withdrawn from the area, the doubles wouldn''tst for long. The mana of the shadow wolves was decreasing each and every second. So, about an hour or two was the best they could hold for. But this was not something Shin bothered to worry about. That was because he had already made his preparations. He had asked Happy Panda to keep inserting a little amount of mana into the shadow creations so that they could fool everyone for a much longer period. The audience spotted Shin and his gang entering the arena once again but of course, they weren''t the original ones. They were just created out of shadows. The behavior of the shadow creations wasn''t all that simr to how the real ones would show, but their simple-minded actions such as sitting, standing, and watching the show were being executed perfectly. Shin, by now, had already reached the river point where he had taken a diversion to cross it. However, he no longer had enough time to go all the way towards the mountain and thene back. He just walked straight through the river as if it was nothing. Of course, the river was deep with extremely fast flowing water, but this was nothing when Shin used his skill Dark Maniption. He basically turned himself into shadow or darkness to be precise, and just traveled across the river in the form of a shadow. He hadn''t thought about this idea earlier and uselessly took a long way. But right now, after being in contact with the information about shadow creation, the idea was much closer to him and thus it was possible. He eventually crossed the river and started running again. Two hours passed by. Shin and his gang, the duplicate ones, remained seated as the program saw its end. It was evening and was soon going to be night. Reosan had announced to the beasts about snack time and then dinner time. Regardless, many of the beasts had left whereas Shin and the rest remained. The celestials, who were watching from afar in their own rooms were a bit surprised and confused as well. That was because they could no longer see any of their stats. A shadow didn''t have any stat, to begin with, so how would they even see? ''I can''t believe this¡­'' ''Is he trying to say that he could hide his stats with ease but went along and pretended to be weak? Does this mean he voluntarily let us see his stats?'', one of the celestials thought this. Whereas another one thought, ''Is he mocking us?'' ''Our masters, the Supreme Celestials told us to demolish them the moment they left the arena. But with many eyes watching, we cannot do that so we only agreed to keep an eye on them.'' ''But just look at that¡­'' ''The moment we start observing each one of them, their stats suddenly vanish.'' ''Just what does this mean?'' The celestials were trapped inside a loop of heavy misunderstanding. They thought that Shin was either mocking them by showing his true colors. Some even felt a tiny bit inferior to SHin at the moment. The blue-masked celestial was in fact jealous of Shin because the Supreme Celestials were paying attention to him all of a sudden. Well, no matter what they thought, SHin had already gone far. He had crossed the river and had already arrived in the forest where his territory was present. He thought that he would be able to rest for a bit after arriving at the vige, but that was far from reality. He was greeted with arge door when he arrived at the center of the forest. "This¡­" Needless to say, it was the entrance door built by the great dwarves. ''Remarkable¡­'' "¡­" Chapter 330 Returned To The Town The gigantic door was made fromrge rocks. It had arge wolf''s face carved onto it too, half on one side and half on the other. When the doors remained closed, the wolf''s face would beplete. But when it would open, each of the doors would have half of the wolf''s face. Needless to say, the wolf here was none other than Shin. Since he was the ruler, the dwarves had thought about carving him. Shin was somewhat mesmerized by the doors, but right now, he had no time to think about this. He was about to raise his voice and ask someone to open the door, but before he could do that, the doors opened on their own. Shin thought that the doors were automated, however, he had to pause his flying imagination as he saw a few goblins pulling the door from the inside by rotating the lever having the chains connected to the door. He walked in, awed and impressed by the designs and mechanisms the dwarves had built. But this was only the door! When Shin entered, he found the entire vige almost built. There were many huts made - especially for the Arb and Dark Elves that were fantastically designed. While they seemed quite old-styled, the detailing was great. The houses were made from bricks with the top or roof being made of leaves and sticks. The houses were all of the same sizes and symmetrically and uniformly arranged. A distinct pathway or road was built which served as the main road for anyone entering the vige to walk. The dwarves were still working on a few things nearby and when they saw the gates opening and SHin entering, they paused working and immediately ran to greet him. "Greetings your highness!", a few dwarves whom Shin didn''t recognize, said. "You are¡­" The six dwarves, standing in front of him, had tattoos on their bodies. They all wore different outfits. One of them wore a red cap while another was bald. As mentioned, threemon things in them were - their tattoos, and their short stature, and all of them had long beards. "We are the dwarves sent by the main unit, your highness.", said one of them. "We are responsible for giving this area a final touch.", said another. "Oh¡­", Shin looked at the tools that they had in their hands. It indeed seemed like they were working on creating some designs or modeling some buildings. Shin then asked, "Alright, but where are the main unit and your representative?" "They are in the Central za, your highness.", they said collectively. "I see." Shin was surprised that they had already named the areas within the vige/town. The dwarves thought about escorting Shin to the central za, but before they could do that, he let out everyone who was stored in the inventory. Shin let out every higher-ranking member first. Following that, he let out the lower-ranking ones. The problem was, with their numbers, the entrance area would be too crowded, so he put them out a little farther from the entrance, outside of the gates. They weren''t allowed inside just yet. As for the shadow wolves, he allowed them to exit his shadows. One by one, every shadow wolf hiding inside his shadow, jumped outside, starting from Deoras and then the shadow wolf general and then the rest of them. The dwarves were surprised when all of a sudden so many beasts appeared out of nowhere. "This is¡­" One of them even fell down when he saw the pressure in the surroundings increasing! The dwarves that were in the Central za, rushed to the outside to see what was happening. They could feel this weird heavy pressure. The stronger beasts did hide their auras, but not everything could be hidden. A tiny bit would be noticed by others and this was more than enough to shock everyone. Shin walking to the central za to meet the dwarves? No. The dwarves shoulde to greet him from the central za! If one thought this way, Shin calctingly let everyone out right this instant to force the people in the central za toe and greet him. But this was far from reality. He did this out of whim. As expected, the dwarves, Arb elves, and many other species such as a few goblins and swamp residents who were asked to stay behind, marched forward. As soon as they arrived at the entrance and found Shin, they bowed in front of him, leaving a distance of 15 meters. "Wee back, your highness.", they said collectively. Their voice echoed throughout the ce - showing how silent it had be. All this time, the sound of hammering or talking was being heard, but now, silence took over. The rest of the higher beings who stood near Shin thought that it was appropriate for them to bow down as well. But before doing that, they made sure that the lower ones bowed first! The ones that remained outside the gate, immediately bowed when the Grigard King and the Frog King red at them. Following those lower beings, the shadow wolves bowed too, all except Deoras. And finally, after them, the higher and stronger beings bowed one by one, all except Ae. Ae stood right beside Shin, but this didn''t mean she was arrogant! She was also going to bow down in front of him, but Shin ordered her not to. "You can remain standing, Ae.", he said in a deep voice. And with this, he clearly established the hierarchy of the beings, the first being him and the second being Ae. A few minutester, all the lower beings were escorted or shown their habitats that were either modified or built by the dwarves and the moles. As for the higher-ranking ones, they all moved to the Central za. It was designed well, the roads and everything. Especially, the houses that were present in the Central za were remarkable. The ce had homes for every higher ranking and even had space for other higher rankings that could potentially jointer - the dwarves thought it out well! However, Shin was a bit confused. No matter where he looked, he couldn''t find the ce for himself. It was as if his hut was missing, but just when he was about to ask, the leader of the main unit of dwarves - Urui - immediately walked forward and started talking to Shin. "Your Highness, if you would allow, I would like to be your guide to this small Kingdom." "¡­" [End of Volume 2: n Wars.] Chapter 331 The Third Evolution (1) [Start Of Volume 3: Shin''s Revival] Urui was no different from other dwarves. He too had tattoos, a beard, and was short-statured. However, the only small difference that Shin could notice in him was that¨C he had scars all over his body. "Let''s do that.", Shin nodded his head taking upon Urui''s offer. He could have used his system to scan the entire area and then have a map showing the entire ce, but for now, he thought that it would be best to get a greater description of the area from the builder himself! Urui started showing him around. It took about 30 minutes to show the entire ce. To summarize it all: The ce was divided into 3 areas - 1] Lower za 2] Central za 3] Upper za The lower za was the ce where lower-ranking monsters would live. Their habitats and various houses were built. Of course, not a great detailing in design and rted aspects was seen in the said ce. To ssify it urately, it would be better to say that all the beasts with a level less than 51 would live here. Central za - all the beings with Levels greater than 50 would live here. The details of the houses were greater whenpared to the lower za. Even though the ce was a bit smaller than the Lower za as the number of beings that would reach levels more than 50 would be way less whenpared to those in the lower za, the houses wererge and all the facilities such as a pond, harvested nts, and trees were avable here as well. Upper za - this ce was made only for the King - Shin - and all the members that he would choose personally. This indirectly meant that, even if the being was a mere lower-ranking one, if Shin decided that he wanted the being to be in the upper za, that would be possible. Needless to say, Shin could even shift members from Lower za to Central za, however, Central za had a requirement from the start. But Upper za had no such requirements. It was solely based on Shin''s opinion. The area was thergest - as if it was left to build a pce for Shin in the future! In any case, this was the totalyout of the ce. Other types of habitats were built dens for wolves, tree houses for Arb elves, huts for Dark elves, swamp reeds for Swamp residents, cave for goblins - all of these were built perfectly. For Shin, the ce was left vacant. The dwarves didn''t have enough time to build an extravagant pce for Shin, but for the time being, what they had built was no less! Arge Den, on top of all other Dens in the Central za, was awaiting Shin''s arrival. Shin didn''t waste any time and dly went there to live. He had no problems at all. The Den had many crystals and the way it was designed, reminded him of Kira''s den. Nevertheless, it was built spectacrly. All the nsmen then went and checked their own houses and then rested as per Shin''s orders. As for Shin, he now had a perfect ce to evolve after iming the rewards from the missions. And the one that was the closest and the first - Shin''s memories - he couldn''t neglect it. But the other rewards would be hindered if he didn''t evolve first. That''s because the 10% exp couldn''t be imed and might go wasted. Hence, before doing anything else, he first decided to evolve into a superior form, and only after that did he think about iming. ''What were the evolution options again¡­?'' Shin took a peek at the evolution options. [Choose an evolution category to evolve.] [-> Dragon Wolf.] [-> Death Wolf.] [-> Arachno Wolf.] [-> Cmity Wolf.] Shin looked at all of them and while being unfazed, asked the system to give some more descriptions or details regarding all these options. [-> Dragon Wolf.] [-> Higher form of Half-Dragon Species.] [-> All stats will be permanently increased by +10.] [-> Defence will be increased by an extra +10.] [-> Unique Skills will be gained: Dragon Domain and Dragon Nova.] [-> Special Trait: Immortal Wolf -> the host will not die as long as the heart is left undamaged.] [-> Chance of evolution: 60%] [-> Death Wolf.] [-> Higher form of Dark Wolf.] [-> All stats will be permanently increased by +5] [-> All stats during the nighttime will be doubled.] [-> Unique Skills will be gained: Death Domain and Death Burst.] [-> Special Trait: Last Wolf -> all stats of the host will be temporarily raised by +500% when the host is on his death bed and until 10% of HP is recovered.] [-> Chance of evolution: 60%] [-> Arachno Wolf.] [-> Higher Form of Spider Wolf.] [-> All stats will be permanently increased by +5.] [-> Speed will be increased by an extra +10.] [-> Unique Skills will be gained: Spider Domain and Thousand Eyes.] [-> Special Trait: Puppet Master -> Can control any and all opponents/foes with at least 10 levels lower than the host when a little string from the host''s attack is attached to them + Can absorb HP/MP from the target who has a string attached to their body.] [-> Chance of evolution: 50%] [-> Cmity Wolf.] [-> Higher Form of Destruction Wolf.] [-> All stats will be permanently increased by +10.] [-> Attack and Strength stat will be increased by an extra +10.] [-> Unique Skills will be gained: Destruction Domain and Cmity.] [-> Special Trait: Fear -> All stats of the target/foe that shows fear will be reduced to half (only if the foe is of a lower level than the host.) + Host''s stats will be increased by +10% if he feels scared (only if the foe is of a higher level than the host.)] [-> Chance of evolution: 10%] ''Argh¡­ there we go.'' ''Now I have no idea which of the following should I choose¡­'', Shin looked at all the options in front of him and cussed himself, wondering which was the best option to choose. ''Sigh, the best thing to choose would be the one that would give me the most advantage¡­'' Chapter 332 The Third Evolution (2) The options were somewhat infuriating. All of them were superb evolution paths. Especially the Dragon wolf option. It would enable Shin to evolve into aplete dragon. But that was not all, it could even make him immortal. ''Hmm, so as long as my heart is fine, I will be alive eh?'', he asked himself when he looked at the description of the evolution option. So this meant that, if he kept his heart somewhere safe, outside of his body, he would still be alive. However, with that, he wasn''t sure how his normal body function would be carried out. Wouldn''t removing the heart normally mean that he would be dying? The chances of a sessful evolution were 60%, however, the option was quite confusing and Shin failed to understand how to make use of the special trait of the evolution. He decided to move on and then peeked at the next option. ''Death wolf...'' The description regarding this option was fine as well. It wasparable to the previous Dragon wolf option. Although the permanent increase in stats was half, just +5, the next line of text which talked about his stats doubling during nighttime made this option equally important. Also, the special trait of the Death wolf seemed even more special and easily understandable whenpared to the Dragon Wolf form. Although it didn''t promise immortality of any sort, it did give a boost in stats when Shin was in a life and Death situation. Shin couldn''t neglect the possibility of such a situation as soon, as he would be required to deal with the Supreme Celestials. Since he is running away right now because he is too weak, the chances of getting into a dire situation was high. This made the Death Wolf option even more valuable. As the chances of sessful evolution for this option was also 60%, the same as Dragon Wolf, the only option that Shin could consider if he rejected the first would be this one! Well, the next two options weren''t all that bad either. Arachno Wolf promised a raise of stats by 5 while giving a splendid Special trait - to control others. He could freely absorb Hp and Mp from his foes or any target and could refill his own during the time of need. This was by no means to be underestimated because this could serve to be really powerful if used wisely! Shin''s skills were on a different level right now and even the use of a single skill would require a heck load of MP. Therefore, with this special trait, he could possibly eliminate the option of mana deficiency as he could freely recover from MP exhaustion! Even if the chances of evolution to this race were less whenpared to the previous two, this was something that Shin couldn''t leave out of his consideration. As the three options were remarkable on their own, he couldn''t eliminate even a single one. The same could be said about the fourth option - Cmity wolf. While it provided benefits simr to the dragon option, it even had the condition to give an extra +10 for attack and overall strength separately. Moreover, the special trait was different. It made use of the variable term ''fear''. Shin had many skills that couldplement this special trait. For example, if he were to unleash his aura or killing intent to create fear in his foes, then he would enjoy an extra benefit thanks to the trait. But that isn''t all. If he too is scared for some reason, then his stats would be increased by +10%. The description nowhere mentioned that the fear felt should be genuine. It could be fabricated too, but as long as Shin was scared, his stats would increase. This could prove useful as well. Hence, all in all, he was just stuck in a loop of confusion. He kept going back and forth from one option to the other. He hadn''t ignored the unique skills that he would be getting from the evolution options. That was one way to decide which one to choose, but all the skills that were shown in various options seemed way too strong and interesting as well. He couldn''t eliminate any of them either. The only thing that he could do right now was¡­ give up! He was in his special chambers right now, not alone of course. Ae was with him, about 15 meters away from him. She was just taking a look at the town that was visible from the ce. The Central za was not higher than the Upper za, but Shin''s ce built right now was a little bit elevated so that he could see everyone. She was doing his job right now, looking at the people. She didn''t bother to disturb Shin at the moment, as he seemed somewhat serious and busy. ''Sigh, maybe I should take some more time to think about an evolution option.'' ''There is no hurry.'' ''I have toe up with the best option that could give me a higher chance of growing stronger even faster!'', Shin thought. ''The best thing to do is eliminate the skills first but these skills¡­ uh¡­'' He took a look at the skills and their descriptions one more time. From Dragon Wolf: 1] Dragon Domain -> Spreading of aura within a range of 100 meters. All dragon-type skills will be doubled. Any species (below the host''s level) inferior to the dragon species will have their MP reduced by 100 points and Spd, Def, and Atk reduced by half. 2] Dragon Nova -> An Unidirectional Charged st of energy capable of inflicting 200-500 damage (200 to 500 decrease in HP). With the increase in level, damage dealt will increase. From Death Wolf: 1] Death Domain -> Manifestation of murderous aura spreading over a range of 100 meters. All beings, irrespective of level, will be affected. Minimum 5% decrease in all stats including HP, MP, and usage of skills. 2] Death Burst -> Impact of negative energy. Indirectly poisoning the foe from the inside. Constant depletion of Hp with a value ranging from 1 to 100 will take ce for an hour. Chapter 333 The Third Evolution (3) From Arachno Wolf: 1] Spider Domain -> A type of domain with a range of 100 meters that turns everything in the vicinity into strings/threads. One of the most sensitive domains in the world that lets the user sense even the slightest movements. 2] Thousand Eyes -> the skill provides a total of 1000 eyes. Capable of recing the normal eyes if damaged. Can appear anywhere and any ce that has been marked by the user. From Cmity Wolf: 1] Destruction Domain -> a type of domain with a range of 100 meters that can destroy everything within it. 2] Cmity -> decrease luck value and life force of the target. The chances of a critical hit are increased to 100% for one attack. Extra 100 points of HP will be reduced upon a sessful critical hit with the critical hit damage. After seeing the skills, he still couldn''t decide which to discard. As mentioned, it would be too waste to leave any of them behind, therefore, he calmed himself and decided to look at the special traits once again and find the exact meaning. From Dragon Wolf: Immortal Wolf -> the host will not die as long as the heart is left undamaged Meaning: all other parts destroyed will get regenerated on their own as long as the heart is left undamaged. From Death Wolf: Last Wolf -> all stats of the host will be temporarily raised by +500% when the host is on his death bed and until 10% of HP is recovered. Meaning: when the host''s HP falls below 10% of the total HP, it will be considered approaching death. During this condition, all the host''s stats will be increased by 500%. This will only be valid until and unless a total of 10% HP has been regained. From Arachno Wolf: Puppet Master -> Can control any and all opponents/foes with at least 10 levels lower than the host when little strings from the host''s attack are attached to them + Can absorb HP/MP from the target who has a string attached to their body Meaning: if and only if the target is at least 10 levels lower than the host, the strings released by the host when touching the target, will turn invisible and the host may then control the actions of the target. The target in this case will be a puppet to the host. As for absorbing HP or MP from the target to whom the string is attached, the level isn''t specified. The target may be stronger than the host or weaker. As long as a tiny bit of string is sessfully ced on the target, the host can voluntarily absorb any amount of HP and MP. From Cmity Wolf: Fear -> All stats of the target/foe that shows fear will be reduced to half (only if the foe is of a lower level than the host.) + Host''s stats will be increased by +10% if he feels scared (only if the foe is of a higher level than the host.) Meaning: As long as there is fear in either the opponent or the host, the host will have an advantage and/or a boost to aid in the time of crisis. "¡­" ''Hmm, I think I should stick to this one¡­'', he said to himself. After going through all the options, Shin finally chose the one that would suit him the most - Dragon Wolf. The Death, Arachno, and Cmity options were good, but they felt like newer options. Since Shin was familiar with the half-dragon form, he thought about going with the Dragon option. But he had a question that kept bothering him for quite some time. ''I had a mixture of options earlier...'' ''In fact, I even have them right now.'' ''I can freely transform from half Dragon to a dark wolf and to a spider wolf...'' ''There is no restriction.'' ''I even have the me Wolf option with me...'' ''What will happen to them once I evolve into these newer options?'', Shin wondered. ''Will the previous options just vanish? But wouldn''t that indirectly mean that I would grow weaker instead of stronger?'', this confused Shin even more. He asked the same questions to the system to hear a proper exnation for all these. *Ding* [The host will not lose the previous options.] [However, the host will evolve as a race from a White wolf to a White Dragon/Death/Arachno/Cmity wolf.] [If either of the options is chosen, the following previous evolutionary line will get merged provided, other transformation options left unchanged.] ''I see...'' ''So, if I choose the Dragon wolf form to evolve into, the Half-Dragon option will vanish or rather get merged and turn me into a permanent Dragon wolf.'' ''Rather than having a normal white fur, I would have scales covering my body, just like a Dragon. And my transformation skill will still have the options of transforming into other wolf forms, did I get it right?'', Shin tried to summarize and ask the system again to be sure. *Ding* [Affirmative.] ''That''s good then!'' ''Basically, by evolving, I would be abandoning this pathetic weak looking white wolf form.'' "..." For some reason, this didn''t feel right with Shin. He wanted to maintain this white wolf form no matter what. That''s because he was born with the body and had been living with such till now. If he were to change the way he appeared, then there might end up bing significant changes in his behavior as well. Therefore, he tried to negotiate with the system and asked it for something rather stupid. ''System, instead of directly evolving me, can you just evolve the transformation options?'' ''That way I can transform into the said form whenever I want.'', Shin asked the wolf and suggested this idea. *Ding* [Such evolving steps are possible however, there is a potential loss of gaining strength.] ''Huh? How?'' [If the host had directly evolved, the total mana and mana capacity of the host along with the stats would have increased by several folds. But with evolving the options, the host will be stuck with the same stats. Also, the permanent increase in stats provided in the description will change into temporary and will only be true when the host evolves into a particr option.] Chapter 334 The Third Evolution (4) ''Wait, what!?'' Shin was utterly surprised. He never thought that it was possible for such a thing to happen. Temporary increase in stats when he will transform into a particr option - it was eptable to him! He could gain stats for other things easily with stat points that he gains while evolving, so he had no problem with this idea! "Let''s go with this!", Shin raised his voice put of excitement. Ae, who was looking at all the shadow wolves and goblins that were moving here and there, all of a sudden turned towards Shin. "Yes, your highness?", she asked. She heard him loud and clear, but failed to understand what he meant. She thought that he was addressing to her. "A-ah! Nothing.", Shin immediately made sure that she doesn''t bother with what he was doing. Ae didn''t ask anything further and continued to nce at the Central and Lower za. Shin finally decided to go with this after asking the system. ''Let''s do this.'' *Ding* [Asking for the host''s final confirmation to evolve only the transformation options...] [Y/N] ''Just a minute...'' "Ae.", he called out to her. Ae turned her gaze towards Shin yet again. She asked, "Yes, your highness?" "Listen, could you step outside?" "I want you to guard the entrance and not allow anyone to enter.", Shin said. He was being cautious and that''s why he asked Ae to do this. Also, his body could end up glowing or show significant change. He didn''t want to surprise Ae because of that. She might end up thinking that he is in trouble and hence he asked for all this. Ae didn''t quite understand why he demanded such a task, but she agreed nevertheless. "As you wish.", she replied and stepped outside the den, waiting right outside. The den was an open space. It didn''t exactly have any sort of door covering the entrance, that was a problem. It couldn''t protect any privacy, but oh well, that was how wolves and other animals lived so far so it was nothing new. Right after Ae stepped out, Shin replied to the system. ''Yes.'' *Ding* [Beginning the process of evolution.] [...] [Half-Dragon Wolf Form will evolve into Dragon Wolf Form.] After seeing this text, Shin smirked a bit. He was happy to see that this was possible and it was actually happening. He thought that he was lucky and because of that, this was possible. But his happiness and surprise didn''t end there. What happened next waspletely unbelievable! He really couldn''t believe his eyes! ''Wha-'' ''What the heck!?'' He almost blinked five to six times and then read the next texts that appeared on the screen. [Dark Wolf Form will evolve into Death Wolf Form.] [Spider Wolf Form will evolve into Arachno Wolf Form.] These two lines almost made Shin suffer from a heart attack. The fact that he was getting two more evolutionary modifications along with the Dragon wolf form was a miracle! It was beyond his expectations. ''Why?'' ''How?'' He still couldn''t believe that this was happening. Clearly, if he was going to evolve, then he would have chosen only 1 option out of all the four. There was no way that a hybrid evolution would be allowed at the moment considering the fact that this was no longer a tutorial. Everything had to be serious and probably hard-earned. So this situation came as a surprise. But whatsoever, it was in his favor. Getting more boosts and evolution options would only strengthen him even more. And the fact that he could transform into either of the new options and experience their benefits - he felt as if he had probably used up all his luck on this! The next texts disyed on the screen should have been a shock to him as well, but he had now learned that the system worked in an over-the-top way. So he remained unfazed when he looked at the following texts. [Establishing root for Destruction Wolf Form.] [...] [Root has been established.] [Modifying Destruction Wolf Form into Cmity Wolf Form.] And then one by one, the options started to evolve. Body glowing, losing consciousness, or feeling dizzy, none of this happened. A potential reason for this was that he rejected direct evolution and only opted for options to evolve. In any case, he watched everything this time - his options evolving and him gaining skills, that is. *Ding* [Half-Dragon Wolf Form had sessfully evolved into Dragon Wolf Form.] [The host has gained unique skills - Dragon Domain and Dragon Nova which will be visible and usable only when the host transforms into Dragon Wolf Form.] Following this, other evolutions were shown. [Dark Wolf Form had sessfully evolved into Death Wolf Form.] [The host has gained unique skills - Death Domain and Death Burst which will be visible and usable only when the host transforms into Death Wolf Form.] *Ding* [Spider Wolf Form had sessfully evolved into Arachno Wolf Form.] [The host has gained unique skills - Spider Domain and Thousand Eyes which will be visible and usable only when the host transforms into Arachno Wolf Form.] *Ding* [New option Cmity Wolf has been added.] [The host can now transform into a Cmity Wolf.] [The host has gained unique skills - Destruction Domain and Cmity which will be visible and usable only when the host transforms into Cmity Wolf Form.] After all, this was done, the system showed something rather strange. *Ding* [Additional/Unused energy detected.] [The system requests permission to use the additional energy to increase the base HP and MP.] ''Uh? Alright¡­'' Shin just gave themand and sat back, watching the change happening to the HP and MP. [HP: 3000/3000 || Max. HP: 9999] [MP: 2000/2000|| Max. MP: 9999] The stats for HP and MP were upgraded and with this, the system ended up converting all the avable energy in Lv.90 to useful points. As it is universally known, if a system or a thing has more energy, then it is less stable. If a system has less energy, it would be more stable and would be reaching an equilibrium point. Chapter 335 The Third Evolution (5): Claiming The Rewards As it is universally known, if a system or a thing has more energy, then it is less stable. If a system has less energy, it would be more stable and would be reaching an equilibrium point. However, if life reaches an equilibrium point, it just means that the said being is dead! Because of that, one must eat food and keep gaining energy to remain alive, that is, not reach equilibrium. But too much is too bad. If one gains too much energy and shifts to aplete opposite pole, then that could also lead to death! This is what failure in evolution does! When one level up, energy gets umted in the body. The base capacity rises each time and after reaching a certain level, one cannot level up unless he/she uses all the umted energy in either evolving or in something else. In this world, evolving is the only task that a beast can do other than increasing its own base stats. Therefore, if one fails to evolve, the energy will just be lost to the environment ¨C meaning: the beast would lose a few levels. This is nature''s way of giving another chance to live. But most beasts do not survive and end up dying. Right now, since Shin used this excess energy for option evolution rather than self-body evolution, some amount of energy was left. The system ended up using it to raise the base stats and now, Shin can level up normally once again. *Ding* [The evolution has beenpleted.] [Skills gained during this evolution are:] [Dragon Domain, Dragon Nova, Death Domain, Death Burst, Spider Domain, Thousand Eyes, Destruction Domain, and Cmity.] [The base HP and MP have been raised.] Shin''s evolution had beenpleted. Although he didn''t feel that he had grown stronger, he knew for sure that the new option and the previous evolved options will definitely help him a lot during his time of need. Ae was outside even now, guarding the ce so that no onees and disturbs Shin. Shin was serious about the evolution, and now that it was finally done, he could move on to the next step ¨C iming the rewards. Now that he wasn''t restricted by the level problem, he could easily im the 10% increase in exp that is promised in tier one of the reward. ? He checked his current Exp percentage. [ Race: Lv. 90 Lupus (Exp: 99.99%) ] Just a mere 0.01% of Exp was required to level up! He didn''t hesitate to im the reward and almost immediately, levelled up! *Ding* [Your Exp has increased by 10%.] [You have leveled up.] [Lv.90 -> Lv.91] [All stats will be increased by 5 points.] [10 stat points are added.] [Atk: 3100|| Max. Atk: 4999] [Def: 1100|| Max. Def: 4999] [Spd: 2100|| Max. Spd: 9999] [Int: 322|| Max. Int: 999] [Stat points acquired: 1010] These were the total increase in stats after leveling up just once! By evolving, he would have gotten 10 stat points extra, which now, seemed quite less. He realized that after Lv.90s, he would be getting either 5 points rise in all stats or an even greater raise. [ Race: Lv. 91 Lupus (Exp: 09.99%) ] This was the new exp stat that he saw after leveling up. He had imed the first reward and it lived up to his expectations. ''Now on to the next one¡­'' He nced at the rest of them. The next reward in tier one was gaining the wolf God Shin''s memories. While Shin was particrly interested in that, he thought that he wasn''t ready yet to im the reward. If once something is known, it cannot be unknown. Shin, who thought about himself and his n''s safety now, knew not how Shin''s memories were going to help him. So rather than iming that right away, he waited. ''Lv. 100¡­'' ''That is the point where I decide to be a Celestial.'' ''And I think, getting his memories in that level will be a better idea.'' He was already under a lot of stress as he was being targeted by strong entities so he couldn''t afford to dwell on someone else''s memories and stories right now! He may im this reward after being safe ¨C after seeking help from Heavenly Wolf Family. But if he were to im right now, he would get nothing other than many more useless thoughts, burdens, and stress! Therefore, he skipped this reward. He went ahead with tier 2 now, as the rewards there seemed decent. The same was true with tier 3. All of them were either skills or items. Without any hesitation, he imed the rewards from tiers 2 and 3 at the same time. *Ding* [You have gained the skill Future Sight.] [ Lv.1 allows the user to nce 1 second into the future ] [ With an increase in level, the host can nce deeper into the future ] *Ding* [You have gained the skill Bloody Impact.] [ A 360 degrees st causing a critical hit and guaranteed bleeding effect if the target is within the radius of the skill ] Other than these two skills, he gained two items ¨C one was a familiar one and the other was something that he had seen for the first time. A drop of Phoenix''s blood ¨C he already had two drops with him. He had never used it on anyone nor did he have the chance to use it. Now that he had gained another drop, this made it totally 3 drops! This meant that he could save himself or basically revive three times if he used the item within 2 minutes after dying. The other item was a Wolf w Attachment and it was specifically mentioned that it was of wind-type. [ An item that could be attached to the ws of a wolf. ] [ Increases durability of the ws ] [ Increases attack power of all the spells of wind attribute by 5% ] The only thing that he thought after seeing the wolf attachment was, ''This will be perfect for Ae.'' ''Hmm, but I will give it to herter.'' ''Something elsees first.'', seriousness could be seen in his eyes as he thought this. "¡­" Chapter 336 The Next Big Plan ''But something elsees first.'' "¡­" Shin had now be quite powerful, way more than before by gaining new skills from the rewards of the mission and the evolution. Although he had yet to test all of them, he thought that something else was much more important than testing the skills right now. Ae, as ordered, remained outside all this time, not even trying to peek inside. Her gazes were still fixated on the nmates in the Central and Lower za. However, it would be a lie if it is said that she was not trying to hear anything from the den in which Shin was. She was given a task by Shin, but in case, if he changed the task or suddenly called out to her, she should be able to respond immediately! That''s why, she didn''t try to block her hearing, especially, since she didn''t try to prevent herself from hearing what was happening inside the den. As expected, Shin called out to her, but not by actually opening his mouth and making a sound, but by using telepathy. Ae knew that Shin could use telepathy, but just in case, to be sure she remained there so that she could hear his real voice too if he called her out. ''Ae,e inside.'' Immediately after this Ae walked inside. She had no idea why Shin asked her to step outside nor could she find any reason now even after entering. She didn''t even want to ask for now. "Yes, your highness?", she asked as she lowered her head a bit. And Shin, who heard her address him like that, made himself clear that she had to call him ''master'' from now on. "Look Ae, I had already told you once and I will be repeating myself." "Those who are of higher ranking and close to me, they will address to me as Master." "Do you get it?", Shin stressed it out for onest time. "Yes, master." "I beg your pardon.", she seemed too formal, and it was not bad at all. Just that, she seemed a bit distant. Regardless, Shin didn''t think about such stuff at the moment and told her the reason for which he had called her. "Listen Ae, I want you to make an announcement to gather all the beings in this town at the Central za." "I have something important to announce." Ae merely nodded her head and took her leave after that. She wondered why he gave her such a task when he could use telepathy to summon all of them or make any announcements. But oh well, she couldn''t possibly understand what Shin was thinking. Even after being close with him for so long, she failed to realize that Shin did this just out of whim but yes, it was for afortable conversation as well. If he were to use telepathy on all the beings present and tell them something, and if they were to ask questions, he couldn''t possibly manage to stay calm as all the questions might merge and might destroy his head. Ae did as she was ordered and gathered everyone who was in the town. In the Central za, there was a gathering ce made in a circr manner that surrounded the ce where Shin lived. Basically, this meant that Shin could announce whatever he wanted while standing at the top, just outside his den. If he were to do that, this scene would be quite simr to the human kings who would wave their hands or say great things by staying in the castle at an upper level while their citizens would be like ants right below them. As Shin wanted to avoid doing something like this, he used Telepathy to convey to Ae to let them gather in the form of a decent crowd with separations and segregation from one race or species to another a little far away from his den. He had decided to actually go to them and announce his next big n. Everyone gathered shortly. This included the higher ranking members and the lower ranking ones. ? The Central za was more than enough to amodate all of them as a lot of space was left for future beings to live here. The groups were divided as Shin wanted. The shadow wolves stood in a single group with Deoras standing right in front of them. The swamp dwellers stood in a group of nine, each individually led by different Swamp kings but all represented finally by the Grigard King who stood in front of all the swamp kings. Following this, the goblins remained in three groups, one group led by the strongest Warrior Hobgoblin. The second is led by a Hobgoblin Mage and the final is led by an Elder Goblin. Then the Dark elves and Arb elves remained in two separate groups, dark elves being led by their leader and Arb elves on their own. The dwarves also participated in this being led by Urui who was the leader of the main unit of the dwarves and hence, their leader for time being. Even the moles had their own group, being led by a single Mole General who was soon going to evolve into Mole King. Special high-rankers such as Terran, Raka, nca, and Ae, who did not have any specific group under them, stood a bit separately. Of course, this was true for Alira Kaily and old man Mo too. Shin walked slowly and steadily, descending from the high ground and joining them. He stood right in front of them - in front of over 5000 beings. All of them were under him, and by seeing their number, he was unsure of whether he was supposed to feel happy, or remain in agony. That was because, with more members, more will die in case of any attack. Also, Shin cannot possibly protect everyone simultaneously if arge number of enemies attack! However, with many members, it also meant that in case of numerical advantage, he wouldn''t lose to any other, or could at least stand his ground! "¡­" Chapter 337 Leaving Behind He had already told about his n to all the high-ranking members and the lower-ranking ones that had apanied him to the n wars. The higher ranking ones had the task to exin it to the lower ones if they didn''t understand anything, so more or less, everyone should have known about the immediate danger. However, that wasn''t true. Arb elves, moles, dwarves, some goblins, and some swamp dwellers were left behind. They had no idea about this. Shin thought about exining to them about the danger and about the decision that he had taken. Everyone was whispering and talking among themselves before Shin arrived. But the moment he appeared, they automatically shut their mouths. All their eyes were on him. "It''s good to see that you all have gathered here without asking any questions...", Shin started off byplimenting them a bit. The beasts remained quiet as they just slowly bowed their heads to thepliment. They knew that Shin had something important to announce and they didn''t want to stop him midway when he spoke. "So here''s the thing." "We are in grave danger.", Shin got straight to the point right after that. "The higher ranking members and those who apanied me know about this. As for those who stayed behind, it is time for you to know about our situation." After the lower ranking ones had returned, they had obviously disclosed to their friends or family about the danger so most of the beings that were left behind had already been made aware of the problem. However, there was no one who told the Arb elves, dwarves, and moles about this. Regardless, Shin exined the entire situation to them. "I have no idea what my rtionship is with the wolf God Shin." "Other than this name of mine, I don''t think there is anythingmon between us." "But regardless, the Supreme Celestials are after me and everyone who is a part of my n and familia is in danger." "I am not strong enough to fight against the Supreme celestials." "In fact, I haven''t even be as strong as a Celestial yet..." "Therefore, I am not confident about protecting you all.", Shin said as he lowered his voice a bit. What he said was a bit scary and could create chaos within the n. The n members weren''t a fool. The reason why they were present in the n was that they believed in Shin. By following him, they would be benefitted. But now, it was because of him that they were in grave danger. What is more valuable than one''s life!? Even if the lower-ranking members weren''t all that intelligent, they weren''t that big of fools to not realize that they would be much closer to death if they remained here. However, no one spoke even now! They remained quiet and kept listening to what else Shin had to say. If they had learned anything by staying in the Lou Shin n then it would be the fact that Shin was no normal wolf. He was not a fool and he wasn''t a bad leader. Therefore, instead of thinking about running away or quitting the n, they expected Shin to bring a solution to them. He wouldn''t stand idle and wait for death, would he now? Shin continued and exined about the heavenly wolf family, the solution that they all had been eager to hear about. "So, the only way for us to survive is to seek shelter in the Heavenly Wolf Family.", he concluded. Upon hearing this, all the members thought that they still had hope. They thought that they could get out of this situation with ease and there wouldn''t be much to worry about. However, all these thoughts got destroyed the second Shin revealed what he wanted to do right now! "I will go and search for the Heavenly wolf family while you all remain here.", he said. ? "..." "Huh!?", a dark elf ended up saying this in surprise after hearing what Shin said. Right away, all the Dark elves in the group turned towards him, staring at him because he made noise. But all of them had the same reaction. They couldn''t possibly believe their ears after hearing something like this! ''Leaving us behind? Isn''t he just running away with his tail between his legs?'', one of the shadow wolves thought. A goblin Mage thought, ''Isn''t he just abandoning us?'' But they didn''t dare to say this out loud. Even the higher-ranking members were utterly surprised by what they had heard. The one who was surprised the most was Ae. She couldn''t understand what Shin actually wanted to do. Regardless, none of them said anything else and waited. They waited for Shin to present an exnation to them and as expected, he did. "We cannot move inrge groups." "If we do, we will catch everyone''s attention.", he said. ''OH! So he isn''t abandoning us!'', maximum members in the n concluded this after hearing this, but these were only the lower ranking ones. The intelligent higher ranking ones had a different thought entirely. They had just recently experienced and witnessed Shin''s inventory skills, the one that they were afraid of, and had named him Annihtor. They knew that Shin could easily store everyone in the inventory and he would have nothing to worry about! That way, he wouldn''t have to leave anyone behind. So they were utterly confused at what he was saying. ''Why leave us behind when we can apany him with that spatial magic?'', Raka asked himself, wanting to pose this question to Shin. But before he could, Deoras ended up raising his voice. "Your Highness..." Almost everyone present there turned their gazes towards him. "Yes, Deoras?" "Your Highness, if you go alone, you might end up being in much more danger." "Pardon me but I cannot let that happen¡­" "So¡­" Every higher-ranking or intelligent being right there knew what Deoras was up to. ''No way.'' ''He isn''t going to-'' "I will like to apany you as your guard." "¡­" Chapter 338 The Cunning Deoras The moment Deoras said this, all the high rankers almost sighed. They all knew beforehand what Deoras was going to say. Well, Shin was leaving behind everyone because of therge number. This meant that they had to listen to the orders of other higher rankers who were by no means stronger than Shin. Deoras, even if tried, couldn''t possibly defeat Shin. He knew this very well and thus because of that, he instantly realized that by staying back, his chances of dying would only increase! The Supreme celestials cannot take any direct actions, but this didn''t mean that they couldn''t summon storms or earthquakes to harm Shin and his men. Therefore, Deoras, after thinking for a while, thought of this n. He would apany Shin with the proposal of protecting him, but in return, it would be him who would get the protection from Shin in case anything were to happen. As Shin had the inventory, Deoras almost absolutely sure that he had nothing to worry about. ''Guard?'', Shin was surprised by what Deoras said. For a second, Shin thought that Deoras was being considerate. Every lower ranking being there thought the same. They thought that Deoras'' loyalty couldn''t be measured. He would apany Shin in all the dangers despite his life being in danger - just thinking about this made chills run down their spines. But guess what, this was precisely why they were called lower ranking beasts and beings with less intelligence. Shin, who thought the same for a mere second, realized that Deoras'' purpose was entirely different. He asked, "Deoras, do you think you can guard me against the Supreme celestials?" Deoras remained mum the moment Shin asked this. Other higher rankers, who thought that Deoras somehow stole their idea, snickered. Deoras calmly replied, "Your Highness, I may not be able to protect you against the almighty Supreme Celestials, but I think I can at least be the first beast to die for you in case they attack you directly." These words moved many hearts, but of course, none of these belonged to that of the High rankers or intelligent ones. "Sigh...", Shin sighed visibly. He then said, "Stop the act." "Yes, your highness.", Deoras merely bowed his head as Shin seemed a bit annoyed. Some lower-ranking beings had started to talk amongst themselves when they heard Deoras'' statement, but after seeing Shin annoyed, they shut their mouths too. It waspletely quiet for a minute or two. Shin was thinking about something important during these two minutes. The same was true for the High ranking beasts who kept asking the same questions to themselves - why is his highness leaving us behind when he can amodate us and take us with the spatial magic? No one exactly asked that but they surely had the question in their minds. Well, Shin read their thoughts with ease. He knew that the higher-ranking ones seemed somewhat displeased and then moved ahead to exin why he was leaving them behind. "The dwarves have built us such a wonderful ce..." "This was supposed to be our home. In fact, I think it is our home..." "However, right now, I don''t think it is safe." "I would be going to ask the Heavenly Wolf Family for help and if they decide to, then we can probably go there and stay safe." "Also, if I could grow as strong as the Supreme celestials while staying there, then we can return to this wonderful town of ours..." "But, if we all leave, then this town might be in danger." "All the things that have been built will go to waste. It could be invaded by the beasts of the forest or might be attacked by other outsiders." "That''s why, to defend it, I am leaving behind the higher ranked ones." This exined why Shin made such a decision. While not all of them were satisfied with this exnation, they finally at least understood what Shin wanted to do. He then said, "Since Deoras came forward and told me his opinion, I will let only him apany me." The moment he said this, all of their expressions changed. Especially, Deoras. He was on cloud nine. Shin further added, "Don''t get me wrong. If anyone else had asked me about it, especially someone that wasn''t Deoras, I wouldn''t have taken them." "But since it is specifically Deoras, I am letting him apany me." Now, this statement only added to Deoras'' respect. Other higher beings were confused and surprised as to shay Deoras had that theycked. And on thinking, they realized that it was quite simple. Deoras was a Shadow Wolf. This meant that he could hide in Shin''s shadows without any trouble. This would only ease Shin''s task as he wouldn''t require to spend any excess mana - this was what everyone thought and this was what Shin wanted them to think! He wanted to make sure that everyone wouldn''t take his inventory so lightly. He wanted to let it be known that his inventory too cost something and wasn''t just free while in reality, for now, it was just a free feature of the system that let him store things. Regardless, he made it clear that Deoras was going toe with this and what he was nning to do next. No one had any objection. Everyone felt that Shin''s reasons were justified. Yes, everyone except Ae! One look at her and you could tell that she was upset. Shin, without turning everyone''s attention towards her, dispersed the crowd. Of course, he did ask at the end if anyone had any questions, but no one asked anything. They all went back on a tour around the town to see various buildings and structures. As for Deoras, he approached Shin and bowed a bit. ''Forgive me for my impudence, your highness." "I-" "It''s fine Deoras." "Who doesn''t what to live? Your actions weren''t wrong." When Shin said these things, Deoras wad finally confirmed that Shin was aware of Deoras'' n. Chapter 339 Gathered To Hunt Rather than his loyalty, his cunning and scheming side was shown. ''As expected, he had already seen through me...'', Deoras thought. He already suspected that and had already apologized, but now, he was sure about it. Regardless, as Shin said that he hadn''t done anything exactly wrong, Deoras, for a bit, felt guilt-free. But that was only for a moment because the next thing he knew was a st of aura emerging from Shin. He raised his head a bit only to find Shin''s terrifying form, standing in front of him. "However, be mindful of how you scheme the next time.", Shin said with a deep voice as his rage almost took over him. "Yes.", Deoras merely replied and kept his head lowered. Shin, after warning Deoras for a tiny bit, turned back and started walking towards his quarters. Ae closely followed him. Deoras was left behind as everyone started to disperse. Terran and Raka ran towards Deoras and almost smacked him. "What a cunning fellow you are Deoras!", Raka said with awe. "Well, your cunningness reaped its reward. You can now apany his highness.", Terran added. Deoras, after listening to both of them, said, "What reward? I almost died of a heart attack." "Sigh, maybe I shouldn''t be so yfully childish.", Deoras shook his head in regret. "Haha, if I was standing in front of his highness'' raged form, even I would rethink. It ispletely normal.", Rakaughed out loud as he stared at Terran and Deoras. In any case, the trio talked a bit more as they slowly walked away toward the dens built for them. As for Shin, he was constantly questioning himself. ''Now, how do I console her!?'', he couldn''t even look at Ae. He knew that she was frowning. It was quite visible from the moment he made his announcement. And even now, he could feel the aura of gloominess surrounding Ae. Shin arrived in front of his den. He decided to finally face Ae and thus turned back. Ae was indeed frowning! If she was a human, she might have also made those puffed cheeky pouting faces! Before exining anything to her, he said, "I''m sorry." ? Ae had her head lowered a bit. She was probably thinking about something, but the moment Shin apologized, her head ended up getting raised on its own, automatically. She stared at Shin momentarily. "I''m sorry master, why..." Why do you apologize?", she asked. "For not letting youe with me...", Shin replied right away. "..." She didn''t say anything else for a moment after hearing that. She lowered her head a bit and then raised it, only to look at him straight in his eyes. It was clear that she was sad. Shin then said, "Look Ae, I took this decision while thinking about others'' safety." "I hope you cheer up." "Also, in my absence, there must be someone to look after everyone. I don''t think I trust anyone as much as I do you." Shin said all these things to console her, but oh well, they were somewhat true too. He wasn''t feeding her lies for the sake of cheering her up. Nevertheless, Ae understood what Shin said. Her mood did get better, but she was still notpletely satisfied. She didn''t ask or say anything else though and just stood there like a statue. The matter was over and thus Shin went back inside his chambers to prepare for his departure. But before leaving, he thought that it would be best to test his skills. The goblins that were guarding the entrance along with some shadow wolves saw Shin arrive at the gates. As they opened the gates, he walked outside gracefully and then ran deep into the forest. Meanwhile¡­ Back in the arena¡­ "And to finally conclude the festival, we would like to invite the leader of the Lou Shin n, Shin toe forward and tell his experiences.", Reosan announced. The atmosphere was already bad. Many more beasts had joined the audiences, however, they hadn''te to simply enjoy the festival. They hade to hunt down Shin and his nmates. Needless to say, many of them were carnivores. However, there were some herbivores such as Elephants and Giraffes. The fake members and Shin were standing at the center of the arena. It was only thanks to Happy Panda that the shadows could move even now. The festival was about to end and Shin was asked to deliver a speech regarding the events that took ce here and his experience. Furthermore, some guests that had arrived would have the opportunity to ask some questions to Shin and could probably seek enlightenment by talking to him. Regardless, most of the beasts present there were aware of the order issued by the Supreme Celestials. The celestials that were awed by Shin''s strength and were managing the events, couldn''t help but grit their teeth and sigh as they too heard the Supreme Celestials'' orders. The fake Shin walked towards the center of the podium as Reosan approached him. He slowly pushed a circr energy-containing ring that worked as a voice amplifier. It was the make sure that everyone heard what he had to say. However, before Shin could even start giving the speech, one of the beasts jumped toward him in a hurry. The real reason why a lot of beasts had gathered here was not just because they were scared of the Supreme Celestials. It was also because they were promised a wonderful reward - that is, only if they were able to im Shin''s head. A Jackal, who had arrived a few seconds ago, was quite impatient. He was the trashy young master of one of the strong Jackal ns. While his other brothers were quite strong and had made names for themselves, this lone loser was termed as trash and a shame. Needless to say, thinking about iming Shin''s head seemed foolishly easy to him. Without even thinking much, he jumped forward with all his might, right at Shin! "¡­" Chapter 340 Biting Off Shins Head The jackals weren''t all that strong when all the carnivores were taken into consideration. But with their big numbers and strategies, any beast would think twice before messing with them. Needless to say, they would be weak alone. One such great jackal n was - The Meril n. It was a n made up of one of the strongest, fastest, and most defensive jackals ever. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that this n was strongest among all other jackal ns. Dekon, was the young master, in fact, the youngest child of the leader of such a great n. The n leader, Foril, was blessed with four sons and eight daughters, however, the youngest among them, that is, the fourth son was just a disgrace to all of them. Indeed, Dekon was the weakest among all. Because of that, he didn''t get any exact attention from his parents. Needless to say, he got extra attention from his brothers, of course, it wasn''t good by any means. They would bully him, insult him and push him to the extreme most of the time. He was just tired of all of these, but he couldn''t do anything. He was the weakest among all, and not smart at all. The only thing he was good at was - taking quick decisions. It didn''t matter if the decision was good or not, he would just take some random decision. ''Think before you talk or do.'' - this is how the saying goes, but for Dekon, it is quite the opposite. ''Do before think.'' - perhaps he might have misheard the saying, but this is exactly what he would do and had been doing all this time. There was just one person supporting him and that was his eldest sister. When they heard about the Supreme celestials announcing to many other beasts and their followers that they needed Shin''s head and would give rewards in return, Dekon thought that this could be the perfect opportunity to increase his strength. It was once in a million opportunities how could he let the chance slip by? He and his eldest sister, Masi, joined the festival. Dekon was impatient Indeed and somewhat foolish, but he wasn''t that big an idiot to just attack an individual who has a bounty on his head ced directly by the Supreme Celestial. He thought he would attack when all the other beasts would start their attack and would try his luck. But there were two factors that altered his decisions after he arrives in the arena. The first and the biggest factor was that his brothers and other sisters were also present there. Obviously, since their n was the strongest out of all the jackals'' ns, there was no way that the Supreme celestials wouldn''t ask them. ''No...'' ''If they get the reward then I will be left even more behind...'', this thiuhut shrouded his mind. He then nced at Shin and then found the second factor that influenced his decision. It was Shin''s appearance. Shin looked so small and weak. Adding to the fact that he emitted no aura, in the eyes of every carnivore there, he appeared to be a prey, an easy prey in fact. As mentioned earlier, Dekon didn''t think twice before making any decisions. He just followed his instincts most of the time. While a beast''s instincts are thought to be somewhat perfect, his were totally useless. It isparable to doing something on a whim. He ended up jumping toward the fake Shin with his mouth wide open. His brothers and sisters in the audience were dumbfounded by his stupidity. They had realized that he hade to gain the rewards to overtake them, but they thought that they could snatch it from him with ease. He was a fool after all, but this foolish!? No! No one expected that. Even his elder sister Masi, who supported him, was left with her jaws dropped as she saw him jump out of the audience seats. ''What a dumb ass¡­'' ''He is going to get minced into pieces.'', thought a vulture in the audience who had been here all this time. The vulture had witnessed the battle. He had received the news about taking Shin''s head, but he had given up on that when he recalled Shin''s strength. When he saw the jackal jumping towards Shin, he could only imagine him leaping towards his own death! But guess what, the vulture ended up being totally wrong. He was in for a surprise! The jackal shortened the distance between Shin and himself. A single jump wasn''t enough to let him reach Shin directly. He onlynded a few meters inside the arena and then ran with all his might. Reosan, standing close to Shin, was surprised by seeing this happen. The celestials had heard about the order so they knew why the jackal ran into the arena. However, they did nothing and just waited for all this to get over. The audience thought that the jackal was going to get crushed even before he got the chance to reach Shin. Many high-ranking beasts were surrounding him and standing almost between the jackal and Shin. But what a pity, they had no idea that those were fakes. Even if they were to attack, they couldn''t use even 1% of the power of the originals. Considering the fact that they would suck up arge amount of Panda''s mana, they probably even couldn''t move properly. The jackal passed through them with ease. He was ready to attack them, however, none of them moved. He seemed confused as well. As he was passing them, he continuously thought about their n but he failed to understand. And by the time he actually thought that this was a scheme, he had already arrived close to Shin. Forgetting what he thought, he just jumped forward with his mouth wide open yet again. *crunch* With a single bite, he ended up separating Shin''s head from his body. "HUH!?", about a hundred beasts in the crowd raised their voice in surprise, simultaneously. Chapter 341 Kuu And Wukongs Chat All the beasts present there were utterly shocked by what just happened. In an instant, Shin''s head was separated from his body and was now in the jackal''srge mouth. The vulture who had given up, had his jaws dropped. As for the other jackals, they were stunned. The mere chance of this happening was almost negligible yet it still happened. Shin''s head rolled down as the jackal startedughing. "Ha..." "Haha..." "Hahahaha!" It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that he had lost his mind. For the first time, he seeded in doing something that he desired - Dekon couldn''t describe the happiness. However, there was something he questioned himself a few secondster. In fact, many others in the addicted had already noticed this and had questioned themselves too. "Blood..." "Why is there no blood?", a tiny squirrel asked. Dekon didn''t exactly hear the squirrel, but he himself thought about this as he lived his own mouth. ''Wait, his blood has np taste...'', thus idiot first thought this. Bur secondster, he realized that Shin didn''t bleed at all. He looked at Shin''s body which was still standing. His eyes nced over at his head, no blood at all. Moreover, he realized that Shin''s head was light! It was as if it had to wait at all and to confirm this, he tried to hold Shin''s head again in his mouth. He opened his mouth wide and then grabbed his head - he was right. It was weightless! He was shocked! He couldn''t contain himself as the head slowly started to fade. As it was made up of shadows, it ended up vanishing automatically as Happy Panda stopped supplying the shadows with his mana. He had already done that when Dekon jumped into the arena, however, the shadows didn''t disintegrate immediately. They had themselves stored some mana inside them which they utilized to make themselves exist for longer. As that mana ended up getting utilized, the shadows naturally vanished. "This is..." Everyone''s jaws dropped as the beating of their hearts just increased. Reosan, who was standing right beside Shin, had his heart almost stopped twice! Once when the jackal suddenly bit off Shin''s head and the next was when Shin vanished entirely. Following him, other n members vanished at the same time. ''Wait, where did he go!?'', the beasts that hade to hunt him, panicked Their reward was taken away after all how could they remain quiet? The celestials werepletely surprised by this as well. "I..." "I thought that Shin used some sort of skill to hide most of their strong presence and aura..." "But in reality, they were not here, to begin with!", the blue masked celestial eximed. "Same here..." "He even tricked me.", the ck-masked celestial said. Every other celestial remained quiet, but they all knew that they were tricked. "Are you trying to tell me that he became aware of the Supreme celestials'' orders and escaped sessfully within a short interval?", the celestial with the red mask asked, somewhat impressed by what Shin had done. "But you know what, I''m even more surprised by the fact that he could escape from the eyes of the Supreme celestials." The Supreme Celestial with a blue mask added, "Yes. If the Supreme c3lestials knew about this, they would have informed us and everyone to go look for him somewhere else." "But their orders remained unchanged." "This could only mean one thing." He didn''t even require to tell anything else as every celestial present there instantly understood what had happened. ... Somewhere in the sky... The Supreme celestials who were waiting for the good news were suddenly informed of what had happened. A gorgeous and bustydy, sitting on a cloud with a ss of wine in her hand, threw it far away when she realized about what had happened. Other Supreme celestials who were after Shin, were also angry and surprised at the same time by the happening. Sun Wukong, the monkey kingy down on a cloud as he kept ncing at the arena. He smirked as he heard the news and said, "Haha, Shin was by no means strong enough to get away from the other Supremes." "This only means one thing, hahaha." "Do you mean, someone has secretly helped him?", a voice asked Sun Wukong. "Haha, yes." "Hmm, this is interesting...", the voice said. "Since all the Supreme celestials have a pact of peace made, no one is interfering in anyone''s business." "But if someone really did help him get away, this would mean that the Supreme is dering war against other Supremes." "Who could it be?" "Just who is that fearless?", the voice asked. "Hahahahaha.", Don Wukongughed much more loudly. He then added, "Didn''t I tell you before? It''s been exactly 6969 years before Panda Swnpai had opened his eyes..." "So, I don''t think you need to use too much wit to find who it was, hahaha." Sun Wukong slowly turned his head to his left as he nced at the being sitting on the cloud and chatting with him all this time. The guy sitting next to Wukong had two long ears, white fur along with gleaming Crimson red eyes, and a short fluffy tail ground right about his hip. He wore an article of glorious clothing with gold-ted light armor made of jade. It had the body appearance of a man, but everything else resembled somewhat like a rabbit. All the supreme celestials didn''t belong to a particr race. They could be from any race - a sheep, a wolf, a rabbit, etc. But one thing was true if they held the title of a supreme celestial, they were insanely strong, stronger than all the mortal beings in the world! "You''re right Sun. If it is Panda Senpai, then..." "Haha, Ipletely believe that Panda senpai was the one who helped him, Kuu." Indeed, the being sitting with Sun Wukong was none other than the legendary Jade Rabbit, Kuu. Kuu held the rank 11 of the Supreme Celestials. He belonged to the race of Jade Rabbit. And his story of how he became a supreme celestial¡­ that is for some other time. Chapter 342 Deoras Promise There were 12 Supreme Celestials or Supremes. Ranking based on strength and totalbat power: (most considered and official ranking) Rank #1: Supreme Celestial Drago, Immortal Crimson Dragon. Rank #2: Supreme Celestial Panda, Happy Panda. Rank #3: Supreme Celestial Gybelle, Lone Fox. Rank #4: Supreme Celestial Sun Wukong, Monkey King. Rank #5: Supreme Celestial Leviathan, Sea Serpent. Rank #6: Supreme Celestial Volcar, Volcanic Smander. Rank #7: Supreme Celestial Dansil, Dark Knight. Rank #8: Supreme Celestial Dia, Seductress. Rank #9: Supreme Celestial Royan, Human God. Rank #10: Supreme Celestial Lesil, Lightning Eagle. Rank #11: Supreme Celestial Kuu, Jade Rabbit. Rank #12: Supreme Celestial Riku, Sky Guardian. These were the different ranks of all the supreme Celestials. The rankings were based upon strength, and not on followers'' numbers or poprity. If one would take poprity as the basis of ranking, then it wouldpletely change. Ranking based on poprity: Rank #1: Drago Rank #2: Royan Rank #3: Sun Wukong Rank #4: Dia Rank #5: Leviathan Rank #6: Kuu Rank #7: Dansil Rank #8: Volcar Rank #9: Lesil Rank #10: Riku Rank #11: Gybelle Rank #12: Panda Ranking based on followers: Rank #1: Royan [followers: 1B] Rank #2: Dia [followers: 800M] Rank #3: Leviathan [followers: 500M] Rank #4: Sun Wukong [followers: 1M] Rank #5: Drago [followers: 200K] Rank #6: Kuu [followers: 50K] Rank #7: Riku [followers: 10k] Rank #8: Volcar [followers: 1k] Rank #9: Dansil [followers: 500] Rank #10: Lesil [followers: 100] Rank #11: Panda [followers: 01] Rank #12: Gybelle [followers: 00] The one that is most considered and officially based is the ranking of strength! ¡­ Some of the Supreme ones had already realized who had helped Shin escape. Unfortunately, they couldn''t question him. As mentioned, the only one who could beat Panda was the Dragon Supreme Celestial. If any other Supreme Celestial were to be considered, then they would fall quite short in terms of pure strength. Also, many respected Happy Panda. While they were still new Supremes, it was Happy Panda who helped them adjust to the system and made them feel less nervous or simr. He had provided utmost support to all. Thus, in respect for him, they pretended as if they didn''t know that Happy Panda had informed and helped Shin escape their grasp. Back at Lou Shin n... A meeting among the higher-ranking members of the n was taking ce. It was primarily led by Ae. She had seen Shin leave the town. Since he didn''t exactly ask her to follow, she realized that this was the perfect time to discuss what was in her mind with the other members. "Thank you for gathering here...", Ar thanked all. Deoras, Terran, and Raka merely nodded their heads while the swamp kings replied, "Ah, it''s fine. There is nothing to thank for this. Since you are supposed to lead us in the absence of his highness, it is our duty to respond to your summons." Ae smiled a bit. Right after that, she turned her gazes towards the chief of the goblins, a Hobgoblin, and then at the leader of the goblins'' mages and nodded her head. She didn''t ask the Arb elves or the Dark elves to assemble. The moles and dwarves weren''t included either. However, she didn''t say anything else, as if, waiting for someone else to arrive as well. Lastly, nca, Alira, and Kaily arrived. She was waiting for them. After they came to her den, which was situated at the Central za, she started. "Everyone, I need your opinions and help..." Everyone seemed confused. They had many questions after hearing just that one sentence, but they waited. They let her exin herself first. "As Master said, he would only be taking Sir Deoras with him...", she looked at Deoras while saying this. It was as if his chest was filled with pride and confidence when she mentioned this. She said, "We all know that Master is the strongest among all of us. That''s why he has the right to rule us..." "But, no matter how much I try to convince myself, I can''t seem to keep my mind at ease." "Just how can we let our ruler go alone? Sir Deoras is strong, no doubt about that. But having just one bodyguard is too much less of a protection, especially for a ruler." "I''m just worried. In case something that mustn''t happen, happened, then what are we going to do?" After asking all these questions, she paused for a few seconds. "Ohe on! Do you really think I would fail to protect his highness?" Deoras asked. Many had seen Deoras'' strength in the n war. He was almost as strong as all the higher-ranking ones present here. Of course, nca was clearly many times strong than Deoras, still, his strength was no joke. However... Ae was just sad and worried... "Sir Deoras, as I already told you, you are strong." "You are way stronger than many present here." "But even Master cannot win against a Supreme celestial..." "How are you supposed to protect him in case one attacks?", she just repeated a different version of Shin''s question. Deoras was forced to keep his mouth shut after the question. Everyone present there knew that he was the one who was actually getting protected. Rather than protecting Shin, he wanted to go for his own protection. In everyone''s eyes, respect for Deoras fell. Well, it was kind of true that Deoras'' real intention was to seek protection from Shin, but this didn''t mean that he wouldn''t protect him! He had already considered Shin as his master and ruler. No matter what happened, he was ready to even give his life for Shin. But, his instincts probably took the better of him. He was scared of his death earlier, but now, after he thought about it again, he realized that he was being foolish. ''I have to make it up to everyone and gain their respect back.'', he promised himself as he realized that everyone else had lost respect for him. Chapter 343 Deoras Nonsense And Blancas Wise Words Ae further asked everyone about their opinions yet again. "We must obey master''s orders..." "So it is for the best that we stay here. But what do you guys think?" "Should we let master alone?" "I''m pretty sure that even with all of usbined, we cannot defeat a Supreme being..." "But I think, with all of us there, we could at least give master enough time to escape...", Ae gave her point of view and asked everyone, what they thought the best thing to do was? They took some time, to think about what they should do. Terran and Raka knew that what Shin had told them earlier was right. Someone had to stay behind to guard the town, so no matter what everyone thought, at least some had to stay behind. But ording to Ae, some had to go with Shin as well. This was a troublesome situation and no one could exactly decide what the best thing to do right now was. "If only someone had a teleportation skill..." "We could have teleported master Shin right away to help him, without neglecting his orders...", Ae mentioned this idea that she had in her mind. When all the high-ranking beasts heard this, their eyes widened as their mouths remained open. Indeed, if someone had a teleportation skill, it would end up being extremely useful. The beasts started ncing at each other, expecting someone to have. Needless to say, it was Deoras'' time to shine. "Ahem, I..." But before he could say anything, nca ended up stating his point. "May I say something?", nca asked first, cutting Deoras'' sentence short. "Yes, surely you can Sir nca.", Ae said politely. "Hmm..." "I think, we should refrain from going to His Highness'' side even if we had a teleportation skill...", nca gave a totally different opinion. This confused many of them. They knew about a tiger''s bravery and courage. No way was nca scared enough to run away or seek shelter in the town and not help Shin! Everyone waited for him to exin himself. "I haven''t been with his highness for long, but with the number of interactions, I have been able to deduct a few things..." "His Highness is too kind..." "If he were to be attacked by a Supreme Being, then he would be able to escape easily, that is if he were alone." "However, if we, his subordinates were to be with him, then it would only create troubles for him." "Rather than escaping, he would think about protecting us." "And this could lead to a disaster that none of us want to hear nor talk about.", nca concluded after saying this. Everyone understood right away that staying away was the best. Ae didn''t want to agree to this, but after hearing it from someone as experienced and wise as nca, she had to admit that she had been thinking in the wrong way. ''How could I possibly forget that master Shin is way more intelligent than us?'' ''There is no way that he wouldn''t have thought about this¡­'' She realized that Shin was aware of the possibilities and chances of their survival and thus took the said decision. She decided that it was in their best interest in staying in the town itself, however, once again, before she could decide and tell everyone about this, Deoras raised his voice. "Actually, I have a skill simr to the teleportation that you had asked for earlier¡­" Everyone was quiet after what nca had said, but after hearing Deoras, everyone almost jumped in surprise. The silence prevailed as everyone stared at Deoras. Deoras, who thought about regaining his honor, was confused as well when he saw everyone just staring at him without saying anything. Deoras thought that they didn''t believe him and hence, he decided to exin what he meant by the statement he provided earlier. "Listen, everyone, as you know, we shadow wolves have the capabilities to store ourselves inside a shadow." "Because of this great attribute skill, we can hide from the enemies easily and survive longer¡­", Deoras was exining his ability proudly, however, other members were confused because this had nothing to do with what they were discussing right now. Terran was about to question and make Deoras shut his mouth when Deoras finally mentioned the teleportation which was actually the topic of discussion. "So, we can even store objects in our shadows.", Deoras mentioned. "Eh?", Ae was confused yet surprised at the same time when Deoras mentioned the storing ability. It sounded so much like Shin''s so-called spatial magic - Inventory. Deoras was by no means lying. All the shadow wolves did have the ability to store a few things inside their own shadows. The problem was, that the size of storage depended upon their strength. The stronger they were, the bigger or heavier objects they could store. With Deoras'' strength right now, he couldn''t store a living being inside his shadow right now. He exined it and further told them that only if he was at Lv.100 or at least above Lv.95 that this ability could fully be used. So, he couldn''t possibly jump from Lv.70s to 90s in a day, and hence this talk was useless. Everyone lost interest when he mentioned that he couldn''t use the ability. "Look here Sir Deoras, if you cannot use the ability right now, then what''s the point of discussing it?" "It was good that you shared one of your secrets with us, but right now, as you mentioned, we cannot do anything with that ability of yours.", Ae said in a calm voice, trying her best not to show how pissed off and annoyed she was. And thus, with this, everyone realized how useless Deoras'' words were and he thus failed to regain the respect that he had lost earlier. Their discussions further continued as Ae asked nca to further borate a bit about the disadvantages of having others apany Shin along with the advantages and nca exined it clearly to her. Others too gained some insight. Terran was definitely the oldest among all present here, but nca was probably the one with the highest level and wisdom whenpared to all! Chapter 344 Testing The Skills Shin testing his skills¡­ After exiting the town, he tried to find a ce that was suitable enough for him to test his skills. He had gained ten new skills in total and had nned to test them at some point - he thought that now was a perfect time. If he knew more about his skills, then his chances of survival would increase. While trying to find a suitable ce, he found a small patch of an area which was surrounded by trees. He thought that this was the perfect ce to train. He closed his eyes and visualized the skills that he had gained recently, starting from the first skill that he had gained in a long time - Future Sight. "Hmm¡­" ''Alright, let''s start with this¡­'' His eyes started to sparkle with green light as he used the skill Future Sight. *Ding* [Choose a target.] The notification popped up demanding him to choose a target to use the skill on. He thought that he could use the skill to peek into the future, however, it was only now he realized that a particr target had to be chosen and the skill was capable of only showing the chosen target''s future. Without hesitating, he chose the tree in front of him as a target. [The host has chosen the Yam tree as the target.] *Ding* [You have used the skill Future Sight.] ¡­ One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ ¡­ Ten¡­ Twenty¡­ ¡­ Sixty! With every sixty seconds, a minute passes! A minute passed by yet nothing happened. Shin felt no difference at all. He kept staring at the tree yet he couldn''t see any future. He was confused. He thought that there was some other hidden condition or something simr to activate the skill or simply he had missed something right after the activation. However, no matter how much he used his tiny brain, he just couldn''t figure it out. The leaves of the tree were moving because of the wind, and the tree remained stationary, however, other than this, he noticed nothing! ''Don''t tell me¡­'' ''I was scammed¡­'', for a second, he thought that he was scammed by the system. He stared at the screen that was shing right in front of him for a few seconds. ''No. I should stop thinking weird things.'' ''The system has never done that and will never do such useless things¡­'', he convinced himself and closed his eyes for a second when all of a sudden, an image appeared in his mind. The system had suddenly gained a pair ofrge eyes and a huge mouth. It was thenughing at Shin''s thought as Shin continued to stare at it. He opened his eyes immediately. ''What the heck was that?'', he was confused and surprised. ''Was that¡­'' ''Was that the future¡­?!'', he asked himself, only to realize that the skill only let him see the future up to a second ahead. "Sigh, I should calm down." He shook his head a bit. He thought that a mere peeking into a second into the future was not too effective and thus thought that he would try the skillter after it had gained some levels. He stopped using Future Sight and decided to check the second skill - Bloody Impact. Bloody Impact: A 360 degrees st causing a critical hit and guaranteed bleeding effect if the target is within the radius of the skill. The exnation provided by the system was a bit confusing to Shin earlier and even now, when he took a look at it, he failed topletely understand. The only way to know was to use it and test it. Therefore, without wasting any time, he used the skill. His eyes started to glow yet again with green light and secondster, a red-colored aura engulfed him, almost forming a sphere. Right after that, an explosive wave wasunched from his body - the red aura expanded. *Boom* Shin had shut his eyes temporarily and when he opened them, he found clouds of dust all around him, trying to tamper with his vision. Five to ten seconds passed by as he waited for the dust to settle. He then checked the tree in front of him, wanting to know what exactly was the Bloody Impact''s effect. "¡­" "The fuck!?" Surprisingly, the tree was unscathed! Shin felt the excessive shock wave when the explosion wasunched however, even after that, the trees in front of him weren''t damaged. This utterly surprised him and confused him. ''Why¡­?'' ''Why aren''t they damaged?'' ''I can''t spot even a single scratch on them¡­'', he said to himself as he looked at the trees. ''Maybe¡­'' ''Maybe I was really scammed¡­'', he thought for a second and shook his head yet again. He immediately tried the other skills that he gained via evolution. Of course, before he tried them, he evolved into those specific races and experimented all the way to check if the system was indeed ying a joke on him or if he was just imagining things. "¡­" An hour passed by¡­ Shin returned to the town about an hourter. The guarding goblins opened the gate. After entering the town, Shin found many Dark elves approaching him. They were waiting for his return all this time. "Your Highness...", one of them, a young male dark elf, walked forward as he called out to Shin. "What''s the matter?", Shin asked as he stared at their concerned faces. The Dark elf that approached him, was suddenly on his knees. The same was true for all other Dark elves. Shin was utterly surprised by this. There was definitely a way to pay respect, but this... This was definitely not bowing to pay respect. It was something else. "Please forgive us your highness.", this was the next thing that came out of the dark elf''s mouth. "Forgive you? Forgive you for what?", Shin remained confused. "We...", the dark elf was going to exin but before he could say anything properly, a dwarf interrupted. "Highness!" "Your Highness!", a dwarf kept calling out to Shin. The dwarf was running towards Shin. Chapter 345 Departing Soon A dwarf approached Shin and prevented him from hearing what the dark elves had to say. "What''s wrong?", Shin asked, further concerned. He thought that the dwarf was going to mention something that was rted to the Dark Elves, but he was wrong. "Your highness, something big happened!", the dwarf said. "Something big?" "What exactly?" "Your highness, just now, we received information that the fake body doubles that you had used to deceive everyone, perished." Shin realized that the matter was pretty big. He thought that the body doubles wouldst at least until he had departed towards the West Terrain, but it seems like they perished earlier. He cannot do anything now as everyone present in the arena might have gotten the news about Shin''s escape. Everyone far and wide, who was watching the arena on the screen, would alsoe to know about this as it would have been broadcasted. ''This is troublesome¡­'', Shin thought. He had his head lowered and ended up indulging himself in a series of thoughts about what the best thing to do next was. He had to go to the west terrain, but the beasts could end up marching any time soon towards the town. He needed help. However, other than the Kingdom of Loria, there was no one that could help him. ''The situation is a mess¡­'', he thought as he raised his head and stared at the Dwarf. "That was a great piece of information indeed. You have my thanks." Sometimes dwarves had the abilities like telmunication or telepathy. The dwarf that rushed to inform Shin was one of those rare dwarves with the said ability and thanks to his info, Shin could now move faster. Regardless, the dwarf merely bowed and then returned to his position. The dark elves were still present there, waiting for the dwarf to leave so that they could beg for forgiveness yet even after he left, they couldn''t as Shin seemed somewhat worried. They waited for him to notice them. It took about two to three minutes before Shin finally stopped thinking about useless things. He thought about leaving for the west terrain right away without wasting any further time. He turned towards the dark elves and asked, "Alright, tell me, why are you being so apologetic." The dark elves then began exining their concerns. Shin listened to them patiently only to realize that their worries were useless! From the start, the dark elves had been thought to be the harbinger of bad luck. Clearly, right now, Shin''s situation was bad and they thought that it was because of them that he was going through this. In fact, they were so apologetic and sad that they had already decided to leave the n if Shin desired to. But here''s the thing - even with or without them, Shin would have ended up being hunted. It was not because of the dark elves that he came to this world, it wasn''t them who made him choose all the paths that he had taken and it was by no means their wish that caused the Supreme Celestials to target Shin. Shin stared at them for a few seconds and replied, "Shut your mouths and get back to the houses that were built specifically for you." "Bad luck¡­" "Bad luck it seems¡­" "Remember, if you are the harbinger of bad luck, then consider me the destroyer of bad luck." "As long as you remain with me, no one will dare to call you all with that fking name." He was genuinely angry and tried to change the way they thought. The dark elves didn''t say anything else. The expressions that they made on their faces were more than enough to show how grateful they were. They listened to Shin and went back to their homes. As for Shin, he walked straight to his den, nning to leave once his MP had been restoredpletely. It took only a few more minutes for his MP to restorepletely right after which, he walked down again but this time, he found a lot of beasts, only the higher ranking ones and a few other named ones, standing in front of him. "Your Highness." "Master." All of them greeted him. He did think about their location earlier, but didn''t bother to check as he was preparing himself to leave, both physically and mentally. He looked at their concerned faces. "Is something wrong¡­?" "¡­" ''Sigh, I have asked the same question 3 times already¡­'' ''I wonder how many times will I need to ask.'' "¡­" And then, Ae and the rest of the group began to tell their concern. The context wasn''t much - just that, the majority of them wanted Shin to have at least one group tag along with him. ''Uh, when all of them are requesting then¡­'' Shin had no choice but to ept their request to keep their minds at ease. "Alright alright. Since you requested, I will have only the shadow wolves apany." The shadow wolf group was the only group at hand that was the most agile whenpared to the rest of the races like goblins. Also, since they could hide in shadows, they were the perfect team to be chosen. No one disputed and agreed with Shin''s decision. Ae was somewhat d and at ease when Shin epted their opinion. But anyway, he had no more time to spare and immediately announced¡­ "Gather all the shadow wolves within ten minutes. We will leave shortly." Deoras informed the shadow wolves. The news about the shadow wolves leaving with Shin spread immediately. Also, they came to know that he was going to leave in a few minutes, hence, they left all their works, if any, and dashed towards the gates of the Lower za to bid him farewell. "Alright, we''ll be leaving now..." As mentioned, everyone had gathered to bid Shin farewell. With the change in his decision, the entire gang of shadow wolves was also going to apany him. As for others, they would remain in the town. Shin had already allotted tasks for various members that they had to do in his absence. The tasks issued were: "¡­" Chapter 346 Surrounded These were the following tasks that Shin had issued: 1] Ae - being the temporary head of the n. He proimed her as the Vice-Leader of the n. 2] nca was given the authority right after Ae. Shin asked him to protect Ae and help her in taking vice-decisions. 3] Kaily, Terran and Raka were asked to partake in the decision-making process and protect the Lower and Central za. 4] The Goblins were asked to protect the upper za - since the upper za was a ce, especially for Shin, no other beasts or monsters lived there. Hence, Shin thought that there was no need to waste the strength of strong beings in protecting that area. So, he assigned goblins. 5] The Arb Elves were asked to scout and guard the surroundings. 6] Dark Elves were asked to protect the moles and dwarves who were going to continue their work of building many more houses, especially one for Shin. 7] Weaker beasts like Alira, baby goblins, and Mo were asked to remain near the houses built or the habitats that were provided to them. 8] Finally, the rest of the swamp residents were asked to guard all five swamps and the nearby areas. As started walking away - towards the gate - as soon as everyone was handed some tasks. "Alright, stay safe everyone.", Shin said as he made the gesture of leaving by nodding his head. "We will be awaiting your return, your highness.", many of them said simultaneously. Ae was still sad from the inside, but she didn''t show it. She remained calm and in fact, smiled as she bid him farewell. Without any further dy, Shin left with the shadow wolves and head towards the west of the forest. The west terrain - that''s where they were supposed to go. They had to first exit the forest and then pass through 2 human kingdoms. After that, they would be reaching the Great Desert of Lies. The West Terrain consists of three areas - the Desert Of Lies, the Deste Land, and the Death Valley. It was an extremely dangerous ce. Needless to say, no one even knew if the Heavenly family really resided there. Kira did mention about the west terrain but he never mentioned the exact ce among these three. Therefore, Shin would have to go through the trouble of finding the Heavenly Wolf family even after reaching the West terrain. While the west terrain had many dangers, the path that had to be taken to reach the said terrain was equally, if not, more dangerous! For now, Shin and the gang had to get out of the forest. As mentioned earlier, the center of the forest was supposed to have strong monsters - that would be above level 70 at least. However, Shin had already chased them away from the center. The town now reced their homes. So, needless to say, those beasts held grudges. As Shin and the gang walked slowly towards the region that was a little away from the town, slight chills ran down everyone''s spine. First of all, the entire forest seemed silent. It was so quiet that it made everyone tense. Shin and the shadow wolves continuously looked all around them to make sure that there were no dangers but they found no signs of any potential threat. However, the situation was quite dangerous! Everyone''s instinct made them aware of the iing danger. Five gigantic beasts, who had now upied thisnd, targeted Shin and his gang. Two appeared from the front and two from the back, which then spread to form a square-shaped boundary. Following them, an Eagle beast came flying and started pping its wings right above them, as if it was levitating in the same position. Indeed, it was as if all the beasts were announcing that Shin and his gang were surrounded and had no ce to escape. Deoras was just above level 70 and was strong, but in front of 5 other level 70s, he couldn''t possibly stand his ground. Also, he had a great disadvantage against the flying-type Eagle beast. Adding the fact that other shadow wolves were below level 60, it only made him worry even more. It made him realize what nca had said earlier. ''Against these many strong beasts, I doubt if I can escape...'' ''But if I really use all my strength in running away, perhaps...'' ''Perhaps I might survive with a small wound or injury...'', Deoras said to himself. ''But what about my subordinates...?'', Deoras looked at other shadow wolves. Even the great shadow Wolf general, right now, was way weaker than Deoras and even he was a dead weight. ''Was this the reason why his highness was hesitant to bring other shadow wolves with him?'', Deoras questioned himself. He started to regret his decision of bringing his subordinates too and wondered what his master, Shin had in his mind. How would he get out of this situation? How would he save everyone? He thought that Shin also might have a hard time dealing with all these beasts. Despite knowing Shin''s strength - especially after witnessing it in the n wars - Deoras was still questioning. Either he was just too nervous or he merely couldn''t tell the power difference between an Lv.70 and an Lv.90. He wondered continuously if Shin had some ns to get out of the situation. He thought it could be a tough fight and blood could be shed, however, contrary to what he was thinking, Shin startedughing loudly! "Haha..." "Hahaha..." "HAHAHAHA!" Shin''sugh only grew louder as each second passed. Deoras and other shadow wolves were surprised when he startedughing and even now, as he continued tough, they merely kept staring at him. ''What is his highness doing?'' ''Why is heughing...?'' ''Is he alright?'' All these questions flooded everyone''s head. And as they were puzzled, Shin spoke, "You punks¡­" "Have you not learned your lesson yet?", the silence in the forest only made his voice sound louder and much more dominant than usual. Chapter 347 The Arrogant Porcupines Bold Statement Five Great beasts of the forest had appeared. Although the forest of Thuren was one of the most dangerous forests in the world, the strongest beings were only within Lv.80s and 90s. For humans, it was indeed dangerous after all only a few humans were at that level. Regardless, the five beasts stared right at Shin. An Eagle, a Stag, a Porcupine, a Bee, and a Pangolin had appeared. Among all of them, the eagle seemed to be thergest but the Bee was the strongest with the highest level among them. "Ha! Don''t think so highly of yourself. The only reason we lostst time was because we were alone, but this time we all have joined forces.", the porcupine said in an arrogant voice with a hint of mockery in it. As the porcupine paused for a second, Shin looked around. "Have youe alone?" "Where are your minions?", Shin asked, shifting his gazes from one side to the other. "Minions?" "Do you think we are fools? Would we bring dead weight with us? They will easily get killed with a single attack of yours!", this time, the eagle replied but froze on his spot when Shin''s eyes paused on him. "Deadweight, eh?" "I see, I see¡­" "If they are that weak, then they are indeed dead weight¡­", Shin seemingly nodded his head a few times. "I now know that you aren''t fools, however, tell me, if you think dead weights shouldn''te in front of me, then what are you doing here?", Shin asked as he again shifted his gazes from one beast to the other. "¡­", the eagle, somewhat enraged, raised his voice. "What?!" The same was with the porcupine, who had a confused look. He however soon understood what Shin implied and the moment he did, his eyes started to glow brightly. "You! Do you think that such a puny creature as yourself could even bring a scratch on me?", the porcupine started shouting when he realized that Shin called the great five beasts ''Dead Weight''. "You should have just bowed down in my presence, but instead, you dare to call me a dead weight. Die!", his voice only grew louder. As soon as he said those words deep purple-colored spikes materialized out of thin air. There were a total of five spikes and right after forming they wereunched towards Shin. Apparently, the Porcupine had a little attitude problem. Despite fully being aware that he was weaker than Shin and despite knowing the fact that he had already lost to him, not once, but twice, he ended up attacking him. He pretended as if he was the greatest while he was nothing but a speck of dust in Shin''s eyes. In any case, the Poison spikes that wereunched by the Porcupine were quite deadly. Earlier, he had easily killed a strong beast in the forest - Tortior, the great Earthworm - that was at Lv.72. Just because of this newly learned special attack of his, he had grown even more arrogant, thinking, as long as the spikes pierced Shin, he would be dead! ''Nooo! I must protect his majesty.'', Deoras dashed toward Shin with his all might and with the only goal to protect Shin. Deoras wasn''t a fool. He was aware of the fact that Shin was agile enough to dodge the attack, however, when he looked at Shin just standing around and smirking, his instincts forced him to take action. Prior to this, when the Porcupine had started to manifest the spikes from this air, his entire body was already shaking with fear. Shadow and Dark wolves, among all the wolves, were known for their extraordinary instincts. So a second nce made him realize how deadly the spikes could be. Regardless, when the spikes were fired, he had wasted a few seconds, expecting Shin to dodge them easily. However, when he saw that Shin had no thought of dodging the attack, he was forced to rush toward him. As mentioned, he had already wasted a couple of valuable seconds just staring and expecting Shin to dodge. Thus, he was already toote. Despite his great agility, he failed to reach Shin before the mishap happened. The five spikes had already made contact with Shin only slightly piercing his skin. Shin didn''t flinch. He didn''t even move from the ce. Deoras, who was afraid that Shin would underestimate the spikes, was now somewhat scared. He didn''t stop in his tracks and reached Shin, immediately asking him, "Are you alright master?" "¡­" Shin, on the other hand, didn''t reply. He just stood with the same expression, staring at the porcupine who now was on cloud nine! "Hahaha. Arrogant aren''t you!? You must think that you survived but you are already poisoned by it and now nothing can save you except me." The moment the porcupine said this, Shin''s legs trembled a bit. "Master!?", Deoras raised his voice. ''The poison must have weakened him¡­'' ''What do you I do!?'', he was worried, extremely worried and scared. ''Some bodyguard I am¡­'' ''Leave the Supremes, I couldn''t even protect him from those mere spikes¡­'', he cursed at himself. Deoras turned his head towards the Porcupine who had mentioned that he could save Shin. Immediately, Deoras bowed. "Please!" "Please save my master!" his voice was wavy and filled with fear. The porcupine had the biggest of all the smiles that were painted on his face recently. "Haha, spare him?" "I will only do that if he agrees to be my ve.", the porcupine said. Deoras'' eyes became noticeably red when he heard this bold statement. If not for his master being poisoned, he would have dashed forward with the intention of killing the arrogant porcupine. "M-master¡­", Deoras turned his head towards Shin, who was trembling right now. "Be my ve and I will spare your pitiful life.", the Giant Porcupine repeated himself as he looked at Shin trembling. Well, little did he know that his smile was going to crumble in a matter of seconds. Chapter 348 Shin Vs The Great Five The only reason the porcupine was confident in defeating Shin was because of his new skill [Poison Spikes]. Just the touch of these needles was enough to poison the target. If pierced, and came in contact with their blood - the target would be severely poisoned. They would start hallucinating five seconds after being poisoned and would die after the next 5 five minutes as their hearts would stop beating. The unique thing about this skill was - it could even poison the target without actuallying in contact with their blood. Of course, the effect would be only 3/4th times the original, but it was still a thing to be careful of! In any case, the porcupine knew that even if all the five of them would battle Shin they would only lose and perhaps die, despite that, he agreed toe and that was only because of the new skill which was even effective against the great Earthworm! However, his slime crumbled soon when he saw Shin just casually ring at the porcupine. He thought that Shin was hallucinating, however, when he rechecked, he found that Shin was calm and collected, his eyes filled with confidence. "Wha-" Before he could say anything, Shin spoke. "Well well, that surely was a good skill, but if that was the basis of your confidence, I''m afraid you have to stop overestimating yourself and start running with your tail between your legs." The porcupine had no words. His mind was nk and his heart was beating way faster than usual. "H-how¡­?", he asked, confused. "How are you unaffected with a poison that can even kill an Lv.70 Earth-type beast with ease?", the porcupine asked,pletely nervous and stuttering. "Ha¡­" "And why should I tell you?" "Haha.", Shinughed. The fact that his poison resistance was so high that low-level poisons like that of the porcupine''s wouldn''t cause any damage was info that only three individuals other than Shin knew - Raka, Terran, and Ae. No one else was aware of this and Shin made no effort to make them aware of this. It was meant to be secret after all. Who would disy their trump cards just on demand? Only the showy people perhaps, but Shin wasn''t one of them. In any case, Shin had something in his mind regarding the situation, hence he ended up revealing the reason - Deoras, the shadow wolves, and all the five great beasts became aware of it. "Such low-level poisons have no effect on me." A single sentence was more than enough to make them understand that the poison that the porcupine used, was nothing more than a useless toy to Shin. The moment the porcupine heard this, he turned back and stared at the eagle and the bee. The eagle beast was just like any normal eagle but was three times the size and had brown feathers with a light golden beak. The bee or to be precise, the bee queen present here was of a hybrid type. Its lower half, from the thighs, resembled that of a human''s legs as for the upper portion, it was like any normal bee having twin needles in its arm. The pangolin was justrger than the normal ones with a stronger defense and the Stag had beautiful pointy horns with stronger and sturdier legs. Other than that, nothing was too eye-catching among them. The porcupine turned back, definitely not to find something attractive features from his friends, instead, it turned back to make a weird expression and murmur a few words to them. "Ahem. Looks like I will bepletely useless here." "So¡­" "I am out of this mess. Peace.", the porcupine said this, forming a peace symbol by lifting his two fingers up and showcasing it to others moments after which he started to dash backward to escape. "Ugh, seriously¡­" "Are you trying to escape?" Suddenly he heard a bone-chilling voice beside him. Shin, who spotted the porcupine escaping, immediately used his skill to cover the entire distance of separation created by the Porcupine. In a matter of seconds, he was already beside the porcupine, staring at him with a dead serious face. The porcupine paused right away, bowing in front of Shin immediately. "Oh Great Heavenly King, Lord Shin, please forgive this pest who dared to act arrogant in front of you.", the porcupine said dramatically, bowing in front of Shin. The porcupine who had a majestic aura around him, crumbled in seconds as he kept on begging for his life. Shin was speechless. Within a few seconds, the porcupine''s attitude changed - this was not the first time it had happened. Shin, who was already a victim of this act, by the porcupine itself during the previous encounters, just stared at him in silence, waiting to hear more of his exaggerated and yful words. The four other beasts, who saw this happening, recalled all their pasts where they all had to grovel in front of Shin, begging for their lives. This pricked them quite hard therefore, they ended up moving forward to attack Shin. Taking advantage of the movement all the four beasts dashed towards Shin and used their deadliest attack. [Rapid Lance stab] [Land Spikes] [Carnahe Of Wind] [Stone st] The Stag, the eagle, the pangolin, and the Sting Fairy (Bee) simultaneously attacked Shin but before those attacks could even cover half the distance between them, Shin vanished. Not even a second passed before which he appeared behind the Pangolin. Even though Shin just used his [Speed Run], for onlookers it felt as if he teleported from one ce to another - it felt the same earlier too when Shin disappeared and reappeared beside the Porcupine. [Aero sh] x 3 All it took was three Aero shes to break through the pangolin''s strong armor and injure it. The Stinging fairy dashed towards Shin and used its attack [Rapid Lance Stab]. The bee was swinging from one side to the other while pushing its twin needles towards Shin, however, he dodged it with ease. As mentioned earlier, the bee''s arms had des instead of wrists which were one of the deadliest natural weapons and with the help of it the Stinging fairy killed thousands of its enemies but now those des were useless against the Shin. Other beasts also seemed useless against him and it took only a minute for Shin to dominate them. "¡­" Chapter 349 An Order In Offer The porcupine was almost paralyzed. As for the stag, it was on its knees. The same was the case with the Sting Fairy whose pair of wings were now cut into pieces. The Pangolin was all bloody as well, its scales scattered everywhere. The eagle had many scratches on its body with many deep wounds. If it tried to execute any of its skills, blood would burst out only leading to his death. "Sigh¡­" "Come guys, let''s leave.", Shin announced about leaving the ce to Deoras and the rest. The beasts were surprised. They thought that Shin would kill them this time for sure, but on contrary, he seemed uninterested. "You are sparing us...?", the eagle asked. Shin looked at him and sighed. "Ha..." "When have I not spared your lives?" "The earlier two times that we fought, hadn''t I let you go?" "Yet you came again." Shin sighed again and again. Earlier, when he had fought with them, they thought that they sessfully escaped from Shin due to their own skills. But in reality, it was Shin who let them go. It was true that earlier Shin was weak, and on the first encounter, even he was injured, however, that was not close enough to how much the others were injured. In the first encounter, Shin had encountered all five. They didn''te in a group rather, attacked individually when Shin invaded their territory. What could have been a casual walk, turned into a bloody fight. Needless to say, Shin emerged victorious and pushed back their territories even more. Regardless, the fact was that he had spared them twice already, and this was already the third time. But why? Why didn''t he want to finish them? Wouldn''t he get some exp or titles by killing these great beasts? Well, there were three main reasons due to which he didn''t want to kill them right now. One - it was because he was already at a greater level whenpared to them. By killing them, he wouldn''t even get half the amount of exp to get into the next level. This did not mean that he wouldn''t get any exp at all. He would get, but very less. Rather than killing them and getting exp, he could let them grow stronger to kill them at ater date. This was equivalent to raring cattle for your own need! Two - they kept other beasts in check. These beasts were originally the rulers of the forest and ruled over almost all other low-leveled beasts. Therefore, their presence was enough to make others obey. In their absence, the low-leveled beasts would end up invading Shin''s town, either voluntarily or involuntarily. Because of their less intelligence, they might think that their great number would be enough to crush Shin and his forces. However, due to their low levels, they would only be inviting death, if they were to invade that is. Three - many beasts were targeting Shin and his n due to the Supremes'' orders. These beasts could help Shin in reducing the number of the beasts that would enter the forest! During earlier encounters, Shin didn''t think about all this. He merely let them go as he was just too busy due to Ae, n Wars, and due to injury as well. Even though he was of a lower level whenpared to them during the time when Ae was lost, he still defeated them. And when he was training his forces for n Wars, he was a bit above their levels. This was the second time when they had challenged and Shin has defeated them yet again. And now, they came in front of him the third time. The difference in their levels was at least 10 and at max 20! He had nothing to worry about and seemed easygoing. The strongest among the beasts was the Sting Fairy who was at Lv.79. The Eagle - Lv.75. The Pangolin - Lv. 74. The Stag - Lv.71 The Porcupine - Lv.71 Also, with the evolution, he had somewhat be much calmer. He also realized that it is better to have more friends and not enemies. Although he knew this from the start, he started to execute this in everything he did. He looked at the beasts and said, "This is thest time I''m letting you go..." "But do remember, I have no grudge against you." "All I want to do is expand my territory. In the end, this entire forest wille under my rule.", Shin said. "But..." "But that would mean...", the eagle tried to tell something, but Shin guessed his words way before he even opened his mouth. "But that would mean that you would lose a ce to live, correct?", Shin asked. The eagle merely nodded his head along with the rest. Shin thought for a second and after smiling, suggested something to them. "Look, I''m not forcing you, but if you want, why don''t youe under my rule and join my n?" "Huh!?" "Yes. This way, both of us will benefit." "I will be able to rule the entire forest and you will be able to live here." The eagle and the rest of the beasts justughed inside. ''What does he mean by not forcing us?'' ''He is literally giving us a mandatory choice! An order!'' ''If we don''t agree toe under his rule, he would just eradicate us as he conquers the entire forest.'', all the beasts who were injured right now, thought this. They led some ns of their own. While they didn''t have any specific names, they held the titles of Kings. The Lv.75 Eagle had the title, Eagle King. The same was for the rest. The Pangolin King, Stag King, Bee Queen, Porcupine King - these were the titles the others held which were only possible to have only if one had reached their final evolutionary stages and had a n of their own - basically subordinates or followers was a requirement. These were the ns and the number of subordinates each of them had: "¡­" Chapter 350 Ambushed! The Eagle had Light Bird n - 151 members(subordinates) The Porcupine had Spike n - 75 members(subordinates) The Stinging Lady/Fairy had Ho Bee n - 1855 members(subordinates) The Pangolin had Unscathed Panoglin n - 29 members(subordinates) The Stag had Eternal Stampede n - 56 members(subordinates). In total, there were 2166 subordinates or members and if five of the greats were included, there were 2171 beasts that could join Shin''s n. When Shin mentioned about them epting him as their ruler, he meant all these ns toe under him. A great strategy by Shin indeed. The five beasts had little hesitation. They acknowledged that Shin was strong, however, their pride couldn''t allow them toe under someone else. The beasts seemed hesitant and it was clear. The eagle saw this and asked Shin to alot them some time to decide. "Can we get a bit of time to think on this?", he asked. "Time...?" "That''s what I don''t have...", Shin murmured. "Pardon?", the eagle failed to hear Shin''s words. Shin stared at the eagle and said, "I have some work to do." "So, you can think until I return." "¡­" "But if I do re..." "Ahem." "I mean, when I do return, I need to hear a reply.", Shin said. "Yes.", all the five beasts agreed simultaneously right after which Shin walked away with his gang towards the edge of the forest. The five beasts remained there with their injuries and saw the gang leaving. Once they were far away, they decided to return to their ces by supporting each other as a lot of their strength had been drained. Shin and the gang were heading towards the west. As they were familiar with the Forest, they could easily get out. Adding the fact that they were quite high-level beings whenpared to others, no other beasts dared to attack now. It took about an hour for them to get out of the forest from the west side. As mentioned earlier, the northern portion of the forest would end up with Liam ins. If they were to go south, they would end up near the Goblins'' Caves and further, they would reach the Human Kingdom that Shin had conquered - Loria. East had already led them to the adjacent forest. As for the west, only one kingdom awaited them - Levonia. Shin was familiar with the area that was called - The Land Of Lost Ones. This time, he did not enter that area. Obviously, he had no need for entering and he was not that foolish either. Well, Shin was concerned about the kingdom that waited right outside the west side of the forest - Levonia. He recalled the fury which he had shown earlier. He had ended up burning many soldiers alive because of his uncontrolled rage. Innocent people were no exception either. And just as he thought about those moments, he recalled something that he had long forgotten! Balton and Wendy! He held a grudge against them. Balton had told Shin that Ae had gone towards the Liam ins. Shin blindly believed him thinking that no one would lie in the face of danger, but Balton was just different. With that huge pride of his, even at the face of death, he was ready to trick someone else. When Shin recalled this, a tiny amount of killing intent leaked from his body. Deoras was the one who felt the killing intent first and then the rest of the shadow wolves who immediately took a step back out of instinct. "Your Highness?", Deoras called out to Shin as he felt this chilling tiny-bit killing intent. He wanted to ensure that everything was all right. But his voice was more than enough to bring Shin back to his senses. Shin shook his head a bit, trying to calm down. "Yes?", he asked, replying to Deoras'' call. "N-nothing your highness.", as the killing intent vanished, Deoras didn''t feel the need to ask regarding it any more. In any case, they continued to walk further. They passed by the area which was called the Land Of Lost Ones. They didn''t enter it though. However, when they were close to it, Shin thought of testing his All Seeing Eyes, to check if he could see through arge amount of mist in the area and find out what exactly happens in the area. Fie, he failed to do so. Even after using the skill, he couldn''t see through the mist and it just appeared... misty. Other than this, Shin focused on getting out of the forest. He had a feature directly associated with the system that could repel monsters, but right now, he didn''t need that. He was too powerful to be scared of other monsters in the forest. The only ones that he had to watch out for were the beasts that were working on the Supreme celestials demands. Anyway, they got out of the forest safely. But the moment Shin walked out of the forest, he was ambushed! He and his gang were ambushed altogether by a bunch of humans! As mentioned earlier, a vast stretch ofnd was present after the forest following which, the Kingdom Of Levonia was built. Shin had previously entered the kingdom with ease. Therefore, he never considered the ce to be a threat, at least, not until they had ns of invading the forest! Indeed, the Kingdom of Levonia, thinking that Shin was away from the forest, decided to invade the forest. Thest time this had happened - Ae got captured. Previously, only a fraction of the entire army was sent and at that time, they didn''t have any proper dedication. It was just for fun. It was just to confirm the existence of the great being that should be feared which was mentioned by the so-called Crazy Sage. Now, not only had they received a propermand from the king, but they also had a strong dedication to destroy Shin''s hometown as ordered by the King, who was strictly following the Supremes'' orders. "¡­" Chapter 351 Spying Many humans suddenly appeared. They had already surrounded Shin and his gang. But that was not all, many arrows were fired in their direction. Being agile, all were able to dodge the attacks. However, the arrows were never intended to hurt the wolves. Rather, it was to form a wall behind them and prevent them from escaping. Shin and Deoras were the only ones to notice that the arrows stacked on top of each other from head to tail and formed five rows of tall walls. ''The precision¡­ '', Shin thought to himself. ''The archers that fired these are definitely some big shots...'', ''Or, they have been trained really well.'', he concluded. Shin then looked at the armor that the soldiers were wearing. ''These armours...'' ''They are familiar...'' "They are familiar indeed.", his mood got worse when he said the sentence to himself. Anger was evident on his face. It was impossible for him to forget what the soldiers of Levonia wore. "Go! Kill them!", the general leading the first batch of soldiers shouted. He thought that the white wolf among the ck wolves was just another weak wolf. He was the only one among all the generals of Levonia who hadn''t watched the n wars. He thought that it was just some pet fight and thus was flirting around and sleeping with various women. Such a pity, if he had known about Shin, he would have run away right now as Shin was in no mood to kill them. Regardless, the surprising part was that Shin failed to notice them before the ambush. ''The heck...'' ''What happened?'' ''Why did my senses...'' Before he could think anything else, all the soldiers rushed forward with their spears, trying to impale the wolves. Shin had nothing but a singlemand, "Spare no one." And the moment he let out themand, Deoras and the remaining shadow wolves dashed forward. They slipped into the ground by turning themselves into shadows which was an effective measure to dodge the spears. After that, they appeared right behind the soldiers and bit off their necks, creating several blood fountains in a single go. "Arghh!", the soldiers that were standing right behind the beheaded ones, screamed at the top of their voices. Fear spread throughout the small group of soldiers ultimately reaching the general. "What the-" He was sitting on a horse and was looking at the scene in fear. One by one, all his soldiers were getting killed. It was happening unbelievably fast. A single blink and 10 soldiers would have vanished! A lot more soldiers were standing behind the general. They belonged to a different group that was led by a different general. "Sir, we-" The soldiers didn''t even get to say anything properly as their voices were snatched away due to fear of beheaded bodies flying everywhere. Especially, the archers that had initially shot the arrows, didn''t have the nerve to draw another one to the string. It was because fear had engulfed them. Also, Shin''s skill Aero sh had already destroyed most of the bows that they had, snatching away at least one type of weapon from the soldiers. The skill Hurricane sent many bodies flying. "Retreat!", the first general shouted. "..." 25 minutester... Hundreds of dead bodies remained on the ground awaiting vultures and other creatures toe and feast on them. Shin and the gang didn''t let anyone live. The two generals along with their groups were ruthlessly killed. Their mistake was only one: ambushing Shin. Shin and the gang had already walked past the pile of dead bodies after discovering the reason for their dulling of senses. Yes, no shadow wolves nor Shin could detect the ambush and this was all because of an Artifact that the general had with him - Stealth Scarf. [ Stealth Scarf: Grade B -> Capable of hiding the presence of any object (living/dead) within a range of 200 meters.] This artifact hid their presence. Since Shin and the rest were nearby the Land Of Lost Ones, their senses had naturally dulled out and this resulted in their failure of noticing the people that were ready for an ambush. Shin stored the artifact in his inventory so it coulde in handy in the future. After that, he took away the armors of the soldiers as well, thinking to ask the dwarves to remould and make something out of them. Shin would have wasted no time and would have already started walking away however, he ended up detecting a weird existence. His fur was standing erect, as if he was getting goosebumps. His instincts were screaming out loud that someone was watching them. ''Could it be...? The Supreme Celestials?'', he asked himself, thinking about the possibility of them being the Supremes. However, the Supreme celestials wouldn''t be so careless as to let their presence known. Moreover, they are many times stronger than Shin. By no means could he sense their presence even if he tried. So, something was wrong. It couldn''t have been them! ''It''s not the Supremes...'' ''It''s someone weaker...'' ''A celestial perhaps¡­?'' ''No. Maybe not.'' ''Someone even weaker¡­'', Shin concluded after thinking for a while. He moved his gazes back and forth, trying to find the exact point from which the unknown being was spying on them. He failed to find it. It was either because the said unknown was not too weak or Shin''s senses were simply dull even now. Regardless, he immediately knew that unless he used his skill, he couldn''t find the spy. Therefore, without wasting any time, he activated his skill. He was forced to use his skill - All Seeing Eyes. It didn''t take him even a second to notice a small spatial warp which was simr to the surface of the water - in the sky. He stared directly into the spatial warp from where the King and the High Sage were watching the destruction of their own army. This Great High-Sage was the same person who was being mocked by Balton and Wendy previously. Chapter 352 The Only Way To Defeat Shin It was his skill - Distance Vision - that let him see what was happening in the marked location. [Skill name: Distance Vision] [-> Allows the user to see and observe a ce that has already been marked by him.] Needless to say, it was one of the generals who was actually marked, not the location. ... In the main castle of Mesuor, the capital of Levonia¡­ "Your Highness, must we really do this?", the Great Sage asked. The great Sage held the rank of High-Sage, which only a few people in the world had. "Kelton, I know what you are afraid of¡­" "When you warned about the wolf, everyone was making fun of you¡­" "But having incurred the wrath of the Wolf, and witnessing His strength in the n Wars, everyone has realized the importance of your words and warnings¡­", said King Levos. "You know what, I don''t want to incur the Wolf''s wrath, but we are already on bad terms with Him." "And the Supreme Celestials have already asked us to destroy his home while he is in the arena." "If we don''t follow their orders, it will be our kingdom that will get wiped out.", Levos said as he sighed. But Kelton still seemed unconvinced. "Look, Kelton, think logically..." "Who is more dangerous, the Supreme Celestials or the Wolf?", Levos asked. "..." "The Wolf...", Kelton replied. "Yes, of course, it is the Su-" "..." "Wait what?", Levos was surprised when Kelton said that. For a second, he had reverted his mind into thinking that Kelton was crazy, however, when he saw Kelton pointing at the screen in front of him, he realized why he said that. "The wolf!" He was pointing at Shin who was with the shadow wolves. The foolish soldiers had ambushed the mighty Shin and his gang! "Huh!?" "What is he doing here!?", Levos was confused. He immediately asked Kelton to reestablish the connection to the arena and when Kelton did, he found out that Shin had disappeared from the ce! In fact, it was only now he realized that Shin had used some sort of body double to escape all the beasts that had gathered there. Levos shuddered, wanting to send messages to his foolish men to not mess with Shin. The only confidence he had was in destroying the so-called town that Shin was building about which too he has heard only from the Supreme Celestial whom they worship. But now, all the confidence was destroyed. "Quick! Restore the other connection!", he asked Kelton to switch back to the previous scene. It was as if he was changing channels in a T.V. Kelton did exactly as he was told but by the time he switched to the previous scene, it was already toote! Shin had already bodied everyone and had even stored the Stealth Scarf. The moment they started to spy again, Shin was now storing the armors in his inventory and it was only now that he noticed. ... It felt as if both of them were staring at each other as Shin stared right at the spatial warp with his glowing green eyes. "You started it...", Shin spoke. ... The moment he did, Levos felt as if his heart was going to burst out of his mouth. The reason for this was that all people in this world did not speak only onenguage. There were severalnguages ??and several dialects. The way Shin spoke was exact, if not, quite simr to their dialect. It was as if he was a local of the ce. And if a beast can not only converse, but also speak so fluently, then it can only mean one thing: the potential of the beast is infinite, especially its intelligence. It''s easier to deal with a strong animal or opponent than an intelligent one. There are exceptions, but that is the reality. Levos wasn''t the smartest, but he wasn''t stupid enough to ignore the fact that a beast who didn''t even have an education was giving him a warning in his own native tongue! "Kelton, stop." Kelton immediately stopped using his skill. Levos, nearly falling off his throne, began sweating profusely and sighing. Balton and Wendy got into the main throne room just as the transmission stopped. They were summoned by Levos. "Your Majesty!", they both yelled as they saw Levos almost fall off the throne, Kelton didn''t even care. Levos was now on the floor. "I''m fine," Levos said while sitting on the floor, not even making an effort to get up or move a muscle. Two of his guards who were fanning him stepped forward, picked him up and helped him sit back on the throne. His golden tunic and shawl were already soaked with sweat, and so was his seat. Still, he sat quietly. The hall fell silent for a moment, soon broken when Balton asked, "May we know why we were summoned, Your Majesty?" "Sigh, Balton, do you remember your encounter with the Wolf beast?" Levos asked. "Er, yes, Your Highness. The memories are still so fresh¡­ It''s as if I remember them every day..." "Sigh, what do you think Balton, is there a chance of defeating him?" Levos asked. Balton thought for a moment and then replied, "Your Highness, if we asked Sir Kelton, Sir Warron and Sir Melos for help, I believe it would be possible to defeat the wolf." "..." Balton made a bold statement, saying that the three individuals Kelton, Walton, and Melos could possibly defeat Shin if they worked together. It must be noted that Balton is by no means an idiot. He has enough skills to trick others with his wit. It''s even better as he has Wendy by his side, who often gives him pointers to his ws and shorings. In any case, he was aware of how strong Shin was. His skin waspletely burned by Shin, and without Kelton''s abilities, he would have been forced to live with such burn marks all his life. He was also aware that Shin was in level 80s or 90s and still rmended these three men. And why? The only reason was that those three were also above level 80. Chapter 353 Detour Kelton - the Great Sage, who holds the title of High-Sage, is a level 87 Great Mage who can use 8th-tier magic along with 8th-level or higher skills. Walton - the Great Swordsman titled Infinite de is an Lv.89 Swordsman who has at least 5 Sword Skills above Lv.8 of A rank and one Sword Skill above Lv.5 of S rank. Melos - the Great Summoner, who holds the title of Beastmaster, is a level 85 summoner. Though almost the same as a mage, summoners are of a very different nature. They naturally summon beasts or monsters to fight in their stead. Melos in particr had signed deals with many strong beasts, some of which were in Lv.90s. So these three together might have a chance to defeat Shin - at least that''s what Balton thought and after much deliberation came to that conclusion. However, Balton also mentioned to Levos that Shin had strong allies by his side. It was evident from the n Wars that his allies weren''t pushovers. So unless he was alone, they had no chance to kill him. This forced Levos to conclude that it was only now that they could kill Shin. That''s because, the only ones around him were some Shadow Wolves who didn''t seem much higher than Lv.60. Thus, he didn''t see them as a threat. ''For some reason, this wolf has left the forest and is heading towards our kingdom...'' ''The Supreme Celestials would not help such a tiny human Kingdom as they have nothing to gain from it, so we have no choice but to follow Balton''s n and have the Great Three fight the Wolf.'', Levos concluded. "..." ''If only negotiation was an option...'', Levos sighed at the thought. Then he clenched his fist and looked at Balton. "Alright, the wolf will probably reach Reonoa in about ten minutes..." "Ten minutes!?" "Excuse me?" Balton was surprised when he heard that. That was because ten minutes is nothing more than a few hundred metres from the outer wall. That meant the wolf was very close, which he wasn''t aware of. "Balton, Imand you to gather Melos and Walton immediately and go to the starting town." "Kelton will be there waiting for your arrival." "Only..." "No matter what happens, don''t fail to kill the beast..." Levos said. "Yes, Your Majesty!" Balton bowed again and quickly left the castle with Wendy to immediately pass on the orders to Walton and Melos, who were stationed in the easternmost and westernmost towns of Levonia, respectively. "Kelton..." "I think you should depart right away..." "Yes, Your Majesty, but what about your safety?" Kelton asked as a precaution without really caring. "Ha..." "Do not worry about me..." "With all the guards here, I will be safe¡­", he said. "Well, if that''s what you wish," Kelton also left the castle. "Sigh..." "If only that stupid Balton hadn''t botched the situation..." "If only the wolf had never appeared..." "If only the Supremes hadn''t given the orders..." "..." ''If only we were stronger than the Supreme Celestials...'' "..." ''Gemos...'' ''I really miss you...'' ''If only you were here, we wouldn''t have anything to fear...'' and having said this, Levos closed his eyes to rest a bit and recover from all the stress. ¡­ As the spacial distortion cleared, Shin felt a little relieved. Now there was no one spying on them, so nothing felt awkward anymore. He turned back and looked at the shadow wolves who awaited hismand. ''Hmm...'' ''We''re out of the woods.'' ''If we walk leisurely, it won''t even take ten minutes to reach their main gate...'' ''However, I have no intention of going to their Kingdom.'' ''Why should we go there when we can avoid them by another route?'', he wondered, discovering a better route a bit off the kingdom that led to the same destination. "Good job guys. Let''s move forward.", he said. At once, everyone stood up and walked behind him. They had no time to waste. Actually, Shin wanted to deal with Balton so he kind of hoped for him to be there instead of the other two generals. But things didn''t go the way he wanted. Regardless, he and the shadow wolves marched forward in a different direction. As already mentioned, there was one main road that led directly to the gates of Levonia, but there were other roads that connected different ces to Levonia. Shin and the gang were quietly going to leave if no one messed with them, but fie, someone had to screw things up. Balton, who was supposed to gather Melos and Walton, had reported with a magic orb and exined the situation to them. Kelton had already left the capital and was only 20 minutes away from reaching the starting city. Melos was on the westernmost edge, near which was the route that Shin took. He could have taken other routes, but the said route seemed much more direct than the other curved ones. Melos was standing by the outer wall lecturing to a couple of idiot soldiers when Balton contacted him. "Sir Melos, His Majesty has ordered you to work with Sir Kelton and Walton to deal with the Wolf Shin," Balton said. He then further exined what Melos had to do. Melos, who was extremely loyal, immediately wanted to leave his post and rush to Reonoa, but even before Balton finished the message, Melos sensed the presence of several monsters, more specifically, the presence of the Shadow Wolves. A look at the ground showed him that Shin and the Shadow Wolves were taking a detour. They had already travelled about one-fourth of the Kingdom''s length. He immediately informed Balton of the situation. "Looks like the Wolf is taking a detour." "He has no intention of attacking us and probably just wants to reach the other end." "His entire concentration would be on escaping this ce¡­" "It would take him nearly 90 minutes to traverse the whole kingdom properly and I think we need to attack him before that," Melos said. Balton understood the task and immediately reported it to Kelton, who now had to return and join the East Side. The same was true for Walton, who had just set off and now had to make a detour. Chapter 354 Attack Of The Mages (1) Shin was too busy rushing through the route. If he had used his skill, he would end up crossing the kingdom within a minute. But he didn''t, as the shadow wolves were also following him. Previously, when Shin had used the All Seeing Eyes, he not only discovered the location of the spatial warp but also noticed the user. He could see directly inside the spatial warp and the other side, noticing the people from Levonia. That''s why he directly med everything on Levos. ''Hmm...'' ''I thought they would try to pull some trick.'' ''But seems like it was an unnecessary concern.'', Shin concluded as he almost passed through the eastern border, almost reaching the Northern side. However, the problem had yet to start. A second after concluding that, he felt a strong energy source approaching him. He shouted, "Watch out!" *Boom* Arge fireball hade sting their way. The st caused by the fireball was so big and strong, that three of the shadow wolves almost instantly died. About five to six of the wolves were severely injured and the rest barely managed to escape. Shin was also injured because of the attack, with 1/3 of his HP being depleted. For a few seconds, his ears were ringing. After shaking his head once or twice, he regained his sense of hearing. He turned towards his right only to find the casualties. He then turned to his left and found that Deoras had protected a few of his men by casting a shadow barrier. [Dead] x 3 As mentioned, 3 wolves were dead. While Shin didn''t exactly have any deep attachments with them, they were still part of his family. He was enraged. His dust-covered face showed signs of rage. He immediately turned towards the direction from which the fireball wasunched a€" the walls. He was initially angry, thinking about demolishing the person who fired the attack their way, however, when he finally looked at the walls, he had no choice but to change his mind. Rather than asking his subordinates to attack, he gave out a cry to save themselves. "Everyone, turn yourselves into shadows! Now!" The desperate plea sent chills down everyone''s spine. Some had already turned themselves into shadows to dodge the precious attack but there were still many left who had yet to do that. After hearing Shin''smand, they immediately turned into shadows. Other than Deoras and Shin, everyone hid in Shin''s shadow. Of course, the dead bodies of the three wolves remained. The reason why Shin asked them to turn into shadows was because he realized the gravity of the situation. On the walls, over 200 mages stood with their staffs aimed at them. While most of them were below level 40 there were some that were at level 40, 50 and even 60. But the one that shocked Shin the most was the man who was Lv.85 Summoner. Shin had no idea if he was a Summoner or actually a pure magician, but he couldn''t feel the vast amount of mana from him. This alone forced him to make the decision of asking his mates to hide. "Deoras, what are you doing...?" "Didn''t I ask you to hide?", Shin asked. "But Your Highness...", Deoras wanted to show how protective he could be, but, this was only making the situation worse. Shin felt an intense amount of energy yet again, and this time, a gigantic fireball of almost the same size as thest time was fired yet again. "You bastard!" Shin jumped right in front of Deoras while calling him a bastard. The attack was aimed at Deoras, wanting to kill any allies that Shin had. Melos had found out that Deoras was quite weaker than Shin and hence summoned a fireball specifically for him. *Ding* [You have used the skill Transformation] As the attack hit Shin, he transformed into me Wolf Emperor form. As it was a fireball, it did no damage to him in this form, in fact, even gave back some HP! Melos was surprised to find a gigantic ball of fire vanish right away as if it had been sucked away into some sort of pit. However, when he saw the me Wolf form, he just nodded his head and said, "Makes sense." Shin stared at mages on the walls as he murmured, "I''m telling you for thest time, get out of here Deoras." This time Deoras didn''t neglect the order and turned into a shadow, hiding away in shame. ''Indeed...'' ''Nothing goes as nned...'' ''I did expect them to send more soldiers to attack, but this...'' ''This was beyond my expectations...'' ''I didn''t know that Levonia had such a strong mage with them.'', Shin thought as he stared at Melos who was wearing a purple cape. *Ding* [You have used the skill All Seeing Eyes.] He checked Melos '' mana and was surprised yet again. ''How is this possible...?'' ''He uses such powerful attacks consecutively, yet only 1% of his mana has been consumed...'' "..." "Ha..." "You have done it now fuckers..." "You have sessfully angered me...", Shin murmured. He stared at all of them for a second. A lot of mages had their attacks ready and at the slightest moment would fire. Shin had to be careful. ''The best thing to do here is...'' ''Escape!'' He immediately turned back and started to run. No matter what, he had to get out of here. Fighting humans is not the same as fighting beasts. With much more training convenience and mastery of knowledge, a human was many times superior to any other beast. Therefore, he made the decision to escape. While he ran, he spot the three dead bodies of the shadow wolves, yet he didn''t make any effort to stop himself and take revenge for them. His life came first. "Your Highness...?", all the shadow wolves who watched this happen from the shadows were shocked to see him run away. ''What?!'' ''Do you expect me to fight an entire kingdom?!'' "..." Chapter 355 Attack Of The Mages (2) Shin was aware of his strength but he also knew that he couldn''t face so many mages. Especially the one mage who kept firing strong attacks with almost no depletion in his MP ¨C Melos ¨C Shin thought that he was the biggest threat. Therefore, without hesitation, he used the Speed ??Run skill to escape from that ce. His eyes began to shine again and he disappeared for a moment, but soon he reappeared. *Bam* He had hit something. He only covered 10 meters before crashing into an invisible wall. ''This...'' And only now did he realize that the mage he thought was a threat, had erected a barrier to prevent him from escaping. Not only did the system not inform him of this, but even his instincts failed to warn him. ''This barrier...'' He thought for a moment that he could break through the barrier and so he tried to use one of his powerful skills. *Ding* [You have used the skill Aero sh] But that was useless as well. The attack didnd on the barrier, however, no signs of cracks appeared. He used the skill again and again, but even now, the barrier remained undamaged. ''This is no ordinary barrier...'', Shin realized. He wanted to try out some other skills by transforming back into his white wolf form, but before he could do that, he was met with another attack. This time, his instincts as well as the system made him aware of the attack. *Ding* [Warning!] [Gigantic Waterball approaching.] The system gave this warning purely because Shin was in me Wolf form. Since his only weakness was water, and the quantity wasrge, it was fatal. His instincts cried out to him for the same reason. ''Ha?'' ''Why is he attacking while keeping the barrier active?'' ''Wouldn''t that attack just hit the barrier...?'', Shin asked himself. ''Or...'' ''Is he nning to remove the barrier for a split second to let the Water Ball in?'' "..." ''Very stupid...'' ''If he ns to do that, then I can easily escape with the help of a sprint even before he is able to reactivate the barrier...'', and this was what Shin thought. But to his great surprise, Melos didn''t remove the barrier at all and allowed the attack to continue. Only when the water ball passed through the barrier did Shin realize the true nature of the barrier. ''Ah...'' ''I''m screwed.'' *Boom* The waterfall collided with the ground giving a big ssh. Shin was able to dodge attacks thanks to the ''me Wings'' skill. The skill made him fly through the air and dodge the maximum number of sshes from the water ball. Of course, a small part did hit him and reduced his HP but that was almost negligible. Shin then stared at the impressed Melos who was pping his hands. It was as if Shin was nothing to him and was just ying with him. Shin entertained him and that''s why he pped - this only made Shin furious. ''It''s been a long time since someone has toyed with me to such an extent...'', Shin thought to himself, his eyes turning red due to anger. Balton, who witnessed all of this with the Magic Orb, waspletely taken aback. He had thought that at least three Greats would be needed to defeat Shin, but now, Melos alone was dominating himpletely. Even though Shin hadn''t given his all, it was still a fact that he was being toyed with. "You bastard...", Shin spoke. He wanted to vent his anger by yelling at Melos but even this opportunity was taken away by him when Melos just raised his hand and gave orders for everyone to fire their saved attacks. "Huh?" A barrage of hundreds of attacks was fired at him - some Fire Balls, some Water Balls, some Earth Shards, some Lightning Sparks and some Wind des. All of these attacks had a high chance of hitting him as he only had 10-15 meters of space on each side to move or dodge. Melos is a smart Summoner. He knows how to toy with other people. In terms of controlling the situation on the battlefield, there was probably no one better than him. Previously, he used a powerful fireball for the first time to shock Shin and cause some damage to him and his gang. For the safety of his gang, Shin would ask them to run away or hide somewhere - Melos had expected this. So he had sent several mages forward waiting for Shin''s subordinates to arrive so they could ambush. However, Shin, instead of sending them elsewhere, asked them to hide in his shadow - this was one thing Melos did not expect. Apart from this, everything else was arranged by him. He shot a secondrge fireball that not only caused Shin to take some damage, but also distracted his attention from the detail that Melos had erected a barrier. Melos expected Shin to use some kind of skill to escape. ording to him, the survival instinct of a monster was greater than its fighting instinct. He thought that on failure to escape, Shin''s confidence would be somewhat damaged and he would be shocked, which was exactly what had happened and thus, taking advantage of the situation, he shot a ball of water - because Shin had turned into a me Wolf. Shin dodged the attack with a flying skill thatpletely surprised him, but instead of letting the other magicians attack, he pped his hands first. This was to infuriate Shin where he again seeded. He didn''t want to give Shin any chance to rx. Before Shin could fully grasp the situation and adjust, all the mages fired their attacks. Unfortunately, now Shin continued to stare at the rain of attacks racing towards him. It looked beautiful. All the different attacks were of different colours. It was as if Shin was staring at a rainbow, a dangerous rainbow, falling down. ''Sigh...'' ''A dangerous rain indeed¡­'' "¡­" ''What a disastrous situation!?'' *Ding* [You have used the skill...] Chapter 356 Escape From The Mages (1) ''Sigh...'' ''A dangerous rain indeed¡­'' "¡­" ''What a disastrous situation!?'' *Ding* [You have used the skill me Wall.] *Ding* [You have used the skill me Wave.] Shin knew that his skills would not leave the barrier and only external skills could enter the barrier. But even so, he used his skills. He didn''t really intend to attack Melos or block his skills. Instead, he just wanted to block their vision, and prevent them from seeing what was happening within the barrier. The inside of the barrier waspletely filled with mes. Apart from the bright redness, there was nothing else to see. But what exactly was Shin nning? What would he aplish by obstructing their vision? Well, Melos had been toying with Shin all this time just because he could see what he was doing. The best way to stop him from doing anything else is to block his vision! The attacks rained down and were soon about to enter the barrier. Shin, who was in the air now, flying with the help of his me Wings, decided to use the Transformation skill to transform into the new evolutionary form he had acquired. Even though he had tested it only once, he realized that now was the best time to transform into an evolved form. *Ding* [You have used the skill Transformation:] [ Select one of the following options to evolve:] 1] Revert 2] Evolutionary Options [new] 3] Saved Evolutionary Links. Shin immediately clicked on Evolutionary Options, opening a new list of avable ones. [Evolutionary Options:] 1] Dragon Wolf 2] Death Wolf 3] Arachno Wolf 4] Cmity Wolf ''Death wolf¡­'' *Ding* [You have chosen the Death Wolf option.] [Evolving into a Death Wolf.] The mes that enveloped him suddenly changed colour. The bright reddish mes turned ck as if they hadpletely turned from mes into ck smoke. It wouldn''t be wrong to say the colour of his aura was ck! Following the mes, the colour of his fur also turned ck. As previously mentioned, due to getting all the evolution options, Shin lost the advantage of getting a permanent increase in stats from evolution. However, he still had the temporary upgrades on evolving or transforming! As his body changed from me Wolf to a Death Wolf, his stats increased by 10! It was temporary of course, only until the formsted. Shin could have chosen any other form to evolve into, but he chose Death wolf over others. Why? The Dragon Wolf form is a powerful form that provides almost unlimited defence! He could only suffer a small amount of damage if he transformed into that form so it had the highest chance of getting chosen, yet it wasn''t. Furthermore, if he chose the Cmity Wolf form, he could easily destroy everything around him, including attacks and magicians. As for the Arachno Wolf, his speed would increase greatly, giving him the ability to dodge attacks more precisely. So why? Why the Death Wolf? The answer is pretty obvious. It''s because Shin was angry. As mentioned, he was being toyed in the hands of Melos and because of that, he was furious. Instead of suffering under the attacks and rather than destroying everything around him, he wanted to let them live and describe the feeling that they felt while facing him ¨C FEAR! The Death Wolf form provided an additional effect of inducing fear in the opponents. The ck fur with red eyes would naturally frighten anyone. But along with that, the ck aura which spread from his body caused a suspending chill even in the air. The me Wall that he had erected soon vanished because of the extreme cold. All the attacks that wereunched at him, failed to hit him. They ended up striking the ground and caused a lot of damage to the ground, but he was unscathed. The Dark wolf had the ability to turn into darkness and avoid any attacks. Death Wolf was the evolved form of Dark Wolf and hence it inherited the ability. As a lot of explosions urred, the mages thought that they had defeated Shin. When theyunched the attack, they could only see their thousands of attacks. They missed Shin transforming into Death Wolf. The attacks ended and the clouds of dust filled the barrier, failing to exit. The mages started to celebrate. "Yayy!", cheers and celebrations echoed throughout the ce. Everyone other than Melos celebrated. Melos, who was sceptical of the situation, lifted the barrier. ''How can it be so easy?'', he wondered. Balton, who watched via the magic orb also had simr thoughts. ''There is no way that he was killed so easily!'', both of them thought this simultaneously. As the barrier was lifted, the cloud of dust along with hot air sudden gushed out, forming hot steam that could instantly burn anyone. As the scene became clearer, everyone''s cheers vanished. It didn''t happen suddenly but happened one by one. When one of the mages, who was celebrating, looked towards the steam that was gushing out, he noticed a pair of red eyes. Instantly, his throat dried. He stopped cheering and seeing him, others started to nce at the steam and stopped cheering. One by one, everyone stopped as the pair of gigantic eyes made them ufortable. Soon enough, when the scene was clearer, Shin''s entire body was visible. He was twice his normal size. His ck fur with red eyes sent chills down their spine. The air became cooler which made everyone anxious. "How...?", there was another and a much bigger reason that shocked everyone. "How was he able to survive that!?", a mage asked, confused. A barrage of thousands, if not, at least hundreds of attacks wereunched at him yet he was still able to dodge them. "No, did he eat them?", one of them asked. The person believed that instead of dodging, he stood still and took the attacks head-on! *gulp* They swallowed arge amount of dry saliva which only made their throat even drier. Their fear didn''t cease and continued to increase. Melos, who was known to control the battlefield efficiently, found his men losing morale. Despite that, he couldn''t do anything. He couldn''t pull himself to give some encouraging words because he too was in fear. His legs trembled a bit at the sight of Shin. ''What''s wrong with my body...?'', Melos was confused. Even in the face of a Wyvern, he didn''t feel the slightest fear, but now, he couldn''t feel even the slightest amount of courage in front of Shin. Chapter 357 Escape From The Mages (2) Shin smiled as he looked at everyone shivering. With everyone''s fear, he only got stronger. It was fun, everyone looked like prey to him. However, he didn''t activate his dual sses. The sses were temporarily locked, but it had been long since they were unlocked. However, Shin only realized this when he was trying his evolution options. Regardless, he didn''t think about using those right now. He wanted to get out of this ce, but at the same time, he wanted to leave a strong impression on them. What could be better than letting them know their true fear? He turned back and started to run. Melos, who was still trembling, decided to summon another barrier to trap Shin. But this time, Melos failed. It didn''t mean that he failed in summoning a barrier! His summoning was sessful and a barrier did appear around Shin, however, it was utterly useless. Shin''s Death Wolf form could pass through attacks as of they were nothing. The barrier was no exception. He easily passed through it and continued running, further using the Speed Run skill to escape faster. About the bodies of the three dead shadow wolves - he had stored them in his inventory while running. Melos had sent some of his men ahead earlier. They were waiting to ambush. They had sent some traps too - mostly pitfall and spears as their base. If it was any other wolf, they would have sessfully hunted it. Unfortunately, it was Shin. He didn''t even need his All Seeing Eyes to see through the traps. The mages who were hiding ended up exposing themselves as fear engulfed them. Despite them being far away from Shin, they could still feel the uncanny fear. Regardless, Shin ran past the traps as if they were nothing and escaped the ce. Kelton and Walton arrived about 20 minutester, but now Shin had already escaped. "You failed to stop him!?" "You!?", Walton was surprised when he heard Melos'' words. "Yes.", Melos shook his head as he clenched his fist. Kelton wasn''t particrly surprised as he knew that Melos alone wouldn''t be able to stop Shin. He looked at the soldiers and mages who were on the walls. They neither looked tired nor was any of them injured. He asked, "How many of your men died, Melos?" Melos shook his head yet again and said, "None." Kelton was surprised. He asked, "What about the wolf?" "Were you able to cause any damage to it?" Melos nodded as he said, "Yes, at the start, the wolf did take a lot of damage." "But in the end, it seemed perfectly alright." "Oh...", Kelton tapped his chin, confused even now. However, all his confusion was reced with fear and surprise when Melos mentioned about the death of three shadow wolves. "I managed to kill only three shadow wolves..." "..." "Huh?", Kelton took a step back when Melos mentioned this. "If I had more info and more time to prepare, then I could have definitely killed the wolf.", Melos said, almost bragging. "..." ''Even after killing some subordinates of the wolf, it didn''t try to kill ours...'' ''No way...'' ''Someone who doesn''t even care if their brethren have been killed and wants to save their own life can be ssified as one of the two, a Coward or Ruthless.'' ''As far as I know, that wolf beast is not just a mindless monster...'' ''It is not a coward either...'' ''It only took a step back today and will someday, it wille back to bite our necks...'', Kelton kept mming his head with his fist. Melos and Walton seemed confused as they weren''t even aware of the danger that they had let go. ... ''Damn those fuckers...'' ''Who do they think they are?'', Shin, who was way ahead of the kingdom, was still furious. They had hurt his pride. Especially Melos, who toyed with him, remained imprinted in his memory. ''When I return, I will settle this debt for sure.'', he said to himself that he would pay them back. He paused after running for some more time as Deoras and the rest asked if they could get out of his shadow. "Yes,e out now.", Shin said. All the shadow wolves appeared immediately. They weren''t greeted with any smile, but rather, with killing intent. They could clearly see that Shin was furious. His eyes were glowing in red, in contrast to the usual green. His Aura was ck, causing everyone around him inconvenience. The shadow wolves that just emerged were trembling in fear as a Death Wolf stood in front of them. ''Damn bastards...'' Shin''s blood kept boiling. The fact that they did something like this to him and got away with it made him even more furious. It would have been best to forget about this for now and carry on with his business, but every time he tried to do so, the images would just sh through his memories and make him furious. "Um, Your Highness...", Deorad called out to Shin, wanting to make sure he is alright. Shin, didn''t even look at him and just randomly started walking after saying, "We should keep moving forward..." He walked slowly and the shadow wolves followed him closely. They were still trembling because of the Death Wolf form which Shin soon deactivated as he noticed that others were ufortable. He kept walking slowly like a snail for about twenty minutes. Soon after that, he stopped. "How dare they...?", he mumbled to himself, almost audible to Deoras. "Your Highness...?", Deoras called out to him yet again, but this time, Shin didn''t respond to him. As he continuously thought about this, Shin realized that he couldn''t go on just like that, with these half-broken feelings. "You all, continue this way." "It will be a straight path leading to the West Terrain..." Deoras and the rest of the wolves were intelligent enough to at least understand the path that will take them to their destination. Shin even demanded one of the shadow wolves to bring a wooden stick, after bringing which, he used to draw out a map. "There will be two more human kingdoms ahead. Be careful. Walk stealthily but if they do try to mess with you, let them know whose subordinates you are!" "Wha-" "What about you, your highness?" "Won''t you apany us?", Deoras asked. "No." "I have some debt to pay back." As he said this, he turned back and used his skill Speed Run, vanishing from their sight almost immediately. Chapter 358 Attack On The Humans (1) "What about you, your highness?" "Won''t you apany us?", Deoras asked. "No." "I have some debt to pay back." As he said this, he turned back and used his skill Speed Run, vanishing from their sight almost immediately. As soon as Shin vanished, all the responsibility was shifted to Deoras. Now, he had to make sure that all the shadow wolves stayed safe throughout the journey until Shin returned. While Shin was with them, it was as if he wasn''t under any pressure. Even when the gigantic Fire Ball hit them, he wasn''t scared. That was because he believed in Shin and his strength. But now, he was forced to shoulder all the burden of the shadow wolves. "Come on, let''s go." "His Highness has ordered us to stay safe while travelling, so make sure that none of you gets hurt." "Yes leader!", everyone raised their voices and walked faster. A day passed... Deoras and the gang of Shadow Wolves had entered another forest and were mid-way through it. The Dead Forest, also known as Yamaris Forest, was a forest dedicated to the Ancient Supreme Celestial Yama. The previously mentioned twelve Supreme Celestials were the new ones, who were promoted to Supreme Celestial ranking only a few thousand years ago. As for the Ancient Supreme Celestials, it could be said that they were the ones who had created the world and established Law and Order. Kira also received his name directly from Yama, but how? That''s a story for another time. In any case, Deoras and the other shadow wolves had entered the forest and had crossed almost half of it. It was all peaceful as there were no beasts above Lv.50 in the forest and they didn''t dare to show up in front of Deoras. However, this peace didn''tst for long. A bunch of humans were camping in the middle of this forest, or to be precise, a little closer to the exit. Deoras sensed them and immediately asked his group to stop. He wanted to make sure that he didn''t attract any attention and for that, he decided to take a different route. They slowly turned the other way and started walking. They were sessful in bypassing this group of humans who seemed like adventures, but fie, they ended up barging into the camp of another group - a muchrger group! Kingdom Bona is a small kingdom situated close to the West Terrain. It has one-fourth the number of inhabitants whenpared to Levonia. Since the kingdom is close to the west, where the Great Desert lies, often, there is no good harvest for the Kingdom. Therefore, the soldiers are usually sent to the forest to hunt a lot of beasts and bring them back. They would then store the beasts using preservation magic and would then slowly satisfy the hunger of many! Of course, even if the number of people was less whenpared to Levonia, the number, in general, was quiterge. Over 15,000 people lived in Bona out of which, 5000 were vegetarians who depended only on the little harvest and the rest were all meat lovers. As the kingdom Bona was surrounded by four forests, hunting and bringing back about a thousand beasts wasn''t all that hard - though, the soldiers had to be sent quite frequently. The camp into which Deoras and his gang barged belonged to the soldiers of Bona - especially higher-ranking soldiers! Out of all the four forests that surrounded Bona, the Yamaris Forest had stronger beasts, of Lv.40 and above. Therefore, the soldiers needed to dispatch had to be above Lv.40 so there was no exaggeration in saying that the soldiers were special and trained. "Wolves!", one of the soldiers who was patrolling shouted as he saw two to three shadow wolves that had mistakenly barged into the camp. It was evening, so there was still some sunlight, making the shadow wolves visible. Also, the fact that many trees in the Yamaris Forest didn''t have leaves enabled the sunlight to reach the bed of the forest. There was not much darkness and thus, it was hard to hide. The soldiers that were resting immediately picked up their swords and rushed towards the soldier who rmed them. About twenty-five wolves stood in front of them. It included Deoras who led all of them. The soldiers started to grin. "Hahaha." "The prey hase to us." "We won''t have much work to do now.", one of the soldiers said while the otherughed. Deoras, without making any noise, red at the soldiers. He was analyzing one by one, every one of them. But a few soldiers were sceptical. One of them asked, "Are you sure?" "Look at their fur..." "It''s ck." "Aren''t they the strongest type of wolves?" Some men who wereughing paused after hearing this. However, the one who hadughed first out of all, said with his sword unscathed, "ck or not, they are still wolves. A Wolf will remain a wolf!" And these simple yet useless words gave others foolish confidence in thinking that humans are the strongest always. They pointed their swords at the wolves. "Get ready to be minced.", said the initiator of the confidence. Deoras on the other hand looked at his mates too. He nodded his head slightly. A few minutes ago, when that one soldier rmed the rest, Deoras uttered a few words. "His Highness told us not to attack humans unless they attack us." "So, if they begin their attack, then do not hesitate to disy your most powerful moves.", he said as he growled slightly. A few soldiers moved forward which became the signal for the wolves to begin their rampage. The shadow wolves unleashed a number of their skills, almost immediately beheading some of the soldiers that rushed towards them. "Aoooooo!" The sound of many wolves made the earth tremor. The humans who hade to hunt them ran as far as they could due to fear. It was something unimaginable. "..." Chapter 359 Attack On The Humans (2) "Kukukuku, it''s time for a massacre." Deoras''s crazed voice echoed in the ears of the wolves. He did seem calm all this time, warning everyone to stay safe and take their own life as the greatest priority but now, he seemed somewhat crazy and wanted to vent out all the anger that was inside him. The respect that he lost earlier had converted into anger which he had bottled inside him. He couldn''t help but let it out now! Looking at the humans dashing toward them a crazed look appeared on Deoras'' face. The humans were confident that victory was theirs. There was no way that these weak wolves could defeat them. But thinking such a way was their biggest mistake. This marked the beginning of the massacre. "Aoooooooooo" The ground trembled as the wolves howled together. Blood spattered everywhere. A wolf in between the humans sliced their bodies using its ws. No human ever imagined such a scenario even in their worst nightmare. Humans thought that they will be the ones ughtering the wolves, like pigs but no, they were wrong, dead wrong. When the first soldier dashed toward a ck wolf with a war cry, everyone thought that they would see blood sttering and a head falling on the ground which would obviously belong to the wolf. Yes, they did see such a scene, but not the head of a wolf. The head of their dearrade. "You bastard!" "I will kill you!" Some were immediately angered by this. They rushed toward the wolf and swung their swords at it, but s it was just a foolish attempt. Just as their sword was about to make a contact with the wolf''s head it disappeared. Just as a second passed they felt a sharp pain in their neck and the next moment the world started to spin. They weren''t able to see what happened but the ones who didn''t foolishly attack the wolf clearly saw the scene. The wolf just melted in darkness and in the next movement dark particles umted in the thin air behind the soldiers and re-formed as a wolf. Multiple dark shes wereunched by the wolf which beheaded the soldiers. All the soldiers just stood in their ces and warily looked at the wolf which killed five strong soldiers in seconds. The wolf looked at the soldiers and dashed towards them. Without any choice, those soldiers dashed toward the wolf trying to kill it, but that was their biggest mistake. The wolf once again melted in darkness and then reappeared behind one of the soldiers. All the soldiers turned and looked at the wolf which was ready to attack them. What they failed to notice was hundreds of dark shes which were heading towards their way. Once they noticed those, it was already toote. They failed to realize that this wolf was bait. Soon many blood fountains could be seen painting nature in red. If one ignores the heads and the headless bodies through which the fountain was flowing then this scene would truly be beautiful. Deoras, the one who was leading all these wolves said in amanding voice. "It''s too early to celebrate. Many of these cowards have escaped. Let''s go and kill them all, my brothers!" Deoras''s words made all the wolves howl once again. Then they all looked at the humans who were trying to escape and started to follow them. Meanwhile, the soldiers who were marching towards the Yamaris forest, suddenly saw dozens of soldiers running in the opposite direction. The sound of many wolves howling together made the earth tremor. The soldiers who hade to join the rest of the soldiers for the hunts, ran as far as possible, as their instincts screamed to get their asses out of this ce. It was something unfathomable. something that no one heard of ever before. A pack of wolves was hunting humans which was quite the opposite of the usual. Instead of wolves, humans'' blood was being spilt, and instead of the pack of wolves trying to retreat this time the humans were the ones who were barely hanging on and were trying to retreat. Amidst them stood a giant ck Wolf that seemed to bemanding them. "Run! We are no match for them. We need to retreat immediately!", One of the humansmanding the hunters said as he sensed an even greater danger approaching them. Something that sent chills down his spine. He just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. An unbearable amount of tremendous force generated due to the sudden outburst of mana filled the entire ce bringing some of the humans to their knees. This was the mana emitted by a beast rather than any humans so they knew for sure that they would die if they didn''t retreat immediately as it was recognized as an S-Rank threat. Even all those strong wolves froze on their spot sensing the tremendous amount of mana being released. "The beast will kill all those wolves! No need to worry!", Taking advantage of this situation some of the humans ran away while the ones pinned down to the ground were helpless. Only the strong would survive while the weak would die. This was the rule of the world. But these humans weren''t helpless. Mustering all their strength and mana in their body they too escaped or at least tried to. The other wolves. They didn''t care as their eyes were focused on the beast that released the mana. They wanted to chase the humans and kill them however, the moment they felt this sudden presence, they changed their minds. All the wolves who felt the tremendous amount of mana immediately howled and bowed for Unknown reasons. Even the giant ck wolf that was supposedly twice or thrice the size of an average man bowed in front of this pressure. Someone or rather something was walking towards them. It was too foggy to look at anything clearly but the dark shadow waspletely visible. Chapter 360 Shin Vs Melos (1) Just by looking at that, it seemed as if a beast that was ten times the size of an average human was making its way but as the mist that was covering the forest was slowly blown away the figure of the beast was clear - A WHITE WOLF. Due to the moonlight behind him, he looked huge but in reality, he was the size of any normal wolf, perhaps even smaller. "Tsk looks like all of them ran away...", the white wolf spoke arrogantly. "Greetings Your Highness, we have been awaiting your presence." "We did as your ordered. We didn''t attack the humans first and waited until they showed any signs of hostility.", Deoras bowed and reported this to Shin. "Haha, I see.", Shin seemed happy. "Good job.", Shin praised Deoras. Only a few words from Shin made Deoras forget his anger. "Yes, your highness. We have been waiting for you.", he made it as if he had already sensed Shin''s presence and was waiting for his arrival. "Haha, you didn''t have to wait for me Deoras! You could have led the pack till the West Terrain.", Shin spoke somewhat sarcastically while fully knowing the dangers that were present in the West Terrain. But when he said that, he somewhat meant it. That was because, the West Terrain was going to start as soon as one crossed the Bona kingdom, which was no more than a few ten to twenty kilometres away. "I wish I could do that but I am not worthy of being given such an important role yet, Your Highness.", Deoras thought that Shin was genuinely asking him to go all the way to the West Terrain. "Hmm, it indeed looks like you have to grow a bit stronger, only then I guess you can lead them!", Shin jokingly said this, as if ying along with Deoras. "Thanks for the praise Your Highness and I apologize for theck of my strength. I will try my best to grow stronger." Deoras was holding a good conversation with Shin and this was only possible because Shin was happy for reasons unknown. Regardless, Shin ignored what Deoras said and then took the lead and all the other wolves followed him after giving another ground-shaking howl. "Aoooooooooooo!" He looked towards the starry sky filled with stars in the dark sky which looked extraordinarily beautiful. All the remaining wolves just rested and fell asleep while he and Deoras were the only ones who were awake and keeping an eye on the surrounding. Shin kept on staring at the night sky. He was thinking about everything that has happened in his life. From his death in the past life to his reincarnation as a wolf with cheats. From how he became a human to someone who hated humans. He could just sigh, and keep on looking at the beautiful night sky filled with stars. Just as he was rxing he spotted Deoras who was walking towards Shin. Shin just patiently waited for Deoras who was slowly walking towards Shin. "Your highness." "What''s the matter, Deoras," Shin asked as he continued staring at the giant ck wolf. "Your highness, what happened that time? Why did you suddenly leave? And your mood¡­ Now that you have returned, it seems as if your mood is better than before." "Well, because it is. As for why I left at that time. It is because..." ---[sh back]--- Shiro had originally decided that he would attack the Levonia kingdom after he met with the heavenly family, but he couldn''t control his anger and feared that he might do something crazy in this anger and killing intent, thus he dashed toward the Levonia kingdom with all his speed. He soon arrived at the Levonia kingdom. As soon as he spotted the walls of the kingdom, his killing intent exploded. Melos, the great summoner who was standing above the western wall, while closing his eyes feeling the peaceful breeze, suddenly trembled a bit, and his eyes wide opened as he felt the familiar killing intent. -Gulp He gulped arge amount of saliva, making his throat go dry, but then he clenched his fist. Kelton and Walton who were standing on the same wall also trembled a bit as they felt the familiar killing intent. They soon turned their head to their left and saw a ray of ck aura, continuously exploring and sending shockwaves toward the kingdom. The people in the kingdom and the soldiers at the gate started to shiver, in fear. "Kh, hahaha! Melos look, at that pitiful prey of yours, that you leftst time." Walton said as he grabbed the hilt of his sword that was on his back and then proceed to unsheath it. "Let me finish him quickly," Walton said as he continued looking at Shin who was dashing towards them. "No Walton, as you said he is my prey, so I should finish him shouldn''t I?" Melos said in a calm Tone to which Walton clicked his tongue. "Be quick," Walton said with an interesting look. "Sure," Melos said as a smile appeared on his face. Then Melos channelled all his strength on his legs and then jumped from the giant wall. But before even his body could make a contact with the ground he activated his skill. A giant summoning circle started to form. The ground started to tumble and cracks started to form. Once the summoning circle waspletely formed, mes burst out of it. Yellowish-orange mespletely engulfed Melos''s body. But soon once the mespletely disappeared the summoned creature was visible. It was a giant python. Crystal blue eyes, brown scales, the tip of the tail engulfed in orange mes, and a human standing on the top of its head. Melos standing on the top of the python''s head smirked. "Damn! That''s cool as heck." Walton said as he looked at Melos who was elegantly standing on the head of the python. Kelton didn''t have much of a reaction and kept on looking at Melos with an emotionless face. Chapter 361 Shin Vs Melos (2) Shin asked the system to show the level and once the system did, Shin justughed. Why? Because of the level that was shown to him. [Race: Level 75 Pythonidae (Exp 71.66%)] Shin dashed toward the python in from of him to which the python whipped his tail. Shin dodged the tail whip but to his surprise, a wall of mes appeared in his previous ce. A summoning circle started to form on the python''s head and a giant eagle appeared out of it. Melos jumped on the eagle and started looking at the battle from the sky. The python once again whipped its tail, which confused Shin as he was out of range but he then understood what was the purpose of the snake. A wave of me burst in his direction trying to engulf him. Of course, Shin didn''t let the waves of mes hit his body. The python kept sending waves of mes in Shin''s direction which he was dodging easily. "Rooooaaaarrrr." Then the python spat out waves of the me burst. Shin started running sideways trying to dodge the mes, but the snake kept on moving its mouth changing the direction of the me burst. The python then stopped spittingnes and bashed its tail on the ground causing massive pieces of the rock to momentarily rise in the air, and at that exact time, the python whipped its tail causing a burst of me waves, which engulfed the massive pieces of rock. Due to the burst of me waves, the rocks wereunched towards Shin at a very terrifying speed. Shin didn''t even flinch a bit as he looked at the massive pieces of rock heading toward him and just as the first rock was about to hit him, heunched an Aero sh toward it which cleanly cut the rock in half. As the rock was cut in half, its two pieces expanded and moved away from each other, causing the mes that engulfed it to expand or stretched out too, making a massive firewall or fire wave that was about to hit Shin, but it looked as if he didn''t care about it. Shin used his speed run and ran right through the wall of mes making him look like a horse that was pulling a ming chariot. Just as Shin ran from the firewall another massive piece of rock appeared in front of him, but instead of Shing it too, Shin jumped on it. Shin then proceed to jump from one rock to another at a very terrifying speed, and soon reached in from of the ming python who looked at Shin with surprise. After all, how could such a weak-looking creature be so strong? Even its mes didn''t affect Shin. Shin didn''t care about what this python was thinking andunched an aero sh towards it. The python quickly dodged the Aero sh and once again bashed its tail into the ground causing massive ming pirs to rise. Shin quicklynded on one of the pirs. Shin was a bit irritated as he didn''t like hotness that much. If it was an ice python then Shin would have at least thought about sparing its life but since it was a ming python Shin would kill it. Shin stood on one of the ming pirs which didn''t affect him at all. At that time the python screamed at the top of its lungs. A scream thatpletely shook the earth. As soon as the python screamed, fire particles started to umte in the sky, forming hundreds of fireballs. Soon those fireballs descended on the pir, the one on which Shin was standing. A giant st urred as the fireballs struck the pir. The st kept on spreading, destroying the other pirs. Once everything was clear the python was shocked to see Shin still standing without a scratch on his body. The python was quite frustrated as it couldn''t even defeat such a weak creature. The python decided to end it once and for all. Orange mes burst out of its scales as the python curled its body. Then it started spinning towards Shin at a very terrifying speed destroying anything in its path. Basically, it formed a vertical circle and was performing a roll-out! "Ha, I guess I should repay the favour, shouldn''t I?" Shin said as he looked at the python covered in mes rolling towards him. ''Death Burst!'' *Ding* [You have used the skill Death Burst.] -Boom Shin''s body was covered in a ck aura, aura of death, that wanted to devour each and every living being in its path. The sound of a terrifying st echoed in everyone''s ears present over there as Shin''s body shot like an arrow toward the Python and crashed with it. Both of them had a terrifying sh causing ripples to form in the air. Shin and the python stayed in contact for at least two minutes before causing a st. The python''s body rebounded backwards and shed with the wall. The python looked very injured. On the other hand, there wasn''t a single scratch on Shin''s body which angered the python. It just wanted to spread Shin into pieces. After all, Shin humiliated him a lot. "I will kill you!!!" The python screamed. The python had finally lost all sense of reasoning. The mes on the tip of its tail turned crystal blue, and its scales turned Crimson red in colour. This time instead of orange mes, crystal blue mes burst out of its scales. The python once again curled its body and started rolling towards Shin at a very terrifying speed, forming a vertical circle yet again. Once again dark aura covered Shin''s body and the sound of a very terrifying st echoed in everyone''s ears. This time Shin wasn''t holding back. For Melos, Shin disappeared from his ce and reappeared in another ce, and the mes were in the python''s body but Kelton, Walton, and even the python saw everything clearly. When Shin released his full power and dashed toward the Python at his full speed, it was as if the world for the python froze for a second. Chapter 362 Shin Vs Melos (3) When Shin released his full power and dashed toward the Python at his full speed, it was as if the world for the python froze for a second. The pythons and Shin''s eyes met with each other. The python realized that it couldn''t defeat Shin. Shin was far superior to him. Despair and regret filled the python but it couldn''t do anything else. At that time the python saw Shin having a mocking expression on his face as if he was picking on the python. The time for the python started to flow normally once again as Shin passed through the python''s body as if it was butter. Blood sttered. There could be seen two holes in the python''s body. One on its heart area and another on its abdomen region. The python was filled with regret and despair in a couple ofst seconds that it got to live. One would be expecting Melos to be despairing right now but instead, he was smiling crazily. When was thest time that he felt so thrilled? That would be a very long time ago, and now fighting with Shin refreshed him. Why wasn''t he despairing? Because the thrill of the battle took the best off of him, he thought that the sacrifice of his python was more than enough of a price, for the thrill and excitement he felt just a movement ago. But now it was time to end this. He raised his arm, and one ck and many green summoning circles started to form in the air while five white summoning circles started to form on the ground. The air became colder. It was as if the air was freezing. Ice particles began to appear and started to levitate in the air. An aura of death which wasn''t of Shin started to spread in the surrounding. The pressure and the heaviness of the death aura, which was being emitted from the circle, was greater than that of Shin''s. The trees and the nts around them started to decay. ck smoke was emitted from them and they soon turned into ashes. A giant Two headed Wyvern, also known as the Creature of Death appeared out of the ck summoning circle. It had Crimson red eyes and a ck aura surrounding it - The aura of death. The wyverns were creatures of death and their mere presence would kill any living being. In their presence, all life force in the surrounding would be sucked out ¨C but there was a condition. Any living being with 30 levels less than the Wyvern would be subjected to this condition! If the difference in the level was less than 30, then no life force could be sucked by the Wyvern! In any case, from the other five green summoning circles, five eagles appeared. One of the eagles was level 80 while the rest four were level 70. On the other hand from the white summoning circles on the ground, White panthers also known as Frost panthers appeared, causing the coldness in the air to increase. A heavy blizzard appeared as those frost panthers appeared. One of the frost panthers was of level 80 while the rest four were level 70, just like the Eagles. Shin felt like he was in heaven as the coldness increased. The ming python irritated him so much by the burst of mes, and now that the frost panthers were helping him cool himself, he started to consider sparing them and using them as personal AC. He would have indeed done that if he didn''t have the skill ¨C Winter Breeze. Regardless, Melos on the other hand looked at Shin with a crazed expression. "You did a good job thrilling me but now you have to die!", Melos knew the strength of Shin and knew that Shin might be able to pull off some miracle and kill his wyvern which was level 90, a level below. That was the reason he took precautions and called a lot stronger beasts along with the Two-headed Dark Wyvern. ording to him, with all these beasts Shin''s death was confirmed. 362 Shin''s and the Wyvern''s eyes met with each other, and soon both of them released their fierce death aura. Both of their fierce auras crashed with each other causing many shockwaves to spread throughout the ce. The ground beneath them started to shake and all the remaining trees and nts started to decay and turn into ashes. But it didn''t matter to Shin as he and both the heads of the Wyvern kept on staring at each other. The other creatures in the presence of these two beasts started to feel suffocated. They wanted to get out of there but couldn''t defy the order of their summoner. Shin and the twin-headed wyvern disappeared from their ce. The sound of multiple terrifying sts taking ce could be heard. sts could be seen too in mid-air. Many ripples were caused in the air as shockwaves kept on spreading through the ce. Thousands of cracks appeared on the ground as it rumbled even harder. The screams of two ferocious beasts could be heard escaping throughout the ce. Soon the twin-headed wyvern and Shin were visible to everyone but that was just for a second as they both disappeared once again and the shockwaves and ripples created through their shes spread. p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® Soon they both were visible once again and before they would disappear, the other beasts summoned by Melos attacked Shin. Many icicles formed in the air which wereunched toward Shin. Hundreds of Aero shes formed in the air which wasunched toward Shin too. But those strong attacks melted into darkness as soon as they were about to touch Shin. This was due to the death aura that covered him. All the sky eagles used one of their stronger skill - hurricanes. Soon ten hurricanes could be seen making their way toward Shin destroying anything In their path. These hurricanes were sessfully able to push Shin from his ce and to counter those hurricanes Shin used his skill [Hurricane]. Chapter 363 Shin Vs Melos (4) While both the skills seemed simr, they had a lot of differences. First of all, the Eagles'' skill seemed a bit advanced version of Shin as it summoned more than one hurricane in a single use. But in terms of strength, Shin''s was definitely stronger! On the other hand, the frost panthers used their skill which was as efficient as hurricanes. [Mega blizzard!] The blizzard in the ce increased ten folds. Shin clenched his teeth as he had to face such stronger skills. The twin-headed wyvern used its skill [Dark mes] taking advantage of the fact that Shin was busy trying to defend himself from the skills of the beasts. Shin quickly used his death aura to protect him by wrapping the death aura around his body. The abyssal mespletely engulf him but since he wrapped the death aura around himself, he only suffered some minor scratches. Shin then used [Dark manuption] and created multiple spheres made out of the darkness. He thenunched them toward the twin-headed wyvern. He created more spheres andunched them toward the sky eagles and the frost panthers. The spheres sessfully injured some eagles and panthers while killing two eagles and one frost panther. Shin started using dark maniption to create multiple attacks such as dark shes and dark spheres. Multiple des of darkness were also being prepared high up! They all were formed in the sky ready to beunched toward the enemy. Shinunched them as soon as the other beasts started to bombard him with stronger attacks. -Boom More beasts died. There were only one sky eagle, two frost panthers, and one twin-headed wyvern alive. The twin-headed wyvern used a death ray. The Darkser wasunched toward Shin which he dodged easily but at that exact time, the wyvern used another skill which ended up trapping Shin momentarily. [The chains of death.] Multiple chains burst from the ground and locked Shin before he could even react. Five dark chainspletely restricted him from moving even an inch. Shin then felt arge amount of death energy heading towards his way. it was the death sphere. A very strong attack of the twin-headed wyvern. Shin knew that if he was hit with such an attack then he would be injured heavily. He couldn''t afford to be injured by such an attack. Shin quickly used one of his strongest attacks [Bloody impact]. Red colour particles started to umte around Shin''s body. His blood vessels weren''t visible due to his fur, but if he wasn''t covered with anything, then his body would appear as if his skin was reced with blood vessels. The mana particles around him would explode any time soon as they started to get charged due to his blood!please visit A small st urred which destroyed the chains of death and started to spread. The st started to be bigger and bigger and soon crashed with the death sphere. But instead of an even bigger explosion to ur, the sphere turned into pure death energy and covered the red st not letting it spread. It was as if the wyvern had already seen someone use bloody impact and knew its function and properties of it. That''s why, it used the Death Sphere, thinking that it could engulf any explosion-rted attacks. Soon the st covered in pure death energy started to shrink and thenpletely disappeared. Shin''s body was visible, he waspletely injured. This was because of the function of the bloody impact. The function of the bloody impact was that it would borrow all the strength from nature and store it in multiple vessels ¨C blood vessels, and then release the strength in one go causing mass destruction. The destruction caused by the sudden release would be too much for the user to handle in turn injuring the user too, but to make it negligible, the explosion would have to move away from him. Yes, that is the reason the bloody impact would keep on spreading so that it doesn''t hurt the user, but since the wyvern prevented the expansion of the impact, it had to release all the strength in the area provided, which included the usage of the skill, due to which he was injured by this attack. Shin then stands up using all the strength of his body. His eyes paused on the eagle that was flying towards him at a very terrifying speed, ready to kill Shin. "Damn it!", Shin screamed as heunched an Aero sh toward the eagle. Although the eagle seeded in dodging the attack at first, it failed to dodge the next barrage of Aero shes! At that time the death wyvern used its skill death sphere once again. The spear travelled at a very terrifying speed towards Shin, but he was able to dodge it by using [Speed Run] at the eleventh hour. However, just when he thought that he had dodged them safely and could prepare himself for an attack, many death spheres appeared in the sky which were all aimed at Shin. ''No, I can''t keep going like this¡­'', he knew that his agility had decreased due to the injuries that he had sustained. Therefore, he thought about healing himself right away before continuing. [Heal!] Shin quickly used his skill due to which the wounds on his body started to heal. All he needed was a minute to heal himselfpletely but it seemed like the wyvern didn''t n to give him some time. Shin knew that and hence was prepared to keep running. Shin quickly used Speed Run and Wind Run to dodge each and every sphere. Since his body hadn''t healed, his speed had dropped so he didn''t want to gamble with just the use of Speed Run. He used Wind Run just in case, to keep dodging at the top speed. At that time the sky eagle once again flew towards Shin and used its skill, [Wind st], trying to hurt him while he was busy dodging. -Boom A loud explosion reverberated throughout the ce. Chapter 364 Shin Vs The Two Greats (1) Wind st was actually a skill that would create gigantic spheres of wind with explosive mana trapped inside it, causing an explosion when on contact. Since Shin was busy dodging all the deadly attacksunched by the wyvern he couldn''t defend himself properly, against the wind st. He did jump away from it, but was not far enough to dodge itpletely! But at that time Shin decided to kill both the sky eagle and the frost panther. The eagle flew towards him once again and used its skill [Drill]. Its beak started to shine in emerald green colours, but just as the sky eagle was about to sh with Shin, he used his skill [Dimensional Eater]. Dimensional Eater ¨C a skill that forms a gigantic head of a wolf appeared. When Shin used the Dimensional Eater, a wolf''s head, just like his, appeared after the formation of a ck gate. It was twice the size of Shin and had razor-sharp teeth, perhaps sharper than Shin. It was as if this head belonged to the wolf that resided in a different Dimension! Shin did nothing and just watched the blood show in front of him. The giant dark mouth of the wolf was opened soon after which it closed resulting in the blood stter as the eagle failed to dodge the Eater! The eagle that was just about to hit Shin with its attack got stuck in the mouth that suddenly appeared out of the thin air, and once the mouth closed the eagle was mercilessly killed by its razor-sharp teeth. At that time death chains once again burst out from the ground, but this time Shin was able to dodge them as he jumped very high. Shin noticed the energy of death umting in the sky and forming many death spheres. Shin used his skill Death Burst, covering his body with a death aura. Just as one sphere was about to touch him Shin twisted his body and grabbed the sphere with his paws. The spheres should have theoretically exploded when they made any contact with Shin, however, since he was covering his body with death energy ¨C especially from the skill Death Burst, he could easily hold the sphere that was made out of the same energy. Shin then used all the strength in his body and jumped from that one sphere andnded on another. He then kept on repeating the process as he jumped from one sphere to another at a very high speed. Due to this Shin reached very close to the dark wyvern, which was at a very high in the sky. Looking at Shin the twin-headed dark wyvern used its skill dark ray. Both of their mouths opened and a dark orb formed. Soon two darkyers were shot at Shin. Midway before hitting Shin, both the darkyers merge and became a dark ray. Shin on the other hand used Dark Burst and Wind Run along with Dark Maniption. -Boom The sound of a terrifying st echoed in everyone''s ears. Shon in the mid-air disappeared and then reappeared right in front of the dark ray. He didn''t even let the Dark Ray travel all the way to him. Instead, he instantly went towards it with the n of using Bloody Impact. He was able to run in the air due to Wind Run, and since he wasn''t on the ground, he didn''t use Speed Run as it would give no boost in speed. Regardless, as soon as he appeared in front of the Dark Ray he used Bloody Impact. Both the terrifying attacks shed with each other and a very giant explosion urred very high in the sky. For the lookers, it looked like a very beautiful firework.please visit Soon Shin and the wyvern were visible once again but not in good condition. Both of their bodies fell to the ground causing the dust to rise. "Cough cough." Shin coughed twice, almost spitting out blood. The same was true for the Wyvern, who didn''t look good right now. Melos was about to burst intoughter, trying to say that there were a lot of mages here that could kill him after he had injured himself. But before he couldugh, he realized that Shin could heal himself. *Ding* [You have used the skill, Heal.] And with that, his injuries started to heal again. When the dust settled down everything was clear once again. Everyone was shocked to see Shin in perfect shape, but remembering his skill using which he could heal himself they had a look of understanding. On the other hand, Melos''s face waspletely pale. He didn''t expect his dark wyvern to be in such a critical condition. He wanted to attack Shin before he had the chance to heal, but he just couldn''t. He realizedte and his wyvern was also almost dead, in a critical condition. "Guess I will be needing your assistance," Melos said as he looked at Walton and Kelton. None of them expected Shin to be so strong, none, other than Kelton. "dly!" Walton said as he jumped from the wall andnded on the ground. He then once again looked at Shin who was facing the Wyvern, as if he was about to kill it. "Not on my watch!", Walton said as he used his skill [Sword sh]. A crescent moon-shaped aura, which was very sharp wasunched toward Shin. He dodged very easily. Walton once again used [Sword sh]. All five fingers linked with each other, as he swung his hands horizontally. A crescent-shaped sh burst out of his hand and wasunched towards Shin. Shin quickly countered the crescent moon-shaped sh using dark maniption and making a dark sh. At first, only one sword sh and a dark sh shed again each other. But soon multiple Sword shes and multiple dark shes could be seen shing with each other causing shockwaves to spread throughout thend. On the other hand, Melos used his skill, due to which three summoning circles appeared in the sky. A ck circle, a green circle, and a pure white circle. He wasn''t going to let Walton handle everything. "¡­" Chapter 365 Shin Vs The Two Greats (2) The Dark summoning circle descended on the injured wyvern as a blue lightpletely engulfed its body. Soon the wyvern disappeared from the ce without leaving a trace. The same happened with the frost panther and the sky eagle. Apparently, he wanted to replenish his mana and let his summons rest and leave the battlefield without any further injury, so he immediately sent them back. *** Walton dashed toward Shin in order to punch him. However, Shin used Speed Run to escape the attack. But just as he had vanished, he found Walton following him closely, in fact, appearing right beside him. He had almost matched Shin''s speed and punched him in his stomach causing Shin''s body to sh with the ground. Shin was surprised to see someone with such a massive body, chase him at such a high speed. Walton then continuously punched Shin three times causing him to cough some blood. But then Shin quickly used his skill to heal as the fourth punch was about tond. Just as the fourth punch hit Shin, he used Dark Maniption, creating a Dark Sphere andunching it at Walton who was too close to dodge! Walton had left behind his gigantic sword, so he couldn''t even use the skill Damage Reverse to send all the damage done to him to Shin. So, he used Sword sh yet again, but this time, without any sword. Walton''s fingers once again linked with each other. He used it as a sword and swung it vertically downward. He shed the sphere in two, and both sides went and sted a little far away after passing by him. The sword sh that he unleashed had another purpose too ¨C to sh Shin''s neck! Shin was barely able to dodge the sh by a millimetre, but right after that movement, a bloody scratch appeared on his paws. Walton once again swung his hand toward Shin without using any skill, to which Shin was barely able to dodge them. He would dodge it by a millimetre but each time he did, a bloody scar would appear on his body. Walton once again linked his fingers and swung his palm toward Shin''s forehead. This time Shin didn''t try to dodge, instead, heunched a wind de by using an Aero sh. The Aero sh would slice off Walton''s fingers if he tried to sh it with his fingers, however, much to Shin''s surprise, Walton did try to slice off the Aero sh and he was sessful too, without having to lose his fingers! Walton''s fingers started to shine in pure white light. As soon as the Aero sh came in contact, the Aero sh vanished, as if it got sliced into pieces. This was the master swordsman''s mastery over Sword Aura! Regardless, Shin decided tounch hundreds of Aero shes. It was as if Walton realized what Shin''s n was and hence, he created some distance between them. Secondster, thousands of wind des travelled towards him, but Walton wasn''t scared or nervous at all. Instead, he just picked up his gigantic sword and posed towards the shes. He stood in a defensive style, with his sword behaving like a shield. All the attacks him! *BOOM* Clouds of dust covered everyone''s vision. However, when clouds of dust settled down, Walton was unscathed. The one who suffered the damage was none other than Shin! ''What the!?'', Shin was confused. His HP was decreased by a significant amount. In fact, only 10% of his HP was left. If not for his skill Heal, his entire HP might have run out! Just what happened!? Well, Walton was able to reflect the damages from the attack due to his skill, [Damage Return] an A-rank skill at level 9. It was a super strong skill that would let Walton escape unscathed and cause the opponent to suffer heavy damage ¨C of course, the skill had some limitations as well. It couldn''t block the skills that were of higher rank than it ¨C for example, an S-rank skill couldn''t be blockedpletely by the A-rank Damage Return. Of course, it could still reflect the damage partially, but it couldn''t do itpletely. Regardless, after witnessing this, Shin was both surprised and confused. ''Was that a skill¡­?'' He wondered. He didn''t hesitate to ask the system to disy all the skills that the Master Swordsman had. 1] Sword Creation Lv.9 - Rank A 2] Sword Aura Lv.9 - Rank A 3] Infinite de Lv.5 - Rank S 4] Demolition Sword Lv.3 - Rank B 5] Eye Of Rakhsa Lv.4 - Rank B 6] Damage Return Lv.9 - Rank A 7] Sword Domain Lv.10 - Rank A 8] Infinite Sword Control Lv. 9 - Rank A 9] Sword Walk Lv.4 - Rank C 10] Sword sh Lv.2 - Rank D He didn''t check the description of the skills as the names sounded self-exnatory. But there were some skills that he really wanted to check ¨C the skills that were at S rank. Fie, he failed to check the details as Walton seemed to prepare himself tounch an attack. Shin decided that he would attack before Walton did and payback for all the damage that he caused. *Ding* [You have used the skill Dimension Eater.] Three giant mouths of a wolf appeared. One from the top, one from the left, and one from the right side. "Interesting," Walton said as he grabbed the hilt of his great sword and unsheathed it. He then struck the three giant mouths as they approached him, breaking them. Soon those mouths melted in darkness, fading instantly as they took great damage. Shin then dashed towards Walton and used Blood Crunch. But this time, Walton decided that he would hit Shin just as he approached. So he didn''t dodge and just waited to swing his sword. But what a pity, Shin''s attack hit him, biting his left arm, and almost ripping arge amount of flesh from it. Walton underestimated Shin''s speed. Just because he was able to catch up to Shin previously and hit him, he thought that Shin couldn''t go any faster. But right now, Shin, who was cautious, used both Wind Run and Speed Run and boosted his speed to the extreme, so that his skill could seed in hitting the mark! Chapter 366 Shin Vs The Three Greats (1) Walton grit his teeth as he endured the pain. Shin''s bite force was very strong. It almost crushed Walton''s arm Walton shed toward Shin using his great sword. Shin once again dodged it by a millimetre and a bloody scar appeared. Shin used dark maniption and created many dark shes. He thenunched them toward Walton who used damaged return. His sword shone bright silver as he struck the dark sh. The damage of the dark shes was sent back to Shin, who suffered damages yet again. ''Fuck¡­'', Shin cussed at himself for forgetting the skill that Walton had used a moment ago. ''System, what exactly is that Damage Return¡­'', Shin asked. *Ding* [Damage Return] [Rank A] [-> A skill that returns the damage from an attack to the attacker.] ''How do I stop it?'' ''How do I get past it and injure him?'' Shin wanted to know of a solution that would help him to actually injure or kill Walton. *Ding* [The skill cannot be used forever. The stronger the attack, the more amount of MP will be consumed to reverse the damage. With the depletion of MP, the skill Damage Return won''t be used anymore.] This was indeed a way to prevent Walton from being invincible, however, Shin had already found another w with the skill when he read the statement and recalled how Walton had blocked the attacks. Apparently, he was required to use his gigantic sword to use the Damage Return and any and all attacks had to hit the sword so that the damage could be sent back to the attacker. This meant that, if there was a wide range that covered arge area, then Walton wouldn''t be able to return all the damage from the skill and would without a doubt, suffer from it. He then used dark maniption and continuously created dark spheres, andunched them toward Walton, who was easily slicing through them. Shin realized that Walton had already used a lot of mana and couldn''t afford to use another Damage Reverse, at least, not any time soon. He thenunched another sword sh toward Shin injuring him. Shin used speed run and started dodging the shes, created by Walton. Suddenly Walton disappeared from his ce and reappeared in front of Shin which baffled him. Walton channelled all his strength in his arms and swung towards Shin but at that time he notices a giant mouth that formed in the air and was about to bite him. He quickly changed his target. His sword started to shine bright silver as he ced the surface of the sword on top of the head defending himself from the mouth of the wolf, but at that time darkness appeared beneath his leg. The darkness soon started to take a shape. ''Shit!'' Walton knew that this was one of Shin''s attacks. [Dimension Eater]. At that time he noticed Shin who used dark .annihtion and created multiple dark spheres, and dark shes. All those attacks wereunched toward Walton, and if he met with those attacks while defending against the Dimensional Eater then he would surely lose two or three limbs or might even die! He was unsure of what to do, his life almost shing in front of him. At that time he felt as if someone was pulling his body. Before even the second Dimensional eater could form or the attacksunched by Shin could injure him, his body was pulled towards the wall. He went flying towards the walls and was grabbed by Kelton. Balton who was watching this battle waspletely pale as he continued to look. The great swordsman, Walton, and the great beast master, Melos lost against the wolf. He expected to wolf to be stronger but not to this extent. He gulped arge amount of saliva. "Why don''t you three fight together!?" Balton said as he looked at the three great warriors. He feared that their pride wouldn''t allow them to work together, but he could only hope that they all battled together. "Sigh I guess we have no choice," Melos said as he looked at Kelton and Walton. "Yea you are right. We certainly underestimated this wolf." Walton said then proceeded to look at Kelton who still had his calm look. Kelton then looked at Walton and Melos and then nodded. He then lifted his arm and pointed it at Shin. me particles umted on his fingertips, and formed a massive fireball. The fireball was double his size. There were several other small fireballs around it. The massive fireball started spinning so did the several small fireballs, orbiting around the gigantic one. Soon heunched the massive fireball which seemed to possess a very strong gravitational pull as the other smaller fireballs started to follow it. It was as if those small fireballs were orbiting the massive fireball, and soon the massive fireball started to grow even bigger and merge with other small fireballs. "ROAR!", soon the Massive fireball transformed into a massive ming dragon. Walton''s eyes went emotionless and they started to shine in silver. It was as if everyone was transported to a whole new world. A world filled with thousands of swords. Thousands of swords hung in the air ready to beunched toward their enemy. Melos summoned the attack of the twin-headed death wyvern. Thousands of death spheres and death fireballs appeared in the sky. Melos had the ability to not only summon the monsters but also summon their attacks whenever he wanted. He thought that letting a beast fight another beast was the best solution, but it seemed like he was wrong and hence, he took a step back and decided to fight only with summoned attacks. On the other hand, the ming dragon opened its mouth, used gravitational pull, and pulled Shin towards it. Shin''s body was pulled toward the mouth of the ming dragon, but he didn''t try to free himself in any way. Soon Shin waspletely inside the mouth of the ming dragon but at that time a smirk appeared on his face. *Ding* [You have used the skill Transformation.] Secondster, he transformed into me Wolf Emperor, fur turning bright orange. His eyes turned Crimson red. Chapter 367 Shin Vs The Three Greats (2) *Ding* [You have used the skill me Maniption.] Shinpletely manipted the mes around him and turned them into a me vortex. Not only did he try to turn it into a stronger skill, but he also used the mes to heal himself. His HP, which was less than half, almost instantly recovered. The same could be said for his MP, however, not all MP was restored. Only 1/4th of the initial lost MP returned. On the other hand, Waltonunched all the swords in Shin''s direction after he saw how easily he broke Kelton''s spell and used it to his advantage. Shin covered his body with the vortex. He even added his mes to the vortex so that it heat up. As soon as the swords made a contact with the vortex, they allpletely melted. Not even a single one of them was able to survive. Looking at this scene Walton waspletely shocked. Melosunched his death spheres and dark fireballs toward Shin at that movement. To counter the death spheres Shin created ming spheres. *BOOM* The Death spheres, the dark fireballs, and the ming spheres crashed with each other, forming arge explosive sphere in the sky for a moment and then exploding right away. Shin quickly dashed towards Walton. Walton was surprised by the explosion, but he didn''t let Shin take the upper hand, or at least, he didn''t stand like a fool and used one of his strongest skills! [Sword Creation] ¨C A level 9, Rank A skill. Thousands of swords materialized out of thin air. Secondster, he used another skill toplete his skill set effect. [Infinite Sword Control] - Level 9, Rank A. Heunched all the swords toward Shin to which Shin created seven me vortexes. Kelton created hundreds of massive icicles, while Melos summoned the spell [Ice dragon]. All three of themunched their skills toward Shin who protected himself, by covering his body in a ming vortex. He then used his skill - Heat Wave. A wave of mes appeared and started to melt the attacks, sent by all three of them. All the attacks were melted in seconds. Walton, Melos, and Kelton weren''t even surprised anymore. Their pride was starting to break. At that time Shin created more me vortexes and sent them all toward Walton, Melos, and Kelton. Looking at the me vortex speeding towards them at a very terrifying speed, all there of them used their skills to try to break the vortex, but s it was of no use. All three of them started to escape, but their speed wasn''t enough. Melos summoned his fastest mount, whereas Kelton started to fly. Walton just used his normal speed to escape. Walton was the first one to be sucked by the vortex. "Ahhhhh.", He screamed in agony as the mes started to burn his skin. He did try to use Damage Return, despite knowing that it would be ineffective as the me Vortex covered arger area than the area that his sword could cover. On the other hand, Melos and his mount were also sucked into the ming vortex. Before getting suckedpletely, he called out yet another summon which was his ve ¨C Golem. A level 65 golem. The golem used its hand and legs to wrap itself with Melos so that it could protect him from the mes. It was a foolish idea. The golem was gigantic and powerful, so if it really tried to cover Melos from mes, it could end up crushing him to death! Additionally, the mes could easily touch him as he didn''t provideplete coverage ¨C so, it was kind of a bad move. However, this was the only move that Melos had in his hand. All other contracts that he had were of beasts that wanted something equal in return. They would definitely not give up their lives for him! So, he had no choice but to summon the golem. Kelton was the one who almost escaped with the help of his high-level flying spell, however, when Shin used his skill me Vortex to create a fire tornado right in front of Kelton, he had no choice but to get trapped in it. The vortex sucked him and started to burn his skin. He quickly used his spell that would harden his skin, so that he could reduce the damage done to him. "AHHH!" All of them screamed in agony as the mes burnt their skin. They all thought that they would die by burning into ashes, but it turned out to be that they wouldn''t. Because the me vortex suddenly vanished, making them fall to the ground. But it wasn''t the end of their agony. No, it was just the start. Shin quickly used his skill [Burn], due to which their skin started to burn even without fire. The sound of something getting deeply fried echoed throughout the ce, which was followed by a blood-curdling scream. "AHHH!" All three of them rolled over the ground while screaming. The Golem of Melospletely turned into ashes. Despite being a fire-resistant type of monster, it had already died after the me vortex. When Shin used the skill burn, the summon was also undone. The smell of meat getting roasted spread through the ce as the golem slowly vanished. Shin felt that smell very pleasant as he sniffed even more. The scream of these people was like a piece of beautiful music to him which he wanted to listen to even more. "Kelton! Heal us!" Walton screamed but he was met with no reply. He once again screamed while bearing the intense pain he was currently feeling. "Kelton! Heal us! Quickly heal us!" he shouted with all his might, his vocal cords almost tearing up, but yet again, Kelton didn''t give any reply. He clenched his teeth. He wasn''t going to give up, after all, he was a Warrior who had the will of a real fighter, who would fight till death! He would always try to find a way to win no matter what the situation is, trying to avoid death. However, right now, the situation didn''t seem to go ording to him, slowly crushing his will. "Damn it!", Walton banged his right fist on the ground. "¡­" Chapter 368 Shin Vs The Three Greats (3) "Damn it!", Walton banged his right fist on the ground. ''I guess I have to use that skill.'' Walton thought as he clenched his teeth even harder. [Infinite de] Rank S, level -??? It was a skill, that would burn half or more of his HP. It was a skill that would make any de have infinity stat. Infinity sharpness, infinity durability, and even infinity potential. But it wouldn''tst long. Along with HP, the skill even consumed MP. This meant that, if Walton were to use the skill for any more than 2 minutes, he would probably faint because of low HP and mana sickness and with another 2 minutes, he would be as good as dead. A great sword materialized In his hand out of thin air. [Infinity de] After using his skill, he threw the great sword that had just materialized. "Last desperate attempt, huh?" Shin said as the wickedness in his smile increased even more. He just simply dodged the sword as he looked at Walton with a mocking smile. But at that time Walton smiled in return too. The smile on hispletely burnt face looked very creepy and bone-chilling. [Infinite sword control] The sword changed its path and selected Shin as its target once again. Now it charged at him once again. "So what if you can control the sword?", Shin asked as he activated his skill [Heat Wave]. me waves appeared whichpletely engulfed the great sword. Shin thought that the sword must have melted, but no, it cut right through the mes and sted towards Shin, as if it would not stop before hitting him. The smile on his face quickly crumbled as he activated, the me vortex but it was of no use. The sword cut right through the vortex and was still moving forward towards Shin. It was as if the sword has decided not to spare Shin''s life. Needless to say, this was Walton''s skill. He quickly used me maniption and created multiple me walls which were easily destroyed by the sword. Shin then started to run as fast as possible, trying his best to destroy the sword. But before that, he wanted to get as far as possible from the sword. He used most of his skills, including bloody impact but none of those skills could even bring a scratch on the great sword. It was as if the Sword was made from an indestructible material. Shin was trying to find a way to get rid of the sword. Shin used speed run and started to run while thinking hard. ''This must be due to a skill of that bastard. That means it consumes mana and if that''s it then I have to keep on dodging until that guy''s manapletely drains.'' Shin thought as he kept on dodging the sword, running away from it. However, that didn''t seem right to him. ''But I am not a circus monkey.'' Shin thought as his murderous intent exploded. ''There must be another way.'' Shin was trying to think of yet another way while continuing to dodge the sword''s attacks. At that time an idea shed into his mind. He then stopped in a ce, and as the sword was about to touch him, he used his inventory. In front of everyone, the sword turned into many blue particles and disappeared. As soon as Shin stored the sword in his inventory, Walton lost his connection with the sword and his infinite sword control skill deactivated on its own. "Wha-" "What happened¡­?", Walton was confused. He had almost no HP left. The same was true for his MP. The ultimate skill that he used as hisst move, seemed to cause no damage at all. He realized that the only damage that Shin ever suffered was when he had attacked at the start. After that, everything was more or less futile. Regardless, Shin deactivated his Burn skill. It was a sort of reward for showing such a tremendous skill. Walton, Melos and Kelton were not feeling pain any more thanks to this. He then looked at these people. He was itching to kill them all. He then started walking towards them with killing intent. After all, they were the ones who humiliated him. The one he desired to kill from the depth of his heart was Melos. "Melos, Melos. I guess it''s time to die, isn''t it?" Shin asked with a yful voice, but one could even feel a hint of rage. Melos waspletely horrified as he looked at Shin who was slowly walking towards him. "Kha fshb ssb hsn." Melos tried to say something but instead, a zombie-like voice escaped his mouth. "I bgu spre oh gshi hsc." Melos kept on trying to say something but a zombie-like voice was heard, which was not understandable. [Aero sh!] Shin used his skill, and a de of wind hit Melos''s right leg,pletely cutting it. "Ghaksnsgsjsh." Melos wasn''t even able to scream properly, as an unbearable pain engulfed his body. At that time Shin''s eyes paused on Walton and Kelton. He was going to take his time with Melos, so right now his target was Walton and Kelton. "Hg hogw dghd ywu do twat." Walton tried to say something but another zombie-like voice was heard. It seemed like Walton''s condition was better than Melos, but still, it was very critical. They were earlier in pain, and for the same reason, the voice was escaping their mouths without them even trying, but from the moment Shin stopped the skill, they felt a weird rxation but at the same time, lost the ability to speak. Shin was about to kill Walton but at that movement, he was interrupted by, Kelton. "Wait¡­ kuch" Kelton''s voice and the words which were a bit understandable echoed in Shin''s ears, but still, it was zombie-like. Shin''s eyes paused on Kelton. He was the person with the least injuries, due to some defensive skills that he practised. He looked at Shin with almost dead eyes as he spoke. Chapter 369 Soul Contract: Shins New Dog "Please, wait¡­", Listening to Kelton''s zombie-like voice, Shin lifts his paws and touches Kelton''s face. He then uses his skill, [Heal] due to which Kelton''s face and his vocal cord heal. Shin didn''t heal any other part, as he knew Kelton was a stronger mage, and Shin had very less MP left after continuously using skills to dodge from the S-ranked sword skill. Also, Kelton behaved like a puppy. He let Shin approach him easily. Kelton then looked at Shin and started to speak. "Can I join your n?", Kelton asked in a diligent voice. "¡­" "Huh?" Shin was utterly surprised by what Kelton just asked. A human, and that too someone who was almost killed by Shin, wanted to join his n. Despite knowing that the Supreme Celestials were after him, he still asked this. Other than considering him a crazy fool, Shin couldn''t think of any term. Shin calmly thought about it for a second after which he shook his head. "No." "I mean, are you alright?" "Do you even realize what you are talking about, huma- Ahem, Kelton?", Shin asked, peeking at his stats a bit. "Please, I beg of you.", Kelton was on his knees, wanting to join Shin''s n no matter what. "You are a human Kelton, and I can''t trust you. Just a second ago we were trying to kill each other.", Shin looked at Kelton as he said. "And does it even make sense? Perhaps you should double-check your wish.", Shin said, calmly. He had nothing to be worried about right now. Both Melos and Walton were severely injured. As for Kelton, Shin was curious as to what someone so powerful could say. It is by no means easy for someone to reach a such higher level, especially a human who has no cheat system like Shin. Adding to this was Kelton''s age. He seemed somewhat elderly, so Shin automatically started speaking formally. Listening to Shin''s words Kelton sighed and spoke once again. "Please listen, I am one of the greatest mages of Levonia, a great military strategist who increased the borders of the kingdom to a very great extent." "But this is nothing in front of you, but if you could give me a chance, then I can prove that I am useful to you!" "It doesn''t matter if I have to stay in Levonia for this. You can leave me behind if you are suspicious. But please, take me under your protection.", Kelton said with a very serious expression. Shin thought for a minute. What Kelton said wasn''t exactly wrong. He was indeed quite strong, and if he were to join Shin, then perhaps¡­ Perhaps he might have a better chance of escaping and living through the struggles that he was facing right now. However, he was still not sure about this. Therefore, instead of directly epting him, he thought of a better idea. "Well, if you want to show your loyalty towards me, and want to serve me then how about you make a soul contract? And remember in the soul contract it would be stated that you will be my ve for eternity". Shin said, trying to discourage and test Kelton at the same time. He knew that humans could be sly and too shameful, so he couldn''t just believe him straight away! What if this was his trick in trying to avoid death or stall for some time? So without too much waste of time, Shin immediately resorted to a soul contract. A soul contract was a contract where two parties would agree on some terms and would then offer a segmented energy of their souls. If any party broke the contract, then their soul will rip apart giving them a very painful death. But right now, Shin was not asking to make a mutual soul contract, instead, he wanted Kelton to be his ve. This indirectly meant that, even if Shin were to abandon Kelton, there would be no repercussions to him, but that wouldn''t be true for Kelton. If Kelton were to break the conditions or try to betray, then that would be the end for him ¨C a painful death indeed! "Yes!" Kelton answered without a movement of hesitation which surprised Shin. Then out of thin air, a paper materializes. Kelton doesn''t even look at the terms and conditions and just, puts a drop of blood on it. Then he stretches both of his hands forward as if touching the paper. He then closed his eyes and then murmured a few words, "I, Kelton, am willingly agreeing to the written words on this Soul Bond." Shin then bites his paws and then puts a drop of blood on the paper. As soon as both of them put their blood on the paper, started to shin Crimson Red in colour. It shone brightly for a moment but then soon faded. And now, Kelton had officially be Shin''s dog. While Shin didn''t think much of it, and Kelton was too happy, Walton and Melos on the other hand were bewildered. They could hardly speak anything else, their vocal cords are almost torn. They hated their own zombie-like voice. Furthermore, they were too shocked to even think anything. Kelton the great, decided to do this!? ''Perhaps this was the best route to survive¡­'', Walton thought to himself. ''Ha¡­'' ''Sometimes wepeted to see who was stronger¡­'' ''In terms of physical missions, I always won¡­'' ''But looks like, the one who survives and lives longer is perhaps the most fit¡­'' ''The strongest perhaps¡­'', Walton thought as a hint of regret appeared on his face when his eyes twitched. But what was the use of thinking now? Shin had no intentions of sparing them! Shin looked at Walton and his maniac smile returned once again. He didn''t want to wait longer and wanted to finish this with a single strike, however, he was yet again interrupted by Kelton. "You shouldn''t kill him, uh, Master!", Kelton said to which Shin''s brows furrowed. Not only was he irritated on hearing a human call him master, but he was also frustrated with Kelton interrupting again and again! ''Maybe I should just kill him!'', he thought, trying to calm himself right after that. "And¡­ why shouldn''t I?", Shin asked in an arrogant tone. Chapter 370 Sparring The Three Greats "And, why shouldn''t I kill him?", Shin asked, staring at Kelton. "Because it will create problems in the future.", Kelton murmured, trying to make a sound argument. "Problems¡­?" "Ha!" "What kind of problems!?" "Will the humanse and try to hunt me?" "Or will his sessore to seek revenge?", Shin asked, trying to think of a possible reason that Kelton tried to give. "Uh¡­" "Haha, thest is not an option since no one wants to learn from the rowdy Walton but¡­", while Kelton did say this in a jovial tone, Melos almost ended upughing. But fie, his vocal cords¡­ "Stop wasting time and speak the real reason¡­", Shin said. "Yes." "Master, you see, we are the Three Greats of this Kingdom¡­" "As you already know, Levonia''s military might is not all that great." "If not for my strategies and Walton''s superior strength and violence and Melos guidance, Levonia would have already been doomed by other kingdoms." "So, if now, both of them end up dying, and Ie to your side, then the Kingdom is bound to fall¡­", Kelton said in a low voice as he found Shin getting irritated Kelton spoke something that sounded unrted to him. "Ha¡­" "I have no idea what the hell you were speaking about." "And¡­ I missed the part where it was supposed to be my problem.", Shin said sarcastically, staring at Kelton. "You are not trying to stall for time, are you?", Shin asked directly without any hesitation." "No of course not. I wouldn''t do that even in my wildest dreams¡­" "And do pardon me if I felt chatty to you. I will try to give you exact details from now onwards¡­", Kelton said. "Ugh, alright alright. Now tell me, how is it going to create problems for me¡­ and ME only! Not for the Kingdom of Levonia, but for ME! Got it?" "Yes¡­" "So¡­" "Master, after the n Wars, other Kingdoms have begun their preparations for hunting you." "As you know, just like n Wars, we humans have Grand Hunt event and without a doubt, you would be one of their targets¡­", Kelton said. ''The heck? Despite disying my strength, they think that they can hunt me?'' ''Either they must be fools, or they are thinking too highly of themselves¡­'', Shin thought. "So, they would do their best to hunt you." "But right now, their military power is divided and with less force, I doubt they would cause any great damage." "But with us, three Greats missing from Levonia, either of the surrounding kingdoms might be able to take control of it." "This would increase their military might." "I see¡­", Shin somewhat nodded his head, as if he had started to understand what Kelton''s point was. "Yes. So, after taking over Levonia, they might end up attacking Loria and then the forest¡­", Kelton said with a worried face, as if he was genuinely thinking about Shin. "So, it would be best for us to let them live¡­ isn''t that right Master?", Kelton asked and finally, Shin had a look of understanding. "Well, what you said is true." "I might as well spare these waste people¡­", Shin said and then his eyes paused on Melos. Killing intent flickered in his eyes but he then controlled it. He inhaled and exhaled deep breaths trying to calm himself but he just couldn''t bring himself to spare Melos. ''I probably shouldn''t injure them too much¡­'' ''Them being on death bed is no different than them being absent¡­'' But even after thinking this, he just couldn''t control his will to kill Melos! [Aero sh] s, anger took the best of him due to which heunched an Aero sh toward Melos which hit his left hand separating it from his body. Due to this, another scream escaped Melos''s lips, echoing through the almost empty battlefield. "I am not going to kill him¡­" "But that doesn''t stop me from giving him pain, does it?", Shin asked asughed crazily, while Melos had a horrified look on his face. The zombie-like voice kept on escaping from Melos''s lips. It was as if he was begging for mercy, but it was clear as crystal that Shin wouldn''t even bait his eye at him and would only want him to suffer even more. Shin used his skill [Burn] only on Melos, due to which he started to scream once again. This time, he maintained the skill for a while. Soon after what seemed like endless torture, Shin stopped and then started to heal Melos. And now, Melos, who thought that the torture was over, found himself gazing right at Shin''s face. Shin had a dominating look, as if, he was determined to do something¡­ It was only secondster he realized that he was wrong about it being over. Melos once again started to scream as the sound of meat getting fried in deep oil echoed throughout the ce. Shin had used his skill Burn yet again. Walton looked at the scene with horror. He was just hoping that Shin didn''t hold a grudge against him or he would have to suffer the same fate as Melos. About ten minutes passed and Shin realized that he still had tons of work to do. He calmed himself. After having enough fun with Melos Shin didn''t bother to heal him. Melos was left with third-degree burns which made him look like a haunted character straight out of a movie. Melos was kissing his left palm and right ankle. He was all bloody. Shin had indeed used the skill Burn, but along with that, he also used Blood Crunch in the middle and ripped off some of his flesh. Needless to say, the skill Regeneration and Heal did help him to attach those parts back on Melos but he didn''t put any further effort. "¡­" Balton was excited when he saw all the three Greats entering the battlefield so that they could hunt the monster named Shin. He was more than sure that Shin wouldn''t be able to live after battling with the three great warriors of this country, however, the oue was something different than what he had imagined. Chapter 371 Levos Death (1) Balton was excited when he saw all the three Greats entering the battlefield because he thought that Shin wouldn''t be able to beat them as they were super strong! While he awaited the result, he suddenly saw a white-coloured dome entirely made of mana covering the view of the battle. He just anticipated the dome to disappear. He expected to see Shin''s dead body and the three Greats standing victorious but no, he was strong dead wrong. Once the dome did disappear, he saw Shin standing while two great warriors out of three were almost burnt to a crisp. Shin''s look waspletely different. Shin hadplete abyssal ck fur which wouldpletely absorb any form of light. This was the scene prior, but now Shin had bright orange-coloured fur. His eyes were Crimson Red. All four paws and his forehead were covered in mes. He looked like an Emperor who dominate over mes. Looking at the two great warriors, Balton started to shiver. He wrapped his arms around his body as he shivered uncontrobly. He still remembered his and Shin''s first meeting. That day still haunted him even in his dreams. His eyes then paused on Kelton, the eighth circle magician and some hope was ignited in his heart. But soon something happened that confused him. Shin and Kelton started talking with each other. He couldn''t hear them since he was afar but that didn''t stop him from watching both of them. "Kelton, as I mentioned earlier, I still don''t trust you¡­" "So, you will be staying at Loria, and not in the forest.", Shin said. "Yes master, I understand." "I will finish my business in the kingdom and depart right away towards Loria.", Kelton said. "Yea, be quick," Shin said and started to walk away from there. This confused Balton even more. As mentioned, he couldn''t listen to what Kelton and Shin spoke with each other but he knew one thing for sure it was up to no good. Kelton then looked at the kingdom''s walls seconds after which he used a flight spell. His body started levitating in the air and then he flew past the walls, heading towards the gigantic castle in the capital city. "Sir Kelton!!", Balton screamed but was ignored by Kelton who was flying towards the castle at a very terrifying speed. He probably didn''t even hear Balton''s call. Kelton covered his body with mes to increase his speed. Soon he reached the topmost ceiling of the castle. His body broke through the roof of the castle and hended on the floor causing shockwaves to spread throughout the floor. Surprisingly enough, Kelton reached the castle within a minute or two despite the total distance being greater than fifty kilometres. Prior to this, when Levos had asked him to take care of Shin, it took him longer to reach the outer walls ¨C without a doubt, Kelton didn''t use his full strength earlier as he didn''t care much about Levos'' orders. But Shin was different. If he didn''t take Shin seriously, he wouldn''t have sted all the way to the castle so quickly! "Wha-", Levos was left speechless when the ceiling suddenly broke. Although he was sitting in the throne room which was on the third floor, there were still two more storeys above. Kelton literally broke through all the walls from the fifth floor to the third! "Kelton!?" The clouds of dust settled down and he found Kelton standing in front of him. The ceiling was destroyed and as he looked through it, he found simr holes on the other two top floors. "What is the matter?" "Why did you burst open the ceiling instead ofing through the doors?" Levos asked, trying to maintain a dominant position while thinking that Kelton will bow in front of him but instead, Kelton stood like a statue. Levos'' eyes and lips twitched but he didn''t say anything. "So¡­ Did you kill tha-" "I am serving a new master from now on," Kelton said stopping the king in mid-sentence. Levos looked confused for a second as he processed what Kelton said. His face went pale. "Kel-ton¡­ What are you talking about¡­?" "As I said, I will be serving a new master, Master Shin.", Kelton said as he closed his eyes for a second. Levos knew Shin''s name as he had watched the n Wars, so there was no way that he was getting it wrong. The chances of anyone else having the same name are none! So, when he heard this, it was as if the ground under his legs disappeared. "This¡­ This must be a joke, right?", Levos asked as his arms trembled. "I have said what I wanted to say and I mean it." Kelton''s emotionless voice echoed in the king''s ears. Kelton then turned his back and started to walk towards the exit. "Kelton¡­" "Wait¡­", Levos murmured as he stretched his right hand. Seeing Kelton turn his back on him, he got infuriated as well. "Kelton you bastard!", Levos screamed as he jumped from his seat and started to run towards Kelton. However, Kelton had no ns of waiting anymore. He just wanted to go to Shin''s side and didn''t want to waste any more time. "Guards stop him!" Levos ordered the guards. The guards, who were bewildered due to Kelton''s sudden and explosive entry, pulled themselves together and rushed right in front of the door, trying to prevent Kelton from leaving. Kelton showed no mercy. He used one of his spells. that enabled him to control gravity, on the soldiers. In a matter of seconds, not only did the soldiers'' bones got crushed, but they themselves were sent down to the ground with the floor cracking prior to that. "KELTON!" Just as Kelton thought that he had eliminated the obstacles and was about to fly away, he heard the king shout while running towards him. Kelton turned back only to find the king just a metres away from him, pulling his hand backwards and throwing a punch at him. Chapter 372 Levos Death (2): The End Of Flashback Levos'' movements were very sluggish due to which Kelton was able to dodge the punch quite easily. He tried to punch again, but this time, instead of dodging, he pushed his hand towards him and grabbed the king''s neck, lifting him up in the air and almost strangling him. Just as Levos was going to lose consciousness, Kelton used yet another spell ¨C Shockwave. This spell sent the king flying towards the throne as his body was hit with a small bolt of lightning. "AARGH!" "KUH!" "¡­" "I was never the property of this kingdom." "In fact, my hometown was destroyed in the hands of bastards like you," Kelton said, not thinking twice before using his flight spell. His body shot like an arrow in the air as he left the ce by once again bursting through the ceiling. On the other hand, the king was weakly resting on the throne, as he kept on coughing blood. He then loomed at the floor which was broken and suddenly his eyes widened. "Shit!" He screamed because just underneath the castle was a prison in which many dangerous criminals were locked. Levos looked at the broken floor, which had happened because of the soldiers'' demise under gravity, and quickly wanted to do something but it was already toote. A human with long hair and a deformed face with crazed looks climbed up the floor. "Kukukuku.", Heughed crazily as he looked at the weak king. At first, the prisoner was somewhat confused with the hole that was made. The soldiers that fell into the prison surprised them as well. But they didn''t think much of it and started to climb all the way up. These prisoners were tortured daily for the past thirty years due to which they had gonepletely crazy. The prisoner with a deformed face quickly grabbed a sword from the wall which was hung as decoration. Many more prisoners started to climb up the ceiling. The two grabbed the swords that were left behind by the soldiers who fell down, while the ones who didn''t get any weapons would use their long and sharp nails. They dashed towards the king and attacked him. Levos started to scream in agony! "AHH!" "STO-" "Argh!" "¡­" It wasn''t long before Levos was left lifeless. His body was torn into pieces with continuous stabbings. In any case, Kelton flew with a terrifying speed as his body was covered in mes. Then he soonnded near Walton and Melos. He used his skill on the unconscious Walton and healed him. Walton was still unconscious despite the usage of healing skills, which was understandable. He then looked at Melos who was still conscious. Despite suffering much more than Walton, Melos was still conscious, probably gripping hard to his life. Regardless, after seeing Kelton heal Walton, he expected the same to happen to him, but no. Kelton didn''t lift as much as a finger for Melos. This was because Shin was especially angry with Melos and thus, by healing Melos, he didn''t want to incur Shin''s wrath. Furthermore, the people from Levonia were soon going toe to help Melos. Although the soldiers were almost immobile all this time, the moment Kelton left, they tried toe closer so he was sure that Melos would be rescued anyway. Hence, he left him alone and flew off yet again, towards the kingdom Loria. [End of shback.] "Well, that''s what pretty much happened," Shin said as he finished narrating. Shin narrated the whole thing as he kept on looking at Deoras, who had an expression of amazement on his face. He waspletely amazed by what Shin told him. He didn''t doubt any of Shin''s words and just listened to them as if he was listening to some legend. ''Master is so amazing. He must have defeated the whole kingdom with just a whip of his tail.'', Deoras thought as he exaggerated the words that Shin told him. After that conversation, Deoras once again started to survey the area once again, checking if there was any hidden danger, unknown to them. As for Shin, he kept on remembering his past adventures. The difficult tasks that he got from his OP cheat system, the hard work that he took to level up, the betrayal by the wolf brothers and, then taking revenge, taking control over one of the human kingdoms, making a town for his n, fighting in the n wars; And then fighting with Levonia''s Three Greats - everything sat perfectly on its spot, it was as if Shin was seeing a movie or reading a story as he perfectly remembered the incidents that had happened to him. Regardless¡­ At that time, certain people of the Bona kingdom were looking at them. "I can see them clearly!", A guy with a bow and arrow, with a muscr body wearing battle armour said. To this, the king from the Bona kingdom, sitting on the throne, said, "Good! Now give me the details about what that white wolf is doing. I need each and every detail, doesn''t matter how small or big it is!" "Yes, your Majesty!" The archer''s eyes were shining crystal blue in colour which was a skill that enhanced the sense of sight. Beside the king was his minister, who kept on advising things to the king. "The wolf¡­" "He-" "He is¡­" The archers said in a trembling voice, to which a crestfallen look appeared on the king''s face. "He is? He is doing what!?" "Is he preparing to attack this kingdom? Is heing towards us!?", The king asked after gulping arge amount of the saliva. "T-the wolf is¡­" "The wolf is yawning!" "Oh no we are dead! Now what should we d-" "Wait, what did you say!?" "The white wolf is yawning¡­" "And now the wolf is scratching its ears with its paws!" "What are yo-" "And now the wolf is licking its eyes!" "¡­" All the soldiers near the king could be seen visiblyughing while the minister and king remained confused, thinking that he had gone insane. "¡­" Chapter 373 Reached The West Terrain "You idiot! Why are you telling me such useless details!" The king asked while narrowing his eyes. He seemed frustrated. "But your majesty, you asked me to tell each and every detail, about the wolf no matter big or small." The archer said. "Did I?" The king asked while scratching his head and looking towards his minister who nodded. "Oh, then continue." The king said. "And now all the wolves are sleeping!" "Yes! That''s some useful information!" The king eximed sarcastically. The minister nodded his head seeing which the King used words wisely to make meaning out of the previous statement. "Those wolves wouldn''t even know how they died while I will get the honor of killing the mighty beast which dominated over the n wars! Kill them! Destroy them! Send all the archers and the soldiers to kill them while they are asleep! Hahahahahahahha! I am a genius!" If someone who didn''t know the king previously and heard his words for the first time would think that he was a crazed maniac. "But, my lord there seems to be a problem." the archer said waking the king to reality. "What?", The king asked with an annoyed expression to which the archers replied. "T-The leader of those wolves¡­" "What about him?" "He¡­" "He¡­ is currently looking at me." Just when the archer said and at that exact time, the wolf disappeared from the spot he was looking at. "And now the wolf suddenly disappeared!"The archer said in a panicking voice. This confused the king, the minister and everyone who was listening to his words. Apparently, the king was in the walls instead of the castle because he wanted to see the wolf for himself ¨C a crazed mania indeed. Who would walk to their death? So, he was sitting outside on arge chair, which was supposedly a throne. The cool air that surrounded him, was sending chills down his spine. Despite the heavy warm clothing, he was cold and experienced goosebumps time and time again. But now, when the archer mentioned the wolf spotting him and vaniShing, a gush of adrenaline sent much more chills, making his entire body shiver. Right after fifteen seconds a wolf appeared in front of them. The kingdom was very small with the distance of the castle from the wall, only fifteen kilometres, as the castle was located in the middle of the kingdom. Shin covered the distance of fifteen kilometres just within fifteen seconds which was quite terrifying. Such terrifying speed¡­ it was all due to the evolution and increment in stats, including the two speed-based skills. Regardless, Shin basically disappeared from the spot and appeared in front of them, which only made everyone panic internally, as none of them dared to move a muscle in the presence of an Extreme Predator! "What an idiot¡­ Do you think that I wasn''t able to hear what you said?" "You were screaming so loudly that I would have heard it even if I was on a different!", Shin said as he looked at the king, right in his eyes. Shin was in front of him, right on the wall. The archers and other soldiers didn''t dare to move. "nt¡­? What nt¡­?" The king asked in confusion but then shut his mouth in fear as he realized that the great Shin, a monster whopletely dominated the n wars was in front of him, and could kill him in seconds. "Please don''t kill me! I beg you! I wasn''t talking about killing you! I swear!"The king practically begged in front of Shin. "Ugh¡­" "Did I even mention the word KILL in my sentence?" "Yes, you did! Just now!" The minister of the king said. ''Are they begging to get killed¡­?'', Shin stared at the minister who shot back when Shin asked the question. "Yes, you-." "No, you didn''t!", the king denied as he stared at the minister. "But still please don''t kill me!" The king said as he begged once again in front of Shin. Shin wanted to face palm but at that movement, he was forced to realize that he didn''t have palms. He then stared at the king who continued to beg. "No, No, No. Why should I kill you?" "You were the one who wanted to kill me didn''t you, then why don''t you? Come on, the monster whopletely dominated the n wars is standing in front of you and now you have a chance to gain fame, don''t you? Come on baby, kill me!", Shin said as he watched the king tremble. All three of them started to shiver even more as Shin continued to look at them. "Sigh." Shin sighed once again and then spoke. "If next time, anyone from your kingdom tries to provoke me, then I won''t be merciful, be thankful for I am in good mood¡­" Shin said and then disappeared from there. Shin then once again appeared in the spot where he was resting earlier, within fifteen seconds. "Your highness¡­", Deoras, who had suddenly felt Shin leaving, panicked for a second. However, he stayed strong, thinking that Shin would return shortly and now after he did, Deoras rested in peace again. After resting for a while, Shin looked at the sky once again which was starting to be brighter and brighter. A ray of sunlight met with the ground. Shin stood up and stretched his body a bit. He couldn''t get any proper sleep, only for an hour or two, but he felt that it was enough for now. He thenmanded them to move and the other wolves started to walk toward their next destination, the West Terrain. The West Terrain was not even forty kilometres away. Just as they passed the Bona kingdom, they soon reached the ce. The moment Shin ced his foot on the ce, a system notification popped up. *Ding* [You have entered The Desert Of Lies ¨C Rekka, West Terrain.] The great desert was the starting point of the West Terrain, due to which as soon as they entered the borders of the terrain, this notification appeared in front of Shin''s eyes. "¡­" Chapter 374 The Gravity King Shin then announced that they had reached the West Terrain seconds after which, everyone jumped in excitement. It was not that big of an achievement, but great news indeed. On seeing them excited, Shin decided to bring out food so that they could eat and fill their bellies ¨C they hadn''t done so earlier as it was not the time to eat yet. Shin then brings out meat and water from his inventory. All the wolves start to enjoy their meals before once again continuing their journey. They then spent their entire day walking, covering a great amount of distance. It was a desert of course, but they didn''t find any trouble. The only thing that messed with them was the scorching sun however they had nothing to worry about as Shin continuously gave them water from his inventory. He had stored a lot of water from the river earlier, knowing that such a situation could ur. Soon night came and everyone started to rest. "Your Highness, please rest here¡­", Deoras said as Shin followed him and sat on the elevated sandy mound created by them. Ass for others, they surrounded Shin, ensuring that no danger approach him. They thought that it would be a peaceful night considering the fact that they didn''t have any trouble during the day, but they couldn''t have been any wrong! An ominous feeling shrouded the area as their instincts screamed aloud. Not only Deoras and Shin but also other wolves could feel that something was wrong. Soon, the ground started to shake. The sand started moving and secondster, many scorpions made their appearance. Tens¡­ no, hundreds of scorpions surrounded them. "Your Highness! What do we do!?", Deoras asked Shin as he looked towards him. Deoras panicked because many scorpions appeared, however, when he saw Shiin''s calm gaze, he soon realized that there was nothing to worry about. Deoras was the one who asked the question, but instead of letting Shin reply, he himself ended up answering, "How about you kill them all with a single whip of your tail? Just like how you did with that kingdom.", Deoras said with an excited look, to which a confused look appeared on Shin''s face. "What do you mean by, a whip of my tail?" "Your Highness, that¡­" "Stop dreaming and just go and attack them with the rest of the shadow wolves!" Shin ordered Deoras due to which he and the other shadow wolves attacked the scorpions. Deoras and the other shadow wolves melted into the darkness and then appeared right behind the scorpions,unching shadow shes toward them. Blue Blood sttered as the shadow shes shed through the Scorpion. At that time a scream of a scorpion was heard. Suddenly a pressure enveloped the ce. "ROARRR!" A gigantic scorpion,pletely ck in colour with crimson-red eyes appeared in the ce. As soon as the scorpion appeared, it seemed as if the gravity of the ce increased by ten folds. Scorpions were also ranked based on the colour of their body ¨C the darker the colour, the stronger the scorpion was. Of course, a white scorpion to date wasn''t found. Shin then asked the system to show the level of the scorpion. [Name: --] [Race: Level 60 Gravity Scorpio (Exp: 8.09%) ] [Title: Gravity King.] Shin didn''t care to check the rest of the stats when he looked at the Level. One must not underestimate the enemy, however, Shin thought that there was just no need to look at everything else. A level 60 monster has a max level set that by no means exceeds that of Shin, so, he had nothing to worry about. However, one thing surely caught his eye ¨C the title. He used to ignore the titles if they existed, but the current title said, Gravity King. Shin instantly realized that the increase in pressure in the surrounding was an effect of the title which affected both, enemies and allies ¨C other scorpions were visibly struggling. Shin was sure that Deoras could handle it. What Shin actually thought that Deoras was merely Lv.60 and thus, it would probably be somewhat troublesome for him to face the Scorpion, however, when he coincidentally checked his stats, he found that Deoras was Lv.77! ''What the¡­?'' All this time, Shin had remembered wrong. In fact, anyone who encountered Deoras didn''t think that he was that strong! Even Terran and Raka were almost in the 60s due to reduced stat, so, ifpared, Deoras was probably the strongest out of all of Shin''s followers, except nca of course. Looking at the scorpion that just appeared, Deoras could sense that, it was strong but not stronger than himself or his master. Deoras then melted into the darkness and then reappeared behind the scorpion. As soon, as he appeared behind the scorpion, Deoras used shadow maniption and created several shes which wereunched toward the gravity king. The scorpion was very fast and was able to dodge those shes. At that time the gravity around Deoras increased, bringing great pressure on him. Deoras felt as if his weight was increased hundred times. Also, since there was no exact stable footing due to the sand, it felt as if Deoras was getting sucked into the sand. Deoras quickly used his skill and melted in shadow. This not only enabled him to avoid gravity but also helped him to cover therge distance between himself and the Gravity king unscathed. He once again appeared behind the gravity king andunched multiple shadow shes toward him. Deoras then once again used shadow maniption and created several shadow chains, using them to bind the scorpion. He then uses his skill [Rain Of Terror]. Shadow particles started to umte in the sky, and form a shape that resembled tiny drops of water. Soon those shadow drops wereunched toward the scorpion at a very terrifying speed, directly piercing through its shell. Blue blood sttered from the scorpion''s body as it screamed in pain. At that moment, Deoras once again melted into the darkness and then appeared right behind the scorpion, and used his skill, [Shadow Explosion]. A ck-coloured explosion urred causing Deoras'' shadow to expand. Deoras was nning to engulf the scorpion as a whole, but the scorpion dodged it pretty easily by going inside the sand beneath and re-surfacing behind Deoras. It basically uses the same trick that Deoras had used multiple times a few seconds ago! Chapter 375 Deoras Weird Story-Telling The scorpion swung its tail toward Deoras, to which Deoras used [Shadow Restrain] - A skill that allows the host to paralyze or freeze the target for five seconds. The limit of the skill is a five-level difference ¨C five levels above the host''s rank. After paralyzing the scorpion, Deoras dashed towards it and used his shadow sh from the side beheading the scorpion. Blue-coloured blood stuck to his fur as the fountain of blue gushed out of the scorpion''s body. At that time doors became careless thinking that the scorpion was dead. The tail of the scorpion started to speed its way in the direction of Deoras, who had let his guard down, after beheading the scorpion. The scorpion''s tail was about to pierce Deoras''s heart but it wasn''t so fast that he couldn''t dodge it. In fact, Deoras was going to use a strong attack this time to try and finish the scorpion in one strike, but before he could use any other skill, all of a sudden Shin appeared in between them, facing the scorpion. Two secondster, the scorpion was dead! What Shin did was justunch a lethal Aero sh at the scorpion, slicing its head off of its body. But the scorpion still showed slight movements seeing which, Shinunched ten to twenty Aero shes, cutting its body into pieces and ensuring that it was actually dead by checking the system. Shin then looked at Deoras and nodded saying to him that the scorpion was finally dead. Deoras on the other hand just smiled when he heard this and stood as if he saw thising. He thenmanded other wolves to kill the rest of the scorpions who had be slower due tock of morale as their king was dead. Soon all the other wolves killed the remaining scorpions who were devastated and made almost no movements. s, they were butchered mercilessly. After killing all the scorpions, the wolves started to eat their meat, and everyone had to say one thing for sure - The meat was very delicious. Even Shin was amazed by how delicious it was, as he stuffed his mouth with the gravity king''s meat. It was night time so they had to go to sleep, but now that they had faced an enemy and defeated them, all the sleep and tiredness had faded away. The shadow wolves, who had initially surrounded Shin, moved a bit closer as if they were now surrounding Deoras. Apparently, Deoras was going to start a story or a tale to keep them entertained. Deoras''s face went serious. Shin was surprised because he had never seen Deoras having such a serious expression. Even when he was fighting against stronger opponents in the n Wars, he was never so serious! And¡­ he started narrating a story¡­ "Have you ever heard about the Wandering soul of this desert? The one and only ruler of the desert?", Deoras asked everyone to which a confused look appeared on Shin''s face. "He takes the wolf cubs with him in the night. The ones who don''t sleep especially¡­" "Master Deoras, should we sleep then?", suddenly one of the wolves asked to which Deoras looked at him as if he was looking at a stupid wolf. "No, you have to protect his highness throughout the night¡­" "And first of all, are you a wolf cub?" "Huh! Tell me!" "Are you all wolf cubs?", Deoras asked to which the other shadow wolves seemed very embarrassed. Shin just sighed as he looked at the drama. Deoras reminded him of a foolish kid who kept on making up his own story. What surprised Shin, even more, was that the other wolves were readily believing Deoras. Shin just shook his head as he looked at the beautiful night sky once again. Deoras proceeded with telling the story while Shin couldn''t bother much but sleep. He just asked them to rest too, but they were awake the entire night ¨C they were wolves after all. Soon the night passed in a blink of an eye as the ray of sunlight made a contact with the ground. Shin and the other wolves once again started to walk toward their destination. ''I hope that we don''t find any more trouble in our journey.'', Shin wished for this, but he knew that trouble woulde looking for them even if they didn''t do anything as they were on quite a dangerous path. As mentioned, it seemed like trouble had some kind of affection for him. Suddenly out of nowhere, a sandstorm appeared which could easily blow away even a heavy Rhino. "Quickly hide in my shadow!", Shin said to which all the shadow wolves used their skills and jumped into Shin''s shadow. Deoras first seemed hesitant but when Shin ordered him in a strict voice he didn''t have any choice other than entering Shin''s shadow. Shin then used his skill ¨C Hurricane, in hopes of counterbncing the sandstorm but to his despair, it just increased the force of the wind,pletely blowing him away. Shin quickly closed his eyes and used the hurricane in hopes that the sandstorm wouldn''t push him away from their original path. He was levitating in the air due to the strong wind when he decided to use not just one, but multiple Hurricanes which would counterbnce each other and would also move in the opposite direction of the sand storm and at least slow it down. Shin cast multiple hurricanes and sent them toward the sandstorm which looked more like a sand tornado from the opposite side and this time he was sessful, unlike the previous time when he just increased the force of the storm. Shin slowlynded on the ground with the help of the hurricane while still closing his eyes. Once he did open his eyes the screen in front of himpletely bewildered him greatly. The trouble only got bigger! There were hundreds of cacti around him. He hadnded on a lot of them too, bleeding quite a lot. Thanks to the Pain Nullification, just minor wounds gave him no pain, but HP did decrease a bit. It was nothing as he had the skill Heal which he instantly used. Chapter 376 Hell-Hounds Secondster, when he raised his head, he found a small pond of crystal clear water which emitted a lot of cooling effect around the area. "Water," Shin said as he looked at something that looked like a mirage¡­ He was thirsty¡­ but why not drink the water from the inventory? "¡­" He then started to slowly walk towards the pond of crystal clear water but at that time he heard a voice calling him from behind. A voice that he was very familiar with. "No! Your Highness! Please wake up!" After hearing the voice Shin paused. He looked around himself trying to find the source of the voice but he was unable to. Shin''s brows furrowed as he continued looking around him, trying to find Deoras as he was sure that it was Deoras'' voice that said to stop but to his disappointment, he wasn''t able to find Deoras nor any other shadow and was sure of it that they weren''t in his shadow as he couldn''t feel a single presence in his shadow. He kept on looking around and was only able to see many cacti and a small pond filled with crystal clear water, releasing a lot of cool breezes. ''Something is wrong¡­'', Shin realized that something was not right. His instincts were also warning him. Also, the cacti that pricked him, gave no pain. Although he did have the passive skill Pain Nullification, which prevented him from paining any pain on slight injuries, with the number of cacti that pricked him, he should have felt at least some pain! Plus, the system was weird as well. The Hp recovered too quickly, just before he used the skill Heal! It was as if, he was never required to use the skill. ''An illusion¡­? Or a Dream?'', Shin thought. Shin then decided to use his skill - [All Seeing eyes.] His eyes started to shine emerald green and now he was able to see everything. It was just as he thought. He was stuck in an illusion but now that he used his skill [All Seeing eyes], he was able to see through the illusion. He spots the heavily injured Deoras. He even saw the other shadow wolves but neither of them seemed to be in good condition. Shin couldn''t recall anything about what happened or how it happened. Shin tried to recall but he couldn''t. It was as if all of his memories were erased. But that was only temporary as soon enough he started to remember some things, but they were fuzzy at first and as time went by everything started to be clearer. Once the sandstorm blew Shin away he fell near Death Valley, the second part of the West Terrain. Just a kilometre away. The shadow wolves quickly jumped out of Shin''s shadow so that they could make sure that he wasn''t injured. Shin was knocked out for the rest of the day, after all, Shin was stuck in the Sand Storm for more than an hour ¨C levitating in the air uncontrobly! While Deoras and the rest were worried, they didn''t leave his side. It was already sunset time and it was only now that Shin woke up. Deoras and the rest were greatly relieved seeing that Shin was not injured at all. They wanted Shin to rest a bit more and thought that they could finally eat something, but Shin randomly just asked to start walking. The fact that he just shook his fur and decided to go further ahead, to Death valley was bizarre. What he wanted was to go to a sheltered ce rather than be out in the open ¨C this is what he told others, but in reality, he just wanted to raise their morale! Since he could spot death valley, he thought that reaching another destination would raise their morale! It would be better if the Heavenly Wolf Family were actually present in Death Valley! Soon after a long conversation, Shin decided that they would enter death valley in hopes of finding the Heavenly Wolf family. Due to their long conversation, it was already nighttime as the moonlight met with the ground. They started to walk toward death valley, but at that time darknesspletely enveloped the ce as many dark clouds covered the moonlight. All of a sudden many deep red lights shed from a distance. Many eye-shaped lights came out of the valley and then started moving towards Shin and the other shadow wolves. Even though it waspletely dark, the shadow wolves were able to see the creatures with the red light. They were HELL-HOUNDS. The hell hounds quickly started dashing towards the shadow wolves and Shin in hopes of killing them or at least injuring them with their deadly attacks. They too wanted a feast and seeing a group of powerless or seemingly weak wolves with fewer numbers, they thought that they would be an easy target! The shadow wolves looking at the hellhounds who decided to attack first also started to use their skills. They all quickly melted in the darkness and then reappeared behind the hell hounds andunched their shadow shes toward the hell hounds. It was an old but efficient trick to catch your opponent off guard which helped the shadow wolves to kill their opponents efficiently. Needless to say, with everything being covered in darkness, them melting into shadow and appearing behind the foes was much easier and so faster that it almost resembled teleportation! This was the reason shadow wolves are one of the most feared races of wolves and are the species of wolves that can survive the longest ¨C especially in those areas that are covered in darkness! That''s why it wasmonly told that Shadow Wolves are almost invincible during nighttime. HellHounds did this exact mistake ¨C they rushed towards the shadow wolves when the clouds seemingly engulfed the moon, preventing any sort of light from touching the ground. Well, even Hell Hounds were stronger during nighttime, so it wasn''t exactly their fault¡­ So, the one who would be stronger in the night, would emergy victories! Chapter 377 The Hell-Hound King Hell hounds used their skill [Dark mes] And sent it towards the shadow wolves who were attacking them. Dark-coloured mes spread throughout the ce injuring some of the wolves but it wasn''t something that they couldn''t handle. They had faced many situations such as this in the past and perfectly knew how to react in such situations. They quickly melted into the darkness and then reappeared in the mid-air and quicklyunched their skilled shadow shes. Red blood sttered through the ces as some of the hellhounds died. Soon one of the strongest Hell Hounds which was level sixty appeared. The target of the hellhound was obvious. It was Deoras since he was the one who was able to kill most of the hellhounds easily. Deoras was a very sneaky opponent and as soon as the hell hound dashed towards him and used its skills dark mes, Deoras acted as if he was taken by surprise, and let himself get engulfed in the dark-coloured mes. But then secondster, Deoras appeared behind the hell hounds and used shadow restrain. The hellhound paused on its spot and at that exact time, Deorasunched several dark shes toward the hound sessfully injuring it. After getting hurt by Deoras'' attack, the hellhound was sessfully able to free itself from the shadow restraint. But Deoras didn''t give the hellhound the time to recover from the attack, by using another one of his destructive skills. [Shadow Destruction Lv.5] [-> A shadow attack that can pass through any object and cause an explosion with a range of 5 meters] The hellhound was gravely injured due to Deoras'' attack. At that time Deoras felt an unbearable pressure. It was different, entirely different from any of the hellhounds present here. In fact, the pressure of the new hellhound was so great, that for a second, Deoras had confused it to be pressure released by Shin. The hellhound king appeared. It had two heads. It probably came to save lots of strong members of the group. It was obvious that Deoras was no match for the hellhound king who was level eighty-eight. The hellhound king used his skill abyssal ming ball. Fireballpletely abyssal ck appeared floating in the air. It as quicklyunched towards Deoras but at that time a green-coloured crescent moon-shaped sh sliced through the fireball, defending Deoras from the deadly attack. Shin quickly dashed toward the hell-hound king who seemed to be quite strong and thenunched multiple attacks toward the two-headed hell-hound. The hound quickly used his skill [Dark wall]. A wallpletely made of darkness materialized in front of the hell hound protecting him from the attacks that wereunched by Shin. The hellhound then quickly used his skill - dark st. An explosion created from the dark particles urred in the ce. Shin quickly jumped very high, dodging the sts that were repeatedly urring in the ce. Shin then once again conjured multiple aero shes andunched them toward the hellhound. Hellhound king once again used his skill dark wall to protect itself from the rain of aero shes that came raining down. Shin didn''t think that this was over and was thinking about the next attack when the hell hound used its skill [Hell fire]. A wave of abyssal ck fire burst towards Shin, which he dodged by using his skill hurricane. Shin once again conjured multiple aero shes and then proceeded tounch them toward the hell-hound king. At that time the hell hound king once again used its skill dark wall and after protecting itself from the rain of aero shes it used its skill hell mes. The abyssal ck mes engulfed Shin''s body but at that time Shin disappeared from there and reappeared in another ce. *** Deoras dashed towards the level sixty one Hell Hound. Deoras conjured multiple shadow shes and thenunched them toward the hellhound. The hellhound was quite fast and was able to dodge every sh. The hellhound once again used abyssal mes andunched them towards Deoras, to which Deoras used shadow maniption and formed a shadow wall protecting himself from the dark fire. Deoras used the same mechanism as that of the Hellhound King. Deoras then proceed to use his other skill. His body sunk under the ground. The hellhound was confused and wary at the same time. It looked around the area trying to find the trace of Deoras, but he was nowhere to be seen. What the hell hound failed to notice was a shadow without a body speeding towards him. Suddenly the hellhound paused. He knew what caused his sudden pause of movement - Shadow restrain. From the side, Deoras jumped from the body-less shadow and proceed to use his skill. Deoras once again conjured many shadow shes andunched them toward the hellhound. At that time Deoras used his shadow destruction too. The hellhound''s body flew and crashed on the ground as it coughed red blood. At that time taking the advantage of the situation, Deoras formed one shadow sh andunched it towards the neck of the hell hound decapitating its head and killing it. After killing the hell hound Deoras proceed to look in Shin''s direction. He expected to see Shin standing on top of the dead body of the hellhound king without any scratch on his body since the sound of battle from that area disappeared just a second ago. But Deoras saw something unbelievable in front of his eyes. Ever since Deoras met Shin he was shocked¡­ Shocked that how can such a small wolf be so strong, and on top of that it was a white wolf, the weakest wolf race, but since the day he met Shin, he never dared to say that out loud. After all, this was a world where the strong could do whatever they wanted while the weak would just suffer. From that point onwards Deoras made a very crucial decision in his life. He started to follow Shin and he never regretted his discussion. "¡­" Chapter 378 Illusion And More Illusions! He kept on seeing Shin-pulling miracles when the situation would be very dire or would seem to be impossible for Shin to survive. From that day he never saw Shin losing or bleeding, not even once, but right now in front of his eyes was something he would never expect to happen. Shin was gravely injured. Blood was leaking from his body but it seemed like he didn''t care about it as he kept on looking around himself with a confused expression. A shocking thing about Shin was that there were no pupils in his eyes balls. They werepletely white in colour which indicated that either he was possessed, someone was controlling his mind or he was trapped in some kind of illusion. But Deoras didn''t think much about it as his primary goal was to save Shin from the danger that he was about to face. Shin was walking towards the waves of abyssal ck fire without any care in the world. While walking he kept on murmuring, "Water." Deoras quickly melted in darkness and appeared behind Shin. He then quickly dragged Shin with him. At that moment, the emerald green coloured pupils of Shin reappeared in his white-coloured eyeballs. Shin seemed confused at first as he continuously looked here and there but then after some seconds, Shin started to realise what was happening as he remembered everything clearly. The Hell-Hound King, who was very fast and was able to dodge Shin''s aero shes, suddenly stopped moving. As soon as it did, Shin thought that the beast had epted his death. But at the same time, he was somewhat doubtful. Shin walked towards the hellhound arrogantly and used his skill Aero sh again, this time putting more mana in it. But at that moment something very surprising urred. The hellhound king dodged the aero sh at thest moment but instead ofunching any attack, it just stared at Shin''s eyes. The hellhound king''s eyes used to be crimson red all the time but they suddenly became abyssal ck. Unknown to Shin, his pupils disappeared as soon as looked at the strange eyes of the hellhound king. From that point onwards Shin''s memories started to be fuzzy and arrived at a point where they were getting erased by some kind of energy. Shin forgot about how he fell into this ce and the conversation between him and the other shadow wolves that they would go into death valley and try to search for the heavenly wolf family ¨C he couldn''t remember anything at all. He even forgot the battle that happened between the hell hounds and the shadow wolves and the battle between the hell hound king and himself. He only remembered the sandstorm and the things that happened before that. Well, now aftering out, he was sure of it that if he would spend any more time in the illusion then he would even forget about the things that happened before the sandstorm. And he was sure that it wouldn''t be as easy as standing still for some time to get his memories back. He then looked at the injured wolves and quickly used his skill, heal. All the shadow wolves'' injuries started to heal and looking at their master they all howled causing the ground below them to tremble. All the wolves once again started to attack the hell hounds and this time the hell hounds were facing a really hard time. Shin this time didn''t underestimate the hell hounds and used his stronger skills to try and kill them all. ording to Shin, the hellhounds were very scary opponents to have. Their skill illusion was so strong that it could cause temporary memory loss. This was one of the reasons that Shin didn''t hold back and used his powerful skills to kill every hellhound over there trying to kill the wolves. The hell-hound king dashed towards Shin and once again used his skill, hell fire. The waves of mes once again burst out and started to move towards Shin, to which Shin used his hurricane and made a rain of aero sh defending himself from the waves of mes while killing the other hell hounds simultaneously. Shin then jumped towards the hell-hound king while activating his skill speed run. Shin disappeared and reappeared right on top of the hell hound and activated his skill hurricane which blew away the hell hound king because Shin overcharged the hurricane skill with mana making its effect stronger. When the gigantic hell-hound king was in mid-air, Shinunched multiple Aero shes towards it. The Aero shes shed with the hell hound causing it to bleed but at that exact time, the hell hound once again looked at Shin as his eyes turned abyssal ck. Shin''s pupils once again disappeared as he looked at the abyssal ck eyes. In that one second, he lived hisplete life once again. He was reincarnated, and a system appeared in front of him. The betrayal and the loyalpanions he found who apanied him on his journey. His revenge against the brothers in the n war was due to his childish attempt to take revenge, Deoras and the other shadow wolves died. His fight with kingdoms and then his journey to west terrain. He entered the dessert Rekka. He and the wolves attacked the scorpions just because of Shin''s childish dream to eat the delicious meat of the blue-blooded scorpion king. Then they all started to walk further and were caught in the sandstorm where Deoras died once again. ''Wait a damn minute, how the hell did deoras die again? Something is fishy.'' ''Illusion again?'' ''Tsk.'' ''All Seeing Eyes!'' *Ding* [You have used the skill All Seeing Eyes.] "¡­" Suddenly everything became clear to Shin once again. He broke free from the illusion. Soon his fuzzy memories became clear. The three different memories disappeared from his mind. As expected when Shin was once again trapped in the illusion Deoras once again had to drag him away by risking his life. Shin was very grateful towards Deoras because, without him, Shin would already be half dead or definitely a roasted wolf. Shin then looked at the hellhound and decided to end it once and for all. For him this was bing very irritating. "Let''s end this already¡­" "¡­" Chapter 379 The Hellish-Taste Shin dashed towards the hellhound king at a very great speed as he used his skill, speed run and all-seeing eyes. His eyes glowed emerald green. He used his all-seeing eyes to prevent himself from falling into the illusion once again. The hell-hound king''s eyes once again went abyssal ck as he looked at Shin''s emerald green eyes but since his all-seeing eyes were activated the skill of the hell-hound king through which he would trap Shin in one of the illusions didn''t affect him a bit. Shin quickly used aero sh andunched them towards the hell ground which he was able to dodge due to his terrifying speed. Shin used all his speed-rted skills and dashed toward the hell-hound king. It looked as if he had disappeared from his ce. However, the Hellhound King was fast too! Due to its great agility, it was able to dodge Shin by just a millimetre! ording to others Shin and the hellhound disappeared from their ce which was followed by multiple explosions that were generated in the air. While most of the attacks didn''t hit and were justnding on the ground causing the explosions, one or two didnd. Shin once again used an aero sh and decapitated one of the heads of the hellhound king. Shin then used bloody crunch and bit one of the hellhound''s legs. He then proceeded tounch another aero sh which was countered by the hellfire. As one of its heads was decapitated, it had no time to scream or even flinch as continuous attacks were being fired. If it had to stay alive, then it had to continue fighting without thinking about pain. Shin once again conjured the rain of aero sh and proceeded tounch them toward the hell hound king who simultaneously used its skill hell fire. The rain of aero sh and the waves of the abyssal ck mes shed with each other forming many sts. It looked like a beautiful firework in the night sky. So beautiful that it would make anyone want to just pause time so that he or she can watch it forever. The st covered the hellhound King''s vision who had only one head remaining. At that time Shin appeared behind the hellhound king and used bloody crunch on the other head of the hellhound and ripped its head off in a very brutal manner. This marked the end of the unity between the other weak hellhounds. Soon Deoras and the other shadow wolves killed the remaining hellhounds in a very brutal manner. Finally, the wolves got some time to catch their breath. Shin too inhaled and exhaled deep breaths as he calmed himself down. Those illusions felt way too real. The emotions Shin felt when he was in those illusions also were very real. The killing intent, the sadness, and most of all the regret that burst from him whenever he saw one of his subordinates or his loyal n member die. Those emotions were way too real. He didn''t feel like he was in an illusion. He swore to himself that from now onwards he would never underestimate any dark-type creature. Shin then saw that everyone was pilling up the hell hounds bodies in a single ce. Of course, they didn''t even dare to touch the hell-hound king''s body since ording to them Shin was the one who hunted it so Shin should get it. Deoras dragged the level sixty-one scorpion with himself and started to bite through its meat. "Delicious," He said as he started to devour the body of hell hound, stuffing his mouth with the meat until there was nothing left. ording to him, this meat was more delicious than scorpion meat. Listening to what he said the other wolves started to eat the meat of the jell hound too and they agreed with what Deoras said. Of course, Shin had nodded his head giving permission for them to eat after the bloody battle. Additionally, Shin had healed them yet again, ensuring that everyone was fine. Needless to say, not even a single wolf died in this sudden attack! Hearing the other wolves tell that this meat was better than the scorpion king''s meat, Shin walked towards the dead body of the hellhound. He sniffed its dead body and felt like he would puke if he continued sniffing. ''Don''t judge a meal by its smell¡­'', Shin thought to himself, making a new sentence of his own and then opened his mouth to take a bite from the dead body of the hellhound, but he just couldn''t and closed his mouth in the end. But then looking at Deoras and the other shadow wolves looking at him. He had to open his mouth again to taste the meat but he just couldn''t bring himself from tasting it. Shin opened and closed his mouth repeatedly like a goldfish. Shin then finally decided to taste the meat. He opened his mouth and took a bite hesitantly and the next moment his face wentpletely pale. But he couldn''t do anything about it as he just stored the piece of meat in his inventory while pretending to chew the meat. "It was surely delicious but since my stomach is full I won''t be eating the rest. You all can have it.", Shin said while forcing a smile on his face. He didn''t leave anyone to speak anything else and said that he would go for a walk. After walking some distance and making sure that no one was looking he started to spit his saliva. "As expected, it tasted like shit. No shit would be offended. I would eat shit rather than eat the meat of a hellhound.", Shin said. If the hell-hound king would have listened to what Shin said then he would surely have suffered from emotional damage. Hellhounds were known to have a super delicious meal to eat, a hundred times better than scorpion''s meat. Shin quickly brought a scorpion from his inventory and started to munch it and then hepletely swallowed it not caring that he didn''t remove the poison from the body of the scorpion. A satisfied look appeared on Shin''s face as he brought another scorpion from his inventory and started munching it. Blue blood started to drip from his mouth but he just simply licked it. To him, the meat of the scorpion was the best, especially the meat of the scorpion king. But now Shin was running out of scorpion meat. He probably needed to hunt more so that he could enjoy its taste. Chapter 380 The Stalker Wolf Soon after eating the delicious scorpion, Shin started to return. He nearly puked after seeing all the shadow wolves eating the meat of the hellhound king. Shin still acted like it didn''t affect him a bit and proceeded to wait for everyone to finish their meal. After all, it was rude and irritating to get interrupted between a meal. After everyone finished their meal they all started to walk inside death valley in hopes of finding the heavenly wolf family. They didn''t ask or talk much as Shin merely announced about their departure a few seconds ago. Although Deoras thought that it would have been best to rest outside so that they could pass the entire night, Shin made a bold statement saying that the shadow wolves would be stronger at night, so they had nothing to worry about! The chit-chat continued until they entered Death Valley. As soon as they entered it, silence enveloped the ce. No one spoke and continued to walk forward. Logically this should have given a peaceful vibe but for some reason, it was giving them all, a kind of horror and creepy vibe. Especially after they all heard the story about the wandering ghost of the desert from Deoras. Not to mention that the ce was so silent that even the sound of the wind blowing was heard. It wasn''tpletely dark. When the hell hounds died the mysterious ck clouds covering the moon disappeared too causing the moonlight to meet with the ground. And if that wasn''t enough source of light, there were red stones which would Shine when the moonlight fell on them. Deoras was also a bit scared but looking at Shin, who waspletely stern and not scared by the creepy vibe, he too regained hisposure. Little did he know that Shin wasn''t stern but waspletely stiff. He was a person who was very scared of ghosts. He hated ghost stories the most and if someone started to tell a horror story then Shin would most probablyugh at it off saying that the person is childish and the story is childish too but he would be screaming in horror inside. At that moment one of the shadow wolves stepped on a thin stick that was just coincidentally lying around and since the ce waspletely silent the sound of the stick-breaking echoed throughout the ce. Well¡­ If it was a stick, then the sound couldn''t have been that louder¡­ It was a bone! A piece of bone! The hellhounds that had probably hunted some beast left the bones around. After being around for quite some time, the bones seemed to have be quite weak and due to the pores on them, they easily broke ¨C needless to say, some made loud echoey noises when they broke in the silent valley. All the wolves except Shin and Deoras screamed in horror. "Damn, why are you all so scared!? It''s just a piece of bone!" "Look at his highness, you should be like him!", Deoras said to the rest of the wolves in a dominating voice. All the other wolves looked at Shin with admiring expressions. So little did they know that Shin was so scared that he just froze in ce as his heart skipped several beats. He probably would have gotten a heart attack if Deoras wouldn''t say that it was just the sound of a remnant bone breaking. Shin then gulped arge amount of saliva as he continued to walk. As all of them started to walk ahead, Shin suddenly started to feel someone''s presence. It was someone not from Shin''s group. His heart started beating faster as he imagined that it might be a ghost or some stuff such as that. He felt the weird presence getting closer and closer to him and when he felt the presence very close he quickly turned his head only to find Deoras and the shadow wolves. Shin inhaled and exhaled deep breaths for a minute before telling the wolves that he will be at the back of the group ensuring that they don''t have to face any sneak attacks. The other wolves didn''t question Shin and did as they were told to. Deoras was walking at the front while Shin was walking at the back while trying to feel that mysterious and weird presence once again. He wasn''t so foolish that he would believe in ghosts ¨C that is if he was in his previous world where the concept of magic remained dormant. In this ce, where he freely uses many skills and grows stronger, the possibility of ghosts existing was high ¨C well, in the previous world or this, the possibility of them not existing was never zero! Regardless, Shin then once again felt the weird presence. This time, he was almost sure that someone was following him. Shin quickly turned his eyes, trying to catch the stalker. While he did perform the act of turning his head back swiftly, he didn''t exactly expect to see anyone as he strongly believed it to be just his instincts ticking in the wrong way due to the silence, but to his surprise, he did see something. Something that shocked him to his core. Behind him was a semi-transparent wolf. It was as if Shin could see the wolf''s insides. It was without any bones, lungs or internal organs. It was weirdly smiling at the Shin. Realising that Shin has spotted him, the wolf''s smile grew wider as it said cheerfully. "Um, hello?" "¡­" "¡­" The wolf said with a smile to which Shin''s eyelids twitched. He quickly stuck his tongue out of his mouth and then proceeded to lick his eyes making sure that he didn''t see anything wrong. Or wait was this one of that hell-hound king''s illusions? Shin suspected it to be an illusion so he quickly activated his all-seeing eyes so that he could confirm whether it was an illusion or reality. But unfortunately, it wasn''t an illusion. It was real. A Semi-Transparent Wolf stood in front of him, staring right at him! "¡­" Chapter 381 Shin Vs The Ghost Wolves Looking at the semi-transparent wolf Shin asked, "Who the heck are you?" The semi-transparent wolf didn''t answer and instead looked very surprised. "You can see me?", The wolf asked with a hint of bewilderment, in it. The semi-transparent wolf''s voice was quite pleasant to the ears and would make anyone want to believe each and every word said by the wolf. Even now, as it asked a question, his voice calmed Shin''s shivering spirit. "Ain''t I supposed to?" Shin asked with a confused voice. At that time he heard the wolves behind himughing crazily. Why? Because many other semi-transparent wolves were tickling them on their belly. Shin was able to see this because he activated his all seeing eyes. At that time the semi-transparent wolf who had a conversation with Shin looked at the sky and had a sudden look of understanding. The moon was red and its light fell on the semi-transparent wolves'' bodies. "Aooooooo.", at that moment the wolf howled due to which the other wolves who were tickling Shin''s n members, suddenly stopped. They too looked at the sky and howled but their howl wasn''t heard. Then all those wolves jumped towards the side of the wolf, who was having a conversation with Shin. All the wolves realized that Shin could see them. But that was not all, even other members of the n could suddenly see these wolves ¨C it was precisely because the red light of the moon touched their bodies, making them visible to rest all. "So you all are able to see us¡­", The wolf that was having a conversation with Shin said with a maniac tone. Deoras was about to reply but at that time he stopped. The reason was because Shin started to talk to him through telepathy. ''Don''t say anything to them. Don''t try to talk to them. They are a bunch of weirdoes and I smell a lot of trouble in them. Trust me. Just go away without even looking in their direction.'', Shin said to all the wolves via telepathy. "Hahahahaha!" "Hahahaha!" The wolf noticed sudden strange movements as if the wolves were preparing to run. In an instant, the transparent wolves started to merge with each other, and formed a very giant wolf that was still transparent, simr to them. The Wolf was a giant at least ten times bigger than Shin. It had multiple thorns on its back making it look more ferocious. The wolf dashed toward Shin as it opened its mouth. At that time Shinunched his Aero sh toward the giant wolf trying to injure it but instead of cutting the semi-transparent giant wolf, the aero sh just passed through the wolf as if it was passing through thin air. It was as if the wolf was non-existing. At that time waves of mes burst through the wolf''s mouth trying to engulf and kill Shin within the burst of ming waves, but Shin was able to dodge it with speed run. After dodging the mes, Shin once again conjured the aero sh and proceed tounch it toward the giant wolf to confirm if such attacks were really useless, but just like thest time the sh passed through the wolf, rendering no damage at all. ''Hey system why am I not able to injure the wolf?'', Shin asked the system, trying to confirm his spections. ''The so-called ghost¡­ could it be it?'' *Ding* [Physical attacks do not work on Spirits or Souls.] ''If physical attacks don''t work, then I should try using something different¡­'', Shin thought. Aero sh was a wind-based physical attack and it did nothing, however, when Shin thought about it, the best he could decide was to use something rted to darkness or light. *Ding* [Dark-type or Light-type attack can injure a spirit.] The system too confirmed it. Seeing the notification of the system Shin quickly understood what he should do. He quickly transformed into a Death Wolf. *Ding* [You have used the skill transformation.] [You have transformed into a Death Wolf.] His height increased. He soon became a quarter the size of the giant semi-transparent wolf in front of him. The giant wolf seemed to be surprised when he looked at Shin who transformed into a different wolf. Moreover, this form sent chills down everyone''s fine. Even the ghost wolves were feeling a weird chill ¨C a new sensation for the first time in ages. Shin quickly used dark maniption and conjured dark spheres and proceed tounch them toward the giant wolf in front of him. The dare sphere too passed through the wolf but unlike thest time this time, there were some ripples seen in the transparent wolf. The giant wolf seemed to be in pain too. The dark sphere was also a kind of physical attack but with dark attributes. While the explosive power of the sphere was rendered waste, its attribute alone caused the rippling pain. Shin quickly conjured more dark spheres andunched them toward the giant wolf. Unlike thest time, the wolf started to run to the side. The transparent wolf once again opened its mouth and a wave of semi-transparent mes busted out of it. Shin used dark maniption and conjured a dark wall, protecting himself from the semi-transparent mes. While protecting himself, Shin made multiple spheres andunched them toward the semi-transparent wolf which sessfully passed through it but caused ripples to form once again. The wolf howled in pain as the dark spheres kept on hitting him. Shin couldn''t see any sign of HP, MP or any other stat. All he could see was the word [Dead] ¨C thus, it was quite hard for him to determine if the wolf was acting or was actually in pain. The wolf then proceed to look at Shin with hatred filled in its eyes. It howled in anger as its body was covered in transparent mes. The wolf dashed toward Shin, however, he was met with many more dark spheres and dark shes that Shinunched while using Speed Run to create distance between them. Chapter 382 The Story Of The Desert Wolves (1) The giant wolf this time let the spheres and the shesnd on it, basically only the ripples while the actual spheres passed it. It didn''t even try to dodge. It just continued to dash toward Shin without any care in the world. Many more ripples started to form once again but it looked like the transparent wolf didn''t care about it. The wolf tried to kill Shin with multiple of its'' attack which was all semi-transparent but Shin dodged them with ease. Bing bigger can lead to creation of disadvantages. Due to itsrge size, it was quite hard to aim at Shin and with a decrease in speed, Shin at the moment, had an upper hand. Regardless, Shin kept on bombarding him with multiple dark-type attacks. The wolf just wanted one chance to finish the annoying death wolf in front of him but that one chance never came. After several minutes the wolf gave up. "I give up! I give up.", The giant wolf said as it went to its normal size. All the other wolves that merged with that one wolf also appeared once again. "¡­", Shin was speechless. He thought that he could fight a bit more with therge wolf since it was quite interesting seeing such a wolf, however, the ghost wolf lost its chivalry and just gave up just when it was getting into the good part. Probably, it didn''t have any new moves left ¨C Shin thought, which was obviously not true. "I am sorry! I didn''t know that you were a dark-type wolf.", the wolf said. "Huh?", Shin stared in confusion to see the ghost wolf converse pretty normally. "Sigh, you looked so weak and frail, I thought you would be crushed in minutes, looks like I was wrong¡­" "Uh¡­", Shin wanted to say something, but before he could, the ghost wolf again opened his mouth. "Ha¡­ you had changed your fur to white and even reduced your size. Nice disguise." The ghost wolf said, trying to convince Shin that he is not a foe. Apparently, Shin didn''t want to believe a single thing the ghost wolf was saying. He thought that it was probably trying to stall for time, however, as he tried to be cautious, a notification suddenly popped up. [Name: Pekka] [Race: Ghost Wolf] [Status: Dead] "¡­" A simple notification popped up rather than the normalplicated ones. This was expected as the wolf was supposedly dead. Shin didn''t think much about the word dead and continued to converse, but first asking about his name¡­ "Tell me, you are Rekka aren''t you?" Shin asked as he squinted his eyes trying to figure out whether this wolf in front of him would lie to him or not. ''Eek? Rekka? How does he know his name?'', Pekka thought. "Ahem." "No, I am not." The wolf said after sighing. Shin had mistakenly confused the word Pekka with Rekka. They were in the desert named Rekka, so, the happening of such a mistake was not that umon. "Huh? You aren''t Rekka? Then who are you?", Shin wanted to know, thinking that he was lying. "I am Pekka.", the ghost wolf said, to which, Shin immediately re-checked the system. "Pekka?" "Yes¡­ I am Pekka, and this is my brother, Rekka.", Pekka said as he lifted his paw, pointing at yet another wolf that appeared from thin air. "Pekka¡­ and Rekka!?", both the names were too close. Also, this time, Shin was not mistaking it. There indeed was a wolf called Rekka, and the name of the desert was also the same¡­ ''Could it be a coincidence?'', Shin thought. Well, it is not umon to have a name simr to that of a ce name, however, this was¡­ the first time Shin encountered something so strange in this world. Regardless, both the wolves looked quite simr ¨C almost as if both of them were twins. He wanted to ask about them, but he thought that something else was more important. "How did you end up in this form?" Shin asked to which Pekka hesitated to answer. A moment of silence was maintained. It was soon broken when Pekka finally gave up and decided to tell. "Well, I guess I have no choice, do I? Might as well say it. But it''s a very¡­ Very long story." Pekka said and then started to narrate how he and the rest of the wolves ended up in this form. [sh back] In the great desert of the West Terrain, a group of wolves were walking, after hunting. This was something that they would always do ¨C hunt and then get the prey back to their home to share with everyone. This group of wolves would always dominate other groups living in the desert ¨C not that there were many to begin with. They were practically the rulers of the desert. Even the humans living near the western terrain feared them, especially the leader of the group, Rekka, who is also known as the KING¡­ of Lies. Yes, he never told a single truth in his life¡­ . . . An unknown group of humans entered the desert. They were adventures who hunt monsters and protect human lives. That''s not the only job they do. They even venture into dangerous areas and eliminate the monsters that could be a possible threat to humans ¨C at least, this is the definition of an adventurer. However, if the word human was to be added before ''adventurer'', then it wouldn''t be too wrong to call it a synonym for greed, malice, lust, etc. Regardless, the leader of the group of adventurers smirked as he entered the Great Desert that was part of the West Terrain. "Haha, so this is where we have to perform the mission¡­" "Yes, leader¡­" "But is it necessary toe here? I don''t think there is any treasure¡­", said a member of the group. "Ha¡­" "We have been paid to search the ce¡­" "Let''s at least do that much¡­" They all nodded as if agreeing with him. "Alright then, let''s not waste any time.", the leader said as he and his teammates entered the desert and started to explore it, in anticipation of finding something¡­ perhaps, wanting toplete a mission that was given to them by someone. Chapter 383 The Story Of The Desert Wolves (2): The Adventurers Vs The Desert Snakes The adventures looked at the monsters in the desert with greedy smiles. They dashed towards a giant scorpion and with the help of teamwork they were able to kill it. After killing the scorpion they started to dissect it so that they could collect the important parts. "Damn! We will be rich!", One of the adventurers said as he shed the pincers of the scorpion. These adventurers were very strong and were able to kill strong monsters. The problem was that they weren''t able to find suitable ces for themselves where they could hunt beasts. They soon heard about the great desert. It was said to be a ce from where no hunter came back after visiting it. While they did ept it as a mission, they too had their real goal. The great desert - A ce filled with monsters. While other adventurers would try to get as far away as possible from this ce, these hunters who were currently dissecting the corps were confident in their ability to survive. Another reason they entered the great desert was to find two artifacts - the Artifact of Truth and the Artifact of Lies. Even though they were just rumours that the artifacts were present here but still it was more than enough to make these greedy adventurers enter the ce. After dissecting the scorpion and taking all its valuable parts, they all started to cook its remaining meat and eat it. They had to say one thing for sure - It was that this scorpion meat was very delicious. More Delicious than any fancy meat that they ever tasted. After eating to their stomach full they all started to move forward killing monsters and storing all the valuable parts while trying to find the so-called treasure ¨C the artifacts, but it looked like they had no luck as they weren''t able to find even a single clue. The day turned into night but they were still not able to find the divine tools¡­ or rather weapons. "Damn it! Why is it so hard to find the artefacts!" One of the adventurers said as he started to lose his patience. "Calm down! If it was so easy to find them, then they wouldn''t be here in the first ce. And we don''t know for sure whether the rumours are true or not. And even if we do not find the divine artefacts, this exploration wouldn''t go waste as we already have so many valuable monster parts. This ce is truly filled with treasure so don''t lose your patients. We might find something truly amazing." The leader of the group said with a serious expression as he looked at the guy who was losing his patience. "I understand." The guy said and didn''t speak anything else. Silence enveloped the ce as all the adventures started to eat the leftover roasted meat of the giant scorpion. After finishing their meal the people decided to rest. Half would rest while the other half would guard them making sure that no one is harmed due to the sudden attack of the monsters or bandits. But before they could go to rest, they started to hear the screams of some beasts. They quickly dashed out of their camp so that they could see what beasts were causing the rampage and they quickly spotted multiple giant snakes heading towards the tent. "Looks like we won''t get the time to rest." One of the guys said as he looked at one of the giant snakes. "Yea but we will get lots of money as the giant snakes of the great desert are very rare and valuable. Not to mention the fame we will get if peoplee to know that we hunted desert snakes." The other guy said as he got ready to attack the giant snakes dasing towards their tent. As soon as the snakes got near, these adventures released their attacks. It seemed as if the snakes were running away from something and already were engaged in a battle beforeing here as they had w marks on their bodies from which fresh blood was dripping. One of the giant snakes opened its mouth and a ck liquid was sprayed towards the hunters. But it didn''t affect them in any way as they quickly dodged it by jumping sideways One of the adventurers used his skill due to which a fireball materialised in his hand. He quickly chucked the fireball towards one of the snakes that was dashing towards him, injuring it. He then proceeded to raise his hand and once again used his skill but this time multiple fireballs materialised in the air and quicklyunched at the snakes, injuring them. After sessfully injuring some snakes the guy started to run behind the other adventurers. The giant snakes got too close. The other adventurers dashed towards the snakes while grabbing their weapons. They all decided that they wouldn''t let even a single snake escape. After all, these were literal crawling money. A cut mark appears on one of the snakes as the adventurer swung his gigantic sword. The leader of the adventurers grabbed his great sword that was in his scabbard and unleashed it. He then dashed towards one of the snakes which seemed the most powerful of the rest. He then swung his sword with all his might, from which, a blue-coloured sh of aura was fired which pierced the scales of the snake and sliced it as if it was a hot knife passing through a chunk of butter. The leader then proceeded to sh using his sword multiple time causing blood to stter all around the ce. The blood of the snake covered the leader as he smiled maniacally. At that time the leader noticed something. The snake had thrown up arge chunk of a ball, however, it seemed as if the ball was moving slightly. After killing the snake, the leader proceeded to check what the ball was. To his surprise¡­ he found yet another fascinating being! "A¡­" "A desert wolf?" "¡­" Chapter 384 The Story Of The Desert Wolves: Kill ''How lucky can I be to find a desert wolf! That too¡­ a cub.'' The man thought as a greedy smile appeared on his face. He then grabbed the cute-looking cub and proceed to lift it. To the wolf, the human in front of him was its saviour. What it didn''t know was that trusting this human would be the biggest mistake in its life. The leader grabbed the desert wolf pup with greediness all over his eyes. On the other side, a female desert wolf was dashing towards the ce at full speed. When she reached there she saw surprised a little. Her kid was in the hands of a human who seemed to have killed the giant snake. The female desert wolf was a bit hesitant to approach the human, however, her kid was in his hands. She didn''t think much and started to walk towards him¡­ But before she could close in any more distance, the human increased the grip on the wolf pup''s neck. Blood sttered from the cub''s mouth as the man broke the pup''s neck. "That''s how you do it." The man said. Looking at her baby die right in front of her, the female dessert wolfpletely lost it. At that time more dessert wolves appeared behind her. They seemed to be of the same pack. They all saw the little wolf pup that they all adored, dead at the hands of the human. Their time with the little pup that they spent started to appear in their minds. At that time every desert wolf who looked at the scene swore that they would kill that human. "Aoooooooooo!" All the desert wolves dashed towards the man in a fit of rage¡­ however, little did they know that this would be yet another big mistake! *** Rekka was fighting with the leader of the giant snakes. He dashed towards the snake and bit its tail, causing it to scream in pain but Rekka didn''t care at all. After all the giant snakes attacked them first, trying to kill their young ones. They were able to save all the young pups except one which was taken away by a giant snake. The desert wolves were hunted by other species because of their meat. Their meat was very precious. Eating their meat would increase their connection with the earth''s elements and would increase a person''s strength and durability. But those were only the benefits of eating an adult desert wolf. The young cubs had a much greater advantage! If someone eats a newborn wolf pup then they''re guaranteed to get an earth-rted skill. This is because young desert wolves have very high earth mana concentration in their meat. That mana would,ter on, be used to make a skill but if anyone eats the meat before the skill is formed then they get the skill. Why are earth-rted skills so famous? It''s because a person has to stand on the ground while fighting. Even if the person can fly at some point the person will eventually have to touch the ground and that''s the moment when earth-rted abilityes in handy. Rekka kept on fighting with the snake leader. He was frustrated after all these kinds of incidents kept happening with their group. Soon Reka killed the snake in front of him in the most brutal way possible. He bit the snake''s body and started to drag it. ''Today there will be a feast.'' Rekka thought as he continued dragging the body of the snake. But after covering a certain distance he left the snake. Why? Because he smelled the scent of blood. It was familiar to him. He dashed towards the direction from where he smelled the blood and then soon arrived just to see the horrific scene in from of him. Dead bodies were lying all over the ce. The dead bodies of the desert wolves. And the one who was currently getting ughtered was none other than his brother - Pekka! Rekka dashed towards Pekka at full speed. Pekka was bleeding heavily. A great sword was about to slice through Pekka''s neck. Rekka couldn''t watch his twin brother die in front of him. "You bastard!", Rekka screamed as he dashed towards the person who was about to kill Pekka. Brown aura and brown mes covered Rekka. He dashed towards Pekka at a very terrifying speed but as soon as he reached covered another twenty metres, his mes disappeared and he tripped on seemingly nothing... It was as if his skill was forcefully deactivated. After tripping, Rekka fell unconscious, but just before fainting, thest scene that he saw was the great sword almost touching Pekka''s neck. . . . A few seconds passed¡­ Rekka opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Pekka''s head lying on the ground. A teardrop fell from his eyes as he looked at the body-less head of Pekka. "You know¡­ I never cared about you.", Rekka said as he continued to look at Pekka''s head. Tears continued to drip from his eyes but he didn''t care. At that time Rekka suddenly felt unbearable pain. He looked at his right paw which was supported by his body At that time his eyes met with the leader of these humans. As soon as he looked at them his eyes went bloodshot. His only goal was to kill these humans. He tried to activate his skills but he failed. At that time the great sword met with his other paw slicing it and making him scream in agony. The humans started tough as they looked at their leader mercilessly torturing and killing the wolf. The leader finally shed the neck of the wolf, killing it. "Well now, let''s take all these wolves'' bodies.", the adventurer said greedily to which other adventures nodded. At that time the leader noticed something, and right after noticing it his face wentpletely pale. He then proceeded to look at his fellow adventures. A few words left his mouth¡­ "Run!" "¡­" Chapter 385 A New Mission "Run!" "A sandstorm is approaching us!" He said. The others wanted to grab the dead bodies of the desert wolves but it seemed that they wouldn''t have enough time left. The leader quickly grabbed the wolf pup since it was very light. He then proceeded to run at full speed. They all quickly left the ce. The sandstorm was approaching quite quickly, so they had to run at full speed if they had to escape. Some dropped their armour and some equipment to make themselves lighter. Nevertheless, they all ran with all their might and seeded in evading the sandstorm. At that time winds started to blow faster and faster. The dead bodies of the wolves that were left behind ended up getting engulfed by the sandstorm which only grew bigger. Surprisingly, the sandstorm''s power started to reside as it suddenly started to rain. It rained for the first time in the desert in a decade. [sh back end] "Well, that''s a sad story," Shin said to Pekka. "How many years have passed since you and your brother died?", Shin asked to which Pekka replied. "It''s been four hundred years now¡­" "That must suck. Staying four hundred years as a spirit." Shin said and then proceed to look at the other wolf that looked exactly like Pekka. He was standing beside Pekka. "And you are Rekka." "No." *Ding* [Lie.] ''Huh? So you are a lie detector too?!'', Shin was surprised with the system''s notification. [Affirmative.] ''Hmm¡­'' ''So he is Rekka.'' Well, Rekka is called the King of Lies so he is bound to lie¡­ As for Pekka, he is the King of Truth, so he would never lie¡­ "Haha, he is Rekka. He just has the bad habit to lie too much." Pekka said as he proceeded to re at Rekka with an intense gaze. Shin thought that this was interesting¡­ Even after death, Rekka was still lying. But what was more astonishing was the fact that they could still exist in soul forms. In fact, ording to Pekka, their powers diminished or as if, they vanished when they fought the adventurers¡­ it too was somewhat surprising. Just when Shin was thinking about it, a system notification popped up. *Ding* [Mission: Help the brothers of the judgement to destroy the Shura kingdom.] [Side quest: Retrieve the Gem of Truth from the Shura kingdom.] [Rewards for main quest:] [-> +5 Levels Gain] [-> Brothers Of Judgement will join your side.] [-> Clue about the Heavenly Wolf Family.] [-> System Update.] [Rewards for sidequest:] [-> Be the owner of the Gem of Truth.] [-> Hint about Gem Of Lie.] [Failure:] [-> -5 Levels.] [-> All stat points decreased by 50% for 50 days.] [-> All evolutionary forms will be restricted for 50 days.] [-> All skills restricted from usage for 50 days.] ''The heck?'' ''What''s with those punishments?'', Shin stared at the failure part. Although the rewards were tempting, the failure conditions and debuffs were something that he couldn''t neglect. But with all the time he had spent with the system, Shin knew one thing ¨C whenever the system provided some strict conditions for failing a mission, it only meant one thing: the mission was something significantly important for his growth. Therefore, he instantly decided to take up the mission and proceed with it. "Do you guys know about the Shura kingdom?" Shin asked after hesitating for a moment. As soon as both the brothers heard what shin said they widened their eyes. "It was a kingdom that was built not too long ago after my death." "The king of that kingdom is someone I want to kill¡­ After all, he is the leader of the adventurers and the human who killed me.", Pekka said with hatred seen in his eyes. Then they discussed more about the situation of the kingdom and the wolf brothers. Since Shin had toplete his mission he tried to collect as much information as possible. "Since you all want revenge and we are going through that path itself, we might as well help you all," Shin said. "Come, join us. We both will use our forces to destroy the Shura Kingdom." ¨C Shin said as if it was a piece of cake for him, but he did not know about the biggest handicap of the Ghost Wolves. He noticed that all the ghost wolves looked disappointed or rather, angry and sad at the same time. "Sorry, but we can''t leave this death valley.", Pekka said. "Huh?" "You can''t?", Shin asked with his eyes widened. "No.", Pekka shook his head and proceeded to say, "This death valley wasn''t here from the start. It was created after our death." "What do you mean? If you all were trapped here for so long then how the heck did youe to know about the Shura kingdom?" "You are not Pekka, you are Rekka aren''t you?", Shin said as if he had solved the biggest mystery of his life. But to his disappointment that wasn''t the case. He looked at the screen which clearly worded it as Pekka, however, Shin still wasn''t convinced and jokingly, asked, "Do I have legs?" "Yes.", Pekka answered. But from the other side, another voice was heard. "No." "..." "..." Shin and Pekka looked at Rekka with an expression that asked, "Seriously?" Shin then looks at Pekka once again and asked, "Then, how did you peoplee to know about the Shura kingdom?" Pekka started to exin. "You see, all the dead soulse here to death valley which became a gathering of all the strong or even weak souls." "Even though souls get weaker after death, if the previous body would be strong then they would approximately only lose only fifty to hundred or a maximum of two hundred levels." ''Huh?'' ''What did he say?'', Shin''s eyes widened when he heard this. The fact that Pekka took on this opportunity to mention this was great because Shin just had a great revtion which he wouldn''t have thought otherwise. The drop in levels¡­ When he calcted, he realized something wasn''t right and finally understood what it meant by dying¡­ Chapter 386 Guardians Of The Gems He was partially a necromancer as he had already harvested some souls of the boars. Along with that, many souls of dead wolves were also in his party. All of them were roughly Lv.20 to Lv.30, and now, they had regressed back to Lv.1 and were in soul form with no sign of any intelligence. It was the same for the Boar King Avan too. He was at Lv.100, yet, after dying, his soul was roughly regressed to Lv.1, however, he could regain his power once conditions were met. Nevertheless, Shin realized that Pekka was saying the truth about losing 50 to 100 levels. Alright¡­ this much was fine. But as Shin proceeded to think, he realized how terrifyingly powerful Rekka, Pekka and his gang were. If even after losing 100 Levels, a soul can retain their intelligence and even have enough power to fight ¨C it would only mean one thing: they were definitely above Lv.100 when they were alive. ''Lv.100 lost to adventurers 400 years ago¡­'' ''It''s been 400 years yet the leader of the adventurer is still alive¡­'' ''If he had would have levelled up, then how strong would he be now?'' *gulp* ''Did I do the right thing by epting this mission?'', Shin thought as chills ran down his spine. "Back to the point, all the strong souls have a meeting with each other in death valley, and wandering souls visit death valley too so we came to know about that kingdom.", Pekka concluded. "Well, that exins, it," Shin said, trying to remain calm. They all then started to walk toward the end of the valley. At that time, the semi-transparent wolves becamepletely transparent and were no longer visible, but Shin used his all-seeing eyes. He was able to see them again. As they all were walking, Shin asked Pekka another question. "Hey, I have a question¡­" "Feel free to ask." "Do you know about the Gem of Truth?" As soon as Shin asked this question Pekka''s and Rekka''s eyes widened. "It seems that you both do." "Yes." "No" "¡­" "¡­" "Damn Rekka, you should stop lying all the time," Pekka said with an annoyed look to which Rekka said. "I never spoke a lie in my whole life." "..." "..." Everyone was speechless when they heard it. Silence enveloped the ce but was soon broken by Shin''s sharp voice. "Anyway tell me about the gem of truth." "You see, the Gem of Truth is one of the most powerful weapo- erm, Item¡­" "And I was it''s guardian¡­" ''A guardian!?'' ''¡­And he was killed by someone?'' ''How powerful was that leader of the adventures?'', Shin thought with a shocked expression. He had already thought about Pekka being above Lv.100, but after hearing that he was a guardian, he even ended up epting the fact that Pekka could have been above Lv.200¡­ "The weapon of truth. It had two powerful abilities and one unique ability." Unique ability: - Immortality Original abilities: 1] The Domain of Truth - Allows the user to create a domain where every lie will be erased. 2] Desert Control [10¨G] - Allows the user to control ten per cent of the desert. "Wow, is that so?", Shin was utterly surprised when he heard this. He recalled the side quest that asked him to get the gem back and he would be its owner. This indirectly meant that 10% of the desert would end up under his control, not to mention, immortality and the domain of truth. To be precise, immortality was probably the best effect of the gem, however, even with immortality, just how did Pekka end up dying? ¨C Shin kept asking himself. He then snapped out of it and then stared at Rekka who was just beside Pekka. A sudden thought popped into his mind. "Wait, if you are the guardian of the gem of truth, does then that mean..." Shin said as he looked at Rekka. "Exactly. He is the guardian of the gem of a lie.", Pekka answered before Shin could finish asking. Shin didn''tment anymore nor asked anything else. He silently continued walking down the valley. Soon they all reached the end of death valley. It was desert yet again. Shin thought about it for a second. He wanted to leave his pack behind with the ghost wolves because taking them could be troublesome. But then again, he thought that they could just hide in his shadows. Thus, he continued walking in the desert along with his pack. After walking a few miles, all of them suddenly stopped. It was because Shin wanted to check something. Although the kingdom was still quite far away from where they stood, Shin decided to use his All-Seeing Eyes. Thankfully, he could see the walls of the kingdom which seemed to be made out of sand. ''Ha¡­ As expected of All Seeing eyes. It lets me see far ces too¡­'' ''But I need to confirm his range¡­'', Shin thought. However, he couldn''t do that right now. That''s because, he couldn''t see through something¡­ Shin couldn''t see through the walls of the kingdom. He could see a faint blue-coloured holy aura covering the walls. ''I can''t see through even with All Seeing eyes¡­'' ''Is it because it''s max range or because of that blue aura?'', Shin asked himself. Soon they all started to walk at a faster pace. After about fifty minutes, they reached the walls of the kingdom. Of course, they were only about three hundred metres away from it. Shin once again activated all-seeing eyes but just like the previous time, he couldn''t see through the wall. At that time all of a sudden the sand beneath them started to shake and a head burst out of it which was followed by the rest of the body. It was a giant desert serpent. "Be alert!", Shin said as he quickly jumped and then used his Aero sh. The aero sh crashed with the scales of the serpent creating a dull metallic noise. The snake spat out a ck-coloured liquid at the Shin but he dodged it by jumping very high. At that time the sand beneath them started to shake and this time multiple snakes burst out of it. Thanks to them being alert, no one was injured. All the desert serpents that appeared, started to spit the ck liquid at Shin and the pack. Chapter 387 Human Form Shin swiftly conjured a hurricane and enveloped himself within it, shielding himself from the corrosive ck liquid. Meanwhile, Deoras and the other Shadow Wolves rushed to aid Shin. They deftly wielded their mastery over darkness, fashioning numerous weapons which they promptly unleashed upon the serpentine threat. The sight of their ferocity caused the serpents to promptly retreat. As the other Shadow Wolves moved to pursue the fleeing serpents, Shin issued amanding order. "We are here to aplish something of utmost importance. Let the serpents be, and follow me." With Shin leading the way, all the Shadow Wolves followed him into the kingdom. "What the hell!" eximed Shin as heid his eyes upon the kingdom''s bizarre sight. The entire kingdom was constructed of sand - from the buildings to the roads - but that wasn''t what surprised Shin the most. Rather, it was the fact that there were no humans in sight, only skeletons walking and conversing with each other. Just then, from the corner of his eyes, Shin caught sight of the gate opening. He could see that the person entering the kingdom was a human, but as soon as he stepped into the kingdom, his skin and flesh turned into small particles of light, leaving only his skeleton behind. "Intruder!" Shin heard the word and looked over to see a skeleton knight shouting. More skeleton knights appeared, unsheathing their swords and dashing towards him to attack. Shin quickly ran towards the gate, but one of the skeleton knights was hot on his heels. He tilted his body and bit the skeleton''s arm, using his exceptional strength to swing his head and throw the knight out of the gate. As the skeleton guard left the kingdom''s boundary, he transformed into a human. While Shin was momentarily stunned, the other skeleton knights took advantage and attacked him. As he regained his senses, Shin decided to test something. He bit another skeleton knight''s arm and then threw him towards the gate, controlling his strength to ensure that only half of the knight''s body remained inside the kingdom''s boundary. To Shin''s astonishment, the half of the knight''s body outside the kingdom turned into a human while the other half remained a skeleton. The reason why Shin was surprised was because, even with All Seeing Eyes, he could only see them as skeletons. No matter who it was, outside or inside, as long as it was someone who belonged to the kingdom, all he could see was a skeleton. But without the skill, the skeleton leaving outside would appear to be humans, as if, they were binded with some spell, but the moment they entered inside, they became a skeleton. After conducting the experiment, Shin finally understood the true meaning of Pekka''s words about immortality. While the body may die, the bones would trap the soul in this realm, preventing it from ever reaching the afterlife. It was not a blessing but a curse. Shaking his head, Shin realized he couldn''t dwell on these thoughts. Escaping was his priority, and he didn''t want to draw attention to himself. He still remembered the warning from the ghost wolf brothers. As Shin leaped from the wall, he noticed something peculiar - his shadow had changed. Dismissing it as a mere hallucination, he continued on his escape before any knights couldunch an attack. He then waited for some time to pass and started making preparations. Shin ensured that the shadow wolves entered his shadow to avoid creating amotion. After a few hours had passed, Shin used his transformation and assumed his arachno wolf form, which allowed him to move more efficiently and jump from wall to wall. Once he jumped from the wall andnded on the ground, he noticed his shadow changing again. Despite this, he ignored it, thinking it was just his imagination. Suddenly, something unexpected happened. Shin looked down and saw that the ground looked like ss, revealing shadow wolves moving beneath the surface. As Shin ran towards the corner, he couldn''t help but notice the sand reflecting his image like mirrors. It was an eerie feeling that made him shiver. Once he reached the corner, he made sure that no one was watching before summoning the shadow wolves out of his shadow. But as he was about to give them orders, he noticed a strange look on their faces, as if they were seeing him for the first time. "What''s going on?" Shin asked, trying to lighten the mood. "Do I have something on my face?" Deoras didn''t reply, and when Shin turned around, he saw that there was no one there. "Deoras, what''s happening?" Shin asked, trying to get a response, but to his surprise, Deoras snapped back, "Who the hell are you?" Shin was taken aback. Deoras had always been loyal to him, and he had never spoken to him in such a manner before. Shin knew something was wrong, and he needed to figure out what was going on before it was toote. Shin then remembered what Pekka had said about the Kingdom of Bones, that it trapped souls inside their bones, making them immortal. ''So this is my real form,'' he thought to himself. Shin tried to process everything that had happened. He had been reborn as a skeleton, yet he could transform into an Arachno wolf and now he had seen his human reflection. He realized that he had been given a second chance at life, but in a way he had never imagined. As he continued to stare at his reflection, Shin realized that he needed to leave the Kingdom of Bones as soon as possible. He knew that the longer he stayed, the harder it would be for him to leave. He had to find a way to break the curse and free himself from this ce. Of course, at the same time, he wanted to know what this wonder was. Something that could transform him into a human¡­ ''Ha¡­ this is not a curse!'' ''This is something that I have been looking for!'', Shin thought as a grin appeared on his face. He changed his thoughtspletely and decided to explore the kingdom and find the gem, that had such power. Chapter 388 A Trap ''If this kingdom is under the domain of truth, then does that mean my wolf form was a lie? No! That doesn''t make any sense! It can''t be possible!'' Shin thought as he pulled his hair. He then looked towards the shadow wolves who were warily looking at Shin. "It''s me, Shin," he said using telepathy. The shadow wolves seemed surprised as they looked at the human in front of them. "It''s me. It''s just that I had to disguise myself," Shin exined. The shadow wolves couldn''t hear the conversation that took ce between the brothers of judgment and Shin, so they didn''t know about the gem of truth or its effects. That''s the reason they believed Shin''s words after some time. In fact, Deoras had a smirk on his face. ''My master is amazing!'', he thought to himself. Regardless¡­ Shin stood up, and although his legs felt weak at first, the human feeling refreshed his mind. Now that he realized that he was in human form, he needed clothes. After all, he couldn''t be naked after knowing it. He sneakily walked towards one of the skeletons that were near them and pointed his finger toward the skeleton from one meter away. He wanted to test something. Quickly, web shot from his fingers and stuck to the skeleton. The skeleton seemed startled at first, but before it could even scream, the web pulled it. Shin quickly grabbed the mouth of the skeleton and twisted it. He then broke the lower jaw of the skeleton so that it couldn''t speak. Of course, this didn''t kill the skeleton. ''Now that I am in human form, I should be able to blend in with others. I can thenplete my mission easily,'' Shin thought. He then stored the shadow wolves in his inventory because he wanted to blend in with the people in this kingdom, and it would be very unusual to see so many wolves in someone''s shadow. How could others see? It was because of gem of truth. When one saw Shin''s shadow, it would appear like a pit with wolves inside - of course, this was the power of gem of truth. As soon as he tried to blend with the skeletons, he was immediately caught. "A human with flesh! Capture him! Capture him!" The people started to scream as soon as Shin tried to blend with them. ''Dammit! How could I make such a silly mistake? These were skeletons without flesh, while I look like a human, perfectly fine with flesh and muscle! Of course, they would catch me!'' Shin started to curse himself due to his foolish action. Shin quickly transformed into a ming wolf emperor. Just as he predicted, his hair and eyes turned bright orange and were no longer spiky; instead, they were long and reached his shoulders. Shin then started to run as his long bright orange mane fluttered around him. Shin used me waves andunched them toward any skeleton in his way without the fear of killing them since they were practically immortal. As Shin was running, he noticed stalls where fruits and vegetables were being sold. ''How are they able to grow these things in the desert?'' Shin thought, but then quickly found out the answer. He remembered that skeletons would go out while disguising themselves. They must have bought it from the human kingdoms. That''s what Shin thought, but he then shook his head. Now was not the time to think about all these things. At that time, multiple skeleton knights appeared and started attacking Shin. One of the skeleton knights swung his sword towards Shin, but at that time heunched his skill, me waves, towards that skeleton, melting the sword and bones. Shin then used a ming vortex, melting some of the skeleton knights. He then started to run towards the castle. At that time, he saw many more knightsing towards him. ''Damn! They don''t learn their lesson, do they?'' Shin said,pletely frustrated. He once again used his ming vortex, but this time, the sand beneath him opened up. To Shin, it felt like he hadunched his skill, but suddenly he started to fall. ''It was a trap!'' Shin screamed internally, but it was already toote. For the first time in a while, he fell unconscious. But soon Shin''s eyes opened once again, and he stood up on his two legs, trying to understand what had just happened. He fell unconscious because of the sleeping powder, which wasn''t poisonous, so his skills didn''t work. However, he had another skill that prevented changes in stats or buffs, so he was able to wake up quickly. Shin looked around himself, trying toprehend where he was. He was trapped in a cage being pulled by two desert tigers. As Shin was about to use his skills to escape the cage, he started to hear cheers from the audience. They were watching their favorite show. He tilted his head and looked towards the side, bewildered by what he saw. Hundreds of skeletons were cheering. Soon, two skeleton knights walked towards the cage, opened its lock, and unlocked the tiger''s metal cors from their necks. After doing so, the knights quickly left the ce, which resembled an arena in fact it was. Shin looked around and saw many other cages being carried by the desert tigers. They contained multiple beasts and humans. Shin''s brows furrowed as he looked at the cages. Then, he shifted his vision to the people who were cheering. "Damn! We got a lot of humans this month, didn''t we?" "Yea! It will be very fun to watch them getting ughtered!" "Hahahahha!" The cheers grew louder as the crowd of skeletons watched the cages being dragged into the arena. They were excited to see the beasts and humans fight for their entertainment. Some were cing bets, eagerly anticipating the bloodshed that would ensue. Others were bragging about their previous winnings, their hollow bones rattling with excitement. The atmosphere was electrifying, as if the entire arena was buzzing with the anticipation of the uing battles. The skeletons were all dressed in various costumes and wigs, adding to the theatricality of the event. They were all united in their love of violence and spectacle. At that moment, a skeleton wearing a wig appeared, holding something that resembled a mic. "Ladies and gentlemen! This month''s battles will be very fun! I guarantee it to all of you!" The man said in a cheerful and energetic voice. Chapter 389 The King! ? At that moment, towering skeleton warriors made their way into the arena, d in formidable armor and brandishing great swords in a nted position. Each stride they took caused the entire arena to tremble. Suddenly, the sound of light, rhythmic footsteps echoed through the air, followed by the igniting of something. The moment the footsteps were heard, the entire crowd fell silent, even those who were previously boasting and betting on the uing battles. Despite the weight of the atmosphere, Shin managed to resist the urge to bow down along with the others. His gaze shifted towards the skeleton king, who was descending the stairs in a majestic manner. On each corner of the stairs, there were two tes that ignited in green mes as the king made his way down. His eyes were a piercing blue me, giving him an otherworldly aura. While one might think that the king was a summon of a necromancer due to his blue mes, Shin was able to sense that it wasn''t the case. Life force settles in the sockets when someone dies and is summoned by a necromancer, but the blue mes emanating from the king were not life force. Finally, the skeleton king sat upon his grand throne, and as he did, the crowd erupted in cheers of "Glory to the king!" It was clear that he was the beloved leader of these skeletons, and the uing matches would be fought in his honor As the crowd cheered for the king, the skeleton knights and warriors joined in with a deep respect, acknowledging their leader''s presence. On the other hand, the humans and beastmen that were locked up in cages looked at the whole scenario with confusion and fear. Shin and his fellow humans stared in awe at the giant skeleton warriors that were now standing in front of them. It was clear that they would have to face these formidable foes. One of the men in the cage pleaded for mercy, begging for his life. Others followed suit, hoping that their cries would reach the hearts of their captors. The situation seemed hopeless, but Shin remained calm and collected, assessing the situation. As he looked at the skeleton giants with disdain, he suddenly felt chills crawl up his back. His gaze shifted towards the cause of his difort, and he realized it was none other than the skeleton king himself. Shin swallowed hard as he stared at the king, but he managed topose himself and make eye contact. The king gazed back at him with a curious expression, as if he were examining a guinea pig. It was evident to the king that Shin was incredibly powerful. From the moment Shin entered the kingdom, the king had felt his strong presence. He had expected Shin to pass through without any issue, but to his surprise, Shin not only entered the kingdom but also wanted to enter the castle. The king chuckled as he looked at Shin''s skinny frame. He was certain that even though Shin was powerful, he wouldn''t be able to defeat him. Nevertheless, he was intrigued by Shin''s bravery and curiosity, so he decided to observe him closely. The tension in the arena was palpable as everyone waited for the battle to begin. The skeletons stood tall and intimidating, while the humans and beastmen trembled in fear. Shin and hispanions prepared for the fight of their lives, knowing that they would have to give it their all if they were to survive. The skeleton king then looked at the match announcer and ordered him to start the battle in the arena. "As you wish, my lord," the announcer said, then looked at the arena and spoke with his loud and cheerful voice, "Ladies and gentlemen! The match is about to start! I hope you have all ced your bets! Three! Two! One!" As soon as the countdown ended, the skeleton warriors dashed towards the humans and beasts, unsheathing their great swords. At that time, the humans and beasts also started to dash towards the warriors to defeat them. Of course, if anyone tried to escape, only death awaited them. How did people know? Because someone did try to escape, but as soon as they reached the entrance, an arrow pierced through their head, killing them. Several skeleton archers made sure that anyone who tried to escape would die. One of the humans dashed towards the warriors and then jumped. He tried to punch the skeleton''s face but ended up dead because of the great sword that sliced through him like a hot knife through butter. Shin, on the other hand, neither tried to escape nor rush towards the skeleton warrior. He was just chilling, lying on the floor of the arena. It was as if he was enjoying a pic. This scene bewildered everyone, but they couldn''t do anything about it. Well, he wasn''t particrly worried and it was not others jobs to go and remind him to show fear just for their entertainment! ''Sigh, looks like I have to fight as well¡­'' ''But first, lets wait until others take care of them. Why to work when others can do it for me?'', Shin smirked as thought this and waited for the remaining to go and take care of the soldiers. At that time, Shin''s eyes paused on a man wearing a ck cloak that covered most of his facial features. One of the skeleton warriors dashed towards the man and swung his great sword to kill him, but what happened next shocked him. The man stretched his arm and grabbed the great sword speeding towards him. He then tightened his grip around the sword and sessfully broke it with just his bare hands. This shocked the skeleton knight because the sword was made of one of the strongest metals. Shin, on the other hand, had an interesting look as he saw what just happened. "Well, he seems strong," was what Shin thought as he continued looking at the man. Chapter 390 Act Of Heroism ? Shin watched in awe as the cloaked man effortlessly defeated the skeleton warriors, shattering a heavy great sword with just his bare hands. ''Should I join the battle?'' Shin wondered as he observed the mysterious figure. But what really caught Shin''s attention was the man''s asional act of heroism, saving innocent humans from harm''s way amidst the chaos of battle. "I suppose he''s kind," Shin mused to himself. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Shin caught sight of a skeleton warrior charging straight at him. Shin briefly considered activating his me vortex to defend himself, but then a new idea urred to him and he couldn''t help but smile. He sat down on the ground, calmly waiting for the skeleton knight to approach. Without warning, the skeleton''s skull shattered into a million pieces as it drew near to Shin. Shocked, Shin looked up and saw the cloaked man standing over the fallen warrior, his hand outstretched and a look of determination on his face. ''This guy¡­'' ''He is trashing everyone skeleton here by himself¡­'' Shin was awestruck as he watched the man effortlessly dispatch every skeleton warrior in sight. The cloaked figure had already saved six people, including Shin, and he showed no signs of slowing down. As the man continued to fight, his ck cloak was torn, revealing his striking features. Shin couldn''t help but be impressed by the man''s youthful good looks and majestic silver hair. Despite his dark attire, the man''s eyes were a piercing ck that seemed to hold an otherworldly power. Blue mes swirled around the man''s hand, enhancing the force behind each of his strikes. Suddenly, a skeleton warrior appeared behind him andunched a surprise attack. To everyone''s amazement, the silver-haired man blocked the punch with his own, enveloped in the same blue mes. As the two fists collided, shockwaves rippled through the arena, apanied by the sound of bones cracking. The skeleton warrior was shattered to pieces while the man''s fist remained unscathed, not even a scratch marring its surface. The onlookers watched in awe, realizing that they were witnessing something truly extraordinary. This silver-haired warrior was no ordinary man. The silver-haired man''s smile only widened as the skeleton warriors charged towards him with rage in their eyes. Despite their immense strength and speed, the man proved to be faster and stronger than them. One of the warriors swung a heavy great sword towards the silver-haired man, but he effortlessly dodged it with a simple backflip. As hended, blue mes engulfed his leg and he channeled all his strength into a single strike. The leg connected with the great sword in a thunderous collision, sending shockwaves across the arena. To the amazement of everyone watching, the great sword shattered into countless pieces upon impact, leaving the skeleton warrior defenseless. The silver-haired man wasted no time, and with a single swift motion, he delivered the final blow, shattering the warrior''s bones and reducing it to dust. The silver-haired man let out augh of triumph as he punched the armor of the fallen skeleton warrior. As his fist connected, cracks began to appear on the metal ting, and the blue mes that surrounded his hand began to spread, engulfing the entire skeleton in a ze. Within moments, the skeleton warrior was reduced to ash, and the silver-haired man stood victorious amidst the destruction he had wrought. He surveyed the carnage with a sense of satisfaction, as if relishing the challenge that the skeletons had presented. "Ha! That was just too easy!" he eximed, grinning from ear to ear. Surprisingly, the remaining skeletons were cheering for the silver-haired man, their former enemies. Their bony frames rattled with excitement, and their cheers echoed through the arena. It dawned on the spectators that this monthly battle was not just for entertainment, but for the skeletons as well. The humans who participated were always defeated in the first round, leaving the skeletons with nothing to do but wait for the next month. But now, with the arrival of the silver-haired man, they had finally found an opponent worth their time. The skeletons realized that they were witnessing a rare spectacle, and they cheered for the man with all their might. The silver-haired man grinned as he basked in the adtion of his former enemies. It seemed that he had not only won the battle but had also won the hearts of the skeletons. "After a long time, a second round is finally happening in this arena! It''s time for a real show!" The speaker of the match announced, and the rest of the skeletons in the audience erupted in cheers. But suddenly, a sharp and loud voice cut through the noise. "Hold on a second! You all get entertainment because we lose, but what if I win? What do I get?" The silver-haired man asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice. Before the speaker could even answer, another sharp and dominating voice echoed throughout the arena. "What do you mean? You became a ve the moment you entered this kingdom. You are nothing but a mere ve who has to do anything to please your master," the king of the skeletons said with a disdainful look on his face. "Mere ve? Who me? That''s the funniest joke I have ever heard in my entire life. It''s so funny that I can probablyugh to death. You see I can escape whenever I want to." Listening to what the silver-haired guy just said the king became a little angry. "You mere ve! You dared to talk back to your master!" "Master my ass! If you defeat me in a duel my ass is yours!" "You have crossed all your limits! Do you even think you are worthy enough to look at me? I will show you the power difference between us!" The skeleton king said, and at that moment, the blue mes around his socket started to shine brightly, bright enough to catch everyone''s attention within a fraction of a second. Chapter 391 Saving The Hero ? The sand beneath the silver-haired man suddenly rose and covered his body, trapping himpletely, leaving only his head exposed. "Come on, escape!" the skeleton king taunted. "As you wish," the silver-haired man replied. With a burst of blue mes from his body, he expected to burn the sand and break free. However, nothing happened. His face paled in shock and frustration. "Khhhhhh!" he screamed as he struggled to break free from the sand''s grasp. "Is he somehow constipated?" Shin asked himself as he continued looking at the man. "Hahahahah! Do you finally realize the strength gap between you and me? You are nothing but a mere ve, while I am the king!" The skeleton king said, enjoying the silver-haired man''s struggle. Despite his efforts, the man could not seem to break free from the sand. As the silver-haired man struggled to break free from the sand, he could feel his frustration and anger building up inside him. "Enough is enough," he muttered to himself as he decided to take matters into his own hands. With a deep breath, he focused all his energy into his body and let the blue mes that surrounded him grow stronger. The heat from the mes intensified, and the sand around him began to shift and crack. For a moment, it seemed as though he might seed in breaking free, but then he felt a sharp pain shoot through his body. It was as if the sand had turned to stone, trapping him even more securely than before. The silver-haired man watched in frustration as the sand around him had hardened into a rock-like structure. He tried to use his mes to break free, but to no avail. Suddenly, he had an idea. He thought that he could use his fists to punch his way out. But as he tried to move his hands, he realized they were still trapped. Frustrated, he used his head instead, hoping to break through the hardened sand. With a loud thud, his head hit the rock and he felt blood trickle down his face. Despite his efforts, the rock remained unbroken and he failed to free himself. Shin, who watched this happen, finally decided to help the young hero. He stood up, nning to use his skill Dash after freeing his joints a bit, but before he could do so, the ground started to tremor. *Zoom* A mysterious being suddenly appeared from nothingness! Shin watched in awe as the massive serpent emerged from the sand. Its scales were a shimmering gold, and its eyes were a piercing emerald green. But what caught Shin''s attention the most was the red ruby on the serpent''s head, gleaming like a fiery sun. The serpent''s fangs were razor-sharp, glistening with venom, and its tongue flickered in the air as if tasting the scent of its prey. Its body was as thick as a tree trunk, and its length seemed endless. As the serpent slithered closer, Shin could feel the ground shaking beneath his feet. He reached for his sword, the one that was given as a tool to fight by the skeletons, but before he could draw it, the serpent let out a deafening roar that shook the entire arena. Shin took a step back, his heart pounding in his chest. The serpent lowered its head, preparing to strike. Its ruby glowed even brighter, and Shin knew that he was in grave danger. He braced himself for the attack, ready to face the serpent with all his might. But as the serpent lunged forward, something unexpected happened. Shin watched in amazement as the silver-haired man moved swiftly, pushing him out of harm''s way. He had never expected such a selfless act from someone who was trapped and struggling himself. The young hero may have been physically confined, but his spirit was free. For a moment, Shin was reminded of the wolf brothers, who had betrayed Kira, their own brother, when he needed them the most. But watching the silver-haired man''s brave and noble act, Shin felt a glimmer of hope for humanity. As he regained hisposure, Shin looked at the young hero with newfound respect and admiration. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "I didn''t expect you to help me while you''re still trapped." The silver-haired man smiled weakly. "It''s the right thing to do," he replied. "I may be trapped, but my spirit is free. And I will not let anyone suffer if I can help it." Shin nodded, feeling grateful to have met someone like him. In a world full of betrayal and selfishness, the silver-haired man''s act of selflessness gave Shin hope that not all was lost. Shin was about to thank the young hero, but before he could those words, the serpent all of a sudden, swallowed the man. Shin''s eyes remained closed for a second with a weird confused face, as if asking, ''What the fk did just happen?'' The skeleton king started tough. "HAHAHA!" "And that''s how you foolish humans die! HAHAHA!" Instead of disying sorrow or anything else, Shin, after hearing the king''s words, smirked andughed back. Seconds after that, he ran towards the serpent. As Shin charged towards the serpent, his muscles bulged and his eyes narrowed into a fierce gaze. "You messed with the wrong guy," he growled, before grabbing onto the serpent''s jaws with both hands. The serpent writhed and thrashed, trying to shake Shin off, but he held on tight, his grip like iron. "You won''t defeat me that easily," he grunted, his voice strained as he pushed the jaws apart. Finally, he managed to pry open the serpent''s mouth wide enough to jump inside. The darkness was suffocating, but he could see the silver-haired man struggling to break free from the serpent''s stomach. "Hang on," Shin shouted, determination etched on his face. As he fought his way towards the man, the serpent''s body coiled and twisted around him, trying to crush him. "Is that all you''ve got?" Shin taunted, his fists flying as hended blow after blow on the serpent''s scales. The skeleton king watched in disbelief, his expression turning from amusement to fear. "How can this be?" he muttered, his voice shaking. "He''s just a human!" Chapter 392 An Egg ? As the serpent suddenly grew to an enormous size, the crowd gasped in awe and fear. Shin stumbled backward, his eyes widening in terror as the serpent''s massive jaws closed around him. The skeleton king cackled with glee, his bony fingers tapping against his throne. "Yes, yes, this is what I wanted!" he eximed, his voice filled with malice. The crowd cheered, their voices blending together into a deafening roar. "Long live the skeleton king!" they chanted, their adoration for their ruler apparent. The king leaned back in his throne, a smug expression on his skull-like face. "I am pleased," he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. As the serpent finished swallowing Shin, it turned its attention towards the rest of the humans in the area. Its eyes glinted with hunger, and its massive body slithered forward in search of its next meal. The crowd of humans in the arena quickly scattered, their screams filling the air as they ran in all directions. The serpent followed, its tongue flicking out in anticipation as it searched for its next victim. Panic and chaos reigned as the serpent began its hunt, leaving destruction and terror in its wake. As Shin slid down the serpent''s neck and found himself in its stomach, he felt a surge of excitement and adrenaline. The acidic environment burned his skin, but he refused to let it dampen his spirits. Suddenly, a notification appeared in his vision, causing him to focus his attention. [Warning: Change in ce. Corrosive Acid detected. Immediate action required. HP decreasing, host must evacuate immediately.] ''Ugh, my body is that of a human¡­'' ''Because of that I am suffering heavy damage.'', Shin said to himself. As Shin searched for a way to escape the serpent''s stomach, he suddenly spotted a silver-haired man standing nearby, seemingly unaffected by the acidic environment. "How are you standing here like it''s nothing?" Shin asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. The man turned to face him and smiled. "I have a resistance to acids," he replied. "I''m d you''re here, though. Did youe to rescue me?" Shin nodded eagerly. "Of course," he said. "That''s what heroes do, right? Save people in need." Shin was trying to get on good terms with the man. The man chuckled. "You remind me of someone I used to know," he said wistfully. "He was a true hero, too. Always putting others before himself." Shin''s eyes widened with excitement. "Really? Who was he?" Although he didn''t know anything about what the man was going to say, he eagerly waited. A new story, he wouldn''t say no to it. The man''s expression turned somber. "His name was Zephyr," he said. "He was a brave warrior who fought for justice and freedom. He inspired me to do the same." Shin felt a surge of pride at the mention of Zephyr''s name. "I hope I can be like him someday," he said. "To be a true hero, like you and him." The man smiled warmly. "I have no doubt you will," he said. "But for now, let''s focus on getting out of here alive, shall we?" Shin thought that this talk was getting out of the hand, so he calmed himself down. "By the way, I''m Shin." "Ah, I''m Lucas." Both of them introduced themselves while thinking of a way to get out of the ce. But¡­ Just as Shin and Lucas introduced themselves, they were interrupted by the cracking of arge egg nearby. They turned to see a man''s face emerging from it, his expression stoic and intimidating. "Hello there," the man said, his voice calm and measured. Shin felt a shiver run down his spine at the man''s words, but he refused to show any fear. He had already sensed the man''s presence and knew that he was powerful. "Who are you?" Lucas asked, his tone wary. The man''s lips curled into a slight smile. "I am known by many names," he said. "But you may call me... the Eggman." Shin couldn''t help but smirk at the man''s strange introduction. "The Eggman?" he repeated, his voice filled with amusement. The man nodded. "Yes, the Eggman," he said. "I am a master of transformation magic. And I have been watching you both for some time now." Shin and Lucas exchanged a nce, unsure of what to make of the Eggman''s words. But Shin remainedposed, knowing that he had to stay alert in case the man turned hostile. "What do you want from us?" he asked, his voice firm and confident. The Eggman looked at Shin and Lucas, his face stern as he dered his intentions to test their potential. "Ha." "I want to see how strong you are.", he said. But Shin had no intentions of entertaining him. Shin said, "Lucas, leave that guy alone. Let''s just get out of here." And the moment he said this, Eggman''s facade quickly crumbled as he cried out in desperation, "No, no, don''t leave me here! I''m stuck here! The serpent swallowed me too. I will die!" Shin and Lucas exchanged nces, uncertain of what to do. Despite his initial bravado, the Eggman seemed helpless and afraid. Shin felt a twinge ofpassion for the man, and decided to help him. "Don''t worry, we''ll get you out of here," Shin said firmly, his voice full of conviction. Lucas nodded in agreement. But after saying that, Shin and Lucas started to think of a way to get out when suddenly, an idea crossed Lucas'' mind. Lucas looked at Shin and said, "I can use my blue mes topletely burn the serpent''s insides. It''s the only way we can get out of here." Shin nodded in agreement, thinking that he would be unaffected if he transformed into his me Wolf Emperor form, but before they could begin their attack, the Eggman interrupted them. "Wait, hold on a minute!" he cried out. "I''ll be fried if you attack the serpent like that! Is there no other way?" Shin and Lucas exchanged a worried nce. They had forgotten about the Eggman''s predicament. "Weren''t you strong?", Shin asked. "Uh¡­" "No matter how strong I am, in the end, I am just an egg.", he said. "¡­" Chapter 393 Lucas Vs The Skeleton Soldiers (1) ? Shin stared at the man, confused with what exactly he meant. Sure, he was someone who could transform himself, but why would he call himself an egg? Thinking of it to be a joke, Shin neglected it as he sensed a bigger problem at hand. He looked towards Lucas and said, "Instead of using your mes, let me just cut this serpent''s stomach open." Lucas looked at Shin''s skin, which was already burning due to the acid. Following that, he nced at his palm, searching for a sharp weapon from which he meant tp cut the serpent. Since he found none, he looked straight at Shin. "I don''t see any weapon," Lucas said, concern creeping into his voice. Shin furrowed his brow, confused by Lucas'' statement. "Weapon?" he asked. "Yes," Lucas replied. "You said you were going to cut the serpent''s stomach, right?" Shin nodded in affirmation. "Yeah, that''s the n. What about it?" "Well, then you''re going to need a sharp object or a weapon, like a sword," Lucas said, gesturing with his hands to emphasize his point. Shin remained quiet for a few seconds and then finally decided to relieve Lucas of his concern. "Look boy, I don''t need something to cut it open." "I have sufficient strength to do that.", Shin reassured. Lucas realized that the frail skinny man in front of him, wasn''t probably as weak as he thought. Well, just a nce at Shin and one could tell how good looking he was, but his muscles weren''t seen. In fact, he could even bepared to a stick! Regardless, Lucas'' misconceptions seemed to go away, however, he had yet to witness Shin''s strength. "Alright, let''s do that.", Lucas said, and waited for Shin to showcase his might. Without further adieu, Shin immediately lift his left arm. ''Aero sh.'', he said in his mind and concentrated on using the skill with only his arm. Surprisingly, it worked. Arge amount of mana gathered around his arm, seconds after which, visible wind could be seen swirling around his left arm. Shin''s eyes were glowing with intense green light, almost blinding to others. However, both Lucas and the so-called Eggman, could peep directly into his eye, as if, they weren''t affect by the light. ¡­ The serpent moved towards other humans, and was swallowing them one by one. They were helpless, and were being caught and gulped within a fraction of a second. They would travel all the way through the serpent''s alimentary canal until they reach its stomach. Of course, Lucas would either catch them, or pull them out from the digestive juice. Regardless, the chaos outside was something that the entire crowd enjoyed. The King was much please, drinking two to three sses of wine in one go - although all of them just dripped down the bones. He was quite happy, as mentioned, enjoying the scene. However, his happiness soon faded away as he sensed something that arouse fear in him. ''This¡­?'' ''This energy¡­'', he said to himself, confused about the sudden surge of mana. He felt a weird presence. It didn''t take him long to locate the ce which harvested this unknown energy, that even shook his bones. A nce at the serpent in pain, made him realize that the one whom he thought to be interesting, was still alive! Indeed, the serpent twirled around, not in joy, but in pain. *BLASH* "HISSS!" The serpent let out a loud cry before losing its consciousness, ultimately dying right after that. On the other hand, its abdomen was ripped open, as if a gate had been made. Shin walked through it, blood all over his body. His body was covered with a piece of clothing which he had stolen from one of the houses earlier when he had transformed. It was brownish initially, but now, it was dyed in red. Regardless, Shin walked out like a champion who had killed a dragon. Lucas followed him, with Eggman right behind. Other humans who were swallowed ran out as well, needless to say, some demi-humans and other races such as some dwarves who had been caught, also got the blessing of getting out from the serpent''s body. The skeleton king''s mind almost sted in pain as he noticed all of them escaping out. The crowd went quiet, though, some were surprised with this sudden twist, some scared as well. Shin on the other hand, had a smirk on his face, followed by a stare directed at the skeleton king. As for Lucas, he nced here and there, looking at the spectators whose jaws were dropped. The Eggman, as he introduced himself, was crying. ''Outside¡­'' ''I am finally out¡­'', he said to himself as he looked at the blue sky and felt the soil on the ground. It was as if, he had been trapped for ages inside the serpent and only got the chance just now to experience the world outside. Indeed, he was overjoyed, as if, he hade out of a cage after a decade! "I¡­" "Am¡­" "FR-" Eggman wanted to say that he was free, but before he could utter those words, a loud war-cry interrupted him. It was an group of Skeletons, in fact, skeleton soldiers that rushed towards the group. It wasn''t too hard to guess who ordered them to do so. "YOU!", the Skeleton King was cussing at Shin and the gang, who had killed his beloved serpent. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" The skeleton soldiers seemingly rushed to capture them, but failed to even touch a single one, as they were punched away by Lucas. His fist engulfed in mes, and eyes as sharp as an eagle, watching their movements carefully, made it possible for him to protect the gang from all the sides. The mere skeletons that hade to kill the humans on the king''smand, ended up getting destroyed by Lucas, who left a punch imprint on their bones - as if, giving them a tag of shame of getting defeated by a mere human. "¡­" Chapter 394 Lucas Vs The Skeleton Soldiers (2) ? Just as Lucas had destroyed a few skeleton soldiers, a group of many more appeared. He immediately noticed the skeleton soldiers lining up on the other side. His heart started racing as he saw the three different divisions of skeletons. He knew he had to be careful as he observed each group. The skeleton soldiers with swords started marching towards Lucas. He waited for them to approach and then made his move. With a swift punch, he ignited his me Fist Lv.8, setting the first wave of skeleton soldiers aze. The blue mes engulfed their bodies, causing them to fall apart as they struggled to reach Lucas. The skeleton archers started firing their arrows towards Lucas, but he was ready for them. He leaped into the air andnded back down with a thunderous force, causing a shockwave that shook the ground beneath him. The blue mes from his ze ability increased his strength and speed, allowing him to dodge the arrows with ease. Lucas saw the third group of skeletons, the gigantic ones wieldingrge maces, approaching him. He knew this was going to be his biggest challenge yet. He had to stay focused and alert. As the first giant skeleton swung its mace towards Lucas, he quickly dodged and retaliated with a fiery punch. The giant skeleton''s mace shattered into pieces as it hit the ground, and it fell apart like the other skeletons before it. Lucas had never felt so powerful before, and he was determined to take down the remaining skeleton soldiers. As the battle raged on, Lucas noticed that the skeleton soldiers were getting stronger, more coordinated. He knew he had to end this fight quickly. The skeletons with swords were closing in on him, and he could hear the archers drawing their bows. "Is that all you got?" Lucas shouted at the skeletons. "I thought this was going to be a challenge!" Lucas wanted an intense battle. This was far from it. While the skeletons did get more coordinated, their strengths still remained at the bottom. Needless to say, they were quite fragile. Lifting up the weapons and swinging them was not much of a task, but that too made them vulnerable. They had no muscles or any other organ, simply surviving due to a miracle of an item: this meant that, their movements could either be lousy, or much improved, better than in human form. Of course, this was clearly visible with the division of the groups that only a few could move very well. Shin on the other hand was intructing others to get out of the arena, however, that too wasn''t safe. The skeletons, in the crowd, could attack the ones that leave quite easily. Needless to say, the entire kingdom was full of skeletons. No one would be safe if they left. Therefore, while Shin did instruct them to leave, he assigned specific roles to a few chosen ones whom he scanned with his system. "Rye. Anna. Miklis." "You three lead the group." "Make sure no attack from the front cause any damage to others.", Shin said. "And especially Rye, you will be the one to takemand." So, who exactly were they? Rye: a male elf with long, flowing blonde hair that cascades down his back in waves. His pointed ears are adorned with delicate silver earrings, and his bright blue eyes are sharp and piercing. He stands tall and proud, with a lean and muscr build that speaks of his agility and grace. Rye wore a simple, yet elegant outfit of forest green robes that are embroidered with golden ents, indicating his mastery of wind magic. The robes are loose and flowing, allowing him to move freely as he casts his spells, and they are ented by a matching green sash that ties at his waist. Rye''s demeanor is calm and collected, with a serene aura that suggests he is at peace with himself and the world around him. And his stats: [Name: Rye] [ Race: Level 48 Elf ( Exp: 13%) ] [HP: 1201/1400] [MP: 890/1700] [Atk: 788] [Def: 673] [Spd: 1011] [Int: 192] These were his stats in general. When Shin spot the intelligence part and even his appearance, he was sure that the elf could y the part of being the leader, at least, right now. Next¡­ Anna is a young human adventurer with a keen eye and a fierce determination to explore the world around her. Her brown hair falls in loose waves around her face, framing bright green eyes that sparkle with curiosity and excitement. She stands with confidence, her lithe and agile form suggesting that she is no stranger to physical activity. Anna''s attire reflects her adventurous spirit, with a practical yet stylish outfit of brown leather pants and a fitted white shirt that allow her to move freely as she traverses rugged terrain. A leather harness and belt adorned with various tools and weaponsplete her ensemble, making it clear that she is ready for whatever challenges lie ahead. Despite her youth, Anna exudes a quiet strength and self-assuredness thatmands respect from those around her. As for her stats: [Name: Anna] [ Race: Level 43 Human ( Exp: 97%) ] [HP: 931/1000] [MP: 190/700] [Atk: 588] [Def: 273] [Spd: 877] [Int: 82] While her stats were not that great, they weren''t bad for a human adventurer. Especially in this ce, she was stronger than any other hostage that Shin and Lucas had rescued. And now, finally, thest member. Miklis¡­ Miklis is a unique and striking being, with a head resembling that of a hawk and a body that is human-like in form. Their piercing yellow eyes glint with intelligence and a sharpness that reflects their avian nature. Miklis'' sharp beak is powerful and pointed, and their body is lean and sinewy, with sharp ws that are adept at grasping and holding. Though their wings have been cut, the feathers that remain on their back are a mottled brown and white, hinting at the majesty of their former glory. Miklis moves with a fluid grace that speaks of their primal instincts and animal nature, yet their intelligence and intuition are unmistakably human-like. [Name: Miklis] [ Race: Level 99 Demi-human ( Exp: 66%) ] [HP: 40/4000] [MP: 0/3500] [Atk: 1992] [Def: 3551] [Spd: 4599] [Int: 311 ] "¡­" Chapter 395 The Trios Escape ? Rye, Anna, and Miklis were tasked with leading a group of 25 hostages safely out of the arena. Just as they had walked away from Shin, they were met with hordes of skeletons, their bony frames cking menacingly as they advanced. Rye quickly stepped forward, casting a powerful wind shield around the group to deflect any iing attacks. "Stay close to me, and don''t let your guard down," he cautioned, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. Anna took up her position at the front of the group, her weapons at the ready. She had faced many foes in her adventures, but the undead always made her skin crawl. Nevertheless, she gritted her teeth and steeled herself for the battle ahead. The skeletons charged forward, their swords shing against Rye''s wind shield. Anna sprang into action, her dual swords shing as she cut down the undead one by one. Her movements were quick and precise, her years of training allowing her to anticipate their attacks with ease. Miklis stood back, their sharp eyes scanning the area for any hidden threats. They may not have been able to use their magic in this fight, but their vision was still a valuable asset to the group. They spotted a group of skeletons advancing from the side and alerted Rye, who quickly adjusted the wind shield to protect the group. The trio faced the horde of skeletons head-on, weapons drawn and ready. Anna charged forward, her dual swords shing in the dim light of the arena. She moved with precision and speed, slicing through the bones of the undead with ease. The sound of metal shing against bone echoed through the arena as she fought, her focus unbroken even as she was surrounded by the relentless horde. Meanwhile, Rye stood back, his hands moving in a fluid motion as he cast yet another wind shield spell. A shimmering barrier of wind surrounded the group, deflecting the blows of the skeletons and protecting the hostages from harm. His sharp eyes scanned the area, searching for any weak spots in the skeleton''s defenses that he could exploit. Miklis used their hawk-like vision to spot any iing danger, alerting the others to any potential attacks. They also used their sharp ws and beak to deal with any skeletons that got too close. Just as they thought they had finished destroying all these skeletons, one more horde charged towards them. "Ugh,e on!", Anna raised her voice and rushed forward. Anna charged forward, her heart pounding with adrenaline as she prepared to face the skeletons. As she swung her sword, she let out a fierce battle cry, determined to protect the hostages and make it out alive. "Come on, you ugly bones! Let''s see what you''ve got!" Anna shouted, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and fear. One of the skeletons lunged at her, Anna quickly sidestepped and shed her sword, feeling it connect with a satisfying crunch. She didn''t have time to revel in her victory, however, as more skeletons closed in on her from all sides. "Stay back! Stay back, you fiends!" Anna yelled, her voice starting to rise with panic as she fought for her life. Despite her fear, Anna pushed through, her muscles burning with exertion as she took down one skeleton after another. Her mind raced with thoughts of the hostages, and she knew that she couldn''t let them down. With every swing of her sword, she screamed with all her might, hoping that her voice would somehow reach the others and give them strength. Finally, they reached the exit, the bright sunlight streaming in through the open door. Rye let out a sigh of relief, his wind shield dissipating as he turned to the group. "We''ve made it," he said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The hostages were grateful and relieved, thanking the trio profusely for their bravery and skill. Anna wiped the sweat from her brow, a sense of pride swelling in her chest. "It was nothing," she said, her voice steady and strong. "Just another day in the life of an adventurer." Miklis nodded in agreement, their keen eyes scanning the area onest time before turning to follow the group out into the sunlight. As they emerged from the arena, the hostages cheering and pping, Rye felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him. They may have faced incredible danger, but they had emerged victorious, and that was all that mattered. MEANWHILE¡­ Shin, who remained in the Arena along with 10-20 other hostages, some being dwarves and elves, let Lucas handle the skeletons. However, the fight seemed to have been getting dragged. Shin had no problem at all. Someone else was fighting for him and was going to finish everything, he didn''t mind this. But what he did mind was the fact that the skeleton king just casually sat back on the throne. More likely, it was as if he was suddenly calm and didn''t worry about his soldiers who were being killed. It was more like¡­ an entertainment to him. This was something that got on Shin''s nerves. He was already fed up with being toyed, just as the kingdom of Levonia had done, and now, he could by no means control himself from getting the urge topletely eradicate this so called Skeleton King. His eyes, which seemed quite normal until now, started to shine with emerald green light. Within a second, a gentle breeze that had started to blow, changed into a gigantic tornado. *Ding* [You have used the skill Hurricane.] All the skeletons in the vicinity, all of a sudden, got sucked into the gigantic tornado that was generated. As for Lucas, his attention was also caught by Shin''s skill. The Eggman too, he jumped and grabbed onto Lucas, in order to avoid being pulled into the hurricane. As for the rest of the hostages, Lucas erected a mana barrier around them, preventing them from being affected by the skill. "You are having fun, aren''t you?", Shin asked, in a deep menacing voice, ring right at the skeleton king. Chapter 396 Paradise Of The Dragons ? Shin''s eyes burned with rage as he stared down the skeleton king, his grip on his sword tightening. Despite knowing that the battle was futile, he refused to back down. He braced himself andunched into action, unleashing his signature skill, aero sh, with fierce determination. The skeleton king merely scoffed, knowing full well that Shin''s skill was no match for his superior strength. He flicked his finger with a sneer, easily deflecting the aero sh with a mere wave of his hand. Shin''s heart sank as he realized the futility of his efforts. But he refused to give up without a fight. With a deep breath, he unleashed his skill, hurricane, in a desperate attempt to turn the tide of the battle. But the skeleton king easily countered his attack, leaving Shin feeling hopeless and defeated. As he struggled to stand up, Shin realized that the only way he could defeat the skeleton king was by finding a weakness in his opponent. With renewed determination, he charged at the skeleton king, dodging his attacks with deft movements. Suddenly, Shin spotted an opening in the skeleton king''s defense. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, unleashing a flurry of attacks. For a moment, it seemed like Shin might seed in dealing a blow to the skeleton king. But the moment was short-lived. The skeleton king quickly regained hisposure and retaliated with a fierce strike that sent Shin crashing to the ground. Despite the pain and hopelessness he felt, Shin refused to give up. He pushed himself to stand up, gritting his teeth as he lunged forward once again. Shin swiftly entered into his me Emperor mode, causing his hair and eyes to shift to a vibrant shade of red. mes flickered around him, and he could feel the surge of power coursing through him. With the help of his me maniption skill, Shin conjured numerous fireballs and unleashed them at the Skeleton King. However, the mes vanished the next moment. "Ha! Too weak!" Despite the Skeleton King''s taunt, Shin persisted and continued hurling fireballs at him. Without dy, Shin employed his me maniption again and created a searing vortex of fire around the Skeleton King. As the me Vortex dissipated around the Skeleton King, he grinned wickedly, pleased with himself. Shin knew he was in trouble. His me Emperor mode was useless against the Skeleton King''s power, and he needed to think fast. Shin deactivated his me Emperor mode and activated his Dragon mode, hoping it would give him an edge. He felt a surge of energy as scales appeared on his arms and ws sprouted from his fingertips. "!!!! You have the bloodline of a dragon within you. And from the aura you emit, it seems like you are a descendant of the Royal dragons," the Skeleton King said, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Shin. But Shin wasn''t giving up. With his special trait Immortal Wolf he was hoping to withstand the Skeleton King''s power. And yet it was proving to be too difficult. Blood flowed from Shin''s lips as the aura of truth intensified with every passing moment. The pain was unbearable, yet Shin refused to back down. He stood firm, determined to see it through to the end. "Roooooooooaaaaarrrrrrrrrr!" Shin roared like a dragon, the sound echoing throughout the room, shaking it to its very foundation. The sheer power behind his voice was astounding, leaving everyone in awe. As Shin''s rage intensified, his eyes began to glow a bright, golden hue, and his hair followed suit, radiating an ethereal golden light. It was a sight to behold, a true disy of power and strength. The aura that Shin was emitting was so intense that it even scared the Skeleton King for a moment. However, the king managed to suppress the aura with ease. That''s the difference between shin and the skeleton king. Shin''s eyes turnedpletely bloodshot, and blood started to flow from them. His face contorted as he struggled to maintain his bnce, overwhelmed by the power surging within him. His mana pool was depleting very quickly but shin? He trembled... Not in fear but in excitement! He was excited to finally have such a battle. For some reason the anger that was within him waiting to erupt like an active volcano suddenly disappeared and what erupted within him was excitement. "I''m not losing!" Shin once again Roared as his bones started to crack and his flesh started to burst. Many cracks too appeared on his scale. "Looks like his dragon trait is too strong." After all, dragons were known to have a strong will and they became stronger as they fought, as they were injured, and as their will was challenged. Dragons were very stubborn and the skeleton king could see the live example I''m front of him. "Roooooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!" Shin once again Roared with all his might. It looked as if his body would burst and turn into a fountain with any movement. But surprisingly that never happened. The pressure under which shin suddenly vanished. And as the pressure vanished Shin''s legs gave up and he fell to the ground. Many of his internal organs were damaged and it felt as if his legs werepletely crushed his dragon reverted and he came back to his human form. "Interesting." The skeleton king did and right after that, he chuckled. "Looks like I have a new source of entertainment now." ---- "Huh?" Shin looked around him in confusion. Everything seemed to be dark. He couldn''t see a thing. But then suddenly everything changed. A bright light engulfed his vision. His vision blurred for a second and when his mission became clear, he saw... Clear skies, peaceful environment, giant castles. He looked up and what he saw left his mouthpletely open. Dragons, not two not four not ten but thousands! Thousands of dragons flew around as if they were asmon as birds. He felt as if this was the paradise of the dragons. Shin gasped as he looked around. But suddenly Shin noticed something. A fireball seemed to be headed toward one of the castles. And then the next movement..... *Boooommmmmm! Everything was engulfed in fire. The cries of the dragons were heard from a mile. And the source of all these restrictions was a lone man. He was holding a sword that seemed like could sh through the fabric of space itself and was casually standing as if he didn''t do anything. "Wha...?" And before shin could even understand what was going on his vision once again blurred. Chapter 397 A Level Beyond ? Why do you think that skeleton guy spared us." "Is that because of this guy? And what the hell was that." Lucas questioned as he looked towards shin who was lying a bit far from them,pletely healed. "This guy... He''s too strong." "I know right." And as they were talking shin''s eyelids moved as he opened his eyes. Confusion shed in his eyes as he stood up. Though his body was still aching, there was no visible wound on his body. And he was sure there was no internal wound too. And just as Shin was pondering about the matter suddenly, he heard footsteps. And it seemed like Lucas and Eggman and all the other people in the prison too heard the footsteps. It was of three skeleton knights. "You. Come out." As soon as the prison door was opened one of the skeleton knights said these words as he pointed towards the shin. Shin wanted to attack but he felt it. The man in his body was being suppressed. Shin gritted his teeth as he looked at the skeleton knights. As much as he wanted to st their head away he couldn''t. Without his mana, he could probably fight them but he would be exhausted pretty soon. In this case, he couldn''t do anything but follow their orders. Shin stood up and started to follow them. And after walking for the next five minutes they exited the building and now they were headed towards the castle that was near the prison house itself. "There''s no point in trying to escape. Our king hasplete control over this area." "Ya ya. I wasn''t even nning to.", Shin didn''t doubt that these people weren''t lying since he previously came to know from Rekka that anyone with the possession of the gem of truth or lie can control 10 per cent of the desert. All four of them continued walking and as they did shin frowned. Because he could sense it. The aura of truth was bing denser and denser. The main question Shin had was how was the skeleton king able to use the aura of truth. Shin didn''t see any kind of staff he had in which the gem would be embedded or any other kind of item in which the gem could be embedded. So how was the skeleton king using the aura of truth and its powers? So he most probably embedded the gem in his arms or legs which enabled him in using the power of the gems. Shin frowned as he continued walking forward. As they were reaching closer and closer to the castle a thought entered his mind. ''System'' As the thought ten semi-transparent screens appeared in front of him. And shin''s eyes were quickly attracted to the word [Restrained] every skill. ''Wait this means'' Shin quickly tried to move something within him, and the feeling of mana flowing inside his body quickly gave him confirmation of what he was thinking, was indeed true And soon they entered the castle. As soon as they did the aura of truth was practically trying to kill shin. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead as he continued walking forward. Shin''s lips trembled but with the very next movement, he bit his lips to calm himself down. Blood fell on the floor as shin whipped his lips. "Ha! You are finally here!" they appeared in the king''s room where the skeleton knights bowed down and forced shin to bow too. "Master, we bought this pest here." The guards. "Well done." The skeleton king said as she looked towards Shin. "So, as you might have already guessed I didn''t bring you here to y. I am providing you with two options. Join my army or... Die." The skeleton king said. "How about I provide you with the third option," Shin said. "I will whoop your ass, take the gem of truth and get out of here safely," Shin said with a serious expression as he started to circte mana in his body. "Well, looks like you have chosen the second option." The skeleton king said as he lifted his hand ready to break shin like a twig. But... Boom! An explosion urred. And from the explosion appeared... Lucas. Shin smirked as he looked at Lucas. And he was sure they would be able to escape because... Lucas was above level 200! Shin was previously shocked by this news but then he was forced to believe it. After Lucas showed his capability to remove the resistance to skill. And the reason Lucas was currently coborating was that he had a skill. He could detect any artifact under a certain radius. And he found that there were two in this region which were too strong. One was from the castle. Lucas looked towards the skeleton king and then his eyes trailed toward the shin. As soon as that happened he snapped his finger. Shin quickly felt it. The resistance that was blocking his skills quickly disappeared. "Old skeleton! Be ready to go to your afterlife!" Lucas screamed right after which he appeared next to the skeleton king Lucas quickly coated his hand with a blue fire andunched it towards the skeleton king but the next movement... ...It stopped mid-air. Lucas''s eyes widened as he channelled more mana to his arm trying to punch the skeleton but it was of no use. In the end, even after using all his mana, there was no use. "Hmmm. Judging by the level of strength you using you must be at level 299, in fact at the pinnacle of level 299. But unfortunately, you are too far from reaching level 300. With your talent, it might as well take you a few centuries. Your soul is too weak." Skeleton king said with disdain full look "You must be wondering what level I''m at. Well..." Shelton king paused before speaking. "I''m at a level beyond yours. Likes of you cannot even hope to reach. Cannot even imagine such a thing exists..." "I''m a level beyond..." Chapter 398 The Giant Tower ? The temperature of the room was pretty high by now and it felt like things would start melting. Luca gritted his teeth and stopped channeling mana. He knew there was no use in wasting his mana trying to punch the skeleton king. Instead, he looked towards Shin who nodded his head. Shin quickly stood up and ran tards the entrance of the castle. Of course, the skeleton knights wouldn''t let him. But shin could now use his skills. He quickly used [Aero sh] which passed right through a skeleton knight slicing him in half. But suddenly a blue aura appeared almost instantly joining the soldier back to how he was. Shin looked at the skeleton soldiers and smiled. He quickly lifted his arm and channeled all the mana to the tip of his index finger. A small colorful orb was seen which contained a terrifying amount of power. Shin continued topress it as he looked at the skeleton knights who were already in front of him. -Boom! A giant explosion urred housing the skeleton soldiers away and breaking their bones. But just like thest time they healed instantly. But before they could do anything else shin dashed towards the exit. And near the exit... Was a high-ranking skeleton knight. And this knight seemed stronger than the knight''s shin faced before. The knight was tall twice the size of shin, and imposing, with his bones ttering loudly as he moved. But shin dashed towards him ready to face the monster. The knight wasted no time inunching his attack. He conjured a cage made of bones, which trapped Shin inside. But Shin was not one to be caged so easily. He used his Copy skill to replicate the Bone Cage and break free. As soon as he was free, the soldier fired Bone Arrows at Shin. Shin used his All Seeing Eyes to dodge the arrows effortlessly. He then quickly entered his me emperor mode and unleashed his me Wave attack, which engulfed the soldier in mes. However, the soldier remained unscathed due to his undead skill, which allowed him to recover from any damage almost instantly. The knight then charged at Shin with his Supreme Strength, his bones ttering loudly with every step. Shin used his Speed Run to dodge the attack, but he knew he couldn''t rely on speed alone. He transformed into his dragon form. His eyes and hair quickly turned radiant gold, and scales appeared in his arms followed by the long silver dragon nails that appeared on his fingertips "Rrrrrrooooaoaaaarrrerre!" Shin''s roar sent a shockwave through the ground. The soldier stumbled, allowing Shin to strike with Dragon''s Aura, a concentrated beam of energy that hit the soldier square in the chest. The soldier was thrown back, but he quickly got up, ready for more. Shin realized that he had to end this quickly. He quickly entered his death for and used dark maniption, to create an aura of darkness around the knight, which weakened him considerably. Shin then used his Blood Crunch attack, which drained the knight''s life force and dealt a fatal blow. The knight fell to the ground, his bones ttering loudly as they detached from each other. But even as the bones fell apart, they began to reattach themselves, thanks to the soldier''s Undead skill. Shin knew that he had to finish the job quickly. He used his Heal skill to restore his own health and then summoned Aura Domain, a powerful attack that created a field of energy around him. The field enveloped the knight, preventing him from moving. Shin then used his Blood Crunch again, this time with more intensity. Blood-red fangs appeared In shins out as he bit the knight. The attack drained thest of the soldier''s life force, and the knight crumbled into a pile of bones. Shin then quickly deactivated death mode and proceeded to look outside. Bang! sh! sh! And he saw the sight of an exciting battle. Hundreds of skeleton knights appeared fighting with the prisoners. Shin looked at the people and then looks to his right. "So there''s supposed to be three great treasures." Luca had informed him that there were 3 very strong treasures and multiple weaker treasures, in the giant that was to the right of the castle. Looking at the tower shin dashed towards it to collect the objects. But many skeleton soldiers and knights appeared in front of him. Shin faced the horde of skeletal knights with determination in his eyes. He knew that theirck of any particr power didn''t mean they would be easy to defeat, especially with their undead skill that made them almost invincible. But Shin had faced difficult opponents before and emerged victorious, and he was confident he could do it again. He took a deep breath and activated his Aura Domain, feeling the energy surrounding him surge as he took on his dragon form. Shin''s transformation to his dragon form was a sight to behold. His hair and eyes turned radiant gold, and dragon scales covered his arms while ws sprouted from his fingertips. With a deep breath, he took to the air, pping his mighty wings to gain altitude. The skeleton knights seemed to be unfazed by Shin''s transformation, continuing to charge at him with their weapons raised. But as they approached, Shin unleashed a powerful roar, sending shockwaves that knocked the knights off their feet. With a quick turn, Shin swooped down, slicing through the skeletons with his razor-sharp ws. But as he took down one, it quickly regenerated the skeleton due to its undead skill preventing them from dying unless Shin used his blood crunch ability. Realizing this, Shin began to focus his energy, feeling the blood-red fangs in his mouth start to emerge. As the skeleton came near him it was attacked by a devastating bite. Its life force was immediately absorbed by shin turning into dust. Shin then looked toward the other skeleton knights as he dashed toward them. Even though he killed one skeleton sessfully it didn''t bring any fear in the other skeleton knights. Instead, they too dashed towards him excitedly. Chapter 399 The Golem [1] ? One of the skeleton knights strikes shin using its sword, but shin quickly grabbed his sword and broke it like a twig. ''Strange. The skeleton king is definitely over 299 then why are is his soldiers so damn weak'' Shin thought. ''Even their weapons are too damn weak. I can break them like a twig. Something''s definitely wrong.'' Shin once again used bloody crunch absorbing the life force of the skeleton knight. And just as shin was battling he realized that Anna, Miklis, and Rye too had joined the battle. Dh was obviously stronger than shin and being a demi-human he was stronger than a wolf physically. He dominated the skeleton knight breaking theires like dry leaves. All three of them realized that only shin could actually kill these skeletons so they assisted him in killing the Skeletons. ******* Lucas gritted his teeth. By now he had used multiple of his skill, but all of them disappeared with just a mere flick of the skeleton king. "I have told you already. It''s useless to fight against me. I''m on a whole different level." "And that''s too arrogant of you. Isn''t it." Even though Lucas knew the skeleton king was saying the truth he had to just how the skeleton king here for a bit longer. He readied himself, focusing his energy and preparing to unleash his me Domain. With a sudden burst of power, Lucas expanded his domain, covering the grand hall with his blue mes. He manipted the mes, forming them into a sword, ready to strike down Skeleton King. But Skeleton King was not impressed. He sat calmly on his throne, his aura suppressing Lucas'' domain effortlessly. Lucas felt the weight of Skeleton King''s power crushing him, his strength waning. Despite the pressure, Lucas refused to give up. He summoned his strength, channeling his blue mes into a shield to defend himself from Skeleton King''s attacks. The two shed, with Skeleton King''s powerful blows striking Lucas'' shield with thunderous force. Lucas gritted his teeth, his muscles straining as he struggled to hold on against Skeleton King''s relentless assault. He knew that he couldn''t keep this up forever, and he needed to find a way to turn the tide of the battle. Lucas manipted the whole area covered with his blue mes. After all, that was the specialty of his skill, the me domain. A domain where he was the emperor, and area where he would dominate his opponents. But now that statement didn''t seem true. Lucas''s muscles bulged and a fierce aura engulfed the whole grand hall but the next movement it was suppressed by the aura of truth. Suddenly, a glimmer of an idea came to him. Luca rushed towards the skeleton king and it seemed like he was just going to try and punch him one more time which was full but he secretively focused his energy, channeling his blue mes into a single point. With a sudden burst of power, heunched a concentrated st of mes at Skeleton King, catching him off guard. The st struck true, and Skeleton King was momentarily stunned. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lucas charged forward, his blue mes zing. He struck Skeleton King with a series of powerful blows, each one infused with his fiery energy. ''Now! Will I be able to defeat him!'' "Take this you, bastard! Here''s what you get for being arrogant!"Lucas Roared as he continued punching but then... Suddenly his face froze. There wasn''t a single scratch on the skeleton king''s body. And the look on his face... Was filled with disdain. "Your too weak." ************ Shin and the other three people had appeared in front of the giant tower. Which was guarded by a massive golem. The gigantic stone golem stood in front of them, its rocky body towering over them. Its eyes glowed red, and its massive fists crackled with energy. Shin frowned as he could feel it. The golem was above level hundred Shin looked at Rye. Rye nodded, his hands already crackling with energy. "I''ll support you with wind magic," he said. Miklis let out a screech and flew towards the golem, ws outstretched. Anna quickly draws her daggers from her belt, their sharp edges glinting in the sunlight. She takes a few steps back to get some distance from the massive creature and assesses its movements. As the stone golem charges towards her with its massive fists, Anna quickly dodges to the side, her agile movements allowing her to narrowly avoid being hit. She rushes towards the golem, leaping up and shing at its torso with her daggers. The golem barely flinches, its stone skin proving to be too tough for Anna''s attacks. She quickly retreats, darting around the golem and keeping a safe distance while waiting for an opportunity to strike. Meanwhile, Shin uses his various skills to distract and weaken the golem. He sends a flurry of me waves towards the creature, causing it to stumble and roar in anger. He then uses his dark maniption to create a shadowy shield around himself and his allies As the golem approached them, Rye took a deep breath and raises his hands, calling upon the wind to bolster his allies'' speed. Shin charges forward with incredible speed, as his aura pulsed with power as he unleashes a flurry of strikes with his ability aero sh. The goleattemptedes to retaliate with a heavy blow from its massive fists, but Shin deftly dodged and once again strikes back with aero sh. Miklis, meanwhile, circled around the golem, waiting for an opening. As the golem took a step forward, Miklis striked with incredible speed and precision, wing at its back with their sharp talons. The golem roars in pain and turned to face Miklis, but Anna seized the opportunity to dart in from the side, shing at its ankles with her daggers Shin quickly transformed into me emperor and used his me maniption to conjure multiple fireballsunching them towards the golem who roared toward shin and the other three. Chapter 400 The Golem [2] ? Shin quickly channeled a lot of amount of mana to his mes which heunched toward the golem. And it seemed like the mes were having a lot of effect on the golem starting to melt it. The golem roared as he rushed towards Shin, trying to strike him with his punch. Looking at the attack Shin quickly jumped as high as he could. And right after five seconds, his legsnded on the ground. Shin quickly deactivated his me emperor mode. Shin quickly used his skill [Blood crunch]. Blood-red fangs appeared in his mouth as he bit the golem. ''It''s damn hard!'' Shin cursed as his fangs sunk into the rocks of the golem. And the next movement Shin''s eyes widened. He felt arge amount of life force entering his body. But before he could absorb any more the golem grabbed Shin and threw him meters away. "Argh!" A painful scream escaped Shin''s body as he tried to stand up once again. ''This golem! He''s definitely a celestial. Does that mean the skeleton king is a...'' Shin gulped arge amount of saliva at the mere thought of what the skeleton king could be. ''If he truly is what I''m thinking, then we might be in big trouble ''Well, first we need to deal with this monster.'' Shin thought as he looked at the golem. Just by absorbing a little amount of the life force of Golem Shin could feel that he would be level:94 H head gained arge amount of exp, for the first time after evolving. The exp, he got from other skeleton knights wasn''t even worth mentioning ''Should I use the hymn of the dragon? No, I should save it forter, if my life is in danger then only I will use it.'' Sign wracked his brain thinking of what skill he should use. He knew that the most effective skill that he could use was blood crunch, but before he could evenpletely absorb the life force he was sure the golem would kill him. ''Well, since golems are slow we can take adva...'' Before Shin could even think properly, a giant rocky hand appeared in front of him. "Sh*t!" Shin quickly activated dragon form simultaneously, bringing his arms in front of him and crossing them. Booom! Shin''s body once again flew high in the sky and before he could evennd on the ground, the golem appeared in front of him. ''Holy moly!'' The dragon scales in Shin''s arms were already crushed. And he didn''t think, he could survive another strike. ''Why wasn''t he showing this kind of strength and speed earlier? Did I activate his safety mechanism or something!'' Shin''s eyes were glowing brighter and brighter and this time... Scales appeared on his face and his whole body, making it seem like he was wearing armor made of dragon scales. But s it was futile... Boom! Boom! Boom!* Boom! Just four strikes... That was all it took for the golem to crush Shin''s scales. Shin''s body crashed to the ground as a blood-curdling scream escaped his mouth. Miklis dashed towards the golem and striped it with his ws. But unlike thest time, he was only able to bring shallow marks. ''Why did this golem suddenly be so strong?'' Miklis thought as he looked at the Golem whose next target was the demi-human. But suddenly the golem seemed angry. It looked towards the entrance of the tower and dashed towards it at full speed. But the human-like figure with crushed scales on his body had already entered the tower. "Rooooooaaaarrrrrr." The golem roared in rage not being able to catch Shin. ******* "Hahahahahhahahahahah!" One of the skeleton ministersughed as he looked at the blue screen in front of him. There showed the fight between their golem and the four prisoners that tried to escape. In the grand hall, the aftermath of the battle that took ce between Lucas and the skeleton king was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there were multiple seats present where the skeleton ministers and the skeleton king were watching the battle between the four prisoners and the golem on what seemed to be a screen. While the ministers were cheering andughing like monkeys, the skeleton king was silent the whole time staring at the screen. And as they were watching, they saw Shin entering the tower in one swift movement. But no one was worried that Shin would escape as he entered the tower. Instead, all the minister''s focus went back to the golem and the three remaining prisoners Anna''s face waspletely pale, and Rye knew there was no point in trying to fight back. But Miklis. He has an expression of confidence. It was as if he wasn''t going to die and he was sure of it. "Ha! Arrogant demi -Human!" One of the skeleton ministersmented with disdain as he looked at the screen. And the other ministers had the same expression. They saw as the golem looked toward the three prisoners with rage and dashed towards... Miklis was ready to punch him, but the next movement... An armor materialized on Miklis''s body as he threw one of his punches. The armor waspletelyletly pitch ck with some ancient texts written on it. As both the first shed, shockwaves spread through the vicinity. ,-Cr...ack Cracks appeared on the golem''s arms and spread like spider webs soon shattering the golem''s arm. Gasp! Some of the skeleton ministers gasped as they looked at the screen. On the other hand, the skeleton king skill didn''t say a word. In the ongoing battle, Miklis suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind the golem punching it. Cracks once again began to spread like spider webs. The Golem swung its arms towards Miklis, but he once again disappeared and reappeared behind the golem punching it rapidly. And he soon shattered the golem to pieces. But the next movement, the rocks assembled themselves once again forming the golem, and this time abyssal ck mes lit through it. "An undead golem" Miklis muttered with annoyance. " Chapter 401 The Shadow Dragon ? Shin continued to walk further inside. He had already healed himself and recovered half of the mana. "Hopefully those three survive," Shin muttered. When he had used appraisal on Miklis, he came to know that he passed [Tire -3 Ghost eye celestial armor]. And just by its name Shin figured out it must be a very strong armor. Even though he couldn''t sew its skills he knew that armor would be enough to save those people. Shin continued climbing the tower. And as he did he surprisingly didn''t find any monster in the way. Though there were many rooms on each floor of the tower they didn''t contain anything valuable. And so Shin appeared on thest floor of the tower. And as he did he frowned. There was only one Room on this floor and it was the only room in the whole tower that was locked. Shin quickly controlled his mana and sent his mana to the door trying to st it away but j couldn''t even see a hollow mark, due to his attack. Shim quickly used his appraisal the results appeared quickly. [Ding] [The door of an immortal serpent] [Immortal serpents soul has been captured in the door, and will only open to the key of four souled smanders] [Ding] [Mission] [Kill the four-souled smander.] [Reward: Ancient four soul key.] [Faliur: ???] "Alright, but where are these four would smanders" Shin questioned but he did receive any answer. Shin frowned and thought of a solution. And an idea quickly entered his mind. He quickly transformed into cmity form. His hair and eyes quickly turned pure silver and his body had a massive boost in strength, followed by other boosts. Shin quickly channeled a lot of mana to his arms, simultaneously using bloody impact. Boooooooooooooommmmmmm! High shockwaves spread through the whole tower. Suddenly four chameleons were visible on the wall. They quickly jumped towards Shin. Without a moment''s hesitation, he activated his Dragon form. His hair and eyes transformed into radiant gold, and dragon scales sprouted on his arms Shin quickly used the dragon domain. Radiant gold energy spreaded marking his domain. The chameleons pounced, but Shin was ready. He charged forward and delivered a series of rapid strikes with his bare fists. The chameleons recoiled, their movements slowed by the effects of Shin''s Dragon Domain. Shin dodged aShing tongue and retaliated with a swift kick. The chameleon stumbled back, and Shin followed up with a powerful punch to its jaw. The other three chameleons circled Shin, their movements slow and sluggish due to the effects of his Dragon Domain. Shin took advantage of their slowed movements andnded a few more blows, striking with precision and speed. Shin activated his Death form, his hair and eyes turning abyssal ck. A murderous aura emanated from him. The chameleons writhed in agony, their movements bing slower and morebored. Shin took advantage of their weakened state and delivered a flurry of punches and kicks, striking with deadly precision. The battle continued for what felt like hours. Shin quickly snapped one of the chameleon''s necks. Surprisingly the chameleon stayed dead. He then once again transforms into his dragon form using his ws to kill another chameleon. The other two chameleons tried to attack Shin from both sides but unfortunately, were unable to kill him, instead, they met a cruel fate. Shin quickly grabbed one of the chameleon''s fangs and broke it piercing it into the other chameleon''s skull killing it. Shin then loomed at thest remaining chameleon and continued punching and kicking it finally ending his life by breaking its skull. And as Shin finished the final chameleon he wanted for his reward. Surprisingly their life force didn''t enter his body in the form of Exp instead the materialized turned into the shape of a key. [Ding!] [Missionpleted] Shin looked at the ck key and then at the door ''Is this it...? Now, will I get the gem'' Shin thought as he walked forward ready to unlock the door but then he suddenly froze as a thought entered his mind. ''From what I have noticed, the skeleton king can increase or decrease the powers of the undead in his kingdom. And if so, and there''s a gem or something valuable in this room... Why didn''t he make the undead chameleons strong enough to kill me? Why...?'' To Shin, the answer to his question was pretty much clear. "Ha-!" Shin started to walk away from the door. ******** In the grand hall, the ministers seemed boredom they were looking at the repeated cycle of Miklis destroying the golem and it was rejoining once again. And for the first time, the expression of the skeleton king changed. No, it wasn''t of boredom... He wasn''t even looking at the screen since the start. ''Did he realize? Now that''s interesting. He didn''t strike me a as guy with brains.'' The skeleton king stood up and suddenly blue aura developed on the ce. A blue sh appeared and in the next movement, the skeleton king had already disappeared. ********** "Where do you think you''re going." As Shin was walking away, he suddenly heard a cold voice that sent chills down his soul. "I do not have any more business left here I believe. So I think it''s best if I leave." Shin said as he quickly turned, ready to use his trump card. "Don''t think I can''t sense you channeling mana and the main reason I''m not doing it is that I''m interested in seeing what is your trump card." But Shin didn''t say anything. He just stood there like a statue. "Sigh looks like I have to make you use your Trump card." Suddenly dark energy umted making a bone dragon. "Roooooooaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!" At the same time, Shin lifted his arms activating his skill. [Hymn of the dragon!] A giant ck Circle appeared through which the shadow dragon emerged. And as soon as the dragon emerged it frowned looking at Shins opponent. It quickly spoke to Shin Via telepathy. ''Hey kiddo what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself in.'' ''The trouble you see in front of you. And the kind... Umm well, I dunno.'' ''I suggest you escape!'' The shadow dragon eximed as he blocked the bone dragon. ''How the hell should I?'' ''Just say yes and I will take you out of here!'' ''Yes!'' And as the shadow dragon gave another punch to the bone dragon it quickly used its skill. Shin''s body suddenly turned into a shadow and disappeared. As soon as the skeleton king realized what has happened he lifted his arm sting the shadow dragon away but it was already toote. Shin''s body emerged from the shadow of a guard standing near the gate. As soon as Shin''s body emerged he quickly spotted the aura of truth that was about to touch him and probably pull him inside. But Shin quickly channeled all the mana in his body creating an explosion... Which pushed his body outside. On the other hand, the shadow dragon''s body faded as Shin deactivated his skills. "Sigh looks like you were a cautious man after all." The skeleton king said as a blue sh appeared right after which his body disappeared. Chapter 402 A Key ? Shin closed his eyes as he sat outside the kingdom trying to replenish his mana. And as two hours passed shin felt that his mana waspletely replenished. Shin quickly activated all-seeing eyes, while simultaneously activating his mana and spreading it. All-seeing eyes range was quite a lot, approximately two kilometers. As shin looked around the desert he started to walk forward. ''I can''t detect unusual space.'' Shin thought as he continued walking forward. Shin''s senses were active as he tried to sense something... Something unusual. "Wait! What if I...?" Shin quickly brought the key from his inventory. Looking at the key. Looking at the red-colored key with many inscriptions on it, shin quickly started to our his mana in it... And he regretted making that dissection. As soon as he poured his mana into the key, like a sponge the key greedily started sucking mana from his body. And the worse part was, once it started to suck mana from his body, shin wasn''t able to interfere. Suddenly the inscriptions of the key started to shine brightly and the key started to grow. And at one point it became as big as a spear. Suddenly ten meters away in the opposite direction, many inscriptions appeared in thin air which was shining bright just like the key. When shin tried to see properly, he realized... Those inscriptions were on a red color door. Shin looked at the key that was floating, and his eyes trailed back to the door. A smirk appeared on his face as he used his mana and pushed the key. Like a spear, tearing the wind and sttering away the sand of the desert the key entered the keyhole of the door. And with a subtle click sound, the key twisted. As soon as the key twisted the shine on the door became brighter, and the door started to move. Shin started to feel a strong suction force, that was sucking him inside. Shin quickly activated his me wolf emperor mode as his body was getting sucked inside. This would help him as his me would emperor make him almost immortal. mes erupted from shins body giving him a majestic look as his body was sucked inside the door. Shin''s missionpletely blurred as he finally felt the suction force end. As shin opened his eyes he couldn''t see anything. Everything was dark, but the aura he was sensing... Sent chills down his spine. But before shin could do anything else, another subtle click sound echoed as the room was engulfed in light. Shin''s vision once again blurred before bing normal. Before even shin could see which kind of environment he was in, his eyes paused on a skeleton. And unlike the skeleton of the kingdom he previously escaped, this skeleton waspletely back. And instead of blue mes, this skeleton had red mes in his eyes. And in his mere presence... Shin felt inferior. Shin''s eyes were locked on the skeleton''s neckless, in which arge red colored gem was present. ''Is that the gem of lie?'' Before shin could even use appraisal he spotted another skeleton, with the same neckless, as the first skeleton was wearing. ''Is that the gem of lie too'' And just as shin thought that more too skeletons appeared, with the same neckless. ''What the hell? 4 Gem of lie!?'' And just as Shin thought this, the four skeletons moved to the side. Two on each side. And in the middle, was a ck skeleton who was sitting on a throne. He had worked a robe, and unlike the skeleton king''s robe which waspletely in, this skeleton had a lot of designs on his robe. And unlike the skeleton king who didn''t wear any ornament, this skeleton was wearing different kinds of fancy-looking jewels and rings. Heck on his index finger, he had five rings with different colored gems. Shin gulped arge amount of saliva. He felt as if he was in the presence of a God. He felt that he was as inferior as an ant in front of this God-like figure. Shin had already activated his mana channeling out to many of his body parts ready to attack. But then suddenly... "Hey, don''t you think we are scaring our visitor" "Yeah, I think so. He has activated his mana ready to attack any movement." Listening to their talk shin frowned. "No need to be a scared visitor." The skeleton on the throne said and the next movement... "Woooo! He''s the visitor!" "We finally have a visitor!" "How''s life!" "What is new outside!" "What all changed outside since the past few centuries!" "Wha-!?" Before shin could evenplete his sentence he was swarmed by hundreds of ck skeletons who were wearing clothes simr to amoner of a kingdom. "O! He''s so cute." "He is perfect for a pet dog!" ''Me-! pet dog!'' Shin had a sudden urge to use me maniption and turn all of these skeletons into ashes. "Oww! His fue is so soft." "And he''s so bright." With an irritated look, shin Reverted to his normal self. But they still kept petting him. "That''s enough" Even though the skeleton on the throne said these words in a very low and soft voice the skeletons petting Shin or asking him questions immediately stopped and gently ced him on the ground. Seeing that the skeletons had calmed he spoke. "You must be tired, let''s have food." before shin couldn''t say red light shed blurring shins vision. Once it became normal shin saw that he was on a chair and in front of him was a te on which meat was decorated in a fancy style. It was a very long dining table, having a ce for all the hundreds of skeletons. "Enjoy." And even though the skeleton who seemed to be the leader of the other skeletons present here was on the other end of the table, shin was able to hear his soft voice clearly as if he whispered in shin''s ears "Well, my name''s Jun." "Shin" Chapter 403 King Jun ? Shin quickly scanned the meat he was given. After all, he was suspicious that there was poison mixed in the meat. And the result was quite surprising. [Ding] [Cooked meat] [Meat of three-eyed bear.] [Level: 167] Shin gasped as he looked at the meat. If it was alive he wouldn''t be able to see the level. Looking at the tender-looking meant shin quickly bit it. ''Damn it.'' Shin cursed as he tried to chew the meat and as he did, he felt as if he was chewing through an indestructible rubber. Shin felt as if he was in one of those ''Break it for 1000 dors shows'' Where one would be given an indestructible rubber toy to break. Shin quickly lifted his head to see how others were eating it and was shocked to see... "Hmmm, this meat is very tender and juicy" Jun said as he elegantly used a fork and knife to cut through the meat and eat it. And as soon as he was swallowing the meat, it was turning into red color energy which was getting absorbed by his body. Shin''s eyes twitched as he swallowed the meat. And then quickly swallowed the other four pieces of the meat on the te. "You are a quick eater." It looked as if shin wanted to say something but suddenly his eyes widened. He felt tremendous energy suddenly erupting from his body. ''What is this? Is it the energy from the meat!'' Shin quickly closed his eyes. It took him ten minutes to bnce the energy within his body. When he opened his eyes he was surprised to see Jun staring at him. Other skeletons were long gone except Jun. And looking at him seriousness shed in shin''s eyes. "I''m here... For a purpose." "I know" "You do?" "Yes, I know. Most of the people here alwayse for a purpose. And ording to my experience, you''re here for..." "" The gem of lie "" "So are you going to kill me?" Shin didn''t sense any hostility yet, but to be safe he activated his mana and turned into me wolf emperor mode. "No need to be warry little one. I will be d if you can take the gem of lie." "???" Shin was confused by what Jun was saying. "If you will be then give me the gem of lie" "Alright but tell me why do you want it?" "Why? To kill a certain someone who''s a skeleton just like you. He possesses the gem of truth and I believe to kill him I will require the power of the gem of lie." "Ha-. Interesting tale. Is this, certainly someone a skeleton king?" "Ya, you know him." "Well ya. A long long time ago, when I was the king of a kingdom, which was very powerful. I wanted to be a supreme celestial, the true God, and to be that I first needed to achieve the title of celestial. And so I tried to convince some supreme celestial. But they disagreed. But as I was venturing, I found a supreme celestial. The God of blood. He said that he would bestow his blessing on our kingdom. In return, I had to find the gem of truth and lie, and how to activate them. Of course, I agreed to those conditions in a heartbeat, but I never knew that condition would be the reason for our greatest suffering. *********** "My lord, you have returned from your adventure." "Yes, John." King Jun, one of the mightiest humans in history, who reached the level of 327. He had a muscr body with many scars on it. He had ck hair and ck eyes. Opposite to him was his greatest and wisest minister, John. He had a skinny body, with silver hair and green eyes. "Call, Ruok." "As you wish my lord," John said as he walked away. After thirty minutes Ruok, a man with a muscr but lean body entered. He had deep blue hair and beautiful crystal blue eyes. "My lord. You summoned me." "Ruok, I have an important mission for you." "Give me the order my lord." "You have to find a very specific item. I have found it rough location. You have to find it there. If you don''t find it, say me." "As you wish my lord." Ruok stood up and then walked away. Little did Jun know that this would be the worst decision of his life. [2 monthster] King Jun was surprised. Because Ruok brought both the gems and gave them to him. Upon asking what all happened, Ruok replied. "I faced two guardians. But killed them with an artifact." Even though king Jun wanted to know what this artifact was he didn''t ask. If it was any other king instead of Jun they would definitely demand to submit the artifact but king Jun wasn''t like other kings. If he was then he would have nevere this far ''Now I should focus on the work I have.''. As soon as Ruok went away, he summoned the best mages of the kingdom. Each one of them was elite and was above the level:100, and some were close to reaching level: 200. Each one of them could destroy a minor kingdom easily on their own. "I have summoned you all so that you can find out how to use these two heaven artifacts. And so their research with the artifacts began. And with the help of ancient texts and the mages... They had a breakthrough. "We need to sacrifice 1000 souls to activate the gem of truth. And on other hand, it''s 1000 sacrifices itself for the gem of lie, but we have to do something more too. Well, sadly we still have to find what''s that something extra." As the mages were discussing with each other, suddenly... Boom! A st urred! And suddenly king Jun sensed a sh heading toward his way He quickly activated a mana barrier sessfully blocking the strike. But the next movement, a force field spread. Chapter 404 A Member Of Heavenly Wolf Family [1] ? King Jun''s eyes widened. As soon as the force field spread, it was as if he couldn''t activate his mana. It felt as if he lost connection with his mana. King Jun gritted his teeth as he tried to escape but the next movement. Spurt! "Argh," Blood flowed through his mouth as he felt something piercing his abdomen. Though he was above level 300 which meant such injury didn''t threaten his life, that was applicable only if he could activate his mana. "Ruok!" As the smoke settled down he was able to see the attacker''s face. But that wasn''t the only suppose. Some mages were confused but most of them had a smirk on their face. And looking at them Jun realized he was betrayed by almost all of them. "Ruok! You bastard!" Jun screamed but Ruok didn''t reply instead he first grabbed both crystals. He then proceeds to grab Ju!''s fave and in the next movement, both of them disappeared. They reappeared on top of a building. Jun thought that he wouldn''t have to face the force field here but his eyes widened as he realized. The force field was spread across the whole kingdom. And that incident marked the era of king Jun. ************* "What happened after that," Shin asked with a serious expression. "Well my memory is pretty much foggy from that point onwards. I just regained my consciousness three centuries ago. And I found some of my citizens, in this ce, in this condition. Upon asking them what happened they told me, a massacre took ce. When they opened their eyes, they were in the form of a skeleton. Centuries passed as they were trapped there but then one day... A person rescued them. A person who wielded the gem of lie. But instead of freeing them or doing anything else, the person trapped them here, where they found my skeleton. Thankfully just a dayter I regained my consciousness." Shin felt sad for king jun to hear about his past. "Wait, so is the gem of lie here too." "Ya, and it lent some of its powers to me due to which I can control this ce. Well, let''s see if you''re worthy of the gem of lie." Shin felt excitement within himself as he heard those words. Suddenly red light once again shed the ce once again changed. Shin looked around himself and it appeared as if this time they were present in the treasure room of this ce. There were many hold pins and strong-looking artifacts ced around. But the object that attracted shins attention the most... Was a marvelous Red gem that was embedded in the floor in the middle of the room. "Go and ce your paw on the gem." Listening to Jun shin nodded his head and started walking toward the gem. He then lofted his paw and ced it on therge gem after reaching near it. And as soon as he did, shin felt cold chills going down his soul. The gem started to skin brightly, the red light engulfed the whole room. And looking at such a reaction shin''s heart started to beat faster and faster. ''Does this mean I''m chosen'' Shin thought in excitement. It was as if the red light was the only ray of hope for defeating the skeleton king. Before shin could think of anything else a sound echoed in the room. A sharp voice "Such an extraordinary candidate! Cunning, smart, and capable, He has a brain! Hahahhaahhaahha!" "So am I chosen!" "Of course!" The crystal replied. This brought a rush of excitement within shin as she was happy in getting another strong ally aside from him. "Shin." He heard Jun''s voice thinking that jun was going topliment him. But his next set of words was exactly the opposite of what he thought Jun was going to say. "I''m sorry my friend but looks like you aren''t chosen. In fact, it looks like the gem of lie hates you." "What did you say?" Shin quickly snapped looking towards Jun. "But why? He''s praising me so much." "Did you forget what''s in his name? Don''t you have that much brain? Whatever he said, it''s the opposite." As soon as shin heard those words his face became red in embarrassment. But before shin could do anything else. [Ding] [Mission] [Find someone worthy enough for the gem of lie.] [Reward: celestial path unlock] [Faliur: ???] Shin frowned as he looked at the system. ''I have to find someone worthy.'' The problem was that shin didn''t know someone with that description. Though he knew some people who were smart, they weren''t greedy or cunning, and even if shin knew someone like that, in most cases he wouldn''t give someone such an artifact. After all, those kinds of people were the ones to backstab. "What happened? Don''t tell that you are depressed, because gem told you don''t have any brains. Don''t worry man, sometimes you should learn to face the truth." Shins face twisted but he didn''t bother to argue. "Hey, do you know a way... To defeat the skeleton king." Jun quickly shook his skull. "Unfortunately I don''t. Since the day I woke, I never went outside so I don''t. But I know someone who does know." Jun said to which Shin''s eyes widened. "Who is it?" Shin questioned. "Well, a defendant of a n known as the heavenly wolf family. I had heard their name a lot when I was alive. They were a very strong n, but now I don''t know their condition." King jun said but when he looked at shin''s face he could see the absolute shock "But if this so called descendant knows how to defeat the skeleton king then why don''t you know how to defeat him?" "Well, because apparently, it is some secret of their family which they can pass to their descendants. I thought that you were a wolf so he might tell you." Jun said to which shin''s eyes started to twitch. Chapter 405 A Member Of Heavenly Wolf Family [2] ? "Wait, when did this guest of yourse here? I''m here for the past twenty minutes. Did hee here a day ago, or perhaps a century ago?" "No, he came thirty minutes ago." Shin''s eyes started to twitch even more as he had the urge to smack some sense into the old bones. "Damn it! I need to go and find the wolf." Shin said. "Lead me to the door." "Yes... But before that... Please promise me you wille to meet us." Shin felt as if he was imagining things. The robust-looking skeleton''s ming eyes looked like puppy eyes. ''This skeleton... He is trying to act cute. What am I? His boyfriend.'' Shin joked and then looked toward the skeleton. "I promise that I wille once again to meet you all. Now could you please lead me to the door?" "Of course." Junsaid and in the next movement red light shed once again. By now shin was already used to it. They quickly appeared in front of the red door and surprisingly it opened. "If you can open the door, then why can''t you leave it?" As soon as asked the question Jun became bitter. "I can open the door but cannot exit it. If we try to then souls will be damaged. This won''t kill us of course but put us to sleep for a few more centuries. One of our Foolish skeletons tried its d still hasn''t woken." Shin genuinely felt sad and swore in his heart that he would try to find a way to help them. Shin then walked out the gate and found himself to be in apletely random ce. Though he was still in a desert. He started running around the ce trying to find a certain wolf. his mana as far as he could while simultaneously activating his skill [All seeing eyes]. Unfortunately, he couldn''t find anyone. Shin decided to rest for a bit. For now, he had a doubt in his mind. He started running as fast as she could and after five minutes of his travel, he found the kingdom in which he almost lost his life. This confirmed his suspicion. The gate could be opened anywhere as long as the person had the key. And if Jun would open the gate, it would open in random ces but that would be within the desert of the western terrain. ''If getting the key was as easy as killing four undead chameleons which weren''t even above level 100, why didn''t the skeleton king kill the chameleons himself and take the key? Since his kingdom is within the desert he could''ve opened the gate and taken the gem of lie. He is definitely cunning and smart, though he dosen''t have a brain. And why didn''t he chase me when I came out? When I entered the kingdom I saw some of the skeletons going out anding in. If they could then why didn''t the skeleton kinge out and chase him? This is strange, too strange. Argh!'' Shin felt as if his brain would explode if he thought about anything anymore. "Well looks like I have to go back." Shin quickly brought the key from the inventory and poured his mana into it. And just like thest time, the key greedily started to suck mana from his body. And after a while, the inscriptions on the key started to glow as it started to be bigger. And after a few more seconds it became as big as a spear. And ten meters opposite to it materialized a door with many inscriptions. Shin pushed the key, which like a spear tore through the air and sttered the same around it inserting itself into the keyhole and twisting the door. Shin quickly entered the gate and quickly and was greeted by king Jun who was sitting on his throne. "Dear friend. I havee here to fulfill my promise " "Pure bullshit." Kim jun said as he looked toward Shin. "Listen to m-" "Utter bullshit." And after arguing funnily King jun finally decided to listen to him. "Will that wolf you talked about wille once again." "Ya, he wille tomorrow." Listening to him veins bulged on shin''s forehead. "Ok, I will stay the whole night here itself." Shin said as hey on the floor. He acted as if he was sleeping, but he wasn''t. His suspension still hadn''t gone down. But just as he was pretending to sleep certain thoughts entered his mind. ''Lucas, he was keeping the skeleton king busy. What if he does?'' Lucas sensed that the skeleton king was strong than him but not by a greater margin. But little did he know that was all the n of the skeleton king to lure them all. Shin gritted his teeth. He even thought about three other prisoners and Eggman, who was still there. Shin was frustrated. He stood up and used his skill [Hymn of the dragon]. As soon as he did that the shadow dragon appeared. "What''s the matter kiddo? Are you in any kind of trouble?" The shadow dragon questioned to which Shin shook his head "Then what is it? What me to sing Ryme." Shadow dragon locked but shin didn''t reply. Instead, seriousness shed in his eyes. "Shadow dragon. Do you think I should go back to that kingdom?." "You mad bro? You wanna die. Then go ahead." For a second the shadow dragon thought that shin was joking but his serious expression already exined that this was no joke. "Sigh. Why do you wanna go back." "Well, there are some people who risked their lives so that I could escape." "And what will you do by going there? Include yourself in the name list of dead people." "Well, I..." "That isn''t the smartest thing you can do. Instead, train and be stronger. And I''m sure he won''t kill those people. I know his type of people very well. The ones who are arrogant and always search for entertainment because they haven''t seen anyone stronger than them and have lived too long. They are the biggest egoist. And don''t worry even if he kills you can take revenge after a few centuries of training." Chapter 406 A Member Of Heavenly Wolf Family [3] ? Shin looked towards the shadow dragon with an expression suggesting ''Are you serious?''. And as if reading his mind shadow dragon chuckled before speaking. "When a person bes strong enough, centuries pass like few years. You will understand that once you be strong enough." Shadow dragon said to which Shin nodded his head. They then talked about a few more things with each other before Shin deactivated his skill right after which the shadow dragon faded. After his conversation ended Kijg Jun provided Shin with afy pillow to sleep on. ''Well, I''m waiting for tomorrow. Let''s see this so-called descendant.'' Shin thought as his eyes closed. ''Well, I''m excited to see how everything ys out.'' King Jun thought as he looked at the sleeping figure of Shin. A few hours passed by, and Shin quickly woke up. After eating his food he sat near Kong Jun who was bragging about how strong he was in his prime. "I and an two-headed gigantic serpent had a battle once. At that time I was just 257, while the serpent was 261. Even after such an big level gap I managed to defeat him. But that was one hell of a battle. Our attacks evaporated a whole mountain. Shockwaves that spreaded through our attack were the reason surrounding kingdoms perished." Shin just nodded absent-mindedly. And as King Jun continued bragging, the gates started to tremble which quickly attracted Shin''s and King Jun''s attention. Shin quickly gulped arge amount of saliva making his throat dry as he imagined and a giant intimidating wolf with many scars on its body entered the room, which would level 400 and would have enough strength to kill Shin with one p. But Shin''s imagination quickly busted like a bubble as soon as a white-furred little wolf pup entered the room. The wolf pup looked as if he was smaller than Shin. Looking at the small won''t pup, Shin''s eyelids quickly started to twitch. ''That''s the descendant?'' Shin questioned himself starting toward the wolf intensely. The small wolf pup too noticed the unfamiliar figure that was present within the room. ''Another wolf? His fur is white too. Is he from the heavenly wolf family too?'' The small wolf pup frowned looking towards Shin. An awkward silence enveloped the room which was soon broken by King Jun. "Little white, no need to be worried about this stranger, his name is" Just before he couldplete his sentence he noticed Shin''s re. He quickly took the hint. his name is Big White" "Seriously?" The small wolf asked as he could easily say King Jun made it up on the spot "And Big White no need to put your guard up against little white and by the way, his name is Orion." Even after saying that it seemed, Orion was still suspicious. Looking at the white pup Shin sighed and decided to start the conversation. "Hey, as King Jun told my name is big white. Shin felt embarrassed as he said those words. "What do you want." Orion went straight to the point. And looking at him Shin lofted his brows as he thought. ''He is mature for a pup.'' ''''Ok, I''ll cut to the chase. It would be very kind of you if you could give me the heavenly wolf family''s address" "And I''m not kind." "...." "...." ''Damn it! This pup is cheeky.'' Shin thought. "I just need their address." "And unfortunately I forgot." "Hey, kiddo! Just listen to me. I just need their address. Just tell me where they are. I mean no harm" Shin tried to convince the wolf pup, but it made him even more suspicious. "I''m not telling you anything. And I''m not a kid, Bat is sure you are.". "First of all, I''m elder than you. I''m 1 and a half years old. And I''m more powerful than you too." Shin said to which the wolf pup startedughing. "You just embarrassed yourself. I''m 2 and a half years old and I''m stronger than you too." "I''m level: 93" Shin said with a smug face. "Even I''m level: 93" "Is that so? Then let''s spar and see who got better skills." Listening to him the wolf pup immediately tried to change the topic. "What, spar? There''s no need for violence. The main reason I''m not telling you their location is, what will I gain if I tell you." As soon as Shin heard these words he smirked. "If you tell me their location... Then I''ll free you from those cursed shackles." As soon as the wolf pup heard those words his eyes opened wide. "How do you-!" Shin had used all-seeing eyes due to which he managed to see the shackle that was around his neck, which seemed to be sucking all his mana. But he had one confusion. ''Why can''t I see his stat? He''s definitely not stronger than me.'' For some reason shin couldn''t see any stat of his instead there were question marks present in front of them. And at the end, Shin concluded he was using an artifact And just as Shin was busy with his thought. "Why are you daydreaming," Orion said looking toward Shin. ''Ah! I was once again submerged in my thoughts.'' "Tell me. Can you really do what you said? Or else... I''m killing you." Orion said releasing a bit of his bloodlust. But it didn''t affect shin at all. "Yes I can, but you will tell me the location of the heavenly wolf family. No, since I''m doing such a big thing, you will take me personally." "Alright," Orion said but in his mind, some other thought was running. ''If you will break the shackle. Then there won''t be any need to visit them. The heavenly wolf family wille to visit you.'' On the other hand, even King Jun was interested to see if Shin could break the shackle. After all, then he couldn''t break it. Shin first studied the shackle properly and understood how it operated. The shackle was made of a material that absorbed mana until it broke. The curse that was ced on the shackle enabled it to absorb as much mana as possible without breaking And to solve the problem Shin had a clear solution in his mind. All that was left to do, was to use it. Chapter 407 A Member Of Heavenly Wolf Family [4] ? Shin looked at the ck shackle with inscriptions and ced his paws on them ''There is a chance this won''t work.'' Shin thought as he quickly activated his skill, [Curse breaker] as soon as he did it curse broke, and the next second cracks appeared on the chain as it continued absorbing the mana. To speed up the process Shin quickly activated his mana and poured it into the chain. As soon. As the shackle shattered... Boom! An immense amount of mana spread from the broken shackle. The Mana was so much that it started tearing the fabric of space itself. The Mana started to spread in the desert but then thankfully the fabric of space joined itself. ************ A white wolf that seemed to be 8 years old suddenly opened his eyes wide. ''Hmmm, interesting.'' ************ "Huff, huff!" Shin huffed loudly as sweat beads formed on his head. ''Was this would able to generate so much mana in past years that it was enough to break the fabric of space itself?!'' Shin eximed in his mind. ''If that''s true then the descendant of the heavenly wolf family are true monsters.'' But there was still a doubt within his mind. ''Whoever forced the shackle on him definitely must have been very. Then why did they apply such a weak curse.'' Shin wondered, looking at the shattered piece of the ck chain. He stared at it as if there was no tomorrow. He then looked at Orion. "It''s now your turn. Take me to the heavenly wolf family." "There''s no need for that." "What do you mean?" Shin frowned as he looked toward Orion "Are you going back on your words?" "No. What I mean to say is, they will be finding you. Since you broke the chain they can easily sense it. They will be here in a few hours. Just wait here." Seriousness shed in Shin''s eyes. "Orion. Are you perhaps... On bad terms with the heavenly wolf family." And looking at the expression of Orion shin knew that was the case. "This means the ones who applied the curse are the heavenly wolf family, and since it''s broken, they wille to know and search for you finding me. Isn''t that right?" Looking towards Shin Orion nodded his head. "Tell me? What did you do for the heavenly wolf family to go this extreme." "Well, it''s a long story," Orion said after taking a long sigh. ************* [The kingdom of Rockin] A kingdom whose king is a monster. A kingdom where different races such as monsters, demi-humans, humans, etc live. A very peaceful kingdom. Or that''s what it seems on the outside. While many powerful ns are located in this kingdom, some criminals even escaped hiding here. This was bound to create many conflicts. And one such conflict was taking ce. "You bastard!" A man with well-built muscles and a rough face eximed as he dashed toward another skinny man, with a smooth face, and white hair. People would expect that the skinny man would be defeated in seconds but contrary to their expectations the skinny man with a smooth face tossed the muscr man with just a single hand. "Asher! Why are you picking a fight so early in the morning." A beautiful girl with white hair and bright red eyes said to the skinny man who was known as Asher. "Pa! Papa! Bad!" And a kid in thedy''s arm too eximed. And the fact that the kid too had white hair, was surprising. The family of three quickly walked away leaving the muscr man unconscious. And just as they were walking both the parents heard a voice in their minds. ["All the heavenly wolves are requested to meet in the underground tunnel"] As soon as they heard these words they quickly went to their house, and after making sure Orion the baby slept, they walked towards the destination given to them. They entered a cave that was located at the edge of the kingdom. After entering it they walked for a bit more time and after approximately ten minutes they reached the dead end. Asher quickly used a spell as he ced his palm on the stone wall. "Nature La vego!" As soon as he used the spell the rocky wall started to Shin. The bright light engulfed the whole cave and as the light dimmed both of them had long disappeared. Their bodies appeared in a tunnel-like area. There were many humans there with white hair and different eye colours. "Greetings to the leader." And almost all of them bowed in front of the two of them. Some were still proudly standing. "Long time no see, Asher." One of the guys standing said. They were each a leader of one of the parts of the heavenly wolf family. And the one who was sitting on a throne was the current head. "Asher. What information have you brought." The figure on the throne asked. One couldn''t see him properly, due to the most around him but his presence was enough. "Sir, the Barbatos n and the Eaglon n are trying to find the hidden vige of the heavenly wolf family. And I have dealt with the Kobold n." He said in a respectful tone as he bowed down. Asher and his family were as undercover in the Rokin kingdom as most of their enemies were present in that kingdom, who were actively trying to search for the heavenly wolf family. While the whole Heavenly wolf family was hidden in the wolf vige which was hidden from the world. "Any other info?" "My lord, the king of Rokin kingdom is nning a grand ceremony on their victory over the neighbouring kingdom. It''s the perfect opportunity to kill those two ns. "All right. With the help of ra kill both of those n leaders. And make sure you spread Red ns'' and Ghost eye ns'' presence of we''re. This way we will be able to deal with all four ns." "As you wish my lord." Chapter 408 The Banquet ? "I''m excited about today''s banquet" "I know right!" There were many reasons why people were excited. They would see many amazing performances but on top of that, there would be battles held with the guards of imperial knights. The one who won the battle would have a high chance to enter the imperial knights, but they would also gain arge sum of money and many more benefits. The two men looked at the gate of the entrance. There was an anti-mana barrier that was set around the ce which would make the people unable to use mana. One would question how the battle events would take ce. Well, the arena where the battle would take ce had a barrier. When a person enters the arena, the barrier activates and the person is not affected by the effects of the anti-mana barrier. The guards in front of the entrance looked toward the iing people and noticed a group of fiveing inside. The group of five had many striking features such as sharp eyes and white hair, there was even a small girl in the group of five. there was a man with strong built muscles and the other four were rather skinny with different coloured eyes and different demeanour The small girl looked very innocent and cute. But looks could be deceiving. The group of five quickly entered through the entrance. ["Leader, to start with the n whom should we kill first,"] Said one of the men in the group with the help of telepathy. ["Well, the most appropriate choice would be the leader of the Barbatos n. but let''s see it all depends on who is more excited to die first"] The banquet went on with many exciting events and after the Grand feast was over the most exciting event of the banquet started. "I challenge you!" eximed one of the people looking at the god of the Imperial night who was standing in the arena. The Imperial Knight''s guard just nearly looked at the person and nodded. the person quickly entered the arena. He had a great physique and always tried to dominate his opponent with pure strength. He quickly channelled his Mana and his strength to his left hand and dashed toward the guard of the Imperial knight. But the guard didn''t even unsheath his sword and just attacked the person with his palm. He felt that the guard was mocking him, which angered him. He quickly used his kill multiple Strikes which increase his strength and speed at which he was striking his opponent with his fist. But in the next movement, the world around him started to spin and in the next movement, his body fell to the ground. The guard was so fast that he couldn''t even detect his movements. ''But he is a mere guard! How is a guard so strong!?'' He eximed within his mind as he looked at the guard standing in front of him with an indifferent face as if he didn''t even care. He quickly stood but with the next movement, he felt a heavy impact on his chest which knocked him out. The guard then stiffened his back and stood straight waiting for his next opponent. Another person quickly entered but he was defeated in a matter of seconds. "I wanna fight him!" The guy with muscles said as if he was ready to just enter the arena and have a life-and-death battle with the guard. "You never miss an opportunity to show off, do you?" One of the females in the group said looking at him. If anyone heard his words, they would naturally think he was a muscle brain, but no he wasn''t. He was a very smart and cautious person. He was arguably the smartest person in the whole family. Anyone who met him would automatically think that he had a rare skill of future sight but no. He was just a calcting monster and his predicting ability depending on the situation was so good that people would automatically assume he had future sight. There were only three other wolves in the family who were as smart as him. Asher and the previous head and the current head. But there was something with him... He liked to show off the power he had. He would never miss a chance to show off the power he possesses. ["Don''t mess up this mission! And talk using telepathy."] ["Sorry leader."] Both of them quickly apologized and focused on the mission. They were here... To kill the leader of the Barbatos n. The group looked at the cloaked figure sitting on the audience seat. It seemed he too was going to join the arena. ["We have to be quick."] Asher said looking at the cloaked figure who stood up and walked toward the arena. One couldn''t see his facial figure properly and his body. Well, he was skinny. This time the guard''s expression finally changed. Because he could sense it. The man in front of him was too strong. The aura man was emitting, wasparable to one of the generals of the imperial knight. The guard quickly channelled a lot of mana to his arms and legs. He unsheathed his sword and dashed toward his opponent He quickly used his sword style and footwork to battle his opponent. But just as he expected, the cloaked figure merely dodged the strikes. Others were surprised looking at the scene that was going on. The cloaked figure was casually dodging the sword. And then what urred in the next moment shocked most of the audience. The cloaked figure with one swift movement of his right palm disarmed the guard and with another swift movement of his left palm, he knocked out the guard. But what happened next was even more shocking. ["Now!"] One of tendies from the group threw something as thin as a needle in lightning speed towards the cloaked figure. The Cloaked figure quickly lifted his two fingers and trapped the needle-like object between them. ''Shit! Illusion!'' But it was already toote. A real needle passed through his head and just 3 secondster the hole in his skull disappeared And just like that the leader of the Barbatos n... was killed. Chapter 409 The Monster King ? "Sir! I''m telling you! The red n would never do something like that!" "But you did. The proof is in front of you. This skill belongs to your n. And this needle that''s on the ground? After all this proof, you cannot deny that anyone from your n isn''t a part of this member. After all you people had quite the argument the other day." A general of the Imperial Knights looking straight into the eyes of the leader of the red n. "You''re definitely gonna regret this." Said the Humanoid beast, the leader of the Red n. "Is that a threat because the threat to the general of the Imperial knight won''t be taken lightly?" "Think whatever you want general." The humanoid said before raising both his fist. Looking at his fists the general handcuffed him. On the other hand, a simr situation was going on. another leader of a highly prestigious n which was in a friendly rtionship with the king was found dead. And it appeared as the skill of the n of ghost eye was used to kill this leader and, even the leader of Ghost eye another humanoid beast was captured by the Imperial knight. In the king''s Castle. A human-like figure covered and glowing white light was sitting on the Throne. He looked around at the people that were present in the hall. "Tell me about the conflict." demanded the humanoid figure. looking at everyone''s expression it was clear that he was the so-called king of the monster and the ruler of the kingdom of Rokin. But unlike the mob''s expectations, he wasn''t covered in any kind of dark energy or Evil Aura. instead, the white light that was glowing around his body felts like a gentle divine and warm energy. "My lord, we suspect that these two are directly or indirectly connected to the recent deaths of the leaders of the n, who were going to establish an alliance with you." Said the imperial Knight''s general, who had a rough face. "Well, what is the evidence that you have collected." Listening to him the guard immideatlypresented the evidence in front of the king. A dagger and a needle. "Indeed, I can sense d both of their presence on the weapons. Hmm. either that someone with a very high rank altered with a presence on these weapons or it could be the culprit is a master Assassin with the ability to alter his presence. or it could be that these two are really the culprit behind the crime" said the monster king "For now keep these two in custody we will investigate about the matter more." " As you wish my lord," said the general before ordering the Guards to keep those two in the custody ************** After the matter was dealt with and the hearing was postponed to another date until more evidence was found the general walked out he sighed. He then immediately blend within the crowd and then kept his eyes on a person with sharp Eyes White hair with well-built muscles. The person walked out of the kingdom followed by the general. after walking for 5 minutes the white-haired guy reached a cave. the general too entered the cave. As soon as he did, the white-haired guy quickly turned around and looked at him. And the next movement... The muscles on the general face started to move along with the bones. The bones and the muscles on his body too we''re reacting the same way. Looking at this scene would be very painful for anyone. Hisplete face and body figure changed along with his hair and eye color "Leader Asher." "Mike. After this, we will receive another mission so I suggest you be ready for that." "I know that. But..." "But?'' Asher asked looking at Mike''s face which was starting to frown. "You have a wife and a kid. Don''t you think you should spend more time with them more? They are your family after all, especially when you have a kid you should spend... More time with them." As mike ended his sentence Asher could sense a bit of sadness. "Your right. Right after our next mission, I will spend the time I have with my family." After their conversation, both of them moved towards the dead end. And after cing his arm on the rock wall and once again using his spell they both disappeared. ****************** "Ha!" A small orion in his human form was running toward the deeper part of the forest. He was probably faster than any human kid, but suddenly Orion froze. He looked around himself. With his enhanced eyesight due to the training given by his father, he quickly spotted what he was looking for. "A wolf?" He questioned as he walked toward t.he injured ck wolf Pup lying on the ground. "Hey, Rui, what the hell happened to you!?"Eximed Orion looking at the small pup. "Wait!?" Orion suddenly eximed as he sensed another presence. His friend Rui was level 25 so he knew it would be something stronger than level 25. He quickly looked around and spotted a purple spider looking toward them as if it was looking at its delicacy. ''It''s stronger than me! I can''t use any of my tail moves in human form till now. That means!...'' Various thoughts were going on in his mind and he even thought of escaping but looking at his friend on the ground he quickly ditched the idea. His body quickly reverted into a small pup that was probably a year old. Orion''s tail quickly started to shine which gave him a great boost in his strength and speed. And all his attacks seemed to be faster. He quickly used his skill [Aero sh] and unlike normal aero sh which was green in color this aero sh was golden. And it quickly killed the spider in a single second. "..." "..." And on the other side of the forest, a shadow wolf was running as fast as he could to the deeper part of the forest and suddenly his eyes widened. ''Heavenly wolf family''s presence!'' Chapter 410 The Shadow Wolf Clan ? Asher walked towards his home with a smile. He hadpleted all the missions and finally thought of spending time with his family. But he suddenly saw a womaning out of the house. His wife. And before he could even ask her anything she appeared next to him as if she Teleported. And that was what she actually did. "What''s the matter." He asked her calmly. "I can''t find Orion. And I found thistter in our home." She said showing him the letter she had in her hand. And looking at the letter Asher''s eyes widened. This was the first time he was losing hisposure. - Hello members of the Heavenly wolf family or whoever you are. if you want to see your kid alive thene to the dark forest. -And you can bring anyone with you. I don''t care, the more the merrier. He could clearly feel that whoever sent this clearly had the intention to mock him. ''And looks like the one who sent this letter is an assassin too. And a high-tire assassin.'' He could sense that whoever sent this letter tried their very best to remove their presence from the letter but it was futile in front of him. He could sense the faint presence of the Red n and after pondering about it he concluded. ''The culprit forced someone from the red n to write this letter. And then try their level best to remove the presence.'' A smile appeared on his face and in the next movement, he quickly used his mana and covered the letter with it. The presence of the letter disappeared as if no one even touched it. *********** "Hey! I havee here! Where are you." Mike eximed looking around the forest. He was waiting for the kidnapper of Orion to show up. And suddenly he spotted a shadow. The shadow wasing closer and soon Mike was able to see his face clearly. It was a very pale face as if the person was sick. He was a skinny male with blue hair, Red eyes, and Red bat wings attached to his back. "You aren''t the one who''s the father of that kid." Looking at him Mike spoke. "you see the father of that kid is a very big coward. And I''m that kid''s uncle so I came to save him. Now give me the kid." Killing intent shed in his eyes as he looked at the demi-human. He then closed his eyes which confused the member of the Red n. "Don''t try something funny." He said with a serious expression looking towards Mike but didn''t receive any response from him. ''I sense dark energy. That means death crows are involved, but this presence... The shadow wolf bastards are part of this ambush too.'' He gritted his teeth after thinking about this. After all Shadow Wolves, we''re one of the biggest enemies of the heavenly wolf family, and on top of that, they had a supreme celestial''s blessing too. ''This matter is much more serious than I thought.'' He suddenly clenched his fist and it looked like the space around the demi-human wrapped around his neck trying to choke him to death. He gritted his teeth as blood dripped from his lips. ''Special magic!'' He eximed. Space and time. These two elements were the hardest to control, as even using the simplest move of this magic cost an abundant amount of mana. Such a freaky amount of mana that even a being who is level 100 would have to sacrifice their life force to use it. Suddenly many more shadows appeared. They were probably about a hundred of them that were here to im Mike''s life. Soon their figure became clear. There were about fifteen of them who looked human except for the fact that they had crow beaks and pitch-ck crow wings attached to their back. And the other five too looked human except for the fact that they had ck-furred wolf ears and ck-furred wolf tails. Any other person would think that these were demi-humans but mike knew they weren''t. "Hand us the kid and I promise the heavenly wolf family will forget something such as this ever happened," Mile said but the ones in front of him looked at him with killing intent. One of the crows quickly washed towards him but once again it looked as if space wrapped around him and his time the crow exploded. Looking at this the others became angry but one of the mature-looking wolves stopped them. He then looked at Mike directing a lot of his killing intent toward him. "If you dare to kill anyone else over here then you''ll die a painful death. Everyone you know will die a painful death. You will see living hel-" Before he couldplete his sentence one of the wolves busted into million pieces. "Well, you should know one thing. I keep my word." "Well, if you do, that would be a problem," Mike said as killing intent shed in his eyes. Mike quickly activated his skill, but before space could even wrap around the mature wolf he disappeared and reappeared behind Mike and tried to strike him with his punch but Mike quickly crossed both his arms saving himself from the impact. Mike quickly channelled a lot of his strength and mana to his arm,unching it towards the shadow wolf, but an Ashey ck shadow quickly rose in front of him defending the wolf from the punch. In the next second, the wolf quickly created two shadow swords and tried to strike Mike but he quickly manipted the space, using it as a shield. He once again tried to kill the wolf using his space maniption but the wolf once again disappeared and reappeared behind him. And this time the remaining seventeen too joined the battle. Looking at the seriousness of the battle he quickly left the bat demi human''s neck who, ran away like a coward for his life. But that was least of his concern. From what he could sense the mature wolf seemed to be above level 200. "Say the location of the hidden vige of the heavenly wolf family. Your and the people close to you, death will be a little less painful" Said the shadow wolf but Mike didn''t care. Four of his fingers connected and with a swift movement, he performed a horizontal sh. Two death crows were shed in half due to this move. And others were surprised. They were practically attacking him from all directions but he was able to dodge their move very easily. The mature shadow wolf too was very surprised. His dual sword art looked like it was a mess. It looked as if it was very random yet very deadly. But still, somehow Mike didn''t have a single scratch on his body. ''I think he has an affinity to time too. He must be using future sight or something like that.'' He thought and, ording to him if that was the truth then it was terrifying. When a person used any one of these two they were practically breaking the world''sw. And to break a world''sw, even a high-tier celestial who specialized in using mana would struggle to break the world''sw. Much less this mortal wolf. ''He''s not a celestial which means he''s not a direct descendant.'' Unlike wolf God shin a supreme celestial who practically blessed all the white wolves when he was alive some supreme celestial only bless a particr bloodline of a certain race. "You should just surrender. Shadow wolf n can make use of someone like you." -"Maybe they can use me too. Right?" Suddenly these words were whispered in his ears in a chilly voice, which sent chills down his spine. After a long time, he was feeling scared. Next movement he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. "Hahahah! Do you think your shadow wolves are God-tier assassins? You all are just joke in front of him." Mike mocked looking at the shocked Shadow wolf. After all his leader, was practically invisible to their senses. This was something they felt that only their head could achieve. And soon blood bath began. It was as if they were blind. They looked everywhere to search for this opponent but they couldn''t find him. One of the shadow wolves spread his mana to analyze his surrounding better, but it was futile. The next second his head was decapitated. They felt as if they were against the God of assassins. "Don''t! Don''te near me!" One of the crows said as he felt breeze passing by him, but it actually turned out to be a breeze. "..." "..." And then suddenly. His body was sliced into a million, no, into a billion pieces. His flesh wasn''t even visible and it just looked like blood sttered as his flesh disappeared. Others gulped arge amount of saliva looking at the scene. *Cough!* *Cough!* The mature-looking shadow wolf was the only one who was able to survive after taking one of the strikes of this assassin. He gritted his teeth as blood flowed through his mouth. ''Whoever this is, how the hell on earth is he so strong! Is he the current head of the heavenly wolf family? No, I highly doubt it!'' His eyes widened as his vision became clear after taking that hit. Everyone except mike and him was on the ground decapitated. And many bodies weren''t even present. Looking at the bloodied scene he had the urge to kill himself. He was pretty sure that whoever did this could easily kill him. The main reason he didn''t was to get the location of the ce where the shadow wolves were living. He quickly used shadow maniption, creating a shadow sword and trying to slice his head. But before he could do that he suddenly felt a grip on his arm. He quickly looked towards the owner of the arm. His eyes met with Asher''s dull eyes which scared him to his soul. The shadow beneath him took the shape of a sharp chain which he immediatelyunched towards Asher but the next second he disappeared. He quickly tried to stand up but.*Thud* But his legs were chopped. ''What!?'' And the most shocking thing to him was that he didn''t even feel the pain. He quickly used his skill of shadow travel. The shadow beneath him quickly sucked him inside. ,*Cr...Crack* And to his despair a crack appeared and spread like a spider web. Soon the space broke and a vascr arm grabbed his neck pulling him outside. Mike looked at the Shadow wolf and grinned. "I know you aren''t afraid of death or painful death or some shit like that. I will get straight to the point. Give us the child." As he heard what Mike said a twisted smile appeared on his face. "Haha haha haha haha haha haha haha haha *Cough!* *Cough!*" he coughed a lot of blood as he continued tough without a care about the world. And looking at him with an irritated expression Mike quickly a hard punch to his chest. As the result, he started to cough even more loudly and even more, blood flowed from his mouth. "I am sure *Cough!* You will never *Cough!* See the *Bang*!" Before he could even finish his sentence, Asher punched his face breaking some of his teeth and his jaws. "Don''t dare to finish what you were saying or you''ll be finished." Asher threatened as he released a lot of killing intent. "Let''s go away from here for now," Asher said looking towards mike. "We will investigate him in our base. Let''s see if he can sprout that nonsense over there." Looking towards the shadow wolf Asher said Mike nodded his head as he raised his palm and clenched the empty space. Many cracks appeared and then soon the space distorted and covered them soon disappeared. "Well, they failed. And the opponent is too strong but foolish. They didn''t check if there was anyone else felt." And not long after a voice echoed. "You were saying something." a voice echoed in his ears due to which his eyes widened. Chapter 411 The Mutated Dragon ? In a ck room, two ck-furred wolves were present. The humanoid wolves had reverted into their wolf form. Their Paws were sliced and their teeth and tongues were removed. There were three other human-looking figures. "Heal their mouth," Asher said to a female who was standing beside them. She looked at her head and ced her palms on their mouths. She quickly used the skill [Heal.] A warm and soothing blue light covered their faxes healing any injury that was present on their face Their teeth and tongue regrew. They quickly tried to once again use their mana and kill themselves but unfortunately, they couldn''t. Asher had already made sure that they couldn''t use Mana. He did this with the help of the needles that Were stabbed into their chest. The needles weren''t stabbed deep enough to kill them. Looking at them anyone would feel pity but Asher, Mike, and the female had an indifferent face as if they did this every day ["Amael, what''s the matter? You found Orion"] ["Not yet. I have sessfully entered the base of the shadow wolf n. I''m still searching for Orion. The main reason I contacted you sir is to get permission to use my tail move."] ["Permission granted"] ["Thank you, leader"] Just like the heavenly wolf family, the shadow wolf n too was staying in a ce isted from the world The reason was still unknown but the heavenly wolf family knew they were up to no good. ["Me, Mike and Andrea areing too. Just manage everything until wee."] ["All right leader!"] Asher then looked toward Mike and Andrea."We are going to the shadow wolf n''s hidden base." "Amael sessfully found it? Andrea and Muek questioned simultaneously to which Asher nodded his head. "Yeah, they did. Now let''s not waste any time." "What about my sister will shee too?" Mike questioned, to which Asher shook his head. "There are some important matters here that she needs to attend to. Though she wants to save her son she needs to urgently attend to those matters too." Asher said to which Mike nodded his head in understanding. Asher looked at the shadow wolves that were on the ground. ''They must be alerted since they suddenly lost connection with this wolf.'' He thought looking at the second wolf. ''But they would have never expected we would get the location of their base.'' Asher was surprised when he questioned these wolves. The shadow wolves had gone as far as altering the memories of these wolves, and they were very clever too. Unfortunately, they didn''t have barriers created by the life force of a supreme celestial and had to build their base in a ce far away from any other life and use many more tricks to stay hidden for so long. ''If they do anything to Orion I''m gonna kill them.'' He thought. There was one thing he needed to do. When he informed the leader through telepathy about all of this that had happened, he asked Asher to meet. **************** "My lord," Aher said as he bowed down in front of the figure in dark sitting on the throne. "How did theye to know about the heavenly wolf family." "My lord, I have many hypotheses but the likely cause was that Orion used his tail move and at that same time a shadow wolf was present. He sensed Orion''s tail power which was obviously of the heavenly wolf family and captured him. They probably used mind maniption and saw the memory and found out I''m which house we were in. Thankfully we already altered his memory so that he could forget the location of the hidden vige so they are doing all of this." If anyone of the shadow wolves was present here they would be in awe. Because that was exactly what happened. "Well, that is the most likely cause of the scenario. And if that''s what truly happened you know that your son will have to face punishment, right?" "Yes, my lord. I will just rescue him. His fate is in your hand." "All right. But that wasn''t the main reason I called you here." The head said and then threw an orb in front of Asher. "You know what''s this, right?" "Yes, my lord." "Use this in your trip to the shadow of the n." "As you wish, My lord." Asher said respectfully. ''Now all that''s left is to operate our mission'' One thing was for certain. The shadow wolf n was going to deal with a heavy blow. As he was walking away suddenly he got a message through telepathy. **************** [The devil''snd] It was said that thisnd was previously owned by a primordial being. Devil! And after the war which continued for 1000 years, the devil was forced to leave thisnd. And thisnd still lookedpletely destroyed. with Broken mountains, destroyed castles and buildings, and skeletons scattered on the ground, and demonic energy still felt when going near thend. Anyone who tried to enter thisnd would ultimately die. Thisnd was also given the name, Hell on the world. But If anyone sessfully managed to enter thend they would see that even though the mountains were cracked there were many buildings. And the whole area was inhabited by wolves, the shadow wolves. And in one of those buildings was a white pup on the floor. There were some needles stabbed into his chest. Three in total. The red needle interfered with his flow of Mana not allowing him to use it. The second needle was purple in color which paralyzed his body. And the third needle was blue in color. If anyone tried to save him or he somehow deactivated any of the other two needles then the blue needle would st killing the small wolf pup on the spot. The wolf pup was conscious but barely. He was helpless. "So this is the brat. Descendant of the heavenly wolf family." Said one of the humanoid figures standing near Orion. "Yeah, now-" Before he could evenplete his sentence he was rudely interrupted by a "*Roooaoaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!*" "*Roooaoaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!*" "*Roooaoaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!*" "*Roooaoaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!*" he was speechless. He looked outside through the help of his window. "A dragon!" He eximed looking at the gigantic monstrous four headed dragon with eight wings. And the aura he released... He was definitely above level 400. "We have to kill it!" ************ A few minutes earlier. "So this is the ce," Andrea questioned with a puzzled look. "I see nothing. And I don''t think we should enter this ce. The amount of demonic energy that is in this ce. It will definitely corrode our body." "Don''t worry. Amael already told me what to expect." And then suddenly. "*Roooaoaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!*" "*Roooaoaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!*" "*Roooaoaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!*" "*Roooaoaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr!*" .... .... Mike and Andrea, were speechless as they looked at the four-headed dragon. And what was even more surprising was that all four of the dragon''s heads suddenly disappeared as it tried to enter thend and soon its wings and body too disappeared. "What kind of abra kadabra bullshit is this!" Mike eximed looking at the dragon that just passed through. But suddenly he frowned. As the dragon passed he managed to sense some spatial fluctuation. This meant that... He looked at Asher. "Sir I''m assuming you knew all about this and since there''s even offensive spatial magic that willpletely disintegrate the body do you gave a n.". "Well, yeah," Asher said as he tossed a scroll toward Mike. He then brought another scroll magically from the air and tossed it towards Andrea. "This is a mana scroll. Use it and you''ll be able to pass through the spell without any problem." He said to which both of them nodded. They had enough trust in Asher Upon tearing mana scrolls a person would get the one-time usable skill. They both quickly tore it and then used the skill. It was a barrier-type skill that surrounded their whole body Asher too took out another mana scroll and tore it and quickly used the skill. "And since the dragon''s here it would have causedmotion inside. That means we can separately enter. And when you all enter make sure to revert to your wolf form." Hearing him they both looked at Asher with strange expressions. But Asher didn''t say anything. "Did you... Bring the dragon here." Andrea asked to which Mike looked at her as if she was stupid. "That''s so obvious." He said. In the next movement, Asher reverted to his wolf form and activate the barrier, and entered thend. As soon as he did that his body disappeared. Mike and Andrea looked at each other before voiding their head. They too reverted into their wolf form and entered the field. ********** BOOM! Rogue one of the strongest shadow wolves I''m the shadow wolf n who wasn''t from the lineage of the direct descendant was fighting with a dragon. "Shadow berserk!" He eximed and in the next movement, the five wolves that were near him were suddenly covered in shadow. Rogue was in his human form and was willing a giant hammer that was twice the size of his body. He gritted his teeth as he looked at the wolves that he covered with shadow with the help of shadow berserk. They were screaming in agony. But after a few seconds, they stopped screaming. Instead, they were angry, they had gonepletely berserk ''A mutated dragon. Thankfully this has just broken through and survived that''s why it''s the weakest in the mutated ss.'' He thought looking at the Dragon as he ordered the five wolves to attack the dragon. "Damn it! Looks like I have to use it! Eternal shadow!"As soon as he used his skill the shadow beneath him suddenly rose and started to spread every we''re. The innocent citizens that were trying to escape, the hundreds of shadow wolf warriors that were near the battle scene, and even the five berserk shadow loves, every one was covered in his void-like shadow. And the next movement his shadow disappeared as if nothing ever happened. And the ones who were earlier covered in his shadow. All of them had disappeared. Soon he started to emit a deadly aura. His skill, eternal shadow was a skill that allowed him to absorb his opponents who were weaker than him, and use all of their skills, all of the strength that they possessed. He could even mix their skills to make a new one. He would even have a big power boost depending on the number of opponents he absorbed and their level. Of course, the power boost was just temporary and after some time, he couldn''t use the skills too. But it was a broken skill because Rogue could use it to its full potential. When a person uses the full power of the eternal shadow they can keep all those benefits permanently. There were only some people in the shadow n who could use eternal shadow to its full potential and Rogue wasn''t one of them. He quickly all the skills he got and started merging the strong ones. A smile appeared on his face as he saw the reinforcement wasing. And unlike thest time this time, these people were elites. As soon as they appeared most of them started to use shadow maniption and created chains out of it trying to capture the mutated dragon while the ones with explosive abilities attacked the dragon trying to kill it. Blood sttered as the dragon roared. A lot of blood fell on the ground. Rogue gritted his teeth as he looked at the dragon. He knew that anyone from the royal bloodline, the ones that were blessed could easily kill the dragon. Yet they were just sitting entertaining themselves looking at the show. He continued to attack and unfortunately, two elites died but they were able to kill the dragon. And as soon, as they did the dragon''s body turned into light particles and disappeared. Chapter 412 Amael ? Rogue''s brows furrowed as he looked at the light particles. It made sense that the dragon disappeared since it was a mutated beast but it should have left behind a mana core. But as much as he looked the mana core was nowhere to be seen. ''What the hell is happening.'' He thought. Thankfully they attacked the dragon as soon as it tried to enter, due to which the properties weren''t damaged but still many died. "Shit!" He cursed as he clenched his chest. He was facing the bacsh of his skill''s eternal shadow. Blood flowed from his lips as he trembled. Unknown to them using the dragon as bait certain three wolves had entered the area. And surprisingly their fur wasn''t white, instead one had blue fur while the tiger two had ashy ck fur. The one with blue fur was female and the other two with ashy ck fur were male. They quickly mixed among the citizens. ["That castle you see, that''s where Amael is. Mikee with me I need to give you a n. Andrea, you stay here."] Listing to this Andrea and Mike nodded. Mike quickly followed Asher and after walking for some time both of them stopped. ["What is it that you want to say to me."] ["She is the traitor"] As soon as Asher heard these words he frowned ["How are you so sure? Do you have any evidence"]. ["She is the traitor"] Asher sighed as he questioned once again. ["Were is the damn evidence"] ["She is the traitor. My words are the evidence"] Asher once again sighed. This was the one quality within Mike that he didn''t like. He was aplete show-off with a very big ego. [Your words aren''t evidence."] ["Yes they are"] ["Whatever, I will deal with itter. For now, keep an eye on her and don''t do anything stupid. All you have to do is if a battle breaks out immediately join and if not follow the original n.] ["All right leader"] Mike said as he walked away. Asher then proceeded to look toward the castle as he immediately hid his presence and dashed toward the castle. ''I have to use it once again!'' He eximed within his mind as a crystal orb materialized in front of him. He quickly pouted his mana inside the crystal form and the next movement... "Kyuuuuuyuuu"! A giant phoenix asrge as the whole castle appeared. It had crystal blue eyes and red feathers. Its beak was mesmerizing gold in color. The phoenix was covered in bright hot crimson-red mes which looked like could burn anything. And before the phoenix could do anything else... A humanoid figure appeared in front of it. ''A celestial!'' Asher eximed as he looked at the celestial. It looked as if he was standing on the air "Be my pet and I might spare you." And the fact that the celestial looked very young was even more carrier. The celestial continued looking at the Phoenix as if waiting for its response but instead of speaking anything the Phonix''s eyes shined brightly and mes wereunched toward the celestial and covered his body. The celestial quickly spanned his finger and suddenly the mes disappeared. He then looked towards the buildings around his left and right. ''The phoenix''s mere presence should have melted these buildings. That means... Illusion!'' He once again snapped his finger and the phoenix disappeared. ''I knew it!'' He eximed as his body disappeared and the next second reappeared on the roof of the castle. ["All the guards make sure that this so-called descendant of that heavenly wolf family is still there."] ["S-sir. He''s nowhere to be found] The celestial gritted his teeth as he heard these words. "Useless!" He eximed as his body once again vanished and appeared in the sky. He quickly closed his eyes and spread his mana as far as he could trying to search for the one. ''Damn it! Fategr is not here too. If he was there these people would be long dead!'' He was a Tier -2 celestial while his father was Tier -5 celestial. ********** Asher who was in his human form with Orion in his arms was dashing as fast as he could. And beside him was another handsome human-like figure with ck hair. There were two more humanoid figures. Mike and Andrea. "Why is the celestial here? I thought you said none of the celestials came!" "I dunno. It looks like he appeared just five minutes ago!" "Damn it!" "Amael! Have you brought the crystal!" "Yes, leader!" "Good! Give it to me!" A crystal simr to the crystal Asher had, but a little smaller materialized in his palm. He quickly gave it to Asher, who ced the crystal on top of the crystal he had and poured his mana trying to merge them. He looked at the process hoping that it willplete soon since with this not only will they have a stronger illusion but they could even perform mental attacks with it. Mental attacks that can stop a Tier -3 celestial for two seconds. ''It'' almost done!'' He eximed internally but then suddenly. "What do you think you''re doing? Amael" Mike''s cold but sharp voice echoed Amael had a dagger that was near Asher''s neck. But space around that ce had wrapped itself around the Knife stopping the attack. Looking at this Amael smiled. Asher waspletely shocked as he couldn''t sense his attack. And the next movement the crystal in his palm had sessfully merged but for some reason, it was having irregr reactions It suddenly cracked and shattered into many pieces. Some pieces at a very terrifying speed pierced through his palm. Some pierced through his shoulders too. Some were headed toward his head but he managed to Ridge them. ''So he''s the traitor! I have to kill him!'' Asher quickly thought as a knife materialized in his bloodied palm. The knife was moving towards Amael''s neck who was... Smiling. His smile looked twisted and creepy. Boooooooommmmmmm! His body self-destructed. It was a move where a person will umte his mana and let it be chaotic inside his body as a result it bursts The stronger a person is the stronger their st will be upon self-destruction. Mike quickly used his mana to make the st as small as possible. Due to this Asher was heavily injured but not killed. But it had already caused amotion The next second a celestial appeared in front of them. "So this is where you rats were hidden." He said with a mocking smile looking at all of them Mike gritted his teeth as he looked towards celestial. ''I''ll have to use the skill!'' He eximed within his mind The celestial noticed Mike''s gaze his smile widened. He lifted his hand and in the next movement, a shadow de wasunched toward Asher. The de wasunched so fast that he didn''t have the time to react but... The de just passed through him. It passed through him as if Asher was a ghost. Mike''s face pales as some drops of blood fell down his lips. "Mike!" Asher eximed as he realized that Mike had used his skill. This skill was very strong known as absolute space maniption. And it was such a strong skill, not even a tier -8 celestial would dare to use this skill. Just as the skills name suggested one could absolutely control space with the help of this skill. You can do anything with space. It was as if space while using this skill space was the user''s domain and anything that existed was within the domain. The user could do anything to the ones that existed, let them be spirit or human. But it was such a terrifying skill that it absorbed mana rapidly. The amount of mana belonging to a supreme celestial. And Mike didn''t even have 1% of the mana that was required to use this skill. As a result, he had to use his life force to use the skill and even lost his levels, and he had to sacrifice that much just to use the skill for one second. He coughed blood but he was d Asher survived. What he performed was a simple move of the skill which at least took 4 levels from him. "Is that your doing?" He asked Mike as he once againunched his shadow de Seeing this Mike once again activated his skill. As a result, even more, blood flowed down his lips. He gritted his teeth as he looked at the celestialughing like a crazy manic. "Looks like upon using your life force bes weaker." He said looking towards Mike. Mike felt like he would fall unconscious at any movement. ''He''s underestimating the skill. I will use a stronger move...'' He quickly once again used his skill of absolute space maniption. Suddenly celestial''s face twisted as he suddenly felt threatened. The next moment... Booom! His body was thrown hundreds of meters across, but he quickly used an attack. Mike continued using his skill. The next movement appeared near the spacial distortion protecting thend. His senses weren''t working so he couldn''t detect the attack, which didn''t hit him. He used his absolute space maniption to break the spatial magic that was set up. He then quickly used his own spatial magic and took them thousands of feet far from the ce. ************ "Ha! Those bugs survived!" Eximed a person with white hair and an extremely handsome face. Beside him was standing a person who looked copy of him. The reference was that he had red hair. And there were three more people behind him who too looked copy of Amael, just they had different hairs colors. "...." Chapter 413 The Cursed Shackles Chapter 413 The Cursed Shackles "Hu!" Mike opened his gaze. He was back in his wolf form. And instead of his fur being ck they were back to normal. Ashy white. Looking around he quickly spotted Asher. "Lead-er." He spoke weakly. His eyes trailed around the ce. He saw Asger the wolf pup who had three needles stabbed into his chest but Andrea... She was missing? "Wh-er-e is An-drea." Now that it was revealed that Amael was the traitor the possibility of Andrea being a traitor was high. Listening to Mike Asher sighed. "She''s... Dead." As soon as he heard these words many possibilities ran through Mike''s mind and the most likely possibility was that Asher found some evidence she was a traitor and killed her. "Was s-he th-e traitor?" Listening to him Asher smiled bitterly. "She wasn''t. it''s natural, that you don''t remember what happened, after all, you used a skill that gave serious injuries to a tier -2 celestial. As he was sted away when you used your skill, he too used a highly offensive skill targeted toward you. Though you could easily dodge it, you couldn''t sense anything else. I was thinking of setting up a mana barrier at the cost of half of my life force but Andrea did it first. Unfortunately, we underestimated the power of a celestial due to which she... The attack passed right through her body killing her but the attack was weakened so using some of my life force I blocked the attack by setting up a mana barrier." Listening to him Mike''s pale face became paler. He gritted his teeth. A few movements earlier Muke had used Andrea that she was a traitor and when Asher went to the castle he didn''t hesitate to say she was a traitor in front of her face. Now he regrated doing that. "Leader- doesn''t that mean you lost some levels." Asher nodded his head. "Yes I did but they are far lesser than the ones you lost trying to protect me." *********** The current head of the heavenly wolf family looked toward Orion, Asher, and Mike. "So we lost a tire -5 celestial artifact, a very strong wolf of our family Mike lost many of his levels and so did one of our greatest leaders. We even lost a strong healer wolf." The head of the heavenly wolf family said these words as he looked at Asher and Orion. The Needles from his chest had been removed with the help of the heavenly wolf family. Looking at all of them Orion had a terrified expression. "You know Asher, your kid is going to face heavy consequences." said the head looking toward Asher "Leader, I will face any consequences instead of him. I will face all the punishment, in fact, you can even give me more dangerous consequences." Saher said hoping that the head would agree to his words. "Asher, no. He brought the risk, to the heavenly wolf family. Taking into ount that he is just a child I will lessen some punishment and my final words are that he will be chained for 4 years. His mana will be blocked by a special kind of shackles and only food will be delivered to him so that he can survive." The head said. Asher didn''t try to argue as he knew the head wouldn''t agree to anything unless he can do something that would be profitable to the heavenly wolf family. "Well Mike, don''t be disheartened. With your talent and the skills you have, you can definitely regain all of your levels within the next forty to sixty years, and with the resources and artifacts we will provide to you, the process will be even faster." The head said looking toward Mike. "My lord, I''m not disheartened due to that. I request that You don''t punish Orion at all.". "That''s impossible I believe. But if you want to sacrifice all the resources we were originally going to provide you then his punishment will be reduced by 2 years. But there''s a condition. You''ll have to reach your previous strength by the next forty years." "I agree with your conditions, my lord." Mike respectfully said. Asher looked at him. He was very grateful. [4 monthster] "Ha! Haha Haha hahaha haha haha haha haha haha haha hahaha hahaha haha!" Just like the leader said Orion was chained with a cursed shackle which was previously used on criminals in the past. The shackle contained enough Mana to rival a celestial above Tier -1. By now it looked as if Orion was going crazy. "I... Want to see you again. I- want to be... Free again! Haha! Hahaha! Hahaha! Hahaha!" Another round ofughter came out of his mouth. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" And the next moment a blood-curling screen escapes his mouth. He wanted to escape the shackles. He felt as if there was a door in front of him. The door of freedom. The doors seemed very close yet very far away from him. The shackles were restraining him. Restraining him from reaching where he wanted to. And then suddenly. Cr....crack! The shackles that were around his paws and connected to the wall suddenly cracked and shattered. Even though the cursed shackle was around his neck as a cor that was restraining his mana he could still walk. And the metal gate in front of him... Too shattered. "I- I can go." His eyes widened as he felt as if he was hallucinating. He dashed towards the gate but he felt weak. He felt as if... He was going to faint. He felt that he would die but... "Run! Run for your life!" Screamed a cold voice in his ears. Even though he felt they were just a hallucination, for some reason he felt his will returned. His will to reach the doors, the freedom. And even though as he was running he felt as if the door were getting farther and farther. But still, the cold voice kept on shouting in his ears strengthening his will. And before he realized he was out of the heavenly wolf family. Suddenly he couldn''t hear the voice anymore. His body stopped as he turned around only to see a giant forest. "Mo-my?" He remembered his father''s words. ''If you ever go out of the heavenly wolf family''s area and can''t find the way, then activate the tail move. You will see the path.'' Remembering these words he tried to activate his tail but he couldn''t. He felt weird. ''Why? I can''t activate it.'' Dread came to his mind as he once again tried to activate his tail move. He quickly tried to transform into his human form but couldn''t even do that ''Is it, because of this chain.'' He looked at the chain around his neck. He quickly tried to bite it and remove it but that didn''t work. ************* Shin frowned as he listened to Orion''s words. "Then how did you level up" Shin questioned making direct eye contact with Orion. "Well, for some reason I could still level up like normal after hunting." Shin frowned and after a few minutes, he started tough. "Haha haha! You are such a big fool." Shin said as he started to cringe. " A voice and you thought that it was a hallucination that made your will stronger. And honestly, did you think you managed to escape the great heavenly wolves? It just means that you might have fallen into some enemy''s ns or your father or someone would have helped you." Shin said. "Anyways, forget about that since I managed to break the chain that means they wille here?" Shin questioned to which Orion nodded. "Yeah, they wille here." "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" "Well, it could be a good thing since people with that skill are very less while it could be a bad thing as they could think that you are from one of the enemies n and nned all this so that you cane to know where the heavenly wolf family is located." "Yeah, and if I take you to them doesn''t that mean they will reward me." "They might. Hey, wait if you are going to do what I think your going to do then let me say you definitely can''t do that." He said as he quickly went a meter away. "Haha don''t worry I will knock you out painlessly unless you don''t try to resist." "You think I''m weak!" Eximed Orion as he looked towards Shin and the next movement something shocking happened. Mana surged through his body which suddenly started to increase in size. He soon started to look like a human kid who was 12 years old. And suddenly... A wide grin appeared on his face. ''I can grow the tail!'' He eximed within his mind as his ears started to change and something was growing behind him. Once the tail grewpletely his smile widened even more. ''Now I have to just activate it! Father said the power of tail in human form is on the next level!'' He grew excited as he once again felt mana surging through his body moving toward his tail. Gulp! Shin gulped arge amount of saliva as he felt a terrifying amount of pressure descending on him. ''This strength!'' Orion felt as if he could destroy anything with a single punch. He tried to walk but suddenly his body was shot toward the shin like a missile. It was so fast that Shin didn''t have the time to react. Orion''s body crashed with Shin''s body throwing him many meters away. Chapter 414 Dimensional Eater Chapter 414 Dimensional Eater "Huh! That dumb nephew of mine causes trouble everywhere he goes doesn''t he?" Mike questioned himself as he was dashing towards a certain location at Inhuman speed. Mike, a wolf that was considered a legend in the heavenly wood family. He was already a calcting monster and people thought that when he lost at least more than forty of his levels and a lot of life force they thought it was his downfall And when he requested the head to visit the demon''s paradise the final conclusion people came to was that he had gonepletely crazy and decided tomit suicide. But they were wrong. Damn wrong. Not only did he return in one year he had be strong. Not only did he recover his previous strength he attained more than double his previous strength. He could now almost rival other leaders. And shockingly even Asher became stronger than he previously was. Even though it wasn''t as fast as Mike''s it was still pretty fast. Back to the topic Mike was running as fast as he could And anyone who would see him in his current state would obviously mistake him for a... "A beggar?" Questioned one of the skeletonmanders in ck armor lolling at Mike. "Beggar, me? No." Said, Mike. He currently kept his aura low due to which others couldn''t sense his strength. And looking at his outfit they guessed that he was a beggar. "Get out of the way!" Said one of the skeletonmanders. Even though he looked like a human Mike could clearly see through him. He was a skeleton, an undead. For some reason, Mike was feeling a connection with the ting on themander''s deep blue ring. ''Oh, it''s an artifact rted to space and time... But that means.''. "Where are you people going." He questioned as his face became serious. "None of your business." "It is, you old skeleton." As soon as Mike said those words themander froze. "What... Did you just say?" "You undead bastard, can''t you hear me properly." Suddenly the skeletonmander unsheathed his great sword and shed it toward Miek who suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind the skeletonmander. No, he didn''t teleport. He was simply that fast. He quickly punched the skeletonmander sending him two meters away. "You''re pretty weak. Let me guess your rank, a soldier." Mike mocked with a grin that angered themander. ''Look''s like he''s strong!'' As soon as the other threemanders and the soldiers saw that theirmander seemed to be in trouble they quickly unsheathed their swords and other weapons dashing toward Mike. his sword forward but Mike had already disappeared. ''I need to end these bastards quickly.'' Mike quickly clenched his fist as muscles bulged on his legs. One of themanders quickly appeared behind him and thrusts his sword forward but Mike had already disappeared. This time he used his teleportation magic. He appeared behind the skeleton soldiers simultaneously channeling strength and mana to his arm. The next second heunched his arm punching one of the soldiers as Mana busted through his fist. A wave of ashy white-colored mana engulfed the skeleton soldiers destroying their bodies. Only a few were able to survive. One of the skeleton soldiers dashed toward Mike as he shed his sword forward but the space around Mike quickly bent blocking the sword. On the other hand skeleton soldiers who were engulfed in the asht white Mana, we''re starting to heal. ''At this rate, this won''t end. I guess I have to use that skill.'' Mike quickly thought as he channeled his mana to both his arms. ["Dimansonal eater!"] He eximed as he quickly used the skill [Dimensional eater] Mana quicklypressed in one single point and the next movement. Cr...crack! The space around all of them started to crack. The cracks soon started to spread around the whole ce as if they were forming a cage. The skeletons could feel the immense energying out of the cracks. After bing undead the only person these skeletons feared was the skeleton king. He was the only person who actually could take away their powers or kill them... And this was the first time they were fearing someone other than the skeleton King after bing undead. ''Is he as strong as the skeleton king!? Of perhaps even stronger!?'' Eximed one of the skeletonsmanders within his mind. And just as he thought that the space around them copsed and the only thing that awaited them after that was eternal darkness ********** "Ugh!" Orion eximed as he tried to stand up. But as he did he ended upunching his body once again. "What the hell!" Shin eximed. He looked towards Orion as if he was looking towards a monster. He never felt threatened by someone who was on the same level as him. ''And he was away from the heavenly wolf family and restrained! How monstrous would be the descendants of the heavenly wolf family!'' Shin gulped just at the mere thought of it On the other hand, Orion was trying to adjust himself to the new powers he gained. He gritted his teeth as he slowly and softly tried to stand up but sadly. Boooooommmm! He ended upunching himself once again. Shin knew he had no time to just ideally sit around and let Orion get used to his new strength. He quickly used his skill aero sh which wasunched toward Orion at a very high speed. Orion kicked sidewaysunching his body to the side allowing him to dodge the attack. Shin decided to use one of his strongest attacks the bloody impact but... Boom! Orion had crossed the distance between himself and Shin in the smallest of instances. His body twisted as he generated unprecedented power in an attack. The very air shivered in fear as heunched a devastating attack. ''He already got used to his strength!'' Shin eximed within his mind as he quickly used bloody impact. Booooom! Another sound of the st which was the loudest echoed in the whole room. Shin looked toward Orion hoping that his attack would have given him a big injury. But unfortunately, it didn''t. Though as the description said he seemed to have a fresh wound through which blood was dripping. The wound was equivalent to the wound when someone would have a bad fall on a rough surface. His legs started to tremble as he tried to control his energy. It felt as if every cell of his body was bursting with energy. ''This is the best chance!" Shin eximed in his mind as heunched multiple aero shes. And looking at them Orion toounched aero shes... Which tore the very atmosphere apart! They were golden aero shes that easily sliced through the aero shesunched by Shin no their new target being Shin himself. While Orion wasunched backward due to the force exerted afterunching the aero shes. Shin use fall the skills he had in his arsenal that boosted his speed to dodge the sh. His instincts were screaming to run away from Orion. And the skeletons that stayed there? Well, they were eating the meat and entertaining themselves with the fight that was currently going on. They were excited but some of them were frowning. "Master, are you going to let that tiny wolf die? He is very adorable." "Don''t worry. If any one of them will be on the brink of death I will save them. Just sit and enjoy the show." King Jun said as the mes in his eyes flickered a bit. ''I have to find a way to defeat him!'' Shin eximed in his mind. Of course, using the inventory to store him was a way too but Shin would use it as ast resort if he couldn''t defeat Orion with the current skills he had. "Looks like of have to get serious!" Shin eximed as he transformed into his dragon wolf form. Scales appeared on his paws and his small wolf ws turned into dragon ws. And this time many scales appeared on his body too. Suddenly Orionunched himself toward Shin. He felt threatened when Shin activated his dragon form. "So you''re not a wolf but from dragon species. A half-wolf and a half-dragon perhaps." He said he quickly punched multiple times. And each time Shin felt as if his internal organs were being ripped apart. "You''re wasting my time! I have to get out of here or else the heavenly wolf family will find me! I don''t want to be restrained again!" When Shin broke his shares the doors appeared in front of him once again. The doors of freedom. He felt as if he was very clear, just a meter away from the door but he still couldn''t enter due to the wolf in front of him. "If you don''t move I will kill you! Move!" His powerful voice echoed ok the whole ce but Shin didn''t budge. Mana surged through his body as he dashed towards Orion. Orion top tried to control his strength making sure that his body wasunched forward. Both of their body was releasing a very strong aura that didn''t look like belonged to someone within level 100. "Should I stop them?" Questioned a wolf to himself. He had green fur and green eyes. Though no one present there could see him except king jun. If anyone from the heavenly will family saw him they would immediately recognize him. He was the new leader and from the race of the spirit wolves. But before he could do anything cracks appeared in the space. ''Looks like he''sing Chapter 415 Spirit Wolf ? Before Shin and Orion could even crash cracks appeared in between them and the next second a very terrifying aura pushed both of them quickly suppressing their strength. From the cracks appeared a man with strong muscles and Ashey white hair with grey eyes. His presence alone spoke power. And looking at him Orion immediately recognized who he was. Even when he was just a little kid he met with his so-called uncle on multiple asions. And ording to his memories, this guy was the biggest narcissist on the. He would use every moment to boast about how great he was. And looking towards Orion he shamelessly smiled. "I remember you saying when you were a kid that you would give me a great beating after a year. Well, two years have passed and you still can''t give me a beating." Orion gritted his teeth as his face becamepletely red with embarrassment. ''You shameless narcissist I will beat you to your death.'' "What? I can''t hear you." Mike said and paused before continuing. "Oh, you are trying to say I''m too great. I understand. It happens." Listening to these words Orion became even angrier. Even if he had to bet his life to beat Mike he would do that. On the other hand, Shin was looking at the drama weirdly. After all, it was that every day someone broke the dimension and would appear in front of them. And he talked as if he was a year-old kid. "Mike you are too childish." Suddenly a voice echoed in Mike''s ears. A voice that no one else could hear. "You should quickly take him to the heavenly wolf family. Don''t waste any more time." Listening to the voice Mike quickly became serious. After all the voice he heard was of the newest and one of the strongest leaders in the heavenly wolf family. The only leader that still had to form a group of his own. "There''s no time to waste. Let''s get out of here." Mike said looking towards Orion who too became serious when he saw seriousness shing in Mike''s eyes. "I''m noting." But before Mike could say anything else he heard another voice. "Sir, I want to go to the heavenly wolf family." He quickly turned his head and looked toward the small wolf on the ground, who was none other than Shin "And who are you?" Orion was about to say Big White but thankfully Shin was faster in speaking than him. "My Name''s Shin." Shin knew that there would be many problems when wolves would hear his name, especially the wolves of the heavenly wolf family who were previously protected by the supreme celestial wolf God Shin. But he knew that saying his name was the only way. The only way to possibly visit the heavenly wolf family. Listening to Shin Mike frowned. And he wasn''t the only one. The spirit wolf and even Orion frown. A name that was only left in the ancient texts, and now someone other than that figure had his same name which would have sent chills down many people''s spines. It was noted that as wolf God Shin was growing he made many enemies along the way. Enemies that were no good to the people he protected, the ones who would try to find every possible way to hunt him and his people. And to dere that you had such a legendary figure''s name, was either foolishness or bravery. And the enemies wouldn''t recheck. As soon as they heard that name they wouldn''t care, whether he was the wolf god Shin, someone rted to him, or someone who just happened to have that name. "What did you just say," Mike asked once again to make sure. What Shin was saying was indeed true then he would literally drag him to the heavenly wolf family. "You heard what I said," Shin said in a carefree manner which did annoy Mike but he didn''t speak further. "Well, I will fulfill your wish. Both of you areing to the heavenly wolf family." Mike said without caring whether they would agree or not. "Wait. I have something important to do." Shin said quickly stopping Mike. "And I know you are very strong so you can stop me if I want to escape." "Sigh, well do whatever you want to. I give you exactly ten minutes." As soon as Miek said this Shin dashed towards King Jun who was sitting on his thrown and behind him were all his citizens. They were still looking at them as if they were watching a drama Even though King Jun could sense that Mike was stronger than him he still was carefree. "What is it big white?" King Jun said in a teasing tone. "Take me to the gem of a lie," Shin said in a serious tone. After all, he was in no mood to joke around. "You want to see the gem of a lie?" King just asked with a bit surprised tone. After all the gemclearky said Shin was unworthy of him. "Well, I need to check something." "As you wish. But don''t try something foolish." Said King Jun. Shin just nodded his head. The next moment red light shed in the room right after which Shina and King Jun disappeared from the ce. "Aren''t you worried that they will try to escape?" "No. After all, I''m too great for them to escape. And I''m more worried that you''ll try to escape." Mike said in a teasing tone to which Orion clicked his tongue. ************ Shin and King Jun once again appeared in the familiar room which was filled with great artifacts and treasures. Looking around Shin''s eyes shined momentarily bit then his focus went back to the red crystal. They quickly walked towards it right after which Shin once again ced his paws on the ted crystal while King Jun was looking at him curiously from the behind, seeing that if the crystal would have any reaction but to his disappointment there were none. Ok, on the other hand, Shin quickly opened his system and went through the details quickly going towards his mission. There was an option. [ept] [Reject] And in a heartbeat, Shin clicked to ept, and as soon as he did that the red crystal started to Shine brightly. The red light engulfed the whole room, which obviously shook King Jun. He never saw the red crystal reacting so strongly. ''What you just said, is that lie?'' A voice quickly spoke in Shincs mind. And Shin quickly reversed the meaning of the sentence he heard. ''Yes,'' Shin replied as he was still confused about what was happening. ''I see.'' And then suddenly the voice spoke out loudly. "Even though I ept him as someone worthy to wild me, I will not allow him to take me. And worry Jun because the powers you didn''t borrow from me will go away very soon after this worthy one dosen''t takes me." As King Jun listened the red color mes in his eye socket flickered. "I see. So it means that big white is going to help you find someone worthy enough to wild you right?" "Incorrect." "Good. Big white thanks for doing me this favor. I had fun spending time with the gem of a lie but he needs a Wilder. Without wielder, he will not have his fun." "I too did not have a fun time spending with you, "The gem of a lie said. Shin waited for them to peacefully finish their conversation and after which he stored the gem of lie on his inventory... Or at least he tried to. [Unable to store the object in the inventory.] ''Huh?''. "What are you not trying to do?" The gem of lie questioned. "Well, I''m trying to store you in my inventory. Don''t worry it will cause you no harm. Remove the resistance." "I worried earlier. After all, someone at your level could easily destroy me." Veins popped on Shin''s forehead as he heard the Gem'' smoking voice. He gritted his teeth as he quickly stored the gem in his inventory. Shin then looked at Kin Jun who needed before saying. "Promise me that you will visit us. If it''s even after a decade or even after a century." Listening to this Shin smiled and said. "Didn''t worry old ones. You, people, will not have to wait for that long. I wille soon, very soon when I willplete my mission. I''m not that selfish." Shin said to which King Jun appreciated him. He then quickly uses this skill. King Jun could feel that his powers weakened a bit after Shin stored the gem of a lie in his inventory but he knew that it was inevitable. The red light quickly shed right after which the scenery changed. They all appeared in front of Mike and Orion who for some reason seemed to be arguing once again. "Just agree on it. I''m too great. You can''t handle my greatness." "Shut up. Old man." Said Orion with an irritated expression. And once Shin appeared they all became serious once again. "So is it the time to go yet? Or do you want to do something else too?" Asked Orion looking towards Shin who shook his head. King Jun flicked his finger and the next second the door opened, and it shined brightly. Looking at the door Shin felt his heart beating very fast. He felt chills traveling down his spine as he would finally get to see the legendary heavenly wolf family. Chapter 416 Bone Dragons ? "Umm? Why are we here?" Shin questioned looking towards Mike who was standing in front of the gates of the kingdom of the undead. "I just wanted to check out This kingdom. Some of our reports say that this kingdom is very powerful but their motives sh with ours. And apparently, their king can''te out due to some kind of curse." "But their armies are still causing trouble. Anyways I will deal with themter." As soon as Shin heard these words he was giving Mike the look of '' Are you an idiot.'' After all, he told the details which seemed to be very important to a stranger. "What?" And just as Shin was mocking Mike inwardly a thought suddenly entered his mind. ''What if...?'' "Wait so you need to defeat this kingdom right, are you strong enough?" Shin asked raising one of his eyebrows to which Mike started to chuckle. "You are asking me whether I''m strong enough? I can easily defeat this kingdom if I want to. Ain''t I awesome" As soon as Shin heard these words he looked at Mike with disdain. Even if he admitted that Mike was very strong it was never good to underestimate your opponent. "I don''t believe that you are strong enough to take on this whole Kingdom on your own." "I am because I''m the great Mike." "Still not so convincing." Suddenly Mike Smirked. "I know what you are trying to do. Make me fight the kingdom and defeat the king right? And since you have questioned my greatness I will prove to you that I can do what I said." "I''ll be the judge of that," Shin said with a smirk as he sessfully lured Mike into doing what he wanted to. But before they would even enter the kingdom suddenly the ground beneath them started to shake. "Did you know earlier that there were these skeleton soldiers underground?"Shin asked as he became serious. Mike just nodded his head with a cheeky smile. Shin gritted his teeth as he looked toward the soldiers that sprung out of the ground. Even though it seemed like they had flesh Shin knew it was just a mere illusion. And he didn''t bother to use any skill that would just waste his energy. He directly used bloody crunch. Shin''s fangs turned blood red and they became a bit longer and sharper. He was ready to defeat these skeleton soldiers but suddenly his body froze. And that was because of the aura these soldiers were releasing. ''What the hell!'' Shin eximed in his mind. Within their aura, it felt as if breathing too was bing difficult. He helplessly looked towards these soldiers who dashed toward him, Orion and Mike. Shin felt as if this was the time to go but then... Booooooommmmm! The space itself shook in terror. Everything became dark, as the sound of something cracking continued echoing. Suddenly they all could see everything and the light that had engulfed them... Was in the darker shades of purple which were being released by the cracks. And for some reason... This scenery looked very beautiful. And the space filled with cracks was slowly descending towards the skeletons. Even though this was what would cause their end, they felt mesmerized looking at it. As if it was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. Suddenly everything became dark once again before Shin could again see what was happening. And it seemed like they were back in the original ce, in front of therge gates of the kingdom. "Ain''t I too great," Mike said with a sly grin. Suddenly he delta a strong aura that was being released from the gates of the kingdom. He quickly turned his head to see the source of this aura and spotted a skeleton with a scary presence. The skeleton was wearing very sturdy-looking armor with a great sword on his back which was thrice the size of Mike. "Hmm, he can manipte darkness." The ones with darkness maniption were always very tricky to deal with. After all, they had many trump cards in their arsenal. They could corpse the surrounding mana so that when a person tries to absorb it, their body will corrode leading to their death. The skeleton dressed up in armor looked towards them. It quickly unsheathed its great sword and dashed toward them at a very terrifying speed. Shin and Orion couldn''t even keep up with his movements. He was that fast. He appeared right before Mike. Earlier as he was dashing in toward Mike he secretly moved dark energy with the surrounding mana. This was his specialty, to affect the surrounding mana without anyone knowing. But Mike already knew that some dark magic users possessed such kind of magic so he didn''t bother to use his mana, instead he used his raw physical strength to dominate the skeleton. ''Hmm, This skeleton is around level 300. Too weak.'' Mike thought as he punched the skeleton due to which it went two meters away flying. Mike quickly disappeared and reappeared behind the skeleton. No, he didn''t use any space maniption, instead, he was simply that fast. The skeleton warlord tried to stand up but Mike punched his face, due to which many cracks appeared on his skull. But suddenly Mike''s eyes widened. The skeleton warlord shed his sword toward Mike. Mike was confident that he could stop the sword with just one of his fingers. But suddenly the skeleton''s power rose. It reached to the power level of 400. Mike was way stronger than that level and the reason he was surprised was because of the sudden boost in power. ''So this clears our suspicion. The skeleton king can indeed strengthen and weaken his army at will.'' A few days ago they had gotten a report that the skeleton king could strengthen and weaken his army at will And as usual, with Mike didn''t believe the reportpletely. And now after witnessing the scene in front of his own eyes he still had some percentage of suspicion. He had gotten the mission to destroy this kingdom of the undead with the help of a strong leader, Asher. And he was going to the kingdom of the dead with Asher in the next five days. But then Shin happened. ''Sigh. Sir Kai is here and I have be pretty strong too in some time. I''m sure if something bad happens we all can at least escape.'' Mike thought as he looked at the skeleton. He finally decided to enter the Kingdom of Dead after defeating this skeleton warlord. As the Skeleton warlord once again swung his sword toward Mike in hope of killing him or at least injuring him heavily Mike too suddenly connected his four fingers with each other and sliced. The sword that was heading towards him was suddenly sliced in half like butter and so was the skeleton warlord. But his skeleton quickly started to join, but before it couldpletely join Miek suddenly clenched his fist. The skeleton started to twist and turn and the small space around him suddenly cracked before copsing on him. This was a dimensional eater too but on the small scale. It saved much more mana and since he didn''t exhaust mana there was no need for him to absorb mana from the surrounding. "Now let''s go and see our little quiet king. Let''s see how he reacts to my greatness." Suddenly Mike dramatically hugged himself. "Sometimes my greatness scares me too." And his dramatic voice echoed. But seeing that everyone was cringing he stopped. His face once again became serious as he started walking inside the kingdom. Suddenly Orion flinched as they entered the kingdom. At first, when he was walking in he felt some difference in Shin''s aura, and when he turned his head to see what was wrong he spotted a man standing beside him instead of fluffy Shin. "You can turn into a human too! Are you part of the heavenly wolf family?" Orion questioned as his eyes widened. Even Miek felt surprised as he looked towards the shin. It could be possible that he was from the shadow Wolf n or Greenhorn n as they too could turn into a human. But right now he focused on the problem in front of him. He would deal with Shinter. And as soon as his eyes changed he could see everything. He could see through the building and even the life forces. It was like all-seeing eyes but a better version of it. His vision continued and he finally saw through the castle. In the castle was a grand hall. There was an enormous throne on which was sitting a skeleton And it seemed as if he noticed Miek''s face, and as if to reply to him he gazed too while adding the pressure of the aura generated from the gem of truth. A drop of blood fell from Mike''s eyes as his grin widened. "Looks like there is someone here with great greatness, but he obviously can''tpare to mine." And on the other hand skeleton, King looked toward Shin, Orion, and Mike. He could even see the spirit wolf, Kai. "Hmm, that guy with space manuptionsems to be of 597, while the spirit-like wolf seems to be 599. He''s close to a breakthrough 600. Sadly they are in my domain now. I will decide what to do with them." The skeleton king scoffed looking towards them. He quickly extended his arm and the next movement was a skeleton dragon materializing from thin air. ************* An enormous skeleton dragon flew in the air and the next second descended in front of Mike, Shin, and Orion. "Rooooaaaarrrrrrrrr!" The bone dragon''s roar was very terrifying. And suddenly three more bone dragons could be seen in the air. And a secondter they too descended on the ground causing many cracks to appear. ''I hope this great guy isn''t just boasting and is actually strong'' Shin wished internally as he looked at the bone dragons. Kai looked at the bone dragons with interest in his eyes. ''Maybe I can add them to my army of spirits.'' Chapter 417 Tails ? "His skill is very annoying." Said the skeleton king he looked towards Mike who was currently battling with the bone dragons. He had already killed two of them with the help of his skill [Dimensional eater]. Even though the skill was very useful and strong against these kinds of opponents or still cost a lot of mana from his body. This resulted in him merging the skill and using it so that it absorbed less mana from his body. "Hey! Why are you standing,e on Help me." Mike said in an annoyed tone. Shin and Orion obviously thought that Mike was begging them so they stood there with a smug expressions but in reality, Mike was called Kai. "Didn''t you say you can destroy this kingdom on your own? Go ahead and do that" Shin said and Orion nodded as soon as he did. "I''m not speaking to you both." This confused both of them but the next second they smiled again. "we know it can be hurtful to pride but just agree too." "You!" He didn''t even bother toplete his sentence as the bone dragons attacked him once again. Looking at the two bone dragons with an irritated expression he sted their body away with two more punches. But unfortunately, they healed once again. Mike gritted his teeth as he looked toward Kai who was staring at the scene with an entertained look. Mike seriously wanted to butcher him. ''Looks like I need to help him this time. Or else he will end up draining his manapletely.'' The spirit wolf stood up yawned and then shoon his body. He waited for Mike to once again st away the bone dragons with his fierce punches. And as soon as he did that Kai quickly used his skill. ''Soul drain.'' As the bone dragons were once again healing suddenly the power that they were releasing started to weaken. This surprised Shin and Orion. After all, they expected the bone dragons to once again heal. This was beyond what they imagined after all their aura became even weaker to the point it felt that they were just level 50. And right after that their bones started to turn into ash. Looking at this screen Mike finally sighed in relief. [''Sir you finally decided to help me."] He said through telepathy to Kai. ["You are just too weak."] Kai replied to which veins popped on Mike''s forehead but in the end, he smiled bitterly. After all, he was 597, and Kai was 599 and was even close to breaking through. Even though the level gap didn''t seem to be much it was actually very big. The level gap between 597 and 598 wasparable to the level gap between a level 1 creature and a level 100 creature. The gap between 598 and 599 was even greater and the level gap between 599 and 600 was greatest. After all to be level 600 a creature had to evolve. It wasparable to the level gap between level 1 creatures and level 500 Back to the topic... And just as Mike was ready to rush towards the castle and defeat the skeleton king with the help of Kai his body suddenly froze. He looked at the sky and saw ten bone dragons, and on top of them were other skeleton soldiers, knights. And thergest bone dragon which seemed to be the strongest of all of them was the ride of the skeleton king. All the bone dragons descended in front of them right after which the area was enveloped in silence. But the silence was soon broken by the skeleton king. "You both really surprise me, and the other too... Well, they are pitifully weak." He said. "Well, so you are the king of this undead Kingdom. Quite intimidating. Let''s sew who''s greater." "Is that even a question." The skeleton king scoffed. "Course it is. And ording to me, I''m greater than you even if you have a higher level than me. I''m just that great" Mike shamelessly replied. Looking at Mike Shin facepalmed. He just wanted to know the source of Mike''s shamelessness. "You bastard. If you are that strong then go destroy the skeleton king." Said shin to which Mike replied with a smug. "Of course, I can" ["You can?"] Suddenly Kai questioned ["Yes-"] ["Then go on and show your greatness. The stage is yours"] Mike''s lips twitched as he heard these words. ["On a second note, after thinking about it I want to share this honor with you too"] ["No thanks. The limelight is yours. Show your greatness."] Kai said in an encouraging voice. ''He''s having a conversation with that wolf.'' Thought the skeleton king. He quickly stretched his arm [Hymn of the dragon!] Bang! "What are you doing? Why are you daydreaming!" Shin eximed as he looked toward Mike. Mike had already put his guard on and was anticipating the attack. He never expected Shin to have such reflexes but that wasn''t the most shocking thing! He summoned a dragon! And by the looks of it, the dragon wasn''t any weak. But it didn''t look to be that strong. What was the most intriguing fact about the dragon, ording to Mike? That it could use shadow maniption. More specifically it was a shadow dragon. Though it wasn''t a high-level dragon and most probably was level 180 above the species of shadow dragon was very tricky. They had many trump cards in their arsenal. And if one wasn''t careful while dealing with them they would do without even knowing how they died. As soon as the shadow dragon appeared it quickly used one of its strongest skills. [Shadow prison!] A prison-like structure formed around the skeleton kind and his strong soldiers. And the blue color orb skeleton Kingunched was absorbed by the prison-like structure too. This was another specialty of the shadow dragons. Their any skill that directly used shadow was resistant to physical attacks to some point. Of course, if anyone stronger than level 300 attempted to break this shadow prison of Akaluman they would easily be able to. After all, he was below level 200 The skeleton king scoffed as he just flicked his finger. And the next movement the entire shadow prison busted. "Why the hell are you here!?" Akaluman questioned as he looked toward Shin. "Don''t worry! There is a strong person beside me. I will be able to get out of here!" Shin eximed and the next moment Akaluman noticed Miem who seemed to be very strong. Akaluman even noticed another figure... Kai, the spirit wolf and looked as of he gas the ability to hide himself from others. But Akaluman guessed that Shin most probably knew about his existence. And looking at these two powerful figures Akaluman''s mind came to a little ease. But he knew that even with these two powerful figures it would be very difficult to defeat the skeleton king. But since it wasn''t impossible this time there was no harm in trying. Suddenly, Kai, Mike, and Akaluman became serious. The skeleton king was using the aura of truth to suppress them. And the aura of truth too seemed to be very powerful. On the other hand, Shin and Orion felt as if they were mere ants. Ants who had no right to survive! Who could be squashed in seconds? Shin gulped arge amount of saliva and so did Orion making their throat dry. Orion quickly grew his tail, and once again felt a lot of energy surging in his body but he still felt that he was very inferior. Mike too is his tail, and what was surprising was he didn''t grow just a single tail. Another tail started to grow on his back. Soon they were followed by the other two tails. ''I can feel it. Very soon I will be able to grow my fifth tail but unfortunately, that very soon isn''t now.'' A very strong energy surged through his body. In the heavenly wolf family, there were manuals, manuals which were also called tails. They had nine different times, each tail for every tail a wolf can grow. And these manuals were more like martial arts which were used by the wolves in their human form. With the power of tails and martial arts, they would be very strong. The primary functions of the tails were that they would store energy and provide it to ten users when necessary. And as the user leveled up their tails they would gain more abilities. The user would obviously bring slight changes in the martial art of the tail since everyone isn''t the same. And the variation in martial arts is what causes variation in the abilities of their tales. Orion escaped the heavenly wolf family when he was just a pup due to which he couldn''t learn the martial arts properly. And even Mike was someone who wasn''t very good with his tails. He felt that whenever he used them they used to drag his abilities due to which he never bothered to use them in serious battles. But that changed when he went to the demon''s paradise and returned. This was even more shocking. At the time when he returned, he had already grown three tails from his pathetic one tail, and he had leveled them up too. And now his tails were making him very strong instead of dragging him down. He even had chances to defeat someone in a level 588 with the powers of his tail. And right now he was using all the power he stored in his tails to show the skeleton king just how great he was. Chapter 418 Cheater "Hey, shadow dragon!" Mike said looking towards Akaluman. "What is it" "Help me fight this skeleton." "I was going to do that," Akaluman said after which Mike looked toward Kai. He knew that this skeleton was very strong and ording to the reports he even possessed a very strong artifact. And on top of that, they were in his kingdom which meant that they can have to face his army. That meant that he had to fight him with the help of Akaluman and Kai. "Attack!" The skeleton king eximed right after which the skeleton soldiers, warlords, and knights'' archers started attacking. The soldiers, knights, and warlords rushed forward while the archers shot the arrows. They were very strong. The strike of every soldier who dashed forward was more than enough to split the ground and with every arrow, the archers shot was equivalent to a missile "Below us!" Mile quickly shouted as he jumped. His jump was very high. Others top jumped. In the next movement, many fireballs shot out from the ground. Many skeleton arms pierced through the surface of the ground followed by their body. Many skeletons warlords and skeleton mages popped out from the ground. Many skeleton mages started floating in the sky and there were many coffins around them. Some of these skeleton mages were necromancers. They quickly used their necromancy right after which the coffins opened. From the coffins appeared many human-like figures. The difference was that there was an eerie dark aura surrounding them and their eyes were covered with green mes. Their body too started floating in the air and in the next movement, their body shot toward Shin, Mime, and others like an arrow. Their body was engulfed in green mes. Mike quickly twisted his body digging the undead Kai was using his mana to make Shina and Orion float. But they thought it was Mike''s doing. Mike quickly spread his mana around trying to gasp the level of this undead. ''This confirms my doubt.'' Mike suspected that to increase the level of his undead the skeleton king needed to use mana, and with so many undead it was guaranteed that some will be of low level to save the skeleton King''s mana. "There are many weaker skeleton soldiers in that army. You both go and fight those weaker soldiers. You can sense their strength if they are weaker than you and you can''t sense their strength if they are stronger than you. So go and attack the one whose power you both can sense." He said yo which Shin and Orion nodded. Mike then looked towards the skeleton king. A smug expression appeared on his face as he imagined the skeleton king disparity when he would be crushed under Mike''s dimensional eater ''I need to directly kill the skeleton king so that these skeletons die quickly.'' Mike thought as he used his spatial magic. His body teleported near the skeleton thing as he covered his arm in mana. A white color energy which was mana covered his fist as he punched the skeleton king who easily dodged it. "Weakling" The skeleton king muttered. The difference between them was too big. Skeleton King was level 599 while Mike was like gel 597. Skeleton King could kill Mike I thought even moving his finger. He quickly tried to crush Mike under the pressure of his aura Mike suddenly felt chills, as the aura was about to crush his body but then suddenly... sh! A green color aura shed with the aura of truth. In mid-air appeared Kai floating magnificently as if he was a God He looked toward the skeleton king and then toward his army. The next second thousands of spirits appeared. The air. The spirits attacked the undead skeletons while only five strong-looking spirits and Kia shot toward skeleton king Mike seeing that the skeleton king was distracted quickly unleashed his skill. [Dimensional eater!] ''Hmm, he has arge amount of mana.'' The skeleton king thought looking towards Mike who once again used his special magic. The amount of mana required to use special magic would even scare a Tier -1 celestial. But Mike ever since he was born possessed arge amount of mana reserve. And it continued to grow every time he leveled up When he was level 100 the possessed the amount of mana a Tier -2 celestial should possess. But that didn''t mean he became as strong as a tier &2 celestial. Because as one level up they had a very strong connection to mana and could unleash skill faster. This meant that Mike could use any skill continuously without worrying to finish his mana pool. And that was the reason he was verypatible with spatial magic. ''This fellow is very interesting. He will make a great collection to my army of undead.'' Thought the skeleton king looking toward Mike with greed. Kai appeared in front of the skeleton king and so did the other five spirits. One of the spirits looks like a giant smander while the other four were humongous wolves. "Surrender and die," Kai said in a cold voice. Fighting a spirit wolf was very difficult not only because of their army of spirits but also because of the fact that they could use the skills the spirits in their army possessed. Many fireballs appeared in the sky which shot right toward the skeleton king. Looking toward the fireball he quickly formed a mana barrier and in the next movement a sword materialized in his arm. He quickly shed the sword toward Miek who was busy overcharging his skill [Dimensional eater]. But suddenly Kai appeared in between and opened his mouth hitting the sword that was about to slice Mike. "Done!" Mike eximed and the next moment the entire space was covered in cracks. Once again darkness engulfed the whole ce but a second,ter the light was seen once again Farmer shades of purple were visible through the cracks. "This is your end!" "Soul chains!" To restrict the skeleton King Kai quickly used his skill. Green color chains erupted from the ground and bound the skeleton king restraining him. He once again tried to use soul devour but unfortunately, it didn''t work against the skeleton king. The space started to copse on the skeleton king and he... Wasn''t scared. Instead, he looked toward the cracks. His blue mes momentarily turned grey before bing blue once again. The cracks that were about to descend on him suddenly paused and then started moving backward as if they were reversed. And then the cracks to started to rewind. Mike''s eyes widened. Because he exactly knew what the skeleton king did. ''Time maniption! How!'' Even though space maniption sounded very godly time maniption was on a whole other level. If space maniption required at least a celestial who was above Tier -4, to use higher moves of it such as teleportation then to use the simplest move of the time maniption one needed to least needed to be Tier -8 celestial. Mike gasped looking at the scene and so did Kai. Kai was very knowledgeable about these affinities so he just how hard it was to use such skills. He gulped arge amount of mana. Looking at the scene the shadow dragon quickly used his skill of shadow connect. The next second both Mike and Kai, sunk in the shadow and popped up from the shadow dragon''s shadow. "This is getting very dangerous!" The shadow dragon eximed as he looked towards the skeleton king. In the next movement skeleton, the King raised his hand. A terrifying amount of energy umted in his palm. A blue color orb formed in his palm, which the next second wasunched toward them. They could sense the terrifying amount of power that was present in the orb. They quickly used all the skills that could either increase their speed or help them Ridge this attack. The shadow dragon quickly used his shadow travel, while Mike used his skill of teleportation. Kai used his skill, to switch. This enabled him to switch ces with the spirit in his army. Booooom! Theorb colided with the bear ground and next second a st oursed. The sockwaves were strong enough to travel out of the kingdom. The skeleton king looked at all of them. "Now do you all understand the deference between me and you all." Said the skeleton king in a mocking tone. ''Shit! He might die!'' Shin eximed as he looked towards Akaluman. ''I have to quickly summon him back!'' One the other hand suddenly the temperature of the ce dropped down. ''Ice! How many affinities does this monster have!'' Eximed all three of them within their mind. Find on the other hand quickly used his Hymn of the dragon. But this time something different happened. The grey coloured circle appeared which in past would turn ck like a shadow but instead this circle turned blue. It seemed to be absorbing the frost around the area. And the next movement it started to shine brightly. *Ba-dum! Ba-dum! Ba-dum! Mike, Kai and Akaluman''s heartbeat became faster. And for some reason even the skeleton king felt uneasy. He looked towards the circle floating in the air which had turned deep blue in colour. Shin felt chills traveling though his body. Through the circle a heavy pressure could be felt. A pressure that was crushing everyone. And even for a second the skeleton king''s arms trembelled. Through the circle came out... A human? A human with really strange eyes and looking at the human Akaluman suddenly roared. "You cheated on me!" Chapter 419 Frost Dragon Emperor

Chapter 419 Frost Dragon Emperor

Once upon a long time... Lived the emperor. The emperor of the frost. He achieved the power of a celestial, and soon his life started bing boring. He would kill for fun, and make others fight for fun. What was most scary about him, was the fact that anyone who was his enemy died a brutal death. And so giving one of his enemies a brutal death, he realized that certain enemy of his had strong backing. And so he received the curse. The course of the frost. And looking at such a legendary figure in front of him for the first time skeleton king trembled. Trembelled in fear. For the first time, he felt as if he was nothing more than a mere ant. The human-like figure who came out of the circle a moment ago started looking around the area. He had beautiful and long smooth blue hair which reached his back. "Ha!" He eximed as a portal appeared beside him. A long bed popped out of it followed by a sunss. He quickly wore the sunss andy on the bed enjoying the sunshine. "What the hell are you doing?!"Shin questioned as he looked at the frost dragon emperors dumbfounded. "Oh yeah! You are right. What am I doing, how can I forget this!" He eximed a portal once again appeared beside him through which a ss filled with juice popped out. Looking at the ss with a grin he started drinking the liquid which looked like orange juice. And he finished the whole ss in a gulp. Looking towards him Shin once again facepalmed. ''Why did I have to summon such a foolish person!'' Even though Shin was saying this he knew this guy was definitely strong. With his mere presence figures like Mike and the unknown wolf suddenly appeared, and even the skeleton king stopped fighting. But suddenly the sun was covered with clouds, and the snow started to fall on thend making the atmosphere around the area even more chilly. He stood up and then finally looked toward Shin. His eyes then trailed around the area and finally paused on the skeleton king. His eyes suddenly turned bright gold, as he used dragon''s eyes. And he saw a stunning scene. Chains that were ck in color but were covered with blood, were wrapped around the skeleton king''s body loosely. And behind him were two against eyes that looked to be as sharp as a dragon''s eyes. These eyes were blue in color. ''Hmm, the gem of truth. Interesting.''? He thought and then finally shifted his eyes to the desert outside the kingdom. And there was a door that could be seen by no one. And it seemed like the door had a connection with the entire desert of the western terrain. He could see through the door and what he saw were, hundreds of skeleton undead. ''What an interesting ce I havee to.'' An then hid eyes once again trailed and finally paused on Shin. As soon as they did his eyelids started to twitch. "You were the one who summoned me- No! Listen to me!" Shin waspletely confused. "You didn''t summon me! You begged me toe here! You understand! You picked my foot and said that if I don''te here you will suicide. And you even sold your soul and your body to me so that Ie here! You understand." The frost dragon emperor said with a serious expression as he looked toward Shin intensely. He couldn''t imagine the expression of the other primordial dragons and dragon emperors as they would tease him andugh at him making fun of him if they came to know that the supreme dragon emperor was forcefully summoned by Shin, a mere wolf who wants a celestial, heck he couldn''t even go beyond 100. Shin gulped arge amount of saliva as he quickly nodded his head. "I understand!" He eximed. "Good. Now my beggar, tell me why did you beg me toe here." "Master! That skeleton king is trying to kill me and my friends. I want you to destroy him!" As he heard Hsin he looked toward the skeleton king and then looked back toward Shin. "He." The frost dragon emperor pointed towards the skeleton king to which Shin nodded. "The wielder of the gem of truth?" The skeleton king questions to which Shin nodded. once again. "So I have to destroy the gem of truth and save the skeleton." The frost dragon emperor questioned to which Shin once again nodded before realizing what the dragon just told. "No! No! No! No! Save the gem, destroy the skeleton!" The frost dragon emperor chuckled listening to skinpletely destroying his image of an emperor. "But where will be fun if I do everything," The dragon emperor said and acted as if he was thinking about the matter very deeply. "How about this!" And it was as if a light bulb appeared in his mind but Shin clearly knew he was just acting. Yes! His acting skills were that bad! "I will not fight with the skeleton. I instead you all fight the skeleton. You and your friends." Listening to him Shin had the urge to beat the crap out of this emperor. "Sir. If you will y like this then what was the benefit of begging you." Shin helplessly said trying to control his urge. He gritted his teeth too. "No! There is a benefit! I will block any life-threatening attacks. You have to just fight! Won''t that a good deal." He said as his fist strikes his palm. And as soon as Shin heard these words his body froze. He understood what the dragon emperor was doing. He was trying to use them as means of entertainment! ording to him Shin, Mike, Kai, and Orion, was nothing more than monies locked in a cage with only the purpose to entertain their owners and the ones watching them. ''Is this a joke to you!?'' Shin was tired of being treated like this. Like a monkey in a cage, without any strength. Anyone could toy with such a creature. He was treated in the same manner as the skeleton king and now even the one he summoned was treating him like that too. But this was the only way to survive and had to take this chance if he wanted to survive! Yes! There was no other way! "So what do you say?" The dragon questioned with a smile to which Shin nodded his head. "I agree..." "Very well!" The frost dragon pped both his hands as he said. Shin quickly activated his me wolf emperor form which supervised Mike, Orion, and Kai. ''He''s from the species of me wolves!?'' All three of the questioned within their mind as they looked toward the Shin. Bright orange nes had covered his entire body, while his eyes and hair had turned into bright orange too. He was radiating a warm yet somewhat chaotic force from his body. They had heard the deal Shin made with the frost dragon. They too were unhappy being treated like the monkey in a cage but they had to bear with this humiliation. They too quickly activated their skills ready to fight the skeleton king. On the other hand in the separate dimension where the skeletons lived, they were having a live view of what was happening. They could see whatever happened in the desert, and when Mike, Dhin, and Orion left they felt that something interesting was about to happen so they quickly turned to don the object that looked like a TV. They watch Shin as he dashed toward the skeleton king and so did his friends of his. ''Hmm, the funny guy has be too arrogant thinking that he gained the support of the frost dragon emperor. Let''s see if he can dodge the attacks, that I will execute at my full speed!'' The skeleton King thought as he raised his arm. As Shin was dashing toward the skeleton king, suddenly a bone spear broke through the ground but suddenly drive into its ce. The next second the spear fell to the ground with a dull metallic sound. Shin was about to Mock the skeleton king but then suddenly froze. Because there was a bone spear that was just three centimeters away from him and was frozen mid-air. The next second the none spear fell to the ground too. Shin couldn''t even notice when the spear came so near him! Suddenly multiple more spears appeared too but Shin sunk into his shadow and next second appeared next to the shadow dragon "Support me in the battle!" Shin eximed as he dashed toward the skeleton king once again. He used his me maniption and injured multiple me ballsunching them toward the skeleton king. But they extinguished before they could even touch the skeleton king. The next second Miek appeared next to the skeleton King punching him with all the strength in his fist. But the skeleton king dodged it with ease and just used his aura to put pressure on Mike. In the next second thousands of bone, spears appeared floating in the air ready to Pearce through Mike and kill him. But they all froze in mid-air once again falling to the ground. The skeleton king quickly turned tounch a spear toward Shin. This time the spear was aimed at Shin''s right shoulder. The spear passed through his shoulder and at ten same time the frost emperor said. "I specified. Life-threatening attacks." But suddenly Shib smirked as the mes joined back. Chapter 420 The Gem Of Truth

Chapter 420 The Gem Of Truth

Theoretically one could be immortal as they leveled up. Being immortal meant having absolute strength, and fearing no one. After all the enemy could just inflict pain if one was immortal. And some races had high healing abilities ever since they were born due to the blessing. me wolves were part of one of those races. However, no one could expect a me wolf to have such high healing ability when he wasn''t even past 99. No, it didn''t e en looked like a healing ability. It looked as if the spear passed through mes. Looking towards Shin the skeleton king was very confused and so were others but taking advantage of this confusion Kai attacked the skeleton king. Booooom! Another heated raging battle started. On the other hand, the Frost dragon emperor seemed to be amazed and excited. "Those mes..." He muttered clenching his fist. For some reason, these mes seemed to be very familiar. He smiled looking towards Shin as he spoke to himself in a low voice. "I wanna freeze those mes." He said as coldness shed in his eyes for a second but then the next moment they disappeared. Shin quickly joined the battle too. Multiple spears passed through his body but didn''t bring scratches on his body. He worked looking towards the skeleton king. Next to the skeleton king appeared joining the battle. Shin quickly looked towards the shadow dragon who nodded his head and quickly used shadow travel to help Shin. They both just had to distract the skeleton king, as their strength would be of no help. They were defeating the army wholeunching some attacks on the skeleton king asionally. Orion too had joined the battle as he used the power of his tail. The skeleton king was frustrated with all of the things that were happening. His first desire was to kill Shin, but then he quickly calmed down himself. Currently, he had to kill the two anomalies in front of him. Kai, and Mike Kai too this time turned to his human form and grew his tails. Green color tails grew in his back and they were a total of 5 tails. He too was very close to a breakthrough and would and would be able to grow his sixth tail. As soon a he grew his tail his powers increased tremendously. Currently, his power was equivalent to someone on the verge of a breakthrough level 600. He coated his palm with mana as he used his skill. [Soul strike]. This was a skill that allowed him to directly damage the soul of a being which was extremely effective against the undead. He quickly punched the skeleton king who was pushed three meters away. Suddenly from his shadow, Shin appeared andunched his me attacks toward the skeleton king irritating him. And the very next moment he once again sunk into the shadow. "Damn it!" Skeleton King eximed but he finally once again got a chance to pull out his artifact. "I will kill that bastard!" He eximed. Once again strong aura shot out from his body pushing anyone two meters away from him. ''Looks like he''s immune to physical attacks but what about the mana skills?'' He quickly located Shin and used his skills. Mike and Kai don''t worry as they knew that the frost dragon emperor would protect Shin for his amusement and fun. On the other hand, Shin quickly felt a very strong and terrifying attack right above his head. The attack was too fast and too quick for him to dodge. A giant abyssal darkness shot out of the dark circle that formed seconds ago. The abyssal darkness covered shin. The skeleton long wanted tough out loud and curse the frost dragon emperor saying ''You couldn''t protect him!'' But he suddenly frowned. After all, he could sense that the frost dragon emperor was strong, very strong. Probably no one could even touch his finger present here so how was he unable to save Shin ''Wait!'' He suddenly eximed within his mind as he sensed a change. Soon the darkness vanished and so did the first clods that had formed due to the impacts. And as the view became clear they were able to see Shin, but this time his aura had changed. He had pitch-ck hairs with abyssal ck eyes. He was covered in a dark aura. The aura of death had surrounded him. "A dark wolf!" Mike eximed to which Kai shook his head. "No, it''s the evolved form of the dark wolf, death wolf firm." "Not gonna lie, sounds kinda cool." "..." "..." "And kinda cringe." With this Kai waspletely speechless but then once again focused towards the skeleton king After all, he knew that people saved many of their trump cards and saved them in the face of death. So he wants that surprised by this revtion. The only thing that surprised him was the fact that Shin could transform into multiple forms. And this time it looks as if Shin''s body waspletely formed out of the shadow. Shin''s body quickly blended into the shadow but Kai, Miek, and the skeleton king were still clearly able to sense him. The next second Shin appeared next to the skeleton King and tried to punch him but the skeleton dragon quickly dishes with one swift twist. The next second skeleton king coated his hand with dark mana so that he could test something. He quickly punched Shin but his arm just passed right through him as if it was passing through an optical illusion. The skeleton king then quickly dodged the punches, Shin threw toward him. On the other hand, Miike, Kai, and the shadow dragon too released their fierce attacks. Kai quickly used his soul strike. But Skeleton Kong quickly dodged the punches too. He once again took out an orb that was the artifact that he was using for so long. It won''t be that he could manipte time instead the orb had it. And Mien knew it because he felt that connection with the orb he felt earlier. Skelton King could not only affect time but also the dimensions with the help of the orb in his arm allowing him to teleport. And the orb didn''t even drain his mana. He could freely use it. When he stole the artifact he found that the original owner of this artifact created a separate mana reserve in it allowing the user to use the artifact freely. And only God knows for how long he had been storing mana in that artifact for it tost this long. The skeleton king quickly used the orb as he teleported from one ce to anotherunching his attacks. Boooooommm! Booooooommmmm! sh! Strike! st The buildings of the kingdom which looked to be made of indestructible materials had already been reduced to rubble. The skeleton king was frustrated to a very extreme point. The fight continued on and for the first time in centuries, he felt that his mana was not enough. He gritted his teeth as he once again teleported escaping one of the attacksunched by Kai. Yes! He had to escape! Or else he was sure his soul would be damaged weakening him. "Yawn!" On the other hand, the frost dragon emperor yawned. After all, he felt that the battle was continuing for too long. And it had be boring. No one else was pulling out any unique and interesting Trump card which would amuse him. ''Let''s make this battle a little interesting.'' He thought he snapped his finger. The Skelton king who was trying to Ridge the attack by I ca again teleporting suddenly felt that something was wrong. Suddenly the space cracked and emitted him out. The next second floor turned icy making him slip. Shin quickly took the chance and grabbed the skeleton king''s next and started putting him. On the other hand, Kai seeing the chance continuously unleashed his soul strikes injuring the skeleton King''s soul. The skeleton king''s powers became a bit my re weak. But he had enough. He quickly released his aura once again using Kai away. What about Shin? Well, the aura had enough strength to crush Shin, but the frost dragon emperor quickly interfered due to which skin only fell to his Knees. Even after blocking most of the aura, Shinstill was affected by it! That enraged Shin but in the end, he just smiled bitterly. "You! You bastards!" The skeleton king eximed as he used the domain of the desert. Domains we''re very special as you were the king in your own domain. You could attack from anywhere but now that advantage was obviously of no use due to the frost dragon. " You! I can''t believe it because if you punny bastard who are no more than ants and because of a frost dragon I have to use this!" He eximed his he raised his palm and a blue color gem that radiated holy power appeared in his palm. He didn''t want to use this as the cost was too much but how he had to do it. There was no other option. Suddenly the gem started to shine brightly. Blue color aura descended on the kingdom, as the skeleton king''s bones suddenly became emerald green in color. His bones looked as if they were crystallized. Two giant bone, wings appeared on his back followed by magnificent red robes with golden stripes that appeared on his body. The wings mmed as his body flew upwards. As he was flying up a giant scythe which was thrice the size of the skeleton king appeared in his hand. The scythe was pitch ck and looked as if could slice the dimension itself. Chapter 421 Failure

Chapter 421 Failure

''Hmm, the guardian''s powers?'' The first dragon emperor questioned himself looking towards the devil-like figure in the sky. He looked like the first guardian of the gem of truth. The guardian who wa some of the strongest of all the other guardians. "You punny frost dragon!" The skeleton king locked as he felt a lot of energy surging through his body This wasn''t the power of someone who was still within the rank of below 600. His words were enough to make the space tremble. He shed his scythe and in the next movement, a blue sh sped towards Shin ready to reap his life. It was so fast that no one else could see it other than the frost dragon. Suddenlyrge ice shield appeared in the middle but the sh passed through it. This obviously made the skeleton king happier thinking that he was finally no more a puppet in the eyes of the frost dragon emperor. The shield had already blocked more than ninth nine percent of the attack, and the rest one percent shed through Shin''s arm. He gritted his teeth in pain as he looked towards the skeleton king who was looking toward the frost dragon emperor. He obviously thought that now he could rival the strength of the frost dragon emperor and possibly kill him. But it turned out he had severely overestimated himself. He overcharged his attack with almost all of the mana left in his body andunched a sh toward the skeleton king. Suddenly a small dragon nail popped out of the frost dragon emperor''s middle finger as he raised it. The sh shed with the finger and then disappeared shocking the skeleton king. The frost dragon emperor smiled as he waved his hand towards the skeleton king with a mocking smile on his face. ''He looks like the guardian, however, he doesn''t even possess 1% of the original guardian''s strength. It would have been very nice to meet that young blooded punny kid. Sigh, the good old days'' Teh sighed in his mind as his mocking smile widened angering the skeleton king. He conjured multiple shes but before he could evenunch them, the frost dragon emperor snapped his finger, and the next moment the skeleton kong was attached to the ground "I didn''t want to do this since you are the wielder of the gem of truth. But since you tried to kill me and gave me a very big mental trauma, I had to use self-defense." Said the frost-drain emperor with a cheeky smile. Shin looked towards the skeleton king that was attached to the ground as he quickly used a mana skill but then realized ''He''s supposed to be immortal, and on top of that, he''s undead. How can I kill him? Shin questioned himself as he scratched the back of his head. On the other hand, Mike just looked at Shin and smiled which confused him.'' But the next his confusion was cleared. Suddenly Kai dashed toward the skeleton king and used his soul strike multiple times remaining his soul. The skeleton long gritted his teeth as he used all his strength and mana remaining in his body. But unfortunately, no matter how much strength he applied he just couldn''t stand up. ''Is this how everything ends? I won''t even get to be a...?'' Before he could evenplete his sentence Kai punched the skeleton king one more timepletely destroying his soul. ''What a pity, he could have be the greatest addition to my soul army.'' Kai thought but he knew it was better to be safer than sorry. As soon as he destroyed the skeleton king''s soul his remaining skeleton turned into ashes and the only thing that was left was a blue orb in between the ash. The orb suddenly started floating and shined brightly but then after a minute its shine became dimmer and dimmer and when the shine disappeared the orb fell to the ground with a dull thud. Soon Shin''s body once again turned into that of a wolf. Looking at Shin the frost dragon was stunned for a second ''I couldn''t even see his true form! Or is this his fake form...?''? The frost dragon emperor questioned himself as he frowned. Looking towards the orb Shin''s eyes shined brightly as he was ready to dash toward it and take I with his jaws. But unfortunately, he didn''t get the chance as Miek walked towards the orb and grabbed it. He then looked towards the other otb that was lying near. He felt a connection with it so he quickly picked it up too. As for the chain lying on the ground covered in blood. ording to him, that chain was pure garbage. Shin on the other hand wanted to pounce on Miem and threaten him until he handed Shin the gem of truth. But now wasn''t the time... Suddenly a brilliant idea came to his mind. Shin quickly tried to store the gem of truth in his inventory but... [Unable to store the item] ''Wut?'' And suddenly two gigantic eyes, that we''re thinking behind Mike were visible. But then the next second they disappeared. Suddenly Mike turned his head and looked toward Shin. "What the hell are you trying to do?" "What?" "You... Leave, I will deal with you alter in heavenly wolf family" Shin on the other hand could feel cold sweat on his body. He sighed dejectedly and then looked towards the chain on the ground. The system quickly scanned the chain for him. [Ding] [Blood god''s cursed chain] [Tier: A(demoted)] [Curse; ???] Looking at it Shin''s eyes sparkled. ''Good stuff'' He muttered in his mind as he quickly stored the chain in his inventory. And as he was storing things in his inventory he realized something. ''Deoras!'' He eximed as he quickly brought deoras and others out of his inventory. Even though fit him a lot of time had passed for deoras and others it was just a difference of one second. "Master Shin!" Deoras eximed as he dashed toward Shin This obviously bright a weird expression on Miek''s, Orion''s, and Kai''s faces. First of all these wolves appeared out of nowhere and even if they had already heard it, this was still weird. To give such a small wolf pup the name of an almighty supreme celestial was definitely very weird. On the other hand, the frost dragon emperor shivered a bit as thest memories just appeared in his mind ********** [Half an hour earlier] Twi alright me dragons were currently lying on the ground with terrified expressions. In front of them was an iced dish that radiated a very strong icy aura. And even though these two fire dragons were very strong, probably as strong as a dragon king they were nothing in front of an almighty emperor. They fried their best to heat up the did and after a few minutes, the dish finally heated up. As soon as it did, the liquified dish floated in the air and entered the frost dragon emperor''s mouth who was currently sitting on an ice throne. "Hmm, delicious! Heat more!" He eximed pointing towards the other dishes. But before he could do anything else a hymn echoed in his we''re. a The favorite hymn of The dragons, that attracted them and was usually used when trying to summon a dragon. The force that he felt was pretty strong. But it wasn''t strong enough to pull in the dragon emperor. The dragon emperor closed his eyes to see who was this exact person trying to call him. After all the person who dared to try and summon him would definitely possess a name. And the name appeared in simple pure white texts. [Shin] "What!" The dragon emperor roared. His roar was more than enough to blow anyone close to him hundreds of meters away. They all were shocked by the sudden outburst of the emperor. Why was he angry? But no, it wasn''t that he was angry. "How! Why?! When?! He''s still alive! And even if he is why the hell in the world is he calling me out of everyone else he knows? That drunk bastard!" He suddenly remembered the cheeky smile of a certain wolf, which would be used when the wolf would y with this emperor. The frost dragon emperor once again felt chills down his spine. And before he could do anything else the setion force became stronger and pulled him. [End of shback] ************** Hearing the familiar name the frost dragon emperor once again felt chills down his soul. But then he quickly calmed himself down. Looking at everything that had happened how this wolf transformed into more than one form and everything he did... This little wolf really seemed to be the incarnation of the supreme celestial, the almighty wolf God shin. But for know he had to observe more and not jump into conclusions. And just as they were thinking about all if thisplicated shit, suddenly a gate apeoared with many inscriptions on it. Shin looked at the familiar gate with one of his eyebrows raised. Suddenly many carcks appeared on the gate and the next second it shattered. And there he saw king jun and others. The spacepletely shattered and they were thrown out of the space. And then the next moment the ck aura in thend sudden entrees king jun, and the red mes in his socket got a hint of ck mes too. He had be the new undead king! This was very unbelievable. Shin lolke towards them trying to find a logical answer for what just happened. But then at the end he sighed, as he felt headache. Chapter 422 Chaotic Future

Chapter 422 Chaotic Future

Finally, everything was once again peaceful but it wasn''t going to stay the same way forever Shin sighed as he looked around the rubble and then towards the new skeleton king, King Jun. And so now it was finally the time to get the heavenly wolf family. Shin smiled as he looked toward King Jun. Suddenly his power was boosted. Even though his contribution to the battle wasn''t much it still gave him Exp. His level became 95. And he still had many rewards but decided to check them and ept themter. And after some minutes king Jun invite Shin and others for a discussion. "Thinking about holding a banquet. You, the people will be the main stars of it. How''s my proposal?" King Jun said to which Shin shook his head and even others rejected the idea. "I have to report everything to the leaders and the elders of the heavenly wolf family. It''s very important and cannot be dyed." Mike said respectfully and even Shin apologized saying. "As you can see I''m too weak and I even have to meet the heavenly wolf family regarding a very important matter. I''m sorry, but I can''t attend this banquet." Shij apologized to which king jun nodded his head in understanding. "No worries. I understand this feeling. When I was still alive and young, I used to feel very weak too. Train and be stronger faster!" King Jun encouraged Shin which brought a smile to his face. "... And entertain me more" King Jun shamelessly added die to which the smile on Shin''s face disappeared. He just nodded and then looked toward Mike. "Well, small wolf. You can be strongerter, right now join the banquet." Mike said which confused Shin. "I have to inform and ask permission from my elders so until that you and Orion enjoy here," Mike said. "I have an important thing to say to you. You see many supreme celestials are behind my n trying to destroy it. We are not asking the heavenly wolf family to fight for us but just help us." Shin described the scenario briefly due to which Mike''s jaws were wide open. He couldn''t believe what he just heard but in the end, he sighed. "I cannot confirm anything currently. I will ask the elders. It depends on them." He then proceeds to look toward Kai. Kai Top just nodded and then they started walking toward the gate. Both of them walked out of the kingdom but five minutester Kai once again turned into his spirit form and returned to Orion. Shin looked toward Orion and then they looked toward, King Jun. "The banquet will be held tonight!" King Jun said to which other skeletons started to cheer happily. And after all the happy moments the skeletons finally started to adjust themselves to their new environment. They started building new houses and retiring the ones that were broken due to the fight that took ce earlier. And now Shin, Orion, and another unwanted guest decided to stay in the room. Yes, the frost dragon emperor still remained due to which it was still snowing in the kingdom. "Sir, would you be kind enough to once again tell me why you didn''t return?" "Because I don''t want to." "Then why don''t you form a contract with me." "No" "..." "..." Shin really wanted to smack the frost dragon but he just gave up. After all in front of this frost dragon, Shin was so fragile that he might identally kill Shin by existing too hard. In the end, Shin, Orion, and the Frost dragon entered the giant building. *************** In a very dark ce, in the middle on top of a throne, a figurepletely covered with darkness looking more like a shadow was sitting. And beside him were other human-like figures standing. A lot of them stood there, at least more than twenty. They were leaders and the elders of the heavenly wolf family. They looked toward Mike who had just appeared in the ce. "Report." The elder said. Mike was tasked with bringing Orion back but what confused them the most was that when he entered the heavenly wolf family Orion wasn''t beside him. As soon as Mike heard the leader''s words he started narrating everything that had happened. About how he met another wolf who was with Orion. He didn''t say the wolf''s name. He then handed them the two great artefacts that he had found on his journey. "Gem of truth!" One of the leaders eximed unable to hold his excitement. Mike nodded. And the other artefact was very amazing too. "We know the way to use this artefact. It''s written in our ancient contexts." Said the same leader with a load of excitement. "If we can use the gem of truth then it will bring a great boost to our family." Said the current head shocking some of the leaders. They had never heard his voice, due to which some thought that he was mute. He had some deputies beside him who did the speaking for him. It was the first time that he spoke, in a cold and nerve-chilling voice. "Let''s test it out right now." The current head said to which the leader that had eximed earlier excitedly used one of his skills. A pitch-ck armor with many inscriptions on it, appeared in his hand There was even a hole in its chest. The hole was of the same size as that of the orb, as if it was made to fit in it. Without wasting any time, he quickly ced the armor on a stand, as if disying it to all and then lift the orb, moving towards it and cing it in the hole. Suddenly the inscriptions started shining brightly but the next moment they dimmed until the light disappeared. "What?!" Questioned one of the leaders as he looked towards the armor in confusion. While not many knew what would happen by cing the orb, they did see a bright shine, a glow that engulfed the armor. With the little knowledge that they owned, they thought that the armour could use the orb''s powers, however, when the light faded, they found no change in the armor at all. "Well, sigh. This happens when someone has already been chosen by the gem. But Mike, didn''t you say that the wielder of the gem of truth was already dead?" The leader questioned, looking towards Mike. "Yes," "Well, you did say there were others too on the battlefield. The gem must have chosen one of them." Unknown to them a certain wolf named Shin was grinning like a madman. Because... [Mission: Help the brothers of the judgment to destroy the Shura kingdom.] [Side quest: Retrieve the Gem of Truth from the Shura kingdom.] [Rewards for the main quest:] [-> +5 Levels Gain] [-> Brothers Of Judgement will join your side.] [-> Clue about the Heavenly Wolf Family.] [-> System Update.] [Rewards for sidequest:] [-> Be the owner of the Gem of Truth.] [-> Hint about Gem Of Lie.] [Failure:] [-> -5 Levels.] [-> All stat points decreased by 50% for 50 days.] [-> All evolutionary forms will be restricted for 50 days.] [-> All skills restricted from usage for 50 days.] Shin only epted the ownership of the gem of truth currently as he decided that he would ept the other rewards sometimeter. But obviously, the heavenly wolf family knew nothing about this. "I think I know who might have the ownership of the gem of truth." Said Mike as he rubbed his chin. "Who is it?" "Well, there was a wolf who asked for our help." Mike described the entire situation going on with Shin and how he asked for help. "We obviously decline." Said one of the elders quickly. "But..." "What is it?" asked the current head to which Mike gulped arge amount of saliva before speaking. "His name is... Shin!" Crackle! As soon as Mike said those words thunder from the sky passed through the barrier of the heavenly wolf family and struck him. Mike was by no means disrespectful when he took Shin''s name. Heck even everyone here calls out to their God, Shin, every day, hoping for a new and better beginning. Never once did the thunder strike them. So why did it now? Having seen this, the current head who even in very dangerous and problematic situations didn''t react, stood up. "Heal him!" He eximed as he looked toward one of the elders who specialized in healing magic after Mike had been burnt a little. The elder quickly dashed towards Mik kto heal his injuries. Since lightning had struck Mike that meant that, he was telling the truth. The wolf God Shin was alive, and it could be possible that he was reincarnated into that small wolf Mike was talking about. "Go bring that small wolf pup. I will meet him myself." The current head ordered Mike who bowed in front of him after being healed and then walked away. Mike felt like the peace in the heavenly wolf family wasn''t going to remain for much longer. The chaos would definitely descend upon them. *************** Shin looked around the cepletely speechless. After all, a lot of high-quality meat was served on the te. ''They hunted all of this in one day?'' Shin questioned himself. The Frost dragon emperor looked around and started toin. "Why is there such garbage served to eat?", anger was visible on his face. "If you don''t want to eat, then return. Go back.", Shin stared at him as he said this, arge chunk of meat in his mouth. "Never mind. It''s very delicious." said the frost dragon emperor as he sat down and ate like a country bumkin. The magnificent and invincible look of the frost dragon had long shattered in Shin''s mind when he saw the frost dragon eating like an animal and when he spent more time with him. Shin sighed as he shook his head and continued eating the meal in front of him. As he was chewing the meat, he felt Orion''s gaze on him. "What''s the matter?" Shin questioned. "Why don''t you once again transform into your human form?" "I feel ufortable in it." Shin lied through his teeth. "Sigh." "What''s the matter now?" Shin asked again. "No, it''s just that I can see a chaotic future," said Orion as he looked towards Shin. Even though his life was chaotic, he was sure it would be much more now. Chapter 423 Constant Fear

Chapter 423 Constant Fear

Shin gazed at the rewards that were ced in front of him as he continued to munch. He had imed only one of them, the rest still remaining. [Rewards for the main quest:] [-> +5 Levels Gain] [im] [-> Brothers Of Judgement will join your side.] [im] [-> Clue about the Heavenly Wolf Family.] [im] [-> System Update.] [im] [Rewards for sidequest:] [-> Be the owner of the Gem of Truth.] [imed] [-> Hint about Gem Of Lie.] [im] He was now the official owner of the Gem of Truth, so it didn''t matter where the gem went. No one would be able to use it unless he lets them too! It was a bold move from his side and it was precisely because of this that he didn''t have any problem with Mike taking the gem. Furthermore, he didn''t want to get on his bad side, after all, he wanted help from them. Mike was smart, but Shin outsmarted him. Although no one had been able to beat Mike''s wits, it was probably for the first time that something happened against his expectations. Shin stared at the shining screen in front of him, his eyes sparkling too. ''A 5 level up reward¡­'', he smirked as he saw that. He was now Lv.95, and 5 more levels meant he would easily reach Lv.100. That was quite a tempting offer. It took all his strength to refrain from iming it right now, saving for the future perhaps. He had two things in mind, one - if he imed the reward, his strength would increase by a lot. And two - if he were injured, due to level up, all his injuries would be healed instantly, with his MP, HP and everything else returning to normal, as if refilling. So he calmed himself down and refrained from iming it right away. His attention was then caught by the sessive lines in the screen and this time, he didn''t hesitate to im them, especially, the one that stated about Hint regarding gem of lie. ''Hmm, I already have the Gem of Lie, I wonder what hint is it going to give me¡­'' *Ding* [You have imed the reward for the side quest - Hint about Gem of Lie.] [Hint: The Gem of Lie cannot be used by the owner of Gem of Truth unless it fused with the other existing gems of desert.] Shin was partially confused after reading this as he had no idea about the existence of other gems. He had to ask someone, and the frost dragon, whom he thought to be knowledgeable, appeared to be a great candidate. "Hey¡­" The frost dragon, who wasining a second ago about the garbage food, was nibbling it down, licking his arms and even his lips - his long tongue helped him do so. As Shin called him, his eyes cornered as he slightly included Shin in his field of vision. "What?", he asked, not clearly audible with the food in his mouth. "Uh, I have a question¡­", Shin continued. ''Ya, what is it?'', this time, the frost dragon used telepathy, tomunicate directly with Shin in his mind. This was so much better. Though, it did surprise Shin. ''Ah¡­'' ''Ahem.'' ''So, I wanted to know about the gem of truth, lie and if any other gems existed.'' When the frost dragon heard this, he paused for a second, stared at Shin and continued eating. This reaction was more than enough to confirm Shin that the dragon did know about the gems. ''Will you tell me?'', Shin asked. ''¡­'' ''Hey, I''m speaking to you, not to myself!'', Shin stared at the dragon, his voice menacing, not audible by others though. ''What do you want to know about them specifically?'', the dragon asked. ''Everything! Especially, their origination, their usage and everything that you know about them.'' And after hearing this, the frost dragon, who knew way too well about the matter for he had lived a long life, decided to reveal, but with the condition that was put forward. ''I have a condition though. If you agree to it, I will tell you.'', he said. "What condition?", Shin raised his voice. Orion, who sat beside him, was suddenly surprised as Shin said this. "What happened?", he stared at Shin in confusion, his heart beating faster because of the sudden jolt. "Ah, nothing. I was talking to myself.", Shin smiled, a bit creepy. "What a weirdo¡­", Orion murmured as he stared at Shin onest time, before grabbing yet another piece of meat and putting it in his mouth, gobbling it down after chewing only once or twice, for it was quite tender and juicy. ''So, what is the condition?'' ''Hmm, you have toe to my kingdom once I have finished telling about this.'', the dragon said, this time, ncing at Shin. The way he looked at Shin right now, was quite different. It was as if his eyes were gentle, filled with warmth despite being the owner of the frost. Shin looked at the sky as a ke of snow fell on his head. He then said, ''I really want to fulfil that condition of yours¡­'' ''I would definitely love to visit your ce¡­'' ''But I have a lot going on right now¡­'', Shin then lowered his gaze, looking at the floor in front of him, his eyes almost losing liveliness. The frost dragon was fully aware of Shin''s worry. Even though he was distant from the world, staying in his frost kingdom, he knew about the events that took ce in the world. Heck, he even watched the battles that urred in the arena, from a self-made ice TV of his own! ''Is it about the Supreme ones that want you dead?'', he asked. Shin nodded, not surprised as he considered the dragon to be knowing about this. He then said, ''Even now, I am scared¡­'' ''I have left my people in the forest, thinking that they will be safe. I keep hoping that they could protect themselves in case anything happens¡­'' ''But I am never 100% sure.'' ''My will¡­'' ''It feels as if I could lose the will to survive any time soon. This fear is eating me away, and I''m desperate for help.'' ''A lot of time has already been lost, so, please, could it be possible to visit your ce sometimeter? When I''m free? Cause without the peace of mind, I would never fully devote myself to visiting or enjoying your kingdom.'' "¡­" Chapter 424 The Frost Dragon’s Offer

Chapter 424 The Frost Dragon''s Offer

The frost dragon approached Shin with a gentle demeanor, noticing the sadness in his expression. Having personally experienced the fear of impending doom, it understood the weight of such burden better than most. "Pffft, you think you''re strong? Please." "Who wants to hang out with a loser like you anyway." "I can''t believe I gave birth to him. Is he even my son!?" "We hereby strip you of the privilege to use our name and consider you exiled!" ''Haa...'' ''shes of useless memories,'' The frost dragon shook his head, reminiscing a distant past from thousands of years ago. Seeing Shin in his current state brought back a weakness the frost dragon had long forgotten. ''We aren''t so different after all,'' he mused while gazing at Shin. Aware of Shin''s dire circumstances, the frost dragon''s suggestion to visit his dwelling was not intended to mock him. Rather, it was a genuine effort to safeguard the white wolf. Despite attaining immense power and status, the frost dragon had been forgotten by many. Those who did remember him regarded him only as a source of fear, not respect or affection. Fear was the only sentiment associated with his name. Given his colossal and majestic form, it was unsurprising that anyone who caught a glimpse of him would instantly faint. Due to his immense power, even he couldn''tpletely contain his aura. Solitude had be a constantpanion for the frost dragon as no being dared to approach him. Even among his own kind, who worshipped the Supreme Dragon Celestial as deities, he was ostracized. Despite their animosity towards him for possessing immense strength, the only thing they could do about it was simply disregard him. After centuries of silence, the frost dragon was lured by a captivating hymn and traveled a great distance to discover its source. To his surprise, he found that it was Shin who had summoned him, and upon witnessing the young wolf''s bravery, he believed that Shin would be receptive to his request. However, consumed by his pride, he had transformed his request into a condition, causing an unexpected setback. ''I understand what you are saying...,'' the frost dragon stated, gazing at Shin with a knowing expression. Shin began to apologize, saying ''Sorry, but right now¡ª'' Before he finished speaking, the frost dragon interjected with another idea. The frost dragon proposed, ''Why don''t youe and dwell in my territory?'' ''Hold on, did you not hear what I just said?'' Shin began to retort, only to realize the true intention behind the frost dragon''s words. A look of realization dawned on him as he understood what the dragon truly meant. As he looked at the frost dragon, who was smirking, his eyes widened slightly in surprise. ''Wait, do you mean to say that...'' ''I am extending an invitation to you and your people toe reside in my kingdom,'' the frost dragon dered. ''I guarantee the safety of all whoe with you; not a single fur on your bodies will be harmed by those ursed Supremes,'' the frost dragon assured. *gulp* Given the choice between the protection of an Emperor-status dragon and the protection of the Heavenly Wolf Family, the decision was difficult to make. ''The Heavenly Wolf Family excel in concealing themselves; that''s why none of the Supremes managed to locate them thus far.'' ''Nheless, I doubt their strength rivals that of the Supremes, for if it did, there would be no reason to remain in hiding,'' Shin spected. Shin silently affirmed to himself as he activated his all-seeing eyes and gazed upon the frost dragon, ''Undoubtedly, the frost dragon is one of the strongest beings I have encountered thus far.'' His eyes strained under the immense pressure as he managed to steal a nce at the vast aura and mana emanating from the frost dragon, leaving him awestruck and intimidated. Shin recognized the sheer magnitude of mana he was witnessing, having only encountered a simr amount when he first met nca and Terran. Therefore, he shouldn''t have been that shocked! But he was stunned nheless. Despite the frost dragon''s efforts to control his massive power and not scare others, Shin could tell that he was struggling. It was clear to him that the dragon was doing his best, but even then, he couldn''tpletely conceal the overwhelming strength he possessed. The mere leakage of mana from the frost dragon was alreadyparable to that of Terran and nca, making Shin shudder at the thought of the dragon''s true power. *gulp* Though it was clear that the frost dragon would offer better protection, the decision to ept his offer was not an easy one, as Shin contemted, ''...but I''m still not sure if it''s the best course of action.'' Shin faced a crucial decision, weighing the benefits of choosing the side with immense power against the benefits of siding with extreme stealth. Regardless of which path he chose, his chances of survival were promising. "Could you give me some time to think about it?", Shin asked. The frost dragon responded with a slight nod, apanied by these words: "Of course, but I find it hard to believe you have any time..." He stood up and walked away, to wash his hands, as he had finished his meal. Orion was once again left bewildered. While Shin and the dragonmunicated telepathically, Shin would sometimes inadvertently speak out loud, leaving Orion in the dark about the conversation''s content. As a result, Orion could only watch Shin intently, trying to glean any clues from his expressions. With a heavy sigh, Shin shut his eyes to contemte the appropriate action, ''What should my next move be?'' ''wait...'' ''Does anyone know about the frost dragon''s domain?'', Shin asked himself. Shin resorted to telepathy once more, despite the frost dragon being within close proximity of about two meters, leaving Orion clueless yet again. ''Is the location of your kingdom public?'', he asked. Continuing the conversation, the frost dragon nodded his head and added, ''But I must warn you, not many visitorse to mynd.'' ''My home is exclusive to my people only, and outsiders are strictly prohibited.'' ''What are the conditions like in your kingdom?'' Shin asked, curious. ''Considering you are a frost dragon, I assume your kingdom is frozen solid, am I right?'' Shin expressed concern, ''I fear my family wouldn''t be able to withstand the cold and may freeze to death.'' ''Haha, worry not.'' ''I am the frost dragon, do you think I am incapable of blessing your family?'' ''Blessing?'' The frost dragon affirmed his capability to protect Shin''s family, assuring him that with his blessing, they would be immune to low-temperature conditions, including the frost that would be present in his kingdom. Shin understood the implications of the dragon''s proposal and found it to be far superior, thus nodding in agreement. Just as Shin was leaning towards epting the frost dragon''s offer, a deafening roar reverberated through the area, interrupting their conversation. A gate, identical to the one before the city, had suddenly materialized before them. The guards were well aware of it, having witnessed this strange urrence before. Returning back was Mike, bringing along new information. Chapter 425 Arriving At The Kingdom

Chapter 425 Arriving At The Kingdom

Mike approached Shin with a steady gait, his eyes fixed on him as he walked past Orion, whom he had given a quick pat on the head. Orion longed to hear that he could finally return to the kingdom and be pardoned from his exile. Before he could even utter a word about his exile, Mike ran up to Shin and grabbed his paws, eximing, "Master Shin!" He checked his surroundings a couple of times, but there were no signs of thunder or lightning. ''Safe...'' "Your request has been approved, Master Shin," announced Mike with a hint of excitement in his voice. "Huh? Do you mean-" "Indeed, the council of elders has granted their approval for your entry into the kingdom," Mike conveyed to Shin. "I am grateful for the offer, but I have decided to go with the Frost Dragon to his ce," Shin replied with a smile. "I think I shall apany him¡­" As soon as Mike heard that Shin had chosen to go with the Frost Dragon, he realized that he had to act fast. He knew that the elders would not take kindly to being rejected in favor of another, regardless of the other''s power and abilities. Since nobody else inspired simr dread except Wolf God Shin. Hence, Mike promptly revealed his trump card. Mike revealed a tempting offer to Shin, "The elders have agreed to grant you the Crown of Fire if you choose toe to the kingdom." Shin was taken aback by the sudden mention of the "Crown of Fire". Though he had no idea what it was, the name alone was intriguing enough. Shin''s curiosity piqued when he heard Mike mention the Crown of Fire. However, the Frost Dragon seemed to react to it with unease, as his eye twitched. "What''s the Crown of Fire?" Shin asked. The Crown of Fire : It is a powerful artifact fashioned in the form of a regal headpiece. When donned, it can enhance all attributes associated with mes, magnifying one''s explosive strength by 50%, augmenting fire spell casting speed by 50%, and raising the temperature by a whopping 100%. Its fiery aura is said to be so intense that it can even scorch the air around it. It is a coveted treasure that has been sought after for generations by those who wish to harness its incredible power. Upon hearing this from Mike, Shin became contemtive and began to weigh his options. While going with the frost dragon seemed like the safer choice, Shin''s initial n was to seek shelter with the heavenly wolf family, making his decision even moreplicated. After contemting, Shin decided to stick with his original n of seeking refuge at the heavenly wolf family''s ce, as Kira had suggested earlier. Shin expressed gratitude for the offer but decided to stick with his original n and head to the heavenly wolf family. However, he made it clear that it was only a temporary arrangement. He conveyed this to the frost dragon through telepathy. The frost dragon felt a pang of disappointment as he had been looking forward to having someone to talk to without any restrictions. The frost dragon had found in Shin a rarepanion with whom he could converse freely and without fear, unlike most others who approached him with hesitation and trepidation. ''I''m not sure, I could be making the wrong decision here...'' The frost dragon''s gaze lingered on Shin, a hint of sadness evident in his eyes. Nevertheless, he knew he had to respect Shin''s decision. Forcing him toe along would only strain their rtionship, and the frost dragon cherished the rare opportunity of having a genuine conversation with someone. So, he opted to drop the issue. The frost dragon requested, "Promise me you will visit me in the future." Shin smiled in response and left, heading towards Mike. "Okay Mike, I agree to your proposal. Let''s leave immediately." Clutching his hand tightly, Mike disyed a symbol of triumph. "Just a second.", Mike turned to his left as he drew a circle in mid air, seconds after which a portal opened up. This particr skill made it possible for him to travel swiftly and efficiently from one location to another. As Mike spoke about the portal leading to their kingdom, he was interrupted by Orion, who held onto him, halting his movement. Mike was taken aback as Orion grabbed him and stared intently. "You didn''t actually n on leaving me behind, did you?" he questioned Mike. "Of course I didn''t. You''reing with us," Mike replied without hesitation. Despite momentarily neglecting Orion, Mike remained mindful of his responsibility to bring him back to the kingdom. With a smile, Mike reassured Orion that he hadn''t forgotten about him and that the elders had granted permission for their return. Then, Orion took Mike''s hand and the trio stepped into the portal, with Shin going first, followed by Orion and Mike. For a brief moment, they were plunged into darkness as they traveled through the portal. But as they emerged on the other side, they were met with the glittering glow of the full moon, casting a silvery sheen across thendscape. As Shin stepped out of the portal, he was struck with awe, the stunning sight before him leaving him speechless. "How on earth was this constructed?" Shin muttered under his breath, taking in the magnificent sight before him. As he approached the colossal city that was under the rule and domain of the Heavenly Wolf Family, the sight of the vast gate came into view. It was a formidable structure, adorned with a multitude of gleaming gems that seemed to radiate with a hypnotic glow, catching the sunlight and creating a dazzling disy of colors. The gems, strategically ced all over the gate, looked like an impregnable barrier that could withstand any attack. The kingdom was shrouded in invisibility, beyond the sight of any ordinary creature. However, with the power of his All-Seeing Eyes, a gift even the Supremescked, he effortlessly prated the veil and beheld the grandeur of the realm before him. The gems that had been embedded into the gate exuded a strange aura - not as overpowering as the energy that emanated from the Frost Dragon, but rather a more subtle presence that drew Shin''s notice without any adverse effects. Mike uttered a few words and simultaneously disyed a peculiar symbol that materialized as a hologram from his left wrist, before mouthing themand, "Open up!" As the symbol expanded in size, reaching almost half the height of the gate, two humanoid shapes emerged from within, instead of the expected opening of the gate. They proceeded to walk directly through the gates, as if the barriers didn''t exist. Shin was caught off guard, his eyebrows furrowing in surprise. ''Did they just...?'''' he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence as he tried toprehend what he had just witnessed. Without a chance to collect his thoughts, the human-like beings suddenly materialized before Shin''s eyes. Though their physical features were simr to those of humans, they possessed an unusual characteristic - their hair was a striking white hue. Their eyes had ordinary ck pupils, but their skin was as pale as snow. "Wee, Mike", one of the two figures, whose appearance had been described earlier, including the white hair and pale skin, spoke up, greeting Mike. The only distinguishing feature was the long white beard that flowed down his chin. As the beings weed Mike, their eyes drifted towards the young Orion, who stood beside him. Shin couldn''t help but notice the intense disdain and hostility in their gaze, indicating that Orion was regarded as an individual of questionable standing, if not a criminal. Observing the scornful looks that were directed towards the dejected Orion, Shin couldn''t help but feel sorry for Orion. ''Seems like Orion won''t have an easy time here,'' he thought to himself as he noticed the young man''s guilty expression and drooping gaze. "Please open the door," Mike requested politely. Chapter 426 Mike’s Error

Chapter 426 Mike''s Error

Chapter 425: Mike''s Error The two individuals, presumably the gate guards, made a deliberate gesture with their hands, indicating that they were granting permission for the gate to be opened. Shin watched intently as the gate remained unchanged, showing no signs of opening despite the gesture made by the guards. Confused, he turned to Mike, who had already begun to move forward. ''Uh...'' Shin didn''t say a word and silently trailed behind Mike, eventually finding himself walking through the gate, much like the two individuals before them. As Shin passed through the seemingly unreal barrier, he found himself standing before yet another gate. This one, however, was noticeably different from the previous one, as it stood wide open. Four imposing guards stationed near the entrance stood at attention, their gazes fixed on Shin and hispanions. It was then that everything became clear to Shin. Even with the aid of his All-Seeing Eyes, Shin was unable to perceive the presence of the gate. It was as if it were a mere mirage, and all he could feel was an intangible illusion. He realized that if the illusionary gate could deceive his powerful All-Seeing Eyes, then it was highly likely that even the Supremes, whocked such a skill, would also be easily fooled by it. Shin and hispanions eventually arrived inside the kingdom. *Zoom* The moment Shin, in his wolf form, set his left forelimb across the threshold of the kingdom, he immediately sensed a st of cold air emanating from his position and rushing outwards in all directions. It was as if he had be the epicenter of a powerful gust of frigid wind that swept through the surrounding area, chilling everything in its path. ''Hmm...?'' Shin experienced a strange and sudden sensation in his chest, as if his heart was aze with an intense heat. However, the feeling quickly dissipated before he even had a chance to react or fullyprehend what was happening. Shin pondered over the mysterious sensation. Momentster, his focus shifted towards Mike and Orion, who were both kneeling down on the ground, bowing deeply before a gathering of elders standing before them. Shin shifted his focus, gazing directly at the pair. A look of confusion settled over him. ''Huh?'' Each elder, resembling Mike, but appearing more aged and weatherworn, possessed striking emerald green irises. Shin previously assumed that Mike, Orion, and Kai were the only individuals with emerald green eyes, but upon closer observation, he realized that even the elders and everyone else in the vicinity possessed the same distinct eye color as him. Unlike Shin, who remained in wolf form, the elders retained their human appearances. None of the elder''s presencepelled him to bend in respect. Unaffected by customary protocols, Shin stood firm before them. He stared at them, pondering over a single question that intrigued him, ''Is it possible for me to shift into a human form as well?'' Shin had always wondered if he could transform into a humanoid form. He had assumed that reaching level 100 might do the trick, but seeing Orion - who was only at level 93 - in his human form had made him realize that there might be other conditions that needed to be met to unlock such a form. Shin''s reverie was interrupted by a booming voice, "You insolent fool! How dare you show disrespect to the elders?" A man, clearly in his mid-thirties, raised his hand and admonished Shin for failing to show due deference towards the revered elders. He stood out from the rest with his mboyant attire, adorned with opulent clothing and bedecked with dazzling jewels. He had no less than five gilded rings adorning his fingers, each one shining like a miniature sun. With his frail appearance, he looked as if he could be blown away by the slightest gust of wind. As he approached, he leaned heavily on a gnarled staff, his back so hunched that it seemed as if he was about to copse under the weight of his own body. "Yes, can''t you see what they are doing?" An elder spoke, echoing the sentiment expressed by the previous speaker. "You have no right to show such contempt!" Shin flinched slightly upon hearing these words, struggling toprehend the situation. He nced sideways, casting a furtive nce toward Mike, who knelt nearby, both sets of eyes locking into each other. Mike was at a loss for how to react to Shin''s annoyed stare, feeling responsible for not having informed him about the customs and traditions of the ce earlier. The awkwardness of the moment was palpable. "Come on guys, we can overlook this. He likely wasn''t aware," spoke one of the elders standing towards the left end of the seven,ing to Shin''s defense. Mike chimed in, also offering an apology. "Forgive me, it was a mistake on my behalf. I didn''t tell him about th-" Before Mike finished speaking, another voice intervened ¨C that of a middle-aged man apanying the elders. He boomed out loudly. "So what? It''s simply a matter ofmon courtesy, and if he''s unable to demonstrate that, I''m doubtful of his ce within our family." Thisment silenced Mike, leaving him speechless. "I am surprised that you made such an error, Mike" Mike was overwhelmed with guilt when he heard the remark, "If even the most intelligent person, such as yourself, could make such a blunder, it''s frightening to consider the potential mistakes that others might make." The weight of his mistake hung heavily on him. Mike felt a sense of relief when he saw the elders'' response to his apology. "Forgive me, master," he said, bowing his head in contrition. "I will not repeat this mistake again." To Mike''s surprise, the elders didn''t seem angry or upset with him. They simply looked at him with understanding eyes and nodded in acknowledgement of his apology. Mike couldn''t help but feel grateful for their leniency. After all, this was probably the first time he had done something that was referred to as a mistake. Chapter 427 Drama [1]

Chapter 427 Drama [1]

Chapter 426: Drama [1] While the elders seemed to have moved on from Mike''s mistake, they continued to focus their attention on Shin, who had yet to show proper respect by bowing in their presence. Despite the passage of time, the elders remained steadfast in their expectations and refused to let Shin off the hook until he demonstrated the proper humility and deference. "Look at him, he is still not-", The elder was on the verge of resuming his rebuke of Shin for hisck of respect when his attention was suddenly diverted by the unexpected arrival of the Vice-Head. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked, approaching the group from behind. "Greetings, Master" All the elders greeted the new arrival with reverence, bowing before him. Shin looked over at the Vice Head, who wore a mask, shifting his gaze towards him. Everyone''s attention was drawn to his impressive physique. His physique was imposing, with broad shoulders and rippling muscles underneath his attire. His tall stature loomed over those around him, adding to his intimidating presence. Despite his imposing appearance, the Vice-Head''s age was difficult to discern due to the white mask that covered his face. It was impossible to tell if he was older or younger than the elders, which only added to the air of mystery surrounding him. Upon hearing the elders'' exnation of the situation, the leader was left with no option but to burst into raucousughter. The absurdity of the circumstances was too much to handle, and the leader couldn''t help but find the entire situation amusing. "Hahaha." "Why do you always have to be so stern?" "Can''t you lighten up a bit and make our guests feel more wee?" he chuckled warmly. ''Atst, a person who is sane,'' Shin thought to himself upon hearing those words. Turning his gaze to Orion, he spoke: "Great, you''re here too." "Your parents have been anxious for your return," he stated. Hearing this news caused Orion to be filled with excitement. His heart swelled with joy at the prospect of seeing his parents after such a long absence. Eagerly, he rose to follow Mike and the others, trailing closely behind the Vice Head and elders as they led the way. One of the elders, who had previously stood up for Shin, deliberately matched his pace in order to walk beside him. The elder hesitated before speaking: "May I ask something, young man?" Shin lifted his gaze to the elder, answering simply, "Yes?" "Why have you not taken on your human form?" the man inquired. "Ah¡­" ''Hmm, he directly asked about this. He seems curious about my state¡­'' "I-" "To be honest, I don''t know how," Shin answered truthfully. "Oh¡­" "So you haven''t eaten the Wolf-crystal yet?" "Wolf crystal? What is that?" This was the first time he had ever encountered or heard mention of a ''wolf crystal''. He exined further,"The wolf crystal allows its user to switch back and forth from their human form to that of a wolf whenever desired." The person offered, "Please pay me a visitter, I shall provide one for you." Shin''s joy knew no bounds when he heard this, as he had long dreamt of being able to transform into a human form. Finally, his desire was within reach, and he could hardly contain his excitement. By no means could he give up this opportunity. "Absolutely!" his expression brightened as he eagerly epted the offer. Afterward, the man sped up his pace, eventually catching up to the other elders and entering a specific building. When making his way through town alongside Mike, Shin couldn''t help but notice that nearly every passerby and building dweller seemed fixated on him, creating an overwhelming sense of scrutiny. A voice gasped, "Look at his fur..." "Damn, look at him. What a cutie!" Although not within earshot, faint whispers carried through the air nheless. Without giving it much thought, he followed suit and joined the others inside the building. Inside therge building, there stood numerous dignitaries and elders. Several long tables draped in white cloth sat side by side, each apanied by matching high-backed wooden chairs arranged neatly around them. Recently vacated, it was clear that those seated had only recently risen from their ces. The head''s personal spokesperson, who was standing by his side, spoke on his behalf, asking, "Is he the one?" Meanwhile, the head, whose face was concealed behind a ck mask, sipped on a ss of wine, his expression inscrutable. Every elder present gave a subtle nod of agreement upon entry. A red glow emanated from the eyes of the masked leader, causing a chill to run down the spines of all those present. The eerie red glow seemed to prate their very souls, leaving them feeling exposed and vulnerable. Despite the unsettling effect it had on the others, the speaker standing next to the leader remained unaffected, betraying no emotion as he continued to speak. Unlike the others, Shin remained still, gazing nkly at the individual with an emotionless expression. The speaker turned his attention to Mike, and praised him saying, "You did well." With that, the speaker dismissed Mike, saying, "Your assignment has concluded; you may return home now." Mike nodded in agreement and rose from his kneeling position, preparing to depart. However, just as he was about to leave, Shin silently mouthed a few words to him, pleading with him to stay. "Wait, don''t go," Shin urged, his expression filled with a mixture of desperation and hope. Upon hearing Shin''s plea, the elders became suspicious and assumed that he was a rebel, as his words contradicted those of the Head. Without hesitation, they raised their voices in protest against Shin, their usations ringing through the air. "How dare you?!" one of the elders bellowed, his voice echoing through the room as he unleashed his dominating aura, something that other elders hadn''t seening, a pressure so big for Shin that it could literally crush him if he tried to resist it. Chapter 428 Drama [2]

Chapter 428 Drama [2]

Chapter 427: Drama [2] Just the sheer force of his presence was so daunting that Shin was immediately ovee with fear. He was forced to the ground, ttened by the overwhelming pressure. Another elder stepped forward, requesting the opportunity to handle Shin''s punishment by dering, "Master, please give me the chance to punish him." ''What the..?!'' ''Why are they behaving this way?'', Shin was confused. The Heavenly Wolf family remained shrouded in secrecy, their location so well-hidden that no other race had ever been granted the privilege of visiting them as guests. After many years, Shin was the first outsider to have been weed into the Heavenly Wolf family, and yet he was met with such hostility and suspicion. It was a disheartening experience for him, and he couldn''t help but feel betrayed by the way he was being treated, despite his eagerness to earn their trust. There could be two possibilities: either they are ignorant or possess hidden objectives. Shin''s irritation grew with every passing moment, his anger smoldering like a volcano, ready to erupt and wreak havoc on everything around him. He knew that his temper could get the best of him if he didn''t control it, and he struggled to keep his emotions in check. In spite of the provocation he faced, Shin managed to rein in his anger, knowing that he needed to maintain hisposure if he was to have any hope of earning the Heavenly Wolf family''s respect and trust. Shin knew all too well that anger was a destructive emotion that could never provide a solution to the problems he faced. Shin hade to the Heavenly Wolf family seeking their help, and he knew that anger would only make the situation worse. Despite feeling frustrated and misunderstood, he knew that losing his cool would only further damage his already fragile rtionship with the family, causing further discord. Noticing the elders exerting influence, the speaker chose to step in and mediate the situation. "Stop." Onemand from himpelled the elders to cease pressing down on him. "You, why do you want to go against my orders?" As the pressure from the Heavenly Wolf family subsided, Shin felt a sense of relief wash over him. With a clearer mind, he responded to their question, hoping to convey his message clearly. "Forgive me, but I''m not familiar with any of you," Shin began, his voice calm and measured. "That''s why I came here seeking help, and having Mike by my side would be incredibly beneficial." Despite feeling nervous and uncertain, Shin spoke with confidence, hoping to convince the Heavenly Wolf family of his sincerity and determination. Following an attentive listen to Shin''s exnation, the speaker paused to reflect on its merits before eventually concurring through a nod of approval at the validity of his points. The head of the Heavenly Wolf family fixed his eyes on Shin, studying him closely for a few more moments. He sat up straight, leaning forward slightly as if to examine something more closely. His eyes seemed to bore into Shin, as if searching for something beyond what was visible on the surface. As he stared deeply into Shin''s eyes, the red glow emanating from them seemed to intensify, sending shivers down Shin''s spine. His eyes seemed to bore into Shin, as if searching for something beyond what was visible on the surface, examining every detail of his being with a supernatural rity that left Shin feeling exposed and vulnerable. Amidst attempting to maintain poise, Shin couldn''t help but tremble slightly under the head''s intense scrutiny. Subsequently, he returned to his original position of ease following a brief period of engaging in a tense re contest. Shin couldn''t help but wonder about the reason behind the head''s crimson gaze. Was it a traitmon in their family, or was there more to it than met the eye? However, he didn''t have much time to ponder on it, as the head''s personal speaker suddenly gestured with his hand. As he did, a luminous object materialized on his palm, shining brilliantly. The item on the speaker''s palm shone with a deep red glow, reminiscent of pulsing blood, and it was captivating to behold. The intensity of its radiance wasn''t blinding, yet it was still enough to make one squint their eyes. "This is the promised item as agreed upon," stated the speaker. It was the Crown of Fire, which was due to belong to Shin, had been brought forth, leaving the elders who apanied him bewildered and taken aback. Elders? were divided into three ranks: High Order, Middle Order, and Low Order. Transfer of ownership of the Crown of Fire was decreed by the High Order, subject to the directives of the Head. This crucial piece of knowledge remained exclusive to the High Order, who alone received instructions from the Head. But the Middle and Low Orders were kept unaware of the significance behind Shin''s visit. Thus, the continuance of his mistreatment could be attributed to them being uninformed about his purpose here. Regardless, when the Crown of Fire was brought out, it stirred up chaos specifically among the Low Order elders. "What the heck?" "For what reason are we giving the Crown of Fire to him?" "Master, may I ask why we are giving such a valuable item to someone as insignificant as him?" One after another, queries arose from the Low Order members, each expressing disapproval towards the notion of offering the object to Shin,cking respite between interrogations. While the Middle Order elders silently watched the unfolding spectacle, amusement yed across their faces. Though they yearned to voice objections like their counterparts, preferring to observe without participation provided a more gratifying experience void of conflict. Amused by the ongoing situation, a member of the Middle Order couldn''t help but think to himself, "This is quite entertaining! I love this drama...," as he yfully tapped his round-framed sses as if fitting them properly as they seemed to slide down a bit, falling any time. Chapter 429 Crown Of Fire

Chapter 429 Crown Of Fire

Chapter 428: Crown Of Fire As Shin''s body became engulfed in a furious inferno, the dancing mes twisted and writhed, casting an eerie glow across the darkened chamber. The crackling sound of the fire echoed ominously, mingling with the gasps and whispers of onlookers. Among the startled crowd, a weathered elder, his face etched with lines of wisdom andpassion, had been a staunch advocate for Shin''s cause. The elder''s eyes widened in horror as he beheld the terrible fate that had befallen the young warrior. Despite his appearance, the elder''s aged body moved with a surprising agility and speed. In a blur of determination, he closed the seemingly insurmountable gap between himself and the engulfed Shin in less than a second. "Boy!" The elder''s voice resonated with authority and urgency as he raised his voice, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on the burning figure before him. With a determined thrust of his right arm, he reached towards Shin, his weathered hand extending like a talon, poised to seize the crown that clung mercilessly to the young warrior. *ZOOM* Suddenly, as the elder''s hand closed in on the fiery crown, a powerful wave of searing mes erupted from its core. The intense heat and force of the st mmed into him with an unyielding ferocity, sending him hurtling backward through the air. ''This...'' Indeed, the elder, a wise and perceptive soul, had already discerned the grim truth. As his body was flung through the air, his mind raced with understanding. The crown had begun fusing with Shin''s very being, bing an inseparable part of him, forbidding anyone else from daring to touch its fiery surface. Indeed, the apanying torment proved excruciating beyond measure for Shin. ''Ha... that wolf won''t be able to withstand the inferno unleashed by an A-tier artifact.'' A chorus of smirks and mocking grins spread among the assembled elders, their ranks primarilyprised of those from the Low Order. Their eyes glimmered with a mixture of superiority and sadistic pleasure, relishing in the spectacle unfolding before them. Yet, among the crowd, a handful of elders from the Middle Order maintained a stoicposure, their expressions carefully masked. Though their faces remained neutral, a spark of intrigue and fascination flickered within their eyes. Secretly, they found themselves captivated by the unfolding drama. In stark contrast to the smirking Low Order elders and the impassive Middle Order members, the High Order elders, distinguished by their regal bearing and wisdom, held deep concern etched across their faces. Their eyes flickered with worry, and an air of solemnity pervaded their presence. To the esteemed High Order elders, Shin was more than just a young warrior engulfed in mes; he was but a mere pup, a child embroiled in a perilous trial. The notion of entrusting such a formidable artifact as the Crown of Fire to one so young seemed, to the rational mind, utterly unthinkable. They understood the Crown''s notorious reputation for inflicting damage not upon the physical body but directly upon the very essence of one''s being¡ªthe soul. Blinded by their unwavering trust in Mike, the High Order elders paid little heed to his suggestion of promising the item. They held him in such high regard that any doubts or concerns about Shin''s safety remained unspoken and unexplored within the confines of their meeting. While they did evaluate the suitability of bestowing such a powerful artifact, the potential risks and consequences to Shin''s well-being remained a ring oversight in their collective deliberations. Enveloped in the aura of Mike''s infallibility, the High Order elders never allowed the thought to cross their minds. His wless track record, untainted by any significant missteps, had bestowed upon him an unwavering trust, rendering his suggestions unquestionable in their eyes. Eyes of doubt, confusion, and disappointment locked onto Mike, the once-trusted advisor. The High Order elders questioned their unwavering faith, realizing the oversight they had made. Contrary to the doubtful gazes fixed upon him, Mike remained resolute, his unwavering conviction unshaken. Deep within, he harbored a profound understanding of the item he had proposed, derived from witnessing Shin''s awe-inspiring transformation into the me Wolf Emperor. Shin''s defensive instincts faded away as he, too, recognized the unwavering faith ced in him. In an instant, his body erupted with transformative power, embracing his me Wolf Emperor form with absolute conviction. An electrifying surge of energy crackled through the chamber, catching the Low Order elders off guard. Their eyes widened in astonishment as Shin underwent a breathtaking transformation, his form expanding and his fur undergoing a mesmerizing shift in color. ''Even with the transformation, it hurts¡­'' In that moment, Shin contemted dispelling the pain by assuming a simr attribute through transformation. Yet, a realization dawned upon him - the torment was not physical, but a deep-seated wound inflicted upon his very soul, as forewarned by the system. *Ding* [The target of the attack is the host''s soul.] Upon hearing this information, Shin swiftlyprehended the situation. ''So transforming won''t help¡­ I see.'' ''Then what am I supposed to do? Bear the pain?'' [Affirmative.] [As soon as the crown binds with the host, the pain will subside.] Amidst his agony, Shin focused on the system''s guidance, realizing the importance of acquiring further knowledge about the crown''s effects. ''Tell me, what is the true nature of this artifact? How will it aid me?'' Shin implored, his voiceced with determination, seeking rity amidst the pain. *Ding* [Question: Does the host want to see the item''s stats?] ''Yes.'' [Command epted.] [Analyzing¡­] [Fetching the item''s stats.] *** [Stats] [Name: The Crown Of Fire] [Rank: A] [ss: Legendary] [Description: A lost crown of the Fire God.] [Effects: 1] Augments the incendiary might of fire-based abilities: magnified by a factor of two. 2] Amplifies the scorching intensity of mes: doubled in temperaturepared to their original state. 3] Bestows a distinct skill: "Rings of Fire" - passive ability enveloping the wielder''s limbs and torso in fiery bands, exclusive to this artifact.] [Additional info: The item will fuse with the body of the host and grow along with the host. Current level of the item: Lv.1] [Item specific mission: Acquire Fire-God Lost Items: 1] Fire God''s Crown [acquired] 2] Fire God''s Armor [pending¡­] 3] Fire God''s Sword [pending¡­] 4] Fire God''s Ring [pending¡­] 5] Fire God''s Gauntlets [pending¡­] 6] Fire God''s Boots [pending¡­] ] *** Chapter 430 Provocation [1]

Chapter 430 Provocation [1]

Chapter 429: Provocation [1] Amidst the throes of pain, Shin''s eyes absorbed the wealth of information about the crown and the mission, prompting a profound contemtion of the uncharted path thaty ahead. Gradually, the relentless burning sensation that consumed Shin began to subside, dissipating bit by bit. The fusion between him and the crown was nowplete, manifesting as a crimson, me-like mark adorning his forehead. It served not only as a visible symbol of their union but also as a harbinger of the untapped power and destiny thaty within Shin''s new form. With an instinctual awareness, Shin realized that he could summon the crown at will, its power readily essible to him. However, as fate would have it, his journey of transformation was far from over. Astonishingly, in a jaw-dropping twist, Shin underwent yet another metamorphosis, surpassing all expectations. The magnitude of this new transformation sent shockwaves through the chamber, leaving even the most seasoned elders in awe-struck disbelief, their eyes fixated on the extraordinary being that stood before them. As Shin''s stature expanded further, his already awe-inspiring visage transcended into a realm of majestic grandeur. Every aspect of his being emanated an undeniable regality, captivating all who beheld him. It was an undeniable presence thatmanded reverence and demanded attention, an undeniable mark of a royal entity that no one could possibly overlook. "me Wolf Emperor?" The High Order elders rose from their seats in unison, their collective astonishment etched upon their faces. Each one of them was ovee with a profound shock, utterly captivated by the sheer presence and magnificence exuded by Shin in his transformed state. ''Uh, what just happened?'' *Ding* [As a result of the integration of the Crown of Fire, your physical structure has undergone reorganization, rendering it sufficiently resilient for the utilization of the item.] ''I see¡­'' Even if he hadn''t undergone the modification, such a reaction was already expected, after all, Shin was indeed a me Wolf Emperor. Unsurprisingly, the reaction of the High Order elders was to be expected, for Shin, as a me Wolf Emperor, had alwaysmanded such respect and admiration. The elders exchanged nces, their eyes shifting between each other and then settling upon Shin. Deep within, an unspoken desire resonated among them - a longing to embrace him and guide him under their collective wings. The unspoken rift between the Low Order and Shin had grown ever wider, for they were acutely aware of the consequences of their misjudgments. The rtionship had soured, and the chance of reconciliation seemed increasingly distant. They knew they fucked up. ''Ah, if only I had known he was a me Wolf Emperor! I would never have acted so recklessly,'' one of the eldersmented, grasping at their hair in a fit of frustration and remorse. Shin stood stoic, devoid of any visible emotion or reaction. ''I''vee too far to back down now,'' the elder dered, releasing his grip on his hair. "You!" "How dare you!?" ''Now what?!'' Startled by the sudden outburst, Shin, deep in contemtion about reverting to his original form, was taken aback by the elder''s raised voice, sensing a tinge of annoyance. Doubt and frustration consumed Shin as he pondered, ''What is he up to now? What kind of pointless situation is he about to create?'' "Why aren''t you expressing gratitude for receiving such an amazing artifact from us!?" the elder questioned, his tone tinged with a mix of expectation and reproach. "You insolent bug!" the elder''s voice boomed, reverberating through the surroundings with an air of indignation and contempt. Unfazed by the elder''s verbal onught, Shin maintained his stoic demeanor, unaffected by the words hurled his way. His unwaveringposure conveyed a resolute indifference, as if the elder''s remarks held no power to perturb him. "And who do you think you are?" the elder''s voice retorted,ced with a mixture of disdain and challenge. "We''ve already forgiven you once, however, you still remain so arrogant." ''Arrogance?'' As Shin locked eyes with the elder, a glint of disdain flickered within his gaze. The faint green light that emanated from his eyes only intensified the silent question that hung in the air: ''Does he even know the meaning of the word?'' "You!!" "How dare you?!" another elder eximed, his voice resonating with a mixture of outrage and disbelief. With each calcted step, the elder approached Shin, emanating an air of unabashed arrogance. He circled Shin, his footsteps deliberate and full of arrogance, repeating the word "punk" with a derisive cadence, as if attempting to diminish Shin''s stature with every utterance. "Punk¡­ punk¡­ punk." "Do you not understand that you are only here because of Elder Nis?" he sneered, pointing directly at the elder who had tirelessly attempted to demean Shin. Shin''s gaze bore into Nis with heightened intensity, a prating stare that seemed to convey a deeper understanding and a silent challenge. ''Tsk, thanks to him? For some reason, these words seem fishy¡­'''' The implications of Nis'' involvement seemed dubious to him, and he couldn''t help but question the authenticity of the elder''s im. ''Keke, that child continues to fixate on him. I wonder how Nis will respond,'' one of the elders pondered, a wry amusement ying across their thoughts. The unfolding dynamics between Shin and Nis had piqued their curiosity, leaving them eager to witness the elder''s next course of action. ''Nis is renowned for his cruelty. Haha, I am eager to witness the extent of the suffering he will inflict upon that insolent brat,'' another elder sneered, a twisted smirk adorning their face as they relished the prospect of witnessing Shin''s torment under Nis'' hands. Atst, Shin resolved to break his silence. "May I inquire as to what the esteemed elder has done to grant this humble individual entry into the kingdom?" Shin inquired respectfully, seeking rification on the actions that had paved the way for his presence. The elder who had been circling him wore a smug grin as he retorted, "Nothing.." "Huh?" "Nothing at all. Didn''t you hear me?" ''What the-'' "HAHAHAHA" A collective eruption ofughter ensued among the Low Order elders as Elder Krone''s words echoed through the air. Their amusement reverberated, filling the space with mocking tones and derisive mirth. Elder Krone, renowned for his knack for fabricating scenarios and his penchant for humiliating others, indulged in the same pattern with Shin, deftly toying with his words to create a spectacle of mockery. Chapter 431 Provocation [2]

Chapter 431 Provocation [2]

Chapter 430: Provocation [2] Shin found himself ensnared in a web of humiliation, his words twisted and manipted to amplify his frustration. He became acutely aware of being a hapless victim, fueling the fire of his anger even more. True to his nature, Shin held a profound aversion to such treatment. The act of being manipted, condescended to, or belittled served as a catalyst for his simmering anger, threatening to ignite a formidable ze within him. "Haha, how pathetic. Did you genuinely believe that you would receive any special rmendation?" the elder jeered, his mocking tone dripping with disdain and a cruel delight in diminishing Shin''s expectations. "Why? Are you someone special?" "Hahaha," Krone''sughter continued, each chuckle fueling Shin''s growing rage until it consumed his rationality entirely. ''That''s enough.'' Shin mustered his resolve to retaliate, his pupils visibly tinged with green, while the whites of his eyes betrayed awork of erged blood vessels, pulsating with fiery intensity. Yet, before Shin had the opportunity to voice his thoughts, another voice resonated through the air, cutting through the tension and directed not towards Shin, but against the very elders themselves. "That''s enough!" In a sudden shift, Shin''s anger dissipated, reced by an expression that seemed to question the very fabric of existence itself, as if pondering the profound mysteries of the world. To everyone''s surprise, it was Mike who broke the silence and raised his voice, causing the dramatic shift in Shin''s demeanor. "What you are doing isn''t right," Mike spoke up, defending Shin with unwavering conviction in his voice. The perplexed elders stood in a state of confusion, grappling toprehend the situation at hand. While Mike might have erred by failing to inform Shin about the intricacies of their realm, it was widely known that he was not one to show disrespect towards the elders. In fact, Mike''s unwavering loyalty and unparalleled dedication surpassed that of many others. His readiness to venture into enemy territory for the sake of their kingdom was a testament to his unwaveringmitment. However, there was another reason behind the prevailing surprise among the elders. As mentioned earlier, Mike was renowned as the most astute wolf within the heavenly wolf family, second only to the Head himself. His exceptional intellect and strategic prowess set him apart from the rest, further intensifying the astonishment among the elders. Hence, the audacity of Mike speaking out against the elder sparked curiosity among the onlookers. Given his reputation for intelligence, they wondered what cunning n or hidden motive might be behind his unexpected challenge. Nheless, Mike, being a close friend of Shin and having a deep understanding of his circumstances, made his decision after careful contemtion. ''Master Shin hase to ask for help.'' ''If Shin causes any trouble due to the elders'' behavior towards him, it could lead to a worse oue for him...'' ''Me on the other hand, if I were to¡­'' As Mike observed Shin growing increasingly impatient and on the verge of erupting in anger, a cascade of thoughts rushed through his mind. ''If I don''t intervene now,'' he pondered, ''the consequences could be far more severe.'' The weight of the decision pressed upon him, intensifying his resolve to take action and defuse the vtile situation. "Seriously, Mike? Is this how you choose to treat your elders?" Krone''s voice dripped with a mix of anger and disbelief as he confronted Mike. His face revealed a hint of frustration, unaware of the profound effect his words had on Shin. The ignorance of Shin''s reaction further fueled Krone''s growing irritation, escting the tension in the room. Mike''s intervention abruptly shattered the barrage of words directed at Shin, rendering them meaningless in an instant. The flow of the conversation came to an abrupt halt, creating a jarring silence that allowed Shin to snap out of his anger-induced haze. The weight of the room shifted, as all eyes turned to Mike, who had effectively disrupted the confrontational atmosphere and given Shin a much-needed moment of respite. Elder Krone seethed with anger as his ns were thwarted by Mike''s intervention. He refused to let go of his grudge against Mike, determined to confront him directly. "Mike, for daring to raise your voice in defense of an outsider, you shall be sentenced to three years of exile," dered Elder Krone, but his promation was immediately challenged by Mike''s master, Elder Lei. "Shut your mouth Krone," amanding voice echoed through the chamber as an elder from the High Order rose to his feet, exerting a powerful presence thatpelled Krone to bow his head, overwhelmed by the pressure. Unyielding, Krone summoned his own aura, fortifying his stance against the immense pressure, refusing to bow under the weight of authority. "M-Master Lei, please ept my sincerest apologies for my insolence. I was unaware of your presence! Please forgive me," Krone uttered with utmost humility, lowering his head to a nearly ny-degree angle. Lei, upon hearing this, found himself at a loss for words. He understood the potential consequences of continuing the confrontation, as it would only serve to solidify his reputation as a senior figure who bullies his juniors. The weight of public perception hung heavily in the air, and Lei knew that preserving his reputation was crucial for maintaining his authority within the High Order. Lei, known for prioritizing his own reputation above all else, was willing to abandon his disciple if it meant preserving his pristine image. He would not allow even a hint of tarnish to besmirch his standing within the order. Casting aside his disciple in this critical moment was a decision he made without hesitation, fully aware of the consequences it would have on their rtionship. But there was one thing Lei couldn''t bear to witness - the mocking of Mike. For Mike was not just his disciple; he was his cherished son, someone he had mentored and cared for deeply. "I-it''s fine." "No, Master Lei, it is far from fine," Krone retorted, his voice dripping with both arrogance and malice. His smirk gave way to a sinister smile as he locked eyes with Lei, reveling in the difort he was causing. Chapter 432 Krone’s Punishment

Chapter 432 Krone''s Punishment

Chapter 431: Krone''s Punishment "Huh?" "How dare your disciple have the audacity to stand up for a mere stranger and speak against his elders?" Krone sneered, his voiceced with disdain and contempt. "Are these the manners you have instilled in him?" "Is this how he behaves?" As those words escaped his lips, whispers rippled through the gathered elders, further intensifying the pressure on Lei. Fury coursed through Lei''s veins, his onceposed demeanor now tainted by the stain of humiliation. He could feel his reputation crumbling before his eyes, igniting a fire of anger within him. ''This humiliation¡­'' As Krone''s piercing words echoed through the room, a tidal wave of anger surged within him. Veins, like pulsating rivers of fire, crawled across his forehead, their once invisible paths now starkly visible. Each vein seemed to writhe and throb with a life force of its own, fueling the intensity of his mounting anger. Lei''s pristine reputation, a bastion of his hard-earned respect, was now under siege. Each blow struck Lei like a thunderous hammer, chipping away at the carefully constructed facade he had built over years of dedication and perseverance. With calcted precision, Krone had chosen an indirect path to inflict maximum damage, manipting the actions of an unwitting pawn, Mike, like a malevolent puppeteer pulling invisible strings. The elders of High Order wielded an iron grip over not just the Middle Order, but also the Low Order, their authority extending like a dark shadow over every level of the organization. Their power, a formidable force, was palpable in every corner of the Order''s domain. Like puppet masters, they skillfully maneuvered the strings of control, orchestrating the movements of those beneath them with a calcted precision. Their influence permeated the very fabric of the Order, an omnipresent presence that left no room for dissent or defiance. While the Middle Order held a semnce of autonomy, it was but a mere illusion, for the elders'' influence flowed like an invisible current, intertwining with every facet of their decision-making. Even the Low Order, seemingly distant from the halls of power, felt the firm grasp of the elders, their choices and actions meticulously guided, ensuring that no one strayed beyond the boundaries set by their hand. Bound by a tumultuous history, marked by animosity and simmering rivalries, Lei and Krone had long stood on opposing sides. Krone, who answered to the powerful Elder Delka of the High Order, recognized this as the perfect asion to drag Lei down from his elevated rank. Lei''s position, higher than that of Delka, fueled Krone''s burning desire to settle old scores, transforming their personal enmity into a weapon aimed directly at Lei''s vulnerable reputation. "My esteemed master," Krone''s voice dripped with contempt, a thinly veiled mockeryced within his words, "it appears that your disciple is sorelycking in proper education. And as for you, my good sir, how little you truly understand.." Krone''s derisive tone grew more venomous as he continued his verbal assault. "Considering your inability to even manage your own disciple, one can''t help but question yourpetence in guiding and mentoring others within the kingdom." The weight of his words hung in the air,den with a mix of scorn and doubt. Krone skillfully weaved his critique, nting seeds of doubt that threatened to undermine the master''s authority. Krone''s provocative words ignited an inferno of rage within Lei, pushing him perilously close to the edge of losing control over his own body. His muscles tensed, fist clenched, ready to unleash a devastating blow upon his tormentor. Yet, just as he teetered on the precipice of violence, a chilling, authoritative voice sliced through the air,manding attention and silencing the gathered elders. "Silence," the Head spoke. The speaker, caught in a state of bewilderment at the elders'' internal strife, was taken aback by the unexpected emergence of the Head''s voice. Their confusion deepened as the figure, whose presence had beenrgely unassuming until now, suddenly wielded their authority with an aura ofmanding surprise. As if by a mystical enchantment, the rampant chaos that had engulfed the hall dissipated into nothingness. No one dared to raise their gaze, for fear of confronting the unspoken wrath that emanated from the unseen authority that had silenced them all. The weight of their disobedience and discord hung heavy in the air, fostering an atmosphere of humility and submission, as they silently acknowledged the consequences of their actions. Krone''s mind raced with the question, ''Why did the master break his silence?'' His eyes trembled with visible unease, betraying his inner turmoil. Raising his head slightly, Krone sought to gauge the Head''s reaction, anxious to discover any signs of anger or other emotions. However, the instant his gaze shifted from the ground, he found himself locked in an intense stare with the Head, who had silently appeared right before him. A chill permeated the air, emanating from the enigmatic figure of the Head, causing a cascade of shivers to course down Krone''s spine. "M-mas¡­" Before he could utter another word, Krone was met with an overwhelming surge of pressure, a force that enveloped him and squeezed with a relentless intensity. It felt as if his body were beingpressed, threatening to reshape him entirely. Beneath the tremendous pressure, the ground beneath Krone''s trembling form began to fracture and splinter, sumbing to the sheer weight of the force bearing down upon him. The once-solid surface crumbled and cracked, like a fragile facade unable to withstand the intensity of the moment. "Arrghhh!" A primal, guttural scream tore through the air, escaping from deep within Krone''s tormented soul. The sheer intensity of his criespelled those around him to keep their heads lowered, unaware of the unfolding torment befalling Krone. Oblivious to his suffering, they remained ignorant of the tumultuous fate that had befallen their fellow elder. In stark contrast, Shin stood as a witness to the unfolding events, his eyes fixed upon the harrowing scene that unfolded before him. ''I can''t believe this¡­'' ''My¡­'' "¡­" Chapter 433 The Vice-Head [1]

Chapter 433 The Vice-Head [1]

Chapter 432: The Vice-Head [1] ''My eyes failed to track his movements¡­'' Shin whispered to himself in disbelief. Despite his unwavering gaze, he hadn''t blinked, yet the Head had vanished from his seat and materialized before Krone, swift as a shadow in the night. ''How fast¡­'' He stood there, rendered speechless, unable to articte the extraordinary swiftness demonstrated by the Head a second ago. "Ple-" ''Please, forgive me,'' desperate and unable to articte his plea, Krone''s voice reduced to a mere whisper. With a silent invocation, he reached out through the realms of telepathy, invading the recesses of his master''s mind - Delka. Regrettably, Delka remained ominously silent, paralyzed by his own fear and self-preservation. Delka could not fathom risking his own life to save his subordinate. The overwhelming desire to see another day eclipsed any semnce of empathy or bravery within him. The instinct for survival seized control, drowning out the faint whispers of duty and loyalty. In the face of the dire situation, Delka chose the path of silence, retreating into a stoic and unyielding stillness. No words escaped his lips, nor did any indication of support or refusal emerge from his guarded countenance. With no other recourse avable, Krone found himselfpelled to beg Nis, his former coborator in the cruel mockery of Shin. Swallowing his pride, he turned to Nis, the very person he had once conspired with, and pleaded for assistance. ''Help me Nis!'' Yet, to Krone''s dismay, a simr response awaited him from Nis. As he approached, Nis briefly raised his head, only to swiftly lower it again in a disy of fear and trepidation. Bound by their past transgressions, Nis remained trapped in the depths of his own fear, choosing silence as his shield against the uncertain consequences thaty ahead. If Delka, crippled by fear, dared not offer aid, it was inevitable that Nis would follow suit. After all, he was quite arrogant because of his master. Despite his valiant efforts to resist, Krone''s resistance proved futile in the face of an insurmountable power differential. As an Elder with a modest level of 274, he stood no chance against the overwhelming might of the Head, whose level towered at an astonishing 898. It was a stark reminder of the vast gap in strength, emphasizing the futility of any attempts to defy or withstand the raw power emanating from an opponent nearly four times his own level. Confronted by the unflinching force and faced with the immense power of the Head, Krone''s will to resist began to crumble like a fragile edifice on the brink of copse. The overwhelming magnitude of the impending attack from the Head threatened to extinguish any flicker of hope, leaving Krone on the precipice of surrender, resigned to the grim reality that survival seemed all but impossible in the face of such overwhelming adversity. In a stunning turn of events, just as Krone teetered on the edge of despair, the Vice-Head, standing a mere ten meters away, vanished from sight in an instant. With unparalleled speed, he reappeared by the side of the Head, bridging the distance in the blink of an eye. A radiant blue aura materialized, enveloping Krone in its ethereal embrace. The radiant aura emanating from the Vice-Head''s intervention disrupted the Head''s intention to escte the pressure on Krone. As the vibrant energy enveloped him, it acted as a formidable shield, pushing back against the Head''s oppressive force. A weighty, nerve-wracking voice resounded through the air, permeating the very essence of the elders'' existence. Its intensity was such that it seemed capable of shaking their foundations to their core. The question "What are you doing?" hung in the air, its ominous tone casting a spell of unease upon all who heard it. The Head''s piercing gaze remained fixed upon Krone, yet the words that escaped his lips were not intended for him. Instead, they were directed at the Vice-Head, whose presence had disrupted the course of events. In response to the Head''s inquiry, the Vice-Head''s voice emerged, resolute and steadfast. Each word carried a weight that reverberated through the air, refusing to be overshadowed. His purpose became clear as he spoke, his stalwart aura persisting in its protective stance. "Preventing you from getting more work. I can''t let you kill an elder." Krone''s tense form gradually rxed, a sense of relief washing over him. Though he kept his gaze lowered, acutely aware of the intense scrutiny fixed upon him, he discerned theforting words that resonated through the air. In the depths of his being, he recognized that it was the Vice-Head who had intervened to save him from his precarious plight. Krone remained frozen in ce, his body paralyzed by an overwhelming mix of fear and uncertainty. Every muscle in his being yearned to move, to break free from the invisible chains that bound him, yet he dared not take even the slightest step forward. The unflinching gaze of the Head, fixated on Krone, abruptly shifted, pivoting with a calcted intensity to lock onto the Vice-Head. The exchange of nces spoke volumes. While the Head reigned as the pinnacle of strength among the gathered elders, it was not to discount the power possessed by the Vice-Head. Standing resolute in his own right, his level soared to an impressive Lv. 866. The room quivered with an unspoken acknowledgment of the Vice-Head''s formidable might, a force to be reckoned with in his own distinct way. Despite the Head''s undeniable dominance, a sense of equilibrium hung in the air, as if the sh between these two powerful entities had momentarily bnced the scales of power. As Shin observed the Vice-Head''s bold opposition to the Head''s actions, a sense of astonishment washed over him. Shin recognized the crucial role a Vice-Head yed in maintaining bnce and order within the hierarchy. The Vice-Head''sposure and ability to quell the Head''s escting temper became strikingly evident, highlighting the need for such a stalwart presence in moments when the Head''s emotions threatened to overwhelm. Chapter 434 The Vice-Head [2]

Chapter 434 The Vice-Head [2]

Chapter 433: The Vice-Head [2] Positioned as the second strongest within the council, the Vice-Head wielded a considerable influence and authority thatmanded respect even in the absence of the Head. The Vice-Head''s unwavering presence would undoubtedly alleviate the burden of governance, enabling smoother decision-making and the seamless execution of policies. In that transformative moment, a realization dawned upon Shin: he was in dire need of a Vice-Head, someone whose strength would rival his own. While Ae, his loyalpanion, possessed her own unique abilities, she did not possess the formidable strength required to fulfill the role of a Vice-Head. To address this, Shin knew he had two options before him: he could dedicate his efforts to training Ae, pushing her limits to unlock her untapped potential, or he could seek out an entirely different individual whose power matched the demands of the position. The Head, consumed by an overwhelming rage, continued to lock eyes with the Vice-Head. Yet, in a sudden shift of events, an unexpected wave of tranquility washed over the Head''s visage. In a mesmerizing disy of control, the Head retreated to his seat, seamlessly gliding across the space with an almost ethereal grace. The weight of his presence settled once more, as if the storm within had abated, leaving a semnce of equilibrium in its wake. With a weary sigh, the Vice-Head extended a hand ofpassion, reaching out to Krone and lifting him up from his fallen state. "T-thank you," Krone stammered, his voiceden with gratitude as he attempted to express his profound appreciation to the Vice-Head for sparing his life and extending mercy in the face of his transgressions. The words faltered on his tongue, his emotions rendering him momentarily speechless, but the depth of his gratitude resonated in his eyes. He saved Krone from certain death "The next time you dare to stir up trouble, I shall ensure your existence bes a living nightmare," the Vice-Head''s chilling whisper pierced Krone''s ears as he attempted to express his gratitude. The words dripped with an ominous warning, a stark reminder of the consequences that awaited should he venture down a treacherous path once more. The Vice-Head''s menacing tone left no room for doubt, imprinting upon Krone''s consciousness the dire consequences that awaited any future transgressions. The Vice-Head''s chilling whisper, intentionally left audible to the high-leveled elders, reverberated through the hall. It was a deliberate choice, a calcted move to ensure that every one of them caught wind of his ominous words. In his wisdom, the Vice-Head sought to imprint asting warning upon their collective consciousness, a deterrent to any who dared entertain thoughts of treading the same path as Krone. The Vice-Head''s message served as a potent reminder that rash actions would be met with merciless retribution. Though his message was intended as a general warning to all, there was an unmistakable emphasis in his gaze directed at Nis. Nis, the instigator of the turmoil that had unfolded, found himself the focal point of the Vice-Head''s chilling admonition. In a seamless disy of ethereal grace, the Vice-Head dissolved into thin air, leaving no trace of his presence. And just as swiftly as he disappeared, he materialized once again, resuming his previous position in close proximity to the Head. The transition was so smooth, it seemed as if he had effortlessly traversed the boundaries of space and time. Side by side, they stood as pirs of authority, their presencemanding respect and demanding adherence to the values and principles of the esteemed order they represented. Fixing his gaze upon Shin, the Vice-Head''s voice resonated with amanding yet inviting tone. "I would like to speak with you privately, I hope youe with me," he stated, his words carrying a sense of gravitas and purpose. His invitation,ced with a blend of authority and respect, awaited Shin''s response, hinting at the potential for pivotal discussions and the forging of an alliance between two formidable forces. The elders refrained from questioning the Vice-Head''s request. Even the Head, with a single word left unspoken, tacitly granted his approval. The weight of their collectivepliance hung in the air, affirming the Vice-Head''s unquestioned influence and the unspoken understanding that his request would not be challenged. In this moment, the unity of the council, forged through a shared recognition of their roles and hierarchy, became palpable, affirming the unspoken power dynamics that governed their interactions. In a breathtaking disy of mastery, the Vice-Head vanished from his original position in the blink of an eye. The air crackled with an electric energy as he reappeared beside Shin, his sudden arrival apanied by a soft gust of disced air. With an air of quiet authority, he stood tall, his hands confidently tucked behind his back. "Let''s go." Caught off guard by the Vice-Head''s sudden appearance, Shin''s eyes widened in astonishment. However, quickly regaining hisposure, he nodded in silent acknowledgment, a gesture of eptance to the Vice-Head''s invitation. Without uttering a word, Shin fell into step behind him, his curiosity piqued by the enigmatic aura surrounding the Vice-Head. Stepping out of the echoing hall, the Vice-Head led Shin on a journey through winding paths and rugged terrain. Their footsteps carved a determined path, traversing an isted and treacherous route. As they ascended higher and higher, the air grew cooler, and thendscape transformed into a panoramic vista of jagged cliffs and untamed wilderness. Finally, they reached a precipice that overlooked a breathtaking abyss. It was a ce of solitude, where nature''s raw beauty shed with the ruggedness of the terrain. The wind whistled through the narrow pass, carrying with it a sense of untamed freedom. Shin''s curiosity burned within him as they journeyed together, their steps guided by the Vice-Head''s resolute direction. In this pause, with anticipation buzzing between them, Shin''s eagerness for answers and guidance intensified. "Uh, is-" Eager to break the thick silence and initiate a conversation, Shin opened his mouth to speak, but his words were abruptly stifled by the Vice-Head''s decisive action. Chapter 435 A Prince

Chapter 435 A Prince

Chapter 434: A Prince Shin''s words caught in his throat as he witnessed the Vice-Head''s sudden and unexpected disy of deference. In a swift and fluid motion, the Vice-Head sank to his knees, his body bowing forward with a profound humility. The weight of the moment hung heavy in the air, leaving Shin in a state of awe and confusion. "Huh?" "Your Highness, thank you for returning," the Vice-Head humbly spoke, his voice filled with sincerity. "¡­" Shin''s head swiveled left and right, his brows furrowing with confusion as he searched for the recipient of the Vice-Head''s words. He turned back, expecting to find someone standing behind him, but to his surprise, the area remained vacant, devoid of any other presence. A perplexed expression crossed Shin''s face as he locked eyes with the Vice-Head, seeking an exnation for this mysterious address. The Vice-Head, still kneeling with humility, met Shin''s gaze with unwavering sincerity. Shin''s mind raced with possibilities, even entertaining the thought that perhaps stealth was at y. Determined to unravel the truth, he activated his All-Seeing eyes. As his eyes scanned the surroundings, every detail became crystal clear. He could discern the slightest movements, perceive the presence of hidden beings, and prate illusions. Yet, to his astonishment, there was no trace of anyone lurking in the vicinity. No concealed figures, no hidden intentions. Shin''s gaze shifted back to the Vice-Head, his curiosity mingling with a hint of uncertainty. He cleared his throat, gathering his thoughts before speaking. "Um, are you by any chance addressing me?" Shin inquired, his voiceced with a mixture of intrigue and a touch of humility. "Yes, Your Highness," the Vice-Head responded, his tone carrying a weight of reverence. "But... why?" Shin''s voice echoed with genuine curiosity, his question punctuated by a blend of intrigue and genuine desire for understanding. The Vice-Head, unwavering in his respect, met Shin''s gaze with a profound sincerity. While ustomed to being addressed with deference due to his name and status, Shin never anticipated that the Vice-Head would extend the same level of respect towards him. Caught off guard by this unexpected disy of reverence, Shin couldn''t help but feel a tinge of surprise mingled with a deepening sense of curiosity. However, the Vice-Head''s choice to address Shin in such a respectful manner went beyond a simple inability to utter his name. There was a deeper underlying reason thatpelled the Vice-Head to adopt this unique approach. "Because you are the heir of King Arnolius," the Vice-Head dered with a resonant voice. Shin''s mind swiftly retrieved the memory of his father''s name, a name that echoed with importance and significance throughout his arduous journey. The repeated mentions by the system and the profound wisdom imparted by the Elf-Celestial had firmly imprinted his father''s identity in his consciousness. However, the revtion that his father was meant to be a king came as an astonishing surprise to Shin. The notion of his lineage being associated with royalty had never crossed his mind. "Wait, wait... my father... he was a king?" Shin''s voice trembled with a mix of surprise and confusion, his disbelief palpable as he struggled to process the startling information shared by the Vice-Head. "Yes, that''s right." ''Then I was a prince all along?'' ''Wait wait¡­'' ''No, this doesn''t make sense¡­'' As the truth began to sink in, Shin''s mind became a storm of conflicting emotions. ''If my father was the king, then why was he killed by mere humans?'' He questioned himself, his confusion deepening as he recalled the tragic deaths of his parents and the countless wolves he had witnessed being ughtered soon after his reincarnation. The pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into ce, raising a haunting suspicion that there was more to his family''s demise than he had initiallyprehended. Countless lifeless bodies strewn across the ground, each one a fallen wolf, all under the reign of his father. It was a chilling realization that his father''s rule had ended in bloodshed, leaving behind a trail of death and despair. If his father had held the title of the King of the Heavenly Wolf Family, it meant that he would have possessed unparalleled strength and power, far surpassing even the current Head. No ordinary arrows or attacks could have brought about his father''s demise. The King of the Heavenly Wolf Family would have possessed an indomitable spirit and formidable defenses, rendering him impervious to such mundane means of destruction. Shin''s mind was filled with confusion, his thoughts swirling in a desperate attempt to piece together the puzzle before him. Yet, despite his relentless efforts, a crucial piece of the puzzle remained elusive, taunting him with its absence. It was as if a veil shrouded his understanding, hiding the missing information from his grasp. Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, Shin mustered the courage to confront the Vice-Head and unravel the truth surrounding his father''s demise. With a firm resolve, he approached the Vice-Head, his voice filled with a mixture of determination and vulnerability. "Your Highness, your father, in a selfless act of valor, willingly sacrificed his powers to protect us¡­" the Vice-Head revealed, his voice resonating with profound respect and gratitude. "Huh?" Shin''s confusion deepened as the Vice-Head dropped such a significant revtion without providing theplete context. His mind swirled with questions, craving aprehensive understanding of his father''s sacrifice. "But what exactly happened? Can you¡ª" Shin''s words were abruptly cut off by a deafening explosion that reverberated through the air, assaulting his eardrums with an overwhelming force. The sound echoed like thunder, threatening to rupture his senses and leaving him momentarily disoriented. "The heck?!" Shin quickly turned towards his left, only to be met with a terrifying sight. A massive fire roared to life, its ferocious mes dancing and consuming everything in their path. The intense heat radiated through the air, scorching his skin and filling the surroundings with a suffocating heat. The crackling sound of the fire mixed with the crackling of debris, as chaos unfolded before his eyes. Chapter 436 Surprise Attack

Chapter 436 Surprise Attack

Chapter 435: Surprise Attack His gaze snapped towards the sky, and his eyes widened in disbelief. A massive hole had ripped through the previously unblemished sky, a jagged tear in the fabric of reality. The echoing crackling sound reverberated through the air as the protective shield that once safeguarded the Heavenly Wolf Family shattered into fragments. It''s copse sent shockwaves through the area, causing the ground to tremble beneath Shin''s feet. "This¡­" "Your Highness, please take shelter." With a sense of urgency in his eyes, the Vice-Head swiftly departed from Shin''s side, seemingly vanishing into thin air as he appeared near the site of the explosion. Meanwhile, the sound of his telepathic voice echoed through the minds of the elders and the Head, alerting them to the dire situation unfolding outside. The elders and the Head, driven by a mix of curiosity and concern, hastily made their way out of the hall, their footsteps echoing loudly in the now tense atmosphere. As they emerged into the open, their eyes widened with shock and apprehension. Before themy a scene of chaos and destruction. Reacting swiftly to the Vice-Head''smand, the elders and the Head sprang into action. A sense of urgency filled the air as they split into two groups, each with a specific mission in mind. The first group,prised of skilled elders, dispersed in all directions, their agile forms darting through the chaos towards the areas affected by the explosion. Their objective was clear - to assess the damage, provide aid to the injured, and contain the spreading mes. Meanwhile, the second group, led by the Head himself, embarked on a search for the culprits responsible for this unforeseen upheaval. They moved with a purpose, their senses heightened, scanning the surroundings for any signs of intruders. Amidst themotion, an elder approached Shin, his expression filled with concern and urgency. "Excuse me." Startled, Shin spun around, his senses heightened as he couldn''t perceive the presence of the approaching person. Curiosity tinged his voice as Shin confronted the unfamiliar elder. "Yes..?" he inquired, his tone indicating hisck of recognition. "I have been assigned to ensure your safety during your stay," the elder stated, his tone resolute and protective. "Would you be willing to apany me?" the elder requested, his voice carrying a hint of urgency and concern. Without suspecting the elder''s intentions, Shin decided to trust him and followed closely, believing it to be the best course of action in that moment. Despite his initial intention to bring Orion and Mike along, Shin discovered that they had already been safely evacuated by other elders, leaving him with no choice but to proceed alone with the current elder. After a brief journey of approximately five minutes, Shin and the elder arrived at a secluded rocky area situated a short distance away from the city. "Truth be told," the elder paused, causing Shin to be taken aback by the sudden halt in their movement, "I was actually assigned to deliver this to you." "This is?" Shin reached out and grasped the stone in front of him, its surface shimmering with a translucent green hue, captivating his attention. "It''s an Emerald crystal," the elder exined. "With this, you can acquire a human form." Shin''s heart raced with anticipation as he heard the news. The desire to experience life in human form surged through his veins, overwhelming him with an exhrating mix of curiosity and longing. He was willing to go to great lengths, even sacrificing some of his hard-earned levels, just to make this dream a reality. With each passing moment, the excitement within Shin intensified. The thought of shedding his supernatural guise and immersing himself in the bustling cities of humanity filled him with an indescribable thrill. He yearned to stroll through the crowded streets, feeling the pulse of life around him, and revel in the simple joys that he had long been denied. The prospect of experiencing the world as his old self once did ignited a fire within Shin''s soul. His imagination ran wild as he envisioned the vibrant tapestry of human existence unfurling before his eyes. Now, in a moment of boldness and determination, Shin seized the opportunity with unwavering resolve. The desire to embrace his humanity burned fiercely within him. "Alright, what do I need to-" Shin''s words trailed off as he was about to inquire about the crystal''s requirements. Suddenly, as if sensing his eagerness, the crystal began to radiate a mesmerizing, vibrant green light. Its luminescence bathed the room, casting an ethereal glow on Shin''s face. Caught off guard, Shin''s eyes widened with astonishment, his heart racing in anticipation of what was toe. He stood transfixed, captivated by the mystical radiance emanating from the crystal. *Ding* [The Transformer Crystal wants to fuse with the host.] [ept/Reject] Without hesitation or doubt, Shin''s resolute spiritpelled him to ept the crystal''s request for fusion. In that pivotal moment, he made a choice that would forever alter the course of his existence. With a determined gesture, he gave his consent, fully surrendering himself to the unknown possibilities thaty ahead.Then Shin''s entire body became suffused with a radiant, luminous green glow. The vibrant light intensified with each passing moment, swirling and pulsating around him in a mesmerizing dance. It radiated a profound energy, hinting at the incredible transformation taking ce within Shin''s very being. In a breathtaking disy of cosmic power, the intense glow surrounding Shin coalesced into a magnificent, shimmering orb of light. The orb pulsed with an otherworldly energy, crackling with hints of untamed magic. As the luminescent sphere expanded, it enveloped Shin, encasing him in its ethereal embrace. Inside the orb, Shin felt a surge of raw energy coursing through his veins, igniting every fiber of his being. For what felt like an eternity, Shin remained suspended within the radiant orb of light, his essence bathed in its otherworldly brilliance. Yet, in the grand tapestry of destiny, five minutes transpired like the fleeting whisper of a summer breeze. As the ethereal light gradually dimmed, the orb began to dissipate, revealing Shin standing tall in his newly acquired human form. Chapter 437 Elder Ros

Chapter 437 Elder Ros

Chapter 436: Elder Ros It was as if he had been reborn, shedding his former self and emerging anew. He could feel the weight of his mortal body, the subtle beating of his heart, and the exhrating rush of breath filling his lungs. With each step he took, Shin embraced the sensation of solid ground beneath his feet, relishing in the sheer delight of being human once more. His silvery white hair cascaded in a mesmerizing wave, reflecting the faintest glimmers of light like strands of moonlit silk. It framed his face in a way that entuated his sharp, chiseled features, making him a vision of captivating allure. But it was his emerald green eyes that truly stole the show. They sparkled like rare gemstones, glistening with a depth that seemed to hold the secrets of ages. Shin''s transformation had left him with skin as wless as porcin, imbued with an ethereal luminescence that glowed softly under the sunlight. Its smooth, pristine texture beckoned the touch of curious fingers, and his radiantplexion seemed to glow from within, giving him an air of enchantment that set him apart from the crowd. Shin possessed the ideal appearance of a shoujo manga male lead: tall, lean, and blessed with six-pack abs. He embodied the perfect bnce of physical beauty and inner strength, leaving asting impression on all who encountered him. *blink blink* Shin''s eyes widened with awe as he gazed upon his newly transformed hands and legs. The delicate, yet sturdy fingers of his hands moved with a newfound grace, while his legs felt strong and steady beneath him. He couldn''t help but reflect on the incredible journey that led him to this moment. The gem of truth, the catalyst of his transformation, had granted him a taste of humanity once again. ''System, did it really work? Can I change to human form any time?'' An anxious anticipation lingered in the air as Shin directed his inquiry to the system, hoping for confirmation that the transformation was permanent and that he could assume human form at will. Yet, to his surprise and disappointment, an eerie silence greeted his question. The system remained unresponsive, withholding any indication of its sess or failure. A screen materialized before Shin, disying only a few cryptic words. The enigmatic message left him with more questions than answers. [System Updating¡­] [Please standby.] ''Huh?'' He couldn''t make sense of its meaning, and a sense of urgencypelled him to seek guidance from the elder. As Shin scanned his surroundings, desperately searching for the elder, an unexpected and powerful blow struck the back of his head with a stunning force. The impact sent shockwaves of pain radiating through his body, overwhelming his senses. Darkness engulfed him as he crumpled to the ground, sumbing to the sudden assault. . . . Step, step, step "Hu-?" As Shin slowly regained consciousness, he felt a profound exhaustion enveloping his body, draining every ounce of his energy. With great effort, he managed to pry open his eyes, only to find himself bound and suspended in the air. His limbs dangled helplessly, secured by unknown restraints, leaving him in a vulnerable and disoriented state. As Shin blinked away the blurriness, his vision gradually sharpened, allowing him to discern the figure standing before him. Despite the dim lighting, he could make out the distinct silhouette of a tall and imposing individual. The figure exuded an aura of darkness, casting an ominous shadow that seemed to envelop the room. Though the details remained obscured, Shin''s instincts told him exactly who he was facing. The name clung to Shin''s tongue like a heavy weight, causing his voice to falter. Each syble struggled to escape his lips, as if something unseen constricted his throat. Through exhaustive effort and a tinge of fear, he managed to utter the name, "Eld-r R-os," in a hushed and trembling tone. The words hung in the air, carrying an undercurrent of unease and trepidation, as if speaking them summoned an ominous presence. Elder Ros, towering in front of Shin, emanated an aura of wisdom and tranquility. A warm, benevolent smile adorned his face, illuminating the room with its gentle radiance. His eyes sparkled with apassionate light, as if he held the secrets of the universe within their depths. In that moment, Elder Ros seemed to embody kindness itself, an embodiment ofpassion that transcended mere mortal existence. As Shin''s gaze shifted, his eyesnded on the sight that sent a surge of realization through his veins. Two cold, unforgiving shackles tightly gripped his wrists, mercilessly suspending his arms from the ceiling. The iron restraints seemed to symbolize his helplessness, their presence a stark reminder of his captivity. Each chain link glinted ominously, casting elongated shadows across the dimly lit room, while the weight of his confinement pressed down on his spirit. A circr metal cor adorned Shin''s neck, its presence reminiscent of a symbol of servitude, akin to that of a roadside ve. Its cold, metallic touch served as a constant reminder of his subjugation, amplifying the feeling of being reduced to mere property. The cor seemed to constrict his very identity, casting a shadow over his once-proud demeanor. Shin''s gaze fixated on Elder Ros, his mind a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. In that moment, amidst the confusion and haze, a flicker of rity emerged. He quickly pieced together the situation, unraveling the truth thaty before him. A surge of hatred coursed through Shin''s veins as he gritted his teeth in disbelief. How could he have anticipated such betrayal from an elder who appeared so benevolent? "There might be many thoughts and emotions clouding your mind, but calm down for now," Elder Ros''s soothing voice resonated in Shin''s ears, its enchanting effect working its magic to pacify his turmoil. To the unsuspecting observer, Elder Ros emanated an aura of serenity and benevolence. His gentle smile and calm demeanor could easily deceive anyone into thinking he was a saintly figure, untouched by the darkness of the world. His presence exuded tranquility, as if he had transcended the realm of violence. Chapter 438 Experiment [1]

Chapter 438 Experiment [1]

Chapter 437: Experiment [1] Elder Ros took deliberate steps forward, his every move drawing Shin''s attention. The creases on Shin''s forehead deepened, disying his growing frustration and defiance. With a firm and unwavering voice, hemanded, "Release me this moment." His unwavering gaze remained fixated on Elder Ros''s extended arm, gradually approaching his forehead with an ominous intent, something that couldn''t be described by mere words. As Elder Ros''s index finger gently made contact with Shin''s forehead, a wave of stillness swept over the room. Time seemed to stand still, and everything around them froze in suspended animation. Shin''s mind struggled to grasp the surreal moment, unable toprehend the mysterious power coursing through his body. The sensation was both electrifying and unsettling, as if the very fabric of reality had momentarily paused. What followed after was... "AHHHHHH-!" Unbearable pain. The intensity of the pain was beyond words, making him want to scream at the top of his lungs. Yet, to his dismay, not even the faintest whimper escaped his lips, trapped in a prison of silent torment. Veins protruded from his forehead and face, entuating the immense pressure and agony he was enduring. His expression contorted with pain, showcasing the tremendous torment he was forced to bear. The initial agony concentrated at a single point in Shin''s forehead, causing an intense throbbing sensation that felt as if his skull was being crushed. But in a matter of seconds, the pain transformed into a surge of electricity coursing through every nerve and fiber of his body. It was as if bolts of lightning were mercilessly striking him from within, sending shockwaves of torment rippling through his entire being The pain that enveloped Shin was beyondprehension, shattering his very soul. Each moment felt like an eternity of torment, as if his existence was being ripped apart at its core. Amidst this ordeal, faint whispers reached his ears, like ethereal echoes cutting through the chaos of suffering. "You poor thing~ Don''t worry, you''ll grow ustomed to it," the whispers echoed in Shin''s ears, dripping with a twisted sense of sympathy. Unlike his previous encounters, the sound of Elder Ros''s gentle voice did not bringfort or sce to Shin. Instead, it amplified his pain, multiplying it by a hundredfold. Each word uttered felt like a searing hot de, piercing through his consciousness and intensifying the torment he was already enduring. As seconds stretched into minutes and minutes stretched into hours, Shin''s senses dulled, leaving him in a state of numbness. The relentless pain, as the elder had predicted, had begun to take its toll on his body. It was as if his nerves were gradually adapting to the ceaseless torment, blurring the line between agony and the functioning of his own mind. With each passing moment, a disturbing dissonance resonated within Shin''s brain, further unsettling his already strained consciousness. Shin believed he had already endured the depths of hell, yet unbeknownst to him, what he had experienced thus far was merely a meager taste, a mere appetizer to the true torment that awaited him. "Time to use the spell. Consider yourself honored, for you are the main subject of this grand experiment, conducted by none other than a Supreme Celestial." In a fleeting moment, a glimmer of madness flickered in Elder Ros''s otherwise calm and gentle eyes, only to vanish in an instant. Elder Ros, observing Shin''s deteriorating state, let out a chuckle that held a hint of concern. "You alright?" he inquired, his voiceced with worry, as he gently rested his palm on Shin''s trembling right shoulder. "Wakey~ Wakey~," Ros yfully eximed, giving a gentle tap to Shin''s forehead, as if urging him to awaken from his distressing ordeal. rity flooded Shin''s eyes, dispelling the haze that had clouded his vision. Gasp! Shin''splexion turned ghostly pale, resembling a lifeless corpse. He struggled to catch his breath, gasping for air as if he had just been revived from the brink of death. He instinctively reached out to activate the system, only to be met with a shocking realization... [Updating...] "WA...?" "Judging by your expression, it seems your little trick didn''t quite work out as nned, did it?" "You poor soul... I can''t help but feel a sense of pity for you," Elder Ros said, his voice carrying an unsettling tone that seemed to have a maniptive effect on one''s mentality. As Elder Ros''s gentle voice reached Shin''s ears, an inexplicable fear began to grip him tightly. His heart raced within his chest, pounding like a drum, and his throat felt constricted and parched. Trembling lips betrayed his attempts to speak, but no words escaped them, leaving Shin trapped in a voiceless state of terror. "Rest for today," Elder Ros dered as he turned to leave the room. Surprisingly, Shin found a sense of calm wash over him in response to the elder''s words. It was as if the weight of the torment he had endured was momentarily lifted, allowing him to breathe a little easier. As the night wore on, Shin found himself unable to find a moment of respite. Sleep eluded him, his mind consumed by the relentless torment he had endured. The hunger that gnawed at his stomach only served to amplify his weakness. Lying on the cold, hard floor, Shin felt each passing minute stretch into eternity. Every creak of the wooden beams, every gust of wind, seemed to mock his suffering. The pale moonlight filtering through the small window provided little sce, casting eerie shadows that danced around the room, adding to his sense of unease. He tried to findfort in the darkness, closing his eyes and willing himself to sleep. But every time he shut his eyes, vivid images of the excruciating pain shed before him, as if they were etched into his very being. His body trembled with exhaustion, and yet the sleep he so desperately needed remained elusive. Unable to eat, unable to sleep, Shin''s weakened state only served to further drain his already depleted energy. Chapter 439 Experiment [2]

Chapter 439 Experiment [2]

Chapter 438: Experiment [2] Each passing hour felt like an eternity, as he battled against his own physical and emotional limitations. It was a night of profound suffering, a night that tested his endurance to the core. In the midst of his weakened state and sleep-deprived agony, Shin''s stomach let out a low, rumbling growl, a reminder of his gnawing hunger. The echoing sound of footsteps reached his ears once again, growing louder and more distinct with each passing moment. "Is everything okay? You seem out of sorts. Is something here making you ufortable? You can tell me freely.." Elder Ros observed, his voiceced with a hint of concern. His gentle smile persisted as he leaned closer to Shin, their eyes locked in an intense gaze. The close proximity made Shin''s difort grow, as if Elder Ros was peering deep into his soul, unraveling his innermost thoughts. With a soft "Hmm," Elder Ros ced his palm gently against Shin''s quivering lips. In an instant, a surge of energy flowed into Shin, filling him with a cool, revitalizing sensation. The fatigue that had weighed him down vanished, reced by a renewed vigor and rity. As the energy coursed through his body, Shin felt a refreshing coolness enveloping his stomach, dispelling his hunger and leaving him feelingpletely revitalized. The infusion of energy brought rity to his mind and restored his strength. Elder Ros withdrew his hand, a knowing smile gracing his lips. "There, now you should feel better," he reassured Shin, his voice soothing andforting. "Why... are you doing this?" Shin''s voice, though still weak, took on a darker tone, resonating with a touch of suspicion. The energy surging through his veins had revived his body, but it had also awakened a newfound sense of defiance within him. "For your crown of fire." Elder Ros stated in a straightforward manner, his gaze unwavering. However, before Shin could interject, the elder continued with an unsettling undertone. "But obtaining your crown is merely a secondary objective, one that aligns with my own interests. The primary goal is to mold you into a sessful guinea pig. Doesn''t that sound absolutely wonderful?" A shiver ran down Shin''s spine as he heard those two specific words, an ominous feeling settling within his heart. "Guinea pi- AHHHHHHHHHH!" Before Shin couldplete his thought, Elder Ros''s index finger made contact with his forehead, triggering another round of excruciating pain. It was as if an icy grip had seized his entire being, streams of anguish surged through his frame, coursing in pulses of agony throughout his body. It was time for another "appetizer." "Oh, you''ve regained consciousness?" As Shin mustered all his strength to turn his head towards the source of the voice, his blurry vision slowly cleared, revealing the face of none other than Elder Ros. The sight of the elder''s visage, once gentle and kind, induced goosebumps all over Shin''s flesh. "How amusing¡­" "All of your senses haven''t gone numb yet. Can you speak?" The words carried a demanding tone, urging Shin to find his voice and respond. Like a fragile whisper, Shin''s voice trembled with vulnerability as he managed to utter a single word that encapsted his confusion and anguish. "W-why?" Every fiber of Shin''s being screamed in protest as he attempted to shift even the slightest bit. It was as if a thousand sharp needles pierced his flesh with each movement, tormenting him mercilessly and reminding him of his helplessness. "Ah, you really shouldn''t attempt to move right now," Elder Ros cautioned, his voiceced with concern. Despite the warning, Shin''s innate determination pushed him to defy the pain and make an effort to move, even knowing the consequences it would bring. With every agonizing inch he managed to shift, a searing wave of torment shot through his body, causing him to grit his teeth and clench his fists in a desperate attempt to endure. "Tch, well, don''t waste my time," Elder Ros scoffed dismissively. "The first stage of the experiment isplete. We will move on to the second stage. You can rest tonight; the second stage willmence tomorrow." His tone was devoid of anypassion or empathy, betraying his sole focus on the progress of the experiment. The mere thought of enduring further trials filled him with a mix of anxiety and despair, amplifying his desperate need for respite. With an air of detachment, Elder Ros delivered his final words and briskly walked away from the room, leaving Shin alone with his thoughts. Shin''s gaze followed Elder Ros''s retreating figure, a mixture of resentment and determination flickering in his eyes. Ten long and agonizing days had psed since the harrowing "experiment" hadmenced. In the depths of his confinement, Shin had be intimately acquainted with suffering in all its relentless forms. Just as he began to believe that his body had grown ustomed to the pain inflicted upon it, a cruel twist of fate would introduce even greater torment or unleash a new method of agony upon his weary form. The cycle of anguish had be his grim reality, an unyielding reminder of the depths of his captor''s cruelty. Each passing day felt like an eternity as Shin endured unimaginable torment, his body a canvas upon which pain was etched with every passing moment. Shin found himself teetering on the precipice of an endless abyss, where darkness stretched out before him, swallowing his every sense. It was as if he had been cast adrift in a boundless void, devoid of any reference points or guiding light. His identity as Shin was getting lost within the endless void... "No! I... I am Shin! I have friends who rely on me, a n that believes in me! I will not let them down! I''m Shin! I''m Shin! I''m..." "Master Shin!" ''Deoras?!'' In the depths of the void, Shin''s eyes widened in disbelief as a familiar figure materialized before him. It was none other than his loyalpanion, the wolf spirit that had been by his side throughout his journey. Chapter 440 Torture [1]

Chapter 440 Torture [1]

Chapter 439: Torture [1] "Deo-!" ''Kill him.'' "Wha-?" ''Kill him.'' The once unyielding shackles that held Shin''s arms disintegrated into a cloud of shimmering dust, freeing him from their confining grip. "Master! I''vee to rescue you! Let''s run master!" ''Kill him.'' The fine particles of dust transformed into a sleek, obsidian dagger, glinting ominously in the dim light. Its sharp edges seemed to emanate a foreboding aura, a tool that held both potential danger and newfound hope. ''Kill him'' As if under some mysteriouspulsion of the voice, Shin''s arm extended forward, his fingers curling around the hilt of the dagger. His body moved with an eerie determination, as if guided by an invisible force, propelling him towards Deoras with each deliberate step. ''Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.'' ''No! I won''t!'' In the midst of his resolute advance, a sudden stillness overcame Shin. The aura of deadly intent that had begun to emanate from his being vanished in an instant, as if snuffed out by an invisible hand. His body stood frozen, suspended in an uncertain moment. In that profound silence, the voice within Shin''s head ceased to exist. It was as if the threads of control that had bound his thoughts and actions were finally severed, granting him a taste of liberation. "Deoras!" Shin''s voice echoed through the chamber as he sprinted towards Deoras. "Master! Let''s get out of here!" Shin gritted his teeth. He knew that their escape would be a gamble, but the prospect of leaving behind the torment and agony of the past ten dayspelled him to take the risk. However, a concern creased his brow as he looked at Deoras. ''How did he evene here?'' Shin wondered, his mind racing to understand the situation. It was baffling to see Deoras in this ce, and he couldn''t fathom the circumstances that led to his presence. As Shin observed Deoras intently, a sense of frustration washed over him. His reliance on the system for information and analysis had been hampered by the ongoing update. "Deoras, how in the world did you manage to enter this ce? Did you find a hidden passage?" Shin''s voice was filled with a mix of curiosity and urgency as he sought answers from his loyalpanion. "Yes, master," Deoras nodded in affirmation. The room remained cloaked in darkness, but Shin''s determination allowed him to navigate his way out. As he stepped outside, a sight awaited him that sent a shiver down his spine. The scene before Shin resembled a nightmarish dungeon, reminiscent of the eerie houses depicted in horror movies from his previous life. The dimly lit corridors and flickering lights created an atmosphere of dread, as if the very walls held secrets and lurking terrors. Despite the spine-chilling environment, Shin mustered his courage, determined to navigate this terrifying maze and find a way to freedom. Whatpounded the already harrowing scene was the suffocating aura of dark energy that emanated from the very walls themselves. Deoras''s confident stride continued, leaving Shin puzzled and apprehensive. ''Won''t we get caught?'' Shin''s trust in Deoras outweighed his fears. Desperation for freedom consumed him, fueling his determination to escape the torment he endured for the past ten days. He had reached a breaking point and would do anything to avoid reliving those agonizing moments ever again. Deoras abruptly halted, his hand rising in amanding gesture. As he tightly clenched his palm, the empty air before him seemed to warp and distort. In a blink of an eye, intricate ck lines interconnected, giving shape to numerous squares that materialized in the air. Shin''s vision plunged into darkness, engulfing him in an abyss of void. Yet, just as quickly as it vanished, the darkness dissipated, allowing his sight to return in an instant. "Where is this..?" Before him stood a chamber crafted from weathered stones, exuding an aura of ancient wisdom. The intricate carvings adorned the walls, telling tales of a bygone era. The staircase stretched before Shin, each step crafted in the likeness of legendary beasts: fearsome gargoyles, majestic dragons, regal phoenixes, and countless other mythical creatures. The meticulous attention to detail made them appear alive, as if frozen in time, ready to leap into motion at any moment. "Where are we?" Shin''s voice resounded through the chamber, but Deoras remained silent, his gaze focused ahead. "Deoras?" In an instant, Deoras spun around, his expression contorted into a sinister grin. The dim light cast eerie shadows across his face, entuating the malevolence in his eyes. It was as if a switch had been flipped, revealing a side of Deoras that Shin had never seen before. The twisted grin seemed to stretch unnaturally, revealing sharp teeth that glinted in the dim light. "Master~ I''m sorry." "Hu- Gasp!" As Shin gasped for air, a single drop of spit flew from his mouth, glistening in the dim light before gravity imed it. The tension in the air grew heavier, and Shin''s mind raced to connect the dots. The truth became clear: Deoras had turned against him. Understanding crashed into Shin, causing his eyes to widen in sheer disbelief. His mind struggled toprehend the magnitude of the betrayal before him. ''Has Deoras truly grown stronger, or is it merely due to my weakened state? That shouldn''t be the case¡­'' "Wee to your new home, Master," Deoras'' voice echoed from behind. Startled, he turned around only to find Deoras standing there with an unsettling grin. The sudden appearance and disappearance of his trustedpanion added an eerie twist to the already mysterious surroundings. It was as if Deoras possessed a supernatural ability to manipte space and time, leaving Shin to question the true nature of his loyal wolf. Deoras'' sharp ws pierced through Shin''s leg, tearing through flesh and sinew with a sickening sound. Agonizing pain shot through Shin''s body as blood gushed from the wound, staining the ground crimson. Each heartbeat intensified the throb of pain, reminding him of the excruciating torment he had endured just moments ago. The physical pain, though intense, paled inparison to the mental anguish he had suffered during his captivity. Chapter 441 Torture [2]

Chapter 441 Torture [2]

Chapter 440: Torture [2] "Deoras!" Shin''s voice trembled with a mix of disbelief, anger, and betrayal. In that moment, the foundation of trust he had built with Deoras shattered into a million pieces. Every memory, every shared moment, now felt like an illusion, a cruel facade. The person he thought he knew had turned into a stranger, and the world around him felt distorted and unreal. "Why!" Shin managed to muster the words, his voiceced with a mix of pain and anger, seeping through his clenched teeth. Each syble was a struggle, as if forcing out the question would somehow alleviate the betrayal that had unfolded before him. "Can''t you see? Are you blind?" His eyes bore into Deoras, seeking understanding that seemed to elude him. "The one behind Elder Ros is a force beyond yourprehension, a being infinitely more powerful and superior. You think you, a mere creature, can stand a chance? Dream on!" The words dripped with mocking contempt, a stark contrast to their once loyal and supportive tone. "D-Deoras!" The anguished cry tore through the air, reverberating with desperation. Time seemed to slow down as Deoras ruthlessly ripped apart Shin''s leg, exposing the raw and gory scene of shattered bones, torn flesh, and spurting crimson. Agonizing pain shot through Shin''s body like a lightning bolt, contorting his features into a mask of torment. The once pristine floor now transformed into a nightmarish canvas, painted in shades of scarlet. With a primal instinct for survival, Shin mustered every ounce of strength to bnce his trembling body on his remaining leg. Clutching the dagger tightly, his bloodshot eyes scanned the room, searching for his elusive adversary. But Deoras, like a wraith in the night, had vanished without a trace. A searing pain tore through Shin''s back as a deep, bloody gash appeared, courtesy of Deoras''s ruthless assault. The room echoed with a symphony of agonized gasps, drowning out any hope of respite. The desperation surged through Shin''s veins as he felt his life force draining away with each passing moment. ''At this rate, I''ll die out of blood loss! I have.. I have to survive! I need to return to my n.'' It seemed like there existed a telepathic link between Deoras and Shin. As if reading Shin''s mind Deoras replied back. "Your n? It''s long destroyed. Your n members, most of them are dead. I specifically left some alive so that you can see them getting tortured. Fantastic right?" Deoras''s voice echoed through the chamber, dripping with sadistic satisfaction. The words struck Shin like a bolt of lightning, shattering hisst shred of hope. His n, once a pir of strength and unity, now reduced to ashes and despair. The faces of hisrades shed before his eyes, their voices echoing in his ears. The weight of their suffering bore down on him, a crushing burden he could not escape. "Deoras!" Shin''s voice cracked, strained from the excessive screaming. His vocal cords were raw, and the agony reflected in his bloodshot eyes. Crimson tears streamed down his cheeks, mingling with the blood that dripped from his wounds. "Scream! Scream! Scream as loud as your shattered voice can muster! It won''t change a thing, you pathetic insect! A poor creature who couldn''t even protect his own n!" "You''re not even an ant in the presence of the Supreme Celestials. You are but a speck of dust, an insignificant being," Deoras taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. As Shin lunged forward, desperate to strike Deoras, the cruel entity vanished once more, leaving Shin to swing his fist through empty air. By now, Shin''s body was covered in a tapestry of bloody scratches, resembling gruesome strokes of a macabre painting. The wounds oozed with crimson streams. In a final act of exhaustion, Shin''s trembling body sumbed to gravity''s relentless pull, crashing heavily onto the unforgiving ground. His limbs quivered with the remnants of fading strength, as if protesting against the overwhelming fatigue that had consumed him. Deoras twisted his lips into a sadistic smile, relishing in the agony that he was about to inflict. With a cruel determination, he sank his razor-sharp teeth into Shin''s already mangled leg, applying a merciless force that crushed bone and ruptured flesh. Groans of agony escaped Shin''s lips as Deoras mercilessly dragged his battered and broken body across the cold, unforgiving floor. Each movement sent shockwaves of excruciating pain coursing through his veins, intensifying with every passing moment. The relentless blood loss, coupled with the myriad injuries he had sustained, pushed Shin to the brink of consciousness, his mind sumbing to the overwhelming torment. As his world faded into darkness, he could only hope for relief from the relentless suffering. Step, step, step! "Hmm, excellent," Elder Ros mused, a sinister gleam in his eyes. "His state of mind is in a choice form. Let''s stir up the situation even more." With deliberate slowness, he extended his arm, his palm hovering a mere inch away from Shin''s pallid, blood-stained face. A wicked surge of dark energy emanated from Elder Ros''s palm, tendrils of malevolence snaking towards Shin''s face with an unholy fervor. It targeted his forehead, the very core of his being, as if seeking to prate his mind and soul. "Hmm, in due time his mind shall crumble, consumed by the depths of darkness. By that time we can start the true experiment, the final stage." Elder Ros murmured with a chilling calmness. The anticipation in his voice was palpable, a prelude to the impending descent into the abyss. The weight of his words hung in the air, like a grim omen heralding the arrival of the true experiment, the culmination of their twisted desires. Shin''s dreams morphed into a living nightmare, a twisted realm where the line between reality and delusion blurred. Every slumber became an ordeal, a torment of horrors that infiltrated his subconscious. The once vibrant memories that defined his existence grew hazy, their edges dulled and their significance fading into oblivion. Chapter 442 Void [1]: Aella

Chapter 442 Void [1]: Ae

Chapter 441: Void [1]: Ae Shin''s mind became a destendscape, stripped of its vitality and ensnared in the clutches of a merciless darkness. "You''lle to appreciate my efforts in sculpting you into perfection. You''ll just have to pay the price." *** "Y-your highness-! Save me-!" A desperate, trembling voice echoed in Shin''s ears, piercing through the haze of his consciousness and jolting him awake. His eyes snapped open, wide with a mixture of confusion and urgency. "Wh-o?" Shin''s voice trembled as he uttered the question, his eyes drawn to the horrifying sight before him. In front of him, a small female wolfy on the ground, her body shackled with chains that dug into her flesh. Blood pooled around her, staining the floor with a gruesome reminder of the brutality she had endured. All four of her paws were brutally cut, leaving them mangled and lifeless. The scene was a chilling disy of suffering and despair, and Shin''s heart clenched at the sight. Shin''s lips parted once more, ready to voice his question, but a searing wave of pain crashed through his head, engulfing his senses. The intensity of the headache was so immense that it felt like his skull was being squeezed in a vise. He clutched his head, his fingers trembling as he tried to endure the torment coursing through his mind. The pain was overwhelming, threatening to swallow him whole and leaving him unable to form coherent thoughts or utter a single word. "Ae?" Shin finally managed to utter her name, his voice filled with a mixture of surprise and concern. But as he said her name, an unexpected surge of anger surged within him, rising like a furious volcano ready to erupt. To his astonishment, Shin realized that his body was miraculously unscathed. There wasn''t a single trace of the brutal injuries he had sustained moments ago. His decapitated leg, which had been a gruesome sight, was now fully restored, whole and functioning as if nothing had happened. It was a baffling sight, defying all logic and understanding. Shin''s gaze fell upon a glinting dagger embedded firmly in the ground, its hilt beckoning to him. It seemed to emanate an aura of ancient power and resilience. The sight of the dagger sparked a surge of determination within Shin, as if it held the key to his salvation and the means to protect those he cared for. ''TORTURE HER! KILL HER! TORUTRE HER! KILL HER!'' A chilling darkness seemed to engulf Shin''s being as his body moved mechanically, devoid of any trace of his former self. His eyes, once filled with warmth andpassion, now reflected a hollow emptiness. The sinister whispers echoed relentlessly in his mind, urging him tomit heinous acts. His arm extended, the grip on the dagger tightening with an unnerving precision. Step by step, he approached Ae, his movements eerily calcted. However, in the midst of his mechanical approach, a glimmer of rity flickered in Shin''s eyes. It was as if a veil had been momentarily lifted, allowing a glimpse of his true self to resurface. His grip on the dagger faltered, and a surge of inner strength began to push against the puppet strings that controlled his every move. "What... What is this overwhelming killing intent?" In a mere second, the suffocating aura that had engulfed Shin dissipated, but its impact remained etched in his very soul. The sheer magnitude of the malevolence left an indelible mark on his consciousness. "Ae!" Shin hurried toward her voice filled with gratitude and impatience, his hand tightly gripping the sword, poised to sever the chains that held her captive.? But.. ''KILL HER'' Spurt! "NOOOOOOO!" With a surge of willpower, Shin managed to regain rity at thest moment, allowing him to redirect the trajectory of the sword. However, despite his efforts, the de grazed Ae''s shoulder, causing a searing pain and fresh blood to flow from the wound. The sword had lodged deeply into Ae''s shoulder, causing excruciating pain and the flow of blood intensified. Shin realized that forcefully removing the sword could result in even more blood loss, risking Ae''s life. He carefully assessed the situation, contemting the best course of action to minimize further harm. "Ha-!" Exhausted and overwhelmed with despair, Shin''s body copsed to the ground. Hey there, his gaze fixed on Ae, a mixture of anguish and helplessness etched on his face. Every fiber of his being ached, both physically and emotionally, as he struggled toprehend the dire circumstances surrounding them. "No! She''ll die at this rate! I have to do something!" Shin''s determination surged within him, overriding his exhaustion. With a burst of adrenaline, he forced himself back onto his feet. His trembling hands swiftly essed the system, desperate for any information or solution that could save Ae''s life. Yet, as he frantically searched, his heart sank at the realization that the system remained unresponsive and offered no guidance. [System Updating...] "You damned thing! Work already! Stop updating! I beg of you!" Shin''s voice cracked with desperation as tears mixed with blood flowed from his bloodshot eyes. His cheeks were streaked with blood, crimson tears streaming down his face. Desperate to save Ae, Shin''s heart sank as he witnessed dark energy coiling around her fragile form. Helplessness engulfed him, as he realized the cruel fate that awaited her. As soon as the dark energy enveloped her, piercing screams of agony ripped through the air, reverberating in the room. Each cry was a piercing stab to Shin''s heart, fueling his determination to free her from this torment. "Ae!" "How does it feel, master? To know that someone is suffering so terribly because of you," "Every scream, every ounce of pain she endures, it''s all because of your failures. Enjoy the agony you''ve brought upon her." "Deoras, you heartless bastard! Stop this torment at once!" He recognized the voice that taunted him, the voice that reveled in the suffering of others. "Master~ Are you despairing~" Deoras''s twisted voice dripped with sadistic pleasure. Chapter 443 Void [2]: Deoras

Chapter 443 Void [2]: Deoras

Chapter 442: Void [2]: Deoras "I beg of you! Stop this at once!" "Master~ If you desire, you can release her from this torment. This dark energy will slowly deteriorate her body, prolonging her suffering even after death. However, if you take her life with that dagger, her soul will find release and disintegrate naturally. The choice lies in your hands." Deoras''s voice dripped with sadistic temptation, leaving Shin with a heart-wrenching decision. "You bastard! Stop this shit!" However, Deoras remained ominously silent, his twisted grin stretching wider across his face. His eyes gleamed with a dark and wicked delight, leaving Shin to face the unsettling uncertainty of what Deoras had nned next. The air grew heavy with tension, as if time itself had frozen in anticipation of the impending chaos. The silence only deepened the sense of dread and impending doom, leaving Shin paralyzed with fear and indecision. Shin, consumed by anger and desperation, lunged towards Deoras with all his might, ready to unleash his fury. But to his bewilderment, his body passed through Deoras as if he were a mere apparition. It was as if Deoras had be intangible, a ghostly presence that defied thews of the physical realm. Shin''s fists clenched, his frustration mounting as he realized that his enemy was toying with him, always staying one step ahead. Ae''s agonized screams pierced the air, reaching Shin''s ears with unbearable intensity. "Deoras! I beg of you! Please!" Each cry seemed to rip through Shin''s soul, fueling his determination to end this torment and save her from further suffering. Seconds stretched into agonizing minutes, which in turn transformed into seemingly endless hours. Time itself seemed to slow down, dragging on with excruciating weight as Shin stood there, paralyzed by the unfolding horrors before him. The seconds ticked by with torturous slowness, amplifying the intensity of the moment and magnifying the gravity of the situation. "Master, it''s time. End her suffering. Her body is on the verge of disintegration," Deoras whispered. The weight of the decision pressed heavily upon Shin''s shoulders, as he stood there, torn between mercy and the unbearable agony of witnessing Ae''s torment. The room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by Ae''s anguished cries, pleading for release. ''Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her.'' Shin''s palm trembled uncontrobly as it reluctantly approached the hilt of the dagger. His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, but amidst the chaos, one thought remained steadfast: to end Ae''s suffering. Despite his own pain and inner turmoil, he mustered thest vestiges of strength to take those staggering steps towards Ae, driven by a desperate desire to grant her a respite from the unbearable torment. "If I was going to do this before, why didn''t I? Why did she have to suffer so much¡­" These words echoed relentlessly in Shin''s mind as he raised the dagger and, with a trembling hand, swiftly brought it down, severing Ae''s neck. ''Why...? Why did it turn out like this¡­'' *** Days turned into a bleak eternity as Shin sat by the lifeless bodies of Kira, Alira, Terran and Arzoo ¡ª his parents from his previous life. The weight of anguish and guilt bore heavily upon him as he performed the gruesome ritual of repeatedly ending their lives. Each time he plunged the dagger into their chests, his heart shattered a little more. Shin''s eyes were bloodshot from endless tears, his soul consumed by a relentless cycle of torment and remorse. As Shin''s gaze fell upon the lifeless forms of his parents, his once-bright emerald eyes had faded, drained of their luster. The vibrant spark that once resided within them had been extinguished, leaving behind a hollow emptiness. His mind, burdened by the weight of unimaginable grief, was now a fragmented mosaic of fading memories. Each passing moment eroded the vivid recollections of his loved ones, leaving behind only fragmented fragments of their existence. His emotions, once vibrant and alive, nowy dormant, their intensity dulled to a mere flicker. Shin stood there, lost in a void where joy, sorrow, and everything in between had be distant echoes. "Who are they?" As Shin''s mind wandered through the corridors of his fragmented memories, he found himself trapped in a paradoxical state of heightened perception and faded recollection. His senses had be finely tuned, capturing even the most fleeting of details in the world around him. Every sound, every scent, every glimpse of movement registered with unparalleled rity, etching itself into his consciousness. Yet, when it came to the memories of his past, they seemed shrouded in a dense fog, their vibrant hues muted to shades of gray. The faces of loved ones, theughter and tears shared, the cherished moments that once danced vividly in his mind now appeared distant and elusive. It was as if the threads of his personal history had been gently frayed, leaving him with mere fragments of a once vibrant tapestry. In this paradoxical state of sharp yet dull perception, Shin''s present was crystal clear, while his past remained locked behind an imprable veil. Deoras materialized before Shin, his malevolent presence radiating through the air. In the past, Shin''s instincts would have driven him to attack without hesitation, to avenge the pain and suffering inflicted upon him. But now, something had changed within him. Instead of a surge of anger and vengeance, a strange calmness washed over him, tempering the fire that once burned within. He stood there, observing Deoras with a detached gaze, his eyes mirroring the weight of countless battles fought and losses endured. It was as if the storms of turmoil within him had subsided, leaving behind a solemn eptance of his circumstances. The transformation was palpable, for the mes of his former self had been quelled, reced by an eerie serenity that hung heavy in the air. His body was heavy with exhaustion, as if burdened by the weight of his experiences. In that moment, facing his tormentor, Shin found himself at a crossroads where defiance and defeat coalesced into an unsettling stillness. For now, he remained rooted in ce, a silent sentinel in the face of Deoras'' presence. Chapter 444 Rewards For System Update

Chapter 444 Rewards For System Update

Chapter 443: Rewards For System Update Deoras wore a twisted smile upon his face, and in response, a pitiful grin crept across Shin''s bloodstained lips. In the blink of an eye, his body shattered into countless fragments, unleashing an eternal darkness that swallowed everything in its path. Yet, rather than fear, Shin felt a peculiar attraction to the abyss. Compelled by an unseen force, he embarked on a relentless march, each step drawing him deeper into the abyss''s embrace. As he traversed the expanse of darkness, time seemed to stretch into an eternity. It felt as though countless centuries slipped away, leaving Shin adrift in an unending void. But just when hope seemed lost, a glimmer of golden light pierced through the shadows, beckoning him forward. With each cautious stride, the golden radiance enveloped Shin''s wounded form, cradling him in a warm embrace. The weight of his burdens began to dissipate, reced by a newfound serenity. Finally, as the golden light fully engulfed him, it brought an end to the torment, granting Shin the sce he had long sought. *** "I''m... Shin." "All of that... ...Was a... ...Illusion... Wasn''t it..." Shin''s once-clouded eyes regained their rity, as if a dense fog had dissipated. It was as though a long-lost key had finally unlocked the doors to his forgotten past. With a determined focus, he closed his eyes, plunging into the depths of his consciousness where fragments of memoriesy scattered like shards of a broken mirror. His sharpened intellect, honed by the darkness he had endured, embraced the challenge of piecing together the shattered remnants. Hours stretched on as Shin''s determination and focus intensified. He delved deep into the recesses of his mind, grasping at fleeting glimpses and fragmented recollections. The shattered pieces of his memories, once disjointed and fragmented, now began to interlock, forming a coherent narrative. It was as if he was rewinding a video, watching the scenes unfold in reverse, each frame revealing a piece of his forgotten history. Though not without ws, the process bore fruit. After what felt like an eternity, Shin emerged from thebyrinth of his memories, having meticulously arranged the pieces of his shattered past. Though some gaps remained, he had managed to reim ny-five percent of his forgotten experiences. "Now what?" *Boooom* In an instant, the tranquil surroundings were consumed by a raging inferno. Tongues of fire danced hungrily, devouring everything in their path. The very air crackled with the intensity of the ze, as if the mes themselves sought to cleanse the darkness that had gued the ce. Shackles, once binding Shin in a suffocating grip, shattered into pieces, relinquishing their hold. The room trembled under the overwhelming force of the congration, walls trembling and copsing as the fiery tempest consumed them whole. It was as if the raw power of the mes was an unstoppable force, tearing through the confines of his prison and turning the very structure to cinders. "Ha-!?" Shin''s eyes widened in astonishment and adrenaline surged through his veins. With renewed vigor, he propelled himself forward, his legs carrying him swiftly through the engulfed corridors. The heat licked at his skin, leaving searing burn marks in its wake, but he paid them no heed. The scent of smoke filled his nostrils, intermingling with the scent of singed flesh, yet Shin pressed on, his feet aching with each stride. The fire seemed to mock him, flickering with an insatiable hunger, but he refused to sumb. "Ahhhhhh!" As he raced through the inferno, the world around him blurred in a hazy veil of heat and smoke. Embers danced in the air like ethereal fireflies, casting an eerie glow upon his sweat-soaked brow. The scorching mes painted a vivid picture of chaos and destruction, a backdrop to his relentless pursuit of freedom. In the depths of his fatigue, Shin marveled at the wellspring of energy that seemed to surge through his weary limbs, propelling him forward despite the countless days that had blurred into one indistinguishable stretch of time. The mysterious purple mes that had relentlessly pursued him were a constant presence, casting an otherworldly glow upon the destendscape. Finally, after what seemed like an interminable period, Shin emerged before what was once his n''s proud stronghold. The magnificent building, once a symbol of unity and strength, nowy in ruins, its grandeur reduced to a heap of rubble. The ravages of chaos and violence were evident in every crumbling stone and broken beam. Shin''s heart sank as he surveyed the wreckage, his eyes welling with tears that refused to fall. The remnants of his n, his family, were now reduced to mere remnants, their lives snuffed out by an unseen enemy. The weight of the tragedy settled upon his shoulders, a burden he carried alone amidst the ruins of what was once his sanctuary. Gingerly, Shin stepped over the debris, each footfall a painful reminder of the vibrant past that nowy shattered around him. Fragments of memories danced in his mind, like broken shards of ss, as he sought to make sense of the senseless destruction that had befallen his n. Shin''s body quivered with a mix of desperation and disbelief as he stumbled to the ground. His trembling hand reached out to the charred earth, his fingers wing at the debris beneath him. His mind, overwhelmed with grief, struggled to process the devastation that surrounded him. "No!" Shin''s voice echoed through the deste ruins as he rose to his feet, his determination reigniting like a flickering me. With a surge of adrenaline, he propelled himself forward, his body propelled by anguish. Ignoring the searing pain that radiated through his body, he dashed through the remnants of his n''s once-proud halls, his footsteps echoing in the eerie silence. The scene before him was a haunting tableau of devastation. Lifeless bodies, once vibrant and full of spirit, nowy scattered haphazardly, their final moments frozen in expressions of anguish and despair. The air hung heavy with a palpable sense of loss, the silence broken only by the mournful whispers of the wind. Shin''s heart shattered as he recognized the faces of those he held dear. Ae, her once radiant spirit extinguished, nowy motionless, her form marred by the cruel scars of violence. Raka, the stalwart guardian, now a mere husk of his former self, his life force snuffed out by an unseen enemy. Alira, nca, Kaily, Arzoo, Mirza, Kira, Siara, and countless others, their names and faces etched into Shin''s memory, now reduced to lifeless shells. Each life extinguished, leaving behind a void that echoed through the corridors, a painful reminder of the irreceable losses suffered by the n. "Haa..." Tears streamed down Shin''s face, mingling with the ashes and dirt on his cheeks as the all-consuming mes enveloped him. Yet, the anguish in his heart eclipsed the searing pain inflicted by the fiery inferno. His vision gradually faded, surrendering to an abyssal darkness. In the depths of that vast emptiness, Shin was condemned to traverse countless years, bereft ofpanionship and haunted by his own solitude. Shin''s eyes flickered open, and to his astonishment, he found himself back in the familiar darkness of the room. It felt like a cruel trick, as if the nightmare had returned to torment him once more. As his gaze swept across the room, he was confronted by a disorienting sight. Countless illusions manifested before him, their forms shifting and morphing in an unsettling dance. Faces of his loved ones, distorted and twisted, stared back at him with hollow eyes. It was a haunting spectacle that gnawed at his sanity. Yet, in the realm of reality where Shin''s physical body remained bound by shackles, Elder Ros stood with a wicked smile stered across his face. "The experiment is almostplete. Let''s wrap up the second stage," Elder Ros dered, a sinister gleam in his eyes. He extended his hand towards Shin, a malevolent energy emanating from his palm as he directed it towards Shin''s face. Shin''s eyes fluttered open, their once vibrant sparkle reced by a haunting dullness. The sight brought a wicked grin to Elder Ros''s face, believing his maniption had seeded. However, something unimaginable was unfolding, even beyond the grasp of Elder Ros''s vast wisdom. *Ding!* [System updateplete!] Reward: 1] Revive - Can revive yourself or another individual within one hour, usable three times. 2] Instant Death - Can eliminate any being that fears or respects you, provided their HP is at half its initial value, usable three times. 3] Immortality - Grants immunity to damage if the host or target''s HP is below 10%, along with increased MP and HP regeneration, and all stats doubled,sting for nine minutes, usable three times. 4] Complete HP refill - Fully restores HP three times. 5] Complete MP refill - Fully restores MP three times. 6] Iplete Wolf God Form - Allows transformation into a gigantic wolf god for one minute, usable three times. 7] Doppelganger - Creates a clone with half the user''s stats, usable three times. 8] Level Up - Instantly levels up, usable three times. 9] 500 Stat Points - Adds 500 points to one selected stat per use, usable three times. Chapter 445 Inner Turmoil [1]

Chapter 445 Inner Turmoil [1]

Chapter 444: Inner Turmoil [1] Elder Ros, driven by his insatiable curiosity, had gone to extreme lengths to ascertain the true identity of the enigmatic figure known as Shin, rumored to be the Legendary Wolf God. He subjected Shin to unimaginable traumas, exposing him to a barrage of dark and haunting visions, hoping to shatter the barriers of his mind and extract the knowledge he sought. Through psychological torment, physical pain, and the maniption of dark energies, Elder Ros aimed to break Shin''s spirit and reveal the secrets thaty dormant within him. Yet, despite his relentless efforts and cruel intentions, the experiment neared the brink of failure. The enigmatic depths of Shin''s memories remained elusive, like an imprable fortress safeguarding his true identity and origins. No matter the extent of Elder Ros''s torment, Shin''s past remained shrouded, refusing to yield to the elder''s relentless pursuit. It was a humbling and frustrating realization for Elder Ros, whose grand ambitions and insidious ns were met with an unexpected resistance. Having exhausted his arsenal of mental torment, Elder Ros shifted his focus to the physical realm, recognizing the potential that resided within Shin''s body. Despite the failure to extract Shin''s memories, the elder saw an opportunity to exploit the young wolf''stent power for his own selfish ends. As he delved deeper into his experiments, Elder Ros marveled at the paradoxical nature of Shin''s existence. A mere pup in the grand scheme of things, yet possessing an astonishing level of power that surpassed even seasoned warriors. Despite Shin''s youth andck of formal training within the esteemed ranks of the heavenly wolf family, his raw strength and abilities defied logic. Shin''s untamed potential and untapped strength made him a rare and exotic creature in Elder Ros''s eyes. The fact that Shin had achieved such remarkable prowess as a solitary wolf of the wild only deepened the mystery and allure surrounding his existence. Elder Ros, consumed by his insatiable thirst for power, regarded Shin as a valuable specimen, a key ingredient to unlock the potential of a mysterious and coveted artifact. "He would make a good specimen, a good ingredient for THAT item!" he constantly muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with a twisted excitement. Amidst the raging battle outside, Elder Ros maintained an unsettling calmness, a facade of confidence that stemmed from his belief in the eventual victory of his own faction. He observed the chaos unfold with a sense of assurance, convinced that his side held the upper hand and would emerge triumphant. However, unbeknownst to him, the battle was far from a simple affair. War is aplex tapestry of uncertainties, where the oues are often shrouded in unpredictability. The delicate bnce between life and death hung precariously, a high-stakes gamble with no guaranteed winners. Elder Ros''s unwaveringposure proved to be a false sense of security when the underground chamber he had taken refuge in began to tremble and crumble under the relentless pressure and vibrations generated by the ongoing conflict. In that moment, the realization dawned upon Elder Ros that his calm demeanor had been a foolish illusion. The chaos of war had infiltrated even the sanctuary he had constructed, exposing the fragility of his carefully constructed ns. "Heavenly Roar!" With an open mouth stretched wide like a gaping abyss, one of the elders unleashed a primal roar that echoed through the battlefield. The sheer force and intensity of the soundwave were nothing short of cataclysmic. As the deafening roar reverberated through the air, its sonic impact crashed upon the intruders like an invisible tsunami. The unsuspecting foes were caught off guard, their eardrums instantly damaged by the raw power of the sound. The intense vibrations ripped through their bodies, causing excruciating pain and disorientation. Stunned and disoriented, the intruders were forcefully propelled backward, their bodies hurled through the air like ragdolls caught in a tempest. The sheer magnitude of the sonic assaultunched them back, sending them hurtling a staggering distance of at least a hundred meters. They crashed violently onto the unforgiving ground, their bodies battered and bloodied, their ears bleeding profusely from the devastating impact of the heavenly roar. The remaining elders of the Heavenly Wolf family rallied their strength and unleashed their formidable skills to counter the merciless barrage of the intruders. Each elder possessed unique abilities honed through years of training and experience. Arcane energies crackled in the air as spells were cast, powerful martial techniques were executed with precision, and elemental forces were summoned to defend their ancestral domain. However, the Shadow Wolf tribe, masters of stealth and cunning, proved to be elusive adversaries. Like shadows themselves, they effortlessly dodged the oing attacks, their movements fluid and unpredictable. Their mastery of stealth and evasion made it challenging for the Heavenly Wolf elders tond a solid blow. It was a relentless game of cat and mouse, with the intruders slipping through the grasps of their pursuers, forcing the elders to adapt and find new strategies to counter their slippery foes. With each dodge, the Shadow Wolf tribe pushed the Heavenly Wolf elders to their limits. The intruders exploited every opportunity, striking back with lethal precision whenever the elders showed a momentary vulnerability. *BOOM* With a chillingugh that echoed through the chaotic battlefield, the high-ranking member of the Shadow Wolf n unleashed a malevolentmand. "Massacre! Kill everyone!" his voice rang out, dripping with sadistic delight. It was evident that he held a position of authority within the Shadow Wolf n, perhaps even equivalent to an elder among their ranks. His words sent a shiver down the spines of both friend and foe. Themand acted as a catalyst, further fueling the frenzy of the Shadow Wolf n warriors. They descended upon their enemies with ruthless efficiency, their attacks executed with deadly precision. "You!" Orso, an elder of the heavenly wolf family, arrived at the harrowing scene where innocent civilians were ensnared in the suffocating grip of shadows. Their desperate cries for help filled the air, their bodies sinking deeper into the ominous abyss beneath them, as if the shadows themselves had turned into quicksand. With a resolute determination burning in his eyes, Orso stepped forward, his presencemanding attention. His body was enveloped in a vibrant yellow aura, radiating a sense of unwavering resolve and protection. "Release them!" Orso''s voice thundered, echoing through the battlefield, as he unleashed the full force of his power. Chapter 446 Inner Turmoil [2]

Chapter 446 Inner Turmoil [2]

Chapter 445: Inner Turmoil [2] "Release them!" "Kekeke," the elder of the Shadow n sneered, his eyes gleaming with a sinister red hue. With a malevolent grin, he summoned a purplish-ck aura that swirled around his body, emanating a palpable sense of darkness and malice. Driven by his wicked intentions, the elder lunged forward, his movements fluid and swift. The air crackled with tension as he closed in on Orso, his attack poised to strike with deadly precision. Shadows seemed to dance around him, enhancing his stealth and agility, making it difficult for even the keenest eyes to track his movements. But Orso was no pushover. "Heavenly Wolf - Original Art, First Tail: Heavenly Aura!" With a resolute determination, he summoned the true power of the Heavenly Wolf, tapping into his original art. As his aura transformed from a vibrant yellow to a radiant white, a celestial energy surged forth, emanating a divine brilliance that illuminated the battlefield. The intensity of Orso''s Heavenly Aura grew exponentially, its luminous glow enveloping his entire being. The surrounding air crackled with electric energy, and a sense of awe and reverence filled the hearts of those who witnessed the spectacle. The pure white aura radiated a sense of purity and righteousness, transcending the darkness that gued the shadow-n elder. Orso stood like a beacon of hope, his presencemanding and unwavering, as if channeling the very essence of celestial power itself. As the sh between Orso, the elder of the Heavenly Wolf family, and the shadow-d elder intensified, the battlefield became a canvas for their fierce confrontation. The air crackled with energy, and the ground trembled beneath their feet. "Heavenly Wolf - Original Art, Second Tail: Heavenly Burst!" Summoning the power of his second tail, Orso unleashed the Heavenly Burst. In an instant, his already radiant white aura expanded exponentially, forming a colossal wave of celestial energy that surged towards his adversary. The sheer force of the attack shook the very fabric of reality, engulfing the area in a blinding burst of light. In response, the shadow-n elder tapped into his own dark powers, channeling the malevolent forces around him. His purplish-ck aura surged with sinister intent, coiling around him like a shroud of darkness. With a feral grin, he lunged forward, his movements blending seamlessly with the encroaching shadows. While the two shed, their powers collided in a dazzling disy of opposing forces. Each strike and parry echoed with explosive bursts of energy, illuminating the battlefield with bursts of light and dark. Orso''s white aura shed with the shadow-d elder''s darkness, their powers locked in a titanic struggle. "Heavenly Wolf - Original Art, Third Tail: Wolf Armament Mode!" Realizing the need to push his limits further, Orso tapped into the power of his third tail, activating the Wolf Armament Mode. In an instant, a magnificent suit of armor materialized around him, gleaming in pristine white. The armor exuded an ethereal aura, adorned with intricate engravings that depicted the ancient legends of the Heavenly Wolf. With the armor tightly hugging his form, Orso''s grip tightened around his sword, an exquisite de forged from celestial steel. The hilt of the sword gleamed with pure white light, while the de itself shimmered with an otherworldly glow. Swinging his sword with masterful precision, Orso unleashed a flurry of strikes that danced through the air like streaks of light. The sh of steel against darkness reverberated throughout the battlefield, as the twobatants fought with unmatched ferocity. The Wolf Armament Mode enhanced Orso''s speed and strength, allowing him to match the agility and power of his shadow-d adversary. He moved with grace and fluidity, evading the shadowy onught while delivering devastating counterattacks. The brilliant light expanded, pushing back the encroaching shadows, but the shadow-d enemy was not so easily deterred. With a sinister grin, he tapped into the depths of darkness, his aura morphing into a deep, swirling ckness. The shadow-n adversary, now adorned in a suit of armor as dark as night, invoked his Shadow Armament. The ebony armor, adorned with wicked spikes and enigmatic symbols, exuded an aura of malevolence. In his hands, he wielded a spear infused with the essence of shadows, its de shimmering with an unholy darkness. The sh of powers reached a crescendo as Orso''s celestial light shed against the shadow-n enemy''s sinister shadow attacks. Spears of darkness shot forth, whirling through the air like ethereal serpents, seeking to engulf Orso in their grasp. Within the realm of shadows and light, the sh between Orso and his shadow-n adversary epitomized the eternal struggle between righteousness and darkness. The fate of the battle hung precariously in the bnce, awaiting the decisive strike that would tip the scales and determine the oue of this epic confrontation. *Huff Huff* Orso, his body pierced by the shadow-infused spear, gritted his teeth in agony. Blood flowed freely from his abdomen and legs, staining his armor and the ground beneath him. Each breath he took wasbored, and his movements were hindered by the excruciating pain coursing through his body. The once majestic armor that adorned him, now fading in its brilliance, revealed the true extent of his injuries. His abdomen was a gruesome sight, the spear having torn through his flesh and muscle, leaving a gaping wound that oozed crimson. The pain pulsed with each beat of his heart, threatening to overwhelm him. His legs, too, bore the marks of the vicious assault. Agonizing waves of pain radiated from his wounded limbs, making it nearly impossible for him to bear his own weight. Denken, the elder of the shadow n,y in his deathbed, his body ravaged by the ceaseless attack. His throat, ripped open by an earlier strike from Orso, rendered him incapable of speech, the gory wound a gruesome testament to the ferocity of their battle. One of his legs was mangled, torn away in a violent sh with Orso. The severed limby nearby, a grim reminder of the price he had paid in this deadly confrontation. The loss of his leg had robbed him of his mobility, leaving him sprawled helplessly on the ground, his life force rapidly dwindling. The battlefield around them bore witness to their brutal sh. The earth was painted with stters of blood, evidence of the grievous wounds inflicted upon bothbatants. Orso, fueled by sheer determination, approached the members who were trapped within the suffocating depths of the shadows. With each step, he could feel the weight of their lives hanging in the bnce. One by one, he grasped their hands, his grip firm and resolute, and pulled them out of the suffocating abyss. Their expressions transformed from despair to tion as they emerged from the shadowy depths, their eyes brimming with tears of gratitude. Chapter 447 Disbelief

Chapter 447 Disbelief

Chapter 446: Disbelief The members, now freed from the grips of impending doom, showered Orso with heartfelt words of thanks. Their voices cracked with emotion as they expressed their deep appreciation for his selfless act of heroism. Tears of joy cascaded down their faces, mingling with the sweat and grime that adorned their weary features. Orso''s lips curved into a slight smile, a momentary respite from the weight of the battle that raged around them. The glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes as he witnessed the lives he had saved, knowing that his sacrifice was not in vain. But as quickly as the smile had appeared, it faded, reced by a sudden jolt of searing pain that tore through his abdomen. A sword, stealthily concealed, had found its mark, piercing his flesh with a ruthless precision. Orso''s body convulsed with agony as he coughed up a deluge of crimson, the metallic tang staining his lips and trickling down his chin. With great effort, he turned his gaze towards the source of his imminent demise, only to be met by the sight of a figure adorned in pristine white armor¡ªa fellow member of the heavenly wolf family. "Wh-", a bewildered whisper escaped his lips, barely audible amidst the gurgling of blood in his throat. He tried to form words, to understand why arade had turned against him, but his voice was silenced by the swift withdrawal of the sword. A gaping wound reced the de''s presence, and a torrent of scarlet spilled forth, drenching Orso''s trembling form. Time seemed to slow as Orso''s body gave way, copsing to the ground like a ragdoll. His once-vibrant eyes grew dull and ssy, the light within them fading with eachbored breath. As the chill of death''s embrace wrapped around him, fragments of memories flooded his mind, a kaleidoscope of moments from a life lived. In the hidden depths of their secluded sanctuary, the heavenly wolf family nurtured the hopes and dreams of their young. Among them, a spirited and determined wolf named Orso burned with a fervent desire to be the greatest warrior his tribe had ever seen. Despite their isted existence, the family understood the importance of honing their skills, for they knew that the outside world held formidable challenges that demanded their unwavering strength. The celestial wolves, guided by a prophecy foretold by a renowned oracle, held steadfast in their belief that the Supreme Celestial Shin would soon be reborn. They dedicated themselves to constant growth and readiness, preparing for the day when their master would return in all his glory. As Orso grew older and wiser, he learned to temper his personal ambition with the greater needs of his n. The protection and welfare of his fellow wolves became his paramount concern, outweighing any selfish desires for personal growth. Yet, even as he relinquished his singr pursuit of strength, Orso''s thirst for self-improvement remained unquenchable. His unwaveringmitment to their cause and his exceptional skills earned him the respect and admiration of his peers. Eventually, his journey led him to the pinnacle of his n''s hierarchy, the esteemed position of elder. As Orsoy on the ground, the weight of his wounds and impending death bearing down on him, a mix of regret and determination flooded his thoughts. At such a young age, he had achieved the remarkable feat of attaining the highest position within the n. It had only been a month since he had assumed the role of elder, filled with aspirations of making significant contributions to his beloved family. ''I thought I could contribute more¡­'' ''But this¡­'' ''No, I can''t die like this. Wearing our family''s armor¡­ a traitor!'' ''If he goes away, then countless others will be killed¡­'', Orso''s thoughts echoed through his fading consciousness. As the grip of death threatened to im him, a surge of determination coursed through Orso''s veins. He couldn''t allow himself to sumb to the darkness, not when the lives of countless innocents hung in the bnce. With every ounce of willpower, he clung to the tenuous thread of life, refusing to be branded as dead. "AAAAHHHH!", His scream pierced through the air, a raw expression of agony and determination as the remnants of his strength surged within him. "Armament mode!" he bellowed, his voice filled with unwavering resolve. Though his mana reserves were dwindling, Orso knew he couldn''t afford to hold back. His n was not to fully don the entire armor, for he recognized the limitations of his fading power. Instead, he focused his remaining energy on his left arm, encasing it in the gleaming armor that granted him augmented strength. Summoning all the will he could muster, Orso materialized a sword in his left hand. Gripping it tightly, he harnessed every ounce of his fading might to propel the de forward with all his might and threw it towards the traitor! *ng* Unfortunately, the traitor''s reflexes were swift, and he managed to deflect the oing sword with a surprising disy of agility. Orso''s attack had caught him off guard, but he quickly regained hisposure. "Keke, you are still al-" The traitor''s words were cut short as Orso lunged forward, seizing him by the neck and forcefully pushing him backward. It was a desperate move, driven by sheer determination, but Orso knew he was outmatched in strength. He desperately wished for a miracle, for some divine intervention that could turn the tides in his favor. And in a moment of dire need, when hope seemed to be fading, a timely miracle arrived. A brilliant bolt of lightning crashed down, illuminating the darkened battlefield, and from its midst emerged a mysterious figure. It was none other than the Vice-Leader of the heavenly wolf n, renowned for his wisdom and unwavering resolve. His piercing gaze swept across the chaotic scene before him, taking in the sight of two members of his own n locked in a fierce battle, their lives hanging by a thread. Concern etched deeply into his furrowed brow as he approached the fray, apanied by an elder who had joined him in this critical moment. "What''s going on?" the Vice-Leader demanded, his voice carrying an air of authority andmand. "Sir," Orso gasped, his voice strained as he struggled to notify the Vice-Leader of his dire situation. But his words were abruptly cut off as the attacker interjected, his voiceced with usation and desperation. "Master, he is a traitor! He and the shadow n''s elder ganged up on me!" Orso''s eyes widened in disbelief, his mind reeling at the sudden turn of events. Confusion clouded his thoughts as he tried toprehend the gravity of the usation hurled against him. "¡­" Chapter 448 Disciple

Chapter 448 Disciple

Chapter 447: Disciple In that fleeting moment of realization, Orso''s mind pieced together the puzzle, unraveling the truth hidden beneath the chaos. The assant who had attacked him and the one he had been mistakenly using as a traitor was none other than Tesa, the Vice-Leader''s trusted confidant. Tesa, a young and formidable lone wolf, had yet to ascend to the esteemed ranks of the elders. However, his strength and skills were not to be underestimated. Despite his youth, Tesa had earned a reputation as a true hero, a guardian of the vige and city. Time and again, he had risen to the asion, protecting countless lives from the clutches of menacing monsters and the ravages of unforgiving natural cmities. His valor and selflessness had garnered him the admiration and gratitude of hundreds, who regarded him as a symbol of hope and protection. Tesa''s unwavering dedication to safeguarding the welfare of his people had forged his path as a legendary figure within the n. Furthermore, whenever tasked with distant missions that required his presence, Tesa demonstrated unparalleled precision in aplishing his objectives. Notably, Tesa held the remarkable distinction of never losing a single teammate during these perilous ventures, solidifying his standing as a beacon of trust and reliability. His exceptional track record and unwaveringmitment to the safety of hisrades endeared him to the hearts of many esteemed elders within the n. Their trust and admiration for Tesa paved the way for him to ascend to the position of a direct disciple under the tutge of the Vice-Leader himself. The Vice-Leader recognized in Tesa a rarebination of skill, valor, and an indomitable spirit. Under his guidance, Tesa honed his abilities, refining his techniques and deepening his understanding of the n''s ancient arts. The bond between mentor and disciple blossomed, forged in the fires of countless battles and honed through rigorous training sessions. Little did anyone suspect that amidst the des and triumphs, a hidden darkness was stirring within Tesa''s heart¡ªa darkness that threatened to consume him and sow seeds of betrayal. The battle that unfolded before them would serve as a crucible, testing the limits of loyalty, forgiveness, and the unyielding bonds that tied the heavenly wolf family together. Orso felt his heart pounding in his chest as he faced the daunting challenge of convincing the Vice-Leader, knowing all too well that the trust ced in his disciple, Tesa, could sway the decision against him. Doubt and uncertainty threatened to consume him, but he refused to sumb to despair. Orso still had a method! As Orso''s trembling gaze shifted towards the citizens he had rescued, a glimmer of hope ignited within him. The grateful expressions on their faces, the tears of relief in their eyes¡ªsurely they would be the voice of truth in this tangled web of deceit. They had witnessed firsthand the valiant struggle of their savior against the traitor who now posed as a loyal disciple. It was as if a ray of hope pierced through the dark clouds that had loomed over Orso''s heart. The citizens, those whose lives he had saved, held the key to revealing the truth and dispelling the shadows of doubt that threatened to consume him. With newfound determination, Orso turned his gaze towards the trembling figures of the people, their eyes wide with fear and disbelief. Gathering a little bit of strength, he said, "Vice-Leader, you can ask the-" Orso''s words were abruptly cut off as Tesa ruthlessly thrust the sword deeper into his abdomen, causing excruciating pain to surge through his body. Agonized gasps escaped Orso''s lips as blood spilled from his mouth, staining the ground beneath him. The citizens, who had been frozen in fear, let out horrified cries at the sight of their beloved savior being subjected to such cruelty. Their faces contorted with a mix of disbelief and anger, witnessing this heinous act unfold before their eyes. With a grimace etched upon his face, Orso summoned thest vestiges of his fading strength. His trembling left hand, fueled by sheer willpower, reached out to intercept the deadly de. Time seemed to slow as his trembling fingers closed around the hilt, a momentary respite from the unrelenting pain coursing through his body. The sword, unable to prate any deeper, was held at bay by his resolve. But the damage had been done, the fatal woundpounded by the merciless strike. As the seconds ticked by, Orso''s strength waned, his grip on the sword slipping. He knew that his time was drawing near, the veil of life growing thinner with each passing heartbeat. Summoning thest remnants of his ebbing vitality, Orso mustered a resounding cry, his voice echoing through the chaos-ridden battlefield. His deration, filled with unwavering conviction, pierced through the cacophony of battle and reached the ears of the vice-leader. "He is the traitor!" Time seemed to stand still as the vice-leader''s eyes locked with Orso''s, disbelief and shock etching deep lines on his face. The deafening silence enveloped them both, broken only by the heavy panting and the symphony of shing weapons that continued to echo in the background. Orso''s voice, though strained and weakened, resonated with an undeniable urgency. His words reverberated through the air, carrying the weight of truth and usation. Each syble seemed to hang in the air, permeating the battlefield with a sense of betrayal and impending revtion. The vice-leader stood frozen in his tracks, his mind caught in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. One side stood his disciple, Tesa, the wolf whom the vice-leader had watched grow and nurtured with unwavering support for over a decade. The bond between them ran deep, built on trust, shared experiences, and countless battles fought side by side. Tesa was like a son to him, and the vice-leader''s heart ached at the thought of his beloved disciple beingbeled a traitor. On the other side stood Orso, a trusted elder and a loyal friend who had walked the path of life alongside the vice-leader for more than four decades. They had weathered storms together, their unwavering camaraderie forged through countless trials and tribtions. Orso''s loyalty had never wavered, and the vice-leader held his wisdom and counsel in the highest regard. The vice-leader found himself torn between two pirs of his life, both stained by the shadows of doubt and usation. The decision before him was not one to be taken lightly. Chapter 449 Witnesses

Chapter 449 Witnesses

Chapter 448: Witnesses It carried the weight of their shared history, their intertwined destinies, and the future of the heavenly wolf family. The vice-leader''s mind raced, desperately seeking the elusive truth amidst the chaos and confusion that enveloped them. Even the Vice-leader''s eyes trembled, his internal turmoil mirroring the chaos unfolding before him. Beside him stood another elder, who had a closer connection to Tesa and had not shared the same history with Orso. The confusion etched on the elder''s face was a testament to his divided loyalties. Sensing the sway of allegiance, Tesa''s supporter spoke with conviction, his voice dripping with determination. "Master, we must hold Orso ountable for his crimes. His actions cannot go unpunished. We must kill him!" The words hung heavily in the air, their impact resonating with the crowd gathered around them. But the vice-leader was renowned for his unwaveringmitment to justice and fairness. He had built his reputation on being a leader who would make the best decisions for the n, guided by principles of righteousness and impartiality. Throughout his tenure, he had always prioritized the preservation of truth and the protection of the innocent, never allowing anything to cloud his judgment. Orso knew this well. He had witnessed the vice-leader''s dedication to upholding justice firsthand, and he had faith in his leader''s unwavering integrity. He trusted that the vice-leader would approach the situation with an open mind and would carefully consider the evidence presented by both sides. In the midst of the tumultuous usations and conflicting testimonies, Orso clung to the belief that the vice-leader would rise above personal connections and friendships. He believed that the vice-leader would adhere to his deeply ingrained principles and follow the path of truth, regardless of the potential consequences. Plus, there was evidence! The citizens exchanged determined nces, their fear transforming into a collective determination. One by one, they found the courage to step forward, their voices shaking but resolute. They recounted their firsthand experiences, their gratitude pouring forth like a river, as they spoke of the selfless acts of heroism they had witnessed. Their testimonies intertwined, weaving a tapestry of truth that could not be denied. The voices of the witnesses reverberated through the air, growing louder with each passing moment. Their usations pierced the tense atmosphere, shaking the very foundations of the n''s unity. The onlookers, once silent and fearful, found their voices and rallied behind Orso, their savior and protector. The witness testimonies echoed like thunder, drowning out any lingering doubts or disbelief. Their words carried the weight of truth and conviction, resonating with the hearts of those who had witnessed Orso''s unwavering bravery and selflessness. "He is the one!" cried a citizen, pointing an usatory finger at Tesa. "I saw him betray our leader, striking him when his guard was down!" "Yes! The hero sided with evil and stabbed his back!" eximed another witness, their voice filled with righteous indignation. The crowd murmured in agreement, their collective anger and betrayal palpable. The once-admired Tesa was now seen as a coward, a traitor to their cause. Their voices swelled, their words an unstoppable force fueled by a shared sense of justice and the desire to see the truth prevail. "He is a coward!" shouted a citizen, their voice rising above the rest. The weight of the evidence and the collective voice of the people left little room for doubt. Tesa''s once-confident demeanor wavered, his facade crumbling under the weight of the mounting usations. He was outnumbered, outmatched, and exposed. As the damning evidence and resounding witness testimonies unfolded before him, the vice-leader''s initial disbelief transformed into a seething rage. His clenched fist trembled with a mix of sorrow and fury, his eyes aze with an intensity that burned through the darkness that had tainted their n. "Tesa... why?" he uttered through gritted teeth, his voice trembling with a deep sense of betrayal. The weight of the truth bore heavily upon his shoulders, threatening to crush the bonds of trust he had nurtured for so long. The vice-leader''s anger surged through his veins like molten fire, radiating an intense heat that seemed to consume the very air around him. The raw power of his emotions manifested in his reddened eyes, zing with a righteous fury that demanded answers. Every fiber of his being yearned to understand the reasons behind Tesa''s treacherous actions. The vice-leader had invested his trust, guidance, and unwavering support in Tesa, seeing him as the embodiment of hope and the future of their n. But now, that hope had been shattered, reced by a profound sense of disillusionment and disappointment. ''I fucked up¡­'' Tesa''s internalmentation echoed within his mind, his voice tainted with remorse and self-condemnation. The gravity of his actions loomed before him, casting a shadow of shame that seemed insurmountable. Feeling the weight of his master''s anger and disappointment, Tesa''s instincts for self-preservation kicked in,pelling him to seek an escape from the dire consequences of his treachery. ''Master Ros! I think it''s best if we leave now!'' he urgently conveyed through the power of telepathy, his voice filled with a mixture of desperation and fear. In that fleeting moment, Tesa acknowledged the futility of attempting to salvage the situation or offer exnations that would only deepen the wounds he had inflicted upon their n. The voice of reason within him urged him to retreat, to escape the wrath that awaited him, knowing that redemption might be a distant hope. Ros, who had been contemting the desperate act of taking Shin away, heard Tesa''s plea reverberating through his mind, punctuating the heavy silence that hung in the air. In that moment, a profound realization washed over him like an icy tide. It was toote now. The irreversible damage had been done, and the consequences of their actions had spiraled out of control, engulfing the entire kingdom in a vortex of chaos and bloodshed. Their homnd was now marred by the horrors of war, as the sh between the heavenly wolf family and the shadow n wreaked havoc on both sides. The toll of casualties was mounting, a grim testament to the destructive power unleashed upon their beloved homnd. The once serene kingdom now stood aze, engulfed in the merciless mes of destruction. Huts that once provided shelter were reduced to mere skeletal frames, consumed by the ravenous fires. Thick plumes of smoke billowed into the darkened sky, obscuring the sun''s feeble attempts to cast its light upon thend. The crackling of burning timber echoed through the air, apanied by the mournful cries of anguished souls. Amidst the chaos, the cries of children pierced through the tumultuous symphony of devastation. Their innocent voices trembled with fear and desperation, calling out for their loved ones who were either missing or lying wounded amidst the ruins. "Mama, where are you?" "¡­" Chapter 450 Transforming into DEATH!

Chapter 450 Transforming into DEATH!

Chapter 449: Transforming into DEATH! "Mama, where are you?" a young voice wailed, lost amidst the smoky haze. "Please, somebody help us!" pleaded another, their tiny hands reaching out for salvation. In the midst of the heart-wrenching cacophony, there were voices of sce and hope, attempting to quell the despair that threatened to consume all. "Stay strong! Our leader is here, he will protect us!" shouted a resolute voice, fighting to instill courage into those around them. "Keep faith, my friends! Help is on the way!" another voice called out, desperately trying to rally the shaken spirits. Tear-stained faces filled the streets, their grief and anguish mirroring the devastation that surrounded them. "Where is my family? Have you seen them?" a distraught mother pleaded to anyone who would listen, her voice choking with despair. "I can''t find my sister! Please, has anyone seen her?" sobbed a desperate sibling, their voice trembling with raw vulnerability. In the midst of the turmoil, acts of heroism andpassion emerged like fragile buds amidst the scorched earth. Strangers extended helping hands to one another, offering support and aid amidst the devastation. The cries of the wounded mingled with the fervent prayers of those seeking divine intervention. As he cradled his frightened child in his arms, the desperate father scanned the chaotdscape for a sliver of hope. In that vulnerable moment, a loud crack reverberated through the air, causing his heart to skip a beat. He turned his gaze towards the source of the sound, his eyes widening in terror as a massive tree trunk began to topple in their direction. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the father''s instincts kicked into overdrive. With a surge of adrenaline, he made a split-second decision to run, hoping to escape the impending disaster. But in that moment, the realization struck him like a thunderbolt - he was no match for the tremendous weight and speed of the falling tree. In the face of an inevitable tragedy, his heart sank, resigning himself to the cruel fate that awaited them. In a miraculous twist of fate, their lives were snatched from the jaws of disaster by a guardian angel named Mike. With lightning-fast reflexes, he had spotted the treacherous crack in the tree trunk and propelled himself into action. Time seemed to bend to his will as he raced towards them with an otherworldly speed, his determination shining in his eyes. As he reached them in the nick of time, Mike scooped the trembling child into his strong arms, while extending a protective shield towards the parent. The weight of relief washed over them, their grateful eyes locked on their newfound guardian. Overwhelmed with gratitude, the parent''s lips trembled, ready to express their heartfelt appreciation. "Than-" However, before they could utter a single word, Mike''s focus shifted with a sense of urgency. His eyes locked onto another person, trapped amidst the encroaching mes, their pleas for help echoing in the air. Without a moment''s hesitation, Mike tore himself away from the grateful parent and child, his feet pounding against the scorched ground. His purposeful stride carried him towards the next soul in need, his determination undeterred by the swirling inferno that threatened to consume them all. Their hearts swelled with admiration and gratitude as they watched Mike disappear into the chaos, his unwavering courage and selflessness driving him to aid more souls in distress. The child, with innocent eyes wide open, gazed at Mike''s retreating figure in awe. The heroic image etched in his young mind, forever imprinting the concept of a true hero. He stuttered with excitement, unable to contain his admiration. "H-h-hero!" the child eximed, his small voice filled with wonder and admiration. His father, who stood by his side, looked down at his son, his heart swelling with pride and hope. He gently ruffled the child''s hair and shared in his excitement. With a gentle smile, he leaned closer to his son and softly whispered, "Yes, my boy, that''s a hero." . . . "Alright, we don''t have much time. Let''s go. Kekeke," Ros said, his voice filled with a sinister undertone, as he approached Shin''s motionless body. Shin, who had regained consciousness, feigned unconsciousness, his eyes shut tightly. He knew that his only chance of escape was to deceive Ros, buying himself precious moments to gather his strength. With a calcted move, Ros released the chains that bound Shin, their metallic clinks echoing through the dimly lit room. As Shin felt the weight of the chains lifted off him, a glimmer of hope sparked within his weary soul. But his relief was short-lived. In an act of cruel dominance, Ros roughly seized a fistful of Shin''s hair, yanking him forward with a merciless grip. Sharp pain shot through Shin''s scalp, intensifying with every agonizing step. Shin focused on channeling his inner strength, his pain nullification abilities rendered useless, as he braced himself against the torment. ''System, can you hear me?'' [Yes, master.] ''Reactivate my passive skills,'' Shinmanded with unwavering determination, knowing that these dormant abilities could be the key to turning the tide in his favor. [As you wish, master.] The systemplied, awakening thetent power within Shin''s body. A gentle glow enveloped him, emanating a faint green light as his dormant skills surged back to life. The sudden burst of radiant energy caught Ros off guard, momentarily startling him. In that fleeting moment of distraction, he involuntarily released his grip on Shin, allowing him to break free from his clutches. "What?" "What''s happening?" Ros''s voice quivered with uncertainty, his mind struggling toprehend the spectacle unfolding before him. "What''s happening, you ask¡­ haha," Shin''s voice echoed, his tone dripping with a newfound confidence. "Haha." "HAHAHAHAHA!" Shin''sughter reverberated through the air, the sound tinged with a hint of madness. His eyes glowed with an intense determination, as if fueled by an unseen force. "¡­" Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the echoes of Shin''s chillingughter. Ros''s heart pounded in his chest, a mix of fear and anticipation coursing through his veins. "I''m transforming¡­" Shin''s voice resonated with an eerie calmness, each word dripping with a dark resolve. The ambient light intensified, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls. "Transforming into your DEATH!" Shin''s words wereced with a chilling finality, as if a sentence had been passed, sealing Ros''s fate. Chapter 451 Shin Vs Elder Ros [1]

Chapter 451 Shin Vs Elder Ros [1]

Chapter 450: Shin Vs Elder Ros [1] Elder Ros''s throat constricted, his mouth going dry as he stared in disbelief at the transformed Shin. A wave of inexplicable dread washed over him, sending shivers down his spine. How could this be? Shin''s level should have rendered him insignificant, a mere ant inparison to Ros''s own power. And yet, the aura emanating from Shin''s body was anything but ordinary¡ªit was bone-chilling, filled with an unfathomable darkness that sent a cold, prickling sensation creeping up Ros''s skin. As he gazed upon Shin, Elder Ros felt a growing unease gnawing at his core. It was as if the very essence of fear had taken shape and materialized before him. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to retreat, to flee from the presence that now stood before him. But the fear that gripped Ros was not the fear of a weaker opponent; it was the fear of something far more sinister and powerful. Elder Ros took a moment to calm himself, forcing a facade ofposed amusement to mask the lingering unease within. He cast a derisive nce at Shin, unable to contain his mockingughter. "Hahahahahaha! You, threaten me? The audacity! That has to be the funniest joke I''ve ever heard in my life," he taunted, his voiceced with a mix of amusement and disdain. "And let''s not forget, my dear Shin, that you are powerless here. None of your precious skills will be of any use." While the echoes of hisughter filled the air, Elder Ros attempted to dismiss the inexplicable fear that had gripped him just moments ago. He wanted to belittle Shin, to diminish his significance in the face of his own perceived superiority. Yet, despite his efforts to feign confidence, a flicker of uncertainty lingered in the depths of his eyes. "I''m quite the humorous person," Shin nodded, his voice taking on a chilling calmness. "But right now, I''m deadly serious. And.." Before Shin could even finish his sentence, a sudden gust of wind swirled around Elder Ros, whispering of impending doom. In an instant, a devastating impact struck Ros''s abdomen with brutal force, stealing his breath away. The taste of copper flooded his mouth as he instinctively spat out the sweet, metallic tang of his own blood. His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked down at his abdomen, where a gaping hole had formed. Blood seeped from the wound, staining his robes a dark, ominous shade. Agonizing pain coursed through his body, causing his muscles to spasm and his vision to blur. Elder Ros''s once-proud eyes now turned bloodshot, filled with a mixture of shock and seething rage. The wound may not have pierced his vital organs, but the pain was excruciating, a persistent reminder of his vulnerability. Each breath became a struggle as he fought to regain control over his shatteredposure. The taste of blood lingered on his tongue, a bitter reminder of his mortality. He desperately tried to swallow the crimson liquid, but it only intensified the sickening sensation in his throat. Despite the searing pain and the metallic tang assaulting his senses, Ros couldn''t tear his gaze away from the hole in his abdomen. The wound pulsed with a malicious energy, taunting him with its malevolence. Every beat of his heart sent waves of torment through his body, exacerbating his suffering. As the searing pain persisted, Elder Ros''s bloodshot eyes met Shin''s cold and unwavering gaze. The transformed Shin stood before him, an embodiment of power and merciless resolve. In that moment, Ros knew that his arrogance and underestimation had sealed his fate. Elder Ros quickly took two steps back, a mixture of fear and anger etched across his face. "...I don''t need my skills to defeat a coward like you," Shin said with an air of indifference, his voiceced with quiet confidence. Ros scoffed, trying to regain hisposure. "You! I haven''t even activated my Armor Tail! You cannot even scratch on me!" A sly grin tugged at the corners of Shin''s lips. "Oh, really? Well then, I would love to see this form of yours." With those words, a surge of anticipation filled the air. Ros''s arrogance wavered for a brief moment as doubt gnawed at the edges of his confidence. Deep down, he couldn''t deny the intrigue sparked by Shin''s nonchnt challenge. The elder''s muscles tensed as he activated his special ability, causing his body to shimmer with an otherworldly aura. Suddenly, four majestic tails emerged from behind Elder Ros, their snowy white fur shimmering with an ethereal glow. They swayed with a mesmerizing elegance, signifying the immense strength that Ros possessed. Simultaneously, an armor of pure white enveloped his body, radiating an otherworldly brilliance. The intricate designs etched onto the armor seemed to pulse with ancient energy, amplifying Ros''s formidable presence. With a smirk of confidence, Elder Ros believed himself to be invincible with the power of the Armor Tail coursing through him. He prepared to unleash his enhanced abilities upon Shin, convinced of his impending victory. But Shin was undeterred by Ros''s disy of power. He knew that victory would not be determined by raw strength alone. His eyes shed with a fierce determination as he assessed his opponent, seeking out any weaknesses. Just as Elder Ros was about to speak, a sudden explosive impact reverberated through the air. Shin''s palm collided forcefully with Ros''s armored body, causing a visceral shockwave to ripple across the battlefield. The sheer force of the blow sent Ros staggering backward, his breath catching in his throat as blood sprayed from his mouth, staining the pristine white armor. As the crimson droplets mingled with the dust, a small crack appeared on the once imprable armor, revealing the vulnerability thaty beneath its majestic facade. Elder Ros''s eyes widened with a mix of surprise and determination. His initial arrogance had been shattered, reced by a newfound seriousness that shed through his gaze. He clenched his teeth, refusing to sumb to pain or despair. It was evident that his cherished armor held less power against Shin''s relentless bombardment than he had presumed. Blood trickling down his chin, Ros wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing the crimson stain across his face. Chapter 452 Shin Vs Elder Ros [2]

Chapter 452 Shin Vs Elder Ros [2]

Chapter 451: Shin Vs Elder Ros [2] In an instant, Shin vanished from his previous position, reappearing right beside Elder Ros with an uncanny grace. His movements were fluid, his body seemingly one with the air around him. With a swift adjustment of his center of gravity, Shin unleashed a devastating kick aimed directly at Elder Ros. Despite his prolonged absence from inhabiting a human body, Shin''s control and mastery over his new form were nothing short of remarkable. He seamlessly adapted to the intricacies of his physical vessel, harnessing its capabilities to his advantage. Every ounce of energy, every sinew and muscle, was honed and coordinated with precision. As Shin''s foot connected with Ros''s body, a resounding thud echoed through the air. The impact reverberated through Ros''s frame, causing him to stagger back, gasping for breath. The proficiency with which Shin executed his attack was evident, as every movement was imbued with just the right amount of force and timing, intensifying the torment inflicted upon his opponent. Elder Ros grunted in pain, his body wracked with the agony of the blow. Shin''s calcted strikes exploited every vulnerability, subjecting Ros to a merciless barrage of suffering. The air crackled with tension as Shin and Elder Ros engaged in their intricate dance ofbat. Each strike carried the weight of their destinies, as Shin relentlessly pushed the limits of his physical vessel to subdue his opponent. The intensity of the battle grew with each passing moment, as Shin''s control over his newfound abilities only deepened, driving Ros further into a state of despair. It was a mesmerizing disy of skill, as Shin''s movements flowed seamlessly from one attack to another. Every strikended with precision, inflicting pain and torment upon Elder Ros, who struggled to defend against the onught. As the battle unfolded, it became increasingly clear that Shin''s mastery over his human form was no mere coincidence. In this relentless assault, Shin had be a force to be reckoned with, his proficiency torturing Elder Ros both physically and mentally. With every strike, he pushed the limits of his opponent''s endurance, exploiting weaknesses and extracting a heavy toll. The battlefield became a testament to Shin''s dominance, as Ros found himself at the mercy of an adversary whose control and proficiency knew no bounds. "Hmm, your defense is truly troublesome," Shin remarked, his wordsced with a hint of annoyance. His statement only fueled Elder Ros''s growing anger, pushing him further towards his impending demise. In a disy of upromising power, a seemingly ordinary sword materialized within Shin''s palm. But this sword was far from ordinary. As Shin wrapped his fingers around the hilt, a surge of energy coursed through him, causing multiple chains to erupt from the de. With seamless precision, the chains swiftly coiled around his right arm, binding it in an intricate web of metallic restraint. Curiously, Shin felt no difort or resistance from the chains. Instead, an inexplicable sense of connection erupted through his veins. It was as if the sword and the chains were extensions of his very being, intertwined with his essence. In that moment, it was as if Shin had wielded the sword since the moment of his birth, knowing instinctively how to maximize its effectiveness and efficiency. As the chains bound his arm, Shin''s grip on the sword tightened, his fingers finding perfect alignment with the hilt. With a flicker of determination in his eyes, Shin raised the sword, the chains responding to his every subtle movement. The weapon felt weightless in his grasp, perfectly bnced, as if it was an extension of his own limb. Elder Ros, though filled with rage, couldn''t help but be transfixed by the sight before him. The aura emanating from Shin and the bound sword exuded an unparalleled confidence and mastery. With a precise sh of the sword, Shin cleaved through the air, unleashing an invisible wave that charged towards Elder Ros. Though there were no visible external injuries, the impact of the attack was undeniable. It struck at the very core of Elder Ros''s being, his soul trembling under the weight of the spiritual assault. A flood of burning anguish rippled through him, coursing through his veins like a venomous serpent. His once unwavering confidence began to crumble, reced by a nagging sense of uncertainty. How could he contend with an opponent who possessed such a profound understanding of the spiritual realm? Shin''s voice cut through the air,ced with a curious amusement, "Surprised? Shocked? Despair?" His gaze bore into Elder Ros, studying the emotions etched upon his face. It was clear that Shin relished in the revtion of his opponent''s vulnerability, savoring the sight of a once indomitable figure crumbling under the weight of his own inadequacy. Elder Ros''s teeth clenched together, his face etched with determination even in the face of overwhelming odds. But his resolve was met with Shin''s unyielding confidence, as he calmly retorted, "That was just the trailer." Shin''s fingers intertwined, forming a potent connection with the very essence of mana. His touch traced along the length of the sword, channeling his energy and reinforcing its already formidable power. The de shimmered with a newfound intensity, pulsating with a vibrant green aura that crackled with raw energy. The curiosity in Shin''s voice grew, his words tinged with a touch of anticipation. With a swift and fluid motion, he unleashed a sh through the air, his sword carving a path of devastation. A crescent-shaped waveposed of radiant green mana sted forth, hurtling towards Elder Ros with an unstoppable force. As the emerald arc connected with its target, a cataclysmic impact reverberated through the battlefield. Elder Ros felt time slow to a crawl as the wave of green energy crashed into him. In that moment, it was as if he had been transported to the precipice of his own demise. Elder Ros''s eyes widened, a flicker of realization crossing his face. The green mana had seeped into his very soul, threatening to snuff out the spark of life within him. He struggled to maintain hisposure, his thoughts racing as he grappled with the overwhelming sensation of impending doom. Chapter 453 Shin Vs Elder Ros [3]

Chapter 453 Shin Vs Elder Ros [3]

Chapter 452: Shin Vs Elder Ros [3] The force behind Shin''s sh was nothing short of cataclysmic. As the de cleaved through Elder Ros''s armor, it rent through his ribs with a sickening crack, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. The formidable barrier that once protected him shattered like fragile ss, unable to withstand the sheer power of the assault. But it wasn''t just the physical impact that left Elder Ros reeling. The attack carried with it a potent spiritual essence, intertwining with his very soul. The invisible tendrils of Shin''s spiritual attack seeped into the depths of his being, unraveling the very fabric of his spirit. The pain that surged through his body was not limited to the physical realm; it transcended into the ethereal, shaking the core of his existence. In the aftermath of the devastating sh, a profound silence enveloped the battlefield. The air crackled with residual energy, the remnants of Shin''s unleashed power. Thendscapey in ruins, a testament to the immense destructive force that had been unleashed. The once proud stronghold nowy shattered and broken, a stark reflection of the havoc wreaked upon it. Amidst the debris and chaos, a faint chime echoed within Shin''s mind, drawing his attention. The voice of the system reverberated through his consciousness, a reminder of the consequences of his unleashed power. Ding! Host can use his skills now! Soon, he activated his all-seeing eyes. Shin''s vision transcended the swirling dust particles that filled the air. Despite the temporary obstruction, he could still discern the figure of Elder Ros lying on the ground, engulfed in a pool of his own blood. The once formidable elder now appeared feeble and vulnerable, his body battered and broken. Despite the pain etched on his face, a flicker of defiance remained in his eyes. With a deliberate and calcted movement, Elder Ros attempted to rise, his limbs trembling under the strain. Eachbored breath was an agonizing reminder of the devastation he had suffered at Shin''s hands. But before he could even utter a plea for mercy, Shin''s voice cut through the air, filled with chilling determination. "You survived one sh. Let''s see if you can endure ten more," Shin dered, his words resonating with a quiet intensity. Without dy, Shin sprung into action, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision. The ten consecutive shes were executed in rapid session, each strike imbued with a terrifyingbination of physical and spiritual power. Despair etched deep lines upon Elder Ros''s face as he witnessed the destruction wrought by Shin''s ten consecutive shes. The battle seemed to be reaching its climax, with victory within Shin''s grasp. A sudden shift in the elemental energy overhead caught Shin''s attention. The sky crackled with electric intensity, and in an instant, a bolt of lightning surged from above, arcing toward the ground. Time seemed to slow down as the electrifying force intercepted Shin''s ten shes, which were still hurtling toward Elder Ros. However, instead of the lightning destroying the shes, the bolt of energy served as a catalyst for something else. From within the luminous discharge, a dark figure emerged, taking shape amidst the crackling energy. The figure stood tall and imposing, draped in darkened garments that billowed and swirled around him. His face obscured by a mysterious mask, he exuded an air ofmanding presence. In his hands, the figure wielded a war de¡ªa weapon bathed in a dark aura that mirrored the intensity of the lightning. With uncanny precision, he swiftly countered each of Shin''s ten shes, his de moving with blinding speed and unparalleled skill. As each de met in a sh of opposing energies, the battlefield became a dance of light and shadow, showcasing the raw power and finesse of thebatants. The dark figure''s actions were almost otherworldly, as if he existed in perfect harmony with the storm itself. His swift maneuvers allowed him to intercept the shes with ease, nullifying their destructive force. Shin watched in awe and disbelief as his attacks were met with unwavering defense. The dark figure''s presence exuded an aura of unyielding power, his movements speaking volumes about his expertise inbat. It became apparent that this enigmatic opponent was more than a match for Shin''s relentless onught. As the final sh between their des reverberated through the air, a temporary stillness settled over the battlefield. The twobatants stood locked in a silent standoff, each recognizing the formidable strength and determination within the other. In a split second, the dark figure''s form began to dissipate, sinking into his own shadow like an ethereal specter. The enigmatic figure''s departure left behind an air of mystery and uncertainty. In the wake of the dark figure''s disappearance, the atmosphere shifted once more. Three distinct shadows began to materialize, morphing into the forms of formidable creatures¡ªshadow wolves. Their eyes gleamed with an unholy darkness, devoid of life, as they emerged from the depths of Elder Ros''s shadow. With a synchronized ferocity, the shadow wolvesunched a relentless barrage of attacks upon Shin. Their movements were swift and elusive, their razor-sharp ws and gnashing teeth striking with lethal precision. Shadows danced and swirled around them, adding an aura of malevolence to their assault. Shin, empowered by his newfound strength, swiftly evaded and countered the relentless attacks. His movements were fluid and calcted, his strikesnding with devastating force. With each dodge and counter, Shin wreaked havoc with powerful blows, shattering the shadow wolves'' forms temporarily. However, their incorporeal nature allowed them to reform quickly, continuously harrying him with their relentless assault. The sheer number and tenacity of the shadow wolves created a constant distraction, testing Shin''s focus and agility. The sh between Shin and the shadow wolves intensified, the battlefield now a whirlwind of fric energy. Each strike resonated with a burst of dark essence and shrouded the area in an ominous aura. In the midst of the chaotic skirmish, the shadow wolves seized an opportunity. Exploiting the distraction caused by their relentless assault, they swiftly retreated, sinking back into the depths of Elder Ros''s shadow. Like tendrils of darkness, their forms merged with the inky abyss, disappearing from sight. Shin stood there, his heart pounding with a mixture of frustration and determination. Though he had sessfully evaded their attacks and destroyed their physical forms, the shadow wolves had achieved their objective¡ªbuying precious time for their escape with Elder Ros. Chapter 454 The Battle Continues [1]

Chapter 454 The Battle Continues [1]

Chapter 453: The Battle Continues [1] As Shin sprinted through the chaotic scene, his all-seeing eyes allowed him to perceive the unfolding events with unparalleled rity. The world seemed to slow down as he observed the pandemonium that surrounded him. He witnessed buildings crumbling under the weight of powerful attacks, sending debris flying in all directions. mes engulfed structures, casting an eerie glow across the once peacefulndscape. The air crackled with electricity as lightning bolts struck the ground, leaving scorched marks in their wake. Amidst the chaos, he saw warriors engaged in intense battles, their swords shing and their elemental powers colliding with explosive force. The world seemed to slow down as he processed the information flooding his senses. He effortlessly tracked the trajectory of projectiles hurtling towards him, sidestepping with uncanny precision. He analyzed the positioning of his allies and enemies alike, identifying potential vulnerabilities and exploiting them with swift and calcted strikes. The chaos around him became a tapestry of movement and color, with Shin at its center, a calm and focused presence within the storm. He could hear the agonized screams of the wounded and the rallying cries of those still fighting. The scent of smoke and burning debris invaded his nostrils, a grim reminder of the devastation unfolding around him. Shin quickly sprinted toward one of the shadow wolves that was attacking a member of the heavenly wolf family. His all-seeing eyes honed in on the precise moment to strike. In an explosive burst of movement, he delivered a powerful punch, his fist connecting with the shadow wolf''s head with bone-shattering force.The impact reverberated through the air, sending shockwaves of destruction rippling outward. The dust settled further, revealing the scene of the shadow wolf''s demise. The once formidable adversary nowy motionless, reduced to a lifeless heap of shattered remains. Shin''s punch had been executed with such power that the shadow wolf''s head disintegrated into countless fragments, scattering in the air like a grotesque fireworks disy. He stood tall amongst the carnage, his fist still clenched from the impact. Blood stained his knuckles, a stark reminder of the violence of the encounter. With unwavering focus, Shin surveyed the remaining shadow wolves, their forms shifting between human and wolf as they plotted their next move. Determination burned in his eyes as he tightened his fist, ready to unleash his wrath upon them. But as he advanced, one shadow wolf seized the opportunity to strike, leaping out from the concealment of Shin''s own shadow. However, Shin''s heightened senses allowed him to perceive the imminent danger. In a swift motion, he reacted, snatching the shadow wolf by the head with an iron grip. A surge of power coursed through Shin''s hand, channeling into his palm as he intensified his grip. The force escted, exerting an unbearable pressure on the shadow wolf''s skull. Bones crunched, and a sickening crack echoed through the air as the shadow wolf''s head waspletely obliterated. The lifeless body of the shadow wolf fell to the ground, its existence abruptly cut short. Shin''s disy of strength and reflexes left no doubt in the minds of his enemies. He was a force to be reckoned with, capable of turning their own tactics against them. With relentless fury, Shin continued his onught against the remaining shadow wolves, his actions swift and merciless. As another shadow wolf in human form lunged towards him, he unleashed a devastating punch that pierced through the wolf''s chest, leaving behind a gaping hole. The life force of the shadow wolf extinguished instantly as it copsed to the ground. His mastery of his abilities came to the forefront as he activated his aero sh, a technique honed through rigorous training. With a precise and swift motion, he swung his hand, severing the head of a shadow wolf that was about to harm a small heavenly wolf child. The darkened figure crumpled to the ground, its threat neutralized. The battleground became a grisly tableau of devastation as Shin''s brutal methods ensured the swift demise of the shadow wolves. His strikes were precise and efficient, leaving no room for mercy or hesitation. Despite the bem, the heavenly wolf child whom Shin had just saved stared at him with a mix of awe and gratitude. As the battle waged on, the remaining shadow wolves trembled in fear, realizing the futility of their resistance against Shin''s overwhelming might. They could only watch in horror as theirrades fell one by one to his relentless onught. Shin''s heart skipped a beat as his gazended on Orso, a fellow member of the heavenly wolf family. The sight of Orso''s battered and injured state struck him with a mixture of concern and anger. The cracks in his once pristine white armor told a tale of the fierce battle he had endured, and the three pure white tails that adorned Orso''s form were matted with dirt and blood. Without a moment''s hesitation, Shin rushed to Orso''s side, his eyes filled with worry. He gently cradled Orso''s weakened body, careful not to exacerbate his injuries. Blood seeped through the cracks in the armor, staining it a dark crimson, a stark contrast to its original purity. Shin''s gaze shifted to the three tails, which normally emanated an aura of power and grace, now limp and lifeless. Summoning his mana, Shin channeled healing energy through his hands, gently cing them on Orso''s wounded body. A soft glow enveloped his palms as the restorative power flowed into Orso, mending his broken body and revitalizing his spirit. Shin''s breaths came in ragged gasps as he stared at Orso, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily upon him. Despite his best efforts, the corrupt energy had taken a firm hold on Orso''s wounds, resisting his attempts to heal himpletely. It was a formidable adversary, an unknown force that seemed determined to keep Orso in a state of suffering. Sweat trickled down Shin''s forehead as he fought to catch his breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly. The depletion of his mana reserves was palpable, leaving him feeling drained and vulnerable. He knew that pushing further could put both himself and Orso at risk, but he couldn''t bear the thought of abandoning hisrade in such a dire state. Chapter 455 The Battle Continues [2]

Chapter 455 The Battle Continues [2]

Chapter 454: The Battle Continues [2] His eyes glowed with an ethereal light as he focused his gaze on Orso''s wounds. He saw the tendrils of corrupt energy snaking through the damaged flesh, spreading their malevolent influence. The healing energy coursed through his fingertips, mingling with the tainted energy and engaging in a fierce battle for dominance. Shin''s brow furrowed in concentration as he pushed his limits, refusing to surrender to the overwhelming darkness. Gradually, a flicker of progress emerged during the turmoil. The corrupt energy faltered, weakened by Shin''s relentless assault. Inch by inch, the pure light gained ground, its healing properties overpowering the dark forces that had gued Orso''s wounds. The infection receded, losing its grip on his body as the healing magic surged forth with renewed vigor. Shin withdrew his hands, a mixture of exhaustion and satisfaction washing over him. His efforts had not been in vain. Though Orso''s recovery was not yetplete, the battle against the corruption had been won. Shin panted as he looked towards Orso, his worry etched on his face. "Can you speak?" he asked, his voiceced with concern. "Y-es," Orso managed to reply, his voice trembling and tainted with the taste of blood. Despite the pain, he forced a smile, trying to reassure Shin of his resilience. He slowly rose to his feet, determination shining in his eyes. Before Shin could utter another word, a sudden loud bang echoed through the air, interrupting their conversation. Their heads snapped towards the source of the noise, their senses heightened with anticipation. *Bang!* Their eyes widened in disbelief as they witnessed a massive crater forming just a few yards away. Shin''s heart pounded in his chest as he instinctively moved closer to Orso, ready to shield him from any impending danger. In the midst of the chaotic battlefield, Dogko, an elder of high order, engaged in a fierce battle with an imposing shadow wolf. The shadow wolf, shrouded in a ck cloak, wielded a gleaming ck dagger in his palm. With swift and fluid movements, he seamlessly transitioned in and out of the shadows, executing a flurry of deadly attacks. Each strike was executed with precision, leaving trails of darkness in his wake. Meanwhile, Dogko stood his ground, donned in his resplendent white armor that gleamed even in the midst of pandemonium. His three majestic tails swayed with a graceful power, emanating an aura of authority. With each step and maneuver, his movements were precise, showcasing his mastery ofbat. The sh between them created an awe-inspiring spectacle, their movements a blur of speed and skill. Sparks flew as their weapons shed, illuminating the battleground with bursts of light. Their dance of conflict was a symphony of power and technique, each strike resonating with a primal force. As the sh between Dogko and the shadow wolf intensified, the shockwaves they generated reverberated through the battlefield, causing the very ground to tremble beneath their feet. The force unleashed by their powerful strikes surged outward, creating a ripple effect that sent vibrations surging through the earth. While themotion raged on, small pieces of sharp debris and pebbles were propelled into the air with astonishing speed. These tiny projectiles became like deadly missiles, hurtling through the battlefield at high velocity. Their jagged edges and piercing force made them a serious threat, capable of causing significant harm to anyone caught in their path. Warriors and onlookers nearby had to exercise caution and agility to avoid being struck by these airborne fragments. The whistling sound of the projectiles cutting through the air added an eerie soundtrack to the fierce confrontation, heightening the sense of danger and urgency that permeated the battlefield. The battlefield resembled a chaotic storm, where the ground trembled and the air was filled with swirling debris. It was a testament to the immense power and ferocity of thebatants locked in their intense struggle. Dogko''s roar reverberated through the battlefield, his white mana surging and umting in the palm of his hand. With a mighty thrust, he unleashed his palm strike towards the shadow wolf, aiming to obliterate his foe. But in a disy of cunning and agility, the shadow wolf had anticipated the attack, slipping seamlessly into Dogko''s shadow. In a split second, the shadow wolf emerged from the depths of the shadow, his dagger gleaming with a malevolent aura as he swung it towards Dogko with lethal intent. The speed and precision of the wolf''s movement were astonishing, a testament to his mastery of shadow maniption and swift reflexes. Dogko, caught off guard by the unexpected maneuver, barely had time to react. His instincts kicked in, and he swiftly shifted his body to evade the iing strike. The air whistled as the deadly dagger sliced through the space where Dogko''s body had just been, narrowly missing its target. The sheer speed and fluidity of the shadow wolf''s movements made it difficult for Dogko to anticipate his next strike. The dagger, tainted with dark energy, seemed to hunger for blood, its malicious aura serving as a grim reminder of the wolf''s sinister intentions. Despite the close call, Dogko''s determination did not waver. With an explosive surge of power, Dogkounched his fist, enveloped in a radiant glow of white mana. The sh between his fist and the shadow wolf''s de created an eruption of energy, intensifying the shockwaves that reverberated through the battlefield. In the midst of the mayhem, a grim scene unfolded. As the sh reached its peak, the immense pressure caused blood to seep from Dogko''s clenched fist, a testament to the sheer force exerted in this life-or-death struggle. Simultaneously, cracks began to spiderweb across the surface of the ck de, the dark aura surrounding it flickering with instability. In a cruel twist of fate, despite Dogko''s valiant effort, the ck de managed to find its mark. With a swift and precise movement, it shed through Dogko''s palm, severing flesh and sinew, causing crimson droplets to scatter into the air. The shadow wolf''s de, now stained with Dogko''s blood, continued its lethal trajectory. With a chilling determination, it aimed towards Dogko''s vulnerable heart, poised to deliver a fatal blow. Chapter 456 The Battle Continues [3]

Chapter 456 The Battle Continues [3]

Chapter 455: The Battle Continues [3] With a swift motion, Shin stepped forward, raising his Muramasa de high in the air. The ethereal glow of the de intensified as he infused it with his formidable power. As the sh between Shin''s Muramasa and the shadow wolf''s dagger erupted, a cataclysmic force seemed to surge through the air. The sh of their weapons created a resounding explosion, scattering shards of shattered metal and ethereal energy in all directions. An invisible wave passed through the shadow wolf''s body, causing his very soul to tremble in fear. Yet, the battle was far from over. The chains that bound Shin''s arm, digging into his flesh, served as a reminder of the sacrifice he had made to unleash the full potential of his power. Blood flowed freely from his wounds, staining the ground beneath him, but he refused to sumb to the pain. With fierce determination etched upon his face, Shin gritted his teeth and unleashed a torrent of shes upon the shadow wolf. The chains that entwined his arm acted as conduits, channeling his mana into the de of his Muramasa with unprecedented speed and ferocity. In a final disy of skill and strength, Shin unleashed a flurry of strikes, his Muramasa bing a blur of steel. His strikes grew more forceful, each swing of his de apanied by a wave of energy that shook the very fabric of the battlefield. Even as the shadow wolf attempted to evade by entering his shadow, two of the devastating strikes had already found their mark. His soul trembled, unable to withstand the sheer power and intensity of Shin''s onught. Blood flowed through his body, staining his darkened form, while his ribs were crushed under the immense force unleashed upon him. In a desperate attempt to escape, the shadow wolf materialized once more. However, his soul had already been weakened to the point of copse. As his form emerged from the shadows, it disintegrated, dissolving into nothingness, leaving behind only a lingering sense of defeat and despair. Shin''s senses heightened as he detected a subtle disturbance in the surrounding energy. His keen intuition told him that something was amiss, and he quickly ryed his observations to Dogko. The elder''s eyes narrowed as he too felt the unsettling presence. There, concealed within the shadows, lurked a figure. Its form was obscured, blending seamlessly with the darkness. Shin''s eyes narrowed as he recognized the presence of an unknown adversary. Shin''s grip tightened around his Muramasa as he locked his gaze onto the emerging figure. This being exuded an aura of darkness and power that dwarfed anything Shin had encountered before. As the figure stepped forward, the darkness seemed to cling to him, swirling around his form like a sinister cloak. His eyes, void of light, pierced through the shadows, fixating on Shin with an intensity that sent a chill through his core. It was as if the very essence of despair and malevolence resided within this enigmatic figure. The surrounding battlefield fell silent, the sh of weapons and the cries of battle fading into nothingness. The heavenly wolf n members who remained stood frozen, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and awe. As the figure''s skeletal fingers reached out to grasp the Muramasa, a surge of dread coursed through Shin''s veins. He could feel the weight of the impending danger, the possibility of losing the very weapon that had be an extension of himself. His muscles strained, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he exerted himself to break free from the invisible hold. However, at that moment, a blinding white lightning struck the ground, illuminating the area with its intense radiance. As the lightning faded, the dust particles slowly settled, revealing a remarkable sight. In the aftermath of the lightning''s brilliance, the once obscured figure became visible to all. The muscr humanoid form with the wolf mask was now revealed, standing tall and resolute. Muscles rippled beneath his taut skin, a testament to his strength and power. The white light had served as a catalyst, unveiling the true identity of the mysterious warrior to the heavenly wolf family. The figure in the wolf mask was none other than the revered leader of the heavenly wolf family. Respected and revered by the n, he held a significant position within their hierarchy, second only to Shin, the Wolf God himself. The members of the heavenly wolf family looked upon their leader with a mixture of awe and reverence. His presence carried an air of authority and wisdom that had guided the n through countless challenges. The air crackled with tension as the leaders of the heavenly wolf family and the shadow wolf n locked eyes. A momentary silence enveloped the battleground as the leaders exchanged unspoken words, their gazes speaking volumes. It was as if invisible energy were shing with each other causing everyone''s soul to tremble. As the leader of the shadow wolf n''s body transformed into formless darkness, an ominous aura engulfed the battlefield, casting a shroud of uncertainty and fear. The swirling darkness moved with an otherworldly fluidity, weaving and swirling like tendrils of malevolence around the leader of the heavenly wolf family. But in response to this encroaching darkness, a radiant transformation unfolded before the eyes of the heavenly wolf family''s leader. Seven magnificent tails emerged from his back, shimmering with a divine luminescence that pierced through the surrounding gloom. In this climactic battle, the leader of the heavenly wolf family and the shadow wolf n''s leader stood as avatars of their respective realms. Their sh represented more than a mere confrontation between two individuals¡ªit was a battle that resonated with cosmic significance, a manifestation of the eternal struggle between light and darkness, order and chaos. As the leader of the heavenly wolf family stood amidst the encroaching darkness, an eerie presence filled the air. From the depths of the shadowy abyss, countless ghosts and spirits emerged, their ethereal forms gliding towards him with malevolent intent. Their haunting wails and tormented visages added to the chilling atmosphere, threatening to engulf the leader in their spectral grasp. The leader''s presence exuded an aura of divinity and purity, an embodiment of celestial authority. Bathed in the resplendent golden light, he stood like a newborn deity, emanating an irresistible force that repelled the darkness around him. With a single gaze, his piercing eyes emitted a blinding light, cutting through the darkness like a celestial beacon. In an instant, the malevolent spirits faltered. Their ethereal forms trembled, their ghastly features contorted in agony. The sheer intensity of the leader''s gaze was enough to send shockwaves through their spectral essence, unraveling their ethereal existence. One by one, the ghosts and spirits dissipated into nothingness, their anguished cries silenced by the overwhelming power of the heavenly wolf family''s leader. Chapter 457 The Escape [1]

Chapter 457 The Escape [1]

Chapter 456: The Escape [1] "Aooooooooo!" The haunting howls of the shadow wolves echoed through the air, their voices filled with agony and torment. As the heavenly wolf family''s leader radiated his divine light, an unseen force permeated the atmosphere, seeping into the essence of the shadow wolves. A surge of intense heat washed over the shadow wolves, causing their fur to singe and their skin to blister. It was as if an inferno had ignited within them, their very blood boiling within their veins. Their eyes, once filled with malicious intent, now turned a deep, fiery red, veins pulsating with the strain of their torment. The torment grew with each passing moment, a maddening sensation that gripped their minds and twisted their sanity. Their howls grew more desperate, more feral, as they fought against the relentless onught of this unseen power. Their bodies convulsed, muscles tensing and contorting under the sheer weight of the torment they endured. The pain was unbearable, their senses overwhelmed by the searing heat and the maddening chaos within. Drops of blood, tainted with their suffering, dripped from their bodies, falling to the ground as a macabre testament to their anguish. As the torment engulfed them, the shadow wolves underwent a grotesque transformation. Their once sharp and deadly ws elongated, growing in size and strength, now resembling razor-sharp talons drenched in malevolent darkness. Darkness seeped from their bodies, oozing and swirling around them like a maleficent mist. It clung to their flesh, seeping into their pores, and intertwining with their very essence. Their forms became distorted, their once sleek and fearsome appearance now twisted and contorted with an eerie grotesqueness. Their transformation was not confined to the physical realm alone. It was as if their flesh, bones, and souls themselves were merging with the darkness, bing one with its malefic nature. The shadow wolves, once formidable predators, now embodied the very essence of the shadows they emerged from. No longer were they wolves with consciousness and purpose; they had devolved into mindless abominations, mere vessels for the darkness that consumed them. Their physical resemnce to wolves became a deceptive mask, hiding the hollow shells they had be. Their once keen and intelligent eyes now held no trace of sentience or awareness. The vibrant glow of their irises had faded, reced by a dull and vacant stare that betrayed their loss of self. Their movements became erratic and frenzied, driven solely by primal instincts and the insatiable hunger that gued their twisted existence. The shadow ghouls, as they could now be called, operated solely on base desires and urges. Their thoughts and motives were reduced to a savage simplicity, focused only on satiating their unquenchable thirst for chaos and destruction. They were ves to the darkness that had consumed them, their actions dictated by an insidious force that brooked no resistance. Even in the face of their own kind''s horrific transformation, the leader of the shadow wolf n remained stoic and indifferent. This indifference was a chilling testament to the power and influence the leader of the shadow wolf n held over his kin. He had be a puppet master, manipting his mindless subjects with cold and calcted precision. His disregard for their suffering and loss of identitymunicated a great deal about the depths of darkness he had embraced. While the heavenly wolf family''s leader stood as a beacon of hope, the leader of the shadow wolf n stood as a symbol of maniption and callousness. The forbidden spells he had employed to transform his n members into ghouls revealed a great deal about his willingness to discard morality and embrace darkness at any cost. He saw his own kin as nothing more than expendable tools, temporary sources of power to be discarded once their usefulness had expired. The ghouls, infused with dark energy, possessed impressive strength that made them formidable adversaries, but their existence was ephemeral, destined to fade away after a few short hours. The leader of the shadow wolf n reveled in his ruthlessness, finding a perverse satisfaction in bending the forces of shadow to his will. He relished in the power he had gained, even if it came at the expense of his n''s true nature and individuality. To him, the end justified the means, and he would stop at nothing to achieve his ultimate goal of dominance and control. As his gaze lingered upon the leader of the heavenly wolf family, a silent challenge hung in the air. It was a confrontation of ideologies, a sh between the forces of light and darkness. Despite his injuries and declining strength, the leader of the heavenly wolf family refused to yield to despair. He knew that this was a crucial moment, a pivotal juncture where the fate of their kind would be determined. The battle with the leader of the shadow wolf n had taken its toll on him, causing internal injuries that weakened his body and sapped his life force. His once majestic aura now flickered with a faint glow, like a dying ember struggling to stay alight. With eachbored breath, the leader of the heavenly wolf family drew upon his remaining strength. He knew that he had to persevere, to summon the depths of his inner power, despite the toll it would take on his already weakened state. He would fight with all his might, for his family, for their future, and for the hope of restoring bnce and harmony to their shattered world. As the leader of the heavenly wolf family''s seven tails ignited with a luminous glow, they exuded a radiant energy that symbolized his unparalleled might. His eyes gleamed with an intensity that reflected his unwavering perseverance, inspiring awe and instilling hope in his allies. In a breathtaking disy of power and agility, the leader of the heavenly wolf family vanished from sight, his lithe figure engulfed in a dazzling radiance of pure white mana. Simultaneously, the leader of the Shadow n family dissolved into the swirling darkness, his form shrouded in an ominous aura of inky ckness. In a fraction of a second, they reappeared at the epicenter of the battlefield, their fists hurtling towards each other with an unstoppable velocity. Chapter 458 The Escape [2]

Chapter 458 The Escape [2]

Chapter 457: The Escape [2] The sh between their punches seemed imminent, yet the power emanating from their collision sent shockwaves reverberating across the battlefield. The sheer force of their impending sh shattered the ground beneath them, causing it to quake and rupture. Cracks spiderwebbed through the earth, releasing plumes of dust and debris that danced in the chaotic currents unleashed by their titanic might. The destructive shockwave rippled outward, obliterating everything in its path, leaving a trail of devastation. The air hung heavy with anticipation as dust particles danced in the rays of sunlight, cascading gently to the ground like a delicate shower of tiny diamonds. The swirling maelstrom of dark and light mana crackled with an intense energy, intertwining and colliding in a mesmerizing disy of power. Waves of ethereal energy rippled outward, distorting the very essence of creation. The sh of opposing forces unleashed a symphony of cosmic might, audible even amidst the chaos of the battlefield. Amidst this tempestuous spectacle, the fists of the two leaders hung suspended in the air, mere inches away from colliding. It was as if time itself had frozen, allowing Shin to witness the culmination of these immense powers. Every detail etched itself into Shin''s memory¡ªthe veins pulsating on their clenched fists, the fierce determination etched on their faces, and the raw energy radiating from their beings. Boom! The fists finally shed! As the fists finally collided, a shockwave of unfathomable power erupted, shaking the very foundation of the earth. The very fabric of the heavens seemed to tremble in response, as if nature itself recoiled from the sheer magnitude of their confrontation. Amongst the chaos, the shadow ghouls, fueled by their newfound darkness, surged forward with relentless conviction. Their forms twisted and contorted, taking on an even more grotesque appearance. Their eyes burned with an unholy fervor as they sought to tear apart the leader of the heavenly wolf family, capitalizing on his weakened state from the powerful impact that had reverberated through his body, making his internal injuries worse. While the leader of the heavenly wolf family stood his ground, ready to face the encroaching shadow ghouls, a chilling realization dawned upon him. From the depths of the domain of darkness, a swarm of these malevolent creatures emerged, their eyes gleaming with an insatiable hunger. With lightning speed, they pounced upon the leader, sinking their razor-sharp fangs into his flesh. A symphony of agony erupted as the shadow ghouls tore into his being, their venomous bite spreading like wildfire through his veins. Each puncture inflicted a venom that seeped deep into his skin and muscles, corrupting the very essence of his being. The once sacred channels of mana within him became obstructed, as if suffocating under the weight of the encroaching darkness. ck blood oozed from the wounds, a stark contrast to the purity of his divine essence. With every passing moment, the infection spread, gnawing away at his vitality, weakening his grip on his own power. The battlefield became a haunting tableau, as the leader stood, his body covered in the marks of his torment. The juxtaposition of the divine light emanating from him and the tendrils of darkness that marred his flesh created a chilling spectacle. Rooooaaarrrrrrr! As the leader of the heavenly wolf family and the leader of the shadow wolf n shed in a furious exchange, their movements transcended mortal perception. In a blinding disy of speed and power, they vanished from sight, leaving behind only the echoes of their sh. The ground trembled and shattered beneath their feet, upheaving chunks of earth and stone that were hurled into the air like deadly projectiles. Explosions of raw power erupted in all directions, unleashing shockwaves that rippled through thendscape, obliterating everything in their path. With each strike and counterstrike, the sh of their energies sent shockwaves reverberating through the atmosphere. Thunderous booms echoed, mingling with the roars of theirbined power, creating an otherworldly symphony of destruction. shes of brilliant light illuminated the darkness, as bursts of energy erupted from their sh, painting the scene with vivid hues of radiance and gloom. "Die!" eximed the leader of the heavenly wolf family as he activated his heavenly aura. In an instant, a radiant pir of golden light erupted from his being, enveloping the entire area in a breathtaking disy of divine power. The pir shimmered with an ethereal brilliance, casting a mesmerizing glow that illuminated the battlefield. The heavenly aura surged with intense energy, pulsating with pure righteousness and celestial might. Its radiant waves crashed upon the shadow wolves, causing them to recoil and falter. Their darkened forms trembled as their very cores shook under the assault of this holy presence. But the transformation had only just begun. As the heavenly aura continued to surge, the pir of light started to take on a distinct shape. Its radiant beams of golden brilliance intertwined and condensed, coalescing into a majestic figure, emanating a sense of divinity. Shin''s gaze caught a subtle change in the facial expression of the leader of the shadow wolf n for the first time. A flicker of uncertainty crossed his face, a momentary hesitation amidst the chaos. It was a glimpse into the depths of his conflicted soul. But before Shin could fully process this revtion, a sudden shift urred. The domain of darkness surrounding the leader of the shadow wolf n surged and swirled, engulfing himpletely. The formless abyss took on a tangible shape, morphing into a pair of colossal eyes. These eyes were unlike anything Shin had ever witnessed. They were immense, each eyerger than any grand city he had ever seen. The magnitude of their presence sent a shiver down his spine. The eyes, shrouded in darkness, remained closed, as if withholding an unimaginable power within. The surrounding darkness seemed to be drawn towards these colossal eyes, as if paying homage to their unfathomable might. Shadows danced and writhed, bending to the will of this ominous manifestation. In the presence of these colossal eyes, the battlefield seemed to shrink, its significance diminished inparison to the vastness and magnitude they represented. As the gigantic eyes took shape, they seemed to exude an otherworldly energy, emanating a palpable sense of darkness and foreboding. It was a stark contrast to the heavenly aura that enveloped the leader of the heavenly wolf family. While the darkness coalesced and took shape, an enigmatic sight unfolded before Shin''s eyes. The formless abyss transformed into intricate threads of dark lines, undting like serpents in a mesmerizing dance. Gradually, the construction revealed itself¡ªan iplete wolf god form. It stood before Shin, a towering embodiment of power and primal essence. Yet, despite its grandeur, the wolf god form appeared unfinished, as if its true potential remained untapped. Its figure flickered with the remnants of shadows, the embodiment oftent strength waiting to be harnessed. The threads of darkness still swirled around it, a testament to its iplete nature. But even in its unfinished state, the mere presence of the iplete wolf god form exuded an overwhelming aura of authority and might. Its form resonated with ancient power, a glimpse into a primordial existence that bridged the boundaries of reality. Chapter 459 The Escape [3]

Chapter 459 The Escape [3]

Chapter 458: The Escape [3] In the presence of the iplete wolf god form, the battlefield seemed to tremble with anticipation. It was as if the essence of the cosmos quivered in reverence to this enigmatic entity. As the eyes of the iplete wolf god form slowly opened, a surge of terror rippled through the battlefield. The sight that met the onlookers was beyondprehension and sent shivers down their spines. The pupils, devoid of a defined shape, manifested as an abyss of formless darkness, swirling and shifting in a chaotic dance. The mere gaze of those eyes held an overwhelming power, capable of inducing unimaginable horror. Those unfortunate enough to meet its gaze found themselves transformed into mindless ghouls, their essence corrupted by the malevolent influence. Once proud warriors of the shadow wolf n sumbed to this terrible fate, their mana tainted, their minds shattered. Within moments, the once-mighty fighters were reduced to ferocious beasts, driven by feral instincts and bereft of reason. Their humanity was stripped away, leaving only savage and uncontroble hunger. No one was spared from the devastating effects of the wolf god''s gaze. The battlefield transformed into a nightmarish realm, where the line between friend and foe blurred. In the face of such abject horror, Shin, Dogko, and the remaining warriors struggled to maintain theirposure. They fought against the all-epassing terror, clinging to the flickering mes of their dwindling willpower. Shin''s gaze remained fixated on the formless pupils of the iplete wolf god form. It was as if he had ventured into the depths of a bottomless abyss, a void from which there was no escape. His very soul trembled, teetering on the precipice of madness. Though his instincts screamed at him to look away, his eyes remained locked, as if bound by an invisible force. It was a mesmerizing and terrifying sight, one that threatened to consume his sanity and leave him forever lost in the abyss of despair. The longer he stared into those formless pupils, the more he felt his mind unraveling. It was as if the very essence of his being was being drawn into the swirling darkness, pulled into a vortex of chaos and oblivion. However, at that second¡­The transformation of the pir of light also waspleted! This iplete wolf god form bathed in pure holy light exuded an aura of divinity and majesty. Its ethereal presencemanded respect and reverence, as if a holy emperor had descended from the heavens to protect its believers. Unlike the chaotic and terrifying darkness of the other form, this holy wolf god form emitted an overwhelming sense of purity and righteousness. Its immense size alone could cast shadows upon entirendscapes, yet its demeanor remained serene and noble. The heavenly aura emanating from the form was blindingly radiant, making it difficult for anyone to gaze upon it directly. It seemed to pierce through the darkness, illuminating every corner of the battlefield with its celestial glow. But amidst the grandeur, the toll on the leader of the heavenly wolf family became apparent. The exertion required to unleash this formidable power had taken a severe toll on his body. Blood gushed from his lips, a vivid symbol of the immense strain he endured to bring forth this trump card. The iplete wolf-god form of light stood as a testament to the potential of bing a radiant god. Its form, although not yet perfected, radiated with an otherworldly brilliance that surpassed the boundaries of mortalprehension. Those who gazed upon its resplendent figure couldn''t help but feel the stirring of their owntent divine potential, their spirits yearning to ascend to such celestial heights. As the leader of the heavenly wolf family reached the limits of his power, his body started to tremble under the strain of his injuries. The wounds from his previous battles reopened and worsened, causing fresh blood to ooze from his skin. His once-majestic form now bore the marks of a fierce and desperate struggle. The cracks on his body were a testament to the immense pressure he was facing. The iplete wolf-god form of light, though powerful, was taking a toll on him, pushing him to the brink of his endurance. The cracks on his skin deepened, revealing the fragility of his mortal form. In this moment of vulnerability, the ghouls sensed an opportunity and swarmed around him like vultures. Their ws tore at his weakened form, their bites infecting his wounds and spreading darkness through his veins. It was a relentless onught, and with each passing moment, the leader of the heavenly wolf family felt his strength waning further. The leader of the heavenly wolf family let out a guttural cry of agony as the iplete wolf god form of darkness lunged at him with ferocious speed. In a swift and merciless strike, the monstrous entity tore through his defenses, ripping apart his entire right arm with savage force. Blood spurted from the grievous wound, painting the battlefield in a crimson hue.? With his arm ripped away, the leader of the heavenly wolf family''s once mighty form seemed diminished, his aura flickering like a dying me. He struggled to maintain his footing, staggering under the weight of his injuries. The world around him spun in a disorienting whirlwind of pain and chaos. However, at that moment, the sun rose! As the radiant sun climbed higher in the sky, its intense light illuminated the battlefield, causing the shadow wolves to recoil in agony. The shadow wolves, whose strength had been doubled under the moon''s gentle gaze, now struggled to muster even a fraction of their former might. The sunlight acted as a relentless oppressor, draining their energy and reducing their abilities tenfold. Sensing the impending weakness of his n, the leader of the shadow wolf n let out a frustrated growl. In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, he raised his hand, a dark aura enveloped him, materializing into a formidable ck armor that radiated a malevolent energy. It shielded him from the piercing light. Within the boundaries of the heavenly wolf family''s domain, a powerful barrier stood as a protective shield, shielding the inhabitants from external threats. This magical barrier, woven with thebined strength of the heavenly wolf family''s mana, was a symbol of their unity and resilience. However, the shadow wolf leader, driven by a sinister motive, unleashed a devastating attack upon the barrier. With a mighty force, he tore through the magical shield, causing it to shatter and weaken. The once impregnable barrier nowy in ruins, leaving a significant portion of the heavenly wolf family''s ce exposed and vulnerable. The shadow wolf n seized this opportunity, their dark forms swiftly maneuvering through the breach in the barrier. As the barrier crumbled, it allowed the shadow wolves to escape, vanishing into the shadows and slipping away. Chapter 460 The Aftermath [1]

Chapter 460 The Aftermath [1]

Chapter 459: The Aftermath [1] Aurora sat in the grand hall, her body wrapped in tight bandages, bearing the wounds of a recent fierce battle. Her face bore the marks of pain and loss, but her spirit remained unyielding. A deep sadness and anger swirled within her eyes, matching the heaviness that hung in the air. She was the leader who lead all the Heavenly Wolves. Due tock of mana, she couldn''t maintain her man form. Her right arm was conspicuously absent, severed in the midst of the chaotic conflict. It nowy as a grim reminder of the price she had paid for her loyalty and dedication. The bandages around her other wounds were being meticulously applied by a skilled hand, an individual tasked with tending to her injuries and offering what sce they could in the face of such devastation. In the hall, the vice-leader stood before her, his postureden with guilt and regret. He dared not meet Aurora''s gaze, for the burden he carried was one of profound magnitude. It was his own disciple, the one he had nurtured and guided, who had betrayed their cause. The weight of that betrayal was etched upon his features, his downcast eyes and trembling hands betraying his inner turmoil. Aurora''s voice broke the heavy silence, her wordsced with a mix of exhaustion and anguish. "What was their purpose?" she asked, her voice trembling with a blend of curiosity and despair. Her inquiry resonated through the silence, echoing the thoughts and doubts that gued her wounded heart. The bandager worked diligently, striving to offer some measure of relief to Aurora''s battered form. Yet, it was a mere gesture, a fleeting respite from the torment that raged within her. In that solemn hall, the wounds of the body were stark reminders of the battles fought, but the wounds of the soul ran deeper still. The shadows of treachery and shattered trust cast a pall over the once-united ranks, leaving only fragments of a once-loyal alliance. Elder Ros had already been exposed as a traitor, his treacherous actions leaving no room for doubt or debate. The consequences for his betrayal had been swift and decisive. However, for Tesa and his teacher, the Vice-Leader, a trial was on the horizon, where their actions and involvement would be thoroughly examined. Tesa had managed to escape, slipping through the cracks of justice for the time being. The search for him would continue, but the focus had shifted to the Vice-Leader, as it was under his guidance and mentorship that Tesa had fallen astray. The burden of responsibility bore heavily upon the Vice-Leader''s shoulders, and he willingly epted the consequences of his actions. The Vice-Leader stood there, despite his efforts to appear stoic, his bodynguage gave away his conflicting feelings of despair and regret.There was no defiance or attempt to shift me; instead, he embraced his mistakes and prepared himself for the judgment that awaited him. Regardless¡­ The elders who gathered in the hall couldn''t help but feel a mix of confusion and astonishment as theyid their eyes upon their leader. The figure seated upon the leader''s chair was not the man they had always known but rather a woman, radiating an air of authority and power that demanded their attention. Whispers filled the hall as the elders exchanged nces, their expressions a blend of curiosity and disbelief. How could their leader undergo such a drastic transformation? It was now apparent why their leader had seldom spoken, for maintaining such a form required an immense expenditure of mana. The realization dawned upon them that their leader had been tirelessly manipting their voice all this time, an incredible feat that only served to deepen their admiration. While they studied the transformed leader, a newfound understanding began to emerge. It became clear that the leader''s appearance was not a mere whim or an arbitrary choice, but a deliberate expression of their true self. The leader''s gender, once shrouded in mystery, nowid bare before them, challenging their preconceived notions and urging them to broaden their perspectives. Amidst the lingering confusion, the elders found sce in the fact they hadn''t lost their leader. The turmoil that had consumed their kingdom had been resolved, but the heavy toll of lives lost weighed heavily on their hearts. Their thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a disheveled man, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. He burst into the hall, his breath ragged and his expression filled with urgency. The man''s sudden entrance caused a stir among the elders, their attention swiftly turning towards him. They exchanged curious nces, wondering what could havepelled someone to interrupt their solemn gathering. With a gesture from their transformed leader, the room fell silent, allowing the man to catch his breath and speak. "Master! Master!" The voice grew louder with each frantic cry, echoing through the hall. The woman seated on the throne turned her attention to the source of themotion, her eyes meeting the disheveled man who had burst into the chamber. "What is it?" Her voice, surprisingly gentle and feminine, caught the man off guard. Startled, the man blinked in confusion, his gaze shifting between the unfamiliar figure before him and the surroundings. He had expected to find his revered leader, the one whosemanding presence had guided them through countless trials. But instead, he was met with the unexpected sight of a woman upying the throne. Surprise danced across his face as he struggled to process the situation unfolding before him. His mind raced with questions, seeking understanding amidst the unexpected turn of events. How could the leader have transformed into a female? What had transpired in their absence to bring about such a dramatic change? His voice trembled with bewilderment as he finally found his words. "Huh..?" he stammered, his eyes darting around the silent hall, confirming that this woman was indeed their leader. The man''s perplexity deepened, but he could not deny the undeniable truth before him. The transformation of their leader was real, and he had no choice but to ept it. As he stood there, the pieces of the puzzle began toe together, realizing that the leader''s apparent silence and aloofness in the past had likely been a consequence of the immense mana required to maintain such a transformative form. "Speak." Chapter 461 The Aftermath [2]

Chapter 461 The Aftermath [2]

Chapter 460: The Aftermath [2] "Speak," she urged, her voice carrying a blend of authority and curiosity. The man took a deep breath, his eyes reflecting a mix of concern and urgency. "Master, something of great importance has been stolen," he revealed, his voice tinged with worry. "Stolen...?" She pondered the word, her mind racing to unravel the implications of such a loss. And in that moment, as if a veil had been lifted, the truth became clear. Her eyes narrowed with determination, her expression growing more focused. The thief had targeted something that held immense significance, something that could tip the bnce of power within the kingdom. It was a bold move, and one that could not be left unanswered. "No way, did they..." The atmosphere crackled with tension, their implications sinking in with a heavy weight. The elders, too, shared in the sudden realization that dawned upon them. The stolen treasure was none other than the legendary artifact, the Wolf God Shin''s Armor¡ªthe greatest source of power and protection for the Heavenly Wolf Family. Aurora''s eyes trembled with disbelief and concern as the gravity of the situation settled upon her. She understood the immense significance of the armor, not only as a symbol of their family''s legacy but also as the key to their survival. The armor housed the power to create and maintain their imprable barrier, shielding them from the prying eyes of the supreme celestials. The elders, seasoned in their wisdom and experience, exchanged grave looks. The realization of what had transpired brought forth a sense of urgency and apprehension. Without the armor, their ability to conceal their presence and protect their family was severelypromised. It left them vulnerable and exposed to the watchful gaze of the celestial beings who sought to exploit their powers. The news of the theft struck at the very core of their existence. The Shadow Wolf n''s audacious act was a clear deration of their intent to undermine the Heavenly Wolf Family and seize control over their ancestral powers. They had taken a great risk to steal the armor, knowing its pivotal role in maintaining their barrier and shielding their true potential from the outside world. The absence of the armor left the barrier damaged and vulnerable, unable to be reinstated without the artifact itself. "No..." The word hung heavy in the air, the impact of realization sinking into the hearts and minds of the elders. It was as if a thunderbolt had struck them, shattering their sense of security and unraveling their carefully maintained facade of concealment. The gazes that Aurora had sensed, the ones that had sent shivers down her spine, were now unveiled for what they truly were¡ªprating gazes of the supreme celestials who had finally discovered their hidden sanctuary. The realization dawned upon Aurora with a chilling rity. Her voice trembled as she uttered the words, her breath catching in her throat. "The Supremes... they have found us." Her words were barely a whisper, carried by the weight of impending doom. The vice-leaders and elders stood frozen, their eyes widening in disbelief and panic. The news hit them like a sledgehammer to the chest, stealing their breath and sending waves of anxiety coursing through their veins. The safety they had cherished, the sce they had taken in the barrier that shielded them from prying eyes, was shattered in an instant. Shin, who had been present all along, felt a chill run down his spine. His instincts, honed by years of training and survival, kicked in. He knew that this ce, once a sanctuary for his family, was no longer safe. The sense of impending danger loomed over them, threatening to consume their every breath. The once serene hall now crackled with an undercurrent of fear and trepidation. Whispers of urgent ns and desperate measures circted among the elders as they grappled with the reality of their impending confrontation. The ancestral strength that had once bolstered their resolve now faced its greatest test¡ªa battle not only against their adversaries but against the impending annihtion of their family''s legacy. ''I hade here to ask for help¡­'' Shin''s mind was filled with frustration and a tinge of despair. He looked around the hall, his gaze shifting from one worried face to another. ''But now... even they are in danger.'' His fist tightened, knuckles turning white as he fought to contain the whirlwind of emotions within him. He had hoped that the Heavenly Wolf Family would provide a refuge for his family. But now, with the imminent threat of the supreme celestials looming over them, even their haven was tainted by danger. Aurora''s mind spun with a whirlwind of thoughts, her heart heavy with the weight of their predicament. As the reality sank in, a sense of helplessness threatened to consume her. They were facing an enemy of unimaginable power, the supreme celestials, and theycked a protector capable of standing against such might. This was precisely why they had retreated into hiding, hoping to evade the watchful eyes of their formidable adversaries. The Heavenly Wolf Family understood the vast power gap that existed between them and the supreme celestials. Their power-ups, while significant, were like feeble sparkspared to the zing inferno of the supremes'' might. Even with all theirbined strength, they couldn''t fathom challenging the supremes, let aloneying a finger on them. The thought of finding a celestial-ranked ally seemed like a distant dream, a fantasy they dared not entertain. Shin observed the shifting expressions on Aurora''s face, a mixture of concern, understanding, and determination. He couldn''t help but feel the weight of guilt pressing upon his heart, believing himself to be the catalyst for the unfolding disaster. The whispers of me from the elders only reinforced his self-condemnation. The atmosphere in the hall turned hostile as the usations grew louder and more venomous. The elders'' voices ovepped, each one trying to outdo the other in ming Shin for their current predicament. The weight of their collective anger bore down on Shin, making him feel as if he were drowning in a sea of hostility. "It''s him!" "¡­" Chapter 462 The Aftermath [3]

Chapter 462 The Aftermath [3]

Chapter 461: The Aftermath [3] "It''s all because of him!" one of the elders bellowed, pointing an using finger directly at Shin. "He is the one who brought cmity upon us!" The room echoed with unspoken thoughts, igniting a spark of anger and fear within the gathered elders. Like wildfire, the me spread, with more and more voices joining the chorus of condemnation. "He should have never set foot in our n!" another elder chimed in, his face twisted with disdain. "If only he hadn''te here, we wouldn''t be in this mess!" The room resonated with the deafening mor of usation, drowning out any rational thought or empathy. Shin stood at the center of the storm, with an unsettling fusion of confusion and defiance yed out upon his face. Aurora felt torn between her loyalty to the n and her understanding of the situation. She knew that ming Shin was unfair, yet the pressure from the elders was bing unbearable. The demands for judgment grew louder, their voices echoing off the walls of the hall. She struggled to find her voice amidst the chaotic mor, her mind racing for a way to diffuse the situation. "Judge him!" they pleaded, their voices filled with righteous indignation. "Hold him ountable for his actions!" Shin''s gaze shifted from one using elder to another, his expression a mix of frustration, hurt, and defiance. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as he fought to maintain hisposure amidst the onught of me. It was clear that the situation was spiraling out of control, and the unity of the n was at risk of crumbling under the weight of anger and fear. Mike, who was present there along with Orion, found the situation somewhat hrious as he observed the herd mentality taking hold of the elders. It was as if they were puppets, mimicking each other''s usations without giving it a second thought. The absurdity of the situation struck him, and he couldn''t help but voice his disbelief. "Are you serious?" Mike''s voice cut through the air,ced with incredulity. The sudden sound startled some of the elders, their usatory gazes turning towards him. As Mike was about to say more, he noticed Shin''s subtle gesture, his right arm extended forward to halt any further words. Understanding the unspoken message, Mike fell silent, his eyes shifting to Shin''s face. There was a mixture of sadness and resignation reflected in Shin''s expression, a weight that seemed to burden his very being. Though disappointed by the elders'' actions, Shin knew that arguing or defending himself would only serve to further divide the n. He understood the importance of unity and moving forward, even if it meant shouldering the me and allowing others to vent their frustrations. It was a selfless act, a sacrifice he was willing to make for the greater good. Mike respected Shin''s decision, his voice silenced by the weight of understanding. He stood by Shin''s side, a silent ally, ready to offer support in whatever way he could. Sometimes, words were not necessary, and the power of a shared understanding spoke volumes. "I apologize," Shin''s voice resonated through the hall, filled with a tinge of regret and determination. "I will immediately get out of this ce." Shin''s gaze met Aurora''s, a flicker of determination shining in his eyes. "Since the Supremes are after me, the moment I leave, they will try to attack me. So, maybe, I will try to waste their time." "Please use the opportunity to restore the barrier or perhaps, find a different hiding ce?" Shin''s voice carried a hint of hope, a suggestion for the n to take action and ensure their survival. Despite asking them to find a ce, Shin knew deep down that it would be next to impossible to do so. If it was possible, then they would have already found such a ce to hide. Silence enveloped the hall as Shin made his way towards the exit. No one spoke a word, nor did anyone attempt to stop him. The gravity of the situation had rendered them speechless, their minds consumed by the imminent threat looming over them. The unspoken understanding hung in the air - they all knew that his departure would expose him to the watchful eyes of the Supremes. With each step taking him closer to the city''s boundaries, Shin could sense the invisible gaze of the Supremes fixating on him. He could almost feel their anticipation, knowing that he was vulnerable and their pursuit relentless. As Shin stepped out of the protective barrier, the familiarity of the outside world hit him. The once-familiar streets now carried an eerie stillness, as if holding its breath in anticipation. He knew that his departure would not go unnoticed. The watchful eyes of the Supremes, ever vignt, were already looming over him. But was Shin a fool? Would he really give up his life for someone he didn''t even know? The Heavenly Wolf Family? Would he prioritize strangers over his own kin? His mind churned with conflicting thoughts and emotions. He wasn''t a fool, nor was he naive. Shin understood the risks he was taking and the potential consequences of his actions. Yet, his sense of justice burned brightly,pelling him to lend aid to those in need, regardless of their affiliations. With every step Shin took, his mind became clearer and his resolve grew stronger. He couldn''t abandon his n, his family, who had stood by him through thick and thin. The bond they shared was unbreakable, and their safety was his utmost priority. He couldn''t simply ept defeat or leave his loved ones to fend for themselves. He had to find a way to protect them, to ensure their survival against the impending threat of the Supremes. He would be the shield that protected his family, the sword that struck down their enemies. He would use every ounce of his strength, every skill at his disposal, to ensure the survival and prosperity of his n. "Ha.." And so, with a resolute spirit and a heart filled with love, Shin pressed on, his mind set on finding a way to shield his n from the impending storm. He would explore every option, face every challenge head-on, and emerge victorious, knowing that the safety and happiness of his family depended on his unwavering determination. Chapter 463 Hiding Aura

Chapter 463 Hiding Aura

Chapter 462: Hiding Aura Shin continued walking alone in the desert, having fulfilled his revenge and obtained the item. He now needed to meet with Pekka and Rekka, or at least that was his n. However, a sudden strange sensation caused him to stop in his tracks. It wasn''t the Sand Serpents or the scorpions nearby that bothered him. Even though they tried to attack him, mistaking him for a human, he paid them no mind, taking care of them rather easily. It was something entirely different that made him falter and almost fall to the ground. "Deoras," Shin called out, his voice cold and deep. "Yes, master," Deoras emerged, bowing before Shin. He could sense Shin''s anger, as his aura leaked and weighed heavily on those around him. Thankfully, Deoras had recently increased his strength, or else he would have been suffocated by the aura. This formidable aura kept the Sand Serpents at bay, and even the scorpions remained at a distance, no longer daring to approach him. "I have a feeling that something has happened," Shin expressed his concern. "Tell me, Deoras, is it right for me to think this way?" he asked, seeking confirmation. Confused, Deoras replied, "Forgive me, master, but what are you referring to?" "Can''t you feel it?" Shin questioned again, further puzzling Deoras. Deoras scanned the surroundings, looking for any signs of trouble, but his confusion only deepened. "Pardon me, master, can you tell me exactly..." "I can''t feel their presence anymore, Deoras," Shin interrupted, referring to some individuals named Ae, Terran, Raka, and nca. "Huh?" Deoras'' eyes widened in surprise. He attempted to connect with his fellow members, the shadow wolves, who had apanied him, but he couldn''t sense them either. Many of them had stayed behind, unwilling toe out due to fear. "Master, I too can''t feel..." Deoras stammered and paused, visibly anxious at the mention of whatever was causing this. The other shadow wolves remained concealed within Shin''s shadow, afraid of being crushed under the weight of the unknown pressure. ''What could have happened?'' Shin questioned himself. ''Why can''t I feel their presence?'' ''They are definitely not dead,'' Shin noticed that the system didn''t report them as deceased. This meant they were alive, but something was preventing him from sensing them. ''Did they suddenly learn a skill to hide their aura?'' ''Possible...'' ''But...'' ''All of them? Impossible!'' Hundreds of possibilities drowned his mind, but he couldn''t ascertain any with certainty. One thing was sure; he had to rush back to his ce. He had already failed in his mission to get help and had unintentionally exposed the heavenly wolf family. If the Supremes went after them, it might buy him some more time. "Deoras, return," he uttered, and Deoras understood, hiding back in the shadows. Shin clenched his fist, anger evident. Though he had achieved his human form, he hadn''t received all the rewards yet. He could potentially grow stronger, but now was not the time. He bent his body slightly, as if preparing for a run. Gathering strength in his legs, he released it at the right moment, sting away from the spot. His agility was unmatched by any beast in the desert. That is, if he decided to use his skill. [You have used the skill Speed Run.] His eyes glowed momentarily with green light as his speed increased. Due to his swift movement, it was as if the desert was splitting, creating a path in the middle. ''Nothing has happened to them. They will be happy and greet me when I arrive,'' he reassured himself as he kept running. The day turned into night, and the night into day, but Shin had yet to cross the vast desert. Despite his high speed, the journey took longer due to storms and Sand whirlpools that halted his progress. Dealing with these obstacles, it took him a total of 1 day and 5 hours to arrive at Death Valley, where Rekka and Pekka, along with many other Ghost wolves, were waiting. As he approached, two gigantic ghost wolves fixed their menacing gaze on him, but Shin could see them clearly with his All-Seeing eyes. "I have acquired the Gem of Lie," he announced. As a mere human, Shin''s presence confused the ghost wolves. His releasing of killing intent startled them, as they hadn''t sensed a strong being approach in a while. "Wow, you''ve grown strong in such a short time... and what''s with that human form?" Rekka asked, staring at Shin, but he was in no mood to answer. He quickly briefed them on the situation, and upon hearing it, both Rekka and Pekka said, "Yes, let us join you." "Huh?" Shin was confused. He hadn''t demanded them toe under him, but it seemed like the reward of the sidequest was taking effect, and the ghost wolves were bing his underlings. "But, you can''t leave the valley, right?" Shin protested. "We can''t directly..." Rekka began. "But we can if you use the Gem of Lie to make us living beings, even if only for a few seconds," Pekka added, their voices in unison. "I see," nodding his head, Shin observed the numerous other Ghost wolves present. "Are they all going toe?" he asked. Pekka shook his head and replied, "No. They will remain here to keep our territory safe and prevent other souls from taking over." Understanding their decision, Shin took out the previously acquired Gem of Lie from his inventory. Holding it in his hand, he could feel its immense power. "Imand you, turn both of them into the living!" he dered, holding the gem forward, but nothing happened. "Uh, are you sure you are the owner of the gem?" Rekka inquired skeptically. Before Shin could respond, Pekka intervened, saying, "Of course he is, look at the gem''s loyalty." "Then why isn''t it working?" Rekka persisted. "I think it''s because he has yet to form a contract with the Gem''s soul," Pekka exined, turning towards Shin. He then asked, "Have you formed a contract with the Gem''s soul?" "A contract? No." Chapter 464 The Maiden

Chapter 464 The Maiden

Chapter 463: The Maiden "So, even if I''m the master of the gem, I still have to form a contract?" Shin asked, momentarily taken aback by what Rekka and Pekka had suggested. "Yes. Although you have be the master of the gem, it has yet to reveal its true powers... especially the ability to give a living body to the dead; that''s no small thing," Rekka revealed, stating a fact. Shin nodded once or twice before inquiring, "How do I do it? How do I form the contract?" Pekka interjected, saying, "A mere drop of blood is enough." "So, I put a drop of blood on the gem?" Shin asked, to which both of them nodded in agreement. Shin wasted no time, biting the tip of his thumb and letting a drop of blood naturally fall onto the gem, while attempting to dy the self-healing factor of his body. Tapack! A drop fell onto the gem, creating a strange noise seconds before it started to glow. The light was blinding, causing even the nearby sound wup to retreat, but for Shin, it was nothing; his All-Seeing eyes remained active. He kept staring at the gem, whose glow slowly began to fade. However, before it vanishedpletely, something else emerged from it. A white mist that gradually took on the form of a young maiden ¨C a girl no older than 16. Both of her hands fit into each other as if she were praying, her eyes closed. Shin couldn''t help but wait. With his all-seeing eyes, he could discern that the so-called maiden was a soul from the gem. However, he wondered if she was the one with whom he was supposed to form the contract. He continued to stare at her as she opened her eyes, and a silent staring contest ensued. "Dear master, the contract has been established. What is your request?" she asked. "Huh? That easily?" Shin was utterly confused. No conditions wereid out, nor was anything mentioned. Just a drop of blood, and the matter was settled! Regardless, he heard her loud and clear. "Ahem, so, I want you to give them living bodies," he pointed at Rekka and Pekka, who remained levitating just a meter away. The soul merely gazed at them for a moment before asking, "Master, should I provide them with human bodies or wolf bodies?" "Uh, wolf bodies will suffice," Shin replied. Hearing this, the soul turned towards them again. She extended both of her palms forward, and secondster, a gust of wind blew, followed by a bright light. Pekka and Rekka, their bodies slowly started to materialize, manifesting out of thin air. Shin observed the wonder unfold, not entirely captivated, but somewhat intrigued. It took about 5 minutes for the process toplete. Rekka and Pekka now stood proudly on the rocky terrain of the Valley, their brown fur fluttering in the gentle breeze. "Brother..." Pekka called out, finally able to speak and perceive their surroundings. Thanks to their senses and retained skills in their soul form, they could sessfullymunicate and observe everything. However, for the first time in ages, they were finally able to actually use their eyes! The sensation was surreal; their eyes filled with tears. Their throats were wet as they rushed towards Shin, almost instantly bowing. "Thanks a lot!" "Thanks a lot!" Both of them repeated in unison, their gratitude overflowing as they had regained their physical bodies. Shin gazed at the maiden, inquiring, "How long will the bodiesst?" "About 1 day if they remain 1000 meters away from me, almost eternity if they remain close by," the gem said, stunning Shin. This revtion was unexpected, resembling a revival method for bringing back loved ones. "Are you sure? There are no drawbacks?" Shin''s intrigue grew. "Master, there is," the gem responded. "All of this will happen at the expense of your mana..." As soon as the words reached Shin, he instantly checked his MP, noticing it decreasing. It wasn''t a rapid decline, but it wasn''t slow either. Every moment the Ghost wolves spent in the bodies caused him to lose a substantial amount of mana. ''Hmm...'' ''System, focus the maximum amount of energy on conserving MP.'' [Understood.] Just as he said that, many of his passive skills were temporarily locked¡ªespecially those that regted his sensitivity to temperature. Inevitably, these skills started conserving and regaining MP. About two minutester, the amount of MP regained exceeded what was lost, a satisfactory result that Shin aimed for. However, he had a lot of traveling ahead and couldn''t afford to waste time. He waspelled to mention the drawback, which surprised the Ghost wolf brothers after all, they weren''t much aware of this. "Pardon us, we didn''t know such a thing could happen," both of them stared at each other nkly as Shin revealed it to them. They couldn''t exist in soul form outside the valley, as their souls would be destroyed. This presented quite the predicament right now, the situation demanding them to think more on the matter. Shin tried to think of a solution but couldn''t find one until he stumbled upon his inventory. ''What if both of them enter my inventory?'' With this thought in mind, he approached them. "Listen, I''m going to test something..." "Oh, what?" Pekka was curious, and Rekka shared the same curiosity. Shin focused on one of the ghost wolves that remained nearby. "Hey, buddy,e here," Shin requested, and the wolf approached. "Alright, don''t be scared, I''m just testing something," Shin assured. The wolf nodded, seemingly understanding. Secondster, Shin sessfully ced the wolf inside his inventory. "Keep me updated about its condition," Shin instructed. He activated his Speed Run ability and almost instantly vanished from the area. He traveled about 3 kilometers ahead, but there was no change in the soul''s condition. This oue left him nothing but satisfied. ''Yes, this could work,'' he thought to himself. With newfound confidence, he retraced his steps and returned to the same spot he had left, almost instantly! "We are set to go." Chapter 465 An Individual

Chapter 465 An Individual

"Yep, confirmed it. With my spatial magic, you can easily travel with me." When Shin mentioned that after returning, both Pekka and Rekka now had enthusiastic expressions on their faces. They thought they had to give up their n of leaving the ce, but it looked like Shin''s n would work just fine! "And this way, I can even store all of you inside. What do you say?" Shin asked. Pekka and Rekka initially wanted other souls to stay here, to look after their area. They didn''t want any other souls to take over the ce. But they too realized others were also excited to take a look at the outside world. Mostly they would be trapped inside the inventory, but they could still see what was going on outside if they wanted. Pekka and Rekka smirked at Shin''s exnation. Both of them turned back and stared at all the souls who were right behind them. "Did you not hear him?" "Whoever wants to join us,e and gather here!" Rekka screamed with all his might, his voice echoing throughout the ce. Indeed, as he announced that, all the souls almost instantly vanished and appeared in a cluster quite close to Shin. Without wasting any further time, Shin exined to them about his spatial magic and stored them away in his inventory. Therge space was now empty, devoid of life, with the shadow wolves being the exceptions as they hid away in Shin''s shadow. Either way, Shin was now ready to leave the desert, which he did almost instantly, running away from the valley. "I need to know what has happened..." His heart was restless, causing his throat to dry up. Again and again, only the worst possibilities kept flooding his mind. But Shin stood strong, trying to stay positive without jumping to conclusions. Using his skills, it didn''t take him long to reach the edge of the desert. Ahead was the Bona Kingdom... Or at least, it should have been. "Wha-?" Shin was puzzled at the sight of broken walls and the burnt remains of the kingdom. It hadn''t been long since Shin had left the ce, and thest time he had seen it, the walls stood tall! But now, only silent ruins covered the area. "What just happened?" Shin had no idea about the situation,pletely confused. It was as if arge storm had been stirred, yet he was somehow left out. He activated his all-seeing eyes, trying to find even the slightest clue, only to end up more confused. "No corpses either?" Shin was baffled, as not even a drop of blood or any bodies were found in the surroundings. "That''s weird... with suchrge-scale destruction, how can there be no casualties?" Shin thought about it for a second or two. He couldn''t waste his time investigating the situation, but it was indeed surprising. Nevertheless, ignoring it, he was about to leave when a bright sh of red light surrounded the ruins of the kingdom - it was as if the light descended from the sky! Shin raised his gaze, looking at the night sky. There appeared to be a hole through which the light pierced down to the earth, and from the light, something descended, whose mere presence caused Deoras and the Shadow wolves hiding away to tremble in fear. With their fur raised, every strand feeling the mighty presence, all the shadow wolves cowered. Numerous portals covered in a red haze opened up, and from them, various beings descended - each with a different shape. Most of them had wings on their backs, red skin, and a spear in their hands. Two horns adorned their bald heads. Their eyes were sharp and red, like their rough skin. A tail with a pointy tip extended behind them. They were naked, with the only exception of a small bush-like covering that concealed their pelvic region. Some were gigantic, which made them devoid of wings. Withrge portals opening, they walked down, behind and around Shin, surrounding him and facing the being that was levitating in the sky and still descending. They all bowed down with respect and fear. "M-master..." Deoras and the others were forced out of the shadows. Shin was surprised by what had happened, seeing them appear outside. Forcibly, all the shadow wolves ended up kneeling on the ground, their bellies touching the earth. It was as if a dominating pressure weighed down on them. Shin was the only one among the 1000 beings in the vicinity to stand strong. Despite feeling the pressure, his gaze remained as sharp as ever. He refused to bow down! *Ding* [Strong killing intent detected.] ''Yeah, I can tell that much,'' Shin said to himself as his eyes met the individual. The individual had a red glow surrounding him, making it hard to look at him, but Shin''s all-seeing eyes made the task easier. Two horns sat on his head, and he had long, brownish-red hair that fell to shoulder level. Following that were earrings or ear ornaments that were simrly red. He had bright golden eyesbined with red skin and a well-defined six-pack that was revealing. The being in front appeared to be a young adult, presumably male. With a gigantic club in his left hand, resting on his shoulder, the being stared directly at Shin. Adjusting his royal shawl that clung to his upper body, he continued to gaze at Shin, releasing the killing intent and bloodlust without any attempt to hide it. He blinked once or twice before a smile appeared on his face. "Shin?" he called out. His voice was not too loud but audible. Shin heard it loud and clear, and he stared more intently upon the mention. He expected lightning to strike as usual when his name was called out. However, even after a few seconds, no such thing happened. "No thundering... then..." [Yes, by no means is he inferior to you.] Shin nodded, agreeing with the system. "Alright, time to return to human form..." muttering to himself, he changed his form and regained his human appearance. It had been a little inconvenient, which was why he had changed to the wolf form a few hours earlier. But now, he transformed. He walked a few steps further and then raised his head again, replying to the initial calling of his name, "Yes?" And the moment he did that, a bigger smile reced the previous one, followed by a chuckle andughter. "Shin! I knew it! It was you!" The being vanished and reappeared in front of Shin almost instantly. "My eyes couldn''t follow his movements!" Shin was rather surprised by the sudden teleportation. The being took a step and then hugged Shin. "Shin!" It wasn''t an attempt to kill, for the killing intent and the bloodlust had already subsided. However, the hug was tight and strong. "Ugh..." Shin could feel his bones crackling, and it seemed the individual felt it too. Creak- Upon this sound, the individual broke his hug, taking a step back. With a yful stare, the individual chuckled, "Come on, dude, so weak?" Shin didn''t know who the being was, but it was as if he knew Shin. Shin merely nodded his head without saying anything else. "Your powers have been sealed or something?" the individual inquired. Shin didn''t reply to this either. With his gaze fixated on the ground, he merely nodded his head. "Looks like you''ve been through some stuff," the individual said with a soft voice filled with sympathy. "But nevertheless, you fulfilled your promise, and I will do so mine." "Promise?" Shin was surprised. ''What promise is he talking about?'' While confusion shrouded his mind, he didn''t let it show on his face. "Tell me, where is Ae?" "Uh... what?" Shin couldn''t understand the situation. ''How does he know about Ae?'' ''Who is he!?'' Again and again, he was being baffled and puzzled. "You want my help to free her, right? Come on, tell me. Whom should I kill? Where to go?" Shin understood the gravity of the situation. He did not want to let the stranger know that he knew nothing about him, but he didn''t want to let go of the opportunity either. He had made no promise, but there seemed to be a misunderstanding. The man was ready to help him, so why reject? "In the forest, my n..." "It''s not just Ae; all of my people are in danger..." Shin said, trying to bring the man to help him further. "What!? Who dares to put my friend''s men in danger!? Who is it? Tell me, and I will rip their arms, cut their heads, and drag them to your feet," the man''s hair fluttered as he spoke, as if he was enraged. His voice was like a roaring lion, carrying pressure. "Ahem, you can do thatter... for now, I need to reach the town first," Shin said. Hearing that, the man calmed down. "Let''s do that first," he replied, releasing the pressure under which the shadow wolves were. Deoras and the others remained in their ces, merely watching them converse. Shin turned back, about to leave when the man stopped. "Where are you going?" "Uh, to the forest?" "..." "A walk? Why not teleport?" Upon this questioning, Shin thought that the being might end up suspecting or doubting something. Hence, to cleverly tackle it, Shin said, "I thought we could exchange a few words on the way..." "But you are right. Their safety is first! We can chatter... Why don''t you teleport all of us to the center of the forest that lies ahead?" Hearing that, the individual chuckled and replied, "Surely!" ''Safe...'' Chapter 466 Oni

Chapter 466 Oni

Shin and the certain individual, along with all his followers, teleported at the center of the forest, just outside the town. The shadow wolves were the first to run towards the town right after teleportation, and Shin, who stood there, remained in confusion. Nervousness was hispanion at the moment as he gulpedrge chunks of saliva again and again. After all, in front of him were destroyed homes and caves - everything shattered to pieces. From one ruin to the other, Shin was now back home, but there was no one to greet him. "MASTER!" Deoras, who had gone ahead, screamed as tears drenched his face. Shin took bigger strides, closing the gap and arriving closer, only to find the crying Deoras with his head raised towards the sky. It seemed as if he was mourning. "Deoras?" "Master¡­ everyone is dead." That was something Shin didn''t expect to hear. Dead? Who? Everyone? His entire body trembled at the thought. He wanted to dismiss Deoras'' notion but failed to. After taking a few more steps, he finally arrived in front of arge crater, and in that crater were the bodies of countless beings - all belonging to Shin''s n. "No¡­" he muttered to himself as his gaze moved from one wolf to the other, and one goblin to the other. "No way!" As Shin found it hard to believe, his gazended on nca and Terran, who were just side by side. The moment he saw them, he jumped from his ce towards the crater,nding on some random bodies. He ran like a mad person and arrived where nca and Terran were. "No¡­" he knelt on the bodies, slowly moving both his arms and touching them. Their bodies were torn in the middle, and their furs were painted in red. The ws were ripped apart, and there were many arrow wounds, along with nails that stuck deep into their bodies - it seemed as if they were tortured. "I shouldn''t have gone away¡­" "This is my fault¡­" Tears drenched his pale face. A lot of it entered his mouth, but most drizzled down his neck. The crying caused him to sweat. And he felt his inner body burn with inextinguishable mes. The shadow wolves were howling and crying in the same way behind him. However, as for the individual¡­ "This¡­" The individual who stood back watched the scene with interest. He hadn''t uttered a single word till now. However, weirdly enough, Shin''s act and the bodies intrigued him. ''Why is he acting like that?'' He tapped his chin as his curiosity rose. ''He surely can tell that these are fakes, can''t he?'' Yes¡­ The bodies in front of Shin right now were fakes. They were close to real copies - dummies created by a certain someone to help the n evacuate. "Shin¡­" - the individual used telepathy tomunicate. Shin didn''t respond despite the voice invading his mind. He surely did hear but neglected it. He did that only until the individual finally mentioned it. "You do know they are fakes, don''t you?" The moment this echoed in Shin''s head, the tears halted. ''Fake?'', Shin thought to himself. "Did you just say they were fake?" Shin used telepathy as well, asking the question. "Yeah. These bodies never had any soul; that''s pretty obvious¡­ I mean, you do have your Universal Detect and God Eyes, don''t you?" "¡­" ''I have no idea what he is talking about, but are they really fake?'' *Ding* [Do you want to activate All Seeing Eyes to discern the fact?] ''Yes, please.'' His eyes started to glow with a faint green light, and it was only then that he finally realized that indeed, the bodies in front of him were fakes. What he saw after activating the skill was the bodiescked any nerves. Heck, they had only peripheral basic blood vessels and a heart. They had some major organs such as the liver and stomach, but no pancreas or lungs! The bones were present, but cartges were almost absent. ''Someone cloned all of them?'' Shin stood up almost instantly as he thought about it, turning back and jumping out of the crater, rejoining the individual and the shadow wolves who continued to weep. ''Well, that was embarrassing¡­ I can''t believe I was fooled like that,'' Shin thought to himself as he wiped the tears away. As for the individual, he approached Shin. "Don''t tell me, you acted that way to deceive the pests that are watching us?" "P-precisely!" Shin smiled as he said that. ''What acting? I was-'' "Wait, pests?" And just when he realized what the individual had said, his eyes widened right after which a loud explosion greeted him. BOOM! A lightning bolt from the sky came right towards Shin and the rest. If not for the individual erecting a barrier, Shin would have be toast! A cloud of dust surrounded the scene, and before Shin could even question what was happening, a loudughter erupted from the sky. "Hahahahahaha!" "Being able to block my attack! You are an interesting guy, Shin!" The cloud of dust started to settle, and the view was now clear. In the sky, levitating was a half-bird half-human creature, whose aura was way off the charts. Heck, his intense aura caused other beings in the forest to hide way below the earth or even run away. The earth tremored with its presence. "He is¡ª" the individual beside Shin, who erected the red-translucent barrier, seemed rather surprised by the Lightning Eagle''s presence. "Greetings, myself Lesil, Supreme Celestial Rank 10." As mentioned, it was the Lightning Eagle, a Supreme Celestial. Its upper half was that of an eagle with wings spread wide, and talon-like hands. Lightning streaks illuminated the sky and formed a breathtaking disy of the eagle''s power. Sparkles of electrified magic swirled around him, creating a rather deadly aura. In his hands, he held a bolt of blue lightning which he was ready to strike down at any moment. Seeing this terrifying presence, even Deoras and the shadow wolves almost fainted. Just like the individual earlier, themanding presence pressured them to bow. Shin''s instincts were roaring andmanding him to run away from the ce, after all, the being in the front was something he couldn''t match neither in speed, nor in defense or strength. But there was someone who could do that. "Don''t resist and offer your life, Shin. If you do that, I will make your death painless, but if you resist¡ª" Withdrawing the barrier, the individual behind Shin walked forward, positioning himself in front of the mighty Lesil. "Had fun peeking all this time?" he asked, interrupting Lesil with a smirk. But right as he spoke that, a bolt of lightning coursed down from the skies towards him. BOOM! Another explosion followed. "Petty insect, how dare you interrupt me?" Lesil''s roar transformed into a gust of wind that blew past a few of the corpses in the crater. It was almost as if a tornado was about to be created at the ce. This wind blew past the clouds of dust, revealing the individual who stood unscathed. "What!?" Lesil was rather surprised to see this. He was pretty sure that the attack hit him, and he didn''t have enough time to erect a barrier, yet he remained unscathed. Just how in the world was that possible? "Don''t be surprised, Lesil¡­ my friend over there is in his weak phase, and to protect him, I had to put up a barrier¡­" "But for me¡­ pfft, your attacks are nothing but little tickles." The individual raised his gaze, staring right at Lesil who continued pping his wings. Anger surged in him after hearing that. "Know your ce, damn plebeian!" "Just because you avoided the attack due to luck, you started to act big and mighty?" "You should know better than angering me!" Lesil roared again. "Ugh, what can you possibly do? Tickle me again?" "ENOUGH!" And with this, Lesil activated his domain! "I, the Supreme Celestial Lesil, in my authority, curse you with eternal lightning!" A semi-spherical dome-shaped translucent barrier filled with energy expanded from Lesil''s talon. It expanded in all directions, covering everyone in its path. It was Lesil''s domain. Shin could instantly tell the effects the domain had as he was engulfed within it. *Ding* [All your stats have been reduced by 50%.] [HP and MP recovery is reduced by 50%.] [The passive skill Shock Resistance is restricted.] Of course, this was nowhere near the effects of the domain. Arge number of clouds gathered right above. They packed a lot of lightning bolts and were ready to strike at any moment. "Beg for forgiveness, fool, and I might just spare you." It felt as if Lesil was giving onest opportunity, but no, he just wanted to see them grovel. He would continue with the n anyway. Leave groveling; the individual seemed rather nonchnt, sighing at the situation. "Sigh¡­" "Lesil, really? Is this why you were so confident?" "Huh?" Lesil was confused about why he was so unworried, but it became all too apparent very soon! "Well, let''s see whose domain is stronger." "I, Oni, the Ancient Monarch of mes, curse you to burn in Hell-Fire!" "¡­" Chapter 467 Weakling

Chapter 467 Weakling

Gasp! Lesil, who was all too arrogant till now, suddenly became nervous. It was apparent from his wavy voice, "A monarch!?" "H-how is that-", heck, he was even stuttering. ''A monarch? Does he mean a king?'' *Ding* [A monarch is a synonym for a king, but the status has a whole different meaning.] ''And what is that?'' [A monarch is a status or a title given to very few of the beings by the world. It is especially true for those who has ascended and reached a level, way higher than the Supreme Celestials.] ''Wait wait¡­'' ''There are beings stronger than the Supreme Celestials!? And Oni is one of them!?'' Shin could hardly believe what the system was saying. It would have been believable if it was a dream, but right now, it made little to no sense. [Affirmative. There are countless beings stronger than the Supreme Celestials, but they have been in the Void realm for centuries together. After the wolf-god''s death, none of the Monarch''s descended to the mortal realm.] Shin got shivers. His eyes widened his shock as he gaze fell on Oni''s glowing figure which looked no less than a majestic and divine artifact! ''If I''m not wrong, Oni called himself an Ancient Monarch¡­ now what''s that?'' [The term Ancient Monarch refers to those monarch''s who were birthed before or during the creation of the world. Having aged as old as the world itself, those beings hold significance authority which ranks higher than the authority held by the Supreme Celestials.] ''But, weren''t the Supreme Celestials like Gods? How can there be someone powerful than them?'', Shin was still fidning it hard to believe. He wanted more concrete knowledge and proof! [The so-called Gods were created by the Monarchs. While there is little to no history about the monarchs in this world as they were often confused with the Supreme Celestials, the knowledge about them is quite limited and known to only the Supreme Celestials and a few other blessed individuals.] Shin was somewhat satisfied with what the system said, but he wanted to figure how who created the Monarchs? And if there was any being higher than them? But before he could question that, the bloodcurdling scream from Lesil almost burst Shin''s ears as if ripping them apart. "KRAAASKKKK!" Lesil''s body was engulfed in mes and once so magistic wings and feathers seemed to lose their color and shape. Moreover, the human part of the body that bore indestructible skin, was now being burnt and turned ck! "Stop it stop it stop it!", Lesil shouted at the top of his voice that was more than enough to even shake down the trees in the vicinity. Heck, his domain had shattered the moment he had lost his concentration. Shin was aware of this as he regained his stats when the debuff ended. Either way, the crimson red mes that engulfed Lesil as a whole didn''t stop burning him and caused the excruciating pain. The scream was already mindboggling but Lesil''s p and attempt to extinguish the mes were way more entertaining. "Stop it! PLEASE!", forgetting his dignity, Lesil continued with the begging of stopping the mes. But neither Oni, nor Shin had any ns of doing that. However, Oni had some other conclusion with respect to Shin. ''With how kind hearted he is, he might even forgive this dude¡­'' ''I know he is going to do that. I will injure him as much as possible before Shin decides to let him go.'' But little did Oni know that Shin had different mindset totally. ''A supreme celestial¡­ the one who was looking down on me and my n¡­'' ''Along with many other, put bounties on me and my n''s head.'' Gritting his teeth, Shin stared with an intense gaze right at Lesil. "You deserve death. How dare you even look with the eyes of a predator at my nsmen?" Oni was rather surprised upon hearing this. His mouth was left wide open with his jaws dropping and his eyes widening as well. "For real?", Oni asked, as if confirming what Shin said. "Yes. For real." "Alright then Shin, if you say so¡­" "I thought you would end up forgiving him, and because of that I went easy. Looks like the ns of sparing him has been cancelled." "Let me finish him.", Oni was ready to deliver the final blow with a greater and stronger attack - one the world hadn''t seen for hundreds of years! But Shin interrupted him in the middle. "No Oni, just keep him restricted¡­ I want to kill him with my own hands¡­" "Oh? In such a state? You think you can do that?" Oni stared at Shin and asked that because with his eyes, he could tell how much of magic energy/mana Shin- way less that the wolf-god Shin who was his friend. And due to that, Oni considered it to be Shin''s weak phase. "I can.", and Shin replied rather confidentally. "Alright then.", with a smirk, Oni constricted his fingers and formed a fist right after which a ring of constricting fire that acted like a rope, tied Lesil down, bringing him to the ground simultaneously as the wings were rendered useless. "No. This-" Lesil was too scared. The burning was still present but decreased. As seconds passed, it slowly vanished. That was because Oni didn''t want Shin to end up contacting the mes! Either way, Shin started walking with long and dominant strides. Each of his foot felt heavy as they left behind footprints that engraved deep into the soil. "I can feel the lightning energy from the surrounding¡­" "You were the one who showered with such love of killing my friends, didn''t you?", Shin asked, his teeh gritted tightly. "W-wait! No! I did attack with a lightning barrage, but even you know, these are mere dummies! I-" "Shut your damn mouth you bastard. You would have done this either way, if it was fake or not." "Quite arrogant you guys are¡­ you don''t fear deaths do you? Heck, my friends are mortal and they could die any time¡­ but you guys, you think it is funny and instrigate in facade for fun?" [Warning!] [You are emitting an abnormal amount of killing intent and bloodlust.] [Activating calm mo-] ''No, let me be angry this one time, please.'' [¡­] [Understood.] SHin chenched his fist and with every ounce of strength mustered, he gave one strong blow exactly at Lesil''s sr plexus. BAM! The attack created a gust of wind that destroyed an entire tree behind Lesil. Furthermore, the ground beneath Shin cracked as he shifted his weight and managed the recoil at the same time! However that wasn''t it. Shin''s attack had just started. About 100 such blows - he punches 100 times within 3 seconds. Lesil''s face and abdomen were the major targets but as Shin hit, it felt as if he was hitting solid metal or rock. After the hundredth attack, when Shin checked his fist, he found it bleeding. His own bones were crushed upon constant attacks and? the cartges were ripped appart. Heck, his fingers had ended up in a disfigured state. His fist trembled and so did his arm - this time, not in anger but in numbness. He couldn''t feel anything. He stared back at Lesil, finding him smiling. "Pfft, was that supposed to be your attack?" And it didn''t take him a second nce to realize that Lesil was unscathed. All the punches thatnded had no effect at all. All the blows that seemed way too powerful, heck, even Deoras bowed in front of such mighty blows as he watched the happening, were utterly useless! Lesil was wounded because of Oni''s previous attacks and other than that, there were no effects visible on him. "What a weakling¡­ We Supremes were worried about him? Pfft." ''Sigh, I knew this was going to happen¡­ No matter how much strength you apply behind your attacks, as long as your maximum limit is fixed right now which is way too less to even notice, even if you increase it by ten times, Lesil would still remain unwounded.'', Oni thought to himself, wanting to take on the charge instead of Shin and do the deed. However, before he could suggest anything, he felt another wave of killing intent and blood lust from Shin hitting him. This time, it had risen so high, that even Oni was surprised by it. Shin''s face turned dark. It was as if shadows covered his face, hiding his gazes. The moonlight vanished little by little and clouds re-appeared in the sky. "Weakling you say¡­", Shin muttered to himself. "Haha¡­ Quite arrogant aren''t you?" "I have strength to back my arrogance. But you? Pfft, what do you have?" "Me? Haha, I have nothing¡­" "See? You wea-" "But your arrogance. I can surely break it with this NOTHING!" "Huh?" "Hahahaha, don''t me me for what happens next." All of a sudden, creaking sounds started to surround Shin, as if his bones were cracking and following it, a green glow surrounded him temporarily. And with a hushed but dominant killer tone, Shin said, "Let''s begin." Chapter 468 Imposter

Chapter 468 Imposter

Shin was furious at the Celestial beings. The fact that they had ced a bounty on his head upset him, but more than that, due to their orders, his family was being hunted. Can''t he live in peace? What''s with this continuous chase? Shin had had enough. He could no longer bear it; it was just too much. Having such authority yet attacking a single being, a mere wolf and his family¡ªthe celestials were arrogant for sure, but the supremes, they were being too much. If it were any normal condition, then Shin would have thought about escaping first. But right now, he had newfound courage gained mainly because of Oni, who was hailed as an ancient monarch even by the system. As long as he is there, Shin would survive even by offending another Monarch! Adding to that, the recent system update had provided a load of rewards, one of them being revival. Heck, even if he was killed, he would be revived anyway¡ªthis made him forget what death was. The fear vanished entirely. As for pain, he already had pain nullification which would undoubtedly level up again continuously if he suffered pain, and a point woulde where he would be immune to even the greatest pain ever. Because of all these reasons, Shin stood brave, his voicemanding, and his will made out of steel and further being covered in adamantium after being sharpened. ''System, could you disy all the rewards that I had received?'' And instantly, the system showcased the main rewards. Reward: 1] Revive - Can revive yourself or another individual within one hour, usable three times. 2] Instant Death - Can eliminate any being that fears or respects you, provided their HP is at half its initial value, usable three times. 3] Immortality - Grants immunity to damage if the host or target''s HP is below 10%, along with increased MP and HP regeneration, and all stats doubled,sting for nine minutes, usable three times. 4] Complete HP refill - Fully restores HP three times. 5] Complete MP refill - Fully restores MP three times. 6] Iplete Wolf God Form - Allows transformation into a gigantic wolf god for one minute, usable three times. 7] Doppelganger - Creates a clone with half the user''s stats, usable three times. 8] Level Up - Instantly levels up, usable three times. 9] 500 Stat Points - Adds 500 points to one selected stat per use, usable three times. ''Aye, what can even beat this?'' ''Add 500 stat points to my attack.'' Shin was not ying around. He knew that his attack power was less, way too less to even hurt the Supreme Celestial. He was otherwise doubtful, but the previous exchange proved him wrong. He thought he could at least do a little damage, but with such low strength, indeed, it felt nothing more than a simple scratch. A faint green glow covered his body as the stats were added, right after which, his attack power soared. It had been increased to 3700! [Atk: 3700|| Max. Atk: 4999] The thing is, other wolves such as Elder Krone and many more were close to level 1000, yet, they hid away from the Supremes. It was not because they were weak, it was because their strength was evenly matched, and in a battle, everything around them would be destroyed. Moreover, their families were way weaker¡ªthe Supremes'' wrath would end up wiping out everyone and everything if not them. Because of that, they hid away, but mind you, their attack power was no more than 3500. As one starts leveling up, it gets difficult to increase their stats. So it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that stat point 3500 was a whole new dimension whenpared to 3450. And now, Shin, was at 3700 attack power. He stared at Lesil, his gaze being sharp and filled with determination, anger, and hatred. "My attacks are mere itches, right? Why not try taking this punch?", saying this, Shin vanished from his ce and sprinted right towards Lesil, ready to give him apact punch that was packed with all of his strength. ''Did Shin''s aura just increase?'', Oni, on the other hand, who stood on the side, noticed the sudden skyrocketing of Shin''s aura¡ªthis was mainly because of an instant increase in attack stats. ''Was he hiding his strength?'', he tapped his chin contemting about it, not caring about the result of the attack, for he knew already what would be happening. BANG! The forceful impact struck Lesil squarely in the chest, propelling him a staggering 100 meters backward. The sheer power of the blow obliterated the trees directly positioned behind Lesil, both to his left and right, reducing them to nothingness. The resulting shockwave created a substantial crater directly beneath Shin''s feet. Adding to the spectacle, one of Lesil''s bones was forcefully expelled from his body, leading to a profuse and immediate flow of blood. "Argh!" Lesil''s confidence proved to be his downfall. Despite having the ability to evade Shin''s attack, he chose not to, dismissing it as just another unsessful attempt by Shin. Little did he anticipate that this decision would ultimately result in a grievous and potentially fatal injury. Unlike Shin, they couldn''t heal instantly, nor could they be revived immediately. Albeit their souls could escape and reincarnate in the near future, it would not be anytime soon, at least, not in the next 100 years. Cough Cough Lesil coughed blood again and again. The attack was just too strong. To make matters worse, Shin hadn''t used any skill to begin with. It was just a simple punch containing his determination. "Huff Huff." "Is it fun looking down on us?" Shin asked as he took decently fast steps, walking straight towards Lesil. "You bloody Supremes, you have been chasing us nonstop. And now, because of you, my family is missing." "Moreover¡­ You scumbags, even now, you are on high horses. Looking down on me, aye? Was this show fun?" Shin wasn''t looking at Lesil; rather, he was staring at the sky. Lesil, who continued to cough blood, didn''t say anything, as he too had realized what Shin was attempting to do. "Sending a mere imposter and asking him to disguise into a Supreme¡­ you couldn''t be any more shameless, could you now?" Shin asked as his eyes started to glow in green, his rage apparent. "You too Oni, you could have at least told me?" Shin turned back as he stared at Oni, who was standing with folded arms as if he cared not. "Haha, I just wanted to see your strength. I thought you would be a little more motivated if he thought he was a Supreme," Oniughed out. As for the imposter Lesil, his eyes remained wide open. ''My skills couldn''t trick either of them, I¡­'' the imposter had no words. He just remained there immobile with a lowered head. Either way, the real question was, how was Shin able to figure out that he was fighting an imposter? Well, it was the system''s help. Since earlier, the system would always detect if anyone was watching him or releasing any killing intent while being hostile. The Supremes this time were hiding carefully while looking at the battle, enjoying it as they thought it would be Shin''s end. But when Shin punched the heck out of the imposter, a little amount of killing intent ended up escaping them, which the system detected almost instantly and reported to Shin. "How dare he? Just because I didn''t want to waste this fin wine, he thinks I am someone whom he can raise his voice with?", Lesil, the actual Supreme Celestial, who drank red wine in a finely sculpted ss with various designs, was angered. The imposter that he had sent was one of his minions, to be precise, one of his generals. But after having suffered such humiliation, he couldn''t help but decend and show himself. A fact to be noted was: While the elders of heavenly wolf family had 3500 attack points and close to that, the Supreme Celestials, especially some, had higher stats than that. And Lesil, who was a primary wind type attacking Supreme, had 4,500 Speed stat and 4,100 attack stat. Shin would end up getting obliterated if he fought an actual Supreme Celestial right now¡­ or maybe not? He still had two chances to increase his stats by 500 points, which meant, he could increase it by another 1000 points. That meant, his attack stat would reach 4700! And also, with revival as his trump card, Shin was more than ready to face Lesil. Chapter 469 468

Chapter 469 Chapter 468

Chapter 34: A few kills Vaughn stood there with his clenched fist. The little girl who witnessed the scene was surprised, holding her screams as she saw them writhe in pain. A few others had gathered in the ce, staring at the three gigantic men iling like fish. Their gazes then turned to Vaughn, who started walking "Oh no, what has he done?" "Nah, he did the right thing. I have seen them causing bigger problems with Liately. d that someone took care of them." "But won''t he face the consequences?" The whispers reached Vaughn, but he didn''t mind them. His focus was on the three men who were on the ground, one of them crouching while the other two barely even conscious. With long strides, Vaughn walked towards them. "You talk big for someone who fell like a little bug." "You-" "You bastard! Just you wait- Cough!" "The moment Master Mchanjey hears this, you are so dead!" the one who was crouching screamed his heart out. "Pfft, I will see thatter¡­ for now¡­" He turned behind, staring at the little girl. "Want to hit?" Hearing his words again, the little girl clenched her fist and with a gaze of determination, walked straight towards him. "I can?" She asked for a final confirmation while she stood beside him. "Yes, you can." And the moment she got the confirmation, she swung her gentle hands with as much strength she could muster. Bam- Bam- Bam- It felt like merely tickles as she hit them. "Because of you! All because of you!" "You came and destroyed our peace!" Her screams, however, were louder. Her pain was evident from how tough the times had been on Lia and the lot. "Heh, you peasants deserve it! You need to be happy; we haven''t enved you." Hearing the little girl''s words, his anger kept rising, but he kept it under control. However, after the crouching giant''sst words, he snapped. "This is not enough. Let me do the job," he grabbed the little girl''s wrist again, stopping her. The little girl stood up and walked a step back as Vaughn readied his fists. "Let me show you what death is like." BAM! To the crouching man, the fist seemed toe in slow motion. It was as if he could dodge, but his body failed to do so. The punch hit him straight in his abdomen, the same area where the previous punch hadnded. This time, the shockwave almost ripped his internals and crushed everything inside! Cough! Arge chunk of blood escaped his mouth, a mouthful of it exiting and falling on the ground. ''This is not enough!'', Vaughn had nned on doing much more. He had yet to regain his strength. But the blows that he gave were surely the attacks thanks to his artifacts and items he bought. Bam- Bam- Bam! Each attack carried a shockwave that blew past the man, spreading all over his body. Heck, the people who stood way away could feel the impact. "N-no-" "ARGH!", and with that, the man finally fell unconscious. He wouldn''t survive much longer since his liver and kidneys had exploded due to the attack. Changing the target, he looked at the rest who tried to pull themselves and crawl away. "Your turn." They had created a distance of five meters between them which Vaughn covered effortlessly. In an instant, he was beside them, his eyes glowing faintly. "Turn away.", he said lowly, as if giving a warning to the little girl to close her eyes, which she did. As for other people who stood by, a few of them with weak hearts did the same. As for others who failed to hear him or remained adamant, they witnessed one of the goreome deaths with their very eyes! Vaughn''s fist glowed momentarily right after which he threw just 2 punches - one for each. This time, the target was not the abdomen but their faces. Little did he know what would happen if he changed the target. Being a small round sphere and confined bones, the head could barely transmit the strong shockwaves like the fat covered abdomen. Moreover, with increased rage, Vaughn forgot to hold back. BAM! BAM! Two attacks, right at the nose and the next thing Vaughn knew was a ssh of blood - a fountain erupting from their headless bodies. The punch caused their heads to explode, the eyeballs popping out and falling at the side. The teeth were broken and scattered and the tongue remained freely on the ground in the pool of the blood. "Kyaaa!" About seven in the crowd of ten ran away after seeing what had happened. Their legs didn''t stop until they had distanced themselves enough. Huff huff... "What did I just..." Vaughn was utterly baffled by what had happened. In front of him now remained two headless bodies from whom blood kept oozing out. Two separate puddles of blood had already formed which joined to form a pool a few secondster. And Vaughn, he remained in that pool, his feet and knees being stained with blood. His hands were already in that state way earlier. His vision was a little bit blurry as he had openly killed two people right now. [Congrattions.] [You have killed 3 humans.] [Gaining XP.] *Ding* [Congrattions, Vaughn!] [You have leveled up: Lv.9] Although the men were giants and seemed strong, apparently they didn''t provide much experience. Looks like everything was for a show. However, others didn''t know about this. The crowd that witnessed this gasped in awe as the three men died. "Wait, he too?" Vaughn wasn''t sure if he had killed the first person whom he had punched in the abdomen. But with the notice, he was now aware of what he had done. Again, the sensation of vomiting resurged as he thought about it, but this time it was weaker than the previous. He controlled it better. Heposed himself and stood back up. He looked to the left and right with a squinted gaze, staring at the people who came gathering anew and those who wanted to flee but their legs betrayed them. "If you open your mouth, then you all are so dead," Vaughn said this with a deadly look in his eyes. His killing intent was evident, and his eyes, which seemed bloodthirsty, almost caused five of them to soil themselves. "W-we," one of them tried to utter, but as Vaughn turned his gaze to the thirty-year-old man, he fell down to the ground abruptly. "We won''t say anything!" one of the men, seeing the situation, stepped forward. While his forehead was covered in sweat, he calmly said what Vaughn had expected to hear. "If you get it, then scram!" And with just that, all those who had gathered ran for their lives, promising themselves never toe even a single step closer to Lia''s house or ever mess with them even by mistake! Heck, not even in their wildest dreams would they make it happen. With their disappearance, Vaughn calmed his gaze. He then breathed heavily once or twice and decided to turn back. He wondered, what could the girl be thinking? How would she react? What would she say? All these things lingered in his mind, but after turning back, he found nothing but a cute little girl, covering both her ears and closing her eyes tightly. "She-" *Ding* [Rest assured, all this time, she didn''t open her eyes nor did she hear anything.] Vaughn, hearing this from the system, smirked. "But if she opens her eyes, she would end up with this horrific scene..." "Say, could you store all the dead bodies and the blood in the inventory? Is this possible?" [Of course, it is! Would you like to do that?] "Yes, please." And with themand, the system almost instantly stored the bodies away in the inventory. The blood that had spilled vanished simrly. It was as if nothing had happened at all. Vaughn, confirmed by the undoing of the things thanks to the system, walked closer and patted the girl''s head. Upon doing so, the girl opened her eyes, staring at Vaughn standing scathed in front of her. She then removed her hands from her ears and asked, "What about them?" Of course, she peeked by bending her head to the side as the three men didn''t seem to be present at the ce. Furthermore, she had witnessed Vaughn hitting the crouching man who fell to the ground, she had questions regarding them too! But Vaughn, with a gentle smile, said, "A hero saved the day. Don''t worry, they won''te and bother you anymore." "What?" The girl was surprised to hear this from Vaughn. A drop of tear left her eyes upon this news which was hardly believable to her. "T-thank y-" "Ah ah. Save the thanks forter. It''s time to save your brother, so just wait patiently, I''ll be back." And without any more interaction, Vaughn left the scene to fulfill the main task of finishing his mission - saving her brother and helping her ultimately. Chapter 470 468

Chapter 470 468

Don''t unlock Sorry, will edit and upload the prev two chaps in a while. Vaughn stood there with his clenched fist. The little girl who witnessed the scene was surprised, holding her screams as she saw them writhe in pain. "Wait, aren''t they Mchanjey''s favorite guards who linger around him all the time?" "Oh no, what has he done?" "Nah, he did the right thing. I have seen them causing bigger problems with Liately. d that someone took care of them." "But won''t he face the consequences?" The whispers reached Vaughn, but he didn''t mind them. His focus was on the three men who were on the ground, one of them crouching while the other two barely even conscious. With long strides, Vaughn walked towards them. "You talk big for someone who fell like a little bug." "You-" "You bastard! Just you wait- Cough!" "The moment Master Mchanjey hears this, you are so dead!" the one who was crouching screamed his heart out. "Pfft, I will see thatter¡­ for now¡­" He turned behind, staring at the little girl. "Want to hit?" Hearing his words again, the little girl clenched her fist and with a gaze of determination, walked straight towards him. "I can?" She asked for a final confirmation while she stood beside him. "Yes, you can." And the moment she got the confirmation, she swung her gentle hands with as much strength she could muster. Bam- Bam- Bam- It felt like merely tickles as she hit them. "Because of you! All because of you!" "You came and destroyed our peace!" Her screams, however, were louder. Her pain was evident from how tough the times had been on Lia and the lot. "Heh, you peasants deserve it! You need to be happy; we haven''t enved you." Hearing the little girl''s words, his anger kept rising, but he kept it under control. However, after the crouching giant''sst words, he snapped. "This is not enough. Let me do the job," he grabbed the little girl''s wrist again, stopping her. The little girl stood up and walked a step back as Vaughn readied his fists. "Let me show you what death is like." BAM! To the crouching man, the fist seemed toe in slow motion. It was as if he could dodge, but his body failed to do so. The punch hit him straight in his abdomen, the same area where the previous punch hadnded. This time, the shockwave almost ripped his internals and crushed everything inside! Cough! Arge chunk of blood escaped his mouth, a mouthful of it exiting and falling on the ground. ''This is not enough!'', Vaughn had nned on doing much more. He had yet to regain his strength. But the blows that he gave were surely the attacks thanks to his artifacts and items he bought. Bam- Bam- Bam! Each attack carried a shockwave that blew past the man, spreading all over his body. Heck, the people who stood way away could feel the impact. "N-no-" "ARGH!", and with that, the man finally fell unconscious. He wouldn''t survive much longer since his liver and kidneys had exploded due to the attack. Changing the target, he looked at the rest who tried to pull themselves and crawl away. "Your turn." They had created a distance of five meters between them which Vaughn covered effortlessly. In an instant, he was beside them, his eyes glowing faintly. "Turn away.", he said lowly, as if giving a warning to the little girl to close her eyes, which she did. As for other people who stood by, a few of them with weak hearts did the same. As for others who failed to hear him or remained adamant, they witnessed one of the goreome deaths with their very eyes! Vaughn''s fist glowed momentarily right after which he threw just 2 punches - one for each. This time, the target was not the abdomen but their faces. Little did he know what would happen if he changed the target. Being a small round sphere and confined bones, the head could barely transmit the strong shockwaves like the fat covered abdomen. Moreover, with increased rage, Vaughn forgot to hold back. BAM! BAM! Two attacks, right at the nose and the next thing Vaughn knew was a ssh of blood - a fountain erupting from their headless bodies. The punch caused their heads to explode, the eyeballs popping out and falling at the side. The teeth were broken and scattered and the tongue remained freely on the ground in the pool of the blood. "Kyaaa!" About seven in the crowd of ten ran away after seeing what had happened. Their legs didn''t stop until they had distanced themselves enough. Huff huff... "What did I just..." Vaughn was utterly baffled by what had happened. In front of him now remained two headless bodies from whom blood kept oozing out. Two separate puddles of blood had already formed which joined to form a pool a few secondster. And Vaughn, he remained in that pool, his feet and knees being stained with blood. His hands were already in that state way earlier. His vision was a little bit blurry as he had openly killed two people right now. [Congrattions.] [You have killed 3 humans.] [Gaining XP.] *Ding* [Congrattions, Vaughn!] [You have leveled up: Lv.9] Although the men were giants and seemed strong, apparently they didn''t provide much experience. Looks like everything was for a show. However, others didn''t know about this. The crowd that witnessed this gasped in awe as the three men died. "Wait, he too?" Vaughn wasn''t sure if he had killed the first person whom he had punched in the abdomen. But with the notice, he was now aware of what he had done. Again, the sensation of vomiting resurged as he thought about it, but this time it was weaker than the previous. He controlled it better. Heposed himself and stood back up. He looked to the left and right with a squinted gaze, staring at the people who came gathering anew and those who wanted to flee but their legs betrayed them. "If you open your mouth, then you all are so dead," Vaughn said this with a deadly look in his eyes. His killing intent was evident, and his eyes, which seemed bloodthirsty, almost caused five of them to soil themselves. "W-we," one of them tried to utter, but as Vaughn turned his gaze to the thirty-year-old man, he fell down to the ground abruptly. "We won''t say anything!" one of the men, seeing the situation, stepped forward. While his forehead was covered in sweat, he calmly said what Vaughn had expected to hear. "If you get it, then scram!" And with just that, all those who had gathered ran for their lives, promising themselves never toe even a single step closer to Lia''s house or ever mess with them even by mistake! Heck, not even in their wildest dreams would they make it happen. With their disappearance, Vaughn calmed his gaze. He then breathed heavily once or twice and decided to turn back. He wondered, what could the girl be thinking? How would she react? What would she say? All these things lingered in his mind, but after turning back, he found nothing but a cute little girl, covering both her ears and closing her eyes tightly. "She-" *Ding* [Rest assured, all this time, she didn''t open her eyes nor did she hear anything.] Vaughn, hearing this from the system, smirked. "But if she opens her eyes, she would end up with this horrific scene..." "Say, could you store all the dead bodies and the blood in the inventory? Is this possible?" [Of course, it is! Would you like to do that?] "Yes, please." And with themand, the system almost instantly stored the bodies away in the inventory. The blood that had spilled vanished simrly. It was as if nothing had happened at all. Vaughn, confirmed by the undoing of the things thanks to the system, walked closer and patted the girl''s head. Upon doing so, the girl opened her eyes, staring at Vaughn standing scathed in front of her. She then removed her hands from her ears and asked, "What about them?" Of course, she peeked by bending her head to the side as the three men didn''t seem to be present at the ce. Furthermore, she had witnessed Vaughn hitting the crouching man who fell to the ground, she had questions regarding them too! But Vaughn, with a gentle smile, said, "A hero saved the day. Don''t worry, they won''te and bother you anymore." "What?" The girl was surprised to hear this from Vaughn. A drop of tear left her eyes upon this news which was hardly believable to her. "T-thank y-" "Ah ah. Save the thanks forter. It''s time to save your brother, so just wait patiently, I''ll be back." And without any more interaction, Vaughn left the scene to fulfill the main task of finishing his mission - saving her brother and helping her ultimately. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!