《Tsugi No Level》 Chapter 1: Finding the source A huge space ship is making its way through space. They found the source of the signal in space. It¡¯s a man with what seems to be two tattoos of circles, one on his chest and one on his left shoulder. ¡°You seeing what I¡¯m seeing?¡± ¡°How is he not dead??¡± ¡°Nah, how the hell is he emitting this insane amount of energy?¡± The captain walks in and is shocked at the sight of a man floating in space radiating this much energy. ¡°Bring him in. And let the doc¡¯s do their work.¡± The crew is a little anxious as they have never encountered this kind of situation before so they handle the space man with extreme caution and care. They wear the latest space suits that can handle being dropped into stars and come out unscathed. But the moment they come closer to the man their suits start to deteriorate. ¡°Hurry, bring him into the isolation space. We have seconds! HURRY!!!¡± They rush to bring the man into a special room that is capable of isolating space from reality. Once in there the doctors and scientists probed him with their tools. ¡°I think our instruments need to be recalibrated.¡± ¡°Why? What are you seeing?¡± ¡°Based on the numbers, the energy patterns coming from within his body are similar to an entire dimension, as if swallowed one of the 7.¡± ¡°Huh? That makes no sense. Run it again. And you need to stop drinking. I told you that morning shots is NOT a real thing.¡± After re-examining him, they found that he had an entire universe in his body and that energy was seeping out as he breathes. They decided to cover his mouth with a mask to prevent radiation from killing everyone on board. They then placed him in a hibernation pod. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Demo is sleeping in the hibernation pod hooked up to several wires. He is stuck in what feels like an endless dream of darkness. Within the dreams he hears a voice. ¡°You ready? Then lets go¡± Demo¡¯s eyes pop open. In the cockpit of the ship the alarm goes off. ¡°REPORT!¡± ¡°An explosion in the sleep sector, it seems to be where the body is.¡± ¡°Show me!¡± ¡°The explosion destroyed all the cameras.¡± ¡°Then show me 1 minute before.¡± A screen pops up and the crew sees the moment Demo opens his eyes. The moment his eyes open up a blast of energy radiates from his body and right after the screen went black. Everyone stood in silence waiting for the Captain to make a decision. ¡°Separate the sleep sector and send it to a different dimension.¡± ¡°But sir that is against regulations, we could all be ¡­¡± ¡°Its us or him. SEND HIM AWAY!!!!¡± The crew in charge of the interdimensional gates bow their head in silence as they know that their captain is right. They have no idea what the body they found in space is capable of. All they know is that it was the only survivor. ¡°Sir, where to?¡± The captain grins as he answers. ¡°Send him to Soth. They wanted him to begin with.¡± Demo stands in the middle of the destroyed room. Confused and dazed the loud alarms agitate him. He touches the mask on his face, and instinctively noticed it helps him to control his breathing. The bodies of several scientists are scattered around the room. He looks at them in silence, his face twists with emotion as he lowers his head. He whispers to himself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He balls his hands into fists. Frustrated with himself. The section Demo is in detaches from the main ship. Demo unsteady on his feet falls to the ground and looks out the window. He sees a giant gate opening up in space. The detached section turns on its engines and goes into the gate, sending Demo to the Soth Dimension. The captain looks at Demo being sent away. ¡°Send a message to the two Ultimates and the Supreme. We need to get ready for war. And send word to Closure that we opened a gate. This aint our dimension but we cant leave a gate open. This whole dimension would be overrun with Darkies.¡± The captain stares at gate. ¡°Sir, this dimension is already empty. What would it matter if we left the gate open? The resources needed to close a gate is immense, and to do it in a whole different dimension that is empty, I don¡¯t think our House of Rules will go for it.¡± ¡°What they do or don¡¯t go for doesn¡¯t matter. I just have to tell them. If they want this entire dimension to be filled with those monsters, and give them the chance to feed on the Matter that¡¯s left in here ¡­ that¡¯s their decision. But I doubt they will.¡± ¡°If the Darkies are allowed to eat all this Matter, they might grow strong enough to open a gate on their own. Even if the House says no, the two Ultimates will never let that happen. So send the message and set course for the True Portal. We are going. I have one hell of a report to write.¡± Chapter 1 Fin Chapter 2: Sending Reinforcements The detached room flies through the gate. The damage done by Demo as he awoke is amplified by the forces outside of the ship. Small cracks in the walls turn into giant rifts until the room comes apart entirely. Demo is now flung through the portal without any protection, the forces put so much strain on him that he passes out. Every gate is a connection between two dimensions. When you travel through the gate you do so at an insanely high speed, so the naked eye would never be able to catch it. But each side of the dimension creates its own tunnel and the two dimensions connect these tunnels into one making it a valid gate. What remains unseen to most is that this connection isn¡¯t perfect. There is actually a slight amount of space between the two tunnels. As Demo passes through the gate, the tattoo on his chest starts to pulsate ever so slowly. As if it recognizes that it¡¯s in a gate. As it inches closer to the connecting gate, the pulsations become stronger. For a fraction of a second Demo passes through that small space in between the tunnels. But it was right then that the tattoo on his chest send out what can only be described as a beacon of energy. The space in between tunnels is what some scientists have called the Dark Kynesthia. It was long believed to be empty, until they found a very violent species lives in that space. And it is that species that felt the beacon sent out by Demo. But just as fast as it came it disappeared. But it was enough to alert them that a gate was open. Demo unaware of all this travels into the next tunnel and after a few moments is spit out of the tunnel at an extremely high speed followed by the debris of his would-be ship. The gate opened up near a planet, it was close enough for Demo and the debris to be sucked in by its gravitational pull. While the debris burned to nothingness, Demo was able to withstand his fiery entry into the planet Numbers. As Demo makes his way, the opening of a new gate sends shockwaves through the dimension. In a distant section of the Soth dimension, their main base of operations receives the signal sent out by the gate. All the alarms go off. ¡°A gate opened up!!!¡± The leader of the unit stands in shock for a moment. ¡°How, why, where?¡± ¡°Sector 12AC.¡± ¡°What is the connection?¡± ¡°It seems to be Shenavir, Sir¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible, it¡¯s been empty for over 10 years. Run it again¡± ¡°I just did, Sir. And its Shenavir.¡± The leader baffled by this mystery stands in silence. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sir?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Contact Stitches and have them go and close the gate. Then send word to the Prime Perfect that a gate has opened. And find out who the hell opened that gate.¡± A senior staff and new staff member make their way to the Prime Perfects room. ¡°Stitches is more than capable of closing the gate. And our soldiers can handle anything that comes out of it. I don¡¯t understand why we have to send the strongest fighter in the universe to help close the gate.¡± The old man looks at the young one as they walk. ¡°What are you? Like 5? I can¡¯t believe you new babies. CLEARLY this was before your time and no one took the time to tell your dumb ass this, because they probably thought you wouldn¡¯t make it this far. It was about 30 years ago, when a gate opened and Stitches went to close it. They also thought they were more than capable. But arrogance brings sloppiness. And they didn¡¯t close the gate completely. They left and that gate was forced back open by those damn monsters. By the time we realized the gate was open again, and that those beasts made their way through, we lost over 6 planets. Billions of innocent lives were lost, it was a complete massacre. And after that, the rule of having the Prime Perfect double check everything was set in place.¡± ¡°They never taught us that.¡± ¡°What fool would tell you something they are ashamed of, if they can just hide it and act like it never happened?¡± ¡°¡­¡± They arrive at the door. ¡°We are here.¡± The old man suddenly remembers something. ¡°Hey dumb baby, you don¡¯t have any cuts or feel like a bloody nose is coming up or anything right?¡± ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°Good.¡± The old man opens up the door. The Prime Perfect KetsuEki sits at his desk reading a book. He looks at the two as they ask to come in. They then brief KetsuEki on the situation. ¡°Sector 12AC, isn¡¯t that planet Numbers?¡± ¡°Indeed, it is, Sir.¡± ¡°Is that right? It¡¯s been awhile since I saw the old man. Get my ship and tell them to put all the books I bought this week in there.¡± ¡°Uh, excuse me Prime Perfect Sir. Wouldn¡¯t it be faster if you just joined Stitches on their ship?¡± KetsuEki folds over as if he has just been punched in the gut, and his hand covers his mouth. He looks at him member with disgust, as if he just proposed the vilest act one can commit. ¡°Did you just¡­ Old man, can I kill him?¡± The senior staff without blinking looks at KetsuEki. ¡°I would prefer it if you didn¡¯t sir.¡± The young staff member freezes as he looks at KetsuEki because he can tell he is dead serious. ¡°Have you ever travelled with Stitches? They are disgusting. Who in their right mind would travel with those barbaric pieces of filth? They eat their steak raw; they leave cuts unattended for minutes, I heard one of them say they like blood sausages.¡± KetsuEki mumbles some more insults as he grabs his umbrella and makes his way to the door. Right before he steps out of the door he stops. ¡°Make sure to tell the War Council it¡¯s time to convene. We are going to have to have a little talk with Janala.¡± The senior looks surprised as he didn¡¯t inform KetsuEki about who might be behind the gate as it hasn¡¯t been verified and confirmed yet. ¡°How do you know it was them, Sir?¡± ¡°Call it a hunch.¡± ¡°Is this related to the signal we received from Shenavir after 10 years of nothing?¡± KetsuEki looks at the old man with a smile. He immediately bows his head as he understands that he overstepped. KetsuEki places his hand on the man¡¯s shoulder as he passes him. ¡°Just tell the war council to gather, and tell them I¡¯ll be back once I¡¯m done with the gate.¡± KetsuEki puts the umbrella on his shoulder and with a big smile he walks down the hallway towards his ship. ¡°I bet the old man is going to have a heart attack when he sees me.¡± The junior member regained some of his composure as he asked the question. ¡°Why can¡¯t he tell them himself?¡± ¡°KetsuEki doesn¡¯t like being disturbed or talking to people when he is reading. That¡¯s why he takes his ship everywhere because he gets to be alone with his books while he is traveling.¡± Chapter 2 Fin Chapter 3: Ten is careful It¡¯s a beautiful sunny morning. The hiking path is empty as Ten makes his way up. ¡°Mai, remind me again, why I am doing this instead of just staying home?¡± The Digital Watch Pad on the back of his hand lights up. ¡°Well based on your current budget and debt, this is about all you can afford.¡± ¡°I know that, but why make me go outside ¡­ I finally took a day off, and you won''t even let me rest.¡± ¡°Research shows that a walk in nature has calming effects. Plus this is the same place you used to visit when you were young. Memories of happy times and the nice view of the forest surrounded by nature is what¡¯s best for you right now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember it being this steep though.¡± Ten eventually makes his way to the top. His city behind him and a beautiful sea of trees in front of him. As the clouds clear a bit, the sun shines through and hits him right in the face. The sudden touch of warmth triggers a memory Ten hadn¡¯t thought about for a while. He and his mother both stand at the very same peak looking down at the forest. They both look at a flock of birds flying through the sky making their way. His mother''s face blocks the sun but her smile is more radiant than any sun could ever be. She looks at him with her smile and tells him she loves him. She then lowers down to give him a kiss on the forehead. The moment her head lowered the sun was able to reach him and shun right on his face. His mother''s kiss and the sun''s embrace were for Ten a moment of love he somehow forgot. Tears start to flow down his cheek. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ten lowers his head and wipes the tears. ¡°Nothing, I just remembered me and Mom being here, she loved this place ¡­ its nothing.¡± Suddenly the sky changes colors. Several streaks of light fill the sky. As if a set of falling meteors tried to make their way to this planet. Ten is mesmerized by the beauty of the chaos in front of him. Each streak seems to burn out before it can touch the ground. But then one single streak seems to be headed for the forest. It doesn¡¯t burn out, and actually hits the ground creating a massive crater. Ten stands in shock. ¡°Time to go home.¡± Ten quickly turns around as if he didn¡¯t see anything. ¡°Ten, no wait. WAIT!.¡± ¡°What? Did you not just see what I saw? Nah uh ¡­ clearly an alien race just landed to take all our blood and brain juice. They ain''t getting my juice. I¡¯m out.¡± ¡°Ten, wait. If that is a meteor it will count as a precious metal. If you sell it, you can clear your debt and have enough money to retire immediately.¡± Ten stops. ¡°Think about it Ten, no more boss nagging you¡± ¡°But it could be a crazy alien that will eat me.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Or it could mean no more days that are just like the ones before it.¡± ¡°It could be a new viral disease that will eat my skin and put me into a state of eternal pain as it kills and brings me back eternally.¡± ¡°Or it could be freedom from bills that never end.¡± This pattern continued for about 10 minutes. But eventually, Mai was able to make Ten see the logic in her reasoning. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll go, but I¡¯m going to need to prepare myself first.¡± Ten looks around him until a big rock with sharp edges catches his eyes. He walks towards it and grabs the rock from the ground. He closes his eyes and imagines a world of numbers with the rock at its center. The numbers start swirling around the rock and Ten then starts a slow rhythmic chant that increases gradually in speed. ¡°¡± The rock in his hand starts to glow blue with a celestial radiance. The rock starts to disintegrate as its very molecules become undone. The particles start to float in a rhythmical pattern above his hand. They then eventually start going back to their original position. But they are then reassembled into a broadsword. ¡°OK, now I¡¯m ready to go ¡­ NO wait, I¡¯m going to need a shield too.¡± Ten grabs another rock and creates a shield using the same process. He looks down at the shield and sword with a frown on his face. ¡°Ten, you ready?¡± Ten looks around the beautiful field he is on and starts grabbing all the rocks and bushes he can find. ¡°Just give me a few seconds, I just want to be ready.¡± After 30 minutes of Ten exhausting himself and completely ruining the beautiful field he was standing in. he nods to himself. ¡°Now I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Ten, you are wearing 17 different armor, you have 9 different kinds of weapons on you, including a crossbow I¡¯m pretty sure you don¡¯t know how to use. You made 62 clay golems that can only walk and hit stuff, and you¡¯re wearing a helmet with a metal cap under a steel hat.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°Take one step¡± Ten takes a step and the weight of his gear brings him down to the ground unable to stand back up. ¡°Ten, we have to go down the hill into the forest, how in the world are those golems going to follow you?¡± ¡°Well, you know we can just walk.¡± ¡°Ten, that would take forever, and by the time we get there someone else will have definitely come to take whatever is there away. You should condense your armor into 1, strengthen your sword with the other weapons, then use the rest to make a hovercraft so we can go down there in the quickest and safest way.¡± With a bitter face, he admits Mai is right. ¡°Ok, but I am not capable of doing all of that and you know it.¡± ¡°I will help you.¡± ¡°But this isn¡¯t an emergency.¡± ¡°Based on your current vital signs, your financial situation and the fact that you seem listless throughout most days, I am capable of justifying this as an emergency to solve your problems.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know how I feel about that answer.¡± ¡°Lets begin.¡± The pad on Ten''s hand starts to glow even more. Slowly it starts taking over his entire hand, his arm, and then eventually his whole body. Tens eyes glow as he starts a chant far above his level. The armor is reconstructed, his weapons are recombined and the golems are reshaped. Ten stands in a very beautiful armor, with a sword that could have been made for a god and a hovercraft that looks like it could take him anywhere in the world. Ten smiles as he looks at his gear, he whispers. ¡°Thank you.¡± Mai hears him but doesn¡¯t reply. ¡°¡­¡± Ten gets on the hovercraft and makes his way to the center of the big crater. From a distance he can see a shape at the center. The closer he gets the more he can make out the shape. Once close enough to actually see Demo, he stops the hovercraft. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done, I¡¯m going home.¡± ¡°Ten, wait! He might need our help.¡± ¡°This guy just fell from outer space, literally flew through the fires of hell, survived what I think was his spaceship couldn¡¯t, and YOU think he needs MY help?¡± ¡°Clearly he is unconscious, and he might be a very high-level golem we could sell. Just get close enough to see if it¡¯s breathing or if it¡¯s an inanimate object.¡± Ten looks at his gear and understands the risks Mai took to help him make them. He raises his head and slowly, very slowly walks towards Demo. Once he reaches Demo he sees that he is breathing. Demo looks peaceful but alive. Ten decides to poke him with his sword to see if he can wake Demo up. The moment the sword hits Demo''s skin, his eyes pop open and a blast of energy radiates from his body. The blast hits Ten and he is flung back with amazing force. His armor was completely destroyed, his sword shattered and his hovercraft in pieces. He hits the ground and lies there. Demo awakens and looks around to see what happened and where he is. He sees Ten on the ground, and lowers his head again, with sorrow on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Chapter 3 Fin Chapter 4: Stitches closes it A computerized voice bellows through the hallway of a dark spaceship. ¡°Arriving at our destination.¡± Near the gate that was forced open by Demo''s arrival a horizontally lined crack in space appears. The crack seems to divide itself into several layers that are stacked on each other as if time and space have been compressed like a paper folded upon itself. The layers of cracks in space spread themselves out until at its core a portal can be seen and from that portal, the dark spaceship with the word STITCHES on it emerges. Once the ship has safely emerged from the portal, the layers are folded back into a single line and the line then collapses in on itself and disappears. The ship is facing the interdimensional gate. Then a door opens up on the spaceship and 7 figures dressed in all-black space suits emerge. They carry with them 6 huge black rectangles and a single red one that are almost the same size as the men themselves. They bring the big rectangles in front of them and each one puts a single hand on their rectangle. Six of the figures start a mathematical chant. The big rectangles start to glow but unlike with Ten, these rectangles are surrounded by a wide array of numbers and equations as well. The rectangles start to disintegrate and mix with the numbers that surround them and then recombine. Two of the rectangles turned into huge needles, and the other 4 turned into black ropes with several big knots on them. Once the 6 were finished the figure with the red rectangle placed his hand on his shape and started his chant. His rectangle turned into what can only be described as a huge red demon. With wings that seemed to hide millions of stars. The figure with the red demon raises his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± The 4 with the ropes take their sides next to the two with the needles and push their rope through the holes in the needle. The two with the needles then make their way to opposite sides of the gate. They gently control the needles with their hands. They point the tip of the needle towards the gate, and then slightly pull the needle back like an arrow on a bow. With the force of a star exploding, they throw their needles through the gate. The hole created gets plugged up by one of the knots on the rope. The two-needle wielders continue this process until the entire gate is covered with the rope and each side is riddled with knots. Once completed the giant red demon glides over to the gate and places its hands on the two top knots that are connected to each other. A blinding light spawned from its hands and the explosion that followed swallowed up not only the knots but all seemed to close the gate in between the two knots he consumed. The demon proceeds to do this for the next 2 knots and those after it. Everything seems to be going according to plan. An alarm goes off in the helmets of the Stitches crew as a storm of space debris is about to hit them. All 7 of them go into their pockets and take out a small cube. They then quickly chant to transform the cube into a shield capable of withstanding the storm. The crew and the ship survive without a hitch. But one of the pieces of debris hits the demon''s hand as it''s about to consume another knot. Slightly knocking the hand to the side a little. The red demon smiles as he followed his orders perfectly but this small thing could usher in chaos. He quickly stops smiling so as to not warn the crew something happened. After the debris passed, the shields went down and the focus was back on the gate. After a while, the gate closes as the demon touches the last 2 knots. The needles and ropes as well as the demon disintegrate and return to their rectangle forms again. The Stitches crew looked at the space where the gate used to be, as if to do a final check, and then turned around went back into their ship, and flew away. Tranquility fell back over the space above the planet. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Back on the planet, Demo stands with a sorrowful face as he again looks at Ten''s body on the ground. He turns away from Ten as if turning his back on him would allow him to ignore what he has just done. As he is about to walk away. ¡°AHHHH YOOOOO, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. YOOO What the ¡­.¡± Demo turns back with his eyes open filled with hope. He sees Ten on the ground wriggling and turning and screaming in pain. He runs to Ten with a huge smile on his face and crouches next to him. ¡°You¡¯re ok.¡± ¡°No, I''m not ok. That hurt, who the hell wakes up and blasts everybody? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Demo just smiles as he is happy that Ten isn¡¯t dead. The fact that Demo is smiling creeps Ten out as if he is enjoying the pain Ten is in. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± ¡°I thought you were dead.¡± ¡°Because you tried to kill me.¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not what I wanted to do. But last time I woke up ¡­¡± Ten still in pain looks at Demo suspiciously. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think my name was Demo. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ten.¡± Demo stands back up and extends his hand to Ten to help him get back up. ¡°Nice to meet you Ten.¡± Ten looks at Demo sideways unsure if he should trust him or not. But except for the blast Demo doesn¡¯t seem or feel dangerous. He takes his hand. ¡°Yeah, you too I guess.¡± As Ten stands in front of Demo he does a quick head-to-toe check and feels obligated to ask. ¡°So, this whole naked thing. Is that a religious something or just a fashion statement?¡± Demo looks down at his naked body and back up to Ten. ¡°Neither.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just make some clothes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡± Ten looks at him confused as if he just met someone who doesn¡¯t know that the world is round. But then quickly checks himself as he remembers that Demo came from out of space. So maybe they didn¡¯t teach him the basics. Ten looks around the crater and picks up some sand, some rocks, and some fallen leaves that are scattered here and there. He walks back to Demo and gives him a quick look over as if to get his measurements. He lowers his head and starts the math chant. The things in his hands start to glow and disintegrate into a million small pieces. Demo looks at what is happening with his eyes wide open and filled with amazement. Ten raises his head and looks at Demo as he softly pushes the disintegrated pieces towards Demo. The million pieces cover Demo''s body and then assemble to become a whole outfit. The hoody of which has a 1 on the right sleeve and a 0 on the left sleeve. Ten smiles as it¡¯s a perfect fit. Demo looks at his outfit, touches the fabrics, and looks back at Ten with eyes like a kid who just found a magical lamp that grants wishes. ¡°Teach me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Teach me how to do that!¡± Ten is a little startled because no one has ever asked him to teach them the basics you learn in elementary school. ¡°Euhm ¡­ well it''s pretty simple.¡± Demo starts nodding his head as if he is about to receive a grand prize. ¡°So first you use the base of the Poincar¨¦ Conjecture, which is that every simply connected, closed 3-manifold is homeomorphic to the 3-sphere. Using that as the underlying theory you then combine it with Fermat''s Last Theorem which obviously states that there are no three positive integers a,b,a, b,a,b, and ccc that can satisfy the equation an+bn=cna^n + b^n = c^nan+bn=cn for any integer value of nnn greater than 2 ¡­¡± Ten continues like this for a while. With each new sentence, Demo gets more and more confused as to what it all means. Each new sentence makes his head tilt a little to the right. By the end of the first minute, Demos''s neck is almost at a 90-degree angle. At which point his eyes light up, as if his frustration triggered something. Ten feels a shiver run down his spine as if a predator just recognized him as food. Ten immediately stops explaining. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I used numbers magic.¡± Demo turns his neck back. ¡°So I can''t learn it?¡± ¡°No, you could still learn it. There are two ways of doing this. The Instinctual method or the Theory method. I think you might be the Instinctual type.¡± ¡°Can you teach me it?¡± ¡°Nah, I''m a Theory type.¡± Demo drops his shoulders in disappointment. ¡°So I can¡¯t get stronger?¡± Ten looks at him with a certain amount of pity. As if he could sense how much Demo wanted to get stronger. ¡°If you want to get stronger, I know a gym that teaches martial arts and the Instinctual method. It¡¯s a pretty famous gym I''ve heard.¡± ¡°Will I get stronger if I go there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I heard the Prime Perfect used to train there as well.¡± Demo doesn¡¯t know who that is, or why that is an important point, but he might be able to get stronger and that¡¯s all he needed to hear. ¡°Ok lets go.¡± The two start walking towards the city of Numbers. Where Ten lives and the gym is located. Chapter 4 Fin Chapter 5: It’s closed Demo and Ten make their way through the forest towards the city. Ten still worried and curious as to who Demo is can¡¯t help himself. ¡°So, who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Demo. I already told you. Did you hit your head when you fell?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m asking where you¡¯re from.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t remember anything. I woke up not so long ago on a ship. Once I woke up they ejected me and it seems like they sent me over here.¡± ¡°Who is they?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The only ones I really saw were the ones on the ground and they had on these suits as if they were experimenting or something.¡± Ten looks at Demo with his eyes open as if he just heard something really disturbing. He takes a few steps to the side to distance himself from Demo a bit more. ¡°Why were they experimenting on you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I really don¡¯t remember anything from before I woke up.¡± ¡°How come you survived that fall?¡± Demo scratches his head as he looks down at his body. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe my body is just strong like that.¡± Ten can¡¯t fathom someone doesn¡¯t remember anything from their past. He looks at Demo with a side eye as they walk. ¡°Why did you ask me how to get stronger?¡± Demo looks at Ten with a look that shows he is trying to remember and the words are on the tip of his tongue. ¡°I just feel like I have to. As if, if I don¡¯t, something bad will happen.¡± Ten looks at him concerned. ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it''s like this voice in my head that keeps singing the same words over and over. ¡°Get Stronger, get stronger, get stronger.¡±¡± ¡°You¡¯re hearing voices too?¡± Demo tired of the questions decides to ask a few of his own. ¡°How come you were all alone in the forest today?¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Tens shoulder slump, his head goes down and his arms dangle from his body as he walks. His face filled with doom and gloom, every bit of happiness has left him it seems. As the fact that he will have to go back to work tomorrow hits him. The excitement of meeting Demo made him forget about his situation, but that one question pushed him right back into it. As if Demo just hit a button that almost shut him down. And then Ten releases a deep sigh. ¡°I hate work. It¡¯s so boring. You have no idea ¡­ ¡° Ten then starts mumbling to himself about how much he hates his job and his boss. Demo understands that he just asked something he shouldn¡¯t have, looks straight ahead, and doesn¡¯t say a word. The two walk in silence. Oblivious to the fact that the gate that send Demo here has been closed. Above the planet where the gate was everything is still peaceful. But behind the current dimension the beings that reside in the void gathered to where they felt the signal come from. They have experienced gates opening and closing before. They weren¡¯t expecting an open gate, as they get closed quickly after opening. But they were curious as to what that signal they felt was. A group of beings stand in silence looking around for a clue or hint. And then one of them notices it. A very minuscule remainder of a gate. It¡¯s an extremely small crack in space that wasn¡¯t completely closed. The rest of the group notices it as well, and they release what can only be described as a war cry. Each member of the group brings forth weapons. Swords, axes, knives, cannons, beams and more. They all start throwing everything they have at the tiny crack. Each attack seems to be useless to the naked eye, but they don¡¯t stop. They keep on attacking the crack because they know that each attack will enhance the crack no matter how small. So, it¡¯s only a matter of time before it opens. Back on the planet Demo and Ten make it to the outskirts of the city. And Demo is amazed at what he sees as Ten smiles. ¡°Welcome to Number City.¡± All the buildings in the city are shaped like numbers. From 0 to 9, some are Roman numerals and some are in weird fluid shapes that seem somewhat out of place. Cars shaped like numbers pass in front them, and even hovercrafts can be seen flying through the sky. The sound of a busy city fills the air, but a tense undertone came with it, as if danger was forever lurking. There was a big difference in air quality as well, between here and the forest. They walk into the city, and there on the corner stands a young lady who looks at Demo, and as their eyes meet she walks over to him. ¡°Want some Glia?¡± Demo looks at her confused. ¡°What¡¯s Glia?¡± Ten hears their conversation and immediately steps in. ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t.¡± He gets behind Demo and tries to push him forward as to keep walking. But the moment he actually puts in the force needed he feels an enormous amount of weight, as if he was trying to push a mountain forward. Demo looks back at him and smiles and then continues walking. ¡°What is Glia?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a drug. It basically increases the electric currents in your brain. And enhances all its function.¡± ¡°So it makes you smarter? Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Ten lowers his head but this time his energy is one of sadness as he answers. ¡°Smarter isn¡¯t always better. And it does more than just enhance smartness.¡± Demo looks at him and again looks forward. After a while the two see a big number one building with the symbol of a dragon holding an atom and the letter 1. ¡°We are almost there.¡± ¡°This is where I can become stronger?¡± Ten doesn¡¯t want to give Demo any false hope and just looks up at the building as he answers. ¡°This is where they will teach you about the Instinctual Method.¡± The moment the two make it to the front door, inside the building an old man raises his head with a smile. ¡°Interesting.¡± Chapter 5 Fin Chapter 6: The Rules of Soth Demo and Ten make their way into the gym. Through a glass door, they see several members sitting in a lotus pose meditating. The moment Ten and Demo open the door all of the members open their eyes and turn their heads towards Ten and Demo. All of them look angry, as Ten and Demo disrupted their meditation. Demo looks calm and unfazed but Ten isn¡¯t used to so much animosity and takes a step back. The has several pictures on the wall next to scrolls with motivational sayings. The pictures are of previous students who have either passed on or become famous in their own right. One of the members stands up, and walks towards Demo and Ten, he then raises his hand and the other members then return to their meditation. ¡°Can I help you with something?¡± Ten feels extremely awkward actually being in the famous gym and doesn¡¯t really know what to do. He goes to bow but stops midway and instead does a fist-palm greeting he then turns into a palm-to-palm greeting. The gym member chuckles as he gets that Ten is nervous. ¡°It¡¯s ok, you don¡¯t have to bow or anything. How can I help you?¡± Ten stands up straight with a nervous smile on his face as he introduces Demo. ¡°He wants to join the gym.¡± As the gym member switches his focus on Demo, Ten takes a step back. ¡°Aight, I have some things to so ¡­¡± Demo looks at Ten, and with the biggest smile of gratitude on his face. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ten nods and starts walking towards the door. He takes one look back at Demo and then steps outside. Back inside the gym member continues asking Demo some more introductory questions. ¡°What type are you, IT or TT? Demo looks confused as he answers. ¡°IT, TT?¡± The member looks confused as well, as these are the standard abbreviations used. Demo not knowing them is what he would consider a red flag. But out of politeness, he feels he needs to explain. ¡°Instinctual Type or Theoretical?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, well I didn¡¯t understand a word Ten was saying and he said I was likely Instinctual, so IT.¡± That comment clarified the fact that Demo wasn¡¯t from here. ¡°You have never learned about or practiced how to use Higher Reasoning?¡± ¡°You mean using Numbers Magic, Right? Then no.¡± The gym member looks a bit startled because this is extremely uncommon. Even the poorest of households will have learned how to use Higher Reasoning. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, but the bare minimum needed to enter our gym is the ability to use Higher Rea¡­¡± Before he can finish his sentence he is interrupted. ¡°No, no, no, no, no, no.¡± An old man with a white beard and a bald head in an all black loose fitting outfit, comes from behind one the doors and the gym member immediately bows. ¡°Master.¡± The old man is the master of the gym. His aura and body language show his confidence in his ability and the respect of those around him make it clear he is strong. The old man walks up to Demo with a smile and stands in front of him and looks him up and down. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°We are here to teach people. And I don¡¯t remember making that rule that you have to be able to use H.R.¡± The gym member raises his head and with doubt in his voice he speaks. ¡°But master Li-On¡± Li-On raises his hand to silence the gym member. ¡°What¡¯s your name young man?¡± ¡°Demo.¡± Li-On gestures Demo to follow him. ¡°Come with me Demo, I¡¯ll teach you how to use ¡­ what did you call it ¡­ Numbers magic.¡± Demo and Li-On walk up some stairs to a private room with a table in the middle of it. On the table, there is a rock. Li-On gestures Demo to take a seat. And Demo does and then Li-On takes a seat on the opposite side. ¡°Demo, have you ever seen someone use Numbers Magic?¡± ¡°Yes, I have, my friend Ten used it to make my clothes.¡± Li-On smiles gently. ¡°That¡¯s nice of him. So when you saw that, what did you think was happening?¡± Demo looks up as if to visually recall the event. ¡°It looked like he turned leaves and stuff into something else using some kind of magic.¡± Li-On nods as it seems Demo got the gist of it. ¡°This world is a collection of facts and rules. These all come from the energy of life. If you know or understand the rules and facts, you will gain access to this energy.¡± Demo nods. ¡°So the more I know and understand the more access I get to the energy?¡± ¡°Indeed. Simple right?¡± Demo nods again. Li-On smiles as he knows he is about to complicate things a bit more and hopes Demo can follow along. He places his hand on the rock. ¡°The first rule is simple. Nothing comes from Nothing.¡± Demo looks confused. Li-On recognizes it and quickly continues. ¡°It basically means that to make something you have to use something. If you want to cook food, you need ingredients. Same thing applies here.¡± Demo nods. Li-On continues. ¡°Let¡¯s say I want to turn this rock into a diamond. There are two ways Number Magic is done. Theory or Instinct. Theory means you know exactly what the rock is made of and how each part works together with the other parts and they are interconnected. First, you would visualize the rock in your head, and deconstruct it using math. Then you break it down into pure energy using the proper formulas and then use the energy you created to turn it into a diamond using the right set of formulas and equations.¡± Demo looks at him with sheer amazement. ¡°So I would need to know what a rock is made of and what a diamond is made of?¡± Li-On smiles and nods, he then picks the rock up. ¡°Instinctual Theory is a bit different. With this, you simply accept that it¡¯s a rock. You would then visualize it in your head, dive into the rock and forcefully strike each connection and sever all the ties within the rock itself. Forcing it to deconstruct like pulling on strings to tear a shirt apart.¡± The rock in Li-Ons hand starts to glow and comes apart as if its molecules were struck so hard they came loose. The energy born from the rock swirls above Li-On''s hand. Demo looks on with the delight of a small child watching a magic show. Li-On seems to enjoy Demo''s enthusiasm. ¡°Now this is where things get tricky. Because you don¡¯t know exactly what a diamond is made of, you will have to fill in the blanks using your own imagination. The stronger and better your imagination is, the better the final result.¡± Li-On guides the energy in his hand along a path and the energy starts to reassemble. Once the flow stops there is a small flash of light, and there is an actual diamond on the table. Demo¡¯s eyes pop open. ¡°Wow.¡± Li-On smiles like an old man would seeing a kid learning something. ¡°Want to try turning this diamond back into a rock?¡± Demo looks up with nothing but excitement as he almost screams. ¡°YEAH, I do.¡± Demo starts his training to learn how to use the powers of this universe. Meanwhile, Ten opens the door to his apartment, takes off his muddy shoes, and jumps onto his bed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I met an illegal alien today.¡± He looks at his hand. ¡°Mai, I''m sorry. You risked helping me for nothing. I wasn¡¯t able to get a piece of a meteor or anything. I''m still in debt with no way out.¡± His palm lights up as Mai is turned on. ¡°That¡¯s ok. It was impossible to know what was out there. We took a chance. But at the very least it seems like you¡¯ve made a very powerful friend.¡± Ten looks at the dresser beside his bed. The sight of the picture of him and his mother at the peak suddenly feels heavier than it used to.¡± ¡°You think?¡± Ten grabs the picture and looks at it a bit more attentively. ¡°Perhaps I should go visit her tomorrow.¡± Mai, is slightly startled at that sudden statement. ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s a good idea. It¡¯s been a long time since you¡¯ve seen her.¡± Ten looks at the picture with sadness, as the look in his eyes show how much pain it¡¯s causing him to simple look at the picture. Mai decides to be proactive and help Ten a bit more. ¡°I¡¯ll call in sick at work so you can go during visiting hours tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ten lays down on his bed with the picture on his chest. ¡°I wonder how she is doing.¡± As his mind strays, his mother is sitting in an empty room in a rocking chair, peacefully rocking back and forth. With eyes completely devoid of any kind of life. Chapter 6 Fin Chapter 7: First Step Ten called in sick from work and has decided to go visit his mother instead. Before seeing her he decided to buy her some flowers. As he comes out of the flower shop after buying a bouquet a man and a woman in suits cross his path. They are talking about their jobs. ¡°Yeah, I just started so it''s¡­¡± He can''t hear the rest of the conversation because they are walking at a rather brisk pace. Ten stands still and watches the two people walk away from him. Seeing a man in a suit like that, talking about his job made Ten remember his father. In the memory, his father wore a suit similar to the one he just saw and he took Ten to see a friend of his. He remembers the two men sitting in the living room at the dining table as Ten watched TV. Ten remembered parts of the conversation between his father and his friend. His father was just hired for a new job and he seemed a bit nervous. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I don¡¯t know if I can do this. I didn¡¯t lie to get the job, but you know¡­¡± ¡°Hey, it is what it is man, just do what you can. You¡¯ll figure it out.¡± ¡°Nah man, this level of think tank is different. They gave me some stuff to read as like homework and ¡­¡± Ten remembers looking back and seeing his father shake his head with a frowned look on his face as if to signal that it was extremely difficult. Tens father''s friend was smiling at his father''s insecurity as he replied with a slightly amused tone of voice. ¡°You were always nervous before tests, but you were the smartest in our class for a reason. You got this.¡± ¡°Nah man, seriously, this stuff they got me reading and working on ¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even started yet, let it happen first and then worry about you being able or unable. For now, just be happy you got the job.¡± ¡°You right, you right.¡± Tens father then looks at Ten watching TV. ¡°T!¡± Ten looks back at his father who has a gentle smile on his face. ¡°You want some ice cream?¡± Ten excited at the prospect of ice cream jumps up and answers a resounding YES. The two then left the friend''s house hand in hand and went for ice cream. This was the end of the memory and it was able to put a small smile on Ten¡¯s face. Ten turns and continues on his journey to see his mother. As he walks down the street the sun is up high and the sunlight blinds his eyes a little, and in a room in a gym the sunlight comes through the window as Demo is in the middle of a special training with Li-On. Demo spent the night at the gym in a room that was made for special guests. Demo is now sitting at the table with Li-On his eyes are closed and he is focusing on creating a visual image of a diamond. In his mind''s eye, he can see a diamond floating in space. He hears Li-On giving him instructions. ¡°Imagine going into the diamond. Then take a look around you, and try to see all the small pieces in the diamond¡± Demo nods, and in his imagination, he goes into the diamond and visualizes the diamond being a collection of small pieces that stick together to make a diamond. ¡°Open your eyes. I don¡¯t know how strong the image is in your head, but you say you¡¯ve got it down right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Li-On smiles as he picks up the diamond on the table and places it in Demo¡¯s hand. ¡°Ok, then let''s check. Look at the diamond, focus on it. Then close your eyes and keep the image of the diamond in your hand.¡± Demo does as instructed. He can see a very big version of the diamond in his hand. ¡°Now erase your hand and keep only the diamond.¡± Demo does as instructed and removes his hand from his imagination. The diamond is now once again floating in space. Li-On looks at Demo as his eyes are closed and Li-On can sense how focused Demo is as he says. ¡°Go in.¡± Demo goes into the diamond and he can see the small pieces that the diamond is made of as clear as day. He can even see the connections between the parts, Like an intricate puzzle connected through wires and pillars that keep up the shape of the diamond. Li-On looks at the diamond in Demo¡¯s hand and can sense a faint glow coming from the diamond. It''s clear that Demo¡¯s focus and connection to the diamond are strong enough to resonate with the energy of the world. ¡°Now destroy it.¡± Demo smiles at the command given as if he had been waiting eagerly to hear the order of destruction. He charges at the small pieces in the diamond and the connections. He strikes everything that comes in his path. After a few moments, the diamond is no more as he has severed all ties and laid waste to all the pieces. He thoroughly enjoyed destroying it. Even in his imagination, he is smiling with a grin that goes from ear to ear. Li-On surprised at what he is seeing stands there with a shocked look on his face. ¡°Open your eyes.¡± Demo opens his eyes and looks down at his hand. The diamond is no longer there and in its place is a swirling vortex of energy. Demo¡¯s eyes pop open with amazement and surprise which is then quickly followed by a smile of pride as he is able to deconstruct the diamond. Due to his enjoyment and happiness his focus lapses and because of it the energy that was created from the diamond dissipates. The small particles of energy seem to flow with an unseen current in the air as they evaporate into nothingness. ¡°What happened?¡± Li-On smiles, he is genuinely surprised Demo was able to do it within a day. But because he is a little unsure of Demo¡¯s character and disposition he wants to hold back on giving him too much praise to see how he reacts to strictness first. ¡°Your focus slipped. If you lose focus you lose all you¡¯ve done. Breaking the diamond is step one, maintaining the energy is two, and using it to create what you want is three.¡± Demo looks down as if he is thinking to himself and going over his mistakes. He looks back up after a few moments with eyes determined to do better. ¡°Ok.¡± Li-On walks towards a dresser that¡¯s in the room and opens up a drawer. He takes out a rock and then places it in Demo¡¯s hand. ¡°You now know how to break it down, now we are going to focus on keeping the energy you created calm and flowing like a small river.¡± ¡°Why does it need to be calm?¡± ¡°Forcing an angry beast into a cage is a lot harder than doing it with a calm one, right?¡± ¡°True.¡± ¡°The same principles apply here. This step is a small one compared to the other two, but it is equally important. The faster you can calm the energy, the faster you can mold it.¡± Demo nods his head. ¡°Close your eyes. Imagine you just finished breaking down the original. Do you see all the loose pieces floating around?¡± In Demo¡¯s imagination, he can see all the parts floating around him. It¡¯s as if he is floating in a world of debris. ¡°Visualize all the pieces coming together as one. Create a focus point for them to come to, it can be anywhere you want.¡± Demo sees himself in the middle of all the floating pieces and holds out his hand he keeps his gaze on his palm. And tries to turn the palm of his hand into a magnet that will force all the pieces floating around to come to him. The pieces of energy around him start to vibrate as if they are enraged. Li-On sensing the tension coming from Demo decides to help him further along. ¡°Do not force the energy to do what you want. Let it come to you naturally. Let it flow, just be its guide.¡± Demo a bit confused recognized that the pieces floating around him didn¡¯t seem as peaceful as before. Clearly, his magnet idea wasn¡¯t the right way. He then holds out both hands and instead of focusing on his hand, he looks up at all the pieces and then looks back down in a very calm and serene way. The energy responds in kind and flows down to gather in between his two hands. Once all the pieces are between his hands they start to flow in a very calm circular manner. Li-On realizes that Demo was able to calm down and visualize a subtle flow of energy. ¡°Now, with that energy try to turn it into a diamond. Don¡¯t try to piece it all together like a puzzle. Just imagine the diamond as a whole and allow the pieces to fill it in for you.¡± Demo listens to Li-On and is able to make the diamond shape in his head and just as Li-On said, the energy flows into the image of the diamond, and with a bright light, it turns into a diamond. ¡°Open your eyes.¡± Demo opens his eyes and in his hand is a diamond. ¡°Hell YEAH!¡± Li-On smiles as he tries to hide his amazement. Never before has someone so quickly been able to master this process. Li-On leans forward to look Demo in the eyes and with a serious face that almost seems threatening he asks the question. ¡°What are you?¡± Chapter 7 Fin Chapter 8: Let the Tests Begin Demo leans back in his chair, shock on his face at the sudden question posed by his new teacher. Demo was caught by surprise but remained calm as he didn¡¯t feel a threat coming from Li-On. ¡°I¡¯m Demo.¡± Li-On doesn¡¯t avert his gaze from Demo, the tension increases with each moment that passes. Li-On quickly recognizes that Demo isn¡¯t fazed by the sudden question and would be pressure. So he decides to ramp it up a bit and release just a bit of bloodlust. A radiance that only primal beasts ready to devour their prey could release filled with the air. The aura of bloodlust released engulfed Demo, and Li-On expected Demo to jump back and take a fighting stance. Demo¡¯s head leans forward, a grin that can only be described as evil covers his face and the corners of his eyes start going red with a red glow. Li-On stopped as he recognized that this reaction wasn¡¯t what he expected and could be dangerous to those around them. Li-On then bursts out laughing. ¡°Hahahahahahahahahahah.¡± Demo raises his head sensing the bloodlust has passed and looks at the old man laughing with a look of confusion. Li-On looks at Demo with a big smile on his face and his arms crossed. ¡°You would have really tried to fight me. Hahahahahahahah¡± Demo is still confused as to what exactly happened. But before he could ask, Li-On clapped his hands and looks at Demo with excitement on his face. ¡°You are ready. Let''s go see if you can join the gym.¡± Demo and Li-On walk downstairs to where all the other gym members are. They all bow to greet the master. Li-On walks to the one member who greeted Demo in the beginning. ¡°Eight, I want you to start Demo on the Entrance Course XX.¡± Eight nods his head with a look of surprise and confusion. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Li-On turns around and places his hand on Demo¡¯s shoulder as he says his words. ¡°Make it till the end.¡± Eight waits for Li-On to walk away from Demo before he starts explaining what¡¯s going to happen. Li-On leaves the main gym room and closes the door behind him as he makes his way back up to his private room. ¡°Since the master wants you to start the Entrance Course XX, you can use Higher Reasoning. Seems whatever planet you came from used a different term for it. But whatever. You will have 6 trails, each one will last a day. If you fail any of them, you fail all of them. You understand? Demo doesn¡¯t really know what is happening, but he doesn¡¯t really feel like he can say no at this point so he just says. ¡°Yes.¡± Eight looks at him with a look that shows no interest or trust in Demo¡¯s success. Eight then walks towards the front desk and grabs a list. He hands Demo the list. On the list are 24 items going from 1 to 24, each item has a picture next to it of what it should look like. The items are as follows.
  1. Glass Cube
  2. Wooden Pyramid
  3. Plastic Sphere
  4. Steel cylinder
  5. Gold Disc
  6. Diamond knife
  7. A Paladins shield
  8. A Wizards staff
  9. Berserks Knuckles
  10. A kings cape
  11. A flute
Before Demo can make it through the rest of the list, Eight places his hand on the list to stop him from reading it completely. ¡°You have 24 hours to finish this list. Start with 1 and work your way down. When you finish creating a piece, bring it to me or any other member of the gym and have them check the quality. Once they checked it, you go to the next one. Get it?¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Demo looks at Eight with a calm look as if he hasn¡¯t heard anything difficult so far. ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡± Eight looks at Demo with a slight look of distrust as he thinks to himself that there is no way that Demo will pass this trail. He then goes to a display case that has a big black sphere in it. He grabs the sphere and walks back to a corner of the gym that is a bit further away from the other members. He puts the sphere down and calls Demo over. ¡°This is your material. Good luck.¡± He walks past Demo without meeting his gaze and goes back to the rest of the members. One member walks up to Eight with his eyes wide open. ¡°Did Master Li-On really give me XX?¡± Eight looks at the member and nods. ¡°Master either hates him or expects a lot from him.¡± Demo takes a deep breath and smiles at the challenge in front of him. He goes into the corner looks at the picture of glass cube then looks at the big black sphere in front of him. His face smiles with a grin of complete confidence as he places his hand on the sphere and begins to visualize breaking it down. And where Demo is in the dark of his own mind, Ten is about to arrive at his mother place of residence. He turns the last corner and there it is a big building in the shape of a 6. On the front of the building, there is a big sign reading PI Mental Institute, as he reads the sign a look of sadness covers his face. Ten holding the flowers walks into the building and up to the front desk. ¡°I''m here to see my mother. Ms. 2ndPowerX.¡± The lady at the front desk looks surprised as this is the first time for her that Ten has come to visit her. Ten is also a bit surprised that the lady looks surprised as if she knows exactly who he is talking about to give that kind of reaction. ¡°Do you know her?¡± The front desk lady corrects herself in posture and gives Ten the signup sheet to sign in. ¡°Yeah, Mr. 2ndPowerX visits her daily.¡± Ten looks confused as that shouldn¡¯t be possible but as he looks down on the signup sheet he sees the first name of the man in question. The name on the sheet is 21 2ndPowerX, her brother. Ten signs the sheet and puts the pen down but doesn¡¯t hand it in immediately. Ten looks up from the sheet at the front desk lady slightly baffled with a look that shows it. ¡°He visits her every day?¡± The front takes the sheet back and answers. ¡°Every day around the same time.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ten looks down the hallway to where the visitors'' room is. He hasn¡¯t been here in many years but nothing has changed. His hands feel clammy, it feels like there is something stuck in his throat. He can feel his heart beating like crazy. But he decided to do this so he walked towards the visitor''s door. As he stands in front of the door ready to see his mother. This feeling of opening a door with a bad feeling in his stomach brings him back to a memory he had suppressed. He can remember going home one day after school with his mother who came to pick him up. Before going home, his mother took him to a toy store because Ten got a really good grade in Math and Logical Reasoning. The toy he had been wanting for a while now was one of those push-a-button make noise kind of toys. He forgot what superhero the toy was based on, but he remembers how happy he was every time he heard that toy speak. Every few seconds he would push the button hoping for a new line to come out of the toy. His mother delighted at her son''s happiness and let him push the button as many times as he wanted. The two of them got off the elevator and walked down the corridor to their door. Something suddenly made Ten feel very uncomfortable. It was as if something told him that something bad was about to happen. He looked at his mother to see if she felt it too, but she seemed ok. She used her key to open the door. The whole apartment was dark except for one desk lamp and a computer where his father was working. Ten¡¯s mother looked startled and slightly frightened as she didn¡¯t expect the home to be all dark and this was something new. Ten didn¡¯t know what to do either, but with his young mind, he thought that pushing the button would make things better somehow. The moment he pushed that button and the sound came out of that toy his father looked back at the two of them with rage in his eyes as he spoken in a low tone filled with subdued rage. ¡°Can you two please, keep it down? I need to finish this and I need silence.¡± His mother could sense that his father was dealing with a lot of stress from his new job, so she wanted to know if she could help. ¡°Honey, you ok?¡± This question was the opposite of the silence the father requested and it was enough to make his father let go of the rage he was trying to keep down. ¡°I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP! I¡¯M UNDER A LOT OF STRESS! I NEED TO FINISH THIS BY TONIGHT SO JUST LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!¡± His mother felt the rage sent by the father come over her and she froze. Ten didn¡¯t know what to do but he knew not to push that button again. The two of them stood by the door while the father worked in the dark. Ten can still hear the ticks of his father''s finger hitting the keyboard. The ticking at times still haunts him. Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick. Chapter 8 Fin Chapter 9: First Test Completed Demo sits in the corner and turns the black sphere into a giant glass cube. The transformation is smooth so smooth that it catches the eyes of some of the pupils in the gym. Once the cube is finished, he asks for it to be checked. Eight who was watching, walks over and checks the cube. He nods with a face of consignment and signals with his hand for Demo to continue. Demo starts going down the list of items he has to make at a pace that baffles all those in the gym. They are no longer doing their exercises or focusing on their breathing instead they are watching Demo. After each item he clears, the murmurs and chatter increase. ¡°He has to be cheating.¡± ¡°Is someone helping him?¡± ¡°There is no way this is real.¡± Once Demo got to the end of the list, and the item was checked. Eight stood there with a blank look on his face as if he had just seen a miracle. Demo, confused at all the confusion surrounding him decided to ask Eight what the problem was. ¡°Why is everyone looking at me?¡± Eight looked at him with a face that showed he was unsure whether to revere or hate Demo. He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. ¡°¡­¡± Demo looks at him as if he is still waiting for the answer. Eight finally gathers his thoughts and answers. ¡°Every time you turn something into something else a little bit of the original is lost in translation. If the sphere was 100 then the glass cube would be 90. A copy or a remake is never as good as the original. But yours were equal to if not better.¡± Demo looks slightly surprised as his eyebrows go up. ¡°I just did what the old man told me to do.¡± Eight looks at Demo with an expression that is both bewilderment and surprise. ¡°The last step is to turn it back into a black sphere.¡± Demo nods and places his hand on the item and turns it into a sphere. Once completed the sphere is the exact size and smoothness as the one Demo started with. Eight looks at the sphere with his mouth open. This has never happened to him before. The rest of the pupils all talk amongst each other as they also can¡¯t believe it. Eight looks at Demo and closes his mouth. ¡°Ok, you finished your first test early. Are you ready for the final part?¡± Demo smiles and with an enthusiastic face, he replies. ¡°Yes.¡± Eight turns around and gestures with his head for Demo to follow him. They walk to the center of the gym and then Eight points down and lowers his head to signal Demo to stand right there. Then Eight looks around and points at 5 random pupils. The 5 chosen ones line up side to side in front of Demo and smile with an almost evil grin. Eight moves so that he is standing in front of Demo in front of the 5 pupils. ¡°The last stage of the first trial for XX is simple. You will match the power of each pupil. They will punch you and then you reply with the same amount of force. Each pupil will punch you 5 times.¡± Demo¡¯s eyes light up as his smile goes from ear to ear. His smile can be seen through his mask and it kind of creeps a few of the pupils out. But the first pupil is ready to punch Demo and steps forward. He was also impressed by the ability shown by Demo. But he never liked people who stood out more than him, and he figures that if he punches Demo out cold his position in the mind of others will rise. Demo stands still waiting for the pupil''s punch. The pupil takes a martial arts-trained fighting stance. He then keeps his pose still as he starts whispering a math chant. Eight quickly recognizes the pupil''s intent and goes to stop him. But the pupil used a chant that was only meant to strengthen his fist and kinetic energy which means it was concluded quickly. Demo can sense the blood lust coming from the pupil''s fist and his eyes start to glow red. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. In the few moments before Eight can reach the pupil he releases the pent-up energy and punches Demo in the stomach. An explosion of energy bursts forth and causes a soundwave to reverberate in the gym. The force of the punch was enough to knock Demo back and force him to kneel on one leg. His head down. The pupil looking at Demo¡¯s position looks down on him with a smile as if he succeeded in bringing him down a peg. He knows that this punch is one that can destroy internal organs and put even the strongest man into a coma. There is no way Demo will be able to do anything for at least a year. The pupil then looks around to see what the other students are looking like. Their faces are stunned and their eyes wide open. The pupil then sees a certain amount of fear in their faces, which is weird because it should be reverence. But then he hears Demo¡¯s voice. ¡°That hurt.¡± He quickly turns his head back to Demo. He is just in time to see Demo stand up fully erect with glowing red eyes and a smile on his face. He immediately breaks into a cold sweat. Demo cracks his neck and takes a step towards the pupil as he looks him dead in the eye. ¡°My turn.¡± The pupil doesn¡¯t understand what is happening. But he can sense an insane amount of bloodlust coming from Demo. Fear grips his very soul as he becomes unable to move. ¡°Wa¡­ Wait ¡­ Wait ¡­ wait ¡­ No No No.¡± Demo takes another step forward. With each step, the pressure on the pupil increases. It¡¯s as if death itself is walking towards him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it ¡­ I mean, look ¡­ ¡° Demo takes another step, and the pupil now breaks down. Tears start flowing down his cheek. His entire body starts shaking, a cold chill runs down his spine as Demo is now but one step away from him. And then Demo takes the final step. Demo slightly tilts his head. ¡°Ready?¡± The pupils in what can only be described as a begging tone whispers. ¡°No.¡± Demo takes a similar punching pose to the one the pupil took. Eight looks in sheer horror as he knows he is unable to stop this, and the test requires Demo to reply in kind. Demo doesn¡¯t say a chant instead he simply smiles and releases his punch. The pupil sees his life flash before him. The punch connects and an explosion is multiple times bigger than the first one. The sound wave is so big it can be heard on the edges of the city. As if a plane went through the sound barrier. The sheer force of the punch not only pushes the pupil back but sends him flying. He flies past the other 4 pupils waiting for their turn and then crashes through the wall behind them. The dust cloud covers the gym and everyone in there stands motionless as if they just saw a predator and their instinct was to play possum. The remaining 4 pupils are covered in a cold sweat with their eyes wide open. Eight keeps looking back and forth between Demo and the hole in the wall he just created by sending someone through a wall. No one says a word as the dust settles. Everyone is now clearly aware that Demo isn¡¯t normal. As the dust clears Demo is standing in the spot Eight told him to stand. He is smiling with an innocent face as if he did nothing wrong as he asks. ¡°Next?¡± The 4 remaining pupils look at each other nervously. Then Eight breaks the silence as he points at 6 different gym members. ¡°Go help him!¡± The 6 members then ran outside to help the pupil who was sent flying. Eight then walks up to the 4 remaining pupils and in a whispering tone he advices them. ¡°Do not use any force or power. Just touch him with your pinky finger.¡± The first one that is next up takes a gulp of fear as he walks towards Demo. Demo looks at him trying to see if there is any bloodlust coming from him. But he can¡¯t sense anything. The pupil doesn¡¯t say anything and simply touches Demo with his pinky finger. Demo looks down a bit confused but he knows he just has to match what he felt. So he goes to touch the pupil with his pinky finger as well. But he moved his arm a little too fast and the force that was put into it was a bit too much for the pupil. His body folded, all the food he ate last week came out and he flew backward. He didn¡¯t go through the wall but he hit it really hard. The remaining 3 pupils now have tears in their eyes. They can¡¯t back down because they are members of the gym but this is way more than they signed up for. Eight is now thoroughly confused at what he is witnessing. And again in a low voice, he advices them. ¡°Do not touch him, just get close enough to make it look like you touched him. All 3 of you go and let''s end it here.¡± The three pupils nervously walk towards Demo. Demo calmly looks at all three of them and awaits their move. They all bring forth their pinky fingers and stop centimeters away from Demo. Demo looks at their fingers not touching him and smiles. He then does the exact same in a very slow and calm manner. His pinky finger stops centimeters away from the pupils. They repeat this process 4 more times. After the last time, Demo nearly touches them, the 4 pupils fall down as if they just played Russian Roulette and survived. Eight walks towards Demo and stands in front of him. He looks at Demo with sheer confusion and amazement. ¡°You¡¯re done for today.¡± Demo smiles. ¡°Thank you, I look forward to tomorrow.¡± Chapter 9 Fin Chapter 10: It’s been a long time Ten stands in front of the visitor''s door. He takes a deep breath, opens the door, and looks inside. There he sees his uncle¡¯s face sitting across from a woman with her back to Ten. His uncle looks up as he does the customary check to see who just came in. Their eyes meet for a fraction of a second but then the uncle''s attention is back on the woman in front of him. But then suddenly his eyes open up wide as if he just had a startling revelation. He looks back at Ten and under his breath he says his name. ¡°Ten?¡± The woman doesn¡¯t move a muscle, but 21 gets up and walks towards Ten. Without any hesitation, he hugs Ten. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in years. How you been?¡± Ten doesn¡¯t hug 21 back. He is allowing the hug as his grip on the bouquet tightens. After a few moments, 21 realizes that Ten isn¡¯t hugging him back and lets him go. ¡°You ok?¡± Ten looks at his uncle and nods. ¡°I''m ok.¡± His uncle is a little befuddled as to why his nephew is acting so distant. But knows better than to pry because Ten has been through a lot. ¡°You finally came to visit your mother huh? She is going to be so happy.¡± Ten looks down at the ground as his guilt for not visiting his mother hits him harder than the uncle intended. Recognizing that Ten is a little distraught over meeting his mother after all this time takes a step back and moves out of his way. ¡°I''m going to go get something to eat, give you guys some privacy.¡± Ten looks at his uncle and nods with a forced smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± 21 walks out of the room, but before he closes the door behind him he takes on look back as he sees Ten standing in front of his mother. Ten looks down at her. Her eyes glazed over. Her stare was blank, her lips slightly open but not a promise of any words spoken. Her look and absence of mind are the exact same as he remembers. He sits down across from her. Her gaze is unchanged as her son who she hadn¡¯t seen in years was in front of her again. Ten¡¯s face distorts slightly as his mind can¡¯t help but recollect memories he wished he had forgotten. The one that stuck with him was a few weeks after the writing incident with his father. Unbeknownst to Ten his father was given a special assignment by his new company to fully analyze a new kind of material that was recently discovered. He was given strict directions to not use Higher Reasoning on the material to ensure its integrity. Ten just finished school and completely forgot about the writing incident. He had just learned Higher Reasoning and was able to turn rocks into glass. He was one of the fastest learners in his class. He wanted to share his achievements with his parents so he rushed home to tell them. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. He opens the door to the apartment and rushes in with all the happiness he can muster. ¡°Mom, Dad, look I made this using H.R.¡± His mother just happened to pass by as she was about to hang up some laundry. She smiled at Ten happy to see her son so happy. She put the laundry basket down and smiled like a proud mom. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. How many tries did it take you?¡± ¡°Only 3, it took others like 8 tries.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you just a little genius?¡± Ten smiles from ear to ear as the praise and acknowledgment made him happy. His dad was in the middle of analyzing the rock and Ten¡¯s sudden burst made him lose focus. But his wife asked him to please control his temper with Ten. Because he really scared her with the writing incident. So his father took a deep breath and pushed his anger down. He tried to hide the look of rage from his eyes as he forced a fake smile. He puts the rock down on the table and then looks at Ten and compliments him. ¡°That¡¯s great Ten.¡± Hearing his father compliment him made him a bit more excited. He walks up to his father to give him the news. ¡°Yeah and like I was super fast with turning the rock into glass. I¡¯ll show you.¡± Before Ten finishes his sentence he has turned around to face the rock on the table. It took his dad a few moments to realize what his son was about to do. Before his dad was able to properly react Ten¡¯s hand touched the rock. His dad yelled. ¡°STOP!¡± But it was already too late. Ten had already started the math chant and his focus was so deep he didn¡¯t hear his father''s scream. In just a moment the rock started lighting up. But because it wasn¡¯t a normal rock its structure and composition was different. Because of this difference, Ten wasn¡¯t able to actually transform the rock into anything. As his attempt failed he took his hand off the rock and looked at it a bit confused. ¡°This rock is weird, why ain¡­.¡± Before Ten could finish his sentence he was hit across the face very hard. His tiny body flew across the room as his father just hit him the same way an adult in a fight would be hit. His mother saw the hit and froze. She didn¡¯t say a word not move a muscle. She stood there frozen as he son was lying on the floor bleeding. Ten barely conscious, holds his cheek as blood flows from his mouth. Crying and in complete confusion he looks at his father. ¡°Why?¡± His father standing over the rock inspecting it. Then turns to his son with nothing but rage and disgust in his eyes. ¡°WHAT HAVE YOU DONE YOU JUST RUINED EVERYTHING!¡± Without saying another word, his father took the rock and rushed into a different room. And slammed the door behind him. Ten was still lying on the ground. He looked at his mother for help but she just stood there staring into nothingness. He decides to call for her because he needs her help. ¡°Mom?¡± But there is no reply. ¡°MOOOOM!!!¡± Still no response. That is where his recollection ends, he looks up at the ceiling in front of his mother as if to stop the tears from flowing down. A few seconds pass as he regains his composure. He looks back at his mother. He places the bouquet in her lap. ¡°These are for you.¡± There is no response from his mother. But Ten expected that so he kept on talking. ¡°I went to that peak you love yesterday. The view has gotten even better than before, the forest is like a sea of green. It¡¯s nice.¡± His voice lowers as he speaks the last few words. Acting like everything is normal and good between them is a bit too much for him. He wants to scream at her and cuss her out. But this isn¡¯t the time or place for that. Instead, he just looks at her for a few more moments in silence. He then stands up with his head down. Without saying a word he walks past her toward the door and without looking back he walks out of the visitor''s room. Once he is outside he sees 21, he was waiting for him. ¡°Ten, let''s go grab something to eat.¡± As the tears roll down Ten¡¯s face he nods and with a broken voice he answers. ¡°Ok.¡± Chapter 10 Fin Chapter 11: A Family Talk Ten and his uncle 21 are sitting at a table in an empty restaurant. The waitress brought them water and a menu. Ten just looks down at the menu without opening it. 21 sees how troubled his nephew is and thinks he can help. ¡°So, what have you been up to?¡± Ten looks at his uncle with the driest of looks as he answers. ¡°Work, getting into debt, trying to improve my HR to make some more money.¡± This wasn¡¯t the answer 21 was expecting or hoping for. His nephew''s eyes and answer somewhat unsettle him. But he doesn¡¯t want to get into an argument with Ten so he tries to choose his words wisely. ¡°Yeah, I got me some debt as well. Being an adult ain''t easy huh?¡± Ten doesn¡¯t answer the question assuming it¡¯s rhetorical and just opens his menu instead and glances through the pages. ¡°I want the cheese fries and a milkshake.¡± 21 calls the waitress and orders for Ten and a burger for himself. As the waitress walks away, Ten looks at 21 with a look of distrust. ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± 21, shocked at the directness of the question takes a few seconds before answering. ¡°How come you never visit her?¡± Ten¡¯s eyes open up with a surprised look as the question feels weird. As if his uncle should know the answer already. ¡°You know why.¡± ¡°That happened over 10 years ago. And I understand why you¡¯re mad, but it was not her fault.¡± ¡°Then whose fault was it?¡± ¡°Noone¡¯s. Sometimes bad things just happen.¡± ¡°Bad? Were you there? BAD!!?? She just stood there!¡± ¡°I know, I know but that¡¯s not her fault. She been like that.¡± That one line triggered a memory in Ten. He remembers the day after his father hit him over trying to manipulate his rock. He was at his grandmother''s house. He was crying because he was still upset. His grandmother tried to console him to the best of her capabilities by holding him as he cried and gently rocking him back and forth. Ten through his tears vented with a broken and tearful voice. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Why didn¡¯t mom help me?¡± His grandmother didn¡¯t say anything, she just kept hugging him and softly rocking him back and forth to get him to stop crying. ¡°She let him hit me. I hate her.¡± His grandmother heard that last sentence and it startled her a bit. She stopped rocking Ten and instead put him on her lap so she could look him in the eyes as she was about to speak. ¡°Ten, your mother loves you.¡± ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t.¡± His grandmother fully understands that Ten isn¡¯t in the right mind to hear this right now, but she feels that if she waits any longer he will turn his feelings into facts and that will forever ruin the mother and child relationship. ¡°Ten, what do you do when you¡¯re scared?¡± Ten through his tears looks at his grandmother and doesn¡¯t really know how to answer the question. So he just thinks of the first thing that comes to mind. ¡°Run away.¡± ¡°Well, your mother also runs away. But she runs away to a special place in her mind.¡± Ten doesn¡¯t understand what his grandmother is trying to say so his tears are now covering a very confused looking face. So his grandmother tries again. ¡°Do you have a very happy memory?¡± Ten nods his head, and the grandmother gently smiles. ¡°Your mother does too. When she is scared, she goes to that happy memory. For her, it¡¯s a special place where no one can hurt her and she is safe.¡± Ten slowly starts to connect the dots to what his granny is saying. ¡°So she didn¡¯t help me because she was in her happy memory?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why can''t she help me and be in her happy memory?¡± Granny takes a deep breath and sighs as she knows that the answer isn¡¯t one Ten will like or understand. But she tries anyway. ¡°Because when your mom is in her happy memory, she¡¯s no longer here. She goes to that happy memory to escape from what is scaring her.¡± ¡°But I am scared too.¡± ¡°I know child, I know.¡± His uncle who is looking at Ten being lost in thought decides to snap him out of it. ¡°Ten!¡± The sudden sound of his voice brings Ten back to reality. ¡°Why do you visit her every day?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my sister, it¡¯s what family does.¡± Ten looks down at the table, thinking to himself that when he needed help from his family the only one who was there was his grandmother. So that can¡¯t be what family does in his mind. But before he can rebuttal, his uncle interrupts him. ¡°I want to help you with your debt.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I''m running a business that¡¯s going pretty good. And I feel bad for how I left things, with you and your mother. So I want to help you.¡± Ten does a special hand gesture that turns on Mai in stealth mode. So that she is on, but only Ten knows she is. ¡°You want to help me clear my debt, just because you¡¯re my uncle? You don¡¯t even know how much I own.¡± ¡°I might not be able to clear it all, but I''m sure I can help you bring it down.¡± Mai, understanding the situation goes through a quick analysis to deduce which uncle is sitting across from Ten. She realizes it''s 21 and immediately starts going through his financial records and criminal records to see if what he is saying is viable. As she cross-references all the information she finds something disturbing that sends warning signs all over her screen. Mai turns on and immediately starts speaking to Ten. ¡°There is an emergency at work. They need you right away.¡± Ten looks down at Mai surprised she turned off the stealth mode to warn him like this. He figures she must have found something that warrants this kind of reaction. Ten immediately stands up and moves away from the table. ¡°Sorry, gotta go.¡± As he walks away their orders arrive. His uncle watches Ten walk away, with an agitated look. Ten doesn¡¯t look back and hastily leaves the restaurant. As he¡¯s outside he looks at his hand with Mai on it. ¡°What happened?¡± Mai doesn¡¯t want to run the risk of his uncle walking out and hearing any part of their conversation. So she just answers with a short reply. ¡°We need to talk somewhere private.¡± Chapter 11 Fin Chapter 12: Lost Time Ten opens the door to his apartment and the moment he walks in Mai starts. ¡°Your uncle was in jail for 7 years and was just released 2 years ago.¡± Ten having never heard of this nor caught a hint or anything from his grandmother is shocked. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°For some reason, his arrest records are sealed. After his release, he set up a company and that company has been doing amazing. But the steady and constant deposits make it a bit too profitable. It''s almost as if his company is a front for money laundering.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how he got the money to help me¡± ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t want dirty money, and you turned me on because you knew something was wrong.¡± Ten looks down at the floor as he goes through his memories to see if he missed anything or if there were hints he didn¡¯t see. But there is nothing. He can¡¯t believe his granny kept this from him and why would she? He lays down on the bed and stares at the ceiling. His mind races as he is unable to link everything together. After a while, the ceiling bores him and he looks at the dresser next to his bed with the picture of his mom. And then a thought crosses his mind as he whispers. ¡°Could it be the Glia?¡± As the words leave his mouth he thinks back to when he was young and he was in his room. It was past his bedtime but he was still up. He overheard his parents talking and was curious what they were talking about. He quietly opens his door and sneaks down the hallway and peeks around the corner to hear what they are talking about. He can hear his mother''s voice talking. ¡°You should really try it. I just one today and I''ve never felt smarter or happier.¡± ¡°YOU DID WHAT!? How could you? Was Ten with you? What is wrong with you? Why would you do that?¡± ¡°No, I was alone. He was at school. I wanted to try it because it might help you. You¡¯re so stressed and you always say it feels like you¡¯re slow catching up. I feel like they are using, so this is just to even the playing field.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen what Glia does to people! All those junkies we pass. Why would you even bring it up?¡± ¡°Those are morons, there is research that shows that as long as you use controlled doses you can enhance performance and mental capacity. Those junkies just got greedy. All we have to do is be smart.¡± ¡°Be smart? Are you hearing yourself?¡± ¡°Just try it, if you don¡¯t like it you can just stop right? But you have to do something, your mood swings are scaring me and Ten. I''m afraid you will hurt us and Ten is scared of you in a bad way. Do this for us.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. His father looks at his mother with a look filled with confusion but after a few moments, his face turns to one of acceptance and resignment. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± His mother walks to his father and hugs him as she says the last words Ten remembers from that night. ¡°Thank you.¡± While Ten is lying on his bed Demo is still in the gym. The other gym members are still perplexed at what they saw. They all walk out of the gym as they go home talking about the events that transpired. Demo is in the room he was given reading up on the objects and items in the book he was given by Li-On. That¡¯s when Li-On knocks on his door. ¡°Come in.¡± Li-On opens the door and smiles as he sees Demo reading the book. Demo doesn¡¯t say anything but just looks at Li-On as if to ask why he is here with his eyes. Li-On beckons Demo to follow him. The two walk into the empty gym. Li-On points to the ground. ¡°Stand here.¡± Demo listens and stands where he is told. Li-On walks over to a sliding door and grabs a bunch of rocks. He carries the rocks close to where Demo is standing and drops them on the ground. He sits down on the ground between the rocks. He picks one up and throws it gently at Demo who catches it. Li-On then starts explaining what is happening. ¡°Turn that rock into a diamond.¡± Demo closes his eyes and starts focusing to break the rock down and turn it into a diamond. Once he finishes he shows the diamond to Li-On proud of how smoothly he was able to do it. Li-On picks up another rock and throws it up into the air. As it comes back down he points out his index finger and times it so that he touches the rock mid-air as it falls down. The moment his finger touches the rock it lights up and transforms into a diamond before it touches the ground. Demo''s eyes pop open at what he just saw and he smiles with excitement at the possibility of being able to do that as well. Demo immediately understands that this is training and points out his index finger and nods like a kid asked if he wants chocolate to show Li-On he is ready to begin. Li-On replies in kind and throws the rock. They spend the whole night practicing this, but at the end of it Demo was unable to perform this trick. Li-On looks at an exhausted Demo and smiles. ¡°You did good, get some sleep before the sun comes up. I think you¡¯ll be able to get like a good 2 hours before they come get you for the next test. Before that, clean up these rocks.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± As Li-On walks back to his private room he looks back at Demo as he thinks to himself that the speed with which he is absorbing things and learning stuff is amazing. Demo after cleaning up all the rocks goes back to his little room and sits on the floor. He grabs the one rock he kept in his pocket and throws it up in the air and keeps practicing. After 2 hours the door opens again and Eight stands in the door frame looking at Demo playing with a rock. He looks baffled and unclear as to what Demo is doing. ¡°Playtime is over, come down and let''s start the 2nd day.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Demo nods as he says it, gets up and follows Eight down. The gym is still empty as just Eight and Demo enter. Eight bends down in the corner and puts a piece of tape on the floor. He then puts a small circular device on the floor with a black screen on its surface. He stands up and places his foot on the device. And as he lifts his foot the black screen is filled with the letter 1. ¡°This gym is about the size of a basketball field. You have until the sun sets to run around this gym 1500 times. Each time you finish a lap, you step on this device to add your laps. If you forget to step on this device your lap didn¡¯t happen. And there is no running backward to step on it after you forgot or missed it. Clear?¡± Demo looks at him with a smirk as if this trial isn¡¯t as daunting as Eight would make it seem. He nods as he answers. ¡°Clear!¡± ¡°Then start running.¡± Demo doesn¡¯t waste any time and starts running around the gym. Chapter 12 Fin Chapter 13: Portal Rupture In a different dimension, the beings that gathered have multiplied to what can only be described as an army. They took turns for countless hours attacking the small crack in space that was left behind. With each attack, each swing, each bit of violence exerted upon it, the crack was strained a little. The beings didn¡¯t see the crack grow at first. But they knew that if they kept on putting pressure on it eventually the waves of energy would force it to crack open even more. And it was after what felt like an eternity the first sign of the crack growing showed. This delighted them and gave them even more incentive to keep going. Once the crack started increasing in size it kept breaking exponentially until finally it opened up enough for an army to walk through. They stepped through the portal into a new dimension. Once a lot of them were through they stood still and let their bodies adjust to the new sensations of the dimension. Once fully adjust they let loose a scream so loud and so vicious that it shook the very planet beneath them. On planet Numbers every person heard a sudden sound coming from the sky. It was as if the gods themselves were angry and let loose a scream of rage, as the sound covered the entire planet everyone felt a cold chill run down their spine. Once the scream reached Demo who was running he grabbed his chest in pain and fell down. The tattoo on his chest started pulsating again, but this time it was a lot more violent as if the scream excited it. The other students who had since gathered in the gym all looked at each other in confusion as to what the sound was. Li-On who was in his private room looked up in fear he recognized the sound and with fear in his voice he said. ¡°No.¡± The beings above the planet having finished their harrowing scream looked at the planet with rage in their eyes. A huge being covered in scars and armor then walked up to be in front of them. His aura was filled with menace and anger as he pointed at the planet and spoke in their language. ¡°Nethal Thrimana (Let them drown in their Shadows)¡± This is the war cry the other beings were waiting for. They rush towards the planet. It¡¯s as if a wave of darkness is about to crash into the planet. The flames of entry don¡¯t seem to have any effect on them. As they land they release another scream. The people in this city seeing the dark being realize that they are in danger because these seem like the monsters they have been taught about in school. Panic rolls over the land as the beings start slaughtering everything that crosses their path. The beings landed on one continent and started their rampage. The rest of the world was quickly informed of the sudden invasion. All the TV screens broadcasted the sudden massacre happening on their planet. ¡°These are the images of the destruction caused by the Palindra who invaded our world. There must have been a portal rupture somewhere. Requests for help has been sent to the U.D.A. (Universe Defense Army) but it will take them some time before they arrive. We want to ask anyone who is capable, to please go and defend our planet before it''s too late.¡± The news spread across planet numbers as all the gyms and martial artists and those who deemed themselves strong got ready to go to battle with the Palindra Monsters. Back in the Dragon gym, Demo was still on the ground but the other members were all busy getting dressed for battle or cowering in the corner or calling their family members. They all stopped what they were doing when Li-On stepped into the gym wearing his full battle uniform. All attention turned to him and he decided to boost morale before they stepped onto the battlefield. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°All of you here get ready to fight. Being afraid doesn¡¯t mean you get to skip fighting for your life. These monsters don¡¯t care if you¡¯re afraid. So why should you? The S rank will be the vanguard. You will take the brunt of their attack and kill as many as you can. A rank, you will take care of those that slip through the cracks. B, you will do all you can to support the A rank. Make sure their equipment stays strong, make sure their bones don¡¯t stay broken for long. And the new recruits, you will be in the back. Your duty is to make sure that materials are in constant supply. If you can join the fight, do so. If you¡¯re too afraid to fight with your fists, fight with your ability to strengthen others.¡± The members nod. ¡°Make sure everyone is wearing a belt of materials and a bracelet of durability.¡± Eight looks at Li-On and feels like a certain piece of information is missing so he decides to ask. ¡°Master, what will you do?¡± Li-On smiles at the question as if to reassure everyone. ¡°Show you what it means to be a master and why our gym is the strongest.¡± Eight nods and Li-On screams to make sure they hear him and their morale is up to its peak. ¡°NOW GET READY FOR WAR!¡± All the members scream in unison as they prepare everything. The previous confusion is gone as everyone knows what to do. Li-On then looks at Demo on the ground grasping his chest. He walks towards Demo and kneels in front of him. Touches Demos shirt and transforms it into a sheet of paper. He sees that Demo is holding his tattoo and the tattoo vibrating in a weird way. ¡°Do you know why its hurting?¡± Demo in pain shakes his head profusely. Li-On keeps his focus on the tattoo. ¡°How did you get it?¡± Demo shakes his head as he in pain answers. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I woke up with them.¡± Li-On looks at the members in the gym and how they are getting ready to put their lives on the line. He looks back down at Demo. ¡°We are going to need you in this fight. Are you ok with me helping you?¡± Demo nods. ¡°Move your hand.¡± While still in pain Demo decides to trust Li-On and moves his hand away slowly from his chest. Li-On doesn¡¯t waste any time and places his hand on the tattoo. He closes his eyes and starts chanting. But this particular chant sounds different from all the other chants Demo has heard. This one doesn¡¯t sound like math but more so language based. The edge of the tattoo starts lighting up. The pain starts subsiding and as Demo looks down to see whats happening he sees 4 symbols appear around the tattoo. Up, down, left and right a symbol appears he has never seen before. Once the symbols complete themselves the pain is completely gone. Demo stands up and Li-On raises as well. ¡°Demo, this isn¡¯t your war but we need your help to safe as many people as we can.¡± ¡°Who is attacking you?¡± ¡°They are beings that reside in between dimension.¡± ¡°Why are they attacking you?¡± ¡°Because they are angry. But their anger is harming innocent people right now so we need to protect them.¡± ¡°Why are they angry at you?¡± ¡°It would take too long to explain. We need to help the people first. After I will explain everything. Will you help us?¡± Demo looks at Li-On to see if he can tell if his words are sincere. But this old man hasn¡¯t lied to Demo yet so why would he start now. Demo nods. ¡°Ok, just tell me what to do.¡± Li-On smiles. ¡°Just follow me, and hit whatever attacks you. Demo smiles excitedly. Li-On goes into his pocket and grabs a small device. He types in what seems to be coordinates and throws it in front of him. A gate opens up and on the other side is what looks like a warzone. ¡°On the other side of this is where the Parlindra are. The moment you step through be ready for anything. S rank behind me.¡± He looks at Demo and beckons him to come stand next to him. And in order they start walking through the gate onto the battlefield. On a screen in a ship in space a sudden message pops up and with it several alarms go off. KetsuEki closes the book he is reading and looks at the screen. It reads EMERGENCY ¨C PORTAL RUPTURE. ¡°Stitches failed? Damn.¡± He stands up and places his hands on the floor of the ship. The entire ship starts to glow. Chapter 13 Fin Chapter 14: Start the mayhem Li-On, Demo, and the entire group arrived at their destination after the last person walked through the gate they closed it. They look around and see a level of destruction they¡¯ve only read about in books. The buildings are either completely destroyed or in ruins. There are dead bodies everywhere. Some of the members started throwing up. Seeing this kind of death and mayhem is a shock their senses couldn¡¯t handle. Demo feels sadness as he sees the bodies on the ground but he is able to keep his anger in check. Demo checks his surroundings beyond the bodies but can''t see anything. Li-On can sense a good amount of malice coming from what used to be a busy shopping street. He raises his hand and points in the direction of the street. ¡°Stay alert and protect those close to you, work as a team and we will be fine.¡± The group starts walking in the direction of the source of the killing intent. As they do, Li-On notices that there are fewer bodies on the ground, and the buildings are scratched but not destroyed. When he comes around the final corner he sees it. A mountain of dead bodies piled up and on top of them a Palindra soldier with a huge sword covered in blood is sitting looking at the Li-On and the group. The Palindra soldier doesn¡¯t move but just stares at the group as they make their way closer to the mountain of corpses. Once Li-On is in front of the dead bodies, he looks up at the Palindra soldier and starts talking in their language. ¡°Shaniqu Sorin Vandhi Tindro (Proud Warrior, please stop this war.)¡± The Palindra soldier opens his eyes wide in shock at the words coming from a regular person. But the very next moment his face twists in anger at this unforgivable act. He raises up to stand, grabs his big sword, and points it at Li-On as he screams in anger. ¡°ESH (Silence)¡± The sheer volume and rage embedded in his scream make it seem as if the ground is shaking. Li-On and Demo however both seem unfazed as they keep their gaze on the soldier. The rest of the members however are clearly shook as they immediate transform material into weapons to defend themselves. The soldier continues speaking. ¡°Kromor Vyssara Vishar Nolvar (Scum like you isn¡¯t allowed to speak in the language of the Gods.¡± Li-On doesn¡¯t break eye contact. He knows that the soldier can attack at any moment and that the slightest provocation can set him off. But he doesn¡¯t have any other way of communication so he tries again. ¡°S¨¦rin ¨C (Please¡­)¡± Before Li-On can finish his sentence the soldier disappears from sight as if he used extremely high speed. Li-On immediately reacts by speedily transforming the material on his wrist. It turns into a beautiful blade and with sheer instinct, he is able to stop the incoming attack from the soldier who is now right in front of him. The sound of their blades clashing sends a shockwave through the entire area. As everyone is watching the Li-On clash with the soldier they don¡¯t notice the slight movements in the shadows of the buildings. The exact moment the blades of Li-On and the soldier clash a group of Palindra emerge from the shadows right behind the newest members who were told to stay in the back. The Palindra attack without mercy and start slaughtering the helpless new members. As the screams for help grow and they are unable to overcome their fear the new members start running away. Having realized what was happening the B ranked members broke formation trying to help the new members. Eight looked back, and from his past experiences, he was able to see the flow the battle was taking. He recognized that everything was going too clean as if it was all a trap. He screamed at the B rank to stop them from breaking formation. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°NO, DON¡¯T GO, STAY IN FORMATION!!!!¡± But it was too late, the formation was broken and a lot of them were going after the Palindra that emerged from the shadows. But the moment their rank and file was broken the Palindra as if on cue jumped back into the shadows and disappeared. Eight knew that this was now officially a trap and started looking around and that¡¯s when he saw a large group of Palindra on the roofs of the buildings. He whispered his fears to himself. ¡°That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t destroy these buildings.¡± The Palindra on the roof let go what can only be described as a warcry and then they let loose a barrage of black arrows that blackened the sky and rained down on the members. Eight screamed as fast as he could. ¡°SHIELDS UP!!!¡± The S and A ranks immediately created shields to protect themselves. The B ranked who went to help the new members tried to do their best to put up shields for themselves as well as the new members. But not all were successful. Li-On who senses what is going on behind him got extremely angry but you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell from his face as he kept his composure. Demo standing next to him looks at the power struggle between Li-On and the soldier. ¡°Do you need help?¡± Li-On smiles at the question and breaks eye contact with the soldier to look at Demo. ¡°Nah I¡¯m ok. Heads up.¡± And as Li-On says that he nods his head and looks past Demo as if to warn him that something is coming his way. As Demo looks to where Li-On was looking he sees a big Palindra with an Axe rushing towards him. Demos eyes turn red with excitement and he smiles. This will be his first real fight and the first step towards becoming stronger. The Axe Palindra tries to slash and hack Demo but Demo is able to move out of the way with each one. As the Axe Palindra gets more and more frustrated with the constant misses he prepares for a big swing and the extra motion creates enough space and time for Demo to counter. ¡°My turn!¡± Demo rushes in with the speed of a bullet and punches the Palindra straight in the chest. The Palindra explodes into thin air. This attack shocks even the big soldier Palindra who is facing Li-On as he quickly turns his head to look at what just happened. It''s this break in concentration that allows Li-On to fully regain his own composure and he forces the soldier backward with sheer force. ¡°It seems you Palindra learned a few new tricks while I was retired.¡± Li-On kneels down and places his hand on the ground. A ring of energy emanates from where Li-On has his hand on the ground. The ring is followed by a circle that grows until it covers the entire area. He looks up at the soldier with a smile. ¡°Let me return the favor.¡± Diamond spikes spring up from the ground attacking all the Palindra. The ones on the roof get attacked as well. The ground that was covered in shadows brings forth dark spikes that forced the Palindra that were hiding in the dark out into the open. Most of the Palindra were able to block the spikes thanks to their fast reaction speed and understanding that the ring of energy was to be an attack. But not all of them. The ones who hid in the shadows weren¡¯t as lucky as they didn¡¯t see the ring, so they were all impaled by the spikes. But the ones who were able to block it were forced onto equal ground with the gym members so that they could now be attacked as well. Li-On stands back up, grabs his sword, and raises it up high. ¡°KILL THEM ALL!!¡± The gym members scream in unison and they all start attacking the Palindra that have been forced down. The Palindra not afraid of battle regain their footing and charge the members as well. Unbeknownst to those fighting, there are still several security cameras still functioning. These cameras are streaming the fights happening all over that city. Dragons Gym wasn¡¯t the only gym or group that answered the call for help. Several gyms and institutions gathered to fight the Palindra. As each fight was as bloody and epic as the next one, each channel chose a camera to focus on. Ten had rushed outside to go to his mother to protect her in case the Palindra attacked his area. As he ran he caught a glimpse of one of the channels showing the security camera footage. It was there that he saw Demo on screen. He stopped to look at Demo fighting the Palindra. He couldn¡¯t believe the Palindra actually attacked but what shocked him even more was that Demo was able to defeat one of them so easily. It was right then that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He looked around at what could make his body react like that. He didn¡¯t see anything but then he heard screams all around him and someone pointed up at the sky. And there he saw it. A dark wave of shadows making its way down. The Palindra were about to descend here as well. Chapter 14 Fin Chapter 15: Start the Mayhem Pt.2 High above the planet Numbers the gate is still open. And more Palindra have joined their ranks. The big group is standing in formation at key locations above the planet awaiting their orders. Their leader is looking down at the planet monitoring the first wave he sent out. His second in command is standing next to him with a smile as he enjoys the view. ¡°Sammohan Karn¨¡ (They fell for it).¡± The leader smiles as he sees more and more people being sent to the disaster area to help fight against the Palindra. ¡°Vishv¨¡syogy Kromor (You can always trust a fool to do foolish things.)¡± But as the leader watches the energy signals and patterns happening on the ground he notices an occasional flicker of energy that draws his attention. It''s too clean and powerful to be coming from a regular person. ¡°Venor (Strange)¡± Back on the planet at the center of their military, there is a big meeting being held. Their entire military defense is in an uproar at the sudden attack. They were notified of the gate opening near them but were also told that Stitches arrived soon after and closed the gate. Stitches is known for their low percentage of failure. It stands at around 0%. So they didn¡¯t feel the need to prepare for the worst-case scenario because they put their trust in Stitches. Now that the worst has happened they are scrambling to defend themselves. The President of the Planet is in a panicked state as he screams at his staff. ¡°HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED!?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know sir. Somehow they broke through a gate that Stitches closed. We received the Gate Closure Confirmation from Stitches after they concluded.¡± ¡°DAMN!¡± The President hits the table in anger as he is powerless to help his people in their time of peril. ¡°How are we doing?¡± ¡°Well sir, we have sent our own forces who lost several key battles. After informing the general public and asking for their aid all the gyms and private security companies teleported to the disaster area to help fight. And since then we have seen some success but the loss of life has been catastrophic.¡± With a look of fear and despair, the President looks at the big screen in front of him with several small screens in it with each of them streaming a different battle. ¡°We have to stop them here. If they are allowed to leave this city they will do what they always do and ravage everything in their path and devour this whole planet. We cannot end up like Planet Alpha.¡± ¡°We have put up a defense perimeter around the city sir, we will stop them if they try to leave the city by any means necessary.¡± Suddenly a big red sign comes across the screen that reads ¡°WARNING¡±. The entire screen switches to one camera and it shows a wave of Palindra bearing down on a different city. Everyone in the meeting stops dead in their tracks and stares at the screen in complete disbelief. The President collapses in the chair behind with tears in his eyes as he has lost all hope. One of the generals at the meeting realizes what has happened and stands up. ¡°They tricked us. They knew we would assume they would do what they always do. Start in one place and spread out. They knew we would send all our forces to that one place to stop that from happening. They knew. They knew we would empty all our cities to protect the one. They knew.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The President looks back at the general with a face filled with shock and dismay. ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. Those savages don¡¯t have the ability to use strategy.¡± ¡°Apparently they do sir.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± The President turns back to the screen and as he does several more screens pop up. All with similar scenes of waves of Palindra falling from the sky about to attack. ¡°How much longer before the U.D.A. arrives?¡± ¡°About an hour sir.¡± ¡°They might be too late.¡± On one of the screens, we can see Ten running past the camera. After seeing the stream of darkness making its way towards the city he knows he has to rush to save his mother. As he comes around the corner of the hospital, he sees her. Her brother is carrying her out of the hospital. His uncle and Ten lock eyes. They immediately understand that working together for the sake of Tens mother is key. ¡°Ten, you have an E.I. right?¡± Ten turns on Mai and the back of his hand lights up. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Keep her on, and make sure she notifies us of where the Padra are.¡± Ten nods and looks at his palm. Mai overheard the conversation and didn¡¯t need to be told twice. ¡°On it.¡± His uncle still carrying his mother tilts his head as a sign for Ten to follow him. ¡°Follow me, we gotta get off this planet before it''s too late.¡± ¡°But how?¡± ¡°I have a friend who still owes me a favor, lets go.¡± The two start running as Mai tells them where to go and not go. More and more cities are being attacked. The news has also reached some of those who went to the front lines at the first city. Their morale has taken a huge hit. They left their homes to protect their family and friends. But now they are in harm''s way and there is nothing they can do to help. Hopelessness falls over the fighters sent to protect their planet. But those who are in the middle of fighting didn¡¯t have the luxury to get updated on the news. So they were still fighting with all their heart like Li-on and Demo. The gym members, especially the S rank were holding their own against the Palindra. Li-On looked around and saw his pupils get hurt he wanted to change the conditions with which he asked Demo to join. ¡°Demo, please go help my pupils.¡± Demo looks at Li-On with a smile. ¡°So I can go attack first?¡± Li-On nods. Demo smiles and without hesitation, he rushes towards the big fray. As he rushes in he thinks to himself that he was able to read the attack pattern of the axe guy, but wasn¡¯t able to do anything until the attacks stopped. So he needs to improve his reading of movements and learn how to intercept before the attack reaches him. He sees a big Palindra wielding a sword fighting a B rank and jumps to attack from the sky. The Palindra sees him coming and blocks the incoming kick. The Palindra parries the force of the kick and tries to attack Demo with a heavy slash. Demo tries to move into the attack of the blade to counterattack but messes up the timing because it is his first time. The attack is effective and Demo gets cut across his chest. He sees his own blood. The shock of being injured completely stops Demo in his tracks. His eyes glowing red start turning black until they are completely dark. He looks at the Palindra that hurt him and without warning he rushes at him with a punch. The Palindra tries to block the punch but Demos punch is so strong that it breaks the sword and hits the Palindra so hard he explodes as well. Demo lets loose a scream of rage and turns his gaze at another Palindra. He runs towards it, jumps up, and starts rotating to increase extra torque to his kick and this Palindra again tries to block the incoming attack. But this one was even heavier than the punch. The Palindra didn¡¯t only explode but the force of the attack created a force of energy so heavy it crashed into the buildings behind it and they collapsed. Demo repeated this pattern and started exterminating all the Palindra there. The leader Soldier Palindra who was facing Li-On is shocked at the sight of his people getting slaughtered so one-sidedly. Even Li-On is taken aback at the sight of Demo literally being a one man army. The soldier Palindra recognizes that Demo is an unknown variable that disrupts their entire plan. Leaving is now the only way out. As he screams. ¡°ENITHA!!! (RETREAT).¡± But it¡¯s too late as demo just finished the last Palindra that was standing in his way. A blood-covered Demo stands in a dust cloud created by the fighting. His eyes still black and so much rage surrounding his body that it distorts the space around him. He then looks at the Soldier Palindra. Chapter 15 Fin. Chapter 16: Unknown Variable Ten followed his uncle and mother as they ran in a city gripped with panic. Screams filled the air as people pointed at the sky and the impending shadows that were making their way down. People were jumping from buildings as they assumed that suicide was a more serene path towards death. For as long as their history was recorded the Palindra had a special place in society¡¯s collective mind as the ultimate boogeyman. So to see them come down from the heavens like the shadow of the Grim Reaper brought many to the point of insanity. Running away with no destination in mind, but fear told them that running is better than staying put. And with the knowledge that their fighters were towards what they believed to be the real warzone, they felt even more defenseless than they initially would. Ten and his uncle dodged panicked runners and Ten was confused as it felt as if they were running towards where the Palindra would seem to land. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°We are going to a hangar. There is a ship there for us to escape.¡± ¡°You have a ship?¡± His uncle isn¡¯t 100% sure of this promise as he is relying on his friend to keep his promise. And there was always a certain code of honor between thieves but he isn¡¯t sure that the code can survive this situation of life and death. ¡°Just follow me!¡± The three of them keep running until they finally reach their destination. There is only one spaceship left in the hangar. There is no pilot or crew but the ship seems ok for flight. His friend isn¡¯t there, but at least there is still a ship. His uncle puts down Ten''s mother. ¡°Ten, come here and hold her hand while I go and check the plane.¡± Ten is somewhat reluctant but he knows that his mother needs help. So he walks up and grabs her hand. The moment her hand is in his he has a flashback. Ten, his mother, and a friend of his mother are walking down the street. He is holding her hand, she is bringing him somewhere that he has never been. She said it would be a surprise. He is listening to his mother and friend talk as they walk, her friend seems to be convincing his mother of something. ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s a mood enhancer. You have never felt this good before in your life. You know that feeling when you get something you want and you¡¯re all happy and excited. Just imagine that feeling times a million¡± ¡°Is it safe though?¡± ¡°Is feeling happy safe? Is feeling good safe? A feeling can''t kill you. And that¡¯s all Glia does, it just takes whatever you¡¯re feeling and makes it bigger and better.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Ten is looking up at his mother who looks back down at him with a smile. Slowly but surely their surroundings start to change from a good neighborhood to what can only be described as a ghetto. The three of them walk into a dilapidated building with strung-out people whispering to themselves in front. Ten scared tightens his grip. His mother noticing her boy is nervous pats him on the head. ¡°It¡¯s ok Ten, you¡¯re safe with me.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His mother then proceeds to let go of his hand. ¡°Just wait here, ok?¡± Tens eyes open up with tears in them as he is scared and doesn¡¯t want to be left alone. But he is trying to be brave because his mother asked him to do something. So he simply nods and tries to hide his tears. He sees his mother walk up to a man sitting in a chair. She gives him some money and the man gives her something in return. Tens mother and friend then come back with what seems to be a bag with some pills. They open the bag up and each takes one pill. Tens mother then kneels down in front of Ten and gives him a hug. And whispers to him. ¡°I love you so much, you¡¯re the love of my life and I will always be there for you.¡± She hugs him tighter and Ten being scared welcomes the hug and hugs her back. As he does his mother feels a wave of love and happiness come over her. And that¡¯s when she swallowed the pill. Her entire body and mind are overcome with a sensation unlike she has ever felt before. Happiness so deep and beautiful it almost overwhelmed her to the point of shutting down. She started crying tears of joy without anything happening. Ten hearing his mother crying gets worried. ¡°Mom, are you ok?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m just so happy.¡± Ten smiles as he hugs his mother tighter to make her even happier. And that¡¯s where the flashback ended. He looks at his absentminded mother who is standing there staring into nothingness. And it''s hard for him to suppress his anger. But then he hears his uncle scream in the spaceship. ¡°DAMMIT!¡± His uncle comes out of the spaceship and looks at Ten with a disappointed look on his face. ¡°We have a problem.¡± This exact same sentiment was expressed far above the planet. The leader of the Palindra noticed the sudden disappearance of a group that was sent as the first wave. They were instructed to create a visual that would enrage those who saw it, like a mountain of corpses. And in their rage, they wouldn¡¯t notice they are entering a kill zone. So for the group to disappear it would mean that an unknown variable appeared that was strong enough to kill them all. The energy pattern he noticed before that was out of place might be the reason. He can''t afford to let this variable run wild and take out more of his friends and soldiers. ¡°Viendal Nykara (I will be going down.)¡± His right hand man, is also looking at the same scene and understand the leaders thinking. And he knows how strong the leader is, so there is nothing to worry about no matter what might be down there. ¡°Zentor (All you will see is success).¡± And with that, the leader makes his way down to where Demo is. As the leader rushes down KetsuEki makes his way into the galaxy meaning he is closing in at a rapid speed. KetsuEki used Higher Reasoning to transform his casual ship into one that could withstand travel faster than the speed of light. He used the energy of dark matter surrounding the ship as fuel to maintain the speed. The power KetsuEkis ship is emitting and the usage of black matter is a disturbance to the universe that only those sensitive enough to the energy in the universe can sense. The right-hand man of the leader senses that danger is incoming. There are only a few elite soldiers left to guard the portal and make sure their escape route is kept safe. ¡°Get ready!¡± The remaining soldiers now also sense the ship coming in. They all draw their weapons and a few go back into the portal and throw lines at those on this side so they can keep a link between the two dimensions. The ship arrives at the planet and stops before the gate. The ship starts glowing and turns into a long blade that KetsuEki holds in his other hand as his umbrella is still in his other one. KetsuEki looks at the Palindra standing in front of the gate. He sees the lines going into the portal and understands that those still standing there would be those strong enough to defend it from whatever or whoever might come. KetsuEki looks at the planet and sees all the energy patterns going crazy and recognizes that there is a war going on on the whole planet. KetsuEki points his blade at the group in front of him. ¡°I hope you had fun.¡± The right-hand man of the leader can sense that KetsuEki isn¡¯t a normal being. But he has to protect the gate, regardless of his own safety. He knows that alone he wont be able to beat KetsuEki so his plan is to use strength in numbers and take care of it quickly. ¡°ZELAR (ATTACK!)¡± KetsuEki lowers his head and charges toward the group rushing at him. Chapter 16 Fin Chapter 17 Reading energy Demo stands in the cloud of dust his actions and fights have created. The image of destruction he left behind was awe-inspiring for those who wished for strength. But Demo has lost himself in the pain created by the wound left by the Palindra. His consciousness slumbers in the darkness of rage. All he can see is what resembles a soul encased in a silhouette of the body it''s encased in. The wound was inflicted by a big soul with a distorted flow in it, so his instinct is to destroy all similar souls first. As he stands on top of the remains of a Palindra he looks over his left shoulder to the last Palindra soul still shining. His black eyes focused on the soldier with the big sword. The soldier Palindra meets his gaze. Instead of being overcome by fear, his warrior instinct kicked in full gear and he is hell-bent on killing Demo as revenge for those who have fallen. He readies his sword. ¡°KARNA! (COME!)¡± Demo slowly walks towards the soldier. After the 5th step, he disappears from sight for most watching. But the soldier tracks his movements. Demo has jumped up and is rushing towards the soldier in a Superman punch pose to strike him. The soldier calmly raises his hand up and right as Demo comes into the soldier''s range of attack the soldier lowers his hand with his index and middle finger pointing down to hit the top of Demo''s fist. This tap on the top of his fist forces his momentum to become distorted and off balance. His punch fails as he hits the ground and starts rolling over the ground. As Demo rolls the soldier sees this as a perfect chance to attack and jumps up with his sword ready to smash downwards and cut Demo in half. While rolling Demo sees the soldier''s soul closing in, and with one fluid motion he takes a squatting position. As the sword swings down Demo dodges to the right the soldier immediately stands up ready to continue. Demo runs towards the soldier and throws a high kick to destroy the soldier''s head, but the soldier can see the kick coming so he ducks down and sweep-kicks Demo so that he falls again. Before the soldier can swing his sword down again, Demo is back up. The soldier starts trying to attack but Demo dodges the attacks. Each slash ends up empty. The soldier smiles as he recognizes that Demo is doing all this by instinct. He is reacting at the last moment to dodge each blow and his reflexes are otherworldly which allows him to pull this off. The soldier feels this is worthy of praise. ¡°Arthalia (Impressive).¡± The soldier recognizes that Demo''s instinct is amazing but that instinct by itself has its limitations. So the soldier decides to up the ante. The soldier increases his murderous intent and the bloodlust he exudes from his sword. He then controls his energy by making it seem like several slashes are going towards Demo. Demo who has been moving on instinct doesn¡¯t know which attack is the real one. His senses are overwhelmed by the sheer number of possible attacks. Demo freezes and it''s right then that the soldier sees his chance and swings his sword down with all his might.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. But before it can reach Demo the soldier is kicked in his side and his sword misses its mark. Li-On has stepped in to save Demo. He recognized that the soldier had figured out the limitations of Demo and the trouble it could spell. After being kicked the soldier looks at Li-On with rage. But then he sees the other S-ranked pupils and the remaining gym members that survived the ordeal also stand at the ready to attack. He understands that he is in a very disadvantageous situation. All of his squadron has been eliminated and him alone against this many would prove nothing but fatal. He looks up at the sky. ¡°Viendal Kherathis (He should be coming).¡± He knows that the sudden death of his squadron will have alerted his leader who will then make his way down to help the situation or eliminate whatever killed them. But the soldier isn¡¯t certain he will be able to survive until his leader returns. He points his blade at Li-On and in the language of the current dimension he speaks. ¡°My name is Diwena, I will have my revenge.¡± And with those words, he jumps into the shadows and disappears as he flees to safety. But with the last Palindra gone Demo has lost the source of his rage but not the rage itself. He slowly stands up and looks at the remaining gym members with his black eyes. Li-On immediately recognizes that Demo has switched targets. ¡°KNEEL AND DON¡¯T MOVE!¡± He knows that Demo right now is trying to kill anything that might be considered a foe. So the best way to soothe him is to make sure you take the most submissive pose possible and lower yourself so as to not seem to be a threat. The lower-ranked pupils followed the order immediately but the S-rank''s pride got in the way which caused a slight delay as they didn¡¯t understand why they had to kneel. ¡°FOOLS!!!¡± Demo rushes towards the standing S-ranks ready to kill them all. But Li-On is able to cut him off before he reaches them. The shockwave of Li-On stopping Demo is enough to force all the pupils behind them to be pushed back a few meters. Li-On and Demo are now face to face and Li-On can see his own reflection in the darkness that dwells in Demo¡¯s eyes. Just as Demo is charging up to fight Li-On he stops and looks at the sky. He senses a giant Palindra soul coming his way. During this small distraction, Li-On sees a chance to restore Demo to his sane self. He gathers energy in his fist that focuses on disrupting the flow of energy of anything it touches. He punches Demo in the back and as the energy goes through Demo¡¯s body it disrupts his rage and brings him back to his senses. Demo lowers his head as all the rage and tension that covered his body leaves him like steam coming off his body. He turns to Li-On with a confused look on his face. ¡°What happened?¡± Li-On looks at him with a stern look and shakes his head. ¡°Nothing happened. Focus on what¡¯s coming.¡± Demo looks at him and then looks down at his body and wounds on his body. He grabs his chest but know that what is coming is more important than what happened before. And then it comes into sight. The leader of the Palindra lands in front of them. He looks at Demo then Li-On and the rest of the group. He then focuses his gaze on Demo as he recognizes him to have the strongest energy out of all those present. The leader starts speaking in this dimensions language. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Demo.¡± ¡°You have to die.¡± Demo gets into an aggressive stance and looks at the leader as his eyes go red. ¡°Try!¡± The leader draws his sword and readies it for attack. But as he does he receives a message on his transponder. And everyone can hear the message as it comes through. ¡°PRIME PERFECT!!!!¡± Chapter 17 Fin Chapter 18: Flight or Fight KetsuEki stands alone. His umbrella was covered in darkness and his sword was stained with blood of the Palindra he has just slain. Not a single one survived the ordeal and KetsuEki was unscathed. He approaches the gate and looks for the cause of its rupture after being closed by Stitches. ¡°Hmm. I think I get it. One of their needles didn¡¯t close its hole properly. I¡¯m going to have to give them an ear full after this.¡± He places his palm on the surface of the gate and closes his eyes. The gate starts glowing until it flashes a big bright light that eclipses the sun for a moment. The gate is now completely frozen. ¡°This should hold it for a bit. Now to wrap things up.¡± He turns his head back to the planet. He can see all the energy patterns and the dismay the planet is in. He sees a very big energy and assumes that it¡¯s the leaders of the Palindra. He places the sharp edge of his blade on the palm of his empty hand and slowly pulls it back. He removes the blade and immediately makes a fist. The inside of his fist starts to glow and while he is doing this the leader of the Palindra stands quietly contemplating what to do next. The dust from his landing is still settling as the leader stands in front of Demo and Li-On. He is troubled by the news of the Prime Perfect being present. He is well aware that having a great number of fighters doesn¡¯t mean much in front of the overwhelming strength of the Prime Perfect. His gaze jumps all over the place as he is lost in thought and the remains of his kind is scattered about. He takes a deep breath, to relax his mind. He grabs his transponder and holds it up to his mouth. ¡°Prime Perfect Zalthira Enitha Somnia (The Prime Perfect is here, make survival your top priority and retreat.¡± The leader knows that if the Prime Perfect puts his mind to it he could easily wipe all the weak Palindra out without breaking a sweat. The best course of action is to draw the P.P.¡¯s attention to reduce the chance of him going after the others. So the leader starts making his soul vibrate more and more violently. This allows the energy that resides in him to swell up several times over. The sudden explosion of energy emanating from the leader is enough to create gusts of wind that bring up dust storms that force all those close to him to cover their faces. KetsuEki notices the big increase in energy and smiles. ¡°I¡¯ll bite.¡± KetsuEki rushes down towards the leader. In no time KetsuEki lands in front of him. But instead of facing the leader, KetsuEki is facing Li-On. ¡°Old man Tril Li-On. You look a little beat up. You aight?¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Little Eki, you¡¯re a late. Isn¡¯t the Prime Perfect supposed to supervise Stitches?¡± KetsuEki rubs his head as if he is about to make an excuse and smiles innocently. ¡°Hey, I had some books I wanted read.¡± Li-On shakes his head and slowly walks towards KetsuEki. When the two are in reach of each other they both put out their open hands as if they are about to shake hands. But the moment their fingertips touch each other they make a fist and hit each others fist. The clash of energy creates a small explosion. The two have done this countless times and they both smile as they have officially greeted each other. Li-On is the first one to speak. ¡°You got a little stronger since last time.¡± KetsuEki smiles and nods. ¡°You got a little weaker since last time.¡± ¡°No one beats old age.¡± KetsuEki turns around to look at the leader. ¡°Is he the one who did all this?¡± ¡°No. There was another one who fled. This guy came as backup and right after you came.¡± KetsuEki then looks at Demo. Demo looks back at him, in awe of the strength and control KetsuEki emanates. KetsuEki senses something in Demo he can''t place just yet. ¡°Have we met before?¡± Demo looks at him and shakes his head. ¡°No.¡± KetsuEki¡¯s eyes fully open up in shock as he remembers where he knows Demos energy pattern from. ¡°You¡¯re the signal!¡± Demo is confused as to what it means. He has never been referred to as the signal. ¡°What?¡± KetsuEki has a troubled look on his face as he is trying to deduce how this could have happened. ¡°Once we are done here, you¡¯re going to have to come with me.¡± Li-On immediately knows that this isn¡¯t good news for Demo. And wants more information. ¡°What did he do?¡± KetsuEki doesn¡¯t turn around to face Li-On but instead points his sword at the Palindra leader. ¡°That¡¯s what we are going to find out.¡± With those words, he focuses his gaze on the leader. And takes steps toward him. The leader responds in kind and readies his sword to meet whatever attack KetsuEki may try. KetsuEki throws a simple downward slash to test the leader''s skill. The leader diverts the attack with a high level of skill. And then immediately counters. The two start fighting and the leader is able to hold his own. Li-On walks towards Demo until he is next to him and grabs a small diamond-like rock from his pocket and puts it in Demos hand. ¡°Use this in the ship and go to the first location stored in its memory.¡± Demo has no idea what Li-On is talking about. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Once I open the gate, run through it and use the ship to leave.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°if you leave with Little Eki, your life is over. Leave before he has the chance to take you.¡± ¡°I can just beat him.¡± ¡°KetsuEki is the Prime Perfect. He is literally the strongest man in this whole universe. I was only able to make it to the top 100. You are nowhere near ready to fight him.¡± Demo watches the leader and KetsuEki fight and is unable to track their movements with his eyes. He can tell that if he were to face KetsuEki right now he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up. He looks at Li-On and nods. ¡°Will you be ok?¡± Li-On laughs at Demos concern. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I know how to handle Little Eki.¡± From behind his belt Li-On grabs a device he throws it on the ground and it opens a gate. Through the gate you can see a big ship. In front of the ship are Ten and his uncle with his mother. Demo sees Ten and smiles and starts moving towards the gate. He looks back at Li-On one last time. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chapter 18 Fin Chapter 19: Prime Perfect Moments before the Prime Perfect landed near Demo, Ten and his family members were standing in front of the empty ship. His uncle had just checked the ship and found a problem. The uncle is looking around to see if he can find anything to make the ship work as Ten wants to know what exactly is wrong. ¡°What is the problem?¡± ¡°The ship doesn¡¯t have a core.¡± ¡°A core?¡± ¡°Yeah, it''s like the key to start it. Without the key, this is just a high-level piece of junk.¡± ¡°We can''t just H.R. a core?¡± ¡°You can, but the core and ship need to be a perfect match. Each sequence of the core needs to align with the ship. It''s damn near impossible.¡± ¡°So what are we going to do?¡± His uncle lowers his head as if the situation has defeated him. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± As he says those words a Palindra warrior lands in front of the hanger door and looks at the three of them. His uncle looks at the warrior and then looks at Ten who is closer. In a low voice, he warns Ten. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Ten seeing the panic in his uncle''s face feels he needs to look behind him to see what his uncle is looking at. He sees the warrior and falls down out of fear, he takes his mother down with him as well. The Palindra doesn¡¯t say anything as he takes a step forward. The Palindra draws his sword and lets the sharp edge land on the ground. He drags it on the ground as he comes closer to Ten and his mother. The sound of the sword scratching the floor and closing in is making all of Ten¡¯s senses shut down. His uncle knows that the moment he charges the Palindra they will all instantly die. He is trying to find a way to save all three of them. He is thinking about what the best possible steps are to escape this situation in one piece. Should they run away and see how far they can get? Should he charge the Palindra and let Ten and his sister escape? Should he Higher Reason something and use it as a weapon to fight the Palindra? The warrior is now in front of Ten and his mother. He looks down at the two as a predator would its prey. He tightens his grip on his sword as he is about to attack. And it''s right then when a sudden sound is heard coming from the Palindras transponder. ¡°Prime Perfect Zalthira Enitha Somnia¡± The Palindra seems frozen in time for a moment. The sudden news was enough to startle him to the point of shaking for a few moments. He turns around and quickly runs out of the hangar and jumps into the sky. Ten and his uncle both watch him run away and jump into the sky. And in the far distance, they can see several black lines go into the sky as well. As if all the Palindra decided to retreat at the same time. With the imminent danger having passed His uncle runs towards Ten and his mother.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Are you ok?¡± Ten slowly stands up and then helps his mother up as well. ¡°Yeah, I''m fine.¡± As they look outside to the shadows leaving their planet, they feel like the worst is over. A few moments pass and suddenly a gate opens up near them. As Ten looks at the gate, he sees Demo on the other side. He is surprised to suddenly see Demo again but also somewhat relieved. Demo jumps through the gate with a smile on his face. ¡°TEN!!!¡± He shouts his name in excitement because the two haven¡¯t met for a while. The moment Demo is completely through the gate Li-On steps on the device that opened the gate. KetsuEki threw a quick glance at Li-On to show him that he saw what he did. He then continues the fight with the leader of the Palindra. After a few more exchanges KetsuEki puts a good amount of power behind his slash for the first time. The leader is surprised at the sudden change in power from KetsuEki. KetsuEki looks at the leader with a grin on his face as he approaches him. ¡°I know you can understand me. And it was a nice plan. Sacrifice yourself to save your people.¡± The leader looks at him shocked as he is now extremely worried about his people. ¡°What have you done?¡± KetsuEki stands straight and looks at the leader with a look completely devoid of emotion. He kneels down and grabs a rock from the ground. He transforms it into a clone of himself. ¡°I sent myself to clean up the mess you made. Just imagine this but then with about 30% of my power. More than enough to take care of whatever you brought with you.¡± The leader loses himself in rage as he stands up screaming. ¡°KROMOR! (YOU BASTARD!) As the leader rushes forward in anger the KetsuEki clones finish up all the Palindra that were on the planet. Each clone looks around to scan the area to make sure they didn¡¯t miss any hiding Palindra. Each clone puts their hand on the ground and sends out a wave of energy to scan the area. As the waves sent out by each clone collide on the ground it¡¯s a signal that the cleanup is finished. Each clone having finished places its hand on its chest and starts glowing. With a flash, they are reduced to a drop of blood that dissipates into nothingness. While the real KetsuEki swings back to match the sword swung by the leader. KetsuEki enforces his sword with enough energy to break the leader''s blade as they clash. And in one quick smooth motion, he turns his blade around to slash the leader''s chest. The very moment KetsuEki¡¯s blade no longer touching the leaders skin he opens his umbrella to catch all the blood that is about to spill forth. The leader is hurt but feels that because KetsuEki is hiding behind his umbrella he can attack him while KetsuEki can¡¯t see. The leader gathers his last bit of strength to strike down KetsuEki and deliver his final blow. But before he can he notices that a shadow is being cast on him that is exponentially growing. He looks up and it''s KetsuEki. He jumped up to deliver a final downward slash. The warrior screams in rage as he meets his final moments. Right before the blade is about to cut the leader in two KetsuEki jumps back a great distance and grabs his umbrella as he jumps backwards. He places the umbrella in front of him to make sure no blood spatter touches him. The leader split in two and falls down. KetsuEki drops his umbrella and without breaking walks towards Li-On. ¡°Tril Li-On¡­ Why would you do that?¡± ¡°He deserves more than to be a lab rat to those freaks at Central.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t really your choice to make though.¡± ¡°I know, but hey, I felt like this was for the best.¡± ¡°Let me guess, you won''t tell me where he is going either right?¡± ¡°Nah.¡± KetsuEki tilts his head a little unsure about what to do next. He then looks at the remaining pupils of the gym who are anxiously awaiting what the Prime Perfect will do. KetsuEki then starts laughing. ¡°Hhahahahah, well not much we can do about it now. If anyone asks, he was never here.¡± KetsuEki then looks at all the pupils there with a threatening look on his face. And he exudes an aura of death as he asks for verification. ¡°Understood?¡± All the pupils shake their heads in accordance. KetsuEki smiles and walks towards Li-On jovially. ¡°Trilly, let''s go get a drink.¡± ¡°You do know the planet is basically half destroyed right?¡± ¡°Then let''s just go to the other half.¡± Chapter 19 Fin Chapter 20: Stone Clone The stone clone that KetsuEki made is flying through the sky at an extremely fast speed. Its headed directly to where Demo and Ten are. Each clone is embedded with an order, Once that order is fulfilled the clone will destroy itself. The stone clone¡¯s order was to capture Demo and bring him to the real KetsuEki. Demo and Ten are happy to see each other again. His uncle is taking care of his mother to make that she is ok. And that the sudden appearance of the Palindra didn¡¯t push her further into her mind. She seems unscathed and her state unchanged. Her brother sighs with relief as he turns back to look at Demo. He has never seen him before and him coming out of a gate where the great Tril Li-On was on the other side makes him automatically somewhat of a big deal. ¡°Ten who is that?¡± ¡°This is Demo, we met a few days back.¡± ¡°Why was he with Tril Li-On?¡± Ten looks at Demo as if he feels like Demo is the best person to answer these questions. Demo looks at the uncle while shaking a little as if the question is self-explanatory. ¡°Because he asked me.¡± ¡°Then why did he send you here?¡± Demo turns to the ship as he answers. ¡°He told me to get off this planet and use this ship.¡± Ten¡¯s uncle looks at Demo confused. Why would Li-On tell a kid like him to get off the planet. Is something or someone chasing him? Someone strong enough to make the great Li-On resort to this. And then he remembers what he heard coming through the Palindra¡¯s transponder. He thought it was just a similar sound as languages at times overlap with sounds but perhaps he heard it right and the Prime Perfect was the reason the Palindra fled. Which means that perhaps the Prime Perfect is after Demo. If this is true then Ten should stay far away from him. ¡°Ten, can I talk to you for a second?¡± Ten looks at his uncle confused because this sudden weird request makes it seem as if Demo is a bad guy. ¡°Why?¡± His uncle is reluctant to answer because he doesn¡¯t know if Demo is dangerous or not. Demo on the other hand senses the awkwardness but is a little unclear as to why Ten¡¯s uncle is acting this way. So without any concern for the uncles feelings Demo starts talking to Ten. ¡°Do you know how to use this thing?¡± Demo shows Ten the core that Li-On gave him. Ten who has never seen a core doesn¡¯t know what it is let alone how to use it. But his uncle immediately recognizes that it¡¯s a core. And since Demo was sent here it¡¯s safe to assume it¡¯s the core for the ship. Ten¡¯s uncle is still unclear as to what the best possible course of action is. But since the Palindra fled the immediate threat has been taken care of. So they don¡¯t have a real reason to leave the planet anymore. Which means they have no reason to get involved with this.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Ten we should bring your mother back to the home.¡± ¡°Yeah we should, but I want to know where Demo was and where he is going.¡± ¡°That has nothing to do with you, don¡¯t get mixed up with him.¡± Demo looks at the uncle slightly offended and surprised at the sudden judgement thrown his way. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing. I just don¡¯t think my nephew should be involved with someone like you.¡± ¡°Like me?¡± ¡°You clearly just came from the battle field, you have a huge scar across your chest and you¡¯re covered in what I can only assume is Palindra blood. So, yes you.¡± Ten feels like his uncle is unjustly attacking Demo who most likely fought the Palindra to save the planet. ¡°That just means he protected us.¡± ¡°Then why did Li-On tell him to get off the planet? Something is off.¡± Right when his uncle said that a huge gust of dust comes their way. Ten Demo and the uncle all cover their faces to protect themselves against the dust. And when it settles, they see KetsuEki the Prime Perfect stand before them. Tens eyes light up with sheer excitement. There stands the ultimate symbol of what studying diligently can achieve. Without a second thought Ten grabs a rock and transmutes it into a pen and paper. ¡°Do you think he will give me his autograph?¡± Ten takes a step forward to meet his idol but Demo puts his hand on Tens chest to stop him from moving forward. Ten is only a few steps away from meeting his idol so he doesn¡¯t understand why Demo is stopping him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Something is wrong.¡± Demo saw the real KetsuEki in action and was able to feel the pressure his presence exudes. Demo was also able to ever so slightly grasp the depth of KetsuEkis power. But this version in front of him feels different. It¡¯s clearly leagues below the real version but the blood lust its sending off is stronger. Demo doesn¡¯t understand it, but he knows that this version of KetsuEki is more dangerous somehow. The stone clone raises its blade which is a lot shorter than the original at Demo. ¡°Me with come¡± Demo feels a tingle in his chest. Even though he would never admit it out loud, he knew that he wasn¡¯t a match for the real one but this fake one is a lot weaker. Its bloodlust felt dangerous, but the power and depth of its energy felt well within the reach of what Demo should be able to handle. The excitement of fighting someone this strong was hard to hide. His eyes turn red as he is about to fight the strongest there is. Tens eyes are fully open. He can¡¯t believe that the Prime Perfect, the symbol of knowledge and bravery can¡¯t make a coherent sentence. A tear of disappointment rolls down his eyes. But he thinks to himself that perhaps he is such a genius that grammar itself should be adjusted to understand the level the Prime Perfect is on. But even so Ten is conflicted and confused as to what is happening. ¡°Why is the Prime Perfect after you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But Li-On told me that if I went with him my life would be over. So he sent me here to escape using the ship.¡± ¡°Then you should get on the ship right now and run away.¡± Demo smiles as he looks at the stone clone. ¡°That thing would destroy the ship without a second thought. The only way through is to defeat that thing first.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t call the Prime Perfect a thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the real one.¡± Tens eyes again open up with excitement because he realizes that the Prime Perfect isn¡¯t dumb. ¡°Is that is famous clone technique? They say that his blood clones have about %60 of his power. There is no way you can beat that.¡± ¡°That thing isn¡¯t %60. It feels more like %1.¡± ¡°Phew. That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. That means this clone is stupid because he used an inanimate object.¡± Ten sighs with relief as his dreams haven¡¯t been shattered. Meanwhile Demo gets ready for the fight as the stone clone takes a step forward to engage him. Chapter 20 Fin Chapter 21: Bad Math The stone clone slowly walks towards Demo with his sword at the ready. ¡°With come or death.¡± Demo knows that this clone isn¡¯t as strong as the real one. But for some reason, he can¡¯t seem to find an opening to attack it. Its intelligence is nowhere near the original but its battle sense seems to be similar. He is getting a similar vibe to the Palindra soldier he fought. But there is no other option so doubt is an unnecessary line of thinking. Demo takes a deep breath and smiles as he is about to dive into the madness. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Demo rushes in with a punch but the clone is able to read the line of attack and uses minimal movements to dodge the punch and applies force to the top of Demos fist to throw him off balance and fall. As Demo rolls on the ground he thinks to himself how this can happen again. His punch was diverted with just a simple tap. So instead of big punches he decides to keep it concise and quick. He quickly gets back up and implements his plan of short and fast attacks. But the clone dodges each one and counters each one with a strike of his own. Each punch hurts Demo more and more as if the clone is striking vital points. Ten is watching from the sidelines. He can tell that the clone is dominating the fight. That makes total sense because it¡¯s a clone of KetsuEki THE Prime Perfect. But Li-On the hero of this planet wanted Demo to get away. Meaning that if KetsuEki wins Demo will be taken to a bad place. There have always been rumors and conspiracy theories that the Universal Defense Army has done some very bad things in the name of protecting people. Human experiments and exploitation were the least of those. So it''s very likely that Li-On wanted to save Demo from that fate. But to help Demo Ten would need to go against the Prime Perfect, which he can¡¯t do because he is his hero. Ten activates Mai. ¡°Mai, what are Demos chances of winning?¡± ¡°It seems this clone was made with inferior material so the transfer of power was kept to a minimum. But even so, it''s strong enough to beat Demo. So his chances of winning are about 0%.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying I will, but if I were to help Demo what would his chances be?¡± ¡°Instead of what his chances might be, let me tell you what your chances are. If you look at the clone the wrong way there¡¯s a 50% chance of death. If you take an aggressive step towards it 100%. If you decide to arm yourself and charge it, there is a 250% chance of death with a small possibility of being crippled for life.¡± Tens uncle walks up to him and stands next to Ten. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about helping him.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°But Li-On sent him here to escape and Demo isn¡¯t a bad guy.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he is bad or not, it''s none of our business. So stay out of it.¡± ¡°What does it even matter to you? You were never there.¡± His uncle lowers his head a little as the feeling of guilt rushes over him. ¡°I owe it to your mother, I can''t allow her to feel any more than she already has.¡± Ten looks at his uncle confused and with a hint of anger as he asks the next question. ¡°What does that mean?¡± His uncle looks back at Tens mother with a sad look. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time or the place for this conversation.¡± Ten is unable to control his anger as he blurts out his response. ¡°It is. What do you mean?¡± His uncle can see that the fight with Demo and the clone has been superseded by the anger Ten feels. And that Ten wants an answer now, this has been eating at the uncle for a very long time now. And he has been wanting to unburden himself and ask for forgiveness for a while now. ¡°Ten ¡­ listen to me, now is not the ¡­¡± Before he can finish his sentence Ten asks again. ¡°What do you mean?¡± His uncle can tell that Ten has been dealing with his own demons for a while now and that the lies and deceit have taken a toll on him. And now that the truth is in front of him, nothing will stop him from hearing it. So with a broken voice and a slightly quivering lip, the uncle starts explaining. ¡°I''m really sorry, I didn¡¯t know things would go the way they did.¡± ¡°What things?¡± His uncle lowers his head and closes his eyes as he doesn¡¯t want to see the judgment he will receive. ¡°I was the one who told your mother to try Glia and have your father try it as well.¡± Ten freezes as his uncle tries to explain his reasoning. ¡°I was just trying to help. Your mother was stressed out because your dad was crashing out, and you were caught in the middle. And I thought that if your dad did better at his job he would bring less of that stress back home and everyone would be happier.¡± Ten doesn¡¯t know what to say. He can only mutter broken words. ¡°You ¡­ you ¡­. It was you ¡­¡± Just as Ten is about to completely freak out, Demo is thrown between the two as if he was just hit by a truck. The clone looks at Demo with soulless eyes as it repeats itself one more time. ¡°Come or death.¡± Demo stands up slowly as if he was hurt. He looks at Ten and his uncle. ¡°You two might want to step back. This guy doesn¡¯t seem like he can see the difference between friend or enemy.¡± Demo now fully realizes that his punches and kicks aren¡¯t working. So he will try to see if his Higher Reasoning transformation abilities can help him. He grabs a rock and closes his eyes to transform it into a blade he might be able to use. But the moment his eyes are closed he feels a punch to the face. The clone didn¡¯t wait for Demo to finish and instead just punched him when the opportunity presented itself. Demo flies even further back. The corners of his eyes are turning black. His anger at his inability to fight the clone is frustrating him to no end. He releases a scream of anger as he is about to be swallowed by his own rage. But right as his eyes are about to go completely black he gets thrown two fighting gauntlet gloves that he has to catch and refocuses his mind. He looks at the gloves and then looks at Ten who has gone into A.I. emergency mode and is now capable of doing high level Higher Reasoning. ¡°Ten?¡± Ten responds but it¡¯s in the voice of Mai. ¡°Ten was about to mentally collapse so I stepped in to save him. And he had pretty much made up his mind to help you, so I¡¯m just following through.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, but thank you.¡± Demo puts on the fighting gauntlet gloves and takes a fighting stance. ¡°Lets try again.¡± Chapter 21 Fin Chapter 22: Extra Speed Demo having just received brand new gloves is eager to see what his friend just made for him. He smiles as his hope of winning the fight has been rekindled. He knows that simply charging at the stone clone won''t do much. His inability to quickly use Higher Reasoning to transform an item leaves him vulnerable to attacks. He smiles as he now knows why Li-On showed him the fast transforming technique. ¡°I should have practiced more.¡± But the gloves he just received might be able to fill in the gaps of skill between the clone and Demo. Demo slowly walks forward and controls his breathing as he gets closer. Once he is close enough where he feels he might surprise the clone with a sudden speed attack he dashes forward at his top speed. The clone sees him coming and tracks Demo with his eyes. And times his arrival in front of him and the punch that is coming. The clone gets ready to avoid the punch and slash Demo one final time. Demo sees the clone following him and getting ready to counter but believes in his body¡¯s ability to take a hit. He decides to follow through with his plan and throws his punch. The gloves activate and a burst of energy comes forth from the back of the gloves around Demo¡¯s arm. The added burst of energy speeds up Demo¡¯s punch, the clone''s eyes open up fully as he is unable to react in time. And for the first time since the fight started, Demo is able to connect. But because he was surprised by the sudden increase in speed and power his balance was slightly off and he hit the clone in the shoulder. But the punch was so hard that it shattered the clone''s shoulder and its arm flew off. The clone doesn¡¯t scream but instead just looks at its damaged arm without saying a word. Demo on the other hand smiles as he looks at the glove that just punched through the clone. ¡°Nice.¡± Tens uncle''s jaw drops to the ground in surprise. In no world did he ever imagine Demo to actually inflict damage on KetsuEki even if it¡¯s a clone. He looks at Ten with a confused look on his face. ¡°What just happened?¡± Ten who is still being helped by Mai looks at his uncle with a smile. ¡°There are several techniques and skills the clone is using to predict and counter Demo. The biggest issue would be experience. The clone has but a fraction of the power of the real Prime Perfect but its reflexes seem to be beyond what a human should have. Taking all that into account there was only one answer.¡± Ten looks back at Demo who is about to start attacking the clone again. ¡°Make Demo faster.¡± ¡°How do the gloves make him faster?¡± The gloves recognize kinetic energy and use the wind coming in through the holes between the knuckles to activate a small engine inside the glove. The glove uses the engine energy and kinetic energy to combust itself and that force comes out from the back.¡±Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that burst just rip his arm off or at least dislocate his shoulder?¡± ¡°Any normal person ¡­ yes. But Demo is somehow special. His body isn¡¯t normal. He is the only one who is able to use those gloves.¡± Demo hops twice to reset the mood and the energy. Knowing he can now hurt the clone he wants to see if his short and quick attack plan could work as well. He walks towards the clone ready to engage in some infighting. The clone takes a proper sword fighting stance reading itself for Demo. Demo is now within range of the clone¡¯s blade, the clone is still following its order to bring Demo back and not kill him. So its first inclination is to counter Demo¡¯s attacks and render him incapable of moving. Demo knows that the clone doesn¡¯t plan on killing him so he is comfortable enough to approach like this. Demo takes one more step forward and then throws a jumping punch that the clone sees coming and moves to avoid. But once again it¡¯s too slow in its reaction and gets hit. Another piece of its body goes flying. It swings down its blade but Demo knew that it would and so the two attacked at the same time. But because of his gloves, his speed is increased and his attack lands first and blows away the clones other arm. Then Demo releases a torrent of punches that strike the clone all over its body. Each punch is like an explosion of power. Once the dust settles the only thing left of the clone are its feet. Demo smiles as he looks at Ten and then throws up his right hand with a thumbs up. ¡°NICE!¡± Tens uncle looks at a happy Demo and then at Ten who is still being helped by Mai. ¡°You are going to have to leave this planet.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You should go with him, I have a feeling he will make some changes to this universe and the laws that are in it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Ten agrees.¡± As Demo walks towards Ten and his uncle the clone''s feet also scatter to the wind. With the last part of the clone gone its disappearance is noticed by the original. KetsuEki who is drinking with Li-On and the gym members puts a glass close to his mouth and smiles. ¡°He should be able to survive out there.¡± KetsuEki then drinks his drink as he continues to party. Demo and Ten and his uncle are in the spaceship. The uncle shows Demo where to put the core. Once the core is put in the ship activates. And all the screens and lights turn on. Demo looks around at all the fancy lights and smiles as he is happy he has a way out. ¡°Li-On told me to go to the last destination in the memory.¡± The ship has an onboard computer that has its own AI and recognizes what was just said and responds. ¡°The last location in my memory is planet Hominidae, on the continent Cerebral. Is that where you wish to go?¡± Demo nods. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Confirmed. Do you wish to depart immediately?¡± Demo looks at Ten. ¡°Are you sure about coming with me?¡± Ten is still helped by Mai who seems to be making the decision on Ten''s behalf. ¡°Yeah, we are sure.¡± Ten¡¯s uncle starts walking towards the exit of the ship. And without looking back he decides to give Ten some last words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your mother. I¡¯ll take care of her. I promise you she will be back to her old self someday.¡± His uncle continues to walk out of the ship and then goes to Ten''s mother who is still sitting on the ground. She hasn¡¯t moved or reacted to anything. Ten¡¯s uncle helps her to move further away from the ship''s takeoff area. As they are at a good distance from the hangar the roof opens up and the ship goes up into the sky. And quickly it goes into hyperdrive and disappears into the universe. As the ship can no longer be seen his uncle looks at his sister expecting a tear on her cheek as he only son left. But there is nothing. She just stares into nothingness as she did before. His uncle looks back up to the sky. ¡°Good luck you two.¡± Chapter 22 Fin Chapter 23: Untold Pain The ship is in hyperdrive going towards the planet Hominidae. Ten is lying down on a bed as he sleeps. The news hit him hard and the energy Mai used while in his body took its toll as well. Demo is looking out the window at the lights passing them by. As he looks at the lights, he is throwing up and catching a rock over and over. In his mind, he is going over the fight with KetsuEki. He also thinks back on his mistakes with the soldier. Especially the cut that sent him into a fit of rage. The way they dodged and manipulated his punches seemed as if they were predicting or clearly seeing where his punches would go. And the more his punches missed their target the angrier he got. Which made him lose himself in anger as he got hurt. His face one of contemplation as he whispers to himself. ¡°I have to get stronger.¡± After a while, Ten wakes up from his sleep. He jumps up like someone waking up from a nightmare. He looks at Demo and then scans the room he is in as if he wants to verify it''s all real. He looks down as if he wants to hide the shame of what he is feeling at the moment. ¡°So I did leave.¡± Mai who was still activated and monitoring his vital signs as he slept to make sure nothing bad happened feels the need to respond. ¡°I''m sorry I made the decision without you. But all the signs showed you wanted to help Demo.¡± Ten shakes his head peacefully. ¡°Nah, it''s ok. You did the right thing. I wanted to help him. I knew that doing so would mean I couldn¡¯t stay. It''s ok.¡± Mai doesn¡¯t say anything else because she knows Ten is trying to come to terms with everything that has happened. Ten falls back down on the pillow and looks up at the ceiling. His uncle was the reason his mother and father started Glia. Which means he was also the reason things went as bad as they did. Ten¡¯s mind drifts off as he tries to not get extremely angry at his uncle. But he can¡¯t help himself from remembering that night. He and his mother had just come back from another visit to what Ten now knows to be a GliaSpot. His mother was holding his hand crying tears of happiness with a big smile on her face. She was feeling amazing as if she was floating on cloud 9. The same way she always did after a visit to the GliaSpot. Ten was just happy to see his mother so happy and the way she hugged him during those times always felt like they were filled with extra love. So he kind of enjoyed them. They arrived at their front door and in her happiness she forgot that her husband was in the middle of a stressful project from work. She swung open the door and happily announced her return thinking that her husband would be happy to see her and the sheer joy she brought with her. The doorknob hit the wall with a loud bang. The sudden bang slightly startled his dad but greatly angered him. His blood started boiling but because he was so close to finishing a part of the project he didn¡¯t want to break his concentration. He took the Glia for this reason so he can''t allow that dumb &^%^@ to distract him from his job. His fingers are almost attacking each key as he types with a lot of extra force. Ten''s mother sees that his father is working diligently and smiles. She knows that he doesn¡¯t want to be disturbed so she decides that she won''t bother him.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. But she also knows that once he starts working and gets extremely focused he tends to forget to eat. So she looks at Ten smiling. ¡°Come help me in the kitchen, we¡¯ll make something for you Dad.¡± Ten smiles as he loves the idea of helping his father and making him happy. The two make a sandwich and Ten pours a glass of milk. They then put it on a tray, and seeing as how Ten was doing this for his father, she feels that he should be the one to bring it to him. ¡°Go give this to your Dad.¡± Ten with a big smile on his face walks to where his dad is working. His dad is focused on the task at hand and has been for a while. His desk is covered in papers and some of them fell on the ground. Ten carrying the tray doesn¡¯t pay close attention to where he is stepping. He steps on one of the papers and trips. The sandwich and glass of milk fly forward. The sandwich lands on his fathers lap but the glass of milk has more sinister intentions and lands on the computer his Dad is working on. The liquid quickly seeps into the computer and it freezes as a result. Ten sees the glass of milk on the desk and the milk-covered computer as he recovers from his trip. The sandwich is still on his father''s lap. Without saying a word his father stands up. Ten doesn¡¯t know why but the hairs on his body start standing up straight and the room feels a 100 times colder than before. Fear grips his entire body as he sees his father''s face. His face seems to be covered in darkness but his eyes seem to be glowing red. There are veins popping out of his forehead and neck. His fists are clenched as he grinds his teeth. It only takes him one step to be right in front of Ten. He looks down at Ten with nothing but rage in his eyes. Ten is in tears as he looks up to his father. His mother sees the two standing in front of each other. She saw the trip happen and could sense the rage coming from her husband. She lost her voice in herself as she felt that something bad was about to happen. She mumbles a plea inside her mouth. ¡°Please don¡¯t ¡­¡± But her whisper isn¡¯t heard by anyone. Ten¡¯s father seems to be lost in a rage so much that he is unable to make a decision on what to do. Ten is shaking but thinks that if he apologizes his Dad will forgive him. So he tries. ¡°I''m so¡­¡± Before Ten can finish what he is trying to say his father completely loses it and swings full force with his fist and hits Ten in the face. Ten flies across the room as he was just hit by a grown man. His mother now completely lost in fear because she thinks that if she tries to stop him or say something his father will turn his anger on her. So she doesn¡¯t say anything. His father looks at his mother. The sheer rage and murderous intent in his eyes scared his mother so much that she dove into her mind so deeply that she was never to return. His father then turns back to Ten who is still on the ground in a fetal position. He walks towards Ten and kneels down. Ten is clinging to consciousness but because his father is kneeling next to him he thinks that the worst is over and that his Dad is going to apologize. But that is when his eyes refocus a little and sees his Dad¡¯s eyes. They are still as red and menacing as they were before. Without saying a word his father punches Ten again. It was with that second punch that Ten lost consciousness. It seems that it was days later that he woke up from a coma. And it wasn¡¯t a clean wake up, as he slipped in and out of consciousness. It was during one of those moments that he was aware that he overheard the doctors and police talking. ¡°His Dad was on Glia. Raged out. When we arrived after that neighbor called he tried to attack us. He wouldn¡¯t stop even after we warned him. We had to put him down.¡± ¡°Why in the world would he do Glia if he had anger management problems?¡± ¡°Seems his work was more important than his family.¡± ¡°Poor kid though. Dad dead and his mother in a crazy house. Who is going to claim him?¡± ¡°I heard his grandmother is coming.¡± And that¡¯s when Ten faded into darkness again. The spaceship ceiling somehow resembles the hospital ceiling. Tears roll down his cheek as he just remembered something he didn¡¯t want to. Demo sits outside Tens room. He was waiting for him to wake up, but now that he can hear him crying he knows that now is not the time to disturb him. So instead he just walks back to the cockpit to look at the lights pass them by. Chapter 23 Fin Chapter 24: Arrival It took a few hours but eventually, Ten came out of his room. He sat next to Demo who was still looking at the lights pass them by as they were in hyperspace. Demo looks at Ten as he sits down. ¡°You good?¡± Ten looks at Demo and nods. He then looks at some of the screens in the cockpit. And with his eyebrow raised slightly he ask a question. ¡°You have any idea where we going?¡± Demo just shakes his head. ¡°All I know is that Li-On said to go meet his friend.¡± Ten sees this as the perfect opportunity to ask Demo what exactly happened. And Demo tries to explain to the best of his capabilities what went down. ¡°The Palindra used strategies and were strong enough to overpower gym members. That doesn¡¯t sound right.¡± ¡°Yeah, Li-On said something similar.¡± Their conversation is interrupted by the ship''s AI announcement. ¡°We are approaching our destination. Please prepare landing procedures.¡± The ship comes out of hyperdrive and they arrive in front of a very big planet. The planet seems to have green patches of land, but its seas seem to be all red. ¡°Red seas. This is Hominidae ¡­¡± The ship enters the atmosphere of the planet and seems to have a landing place already set in its coordinates. It takes but a few moments before their landing spot comes into view. It¡¯s a big building which seems to resemble that of a high-class school. There are courts and many students in uniforms walking around. The students look up at the unusual sight of a spaceship landing on the roof of the school. But they don¡¯t seem to be extremely shocked as if this rare but not strange. The ship lands on the roof and as the dust settles the door of the rooftop entrance structure opens up. A well-dressed woman comes through and stands in front of the ship. She has her hands behind her back and a very bored and nonchalant look on her face. She is clearly waiting for the doors of the ship to open so she can welcome the visitors. Demo looks at Ten with a very serious look on his face. ¡°Do you know the reason I lost to that clone and the soldier?¡± Ten shakes his head in confusion as he awaits the answer that he believes is going to be profound and deep. ¡°It¡¯s because their entrances were so epic, I believe they startled me. And that stopped me from showing my full power.¡± Ten looks at him as if he just heard the most nonsensical thing anyone has ever said.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°What?¡± Demo however is dead serious. ¡°I''ve figured out how to become stronger. I need better entrances and opening lines.¡± ¡°Wait ¡­ Wha¡­¡± Before Ten can finish his train of thought Demo rushes towards the closed door. And instead of pushing the button to open it, he gathers his strength and kicks the door. The door comes completely off the hinges and flies through the sky. Demo leans his head back and looks down at the well-dressed lady and takes a power pose as he stares her down. ¡°Bring me the strongest fighter you know!¡± Tens jaw falls to the ground at the ridiculousness of the situation. He is at a complete loss of words. He wants to stop Demo because this is not a good first impression. But the lady on the other hand seems completely unfazed. Her bored nonchalant look was still there as she replied. ¡°Here I am.¡± Demo''s eyes open up as if he just heard an invitation to attack. His goal is to become stronger, and the only way to do that is to fight those stronger than himself. The fact that she stood there unfazed must mean she is strong. Demo jumps up and prepares to throw a punch which will hit once he lands. He figures that if the lady is strong she will either parry, meet his punch with her own attack, or dodge in a cool way. And if she is weak she will just cower and he will just land in front of her without attacking. The lady sees Demo jump. She uses her insight which she gained from years of training to discern that Demo doesn¡¯t have a Cover-Up. For someone to attack her without a Cover-Up is just rude in her mind. How dare he underestimate her to such a degree. Her nonchalant look is slightly disturbed as her eyebrows twitches in anger. She decides to teach this insolent brat a lesson in humility. She brings her hands to the front of her body and gets ready to receive Demo¡¯s attack. Demo sees this and is delighted because it¡¯s now clear that she is indeed strong enough to face him. But since this is just a spar he doesn¡¯t intend to hit her but hit the ground instead and then see how strong she really is. The two are now only centimeters away from each other as Demo is about to hit the ground. But right before he can hit the ground the lady¡¯s hand starts to glow with a red energy. Her hand touches Demo¡¯s arm. And a flash of red light blinds Ten who is watching the whole ordeal from the ship. The lady looks down with her eyebrows frowned and her face scrunched up. She can¡¯t believe what she is seeing. Demo landed ok, but the impact of his punch never happened. He looks at the ground unclear as to why there isn¡¯t a big hole beneath him. Confused he looks at his arm and there it is ¡­ a baby arm. His arm has been turned into a baby arm. His eyes pop open, his jaw drops and he looks at the lady who did this to him. He can¡¯t say a word but he can¡¯t believe what just happened. The lady on the other hand is in disbelief of what just happened. She intended to make his entire body into that of a baby. She can¡¯t believe she failed at such a simple task. But there was something off with Demo¡¯s body. It was as if the density of his body wasn¡¯t normal. Ten who has heard of this recognizes it as the way people of Hominidae use Higher Reasoning. Instead of turning items into other items, they use body parts to either enhance or change the shape it. He knows that based on the rules of Higher Reasoning, what is transformed can be returned to its original form. He rushes down to make sure this doesn¡¯t escalate any further. ¡°Stop, wait!!!¡± The lady looks up and sees Ten running towards her. She looks down at Demo who is now completely depressed at the sudden baby arm on his body. She then puts her hands behind her back and assumes her casual demeanor once again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my friend. Please turn his arm back. I promise he will behave.¡± She looks at Ten and slowly blinks her eyes as if she is assessing if Ten is actually capable of following through on that promise. But since she isn¡¯t here to fight or create turmoil she obliges Ten. She leans down and with her red energy hand once again touches Demo¡¯s arm. It turns back to normal to Demo¡¯s delight. She stands back up with her hands behind her back, turns around, and starts walking to the rooftop entrance. ¡°Follow me.¡± Demo is now sulking at the fact that he lost in a way he doesn¡¯t understand. But Ten comforts him as they follow the lady into the building. Chapter 24 Fin Chapter 25: The headmaster Braverte The three walk through the door and are about to go down. The lady suddenly stops, looks back, and looks Ten and Demo up and down. The two guys look at each other as they are unsure why she is doing this. She looks at Ten. ¡°The core?¡± Tens eyes open up because they did indeed leave the core in the shop. Ten and Demo smile innocently like two fools who forgot something very important. Ten runs back to the ship. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± As Ten is going to get the core. The lady turns her head back and waits for him to return. Demo is still slightly agitated but realizes that he never asked her name. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The lady doesn¡¯t turn around but answers him with her back to him. ¡°Pulmo.¡± Ten comes back with the core in his hands. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Without saying a word Pulmo starts walking down. The three of them walk down the stairs until they come upon a door. Once they open the door they are in a gorgeous school hallway. It''s decorated with epic paintings and chandeliers. The students in the hallway don¡¯t look like kids at all. Their bodies all have amazing proportions. It¡¯s as if each one of them has been sculpted by a master of anatomy and fitness. The sheer size of everything overwhelms Ten who has never seen anything like it. It''s as if he stepped into a world of models. Demo on the other hand doesn¡¯t really care about any of that. He is still trying to figure out how Pulmo transformed his arm like that. ¡°Pulmo, how did you change my arm like that?¡± Pulmo continues walking but turns her head enough so that she can side-eye Demo before she answers him. She looks at him with the driest look Demo has ever seen. ¡°Because you¡¯re weak.¡± Demo stops walking, his body starts to shake with rage. He releases a dangerous amount of energy in the middle of the hallway.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°What?¡± Because Demo released so much energy Pulmo is forced to stop. She turns around and is about to start walking towards Demo to continue their skirmish. But then two students whose bodies don¡¯t have perfect proportions walk by and recognize what is happening. The boy who is walking in the front has his eyes closed but turns his head at Demo. ¡°You¡¯re about to fight the PPA without Cover-Up? Please contain your aura, your stupidity might be infectious.¡± Demo who is still enraged has just been called stupid as well. Just as he is about to snap, Ten rushes in front of him with his hands out. ¡°Demo, Demo it¡¯s ok. Calm down. It¡¯s not that serious.¡± Demo looks at Ten with rage in his eyes. Ten knows that an angry Demo can be pretty destructive and there is no benefit to this right now. Ten pleads with Demo. ¡°Please calm down.¡± Demo knows what Ten gave up to be here so he controls himself. His rage is still there but he acts like everything is ok. Ten nods his head. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°She thinks because I went easy on her that I''m weak.¡± ¡°I know, I know. You will have a chance to prove her wrong. Just not here.¡± Demo then looks at the two students who stopped to talk to him. He looks at them with a face filled with rage. But the two seem unfazed. ¡°What is Cover-Up?¡± The boy in front is shocked at the question as everyone on this planet knows what it is and uses it. But he then hides his surprise and places his right hand on his chin. ¡°Enlightening the stupid is also a king¡¯s responsibility.¡± Demo almost pops a vein at being called stupid again. He swallows his rage because of Ten and the fact that he hasn¡¯t gotten the answer yet. The boy smiles as he answers with a very cocky tone. ¡°Cover-Up is what you call covering your body with a protective aura so people can¡¯t just transform your body parts.¡± Demo nods as he now understands what happened. Instead of items they transmute body parts and to protect yourself you cover yourself up. And she was able to do that to him because he didn¡¯t know about Cover-Up. He looks at Pulmo and points at her. ¡°YOU CHEATED!¡± Pulmo looks at Demo with her bored eyes and without blinking she answers him. ¡°Stupidity isn¡¯t cheating.¡± Ten already knowing where this is going jumps in again. And at the same time, the girl behind the boy student reminds the boy of their schedule. ¡°Your Highness, we will be late for class.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The two then continue on their way. And Ten tries his best to calm Demo down. After a few moments, the three of them continue walking down the hallway as the students make their way to their classes. They then arrive at a huge door with elaborate decorations on it. On the side of the door is a sign that reads HEADMASTER BRAVERTE, Ten decides to ask for some more clarification as he heard something he wasn¡¯t able to fully understand. ¡°Excuse me Pulmo, but what is PPA? ¡°Principle Personal Assistant.¡± Ten nods as he thinks to himself that if the PA is this strong the Principle must be amazingly powerful. ¡°Thank you.¡± Pulmo places her hand on the door and pushes it open. Ten and Demo and both a bit nervous as they are about to meet Li-On¡¯s friend. Chapter 25 Fin Chapter 26: Proper Introductions Demo and Ten walk into the principal''s office. It¡¯s a beautifully decorated room with golden ornaments and several pictures of old men, who have titles beneath them starting with ¡°Principal¡± so those must have been his predecessors. There is a gigantic desk at the end of the room in front of the window. The desk has several tall stacks of papers on it. Making it impossible to see who is sitting behind it but the sound of writing can be heard coming from the desk. Pulmo sighs as she is frustrated that their presence has still gone without a proper reaction. ¡°Guests.¡± Her voice has the intended effect and the sound of writing stops. From behind the desk, a left hand comes up and rests on a stack of papers. It¡¯s a beautiful lady''s hand, with manicured fingers and red nail polish. Then the right hand comes up and rests on another stack of papers. This hand however is a big rough hand covered in scars. Both Ten and Demo are slightly confused and think that there must be two people behind the desk. But then a face comes up. The headmaster Braverte shows himself. He has a big smile on his face as he looks at Ten and Demo. The right side of his face looks very young with shining skin but it seems to be from someone else because there is a clear difference on the rest of his face. What seems to be his real face is that of an old man. The young side of his face has a deep black eye while the old side has a light hazelnut color. ¡°Trilly must have sent you two here. Welcome welcome.¡± Demo and Ten are both a bit too stunned to properly react so their response is a bit slow. ¡°Thank you.¡± Demo replies a bit more direct. ¡°Yeah, he said you could help us.¡± That was the moment that Braverte took a good look at Demo. Demo was wearing a shirt but his muscles could be clearly seen through his clothing. Braverte pushes all the papers off his desk and jumps over it. This is when his full body could be seen. He was wearing a suit, but it was clear that the right side of his body had female breasts while the left side was that of a muscular male. His pants had one leg that was filled with muscles and one that seemed to be filled with something slender. It was as if his body was a combination of several people. Both Ten and Demo were now officially too stunned to react to anything. Braverte however gets really close to Demo and touches his left arm bicep. ¡°This is amazing. So soft, so supple yet so strong.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. He looks at Demo with an extremely serious face. ¡°When you die, can I have this?¡± Demo startled at the weird question jerks his arm back to release it from Braverte¡¯s grip. ¡°NO!¡± Braverte looks a bit disappointed and slightly baffled at the overreaction to such a normal question. ¡°Why not? You¡¯re dead. It''s not like you¡¯re gonna use it. I promise I¡¯ll take good care of it.¡± Demo is now freaked out and profusely shakes his head. ¡°No.¡± Braverte is now very disappointed as he lowers his head. He looks at Ten, and scans his body up and down. There is a moment of silence ¡­ after which Braverte turns his back on Demo and Ten. ¡°So, how can I help you two?¡± Ten feels insulted and almost screamed out ¡°HEY!!!¡± but managed to control himself just in time. But can''t really hide the agitation on his face. Demo now kind of side-eyes Braverte, he isn¡¯t sure someone this weird can be trusted. ¡°I want to get stronger.¡± Braverte looks at Demo with a discerning gaze. As if he just heard him say something very dangerous. ¡°Hmmmmm¡­¡± He looks back at his desk and realizes that he threw all the papers on the ground in the heat of the moment. He turns to Pulmo with a pleading face that can almost be considered cute as he says her name in the sweetest of tones. ¡°Pulmo?¡± ¡°NO.¡± Braverte is once again disappointed as his head slumps down. He kneels down and starts picking up the papers. As he is picking them up, he gives her an order. ¡°Please bring these two to my place. Give em a room. I¡¯ll be there after work.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ten is happy that they have been given a place to stay. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Demo is still looking at Braverte trying to figure out if he is strong or not. Pulmo starts walking towards the door. ¡°Follow me.¡± Ten grabs Demo and pulls him out of the room. They leave the room and the door shuts close behind them. Back in the hallway Demo looks at the door as if he just experienced something extremely weird. But he isn¡¯t given any time to really process it as Pulmo has already started walking without waiting for them. Back in the headmasters office. Braverte is collecting the papers while thinking to himself about Demo and Ten. Why would Li-On send them to him? He knows the situation he is in. Could these two be of possible help? And something was very unique about the structure and density of Demo¡¯s muscles. It was as if they were condensed over and over and embedded with something, not of this world. Two outsiders whose strength is yet to be defined might just be the perfect solution to his problems. Ten and Demo followed Pulmo to a building situated next to the school. It is a small but beautiful building. Pulmo opens the gate, and the three walk into the home. They walk into a beautiful open space that is filled with pictures and paintings as well. But before they can appreciate them Pulmo points in the direction of two doors at the far side of the space. ¡°Rooms.¡± She then points to the other side. ¡°Bathroom, kitchen.¡± She turns around and faces the two. ¡°Questions?¡± Ten shakes his head. He feels that she wants to leave and is thankful she still did all this for them even though Demo attacked her for no reason. Demo on the other hand doesn¡¯t care about any of that. He walks right up to Pulmo until he is right in front of her face and looks her dead in the eye. ¡°Teach me how to Cover-Up!¡± Chapter 26 Fin Chapter 27: The answer is no Demo stands in front of Pulmo with his head tilted down a little so he looks a little menacing. Ten exasperated at Demo¡¯s rude approach to asking a favor. ¡°Demo that is not how you ask for ¡­¡± Before Ten can finish his sentence, Pulmo completely unfazed by Demo''s gaze takes a step forward and starts walking past him. ¡°No.¡± Demo gets slightly flustered at the rejection. But he knows that forcing someone isn¡¯t the right move. So he just stands there in silence for a bit. Ten looks at Demo¡¯s back as he sulks and when Pulmo walks past him he decides to say proper farewell. ¡°Thank you for everything. Have a good day.¡± Pulmo nods and walks out of the building. Demo is so frustrated he raises his face to the sky and lets loose a scream of rage. This startles Ten and he jumps back as a reflex. After a few moments, Demo is done screaming. But Ten is still flustered. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Demo looks back at Ten and smiles. ¡°Sometimes you just have to let it go, and I couldn¡¯t see a better way. Would you rather I punched you?¡± Ten profusely shakes his head. ¡°Nah, nah. Scream away, man.¡± Ten decides to go have a look at his room. And it¡¯s a beautiful room with a very soft-looking bed. There is even a laptop in the room, he immediately turns on Mai. Ten assumes that the laptop is meant for guests so he turns it on and goes on the internet. ¡°Mai, are you able to connect to the internet here?¡± ¡°I am, but it will take me a second to adjust to their network and coding preferences.¡± ¡°Take your time. I''ll just do some research myself as well. Ten starts researching the planet and its customs and Higher Reasoning techniques. Demo sees Ten in his room typing away. He looks around the house and the stairs going up. He doesn¡¯t want to be rude and snoop around someone''s house. He decides to go into his room and practice the quick transformation technique Li-On showed him. The two spend their time doing their respective activities. Their tranquility is disturbed by the sound of a sudden bell that rips through the silence. It¡¯s the school bell signaling the end of the day. But Demo doesn¡¯t know this as he has never been to school, so he is curious as to what that sound is. Without saying a word to Ten he walks out of the house towards the school to see what¡¯s happening. He closes the door behind him and the sound startled Ten enough for him to take notice. He assumes it could be Braverte coming back now that school has finished or someone else has come home. So he goes to meet them and thank them for their hospitality. There is no one. Demo¡¯s room door is open but Demo isn¡¯t in the room. Ten thinks to him that there is no way Demo just went out by himself on a strange planet. He stands there in silence for a few moments. It¡¯s clear as day that Demo went outside to see what that bell is all about. He has to rush to make sure that Demo doesn¡¯t destroy the whole school in a fit of rage.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Demo has a good head start on Ten. The bell was the final bell of the day which means that the students will now start their club activities. As Demo walks on the school grounds he is met with stares of pity. His small size compared to the average student makes him seem underdeveloped and feeble. But Demo doesn¡¯t care about any of that. He is looking for the strongest-looking person he can find so that he can learn Cover-Up. In the distance, he can see several students move out of the way as if something dangerous is trying to make its way through. And there Demo sees him. He is a big guy with a face that just screams it has been in many fights. His school uniform is all crumpled and shabby but his muscles can still clearly be seen, he is trailed by several other strong-looking students. Demo smiles with what can only be described as an evil grin. He is certain that this guy is strong. Demo walks up to him and stops when he is right in front of him. He looks up because this guy is huge. The big guy looks down at Demo with contempt. ¡°Move little man.¡± Demo looks with his evil grin as he asks the question. ¡°Are you strong?¡± The big guy laughs at the question and so do his followers. ¡°Yes, yes I am.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Without any hesitation, Demo punches the big guy in the stomach. The big guy was not ready but even if he was, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle this punch. He folds over from the impact the back of his shirt dances in the wind created by the blow. His follower''s eyes pop open at the sheer violence in front of them. The big guy falls to the ground in pain and throws up his breakfast. ¡°DEMO STOP!!!¡± Ten has finally caught up to Demo. He saw Demo in front of the big guy from a distance but didn¡¯t expect things to escalate that quickly. But after the first punch he had to stop Demo from doing more damage. ¡°You can¡¯t just go around punching people.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t just punch him, he said he was strong.¡± ¡°Of course, he said he was strong, who the hell would say they are weak in front of a big crowd?¡± ¡°Oh come on, just look at his face, clearly he¡¯s strong.¡± Ten looks down at the big guy on the ground. ¡°Just because he is ugly doesn¡¯t mean he is strong.¡± ¡°Oh come on, Everyone here is beautiful but this guy decides to stay ugly? For real?¡± ¡°Maybe it costs money to be pretty out here and he doesn¡¯t have the money.¡± ¡°Look at his body, he clearly made that better.¡± ¡°Well, maybe he wanted to stay ugly because it''s part of his identity.¡± ¡°Who the hell wants to have an ugly identity?¡± ¡°This guy! Look at his friends, they are all hideous. It''s part of their charm.¡± The big guy on the floor is now crying but not because of the punch. His followers can''t even help him up because their spirits have been somewhat broken. ¡°You again?¡± From behind Demo the self-proclaimed king and his female companion appear. Demo and Ten both stop arguing as they look at the so-called King. ¡°So now you¡¯re beating up weaklings who can¡¯t even fight back. You must be proud of yourself.¡± This comment frustrated Demo because he made sure to ask if the guy was strong. But before Demo can defend himself the boy continues. ¡°I suggest you join the Higher Reasoning Research Club, they are training the first years in proper Cover-Up usage.¡± Demo¡¯s eyes jump open, as this is exactly what he needs. ¡°Where is it?¡± The boy points in the direction of a big gym-like building. And just like that Demo starts sprinting towards the building. He is pretty far away already before he remembers to show some gratitude so from a distance he screams. ¡°Thank you.¡± The boy with his eyes closed then continues on his way and Ten just scratches his head for a bit as he looks around him. Eventually without saying a word he just backs away from the scene leaving the big guy on the ground with his sullen followers. Demo arrives at the big gym to see a big door in front of him. He is excited because he is about to learn how to Cover-Up. Chapter 27 Fin Chapter 28: Learning to Cover-Up The door of the big gym opens up and a man wearing an expensive-looking suit walks out. Demo doesn¡¯t really pay him any mind because he is trying to go in. But the man at first casually glances to see who is in his way. But once he sees how much internal energy Demo has within him, he stops. He places his right hand on his chest and slightly bows. ¡°Good day, my name is Castitas. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± Demo looks at him with a side eye because there is something off about him. ¡°Demo.¡± Castitas smiles with what he thinks is an innocent smile but it looks extremely creepy. ¡°Demo, it¡¯s very nice to make your acquaintance. Are you perhaps from around here?¡± Demo thinks to himself that the way he talks is weird. But his questions don¡¯t seem weird so it should be ok to answer. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m from.¡± Castitas eyes twinkle with delight because he just heard something interesting that might prove profitable. ¡°How intriguing. So there might be others like you?¡± ¡°Like me?¡± Castitas realizes that Demo doesn¡¯t know how special he is or how unique the powers within him are. So he just smiles and stops his line of questioning. ¡°Demo, I feel like I can be of assistance to ¡­¡± Before Castitas can finish his sentence his pocket starts buzzing. Frustrated with the interruption he loses his temper for just a fraction of a second. But that fraction was enough for Demo to instinctively jump back from the perceived danger. Castitas surprised that Demo was able to catch that mere moment of rage brings out his innocent creepy smile. ¡°Sorry about the interruption. No need to be so wary. I simply dislike beautiful opportunities being disrupted. But alas I do have business to attend to.¡± Demo has a questioning look on his face, he is trying to figure out if this man is strong or just extremely dangerous for some other reason. Castitas walks past Demo with his creepy smile and while walking away waves goodbye as he speaks his last words.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I sincerely hope we meet again.¡± Demo looks at Castitas walk away. With the danger having past his body and mind relaxes again. The door to the gym is still open so he walks in. And there he sees a group of students sitting on the ground in a lotus position. Their bodies glowed with a red light. In front of them stands a short man with a scruffy beard and a big hat. He seems to be instructing them. In the corner of the gym, another group of students seem to be transforming pigs into several different shapes and disforming them. The one instructing them is a very tall man using a walking stick. Demo has walked into their training and thus disturbed them enough to garner their attention. They all turn to him at the same time. The scruffy-bearded man walks up to Demo. ¡°Sup?¡± Demo nods and points at the students with the red glow. ¡°I want to learn how to cover up!¡± Scruffy beard looks slightly confused at Demo. ¡°Are you a member of the HRRC?¡± Demo shakes his head as he answers. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Do I have to be?¡± Scruffy beard looks Demo up and down and slightly tilts his head as he asks the next question. ¡°Are you a student here?¡± Demo can kind of see where this is going and decides to name-drop to see if it will help. ¡°I¡¯m a special guest of Braverte.¡± This one line piqued the interest of the tall man with the stick. He now walks up as well. ¡°What is your name, young man?¡± ¡°Demo.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you Demo. I¡¯m Bilicus. And this is Strils.¡± Demo uninterested in their names brings it back to the topic at hand. ¡°So can I join?¡± Bilicus smiles and looks at Strils with a smile. ¡°Let the young man join. Helping a guest of Braverte is only right.¡± Demo is happy at the news and rushes to sit next to the students in the lotus position. ¡°So, what do I do?¡± Bilicus and Strils nod at each other since they both understand what should be done. Bilicus returns to his pig modifying group and Strils stands in front of Demo and the others. He looks at the other students and nods at them. ¡°Continue as you were while I teach him.¡± The students close their eyes and focus on their energy. Rather quickly the red glow returns to cover their bodies. Demo nods excitedly like a kid filled with glee as that is exactly what he wants as well. Strils looks down at Demo while checking him out. ¡°Can you use Higher Reasoning?¡± Demo nods as he answers. ¡°Yeah, Li-On taught me.¡± The name doesn¡¯t ring any bells yet. ¡°Li-On? What school does he teach at?¡± ¡°He has a gym with a gold dragon on it. And I think he taught that KetsuEki guy as well.¡± This line shocked everyone in the gym and they again turned their heads to look at Demo. Demo surprised at the sudden attention is a bit startled. Strils shocked at what he just heard wants to verify. ¡°You ¡­ You mean THE Tril Li-On? KetsuEki¡¯s teacher?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Strils looks back at Bilicus as this information seems to disrupt whatever they had planned. Strils looks back at Demo who is still kind of confused at the reaction of everyone else. Strils suddenly has a very serious look on his face. ¡°Ok Demo, close your eyes. And imagine your body floating in space.¡± Demo smiles and closes his eyes. And starts his Cover-up training. Meanwhile, Ten has decided to follow the student who always has his eyes closed. He walks behind him and his female companion as they make their way to what looks like an abandoned building. Chapter 28 Fin Chapter 29: The Battle of Antithrombin Ten and the two students arrive in front of an abandoned building. The boy in front stops, lowers his head and as he brings it back up he opens his eyes. They are bright red. With his eyes opened he looks back at Ten. Ten is slightly surprised at the brightness and depth of the student¡¯s eyes. But with everything he has seen so far, it doesn¡¯t seem that strange. ¡°Sorry, I followed you guys. I was just curious. Since you helped Demo twice now, I also wanted to properly thank you.¡± The boy smiles gently as he asks his question. ¡°What is your name, peasant?¡± Ten is taken aback by the name-calling. But the way the boy said it, it felt more like a matter-of-fact kind of thing than an insult. Like it was the most natural thing for the boy to say. So he decides to let it slide since he did help Demo. ¡°Ten.¡± The boy nods. ¡°Ten, you¡¯re welcome. A king is supposed to help their subordinates.¡± Ten raises his hand with his index finger shaking to signal that this is wrong. ¡°I am not your sub¡­¡± The boy doesn¡¯t let Ten finish. ¡°My name is Cleus Nu. And this is my faithful servant and knight, Cyte.¡± Cyte looks at Ten and nods as a sign of respect and proper introduction. Ten nods back. He then looks at the building and is a little baffled as to why they are here. ¡°Why did you come here?¡± Cleus walks to the door, when he goes up the steps he passes through what seems to be a barrier of sorts. He opens the door and then looks back at Ten. ¡°Because this is our club. The Royal Lineage Club.¡± Ten doesn¡¯t really know what to say. It¡¯s clear as day that these two are the only members of the club. He doesn¡¯t really want to be a part of such a depressing event. So he takes a step back and is about to make an excuse so that he can leave. But then he gets a glance at the inside of the building and it''s gorgeous. Elegant gold lining, a throne fit for a king, and a red carpet that leads to it. He looks at Cleus who is smiling because he knows how impressive the room looks. Cyte holds out her hand to Ten. ¡°Hold my hand, I¡¯ll bring you in.¡± Ten does as told and holds her hand. She walks him through the barrier. When Ten goes through it, he can feel an energy course all the way through his body, as if something just scanned his blood. Once they are all inside Cyte brings up two chairs and a table. She places the table near the throne and the chairs a bit further down. Cleus sits down on the throne and from the side of the throne, he brings up what looks like a very old book.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He gently places the book on the table and then opens it like a computer and starts typing away. He looks away from the screen to quickly ask Cyte a question. ¡°What chapter were we on again?¡± ¡°Chapter 37.¡± ¡°Yup, you right,¡± Cleus having found the right chapter sits up straight and becomes very serious. ¡°Well then, let''s start today''s reading. Chapter 37 The Battle of Antithrombin. It was a dark ¡­¡± For the rest of the day, Ten was unable to leave that room and had to listen to Cleus read 2 chapters from some historical book. Each chapter was easily as long as an eternity multiplied by infinity. Whenever Ten was about to doze off, Cyte would nudge him to keep him awake. Ten thought to himself that this was a very interesting way to torture someone. Demo on the other hand had a better time. The bell rang signaling the end of club activities and thus time for everyone to go home. Demo stood up and looked at his hand which now glowed red. He wasn¡¯t able to do his whole body yet, but this was a clear sign that he was on his way to mastering Cover-Up. He smiles and looks at Strils. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll see you again tomorrow.¡± Demo then walked out with the rest of the students. Bilicus and Strils wait till Demo is out of earshot. Bilicus is the first one to break the silence. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°The speed with which he absorbs what is taught is disturbing.¡± Bilicus clenches his teeth at the news of a possible new strong ally for Braverte. ¡°That really makes him Li-On¡¯s pupil. We might have to change our plans a little.¡± ¡°You think Braverte sent him here to spy on us?¡± ¡°That coward wouldn¡¯t have the guts for something like that. Plus why would he do that now after all this time?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But I think we will have to keep an eye on Demo.¡± Bilicus grinds his teeth in a silent rage. Meanwhile, Demo makes his way back to Braverte¡¯s house. When he opens the door Braverte is standing there holding some papers. He just got home as well. He smiles when he recognizes Demo. ¡°Welcome back. Did you have fun at the clubs?¡± ¡°How did you know I went to a club?¡± ¡°What else is there to do?¡± Right then a mentally exhausted Ten makes his way through the door. His face is bleak, his body is hunched over, and his pace is slow. Demo worried about his friend rushes over to help him. ¡°What happened?¡± Ten can¡¯t even muster the proper energy to form sentences. He can only bring himself to say a few words. ¡°Two chapters ¡­ there were Two.¡± Demo doesn¡¯t understand it, but he can tell that Ten is just tired from something and it¡¯s not that serious. Pulmo appears at the door as well, and looks down at Demo and Ten. ¡°In the way.¡± She then takes a big step to walk over them. ¡°Pulmo, welcome welcome. Were you able to bring what we need?¡± Pulmo nods. Braverte puts the papers on the table, then kneels down and places his hand on the floor. The ground around his house starts to light up and his whole home is covered in a red barrier. Ten recognizes the barrier because it looks very similar to the one Cleus and Cyte used. He looks at Braverte to verify. ¡°Is this the same kind of barrier Cleus uses?¡± Braverte smiles with surprise because he didn¡¯t expect Ten to already know what the barrier is. ¡°Yes, it is, since he is the one who taught me.¡± Ten thinks to himself that it feels a bit unusual for a student to teach a headmaster a technique. Pulmo hands Braverte a small vial with a purple liquid inside of it. Braverte¡¯s face then turns serious and he looks at Demo and Ten. ¡°Demo and Ten, I need your help.¡± Chapter 29 Fin Chapter 30: Asking for help The barrier is up and the four of them have made their way into the living room. Demo, Ten, and Pulmo are all sitting down while Braverte is standing. He has a serious look on his face as he starts. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the students here. They look beautiful, strong, and damn near perfect right?¡± Ten nods with a slightly excited smile thinking back at all those beautiful people. But when he sees the disgust in Braverte¡¯s eyes he is brought back to reality. ¡°Those bodies shouldn¡¯t be possible for teenagers. Ten, on your planet everyone can use Higher Reasoning to transform things. And I¡¯m pretty sure all of you took that for granted.¡± Ten doesn¡¯t really understand the point Braverte is trying to make because it¡¯s a given that anyone can use HR. So he just nods yes, Braverte then continues. ¡°What if I told you that you¡¯re able to use HR the way you do because of your Mokshi.¡± Ten is now completely lost as he has never heard of this before. ¡°Mokshi?¡± Braverte nods and places his hand on his chest. ¡°This is where Mokshi is born. The stronger your Mokshi is, the greater your Higher Reasoning results are ¡­ On your planet, everyone is born with a great amount of Mokshi so everyone is able to use it. But on this planet, people are born with a very low Mokshi.¡± Demo doesn¡¯t want to jump to conclusions so he decides to ask what he is thinking. ¡°So instead you get stronger bodies?¡± Braverte shakes his head. ¡°No, they are weaker but only in the beginning. Our bodies adapt extremely well to changes, we are virtually immune to poisons and diseases. This allows us the ability to change our body without severe side effects. However, this can only be done when you reach the age of 21. That is the age when your body is capable of handling the stress of transformation and your Mokshi is strong enough to allow it.¡± Ten thinks back to all the big muscles and perfect body shapes he saw. ¡°Then how did all those students get those bodies?¡± Braverte brings up the vial with the purple liquid. ¡°They use this drug called SARC¡­ You apply it to your skin. The drug will seep into your muscles and force them to change. If you then apply just a little bit of Mokshi and HR you can shape your muscles however you want.¡± Demo doesn¡¯t really see the problem.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Sounds like a good way to get the results you want without having to wait.¡± Braverte looks at Demo with a look that has hints of sadness in it. ¡°That is the thing, this drug forces your muscles to do what you want. It does so by taking away your very life force.¡± Ten is now starting to see the picture as he comments. ¡°So, this kills you to make you look good?¡± Braverte nods. ¡°Most students already know the risks but they figure that looking good now is worth a few years of their life.¡± Demo is starting to see the illogical nature of it but if the trade-off is minor, it still doesn¡¯t have to be a big deal. ¡°How many years are we talking?¡± ¡°The rumor is 1 year for every time you apply the drug. But that is not the problem. The real issue is that there is a new drug called MYOS. They used SARC as the base for the new one. MYOS is twice as effective and the muscles are even easier to manipulate. MYOS is so strong it disrupts and at times even attacks your body¡¯s Mokshi. And a body without proper Mokshi circulation is like a zombie. We have hospitals full of students and people who are in a coma-like state.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t die?¡± ¡°No, the body still functions, but the brain and muscles have for the lack of a better word checked out.¡± Demo looks at Braverte with a slightly confused look on his face. ¡°Isn¡¯t that their choice though?¡± Braverte looks at Demo as if he didn¡¯t expect that coming from such an innocent-looking young man. ¡°It is. That isn¡¯t what I need your help with. I¡¯ve been researching the zombies to see if there is anything I can do to help. And that¡¯s when I found out that they aren¡¯t zombies. Their brains and muscles work just fine. Someone used the new drug to hijack their bodies. Their muscles are storing all their life energy and their brains are receiving signals from an external source that isn¡¯t giving any orders¡­ yet.¡± ¡°So, someone is able to control them but hasn¡¯t done it yet?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Then we need to find out where the signal is coming from.¡± ¡°I already did, it''s coming from this school.¡± Ten is surprised at what he just heard. He looks at Pulmo and then back to Braverte. ¡°Do you know who it is?¡± ¡°We have our suspicions but no real proof yet.¡± Demo is now thinking that this sounds a little weird. ¡°You¡¯re the headmaster of this big school, you can¡¯t just use your resources?¡± ¡°This school is filled with students from rich families who run this world. The teachers here work for those families, or they are trying to take control of the school to gain power. For a long time now, they have been able to cut me off from my resources using underhanded tricks and regulations. At this point, I¡¯m just a figurehead without any real power in the school.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t they just fire you?¡± ¡°Because if they give me proper cause, I can challenge them to a duel and no one wants that.¡± Demo smiles. ¡°You¡¯re that strong?¡± Braverte chuckles sadly at the question and touches the side of his face that has a different skin color. ¡°No, I¡¯m very weak, just skilled enough to beat them.¡± Demo somewhat disappointed in the answer leans back in his chair. ¡°I would like to ask you two to be my eyes and ears and find out who is behind MYOS and in control of the signal. Will you help us?¡± In unison Ten and Demo answer. ¡°No/Yes.¡± Ten said no whereas Demo said yes. The two then start bickering. Ten believes that this is dangerous and since it has nothing to do with them they don¡¯t need to be involved. Demo on the other hand feels like this is dangerous so he will be able to fight some strong people. Ten appreciates the help they have gotten from Pulmo and Braverte but it¡¯s not enough to put his life on the line. Demo knows that if he finds the boss he will have to fight their very strong bodyguard which will be a great experience. Demo is able to win the argument by telling Ten that no matter what happens he will be there to save him. So reluctantly Ten agrees. They both turn to Braverte at the same time and once again in unison, they answer. ¡°YES!¡± Chapter 30 fin Chapter 31: New Students Demo is sitting in class with his fellow students. He and Ten have both been admitted as late-entry transfer students. Demo has to take part in the ¡°special lessons¡± because of his lack of basic knowledge. Ten, however, has been placed in the advanced class because of his understanding of math and Higher Reasoning. Demo has been tasked with the job of finding the main supplier of MYOS and Ten with finding the source of the signal that can control the comatose people. The ¡°special lessons¡± are for students who are a bit behind the rest. Ugly Face who Demo beat up before, is in the class as well, and so are his followers. The teacher usually has to put in a lot of effort to control these rowdy students. But for some reason, they are very quiet and manageable today. Demo is loving the class, he is taking notes of all the simple math and basic knowledge of the universe he is being taught. One of Ugly Faces¡¯ followers accidentally sneezes. The sudden sound disrupts Demo¡¯s focus and he looks back at the culprit with a look of agitation. Ugly face and those around him immediately jump on the sneezer and shush him. Ugly face lowers his head to Demo. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Demo smiles back. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± Ten is enjoying being back in school. The lack of responsibility, the absence of bills, the fact that you get to just sit in a room and study stuff is something he really missed. He raises his hands on almost all the math questions. Braverte told them that the best way to make friends or gain the student''s trust is to join clubs. Braverte recommended the Augmentation Club, which focuses on the study and application of changing your body. Which made complete sense since MYOS focuses on that. Or the Boxing club. Which was frequented by a lot of the more rowdy students whose bodies were a bit too perfect. Making them perfect suspects for either heavy users of MYOS or suppliers of MYOS. Demo applied for the Higher Reasoning Research Club. He really wanted to join a martial arts club so that he could fight to become stronger. But all of that wouldn¡¯t be possible if he didn¡¯t first master Cover Up. So that is where he went. Ten is standing in front of the board where you sign up for clubs. He is looking for the Augmentation Club that Braverte recommended. He is about to write his name on the sheet when he hears a familiar voice. ¡°There you are.¡± A shiver of fear runs down Ten¡¯s spine. His very soul remembers the agony that voice caused him. He turns around hoping it isn¡¯t who he thinks it is. But there stands Cleus with Cyte right behind him. Cleus has his eyes closed but a big smile on his face. ¡°I see you¡¯ve officially become a student here. That¡¯s great. You¡¯re about to sign up for the Royal Lineage Club. That¡¯s good.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Ten doesn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings but he does NOT want to join that club. ¡°Well actually ¡­¡± Unable to finish his sentence because without warning Cleus grabs Ten¡¯s hand and drags him off. ¡°Cyte will write your name for you. So let''s go.¡± In sheer desperation, Ten screams NOOOOO. But his plight goes ignored as he is dragged along the hallway. Tears of sadness and anxiety rolled down his cheek. Without any hesitation, Cyte writes down Ten on the Royal Lineage Clubs sheet. Which now has 5 names on it. Ten and Cleus arrive at the broken-down building once more with Cyte right behind them. Cleus is excited at the fact a new member has joined their club. ¡°Ten, did you know that my great-grandfather built this whole school?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, he built the whole thing as a place for his warriors to train and get educated in the art of war and deception. A lot of his old rules still govern this place.¡± Ten thinks to himself that this must be the reason why an old-school law like settling an argument through duels is still in place. Cleus continues. ¡°This building used to be his house. He put a barrier around it so that only those of royal blood may enter and those whose blood has been recognized by the 3 great families.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re really royalty?¡± Cleus raises his head back and opens his eyes to look at the sky. He has a look of sadness about him as he answers. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Cyte also seems a bit down at the question. Ten clearly hit a sensitive spot and decided to change the topic. ¡°Have you ever heard of MYOS?¡± Cleus looks back at Ten, slightly surprised at the sudden question. ¡°Yeah, I have.¡± ¡°You two don¡¯t seem to use it.¡± ¡°Using a vile drug like that would disgrace the honor of my blood.¡± Ten looks at Cleus and wants to verify something. ¡°Whenever he gets upset he talks like that?¡± Cyte looks at Ten with a smile. ¡°You should hear him when he gets excited.¡± Cleus can hear them and gets embarrassed. ¡°ANYWAY ¡­ why do you ask?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious. I¡¯m not from here. We have something similar on my planet but it focuses more on brain power.¡± Cyte nods. ¡°We had something similar as well. They all seem to enhance abilities though.¡± Ten feels like they might know something. So he continues to probe. ¡°Any idea where it¡¯s coming from?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen some people buy it from several students. I think there are like 6 dealers in this school.¡± ¡°Ever seen who gives it to them?¡± ¡°No. Do you want to deal?¡± Ten shakes his head profusely at the thought of dealing in drugs. ¡°No, no, no, no. I have just seen what the drug does to people back home. I hate to see that happen here as well.¡± Cleus gets a very serious look on his face. ¡°It did a lot of damage to our home as well.¡± Ten can tell that Cleus has been through a lot but knows not to ask about someone else''s trauma unprovoked. ¡°I want to stop that from happening here.¡± Cyte and Cleus both look at Ten. What he just said is rather grandiose and very ambitious for a single student to aim for. But Ten has made up his mind and that much is clear when Cyte and Cleus look at his eyes. Ten decides to see if these two will help him. ¡°Will you help me find out who supplies MYOS?¡± Cleus smiles and then starts laughing. ¡°How can a king not listen to his servant''s requests? Yes, we will help you.¡± Ten smiles at having found some more companions to help him on his journey. But then Cleus breaks the mood. ¡°But first we have to make sure we read two more chapters today!¡± Ten turns around and wants to run away but before he can set his body in motion Cleus grabs him by the collar and brings him into the building. Cyte looks at the two going in and thinks to herself if they should have told Ten that Braverte already asked them to help him with this as well. Chapter 31 Fin Chapter 32: Find a dealer Ten, Cleus, and Cyte have finished their reading and decided to continue formulating their plan. Ten is slumped over in his chair, looking like his soul has left his body. No matter how many times it happens he is just unable to get used to these long chapter readings. Cleus however seems invigorated after reading. ¡°I have an idea of who the dealers are. But they know who I am as well.¡± Ten forces his head to look at Cleus and with a weak voice he asks him the question. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Cyte steps in as she knows that Cleus will not be able to explain it properly. ¡°Cleus has a bad reputation with some of the students.¡± ¡°He read these chapters to them as well?¡± Cleus puts his right hand on the book laptop and smiles as he answers. ¡°It was just a misunderstanding ... A difference in cultures.¡± Cyte nods in agreement. Ten looked confused as the two didn¡¯t answer the question. But they seem to feel like they did. He doesn¡¯t want to dwell on it too long, so he continues the meeting. ¡°If you know the dealers we can just watch them from a distance right?¡± Cleus nods and answers Ten with a serious look on his face. ¡°Yes, I am sure this time it will go ok.¡± ¡°This time?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve tried it before but ran into some issues.¡± ¡°What kind of issues?¡± Cyte lowers her head as she isn¡¯t allowed to truly criticize her king. So Cleus has to answer himself. ¡°Moving around with my eyes closed, took a second to get used to, but now I can sense things around me pretty accurately. But when things get too far away, I can¡¯t sense them so I need my eyes to actually see them.¡± ¡°And why is that a problem?¡± Both Cyte and Cleus take a moment of silence as they are unsure of how to answer the question. Eventually Cyte breaks the silence. ¡°It just is.¡± Ten doesn¡¯t know what to make of it, but clearly they don¡¯t want to talk about it so he just lets it go.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Well, this time I¡¯m here so it should be ok.¡± The three of them make their way outside into an alley. The three of them then sneakily look around the corner at a student that Cleus knows is a MYOS dealer. Ten and Cyte are making sure that they aren¡¯t spotted. Cleus is unable to sense the dealer. ¡°Is he still there?¡± Both Ten and Cyte answer in unison. ¡°Yes, he is still there.¡± Cleus¡¯ face scrunches up. ¡°A king shouldn¡¯t let his subordinates take charge of important things like this. A king should take the lead and inspire those beneath him.¡± Cyte sighs and starts shaking her head. Ten doesn¡¯t know what is going on and looks at Cyte and Cleus. Cleus seems frustrated with his inability to help. And opens his eyes. ¡°Now show me this cretin.¡± Cleus now pokes his head around the corner as well. Clearly seeing the dealer relaxes him a bit. As his eyes are focused on the dealer a group of female students walk into his line of sight. Ten¡¯s skin starts to crawl as he feels someone¡¯s aura rise at an alarming rate. He looks at Cleus, whose body is surrounded by a heat haze that distorts the air and space around him. Ten is extremely confused and slightly disturbed at what is happening in front of him. He can see that Cleus is drooling as if he just saw something delicious. Cleus without warning starts running towards the group of girls screaming as he dashes. ¡°DAYUM!¡± Once he is within range he jumps up with his mouth open. He has fangs that appeared out of nowhere. His aim is one of the girl''s asses, midair he screams. ¡°BOOTY!¡± Luckily the girls are aware that Cleus is prone to do this kind of attack. They were able to get out of the way and no booty¡¯s were bitten. Cleus flies past them and lands. He immediately looks back with his eyes glowing red and drool dripping from his mouth. He then whispers his next word softly. ¡°Booty¡­¡± Ten is absolutely stunned and shocked at what just happened. Cyte knowing this would happen was able to react before Cleus started his second attack. She grabs a blindfold from her pocket and in one smooth motion wraps it around Cleus¡¯ eyes. The dealer looks at what just happened as if he saw something despicable and walks away. Cyte bows and with her head lowered she claps her hands together. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive my master.¡± The girls are upset and start cussing at Cleus and Cyte. Ten is looking at it all unfold with his eyes wide open, he can¡¯t believe it he thinks to himself that this is why Cleus walks around with his eyes closed all the time. The girls though upset walk away while cussing up a storm. Cleus is sitting on the ground angry at himself and the situation. Ten walked over to them and he just wanted to understand the situation. ¡°What was that?¡± Cyte raises her head back up and looks at Ten. ¡°In our world, we use Higher Reasoning to manipulate blood. Certain families have developed an ability to consume others'' blood and use it to strengthen their own.¡± ¡°So he was trying to suck their blood?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But why her ass?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a royal custom to drink blood from the softest place. In our world, it¡¯s an honor to have royalty drink your blood. But here ¡­ here it¡¯s deemed offensive.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re a booty biter?¡± Cleus stands up, takes off the blindfold, and has his eyes closed again. ¡°But only the finest of booties. And this planet, with its body modifications ¡­ is like heaven. I just can¡¯t help myself.¡± Ten looks at Cyte with some sympathy as her life must be hard dealing with a king like this. Ten looks at where the dealer was then back at Cleus. ¡°Me and Cyte will follow the dealer. As the king you should sit on your throne and wait for us to return with good news.¡± Cleus leans his head back and looks slightly down at Ten as he contemplates his words. But he eventually smiles. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Cleus walks back to his throne room, Ten and Cyte continue their surveillance of the dealer. Chapter 32 Fin Chapter 33: Follow the money Cleus is walking back to his throne room contemplating his inability to control himself on this planet. When he was back home he was surrounded by amazing bodies that were just as soft. So, what would make this planet so different? Ten and Cyte found the dealer again who seemingly stopped selling and decided to go somewhere. While walking the dealer made several phone calls and checked the contents of his pockets a few times. Cyte was certain that he was about to re-up. The dealer walked into a sorority home. This sorority was infamous for its love of science and its belief in the theory that the ends justify the means regardless of how horrid. Ten looks around to see if he can see anything suspicious in the surroundings. ¡°Do you think his supplier is in there?¡± ¡°It would make sense if they were. This place is known for its love of science. They would be able to make MYOS. Should we go in?¡± Ten looks at Cyte because he is surprised at how casually she just suggested it. ¡°Can we just walk in?¡± ¡°No, we need to be invited.¡± ¡°Are we invited?¡± Cyte smiles. She grabs her phone and sends a text to someone. Within moments a male students come running out of the sorority house. He seems flustered and weirdly excited. The moment he sees Cyte the student raises his arms in joy and waves at her. Ten doesn¡¯t know what to make of this and glances back at Cyte. ¡°For the King, it¡¯s a problem. For me, it¡¯s a quirk they like.¡± ¡°You mean you¡¯re biting ¡­?¡± Ten doesn¡¯t finish his sentence because not everything has to be said. Cyte simply nods and smiles at Ten and then the three of them walk into the home. Cyte doesn¡¯t see the dealer anywhere. ¡°My friend here has never been in a sorority house before. Can we get a tour?¡± The student is just so happy that Cyte finally texted him, that he happily nods yes. ¡°Follow me.¡± The student then walks Cyte and Ten around the house. They pass several rooms until they pass one where the dealer is talking to another student. Their timing was impeccable because right at the moment they walked by they could see the other student hand the dealer several bottles of MYOS. Both Ten and Cyte take note of the new face and nod at each other. They have acquired their new target.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. With their objective cleared Ten doesn¡¯t see a need to be here any longer. ¡°Thank you, I really appreciate you showing me around. But I forgot we have something to do. So, we will be going now.¡± The student is disappointed beyond reason. He looks at Cyte with puppy eyes begging for some attention. Cyte places her hand on Ten¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Give me 5 minutes.¡± Ten looks at her shocked at what she just said. But doesn¡¯t want to pry too much into her business. So he nods. ¡°Ok.¡± The student and Cyte then go into a room. Ten waits by the front door. While waiting the dealer walks past him with a pocket full of MYOS. Ten avoids eye contact and then he hears a scream of pleasure coming from the room Cyte went into. A few seconds later the door opens up and Cyte walks out with blood dripping from her lips. Ten is a little freaked out because he has never seen someone who drinks blood. Ten isn¡¯t a fighter nor is he adept at reading energy but even he can sense that Cyte¡¯s energy and vibe have somewhat changed. She walks past him out the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They walk out and go far enough to not be in direct sight of whoever walks out but close enough so that they can spy on who ever does come out. Having found their new stake-out location they sit and wait for the supplier to come out. Ten doesn¡¯t say a word because well he wouldn¡¯t know what to say. Cyte can see how uncomfortable Ten is. ¡°While I can still control myself, I also have a weirdly strong attraction to the bodies on this planet. I don¡¯t know why that is.¡± ¡°The guy seemed to like it though.¡± ¡°To make sure the people whose blood was taken didn¡¯t rebel, certain techniques were developed to make the experience as ¡°fun¡± as possible for all the parties.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°It involves using Higher Reasoning on the blood as it leaves the body and the holes created by the bite. My family¡¯s technique is good but not as amazing as the Royal family¡¯s one.¡± ¡°So Cleus is a better booty biter?¡± ¡°They say that if royalty bit you, you will forever be loyal.¡± ¡°Once you get bit, you¡¯re hooked on it?¡± Cleus smiles. ¡°Something like that.¡± Ten and Cyte stay in place while waiting for the supplier to come out. Meanwhile in the main school building a big event is being held. Strils and Bilicus both walk into the room and are wearing fancy costumes because this is one of the bigger events this school has. Bilicus looks at Strils with a smile. ¡°Do you see them anywhere?¡± ¡°Nah, Braverte nor Pulmo ain¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Hahaha, they finally been reduced to real rejects.¡± ¡°Soon we will be able to get rid of him without a problem.¡± ¡°Took awhile but this is the second time he wasn¡¯t invited, soon we will have the majority vote. Till then let¡¯s make sure we don¡¯t act careless.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Now let¡¯s mingle.¡± Bilicus and Strils join the party and start shaking hands and socializing. Back in Braverte¡¯s home, he and Pulmo have changed into an all-black outfit reminiscent of ninjas. They are putting the final touches on their preparation. Braverte is the one who is ready first. ¡°The party should be well underway.¡± This is the only time the other teachers and faculty take their eyes off Braverte and Pulmo and gloat at their handiwork. This lack of supervision and spying eyes gives them the freedom to roam around and sneak into places they usually wouldn¡¯t be able to. They have been using this chance whenever it arose to look for the source of the signal. They only have a few more places left to search. They are now heading out to wrap up their search of the school. Chapter 33 Fin Chapter 34: Sneaking around Pulmo and Braverte have made their way into one of the buildings they haven¡¯t inspected yet. Their preliminary scan of the ground didn¡¯t reveal anything. However, they know that high level users are able to hide things from scans. So the best way to make sure is still with their own eyes. This building didn¡¯t have any clues or anything suspicious so they move to the next one. Around this time, the campus is usually pretty empty. There would be a few parties going on, a few stragglers that roam the streets but all in all, the grounds are usually empty. Pulmo and Braverte make it to what they believe to be an abandoned research facility of the founder of the school. As they approach they see a few students talking near the building. They look to each side and there are more students talking to each other. This in itself isn¡¯t weird but the fact that they are positioned in key strategic points and aren¡¯t moving from their spots means they are guarding the building. Pulmo and Braverte recognize that they found something. Braverte knows he can easily overpower the students and force his way in, but isn¡¯t sure that is the best way to go. ¡°We found something. We are going to have to do some proper recon to make sure we can get in without any problems.¡± Pulmo nods as she scans the grounds. Her eyes open with surprise as her scan actually found something. ¡°Something underground.¡± Braverte does his own scan of the grounds and the area is indeed a little off. Someone tried to manipulate the grounds to prevent anyone from finding something if they scanned it. But this manipulation always leaves minor traces that an expert will pick up on. Having reached a clear goal both Pulmo and Braverte retreat. And make it back to Braverte¡¯s house. As they return Demo is standing in the middle of an arena-like building. There is an audience watching him as he waits for his opponent to arrive. In the audience is Ugly Face who can¡¯t believe how this happened. He thinks back on the steps they took to get here. Demo was on his way to the H.R. research club to practice his Cover-Up ability. On the way, he saw two students arguing and about to get into a fight. He stopped to see if the two students were strong enough for him to engage. But just as the two reached the pinnacle of their rage, they both took out a coin and exchanged it. And ended it with a single agreement which was that they would meet in 2 hours. Demo didn¡¯t understand what just happened. So he asked Ugly Face. ¡°To settle fights we have duels. You exchange the coins and the winner can take back their coin but the loser loses his. And if someone has your coin, you owe them a debt you have to repay.¡± ¡°Losing the fight means you¡¯re in debt.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°The founder believed that the weak owed the strong.¡± Demo nods as this somehow really makes sense to him. But one point is still somewhat unclear. ¡°I can only duel people I have an argument with?¡± ¡°No, you can pretty much challenge anyone you want. They just have to say yes.¡± Demo smiles like a demon as if he just found a new hobby he knows he is going to love. ¡°Is that right?¡± Ugly Face is scared at how evil Demo looks. It was right after that when Demo approached a random student and asked them for a duel. The student of course said no which made Demo look back at Ugly Face as if he wanted more information on how to make this happen. ¡°Duels are usually to settle arguments most people don¡¯t like to fight. But there is a ranking of the strongest people in the school.¡± ¡°Where can I find them?¡± ¡°You¡¯re strong, but they are in a different league. You haven¡¯t even mastered Cover-Up.¡± Demo tilts his head slightly and leans forward towards Ugly Face. ¡°What?¡± Ugly Face shakes his head profusely as he apologizes. ¡°Nothing, Nothing, I ain¡¯t said nuffin, I am sure you will win.¡± Demo nods his head confidently. ¡°I know right?¡± Ugly Face then took Demo to the lowest-ranked fighter on the list, number 10. Being one of the strongest in this school garners a lot of respect and prestige. This school still has a lot of connections and customs related to its military history. Ugly Face tries to tell Demo that the top 10 don¡¯t just accept invitations from anyone. ¡°They have nothing to gain from beating some unknown student. It¡¯s high risk low reward.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t want to test their strength?¡± ¡°They worked tirelessly to get to where they are. Their families back home, the names they represent, there is just no way they will be willing to throw it all away with a nonfamous student.¡± Demo is unfazed by the negativity from Ugly Face. ¡°I have an idea¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling it¡¯s impossible. If I were in the top 10, I would avoid fighting anyone, EVER! He is set for life just making it to that position. He is never going to risk it.¡± The number 10 is surrounded by a lot of students who are clamoring for his attention. Number 10 seems happy with the adoration he is getting. So much so that he doesn¡¯t notice Demo walking towards him, because he is just a face in the crowd. Demo walks through the crowd to get closer to number 10. He has now made it to the front of the line. He doesn¡¯t say a word he simply keeps walking and then steps on number 10¡¯s new white sneakers. So here we are. They went straight from that place to the arena. Ugly Face doesn¡¯t even remember the two exchanging coins. It was just a flurry of bad words and an invite to duel. Who knew that sneakers were this important? Demo looks around the arena. It¡¯s filled with supporters of the number 10. He can hear chants and screams of fans filling the building. Number 10 is making his way towards the ring. He took off his school jacket and shirt. He is ready to fight. Demo knows that if he gets caught in the Body Manipulation technique he will be in trouble. He is only able to properly protect his hand right now. But he can do a very weak body Cover Up. Enough to withstand a single second. He is hoping that if the number 10 sees the Cover-Up it will be enough to deter him from using the Body Manipulation techniques. Number 10 seems to still be very angry. ¡°You gonna pay for my sneakers boy.¡± Demo takes out one of the stones in his pocket. Transmutes it into sand and throws it up into the air. He then jumps up high swings his arms around and lands very heavily. The dust swirls around him, giving him an air of mystery. He then takes a cool fighting pose. ¡°Ready when you are.¡± Chapter 34 Fin Chapter 35: 10th Strongest Student The fact that the 10th strongest student accepted a challenge from an unknown student was big enough news to reach the ears of the other 9. Most of them already knew that the 10th had somewhat of a temper. But even he, wouldn¡¯t risk his position for no small matter. The 8th and 9th strongest were intrigued enough to come see the debacle. They made their way to the upper levels of the arena so they could avoid being seen by the masses. Watching one of the strongest in the school beat up on a small fry isn¡¯t fun. But the fact that this was an unknown small fry was enough for it to be somewhat interesting. They stand next to each other with their arms crossed looking down at the ring. They see their fellow ranked student walk towards the ring and enter. The two seemed to exchange some words, and then the new kid pulled out something from his pockets and used Higher Reasoning to transform it. This was unexpected because to see someone from the planet Numbers make it to Hominidae is extremely rare. The new kid then threw what he just transformed up in the air. And it was dust ¡­ he threw up dust and struck a pose. It was then that the two ranked members walked out. Demo was still standing in the pose he took. The 10th ranked just stood there with a blank look on his face staring at Demo in silence. The entire audience was silent as well ¡­ a random audience member was the first to break the silence as he asked the question. ¡°Did he just throw up dust to take a pose?¡± With that one question, the entire audience burst out in laughter. Demo who had never been laughed at before felt an uneasy feeling swell up in the pit of his stomach. With each second that passed he felt more and more embarrassed. He stopped his pose and stood up straight. Even the 10th ranked was now laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. Demo had his head down, the lights were strong enough to cover his face in shadows as he lowered it. The 10th ranked took pity on Demo and took him as just a joker who wanted to be funny. ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t know you were ¡°special¡± so I¡¯m a just let it slide.¡± He took a few steps towards Demo as a sign of peace as he kept chuckling while talking. ¡°If you just say you sorry, we good.¡± Demo raises his head. His eyes are brimming with energy and are a deep glowing red. The sheer menace exuding from his body radiates through the whole arena. The laughter immediately stops and everyone can feel a cold chill run down their spine. But none felt it as strong as the student in front of him. It was as if death itself looked him right in the eyes and asked him his name. The student jumped back out of preservation of self and took up his fighting pose. Demo lost himself in the rage he felt as others mocked him. He now wants to make sure no one here thinks they can make fun of him. But now the laughter has stopped and the student in front of him is shaken and looks visibly scared. He realizes that he has already won the fight. And then in his mind, it clicks. He needs to say a cool line AND release some evil or bloodlust-filled energy. But to be able to time that precisely might be a little hard. Demo starts thinking about the best way to make it work. The student and everyone in the audience are left waiting in silence as Demo thinks things through. As Demo thinks he looks up to better use his imagination. The fact that Demo took his eyes off the student was enough to make the student see it as a chance to attack.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The student rushes forward with an insane speed and uses that momentum to jump up and deliver a flying kick aimed at Demo¡¯s head. Demo notices the kick coming and is able to react in time and dodge it. He sidesteps the kick and while the other student is still in the air they lock eyes for a moment. The student has a sense of dread written all over his face as he sees Demo smile like a crazy person. Before the student is able to land Demo winds up and sends a roundhouse kick his way. The student who was already in the air is sent flying even further. He hits the edge of the ring headfirst and passes out. The audience who would usually explode with energy at an ending like this was silent. They couldn¡¯t believe that one of the top 10 strongest students was taken out like this. Demo who is loving the silence and aura of fear that now fills the arena. Looks up with a smug look on his face and starts looking around the room. He then walks to the student he just defeated and kneels down to check on him. The student is still passed out so Demo tries to wake him up. He slaps him a few times. Around the 7th slap, the student wakes up, dazed and confused. Demo looks him in the eyes. ¡°Tell me what you know about MYOS.¡± The student is still in a daze. ¡°Huh?¡± Demo looks at him emotionless while thinking to himself that the student must still be a little lightheaded. So, he slaps him again to help him wake up a bit more. Ugly Face is in the audience and his jaw almost hits the ground in amazement. He knew Demo was strong but not to this degree. He didn¡¯t really get the dust throw but everything else was out of this world. While Demo is interrogating his fallen foe a servant makes his way to Bilicus who is still at the party. The servant walks all the way up to Bilicus and hands him a paper. Bilicus is in the middle of a conversation with some high-ranking people in the school. ¡°Excuse me, seems I have some business to attend to.¡± Bilicus made it very clear that he can only be disturbed by certain things. The fact that he was means it was big enough to warrant this. As he reads the news that Demo beat the 10th strongest, his eyes open in shock. He whispers to himself. ¡°Impossible.¡± He feels the rage boil in his body. But quickly reminds himself where he is and puts a smile back on his face. ¡°I have to apologize gentlemen. Something has just come up that requires my attention. If you will forgive me.¡± He starts walking away, and when he reaches the door Strils is there waiting for him. Strils has a concerned look on his face. He has read the same news as Bilicus. When they leave the party and are a few steps from the crowd they start talking. ¡°You think he sent Demo to get a position of influence as the 10th?¡± ¡°Braverte probably blackmailed the 10th to fight Demo and then drugged him to make sure.¡± ¡°It seems he is finally making his move.¡± ¡°Let that desperate fool do his best, we¡¯ll be ready.¡± ¡°What if they blackmail and drug the 9th as well?¡± ¡°We are going to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± The two walk back to their office while planning and scheming on how to stop Demo and Braverte. Demo on the other hand was able to learn that the 9th was a supplier of MYOS. And that he hated pineapple pizza. Demo wasn¡¯t sure yet how he could use that last bit of information but knew it was something he could exploit. The other students who used to follow the previous 10th were now clinging to Demo. But Demo didn¡¯t like the attention. He figured it was a good chance to try out his new theory of intimidation. They crowded around him, surrounding him like a pack of wolves ready to pounce. Demo gathered the energy he felt from the feelings of dislike and gathered it in his chest. With that energy, he then let loose a scream of rage. ¡°LEAVE!¡± Everyone around him stood there with their eyes wide open. They felt a similar chill down their spine as before. They nodded once and backed off. Only Ugly Face remained. Demo looked at him and was OK with just him following. ¡°Let¡¯s go find number 9.¡± Chapter 35 Fin Chapter 36: Cleus’ Weekly Challenge Demo was unable to find the 9th ranked student. Pulmo and Braverte having found a location that was heavily guarded retreated to come up with a plan of attack. Ten and Cyte waited for the supplier to come out but they saw his room lights go off and he didn¡¯t come out, so they figured he went to bed. Now knowing who he was, they felt that they could also use this time to rest and went back. Ten and Demo arrived at Braverte¡¯s house around the same time. Braverte and Pulmo were already there. They seemed to be waiting for Ten and Demo. Once all four were together they told each other about the progress they made. Braverte who was leading the conversation considered the information that came in. ¡°We already knew the students were distributing the MYOS. But we were unable to find their key supplier. If you can find him that would be good. And Demo, you¡¯re now in the top 10. This means you will soon be contacted by the governing body to make it official. You can use that position to get more information. Well done you two.¡± Demo nods proudly at his achievement and the way he is helping the plan forward. Ten gives him the side eye because he knows that Demo did NOT plan any of that, he just wanted to fight the strongest people. Ten then moves on to his plans for tomorrow. ¡°Tomorrow, me and Cyte will follow the supplier we found to see if we can find his boss.¡± Braverte shakes his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Cyte will be able to join you tomorrow.¡± With a sense of confusion Ten looks at Braverte. ¡°Tomorrow is Cleus¡¯ weekly battle. She will be tending to him.¡± Demo¡¯s interest is now properly piqued. ¡°Weekly battle?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Cleus can tell you more about it.¡± And with that, the evening ends and everyone retreats to their rooms. All of them got some well-deserved rest except for Demo. He sat in his room, throwing a stone up and catching it, over and over again. While doing this he tried to activate and deactivate Cover-Up on his hand as well. The next day after school Cleus and Cyte were walking towards a specific point in the school grounds. It felt like a ritual for them almost. Once they reached the middle of the grounds they stopped and waited. From a distance, they heard a loud voice.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°BABY EXCLEUS!¡± The name still irritates Cleus no matter how many times he has heard it before. He grinds his teeth as Endo walks toward him with Thelia behind him. ¡°Exleus, our fallen king. The weakest of them all. The head without a body. How are you today?¡± Cleus takes deep breaths to calm himself and not react in anger. Endo knows that at this point Cleus will accept his challenge regardless. ¡°Nothing? Hmm. Well, weaklings don¡¯t really have anything to say. Heard your father was quiet too when he lost his kingdom.¡± This comment was the drop that made the bucket of rage overflow. ¡°YOU ¡­¡± Before Cleus finishes his sentence he checks himself and stops. He brings out his duel coin and presents it to Endo. Endo with a huge smile on his face presents his as well. The duel has been decided. Since this is a weekly thing, the venue and the audience were all prepared. Demo, Ten, and Cyte were together in the audience as they watched Cleus standing in the ring. Ten is surprised at how many people there are in the audience. It feels like a packed room. ¡°Why are there so many people here?¡± ¡°This duel happens every week. This is their 98th fight.¡± Demo is surprised at the fact they fought this many times. ¡°How many times did Cleus win?¡± Cyte lowers his head in shame. ¡°Not once.¡± Demo can¡¯t help himself. ¡°So losing is like his thing?¡± Ten feels bad for Cyte and wants to defend him and make Cyte feel less bad. ¡°Maybe that Endo guy is just insanely strong.¡± ¡°Then cheat. Man, after getting your ass whooped 97 times I feel like you can use a weapon to even the odds.¡± ¡°He is a king, people like that don¡¯t cheat, they have too much pride.¡± ¡°Yeah ¡­ being a punching bag in public is extremely honorable. ¡°Maybe he likes getting beat up. It builds character.¡± ¡°What kind of losing-ass character are you building?¡± Cyte jumps in because she doesn¡¯t like where the conversation is going. ¡°The reason he loses is because Endo is cheating.¡± ¡°Endo is cheating?¡± ¡°Endo is the son of the general who overthrew the kingdom. Because of that, he has been learning techniques and moves that are only meant for the Royal lineage. Cleus was never able to learn them because he was on this planet.¡± ¡°Endo is learning the secret moves of Cleus¡¯ family and using it against him?¡± Cyte gets a troubled look on her face. ¡°He is using Cleus as a practice dummy.¡± Demo looks back at Cleus who seems determined in the ring. ¡°Is this Endo guy really that strong?¡± Cyte nods. ¡°He is ranked as the 2nd strongest fighter in this school.¡± Demo¡¯s eyes open up in shock and slight excitement. ¡°Hmmm, well Cleus should at least be able to put up a fight. After that many clashes, he should be able to know what Endo is going to do.¡± Cyte balls her fists and her look gets very serious as Endo now makes his way to the ring. ¡°He should.¡± Chapter 36 Fin Chapter 37: Another loss Endo walks into the ring confidently and with a smile on his face that shows how certain he is of his coming victory. The people in the audience have seen this match-up many times before. The main reason it has become so popular is because Endo makes sure he has something new to show the crowd each time. He was a real people pleaser and because of that a crowd favorite. ¡°Baby Cleus ¡­ you ready?¡± Cleus doesn¡¯t say a word but takes up his fighting pose to signal that he is. Endo whose nails are longer than usual and sharper cuts open his palm. He closes his eyes and uses Higher Reasoning on the blood coming from his hand. It took but two seconds for Endo to finish transforming his blood. ¡°Hemato¡¯s Whip!¡± He used his blood to form a whip. He whips it across the ground once to show its power. The floor was ripped apart by its force. The audience erupts in a cheer of excitement. This is the first time they have seen the whip. Cleus looks at the whip intently. He has read of it in the tales of royal lineage. But this is the first time he has seen it in person. Endo sees that Cleus recognizes the whip. ¡°Yes, this is the whip your father used.¡± Endo does a few more moves and his last move was strong enough to create a sonic boom using the crack of the whip. Cleus doesn¡¯t say a word but keeps looking at the whip. ¡°Not going to say anything huh? ¡­ Well then let''s hear you scream.¡± The whip grows in length, Endo raises his hand above his hand and starts rotating the whip signaling that he is gathering momentum to start his attack. Cleus lowers his head and readies himself for what¡¯s about to come. Endo lashes out and strikes right where Cleus is standing. Being prepared Cleus was able to dodge. Having just finished an attack Cleus figures there is a slight delay before Endo can attack again. However, the length that was added dissipates and with the shorter whip, Endo is able to attack in quick succession. Cleus is surprised at the sudden change but uses his past experiences to dodge the attacks. It¡¯s after the fourth attack that it stops. Endo with a grin on his face seems to enjoy watching Cleus struggle. ¡°Look at you go. You¡¯ve gotten pretty good at running around. Just like the little rat you are.¡± Cleus is somewhat able to predict the way the whip will move and where it will land by watching Endo¡¯s wrist. Seeing as how he stopped after four lashes, his max range should be within 4 to 6 attacks per combination. Cleus takes his fighting stance again and makes up his mind that he will get close and punch Endo in the face. Endo on the other hand doesn¡¯t seem fazed by the fact that he hasn¡¯t hit Cleus yet.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Let''s try this again.¡± Endo raises his hand above his head again and starts creating momentum. Cleus takes a deep breath and readies himself. Endo starts his attack. Cleus dodges the first one and moves forward, slips past the second, evades the fourth one and smoothly dodges the fifth one he knew was coming. He is now in the clear and is only but a few steps removed from Endo. He looks at Endo and what he sees startles him. Endo is smiling an evil grin. Cleus knows that Endo has that look on his face when one of his traps works. But what could Cleus have missed? It¡¯s in the audience where Demo, Ten, and Cyte are standing that the trap is fully explained. Cyte is the one who noticed it first. ¡°He didn¡¯t extend the whip the second time.¡± Demo nods in agreement. ¡°He lowered the speed to lure Cleus in. And now that he is in range ¡­ it¡¯s going to be hell.¡± Endo loosens his grip on the handle of the whip and with an explosive speed grabs it tight and lets loose a barrage of attacks. The speed and power were far beyond what they were before. Cleus is unable to react in time and gets hit over and over. The crowd goes wild at the beating Cleus is taking. After what feels like an eternity for Cleus the attacks stop. He is barely standing, covered in blood and wounds. Endo loves to see the ex-prince like this. ¡°Hahahahaha, there you go.¡± Endo throws one strong attack to Cleus that sends his body flying to the edge of the ring. Cyte is doing everything she can to hold herself back from jumping into the ring. On the other side of the audience, Endo¡¯s follower Thelia is looking at Cyte with a smile. Endo walks over to where Cleus is lying in the rubble Cleus is still awake but his body doesn¡¯t listen to him. Endo squats down in front of Cleus and grabs him by the hair to pull his face closer to his own. Cleus looks at Endo with rage and defiance. Endo is enraged by the fact that those eyes never seem to falter. ¡°I will break you.¡± Cleus looks Endo straight in the eyes as he answers. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Endo throws Cleus¡¯ head into the wall and Cleus passes out. He stands up and walks away. And with him, the audience also leaves. Cyte, Ten, and Demo are the only 3 remaining. Demo having had some experience in this ring is a little confused. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he take his coin?¡± ¡°He never takes his coin. He lets Cleus keep the coin so that he can keep challenging him.¡± ¡°So he doesn¡¯t want anything from Cleus ¡­ but just to beat him up?¡± Cyte nods. She then jumps into the ring and helps Cleus up. Demo and Ten are standing there a little unsure of what to do. Ten has his head down, thinking about what he just saw. ¡°Why would Cleus say yes to this every week?¡± Demo looks at Ten who has his head down. ¡°You didn¡¯t see it?¡± ¡°See what?¡± Demo looks at Cleus and Cyte walking out of the ring. ¡°Then maybe the other guy didn¡¯t see it either.¡± ¡°See what?¡± Demo smiles. ¡°Nothing ¡­ Let''s go help them.¡± Ten was frustrated at the vagueness of Demo. ¡°Nah seriously, what?¡± Demo jumps down to help Cyte with Cleus, Ten follows him. The group is too preoccupied to notice two shadowy figures on the top floor looking down at them. Chapter 37 Fin Chapter 38: Speed is power Bilicus and Strils were in the V.I.P. section of the arena. Bilicus is slightly disappointed. ¡°I thought Demo would help his new friend.¡± ¡°Seems he has a bit more restraint than we thought.¡± ¡°Keep an eye on him.¡± The two then go their separate ways. Cyte brings Cleus to their club house. Before she enters the shield she looks back at Ten. ¡°Go follow the supplier. He might be meeting with a higher-up. Cleus will be ok. Once he is settled, I¡¯ll join you.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Cleus raises his head to speak. ¡°I appreciate the concern, but I¡¯ll be aight.¡± Ten nods and goes to follow the supplier they found in the dorms. Demo doesn¡¯t say a word while Cyte and Cleus go into the building. He smiles because it¡¯s time to find number 9. Demo makes his way to a pizza shop. He looks at the menu and sees the pizza he wants. Luckily Braverte gave them an allowance so Demo has the funds to pay for it. ¡°One pineapple pizza please, and go overboard on the pineapples.¡± While Demo is waiting for his pizza, Ten is back at the dorm. Just as he arrives the dealer walks out. The dealer doesn¡¯t seem worried about a thing and makes his way down the street. Ten follows him several blocks until they reach the main school building. The dealer walks in, and Ten follows him from a safe distance. He walks up a flight of stairs and then turns left onto a long hallway of classrooms. The dealer walks into a chemistry lab and closes the door. Ten isn¡¯t a super spy, and his reflexes aren¡¯t amazing either. The Lab is in the middle of the hallway so he could crawl closer so that he could listen to the conversation. But if the conversation ended abruptly then the dealer would walk out of the room and see Ten crawling on the ground which would immediately ruin the whole operation. He could sneak into the air vents and then eavesdrop from the ceiling, but the pipes might be weak and then he would fall through the ceiling. He could use H.R. to make a mechanical fly, and then use that as a microphone to listen in. But these guys seem fast with good reflexes and they would kill that fly and that loud bang would rupture Ten¡¯s ears. Maybe he should ¡­ Ten was caught in thought for so long that the conversation ended and the dealer walked out of the room with a bag he didn¡¯t have before. Ten knew that the dealer had just re-upped. All he had to do was wait to see who came out of the room to know who the main supplier was. After a few moments, a frail bespectacled student walked out. This student was a bit more paranoid than the previous dealer. He checked left and right to make sure no one was there. Ten had to duck around the corner to make sure he wasn¡¯t found out. He listened to the footsteps of the student to know if he was moving toward or away from him. After a few seconds, he is certain they are moving towards him so Ten dashes down the stairs to make sure he isn¡¯t caught. The student doesn¡¯t see him and thus starts going about his day like he normally would. Ten keeps following him. Ten is making sure he isn¡¯t seen, but Demo is on the complete opposite path. He sees the 9th strongest student surrounded by a group of people. Demo is holding a box with a loaded pizza. He walks through the crowd to get closer to the 9th. Once he is close enough he opens the box, takes the pizza out, and then uses H.R. to transform the box into a Frisbee with a reflective surface. He throws the frisbee up. The sunlight gets into the eyes of the 9th and as soon as Demo sees the 9th close his eyes. Swoosh.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The pizza hits the 9th square in the face. And because the 9th was about to ask what the hell that frisbee was, his mouth was open. A piece of pineapple and tomato sauce went into his mouth. The duel was set rather quickly after that. It took about an hour for them to find an available space but number 9¡¯s rage didn¡¯t subside at all. Number 9 is standing in the ring ready and waiting for Demo who is still standing outside of the ring. Demo turns around and walks up the stairs away from the ring. Everyone is watching him walk up the stairs confused as to what is happening. People start whispering that he is scared and that he is running away. Once Demo reaches the top of the stairs he turns around and jumps towards the ring. He makes sure his descent is right under the main lamp so his shadow looks huge and covers the whole ring. Right when he lands he releases a scream and with it a burst of energy. The audience and the 9th ranked are bewildered. Demo stands up slowly and just as slow takes up a fighting pose. ¡°Let¡¯s rumble.¡± Demo can hear a random student ask the person next to him. ¡°Did he just say let¡¯s rumble?¡± ¡°Nah, did he just walk up all them steps just to jump back down?¡± ¡°Is this a leveled-up version of the dusty?¡± Demo thinks to himself that he can¡¯t believe they called his epic dust-raising move ¡°the dusty¡±. The 9th doesn¡¯t care about any of it. He closes his eyes and then squats down to touch his calves. The muscles in his legs start to bubble and deform until they settle back down. His muscles are now a lot more defined and clearly stronger. He opens his eyes and without saying a word rushes towards Demo. Demo who has extremely well-honed reflexes sees him coming but is unable to react in time. He gets hit in the face. The hit was strong and threw his head back. He quickly recovers and turns his gaze to where he believes the 9th should be. But there is no one there. The 9th moved into his blind spot and before Demo could react he got hit with a kick to his midsection, but luckily his arms were there to block. Demo is moved several meters from the impact. The 9th doesn¡¯t waste any time and zig zags across the arena to confuse Demo and make sure his movements can¡¯t be tracked. Demo tries his best but loses sight of the 9th. And again from his left blind spot he gets punched. Right after the punch connects however Demo tries to counterattack with his own punch but he hits nothing. The 9th while running around feels he is now in control of the fight. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving this ring alive.¡± Demo takes a deep breath and relaxes himself. He closes his eyes for a moment to see if he can hear the 9th move around. But the cheering from the audience gets in the way. He breathes out calmly to make sure his mind is clear and then slowly opens his eyes again. Instead of trying to focus on the exact position of the 9th Demo looks at the entire ring. He can see small puffs of dust being kicked up all over the ring. Demo moves backward until his back is against the wall. He can now see all the puffs of dust happening. Then suddenly the dust stops. BANG. Demo is kicked in the stomach. He throws a punch but the 9th is already gone. Demo swallows his rage, takes a deep breath, and looks at the puffs of smoke again. After a while the puffs stop and the 9th students stands still in the middle of the ring. ¡°You¡¯re a lot tougher than I thought.¡± The student closes his eyes and then claps his hands together. The muscles in his arms start to bubble and deform. When the student opens his eyes, his arms have become noticeably stronger. ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡± Demo lowers his chin and gazes forward at the student. He does this so the student can¡¯t see him smile. Chapter 38 Fin Chapter 39: Overcoming speed The student has finished strengthening his arms and starts jumping in place. He builds up his rhythm before he starts attacking again. Demo relaxes his eyes again to make sure he can see the puffs of smoke popping up around the ring. The student is dashing across the ring to gather speed. With each kick on the ground, he uses the strength of his legs to increase his speed. After the 9th kic,k he feels he has enough momentum to take Demo out with a strong punch. And that¡¯s when he attacks. Demo sidesteps the attack and throws a middle kick. The timing is impeccable and the student folds as his stomach is hit. His own speed was added to the force of Demo¡¯s kick. The impact sent him flying, with so much power that he flew through the ring walls and into the audience. A cloud of dust was born as a result. Demo calmly walks over to the 9th strongest student and looks down on him. The student is barely holding on to his consciousness as he asks Demo one last question. ¡°How?¡± Demo squats down next to the student so that he can hear him properly. ¡°Every time you kicked the ground there was a puff of smoke. When you were just running around the puffs were quick and small. But when you attack, you put more power in your steps and so the puffs become bigger. And with your speed, it¡¯s impossible to move freely while attacking. All I had to do was see the big puff and assume you were coming straight for me from that position.¡± Demo stands back up. ¡°And then just dodge and kick.¡± The student looks at Demo with amazement and shock as he thinks to himself that something like that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Normal eyes aren¡¯t capable of something like that. Demo is a real monster. And then he loses consciousness. Demo looks around to see if he can recognize another strong fighter. He doesn¡¯t immediately spot anyone so he tries a different method. ¡°8th strongest ¡­ you here?¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. From the V.I.P. section, an answer emerges. ¡°I am.¡± Demo smiles with glee. ¡°You scared?¡± Being called scared in front of such a big audience really pissed the 8th strongest off. He jumps from the V.I.P. area and lands in the ring. In a very similar way to what Demo did. But for some reason, the audience is wowed this time. As the room fills with oohs and aahs. The student stands up straight and with a determined look on his face he stares at Demo. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± With that one line, the audience erupts in a cheer. Demo¡¯s veins pop out because he is enraged at the fact that this guy gets praised for the exact same entrance. He stomps back into the ring. The 8th student closes his eyes and starts using Higher Reasoning to transform his body. His entire body starts bubbling and twisting but not as extremely as the previous ones. All of the changes seem to happen under the skin and seem to be focused on his muscles and tendons. He opens his eyes and the transformations seem to have stopped. Demo is confused because with the other students, the changes were clear and obvious, but this time there doesn¡¯t seem to be a difference. ¡°What did you change?¡± The student calmly walks towards Demo. And then suddenly in the blink of an eye, he is in front of Demo and punches him in the stomach. Demo is pushed backward from the impact and his face scrunches up in pain because the punch really hurt him. The student shakes his head. ¡°You should give up before you really get hurt.¡± Demo straightens back up and takes a deep breath. Demo then slowly starts walking towards the student. And does the exact same thing, but the moment he is in front of the student he can see the student looking at him as if he knew what was going to happen. Demo is in a lowered position because he wants to return the body blow. The student having complete faith in his body and abilities plans to take the punch and show Demo how useless his efforts are. The punch connects. The student falls down to his knees from the pain. Demo looks down at him with a smirk on his face. ¡°You should give up before you really get hurt.¡± The student looks up at Demo in pain. He thinks to himself that Demo¡¯s punch isn¡¯t normal. He didn¡¯t transform his body, so he shouldn¡¯t have this much strength behind his fists. What kind of monster is this? The student stands up with a brave face. But Demo is still upset over the entrance he made and the fact that the punch hurt him. So Demo starts wailing on him. Each punch is more brutal than the last. Each hit is filled with more murderous intent than should be allowed in a student fight. After a few moments of the onslaught, Demo stops and the student is still standing but his consciousness has long since left him. Demo exhaled with some force and the wind that produced was enough to make the student fall down. The crowd is silent, watching Demo beat up the 8th strongest student like that came as a real shock to them. But the silence is broken by the sound of someone slowly clapping. ¡°BRAVO, BRAVO.¡± Demo looks up to the V.I.P. section again and there stand 2 students. These 2 students seem to be close friends, they have similar colorful streaks in their hair. They calmly walk down the stairs towards the ring. ¡°He used H.R. to increase the density of his muscles. He also made sure to keep the ones related to speed and movement as flexible as humanly possible. He was able to hit like a speeding truck and take similar hits like they were nothing. But it seems your punches still overwhelmed him.¡± One of the students leans on the other one as they stand in front of Demo. ¡°You¡¯re pretty strong.¡± Demo doesn¡¯t like the way the two of them are talking to him or looking at him. ¡°Who are you two?¡± ¡°We are the 7th and 6th strongest fighters in this school.¡± Demo immediately takes a fighting stance. ¡°Prove it.¡± But then from the entryway, a loud voice is heard. ¡°THAT¡¯S ENOUGH!¡± Bilicus stands in the doorway with an angry look on his face. Chapter 39 Fin Chapter 40: The strongest meeting Bilicus sits behind his desk in his office. The room has a heavy atmosphere as the 7 remaining strongest fighters have all gathered. The 6th and 7th ranked both seem a bit nervous as their eyes keep shifting across the room. They have never been in the same room with all of the other strongest before. The number 5, his name is My-Ty. He is wearing headgear with a huge dumbbell hanging from a chain that is attached to it. He keeps nodding his head, he is training his neck muscles which are already huge. The 4th ranked fighter named Tearh is carrying a big boulder on her back like a packback. She seems agitated because she doesn¡¯t want to be there. Next to her is the 3rd ranked called Teraw, her calm demeanor seems to be the only energy in the room that isn¡¯t adding to the weirdness of it all. She has 2 big gourds on her hip and a backpack that is filled with water. Across from her is Endo who has his arms crossed and looks bored. Next to him is the strongest student in the school. His eyes are pitch-black, and his aura is very dominating. His name is Sachem, and that is about all people know about him. Bilicus leans forward as he begins. ¡°The strong control the weak. They do so by manipulating the masses, controlling the flow of information, and applying pressure to those who make the rules. One of the most important tools to do that is strength. An unchallenged, unbridled symbol of strength. Without a force to impose the rules, laws mean nothing. You 10 are that strength. So what do you think happens when something breaks the symbol of strength like it¡¯s nothing?¡± The 7 students remain quiet. Sachem is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and doesn¡¯t feel like the question was directed at him. My-Ty keeps doing his neck exercises. Endo, Tearh, and Teraw all look at the 6th and 7th ranked to answer. The 6th is nervous because this is a lot of pressure. ¡°The rules are less scary?¡± Bilicus hits the table in rage. And in anger screams at them. ¡°The system breaks.¡± The 7th ranked feels like this anger is because of their actions with Demo. ¡°We were trying to show that we weren¡¯t scared of him. We would have beaten him.¡± The 6th joins in to defend themselves.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Yeah, he can hit hard enough to break the 8th.¡± My-Ty stops nodding his head. He just heard something interesting. He thinks to himself that Demo must hit very hard to get past reinforced muscles. The 6th continues. ¡°And he had enough speed to deal with 9th but that doesn¡¯t make him a threat to us.¡± My-Ty¡¯s eyes slightly open up with excitement as thinks that Demo is not only strong but also has enough speed to deal with those who specialize in it. This means he can enhance his punches by increasing their momentum using his speed. My-Ty is now so interested that he is curious to hear what happened to the 10th-ranked and Demo. ¡°What happened to the 10th?¡± The 7th ranked answers. ¡°He just kicked him out of the ring.¡± My-Ty now has a full-blown smile on his face. Demo sounds like a real righter. Bilicus however isn¡¯t entertained in the slightest. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to lose more of you. Avoid fighting Demo at all costs.¡± The 7th ranked doesn¡¯t seem too pleased with this arrangement. ¡°We already challenged him in public. We can¡¯t back down now!¡± Bilicus rubs his face in frustration. ¡°You damn fools couldn¡¯t even wait. Demo isn¡¯t normal. We need more information on where he is from and what he is.¡± The 6th ranked smirks as he doesn¡¯t agree. ¡°We have our own ways of fighting, it doesn¡¯t matter who or what he is.¡± A vein pops up on Bilicus¡¯ forehead. ¡°You think your little poison and gas tricks will work on him?¡± The 6th and 7th are shocked. They both take a step back because they didn¡¯t expect anyone to know their secrets. ¡°How ... How did you ¡­¡± Endo looks at the two surprised rankers with a sarcastic look on his face. ¡°Everyone knows. You guys kill everyone you fight. But everyone you fight is sick or weaker than they should be.¡± Without saying a word My-Ty starts walking towards the door. Bilicus sees this and tries to stop him. ¡°My-Ty we aren¡¯t done yet.¡± My-Ty acts like he doesn¡¯t hear him and keeps walking. Once his hand is on the door and he is about to turn the handle, Sachem speaks. ¡°My-Ty.¡± My-Ty immediately stops, turns around, and walks back to where he was standing. His head is down and he doesn¡¯t say a word. Bilicus looks at Sachem and nods as a thank you. Bilicus sits back down and grabs a folder from his desk drawer. And puts it on the table. ¡°This is what we know so far about Demo and his friends.¡± While the meeting is going on, Demo is at the gym with his fellow club members practicing Cover-Up. he is thinking to himself that it¡¯s too bad that Bilicus interrupted the fight, but there is something off about those two. So it might have been for the best. Ten has followed the dealer with glasses to his dorm and is waiting to see where he will go next. Braverte and Pulmo are at the main school building. Braverte is having tea with another teacher. Braverte sips his tea as he starts. ¡°How is your daughter?¡± ¡°She is doing good. Ever since you saved her she has been a lot more focused on becoming stronger and her studies.¡± ¡°Being helpless can affect people in different ways. I¡¯m glad she didn¡¯t lose herself in fear.¡± ¡°Me too, being able to defend herself has given her a lot of confidence she seemed to have lost.¡± Braverte smiles and puts down his tea. ¡°I need a favor.¡± The teacher slightly shakes his head and has a worried look on his face. ¡°Braverte ¡­¡± The teacher then starts looking around to see if anyone is listening to them speak. Braverte can tell how nervous the teacher is. ¡°I just need some information on the abandoned research facility.¡± The teacher''s eyes pop open in shock. He jumps up from his chair as if lighting struck his seat. He violently shakes his head. ¡°No, no no no. I¡¯m sorry, Braverte but I can¡¯t help you with this.¡± Braverte looks at the teacher with some surprise on his face as the teacher starts walking away at a very fast pace. Leaving Braverte alone in his chair. Chapter 40 Fin Chapter 41: Weakened Pulmo is in the administration office standing in front of the front desk. ¡°School construction blueprints, please.¡± The man behind the desk looks a bit nervous delivering the bad news to Pulmo. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but we can¡¯t give you those documents.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well according to the new rules and bylaws, everyone over the position of Vice-Principal needs approval from the board to access sensitive information.¡± Pulmo gets agitated by the sudden and nonsensical bureaucracy. ¡°I¡¯m an assistant.¡± ¡°Yes, but you¡¯re an assistant to the Principal, and according to section A paragraph 7, line 215. Those affiliated with the Principal are equal to that standing and shall be treated as such.¡± Pulmo knew that the Vice Principal and the board of directors excluded them from meetings and several decisions. But she wasn¡¯t aware that they would pass laws to further restrict them. She could easily force her way in and get the documents but that would give the board proper justification to fire her. She turns around without saying a word and walks out. She knows that getting approval from the board is impossible without tipping their hands. They will have to take certain risks and move without fully knowing what to expect. It might mean they will have to do several visits. She walks back to meet Braverte in the hopes that his meeting with the teacher goes better. The group meeting of the top 10 strongest and Bilicus has concluded. They all walk out of the room. My-Ty is walking with a clear purpose to where he believes Demo to be. But the 6th and 7th students both make their way in front of him to stop him. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± My-Ty doesn¡¯t say a word. He simply looks at the two with disdain. The 7th student closes in on My-Ty threateningly. ¡°You¡¯re going to go after our prey aren¡¯t you?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. My-Ty is unfazed by the 7th in his face. He shrugs his shoulders as he answers. ¡°And?¡± ¡°Demo is ours, we will kill him.¡± My-Ty smiles a little. ¡°You¡¯re too weak for that. Using those little fake muscles, and that sparkly magic isn¡¯t going to beat him.¡± This comment really angers the 6th and 7th. They both bring out their coins to challenge My-Ty. ¡°We¡¯ll get rid of you first.¡± My-Ty has a sarcastic look on his face as if he was just challenged by two babies to a street fight. But a challenge is a challenge and must be answered. So he nods in agreement. The news of 3 of the strongest students fighting spreads across the school like wildfire. Especially since the 6th and 7th were involved, their fights were always gruesome and attracted the most attention. The news reached the ears of Ten and Demo as well. They attended the fight. Ten and Demo are standing in the audience. The audience is weirdly silent, almost like the whole room is filled with an extremely negative energy. The cause of this is Bilicus who is in the V.I.P. section angered beyond belief at the fact that this is happening. He knows that once a challenge is issued only those who are directly influenced can stop, reject, or change the fight. He voiced his concerns and rage at My-Ty but was met with a blank stare when doing so. The 6th and 7th seemed genuinely contrite but wouldn¡¯t stop the fight. Their perceived honor was on the line. My-Ty is the first to step into the ring. His presence in the ring is enough to break the spell of negativity that Bilicus had cast. The energy in the rooms swells even more as the 6th steps into the ring followed by the 7th. Ten and Demo look at each other in confusion, it¡¯s then that Cyte walks up next to them and explains the situation. ¡°The 6th and 7th are inseparable and as long as their opponent doesn¡¯t object, 2 versus 1 is ok.¡± Demo is slightly impressed at the fact that My-Ty is willing to fight two of the strongest fighters at the same time. Ten however has more pressing concerns. ¡°How is Cleus?¡± Cyte doesn¡¯t seem to be too worried as she answers. ¡°He is recovering. It usually takes about a week for him to be back.¡± ¡°Are his fights always that brutal?¡± ¡°Endo has a way of coming up with new techniques just to torture Cleus.¡± Ten doesn¡¯t know how to respond to that so he turns his focus back on the ring. My-Ty and the 6th and 7th all seem ready. The 7th takes position behind the 6th and closes his eyes. He uses that moment to strengthen and enlarge his right arm. He then jumps over the 6th, and right as he does the 6th kneels down and catches the 7th¡¯s feet in the palm of his hands. He then lunges the 7th straight up in the air. The 7th uses this momentum to land a falling strike on My-Ty. My-Ty however sees this coming from a mile away and simply takes a step back to avoid the punch. The impact of the missed punch creates an explosion of dust. For a few moments, the 7th is hidden by the dust. My-Ty tracks his shadows while staying vigilant against the 6th who hasn¡¯t moved yet. The 7th jumps out of the cloud of dust and starts throwing punches and kicks. My-Ty dodges each one with minimal effort. With each swing of the 7th missed strikes a trail of dust seems to follow him. After having dodged several strikes, My-Ty feels a sudden pain in his chest and his eyesight goes a bit blurry. The 7th recognizes the sudden convulsion and smiles and then jumps back to where the 6th is standing. The 6th is now also smiling. ¡°He¡¯s ready.¡± They then both close their eyes for a moment. The 7th arm turns back to normal but the nails on his hands grow extremely long and sharp. The 6th does a similar transformation but his nails are slightly less long. The two then take a predatory stance like they are two wolves hunting their prey. My-Ty is having trouble focusing and his heart seems to beat irregularly. He stands up straight and turns his face to the ceiling. ¡°Hahahahaha. THIS is it? THIS is your secret move?¡± He then lowers his head back to look at the 6th and 7th who are confused at the sudden laughter coming from My-Ty. My-Ty however chuckles at the petty tricks they have to do to win a fight. ¡°Ok, I¡¯m weakened. I¡¯m frail. Come and get me.¡± The 6th licks his nails and rushes towards My-Ty. Chapter 41 Fin Chapter 42: Where I’m from Demo, while watching the fight notices something. ¡°Why isn¡¯t My-Ty transforming his body?¡± Cyte keeps looking at the fight but answers. ¡°Because he isn¡¯t from here. He is from a planet called Belliger.¡± Ten is somewhat surprised by the news. ¡°Someone from a different planet made it into the top 10?¡± ¡°The top 5 are all from different planets. They say that their strength is incomparable to those from 6th and up. Their power is literally otherworldly.¡± Demo smiles with excitement. ¡°Is that right?¡± They turn their focus back to the fight. The 6th has launched a full-on attack on My-Ty. My-Ty effortlessly dodges each attack. The 7th then joins in as well, and My-Ty simply avoids both their attacks. This infuriates the 6th and 7th. During their attacks, they start to taunt My-Ty in the hopes of breaking his focus. ¡°All you can do is dodge.¡± ¡°Keep scurrying around like the rat you are.¡± My-Ty doesn¡¯t like what they are implying so he stops dodging. The 6th and 7th see this chance and bring forth their strongest slashing attack. It is a slashing move where each one creates a diagonal slash to form a cross when matched with the others. This move has killed several students. They say the name of the attack in unison. ¡°Double Cross.¡± The attack hits My-Ty. And the 6th and 7th student are delighted with the fact their taunts helped bring him down. But then from behind them they can hear a weird sound. It sounds like someone is trying to hold their laugh back. They turn around and see My-Ty forcing his lips closed to keep the laughter in. It¡¯s too much for him so he has to cover his mouth to make sure his enjoyment doesn¡¯t escape him. He takes a deep breath through his nose and swallows his laughter. He then looks at the two in front of them with a serious look.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Well done.¡± The 6th and 7th student are both flabbergasted at the fact My-Ty isn¡¯t hurt and extremely agitated that he laughed at their strongest attack. They take a few steps back and look at each other. ¡°He inhaled the poison, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, and our nails are covered in it as well.¡± ¡°Do you think he took an antidote before the fight?¡± ¡°He would have to know what kind of poison it is and this is our family¡¯s secret, so that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Then how is he ok?¡± My-Ty can see that the 6th and 7th are confused about what is happening so he decides to clear things up for them a bit. ¡°It¡¯s because you guys suck. Your little poison weakened me, but even weak, I¡¯m stronger than you.¡± ¡°How can you withstand the poison?¡± ¡°Where I¡¯m from we don¡¯t do all that nonsense nerdy math stuff. We fight. We strengthen our bodies. We go to war with our weaknesses. We face ourselves and destroy anyone who challenges us. Our bodies are trained to kill anything that doesn¡¯t make them stronger. And your poison was nice, but not that good.¡± Demo had to chuckle at that comment because he knew what My-Ty was trying to say. He kinda agrees with him. Ten on the other hand took offense because he is a theoretical type so that nerdy stuff is what allows him to use Higher Reasoning. Demo nods, and Ten shakes his head as they say something at the same time. ¡°I like him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like him.¡± Cyte feels like she needs to add to the information given to complete Ten¡¯s and Demo¡¯s comprehension. ¡°On Belliger they think that using Higher Reasoning is for the weak. It¡¯s something the lower levels of humanity made to be able to face the stronger groups. People from Belliger believe that using H.R. reduces your honor and thus your fate.¡± Demo nods as he gains a sense of respect for their beliefs. ¡°Makes sense.¡± Ten looks at Demo in disbelief, how could he agree with something so illogical? But before he can say something, My-Ty draws his attention back to the ring as My-Ty starts walking towards the 6th and 7th. He has a slight smile on his face. ¡°You two ready?¡± The 6th and 7th both look at each other. They then use their tongues to force a tooth to open up a secret space. After opening up the tooth, a toxic mist starts coming out of their mouth. The audience has only seen this one before so they know how deadly it is. The audience starts running up the stairs and away from the ring. Demo looks at Ten as he whispers. ¡°Yo, their mouth stinks so bad I can see it.¡± Ten looks at Demo with a huge smile on his face. The 6th and 7th having released their deadliest poison start running in opposite directions. They need to spread the poisonous mist around My-Ty to make sure it has the highest chance of him breathing it in and dying. My-Ty calmly looks at the two running around him with smoke coming out of their mouth. Their speed is constant and they are consistently keeping the same distance. My-Ty takes a deep breath before the mist can reach him. He then holds his breath. ¡°OSU.¡± With that chant, he is ready to attack. He times the 6th student ¡­ and with impeccable timing, he dashes forward and lariat punch he catches the 6th in his arm. With the force of his arm and his own momentum, he flings the 6th to the wall. The 6th hits the walls and passes out with smoke coming out of his mouth. The 7th is shocked at what just happened. But before he can properly react My-Ty is in front of him. ¡°OSU!¡± The 7th knows he can¡¯t take a direct hit from My-Ty so he tries to plead for mercy. ¡°Wai¡­¡± But he is unable to finish it. My-Ty hits him with a hook so hard that the 7th spins in the air a few times before he hits the wall as well. My-Ty having won looks around the audience to see if he can see Demo. He sees Demo standing with Cyte and Ten. My-Ty runs forward and jumps up. He lands right in front of Demo. He is bigger than Demo so he looks down at him. ¡°Ready?¡± Demo smiles with excitement. ¡°Ready.¡± Chapter 42 Fin Chapter 43: Simple is best Demo and My-Ty decided to wait a day so that My-Ty could be in tip-top shape for the fight. Bilicus called My-Ty to his office and proceeded to rant and rave at My-Ty for his decision. My-Ty didn¡¯t care. After about 30 minutes of Bilicus complaining to My-Ty, Bilicus gave up. He looked at My-Ty and knew that he would proceed with the fight regardless. ¡°If you¡¯re going to fight, at least make sure you win.¡± My-Ty finally heard something that he could agree with. He nods and makes his way out of Bilicus¡¯ office. In the hallway, the 10th strongest was waiting. He is covered in bandages and walking with crutches. He hobbles over to My-Ty. ¡°Be careful. There is something off about him.¡± My-Ty nods and keeps on walking. Bilicus is in his office leaning back in his chair. Thinking to himself that things have gone haywire ever since Demo arrived. Losing several top students in succession like this is unprecedented. Demo is an unknown variable that needs to be controlled somehow. Then there is a knock at his door. ¡°Come in.¡± The person who enters the room is the clerk of the administration office who refused to help Pulmo. ¡°Sir, I have some news.¡± He closes the door behind him and informs Bilicus of what Pulmo requested. Demo is already standing in the ring, ready for My-Ty to arrive. Ten and Cyte are both in the audience. In the V.I.P. room, the other 9 strongest students are all in attendance. They are silent and the atmosphere is heavy. The room is packed, the news of Demo and his strength has become enough of a rumor to entice students to come and watch him fight. My-Ty makes his way into the ring. There aren¡¯t a lot of cheers as with the other students. Ten ponders as to why My-Ty isn¡¯t as famous as the others. Cyte can tell that Ten is a bit confused. ¡°He doesn¡¯t pander. Doesn¡¯t do favors, nor is he good at networking or making friends.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°So all he does is fight?¡± ¡°Fight and train.¡± ¡°Then how come he is only the 5th strongest?¡± ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t do well with people who keep their distance and use what he calls weakling magic.¡± ¡°So, I could beat him as long as I don¡¯t physically fight him?¡± Cyte gets a slight smirk on her face. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that you need to be as fast and as strong as him to avoid him.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Just watch, you¡¯ll get it.¡± Ten looks back at the ring that My-Ty has now entered. The two are now facing each other in the ring. Demo is looking up at the bigger My-Ty. ¡°You¡¯re the 5th strongest, right?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Do you know anything about MYOS?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a drug weaklings use.¡± ¡°Do you know who is selling it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Do you know who is making it?¡± Myos doesn¡¯t reply. He simply looks at Demo with a look that Demo can¡¯t quite place. Demo can tell that My-Ty knows something. ¡°When I beat you, tell me what you know.¡± My-Ty starts chuckling which turns into full-blown laughter. His bellowing laugh fills the room. ¡°Yes little man, if you can beat me, you can ask me anything you want and I¡¯ll answer honestly.¡± Demo smiles and takes his fighting stance. My-Ty however doesn¡¯t yet. He looks at Demo with a somewhat serious look. ¡°When you wake up, remember this. Even if you do find out who is making it, there is nothing you can do. So let it go.¡± Demo doesn¡¯t reply, he rushes forward until he is within punching range. He then with full force punches My-Ty in the face. Demo fully intends to finish this fight in one blow. The blow lands and My-Ty¡¯s face is turned. From the corner of his eye, he is looking at Demo. Demo feels a chill run down his spine. He jumps back. My-Ty checks his jaw, with an impressed look on his face. Demo¡¯s power is beyond what he expected. ¡°Strong.¡± Demo threw that punch with the same power that finished all the other strongest students. There is no way that My-Ty is unscathed after that, he must be bluffing. With this in mind, Demo charges again. This time he jumps up to deliver a kick. The trajectory of the kick is straightforward, My-Ty moves out of the way to avoid Demo¡¯s foot and then throws a punch into Demo¡¯s body. The impact of the punch surprises Demo. This amount of strength from a single punch is insane. He hits the ground and stays down for a few moments to regain his composure. My-Ty is loving this. ¡°The weak should keep their head down.¡± Demo immediately raises his head and stands back up. Demo is angry, he didn¡¯t expect My-Ty to be this strong, nor this well-versed in fighting. He feels he needs to stack the deck to even out the playing field. He closes his eyes. My-Ty realizes what Demo is trying to do and it enrages him. ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE!¡± He lunges towards Demo who because his eyes were closed is slow to react. My-Ty closes the distance in a fraction of a second and punches the Demo in the stomach. The force of the punch sends a gust of wind through the room. Demo doubles over and hits the ground. My-Ty looks down at him. ¡°Do not dishonor this fight by being weak.¡± Demo is on the ground, holding his stomach. That punch felt like it drilled a hole in him. My-Ty can see that Demo is struggling. ¡°You thought you were strong, didn¡¯t you? Beating those who you know are weaker than you, earns you nothing but disrespect. Those who praise you for beating those weaklings, are bottom feeders who don¡¯t deserve the light of day.¡± Demo forces himself to stand up and looks at My-Ty. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if they were stronger or weaker than me. All I knew was that they were the strongest.¡± For some reason, those words infuriated My-Ty even more. ¡°LIAR!¡± My-Ty gears up to attack again. Chapter 43 Fin Chapter 44: A clear loss Braverte and Pulmo are in the living room of Braverte¡¯s house. Their plan of finding out who and what they stumbled upon took a slight detour. Braverte somewhat expected some roadblocks but not to this extent. ¡°Seems we underestimated Bilicus and the board.¡± ¡°What now?¡± Braverte brings out a sketched map he drew from the scan he did. He points at an area underground that his scan wasn¡¯t able to fully probe. ¡°This area right here is where we need to go.¡± ¡°A way down?¡± ¡°Logically speaking, they would use an elevator to go this deep. Which means they were probably placed in the building. But that also means we only have one way in and out.¡± ¡°Possible?¡± Braverte crosses his arms and looks at the map as he considers the options. ¡°We don¡¯t want to kill our students. But knocking them all out will take forever and it increases the chances of being caught significantly.¡± ¡°Put them to sleep.¡± ¡°Hmmm, that could work. But it would only take care of the ones above ground. I¡¯m pretty sure they have guards at the elevator doors at the bottom as well.¡± ¡°Knock them out.¡± Braverte looks at Pulmo and nods in agreement. ¡°Speed, stealth, and accuracy. Been awhile since I had some fun.¡± Pulmo doesn¡¯t seem to find any of this as enjoyable as Braverte who is almost smiling.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Tonight?¡± Braverte nods. Their plan is now set and they start preparing their tools and what they need for their mission. In the midst of preparing Braverte remembers something. ¡°Isn¡¯t Demo fighting the 5th today?¡± Pulmo nods and keeps packing what they need. Braverte seems slightly worried. ¡°You think he can win?¡± Pulmo shakes her head. ¡°Not a chance.¡± They continue packing, while back in the ring My-Ty was getting ready to attack Demo again. Demo could see this attack coming and tried to jump back to lessen the impact. But My-Ty didn¡¯t see the need to give Demo room or mercy and rushed in further to close the distance again and with that added momentum he punched Demo in the stomach again. Demo screams in pain as he falls to the ground. My-Ty stands over him again. ¡°You knew they were weaker. Attacking the weak is a coward''s job.¡± Demo is in too much pain to reply immediately. But My-Ty doesn¡¯t attack him for a few moments which allows Demo to regain his composure somewhat. He can¡¯t stand up immediately so he is on one hand and one knee as he replies. ¡°I did not know they were weaker than me. How could I have known?¡± My-Ty is now slightly confused. He squats down to look Demo in the face and see if he is lying. He can tell from Demo¡¯s eyes and face that he is telling the truth. ¡°You¡¯re this strong, but this weak? Hmmm.¡± My-Ty grabs Demo by the shirt and stands up. He is holding Demo up in the air by his shirt. Demo is incapable of doing anything at this point. But he still looks at My-Ty with eyes that haven¡¯t given up. My-Ty smiles at the determination Demo is showing. ¡°You¡¯re interesting.¡± After that one line My-Ty throws Demo a little up in the air, pulls his fist and arm back to throw a heavy punch that is aimed directly at Demo¡¯s head. And then throws it. Demo sees the punch coming and something inside him snaps. A surge of emotions overwhelms him and his eyes turn black as a result. He dodges the punch midair counters with a kick to My-Ty¡¯s face. The kick lands and My-Ty is sent back a few meters from the force. Demo lands, he is breathing heavily, but his stance is low, like a predator stalking its prey. My-Ty was caught by surprise but quickly recovered. He sees that Demo has changed. His eyes are black and his energy is going wild. My-Ty smiles and that smile then turns into laughter. ¡°Hahahahahaha. You have a Serker mode? Let¡¯s see what you got.¡± My-Ty takes up a fighting stance and waits for Demo to make the first move. Demo without fear or hesitation rushes forward with a Superman punch. My-Ty turns his body to the side to avoid Demo¡¯s fist and then slides in towards Demo¡¯s body and punches him while he is still in mid-air. Demo is sent flying into the ring''s wall. His rage allows him to immediately stand back up and he rushes in again. This time he attacks with a flurry of punches and kicks. My-Ty calmly dodges each one with a concerned look on his face. ¡°You¡¯re faster and your punches look stronger, but there is no control, no base technique, just wild swings guided by anger.¡± He avoids a heavy punch from Demo and then counterattacks with a kick of his own. Demo is sent flying backward again. This kick really hurt him and even in his enraged state his body is telling him it can¡¯t take much more. But Demo still stands up, he screams with anger at his inability to destroy his enemy. He once more dashes towards My-Ty to deliver one final attack. My-Ty has a look of pity on his face. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± My-Ty uses a head slip to evade Demo¡¯s punch and then leans forward and throws an overhead punch that hits Demo clean on the temple. Demo¡¯s body hits the ground so hard it creates a small crater around him. Demo bounces off the hard ground and loses consciousness. My-Ty looks down at his defeated foe and then looks in the direction of Ten and Cyte. He gestures with his head for them to come to help Demo. They both enter the ring and rush towards Demo. My-Ty then looks up at the V.I.P. room and locks eyes with Sachem the number 1 ranked fighter. Sachem doesn¡¯t say anything, nor does he express anything with his face. He simply turns around and walks away. The remaining strongest students do the same. Ten and Cyte help Demo while My-Ty also walks out of the ring leaving them be. Chapter 44 Fin Chapter 45: A big door Ten and Cyte brought Demo back to Braverte¡¯s home. They put him in a bed where he laid unconscious. Braverte and Pulmo were still preparing for their mission and were updated on what happened. Braverte looks at Demo in bed and smiles with relief. ¡°He made it back alive.¡± Ten nods and closes the door. They now stand outside Demo¡¯s room. Ten is slightly frustrated. ¡°I wish I could stay, but I have to keep watch on the dealer. He met a few more people, so I¡¯m pretty sure his stock is running low. He will have to get some more soon. I should be able to find his supplier.¡± Cyte nods. ¡°I found a supplier to the dealers as well. If they both go to the same dealer, then it''s certain.¡± Braverte has a look of contentment and pride on his face. ¡°You two are doing an amazing job. I really appreciate the help. Me and Pulmo are about to go fishing for some information ourselves. Let¡¯s meet back here tomorrow at noon.¡± And with that, the team splits up again to continue their respective missions. Ten arrives just as the dealer leaves his home. He is carrying a very big bag with him, but based on how he is carrying it, it seems to be empty. Cyte is seeing the exact same thing, the dealer she is following is also holding a big empty bag. The dealer Ten is following is taking what feels like a leisurely stroll, but then he goes into a supermarket. Ten is a little disappointed because he thought the dealer was going to re-up but instead, he is just going to go grocery shopping. But Ten follows him in nonetheless because this might be a decoy move. From a safe distance, Ten watches the dealer grocery shop. He avoids all the green isles and gets nothing but sweets and potato chips. He tops it off with a pair of oven pizzas and some soda. Cyte¡¯s dealer went into a different supermarket and bought all healthy food protein powders for shakes. Both dealers leave the supermarket with their empty bags not filled to the brim with groceries. Instead of going home, the two dealers decided to get something to eat at a restaurant first. They each take a seat at a booth meant for 4 people and place their bags next to them. Ten and Cyte are outside looking in. Ten is the first one to break the silence. ¡°This is where they will re-up.¡± ¡°But why buy all those groceries?¡± Ten and Cyte can see the two dealers order. After a few minutes, their orders arrived and they ordered the exact same thing. Down to the green drink that came with it. They then see the waitress that brought them their food, and hand them two receipts each. The dealers put one of the two receipts into their pockets and then eat what they ordered. Once they are done, they stand up and leave the restaurant without their bags. The two dealers walk out together and before they go their separate ways they nod to each other. Cyte and Ten now have a choice to make, follow the dealers or stay with the bags. Ten looks at the dealers and the bags back and forth. ¡°What do we do?¡± Cyte calmly responds.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Stay with the bags. Someone will either pick them up or exchange them. That is who we want.¡± After a few minutes, both Cyte and Ten are shocked at what they see. Strils, one of the teachers at this school, walks in and grabs both bags. He doesn¡¯t walk out the front door, but instead, he walks into the kitchen presumably to walk out the backdoor. Ten and Cyte both nod and immediately start running towards the back of the restaurant to catch up with Strils. Once they get the back of the restaurant in view, they see Strils walk towards a building that functions as a warehouse for gym equipment and school supplies. Strils walks into the building, Ten and Cyte aren¡¯t able to follow him in, because they have no idea what the layout is inside. So they wait. After about an hour, Strils walks back out with the two bags. But the content of the bags has clearly changed. The top still has several items that were originally in the bags, but whatever is underneath wasn¡¯t what was there before. They watch Strils go back to the restaurant and see him put the bags down. Soon after the two dealers came back and seemingly forgot their grocery bags. Cyte can¡¯t believe what she just witnessed. ¡°Strils is the main supplier?¡± ¡°He and Bilicus are close. Do you think Bilicus is a part of this as well?¡± ¡°Why would the vice principal be involved in dealing drugs?¡± ¡°The money?¡± ¡°This school is filled with rich kids, the teachers here make more money than kings. And the vice principal makes double that. Why would he risk it?¡± ¡°We should tell Braverte and check that warehouse.¡± While Ten and Cyte were following Strils, Pulmo, and Braverte made their way to the abandoned research facility. They hid in the shadows as they did a quick run around the building to see where all the students were. After finishing their recon they met back up and exchanged what they found. ¡°23 students, most of them pairs, some of them in teams of 3.¡± ¡°Same, 26 students.¡± ¡°Once they are all asleep, main entrance. See you there in 5.¡± Pulmo nods. The two split up and they both start opening up a pouch filled with tiny darts. Braverte sees two students and throws a dart into their necks. The students feel something stinging them, but before they can react, they fall asleep. Braverte smiles. ¡°This stuff is still as magical as ever. Those shamans and their mud, deserve their reputation. I might have to visit them after this to stock back up.¡± Braverte keeps going around putting students to sleep. Once all the students are down he goes back to the main entrance and moments after he arrives, Pulmo lands as well. Without saying a word Braverte closes his eyes, grabs a bottle of water, and uses Higher Reasoning. The bottle of water starts glowing and then explodes into a burst of energy that short-circuits all the cameras in the building. Braverte and Pulmo rush in and go towards the elevator. They push the button and wait for the elevator to come up. Once inside they push the button to make it go down, and then go up to the roof of the elevator. They place a small bomb on the floor of the elevator. The elevator reaches the bottom floor, the doors open up and there stand 4 guards who are on high alert because there were no visits planned today. They look inside the elevator and see nothing but the small device. The device goes off and it¡¯s so loud that disorientates the 4 guards, the bomb also releases a heavy amount of smoke. Braverte and Pulmo go back down, knock out the four guards and see that they are in an underground lab, the path in front of them splits left and right. They nod at each other and each takes a different path to cover as much ground as possible. While running around they are using the camera¡¯s on their chest to record everything. Whenever they meet a student or someone they don¡¯t know, they immediately knock them out. They pass room after room where drugs are being made. They keep turning corners until eventually they see each other coming from the opposite direction. The lab is in the form of a square so they met up in the middle once more. And there stood a giant door. The door had several security systems in place. They instinctively knew that they weren¡¯t prepared to open this door so they decided that they got what they came for. They quickly went back up the elevator and made it out of the building unscathed. They made their way back to Braverte¡¯s house. From on top of a hill, looking down at the abandoned facility was Bilicus. He saw Braverte and Pulmo run away. ¡°Seems some rats made their way in.¡± Chapter 45 Fin Chapter 46: Unexpected Visit Pulmo and Braverte made their way back, Ten and Cyte were there as well. The four of them exchanged information about what they found. Braverte wasn¡¯t too shocked at the fact that Strils was a part of this whole thing. ¡°I think that what we found was the production center. Ten and Cyte found the distribution center.¡± Ten nods but then looks at Braverte as he asks his question. ¡°What is MYOS made of?¡± ¡°I have a feeling the answer is behind that door. I have my suspicions but I don¡¯t want to say them out loud without proof.¡± Pulmo is looking at the map they constructed of the lab and the building they entered. And they found a schematic of the supply warehouse as well. ¡°When and who?¡± Braverte looks at Ten and Cyte. ¡°Do you two have any idea of how long Demo and Cleus will take to recover?¡± Ten looks at the closed door to Demo¡¯s room and then looks back at Braverte. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him survive worse and wake up in a few minutes, so I¡¯m pretty sure he will wake up pretty soon and be ready to go.¡± Cyte keeps her eyes on the maps as she answers. ¡°Cleus will need a few more days for full recovery. But he will be back stronger than ever.¡± Ten seems a bit worried about Cleus as well. ¡°But what if the top 10 work for Bilicus and Strils? He might have to face Endo again.¡± ¡°My king will be fine.¡± Braverte takes a deep breath and smiles. ¡°Thank you two, and make sure to thank Demo and Cleus as well when they wake up. Let¡¯s all get some rest and prepare for what¡¯s to come.¡± With that, they all go their separate ways. Cyte goes back to her dorm and Pulmo goes back to her home. Ten goes back to his room. When he is alone, the top of his hand lights up.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Mai!?¡± ¡°Sorry it took so long, but going through the history of this planet was a lot more difficult than expected.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It felt like some purposely rewrote certain parts to fit a narrative. But only in certain books and sites, whereas other places and classified documents told a totally different story. Someone is rewriting this planet''s history to fit their needs.¡± ¡°Why would anyone do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, the small clues and hints I¡¯ve uncovered tend to lead to someone who is referred to as ¡°The Link¡±. But what they are linking to, I still haven¡¯t found.¡± ¡°So the information you have can¡¯t be trusted.¡± ¡°There is so much disinformation and distortion of the truth, that I can¡¯t say with certainty what is true and what isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°But whoever is doing this must have a lot of power and influence. To change a whole world''s history and get away with it is amazing.¡± ¡°History has always been written by the most wicked and evil as they are usually the winners. But this person doesn¡¯t seem to be affiliated with this planet per se.¡± ¡°What kind of changes are they making though?¡± ¡°The patterns I¡¯ve seen so far is that they are erasing or replacing key figures and important historical generals and kings. At times they are diminishing their accomplishments or adding scandals to their name that are unproven.¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± ¡°I will continue digging and analyzing the information. Once I have found concrete answers, I will let you know.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After that exchange Ten went to sleep. It was in the early morning that the front doorbell rang at Braverte¡¯s house. Braverte was getting ready to go to work so he was already fully dressed when he answered the door. There stood Bilicus with an innocent smile on his face. Braverte however was disgusted with the fact that Bilicus came to his house. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Bilicus places his hand on his chest as if he is shocked at Braverte¡¯s rudeness. ¡°What¡¯s with all the hostility? I just came to check up on my new club member, Demo. I heard what happened in the fight and I was so worried I could barely sleep.¡± Braverte¡¯s gaze is one of distrust and slumbering rage but Bilicus doesn¡¯t seem too bothered. ¡°Might if I come in and check on the poor boy?¡± Without waiting for a reply Bilicus steps past Braverte to make his way in, Braverte is disgusted by the idea of having Bilicus in his house but doesn¡¯t have a valid reason to reject him. So he decides to get this over with as quickly as possible as he points at Demo¡¯s room¡¯s door. ¡°He is in that room.¡± Bilicus starts walking towards the room, and while walking back he looks back at Braverte. ¡°Principal Braverte, are you ok? Are you getting enough sleep? You look a little tired as if you were up all night as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing just fine, never better actually.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡± Bilicus opens the door to Demo¡¯s room and finds Demo still unconscious. ¡°Oh, My-Ty really did a number on him. He walks closer to the bed and raises his hand to place it on Demo but Braverte¡¯s becomes extremely protective. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him!¡± Bilicus stops his hand, and then looks back over his shoulder with an enraged look on his face. ¡°Who do you think you are to give me orders?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter who I am, don¡¯t touch him.¡± ¡°Or what?¡± ¡°Learn to eat without your hands.¡± Bilicus now completely turns to face Braverte. ¡°You forget yourself.¡± ¡°Then make me remember.¡± The two come closer until they are face-to-face and within striking range. Chapter 46 Fin Chapter 47: Things could go bad Bilicus takes a deep breath and raises both his hands up while shrugging his shoulders. ¡°A fistfight serves no purpose other than showing how strong you physically are. I see no need for that.¡± With that being said Bilicus turns back to Demo. Braverte watches him like a hawk to make sure he doesn¡¯t touch Demo. ¡°Yeah, the weak have other ways of fighting and showing their strength.¡± Bilicus looks back with a slightly wicked grin on his face. ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t have to go around running in the dark to stay fit.¡± ¡°We work during the day, sometimes the night is the only time we have available to do the things we want to do.¡± ¡°And what exactly is it that you want to do, Braverte?¡± ¡°Find the truth.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be so much easier to just ask someone who knows it?¡± ¡°Asking a snake why it slithers is useless. Why are you here?¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯m here to see poor Demo.¡± ¡°See?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also here to bring you this.¡± Bilicus takes out a piece of paper from his pocket. And hands it over to Braverte who takes it and opens it up. Braverte¡¯s eyes open in surprise, it¡¯s the map of the underground lab they snuck into last night. Braverte looks back up at Blicus who is looking at him with a smile. ¡°Why are you giving this to me?¡± ¡°Your pretty assistant requested the information, but due to regulations, she wasn¡¯t able to get it. So I thought I would help.¡± Braverte looks back at the map and sees that the map includes the area they ran around. The room or space behind the door isn¡¯t on the map. Bilicus gave him a map of what they had already discovered.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°This map seems unfinished.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I requested the map she asked for. I don¡¯t know what is supposed to be on there so I¡¯m sorry. But I do hope this helps you out.¡± ¡°What are you making down there?¡± ¡°Me? Not a thing, I was surprised to find a lab down there as well. I¡¯ve sent a few of my men down there to get to the bottom of what¡¯s going on. Once we figure it all out, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°I would like to help with the investigation.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Braverte. But it seems that place was attacked last night. It¡¯s way too dangerous for the Principal to be there. Once we are sure it¡¯s secure, we will let you know.¡± ¡°I can take care of myself.¡± ¡°Trust me I know, but you shouldn¡¯t have to at your own school, right?¡± Bilicus turns back around towards Demo. Bilicus looks down at him resting, with a look of anger on his face. He turns back around to Braverte with a smile on his face. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be on my way. Please let Demo I¡¯m here if he needs anything.¡± Braverte doesn¡¯t say a word, he just watches Bilicus leave. Once Bilicus left, Braverte while holding the map clenches his fit and destroys the map he was given. His rage caused a slight amount of bloodlust to seep out. This bloodlust reached Demo. Demo was unconscious but his body reacted to the sudden energy. This impulse triggered Demo¡¯s mind. Demo heard a faint voice. ¡°You ready? Then let¡¯s go.¡± Demo¡¯s eyes open up with a bright glow. A burst of energy comes forth like an explosion. Braverte recognizes the danger immediately and guards himself from the blast. His body is thrown backward by the force nonetheless. The room is completely destroyed and that part of the building is broken down as well. Braverte is in shock at the sudden attack and doesn¡¯t know what to make of it. He looks into the dust to see what happened to Demo. Demo is standing in the middle of the dust completely unscathed. Braverte starts laughing. ¡°Hahaha, you have one hell of a way to wake up.¡± Demo looks around confused but realizes that he caused the damage he is standing in, he lowers his head as an apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± While keeping his head down he tries to think back to what happened. He recalls the last moments of the fight. ¡°I lost¡­¡± Braverte walks through the settling dust till he is in front of Demo. Braverte grabs Demo¡¯s arm and squeezes it a few times. ¡°You¡¯re still here, so you just learned something.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Clean up this mess and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Demo nods. He starts using Higher Reasoning to restore the building and his room to their former state. Braverte is sipping on tea watching Demo work. ¡°Why do you think you lost?¡± ¡°He was stronger than me.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°No matter how I hit him, it didn¡¯t hurt him. His speed exceeded mine as well, felt like he could dodge everything.¡± ¡°And that makes him strong?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°No, it just makes you weak.¡± Demo stops reconstruction and looks back at Braverte. ¡°What?¡± Braverte smiles while holding his cup and stands up. ¡°It might be better to just show you.¡± Braverte uses his hand to beckon Demo to come towards him. ¡°See if you can make me spill my tea.¡± Demo becomes enraged at the indication that he wouldn¡¯t be able to. Chapter 47 Fin Chapter 48: Simple lesson Braverte takes a sip of his tea, after finishing he nods at Demo to beckon him to start. Demo jumps up and tries to Superman punch Braverte. Braverte calmly lowers his core and smoothly brings his cup along for the movement and without spilling a drop dodges the punch. When Demo lands he quickly turns towards Braverte and unleashes a barrage of attacks. Braverte unfazed expertly dodges each one with minimal movements and without spilling a drop. After a few moments, Demo stops and looks at Braverte. Demo doesn''t say a word and while waiting Braverte takes another sip. "You done?" Demo doesn''t reply. Braverte takes a step closer to Demo. "Why do you think you can''t hit me?" "Because you''re too fast." "My speed has nothing to do with it. You''re just too slow and too predictable." "What do you mean?" "Raise your hand." Demo does as Braverte tells him and raises his left hand. Braverte without warning hits Demo''s hand. "Did that hurt?" Demo shakes his head. "Why do you think it didn''t?" "Because you didn''t use your full power." "Power has nothing to do with it. I''m going to use the same amount of power but use my body a bit more." "Your body?" Braverte hits Demo''s left hand again with a lot more force and blows Demo''s hand backward. Demo looks at Braverte with a befuddled look. "You used more power."Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "No, I didn''t. I simply put my shoulder into it. Now watch." Braverte again hits Demo''s hand but this time the force makes Demo''s hand fly back a lot further. "That time I twisted my hip before putting my shoulder into and throwing the punch." "But why ..." Before Demo can finish his question Braverte throws another punch. This punch was so strong it actually lifted Demo off the ground and pushed him back a few meters. "Foot, hip, shoulder, and finally punch." Demo looks at his hand which is still shaking from being hit that strongly. Braverte takes a sip. "Using your whole body to attack makes the attack itself stronger. You with me so far?" Demo nods as he makes his left hand into a fist. "But that doesn''t explain the speed." "What you see as speed is just me recognizing what you''re going to do and where you''re aiming. If you know a right kick is going to come and it''s aiming for your head, you duck or move out of the way. Only a fool would stay put. And because your moves are so simplistic I can easily get out of the way." "I''m basic?" "Extremely so, but that''s only because you never learned how to properly use your body in a fight. Let''s fix that." "Ok!" "But first finish cleaning up. I gotta go to work, I''m already late. Pulmo is going to have my head." Demo looks down at his fist knowing he just learned something that will make him stronger. Demo spends the whole day fixing the house. While taking breaks he tries to do what Braverte told him. Let the attack flow from his entire body instead of his arms. Demo is able to finish repairing what he destroyed by the end of the school day and after he finished he kept repeating the movements he learned. All a sudden he heard a familiar voice calling out to him from a distance. It was Ugly Face. "Are you ok?" Demo appreciates the concern and smiles at Ugly Face. "I''m good." "I was worried, that last hit looked really bad." Demo doesn''t look at Ugly Face to hide the frustration he knows must be showing on his face. "Sorry about that." "You don''t have to be sorry. You went toe to toe with My-Ty and lived to tell the tale. Plus you beat 3 of the top 10, you don''t have to apologize for anything." "Where is My-Ty now?" "I heard he has been meditating in the open field in the forest behind campus." Demo doesn''t say another word but starts walking toward the forest. Demo and Ugly Face make their way to a big open field in the middle of a beautiful green forest. The birds are chirping and there is a gentle breeze. In the center of the field sits My-Ty who almost seems like the epicenter of this serene scene. My-Ty is in deep meditation but the sudden appearance of Demo and Ugly have upset the balance of people that surrounded him. He opens his eyes and looks back to see who has come. ¡°Demo¡­¡± Demo doesn''t waste any time and grabs his coin. ¡°I challenge you!¡± My-Ty releases a deep sigh. ¡°Fighting someone as weak as you just makes me look like a bully¡± ¡°This time will be different.¡± My-Ty stands up and turns towards Demo and Ugly face. ¡°How about I show you what the strong are like?¡± Demo confused at what My-Ty is talking about tilts his head. Chapter 48 Fin Chapter 49: A walk in the woods Demo, Ugly Face, and My-Ty are walking through the forest. My-Ty is leading the way and without looking back he starts talking. "On my way to this planet, we stopped on a few others to pick up students. Each planet was weaker than the one before it. It was as if they all decided that the mind was stronger than the body. Weak-looking wizards, who would fall over at a strong breeze. I spoke to some of the students who got on the ship, and they explained that power lies in influence and information. Which means that the weakest man can be seen as the strongest as long as he knows a lot." Ugly Face doesn''t see the issue with this logic. "Isn''t that normal?" My-Ty doesn''t reply immediately but after a few moments. "The weak stand above the strong. In what world does that make sense? That is literally saying that the prey is allowed to dominate the predator. It''s unnatural." "But where we are now we don''t need strength, we have technology and Higher Reasoning to make life easier." "Easy creates weak men, weak men create a poisonous world, a poisonous world creates strong men and strong men create a peaceful world. It''s my planets philosophy that by staying strong we can avoid that cycle." "But deciding everything with strength will have its own issues." My-Ty looks up at the sky as he walks before he replies. "One planet we stopped on. We had to wait for a long time, for the student to come. That world was in a civil war because their king was a weak and feeble man. He tortured those around him for fun. He taxed his people to the point of starvation and the only reason he was allowed to do that, was because of laws created by weak men. But that in itself wasn''t so wrong, it was the soldiers and knights that followed the orders of that king. They slaughtered all those who opposed their king, knowing full well he was wrong. The strong protected a weak king, instead of those who truly needed it." Ugly Face lowers his head because he knows that this isn''t a rare occurrence in this universe. Demo on the other hand doesn''t know this, so he asks a question. "So what did you do?" My-Ty clenches his fist as he answers. "I stepped onto the battlefield to help the people and protect the weak. I was beating all the knights and soldiers the king had. I defeated each one. It was a short time but I influenced the flow of the war. Everything was set up for a final battle. I was going to kill the king and set the people free. I was the vanguard because their weapons and little magic couldn''t hurt me. And that is where I met the student we were waiting for, Sachem."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Ugly Face is surprised at the namedrop. "Number 1?" "Yeah, the strongest student in the school. He was fighting for the king. At the time I could sense he was strong, but I didn''t expect him to be that powerful. He overwhelmed me with sheer force and strength. So much so that it demotivated all those who followed me into battle. The civil war ended that day." Demo can see the regret My-Ty is feeling just from looking at his back. "The trip over here must have been really awkward." Ugly Face almost let loose a chuckle but caught himself in time. He prepares himself for a fight to happen between the two. My-Ty looks back at Demo and starts laughing. "Hahahaha, it really was. Couldn''t even look him in the eye. But that was 3 years ago. I''m sure he''s gotten stronger, but so have I?" "So you can take him now?" "I can and I will." The three of them continue their walk in the woods while Braverte shows up at the abandoned lab again. This time he doesn''t go through the process of sneaking in. As he walks up the students in the vicinity all seem struck with nerves as he approaches. "Principal Braverte, how can we help you?" Braverte doesn''t say a word and keeps walking past them. The students then walked in front of him and stopped in the hopes that he would stop. "Sir please, we are in the middle of investigating this place. Please you can''t go in right now. Braverte doesn''t care, he keeps walking and the students that are in front of him get pushed back by the power of his stride. Several students now try to push back but to no avail. Braverte keeps going. To try and stop him, one student breaks the elevator panel so that he can''t use it. Braverte pushes the students out of the way and punches the elevator doors breaking them open. He jumps down the empty shaft and lands on the elevator that is still at the bottom. He punches those elevator doors and they fly through the hallway. Braverte calmly walks through the smoke and dust. Several more students and school personnel appear to try and stop him. But Braverte runs on the wall to avoid them and keeps sprinting until he is back in front of the big door. He cocks his hand back and gathers energy. Once he has gathered enough, he throws a punch that creates a big hole in the door. He walks through the door and sees a huge room. The room is completely empty. There are several spots on the floor and wall that show an absence of dust or discoloration. Someone recently moved everything in the room. From above there is a camera that is watching Braverte as he stands in the empty room. On a screen in a different location, Bilicus is sitting behind his desk laughing. "Hahahaha, yes this should be enough to get rid of you." While Bilicus is laughing in his office, Ten is jawning while sneaking into the supplies room with Cyte. Cyte can''t understand why Ten is yawning. "Is this boring you?" "No, It was just a long night." "Stay focused we are almost there." Ten and Cyte walk into the main supplies room. It looks like a normal room with school supplies. But then Mai lights up on Ten¡¯s hand. ¡°There is a room beneath you. Near the wall to the right there is a hidden passage down. Look for a switch.¡± ¡°Ok, Cyte, you take the left side, I¡¯ll take the right.¡± Cyte looks at Ten then taps her feet to verify the open space beneath her. She takes a deep breath and punches the floor opening up a hole that leads to a stairway. ¡°Found it.¡± Chapter 49 Fin - Happy New Year people. I hope this year is filled with magic and all the love you can handle. Stay safe and be amazing. Chapter 50: Found out Ten and Cyte are walking down the stairs they found in the secret passageway. Ten is walking behind Cyte and in this moment of peace, his mind wanders to Cleus. "Is Cleus ok?" Cyte keeps her focus on what''s ahead to make sure there are no surprises as she answers. "My king never needs more than a week to get back." Ten can feel her trust in Cleus, but is still left with certain questions. "I know this isn''t really my business, but what''s the deal between Cleus and Endo?" Cyte stops walking and Ten slightly startled stops as well. Cyte now looks back at Ten like she is assessing him of his trustworthiness. A few moments pass, as Ten nervously avoids her piercing gaze. She then turns back around and continues walking. "When a child is born into the royal family they are assigned a shield, a crown, and a sword. The shield is the person who is responsible for their safety, the crown for their education, and the sword to slay all opposition. I am my king''s crown and Endo used to be my king''s sword." "Aren''t they around the same age?" "From the moment my king was born he was being trained on how to be a just and righteous king. To make sure that happens, he needs people he can trust and rely on. That is why the shield, crown, and sword are the same age as the king." "So he automatically gets three best friends?" Cyte stops again, she looks at Ten with a sad smile on her face. "Yes, he does." Ten can see that Cyte got a little emotional, but since she didn''t tell him to stop asking questions he feels he can ask another one. "So why are Endo and Cleus fighting?" "It''s an unwritten law that the sword becomes the general of the king''s army. And that their children become the swords of the next king. This has been our tradition, and how we have been able to keep the peace and fend off invaders. But the previous king''s sword ... "Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Cyte doesn''t finish her sentence. She stops talking and starts shaking with rage. Ten can see how upset she is. "You good? Never mind it''s ok." Ten and Cyte were just about to step into a dark room before Cyte stopped walking. The lights in the room were off, but they suddenly switched on. There stood Thelia in the middle of the room holding a red sword, and in the back of the room near the door stood Endo. Thelia is the one who starts talking first. "The previous king''s sword freed the people from an evil king." Cyte doesn''t say anything, her eyes are locked on Thelia and the sword she is holding. Endo seems slightly amused by how focused Cyte seems to be. "You recognize the sword even though you''ve never seen it? Guess the rumors of a secret library in this school are true. Guess the pictures in those books were pretty detailed. Did you learn anything else from the founder''s secret library?" Cyte doesn''t reply. She realizes that this situation is bad and that the two of them won''t be able to make it out of there alive. "Ten, run back up the stairs and call for help. I''ll try to keep them here." Endo gets a big smile on his face. "Strils told us that whoever came down here, wasn''t allowed to leave. Soooo." Cyte looks back at Ten and screams at him. "RUN!" Ten doesn''t know what to do. If he runs away he can ask for help and save his own life. But if he does that, Cyte will most likely die. But if he stays they will both die and he will most likely just get in the way since Cyte will have to protect him. Ten''s legs start to shake, he grabs his head and falls down to his knees. Thelia now also smiles as she takes a step forward. "The Crown''s Blood Sword will enjoy cutting into that weakling and a traitor." Those words set Cyte off something fierce. "HOW DARE YOU!" Cyte is getting ready to charge at Thelia when suddenly the ground starts shaking and a huge wall comes up from the ground in front of Cyte and Demo. Cyte stops at the sudden wall in shock, Ten grabs her hand. "Let''s go!" Ten starts running and Cyte is following him. As they run up the stairs Cyte doesn''t fully understand how this situation came to be. "What happened?" "I dropped to my knees because I needed my hands on the ground to use Higher Reasoning." "So that was all an act?" Ten hesitates before he answers. "Let''s just run." They get a good head start before they hear what sounds like an explosion behind them and a huge cloud of dust springs forth from the doorway that led into the room. From the dust Endo and Thelia spring forth chasing after Ten and Cyte. Ten and Cyte make it all the way out of the stairway and run out of the supplies room and the building. Once outside Endo and Thelia use their special technique to increase their speed and catch up to Ten and Cyte. Thelia is in front of them and Endo is still behind them, as Ten and Cyte stand back to back. Thelia raises up her sword and points it at Ten and Cyte. "You should feel honored that you''ll die by the Crown''s Blood Sword. It''s more than a piece of filth like you deserves." Cyte takes a deep breath and breathes out. She looks at Endo who hasn''t drawn or made a weapon yet and then quickly looks back at Thelia who is holding the sword of her ancestors. She can''t find a way out of this. And that''s when she hears a familiar voice coming from the distance. "Only those loyal to the true king are allowed to wield that sword." Chapter 50 Fin. Chapter 51: The true prince arrives All four of them look in the direction of where the voice came from. Cleus slowly walks up to them like he is taking a leisurely stroll. Endo doesn¡¯t seem too surprised. ¡°Came out of hiding?¡± Cleus simply ignores Endo and looks at Cyte. ¡°You ok?¡± Cyte nods in response but Endo is infuriated by Cleus ignoring him. He thinks to himself that a lowly peasant like him should never dare to ignore a prince, he is glad he can now finally end this. ¡°Upanga, Ngao!¡± From the shadows of the buildings around them, walk two boys dressed in all black. Endo having called them smiles. ¡°My father called and told me that since I¡¯m graduating pretty soon, I should make sure to tie up loose ends. Which means, our little game has to end here. But you should be grateful he let you live as long as he did after finding out you were here. Or better yet thank me, because I could have killed you at any time.¡± Cleus calmly turns his head to face the two boys walking up. Endo continues talking. ¡°I would have killed you myself, but killing on school grounds could get me expelled and I still want to get my degree. So, my sword and shield will be more than enough to do it. I mean ever since I got here they have been doing nothing but keep watch in the shadows, so they might be a little excited, I hope you can entertain them for a bit.¡± Upanga the shield of the new prince, is the first to rush towards Cleus. He has summoned two daggers from blood as he dashes, Cleus clenches his fists so hard that he punctures skin and blood starts trickling down his fists. Upanga slashes with all his might but his slash hits nothing but an after image of Cleus. Confused Upanga looks around but he can¡¯t see him. Cleus appears behind Upanga, grabs his head with both hands with Cleus¡¯ nails digging into Upanga¡¯s skin, and twists his head in the opposite direction. Cleus¡¯s takes his hands off Upanga¡¯s head and his hands start to glow red. Upanga¡¯s head keeps spinning and with each rotation, it increases in speed. Faster and faster until the head just pops off the body and a spinning rain of blood covers the area around the body and Cleus. Endo sees what is happening and is shocked at the fact that Cleus is able to use that skill. The Spinning Blood technique is what he once used on Cleus in one of their fights to break Cleus¡¯ arms. The user inserts his own blood into the enemy to control the blood of the enemy. But the force and sheer speed Endo was able to create wasn¡¯t of that level. Endo thinks to himself that there is no possible way that Cleus knows this technique. Cleus slowly lowers his hands and turns his head to face Ngao. Ngao is enraged at the loss of his friend and screams in rage. He loses himself in anger as he scratches his arms deep enough for blood to come out and two giant shields are formed from his blood. The shields are covered in spikes and with them, Ngao starts running towards Cleus.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Endo is confused about what is happening. He knew that Cleus wasn¡¯t weak but he shouldn¡¯t be strong enough to deal with Upanga like that. The Cleus he knows isn¡¯t that good of a fighter, he should be running around and trying to find a cowardly tactic to win. This isn¡¯t what should be happening. Ngao is close to Cleus, and intends to skewer him with his shields. Cleus bites his lip with enough force to bring forth blood and then spits in his hands. He then claps his hands together and keeps them in that position as he starts shaking his hands and arms. Endo immediately recognizes the technique as the Trilling Blood Technique. Where the user mixes his saliva with his blood and then through vibration and H.R. creates a liquid that can break down almost anything upon touch. But the most Endo was able to do, was dissolve all of Cleus¡¯ clothes in a battle embarrassing him in front of the whole school. But how could Cleus know how to do this technique? And why is he using it against a move as powerful as the double shield attack? Cleus doesn¡¯t hesitate and dashes towards Ngao with his hands out to meet Ngao¡¯s shields. When the two come in contact, Cleus¡¯s hands win and destroy the shield completely. The moment the shields are gone, Cleus pulls back his right hand and immediately punches Ngao in the face. Ngao is sent flying, the moment he lands, Cleus is there as well. Cleus puts his foot on Ngao¡¯s chest and looks down at him. Cleus makes a fist and it starts glowing red. Endo can¡¯t believe what he is seeing, he is in such shock that he is unable to move. The same goes for Thelia. Cyte however is smiling and Ten is just amazed at how strong Cleus is right now. Cleus is standing over Ngao as he speaks. ¡°What do you think would happen if all the blood in your head wanted to go a different way?¡± Ngao¡¯s jaw is broken and he can¡¯t reply. But he lifts his hand shakingly as a plea for mercy. Cleus looks at the hand, takes a deep breath, and then cocks his fist back and punches downwards to his Ngao in the face. When his fist connects with Ngao¡¯s face all the blood that was circulating in his head was instructed to move outwards. Ngao¡¯s head explodes like a blood balloon that is popped. All that remained was a clean white skull. Cleus stands up straight and looks at Endo. Endo is baffled at what he just saw, he can¡¯t imagine how Cleus is able to do all these techniques so he has to ask. ¡°How?¡± Cleus ignores him and turns to Ten. Cleus knows that this conversation is going to be about the royal family and certain secrets might be revealed that a commoner isn¡¯t allowed to hear. ¡°Ten, don¡¯t you have something you need to do?¡± Ten was still mesmerized by everything that happened but Cleus speaking to him snapped him out of it. ¡°Yeah, I do. But Endo is right there.¡± Ten points at Endo who is standing in between Ten and the doorway. Cleus looks at Endo as he answers. ¡°Just walk past him, he knows better.¡± Ten isn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Yo, I appreciate the way you came here. Took care of those guys like a G. But THAT guy beat yo ass 100 times. Telling me to walk past him like it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a 100, it was 98!¡± ¡°Yeah, the issue is those two times, that¡¯s the issue!¡± ¡°What you¡¯re scared?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared, but we ran for a reason.¡± ¡°Need me to walk with you?¡± Ten nods. ¡°That would help.¡± Ten walks to where Cleus is and the two of them then walk towards the door. Endo knows he is supposed to stop Ten but with Cleus right next to him, he is unsure if attacking Ten is the smartest move. Because while attacking he is open to receiving an attack as well. Ten and Cleus are now very close to Endo. Cleus stops right in front of Endo and Ten keeps walking. He keeps giving Endo the side eye to make sure Endo doesn¡¯t attack him. Once he is past them he starts running and goes through the door. Cleus and Endo are now face to face. Chapter 51 Fin Chapter 52: Be humble Cleus thinks back to the very first duel between Endo and him. He stood in the ring and Endo had a wicked grin on his face. It was the first time that Endo was going to use a skill he learned from his father the New King. Cleus was shocked at the fact that Endo was able to use a royal skill he had only heard rumors of in passing. Cleus asked Endo what that skill was and with a smile on his face, Endo explained that it was a technique created by Cleus¡¯ great forefather a king of old. And then he used that technique to brutally harm Cleus. Cleus wasn¡¯t prepared to face such a dangerous skill and took a lot of damage. Endo laughed as he injured Cleus and once Cleus was defeated Endo left the ring laughing like a maniac. Cyte helped Cleus up and they walked back to their abandoned library building. Cleus was crying with rage as he stumbled back leaning on Cyte. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that bastard is using my family¡¯s techniques. How dare they steal our history!¡± Cyte is shaking with rage as well but has no words as Cleus continues. ¡°They will pay for what they have done. I won¡¯t allow him to mock my forefathers like that. Only royalty is allowed to know all the techniques of the kings. They will PAY!¡± Cleus knows that because he is in exile he is unable to learn the techniques and skills of his forefathers. This is a right only given to the prince. The shield, sword and crown have their own techniques that are passed down through history. But because Cyte is here with him, she was also unable to learn the techniques that are a part of her lineage. Cleus needs to heal and recover so he goes down into a small basement-like room beneath the old building. In the room, there is a small table with the prince''s crown on it. Cleus keeps it in this basement room for safekeeping and to remind him of his duties as a prince and future king. Cyte places him on a futon in the basement room. She then feels like she needs to try to lift Cleus¡¯ spirit up a little bit. ¡°My king, this is only a loss, if you view it that way. Learn and grow, don¡¯t let things that frustrate you stop you from being who you¡¯re meant to be. Only you decide who you are and what you¡¯ll become.¡± Cleus¡¯ eyes open up fully and his tears stop immediately. He looks at Cyte who just gave him a wonderful idea. He sits up straight closes his eyes and goes into the lotus position. He recreates the fight he just had in his mind and uses his imagination to visualize Endo and the technique he used. He goes over every move that led up to the technique being used, and every small movement Endo made while using the move. His memory isn¡¯t flawless because he was in such a panic that he didn¡¯t pay too much attention. However, it was clear that using his memory and paying attention to every small detail he can use Endo as a medium to learn the techniques.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! He will have to fill in the blanks a lot, because all he would have, is the final form and the movements of the body, but not the Higher Reasoning used or the intricate flow of energy applied. But it¡¯s a start. Cyte is confused as to what is going on, but Cleus opens his eyes and smiles at her. ¡°Thank you, Cyte.¡± A little confused but happy her king is feeling better she answers. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, my king.¡± In the next duel and all those that came after, Cleus paid extremely close attention to everything Endo did. He made sure to remember the pain each technique inflicted and how the pressure and force were applied. Then after each duel, he would sit in the basement room and go over each technique. Once Cleus felt he mastered it in his head, he had to make sure his body got used to it too. That small basement room became his training ground. Week after week, he suffered a humiliating loss to turn it into a valuable lesson that helped him grow as a king and as a fighter. The techniques left scars on the walls of the basement and embedded deep cracks the stronger Cleus got. This was Cleus¡¯ weekly routine until today. Having let Ten get away, Endo does his best to keep a calm face in front of Cleus to make sure he keeps the upper hand. Cleus while looking at Endo instructs Cyte. ¡°Now that Ten is gone, you don¡¯t have to hold back anymore. Take back the Crown''s Blood Sword, I¡¯ll handle Endo.¡± Cyte smiles as she answers. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Cyte then bites the skin between her index finger and thumb puncturing the skin and making it bleed. She then uses Higher Reasoning to turn that blood into a Scythe made of blood. Thelia is angry at the loss of Upanga and Ngao. ¡°How is he able to use the Royal Techniques? He shouldn¡¯t have had an opportunity to learn them!¡± Cyte keeps her smile as she answers. ¡°Endo was a good teacher.¡± Endo¡¯s face twists in anger. ¡°Are you saying, you copied my techniques after each duel?¡± Cleus looks at him with a sarcastic and slightly confused look on his face. ¡°They were never yours to begin with.¡± ¡°But how? I made sure to never use the same technique twice. And I never told you the mechanics or math behind any of them!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate true Royal Blood, and I learned a new skill while at this school. I had to walk around with my eyes closed a lot due to certain issues. So I learned how to observe auras and people¡¯s presence a lot better. And as a bonus, my eyes became a lot better at reading the flow of energy.¡± ¡°You read the blood flow?¡± ¡°Yes, and the flow of Moksi you embedded in it.¡± ¡°You tried to play me for a fool?¡± ¡°Tried? ¡­ But no, I treated you like a teacher with a mean streak. And in our last battle, you finally used the technique my father created. Which means you¡¯ve reached the end of the skills passed down in my lineage and thus your usefulness to me.¡± ¡°Usefulness to you!? You dare act like you were using me? You traitorous weakling!¡± ¡°It was your family that betrayed us.¡± ¡°We took what was rightfully ours!¡± ¡°You killed for what you wanted, but that doesn¡¯t make it yours.¡± Endo¡¯s veins start popping up out of his face. ¡°Your weak copies will never beat me!!¡± Endo takes out a small knife cuts open his palms and then summons two spinning blades using his blood. ¡°DIE!!!¡± Endo attacks Cleus. Chapter 52 Fin Chapter 53: Cyte vs. Thelia Endo lunges at Cleus with the two blades spinning on his palm. Cleus calmly dodges the attack and then jumps back to create some distance. He lands next to Cyte, from his peripheral he glances at Cyte. ¡°Make sure to not damage the sword.¡± Cyte smiles as she answers. ¡°Make sure you pay him back what you owe.¡± Cleus gets a slight grin on his face as he summons a sword made of blood from his palm. ¡°I¡¯ll even put something on it.¡± Cyte jumps towards Thelia and attacks her with the scythe. Thelia is able to parry the attacks but isn¡¯t able to counter them. She is taken aback by how strong Cyte is and wonders if she has always been this strong. Cyte keeps attacking relentlessly, varying her attacks from the left, right, up, and down. All Thelia can do is parry each move. Cyte can tell that Thelia isn¡¯t planning on countering or attacking which means Thelia is overwhelmed. This is her chance to apply even more pressure, so Cyte increases the speed of her attacks. Thelia is indeed starting to be unable to respond to all the attacks. Some of Cyte¡¯s attacks are leaking through her defense. She can¡¯t understand how this is possible. She was taught the secret techniques of her clan. There is no way that a banished traitor of her clan should be able to be stronger than her. In a fit of rage, Thelia releases a huge attack that affects the area around her, forcing Cyte to back off. The strain of having to defend against the attacks and the big move drained some of Thelia¡¯s stamina. Panting she looks at Cyte. ¡°How can you be this strong?¡± Cyte looks at her with a blank stare. ¡°Nah, how can you be this weak? Has our family fallen so far they just let anyone become the crown?¡± This comment infuriates Thelia. ¡°You¡¯re scum. You don¡¯t deserve to mention the family. You betrayed us when you left with that fallen prince.¡± ¡°Fallen? The reason you¡¯re here is to kill him so that he can¡¯t reclaim what is rightfully his. I would tell you to tell that to the fake king sitting on a stolen throne, but I¡¯ll be taking tongue as a trophy.¡± ¡°You think just because you got a little stronger, you stand a chance?¡± Thelia places both her hands on the hilt of her sword. Her eyes start to glow red and then the sword starts glowing a deep red as well. Cyte recognizes what is going on and takes a defensive stance as she whispers to herself.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°They taught her how to release it ¡­¡± The sword¡¯s glow keeps intensifying and then the energy it has been exuding get sucked back into the sword. An explosion of energy comes from Thelia and the sword. Cyte dissolves her scythe then turns the blood into two daggers and holds one in each hand. A cloud of dust springs forth after the explosion from Thelia. Cyte knows what to expect so she readies herself. The area around Cyte is covered in smoke. She has slowed down her breathing and pushed her concentration to the extreme. Out of nowhere, a blade swings at her neck, she narrowly dodges it and gets cut in the neck. From within the smoke, she can hear Thelia¡¯s voice. ¡°Impressive, but I won¡¯t miss again.¡± Thelia remains hidden in the smoke and attacks Cyte from her blind angles. Cyte is able to dodge the attacks but gets cut more and more as time passes. Until finally she is unable to dodge an attack on her leg and gets a cut deep enough to make her kneel. When her knee hits the ground, Thelia takes it as her win and starts laughing. ¡°Did you really think a rat like you could best the real crown?¡± Thelia steps out of the smoke to reveal herself to Cyte. She confidently walks towards Cyte with two daggers as well. ¡°You might know that the crown''s true purpose is to protect the king and assassinate his enemies from his shadow, but knowing it and being taught the skills is a different thing. When I bring back your head, our family can finally raise theirs with pride.¡± Cyte places her hand on her wound. She recites a few mathematical phrases and her hands start lighting up as does the wound. Thelia keeps walking towards her and readies the dagger in her right hand to kill Cyte. When Thelia is right in front of Cyte she raises her arm to plunge it into Cyte¡¯s neck. Cyte however doesn¡¯t give her this chance, Cyte stands up and grabs Thelia¡¯s hands, and the two are now face to face. This sudden movement surprised Thelia and the look in Cyte¡¯s eyes scares her. ¡°Thelia, the first rule of an assassin is "stay in the shadows".¡± Cyte flexes her muscles, strengthens her grip, and twists her hands which breaks both of Thelia¡¯s wrists. Thelia screams in pain and having just inflicted pain, Cyte loosens her grip which allows Thelia to jump back. ¡°The second rule is don¡¯t make a sound.¡± Cyte disappears from Thelia¡¯s sight. Thelia franticly looks around but can¡¯t see Cyte. She can¡¯t hear her footsteps either. Then from behind her two big slashes separate Thelia¡¯s arms from her body. Thelia screams in pain. Cyte stands back in front of Thelia looking down on her. ¡°The second rule Thelia!¡± Thelia can¡¯t stop screaming, she looks at Cyte with blood in her mouth and tears in her eyes. ¡°DAMN YOU!¡± ¡°THELIA, NO!¡± Endo who was confident that Thelia could beat Cyte can¡¯t believe it and tries to rush towards Thelia to save her. But his path is blocked by Cleus who is holding his sword up to stop Endo from going towards Thelia. ¡°Not your fight.¡± ¡°OUT OF MY WAY!¡± Endo attacks Cleus with the two spinning blades. Cleus defends himself and keeps Endo in place. Cyte doesn¡¯t look back because she knows she can trust Cleus to have her back. ¡°Thelia, what is the third rule of an assassin?¡± Thelia doesn¡¯t answer, her tears and screams won¡¯t allow her. Cyte dissolves her daggers and then Cyte kneels down and grabs the two daggers that were created from the Crown''s Blood Sword. The moment the two are in close proximity they turn back into a sword. Cyte takes a moment and sees her own reflection in the sword. Cyte then looks back down at Thelia who is looking at her with unbridled rage. Without any hesitation, Cyte swings the Crown''s Blood Sword and sends Thelia¡¯s head flying. ¡°Only the dead are allowed to fail.¡± Chapter 53 Fin Chapter 54: Fight back Thelia¡¯s head hits the floor. Endo sees her head bounce on the ground and stops his attacks due to the shock of losing her. Cleus looks back at Cyte standing there with the Crown¡¯s Blood Sword in her hand. The sight of Cyte¡¯s triumph put a smile on his face. Because he knows how much it means to her to redeem herself and hold the sword of her family. Cyte¡¯s face is covered in Thelia¡¯s blood, she uses her tongue to lick some of it off her lips. She thinks to herself that it tastes sweet. Cyte looks down at the decapitated head with a gaze devoid of any emotion. ¡°I made you a promise didn¡¯t I?¡± Cyte kneels down next to Thelia¡¯s head, she opens Thelia¡¯s mouth and grabs her tongue. ¡°You won¡¯t need this in hell.¡± Cyte then rips the tongue out of Thelia¡¯s head. She stands up and with her grip enhanced by strengthened blood, she crushes the tongue in her fist. The Crown¡¯s Blood Sword starts shaking uncontrollably Cyte doesn¡¯t know why this is happening but holds on to it regardless. The sword begins glowing with a yellow light and after a few moments, a bright flash appears blinding Cyte for a few seconds. When she opens her eyes again she can see the blade of the sword dissolving into blood. Only the hilt remains in her hand. ¡°Why?¡± Cleus and Endo are both unaware of why the sword dissolved like that. But Endo couldn¡¯t care less, because in just a few moments he lost his shield, crown, and sword in one fell swoop. His world has begun crumbling down around him. Endo¡¯s head falls in despair and the two spinning blades dissolve into blood and fall to the ground. Cleus on the other hand is smiling because this is the first time he has seen Endo so distraught. ¡°Get your head up. I didn¡¯t go through all that for it to end like this. At least fight back.¡± Endo swallows his tears and raises his head back up. He takes a deep breath and then looks at Cleus. ¡°You¡¯re right. A king should never bow his head to his subordinates. I will get a new Sword, Shield, and Crown. But first I have to kill you and that bitch.¡± Cyte is still looking at the Crown¡¯s Blood Sword¡¯s hilt. She snaps out of it when she hears the word bitch and looks up at Endo and Cleus. She knows that she shouldn¡¯t interfere in this fight and that helping Ten takes precedence over watching the fight. However, if she is correct in her assumptions, Endo is still a viable threat to Cleus. Cleus will need ¡°that¡± to ensure his victory. ¡°Your Highness, I will be back.¡± Cyte starts running towards the abandoned building that Cleus and her use. While running she is hoping that Cleus and Ten both stay safe until she returns. Especially Ten since he is going into unknown waters and Strils has yet to show his face. So the chances of him being down there are high.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Cleus and Endo both look at Cyte run in what they believe to be the wrong direction. Cleus doesn¡¯t know what Cyte is thinking but he trusts her enough to know that whatever she has planned is crucial to their survival. Endo thinks that she might be calling for reinforcements to deal with what is waiting for them in the supply room. He is going to have to hurry and defeat Cleus. Endo uses the blood still on him to spawn a new sword which he then points at Cleus. ¡°I will bring your head back with me as payment for the lives you took.¡± ¡°Your family took my father, my mother, my shield, and my future from me.¡± Cleus¡¯ blood starts to boil with anger, and the rage inside him manifests as a red aura that surrounds him. The dark red energy is enough to make Endo nervous. ¡°You hunted down my brothers, killed my family, and sit on my throne.¡± As Cleus speaks his anger increases and thus the swirling energy of anger around him intensifies as well. ¡°And yet you dare talk to me as if you lost something.¡± The energy around Cleus starts pulsating its then that Endo realizes what Cleus is doing. He immediately jumps back far enough to be out of range of the energy field. The red energy around Cleus drops to the ground like a shadow finding its home and stays there. Cleus whispers the name of what he has just done to himself. ¡°Death¡¯s Domain.¡± Endo can¡¯t believe that Cleus is able to create a domain like this. Endo isn¡¯t even capable of creating a blood domain of this size. And it took him a very long time to master it even though he was taught by his father and a personal trainer. So how can Cleus do it at such a level without having received any training? Or wait perhaps ¡­ ¡°Who trained you?¡± Cleus looks at him confused. ¡°You did.¡± ¡°I WOULD NEVER ¡­¡± Before Endo can finish his sentence Cleus jumps at him with his sword in hand and slashes Endo with a diagonal strike. Endo is able to react in time and block the attacks. Endo uses his free hand to summon a group of blood needles he shoots as projectiles towards Cleus. But Cleus sees them coming and dodges them by stepping to the right, and in one motion he slashes Endo again while dodging. Endo blocks this attack too, and then goes on the offensive with his own sword attacks. The two exchange blows and sparks fly as their swords clash. The sounds of their fight reach all the way down into the supply room¡¯s basement. Ten can hear them as he very slowly and very carefully walks through the hallways. He ran down the stairs and into the room where they first met Endo and Thelia, but that second door was unknown territory, so he took it a bit slower. Plus he figures that if he takes it slow, he is giving Cleus, Cyte, or Demo the chance to catch up. It would be unfair for him to do it all alone. His eyes are already adjusted to the dark he is in. There were several light switches on the wall, but he passed each one without touching them. Because by doing so he would be giving away his position and presence. On the way down, he made several pieces of armor he put under his clothes. Because you never know what might happen, and as always better safe than sorry. ¡°Mai, did you find a map for this place?¡± ¡°No, this building shouldn¡¯t have an underground facility according to the blueprints.¡± ¡°Based on how we came here, and what we¡¯ve seen so far, any ideas of what¡¯s ahead?¡± ¡°Strils used this as a storage facility for drugs, and we have yet to encounter any drugs. Stands to reason that we will soon come up on a lot of drugs.¡± ¡°Or Strils.¡± ¡°Possibly.¡± ¡°I just want it on the record, that the moment we see Strils, you have my full consent to take over.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Ten reaches the end of a hallway and there is a single black door. With a keypad and eye scanner next to it. There is also a camera above him and on the door, there seems to be a palm/finger print reader. ¡°I think this is it.¡± Chapter 54 Fin Chapter 55: Ten finds proof Ten looks at the technical marvel that is this secure door. The security features and sheer ingenuity have him appreciate the door. ¡°This is one good-looking door. I¡¯m pretty sure no thief could get in there.¡± Then takes a step to the side and places his hand on the wall. ¡°Yup, no way to get through that door.¡± Ten closes his eyes and starts chanting a mathematical code. The code he is chanting lasts a few moments longer than usual. But then he opens his eyes and the wall he was touching starts glowing. The glow is restricted in the form of a big door. The door of light starts going inwards into the wall then turns left towards the side of the security door and pushes in further. After several meters of going straight it once again turns left. The light dissipates once it reaches the end of the concrete it was moving in and so a tunnel was created that bypassed the security door. ¡°Yup, amazing door if I ever saw one, I should take a picture to show Demo.¡± Ten walks into the tunnel he created and finds himself in a pathway behind the security door. The door is to the left, and to the right, there is a light at the end of the pathway where Ten can hear a lot of hustle and bustle. Ten slowly walks into the hallway and towards the light. He sneaks close enough to see into the big room and hides behind a big rock. And there he sees Strils. Strils is carrying bags of MYOS vials and placing them into a large container. The container is linked to a spaceship-like vehicle. It seems that Strils is planning on moving the evidence. Ten stands up to get a closer look and see if there is anything he can do. ¡°TEN, GET DOWN!¡± Mia warns Ten, and he immediately responds by ducking back down. ¡°What? Did he see me?¡± ¡°No, there are several unknown lifeforms in the back and it seemed like one of them was staring right at you.¡± ¡°Unknown lifeforms?¡± ¡°They have human-like features but their biosignature is completely different.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Could they be Palindra?¡± ¡°No, these seem to be human-like in their features and biosignature.¡± ¡°You really think they saw me?¡± ¡°Since they aren¡¯t attacking or making any noise or warning Strils, it seems I was wrong. Take a peek at that direction again.¡± Ten slowly gets up and looks in the direction that Mia felt their presence. Ten can now also see several figures standing in the shadows but their eyes have an eerie purple glow. And it indeed feels like one of them is staring directly at Ten looking him in the eyes. Ten immediately moves back behind the rock to hide. ¡°It looked right at me.¡± ¡°Yet it isn¡¯t warning Strils. Perhaps they are hostages.¡± ¡°Or they are crazy sentinels who are waiting to see if I¡¯m alone or with an army. Or perhaps they already informed Strils and he is waiting for me to let my guard down. Or ¡­¡± ¡°TEN!¡± Ten stops his rambling and looks at his hand. ¡°My bad.¡± ¡°We have to stop Strils before he can get away.¡± ¡°I have an idea.¡± While Ten works out his idea, Bilicus is standing in a room looking at the screens. He is a bit confused because Braverte who broke into the abandoned lab is just standing there. The people who are at the lab don¡¯t dare approach him. So Braverte is just standing there alone with his head down. Bilicus senses that something is wrong. And then he hears a sudden loud voice from outside of the building he is in. ¡°BILICUS!¡± It¡¯s Braverte¡¯s voice but that is impossible how can he be at two places at the same time? Plus there is no way that Braverte would know this new hideout. How did he find them? Bilicus goes towards the window and looks down and there stand Braverte and Pulmo. Braverte looks directly at the window where Bilicus is and smiles. Braverte raises his hand with his palm up and with two fingers gestures for Bilicus to come down. Bilicus doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening looks back at the screen and there he sees the Braverte that was in the lab disintegrate into a pile of rubble and blood. This infuriates Bilicus because he can¡¯t believe that he was tricked by a damn clone. He clenches his fist in anger. ¡°Braverte!....¡± Pulmo looks around to see if any of Bilicus¡¯ henchmen are coming out. Or if some of the students who are following his orders appear. ¡°Today it ends.¡± Braverte nods and notices the door of the building they are in front of opening. Out of the building walk the third and fourth strongest students. Pulmo walks towards them while Braverte stays in place. Braverte looks back up to the window and sees that Bilicus is no longer there. Plus the fact that two of the strongest students came out, means that he is probably not coming out. Which means Braverte will just have to go in. Pulmo and the two strongest meet each other halfway and once they are close enough to be within striking distance they all stop. Pulmo looks at them with a somber look on her face. ¡°Cherish your life.¡± The 3rd strongest student named Teraw calmly responds as well. ¡°We do, and we know how strong you are. But our task is to delay you, not defeat you. So we hope you will respect that and not make this a fight to the death.¡± Braverte starts walking towards the building as well, he looks at the three of them as he walks past them. He makes sure to glance at Pulmo¡¯s eyes and demeanor to see if she needs any help dealing with the two students. Pulmo looks at him with eyes filled with calm confidence and nods at him. Braverte nods back and keeps walking. The two strongest students know that if they were to try and stop Braverte from entering they wouldn¡¯t last long. Teraw the 3rd strongest has heard rumors on her home planet about Bravere and his strength. So she can only imagine what kind of monster he would keep under his wing. The 4th strongest student named Tearh sees no use in fighting unnecessary battles so letting Braverte go is the most logical conclusion. Pulmo now knows that these two have been sent to delay her. She could fight and overpower them but would hurt students in the process of doing so. There is only one reasonable solution. ¡°5 minutes.¡± The 3rd strongest Teraw immediately understood what Pulmo meant. She will wait here for 5 minutes, which means that the two students will have done their job and no one will have been hurt in the process. Both Teraw and Tearh do a fist-hand salute and bow and in unison answer. ¡°Thank you.¡± Braverte goes into the building. Chapter 55 Fin Chapter 56: A cup of tea Braverte makes his way into the building and he finds himself in a large open room. There are doors on each side of the room and a stairway leading to the second floor. Braverte places his hand on the ground. Looking for Bilicus could be hazardous because he might have set traps. The quickest way to find him would be to just locate him and find the shortest route. Braverte releases two bursts of Higher Reasoning energy that flows through the floor like waves looking for a beach to crash on. The first wave is to find all the objects that are touching the floor and the second wave is to see if any of the objects are moving. Using this method Braverte finds several people walking and running around in the building. Based on the height and weight of Bilicus one particular set of movements caught his attention. Braverte stands back up, looks in the direction of where the steps were caught, and slowly starts walking that way. Outside the building, a table with 3 chairs has been made and Pulmo together with Tearh and Teraw are now sitting down. Teraw is pouring a cup of tea for the three of them. ¡°Since we¡¯re waiting, let¡¯s be civil.¡± Pulmo grabs the cup and smells it then looks at Teraw to make sure there are no suspicious signs in her behavior or face. The smell didn¡¯t reveal any poison, and since Teraw and Tearh are both drinking it, it is assumably safe. Teraw looks at Pulmo as she sips her Tea. ¡°Ms. Pulmo, even on our planet we heard stories or maybe rumors would be a better word, about Braverte and the things he has done. But we were never able to confirm any of them.¡± ¡°What stories?¡± ¡°We heard that Braverte was something similar to a mercenary but instead of money, he demanded loyalty. And that he fought in a lot of battles.¡± Tearh has also been interested in the truth about Braverte. ¡°We heard he was part of the battle in Frenzyf, and that he took out half the opposing army by himself.¡± Pulmo doesn¡¯t say a word but instead, she just nods. This delights Teraw, as she just got verification of Braverte¡¯s history. ¡°Is it true that the body parts on him are from people he has lost on the battlefield? And that he took parts of their body to remember them by?¡± Pulmo doesn¡¯t say a word, but her eyes are sad as if she remembered something that she wishes she didn¡¯t. She takes a sip of her tea. ¡°But how? Reattaching a body part is extremely difficult. The math needed to reconstruct severed limbs requires 3 to 4 people. Attaching a body part that isn¡¯t your own, would take AI-assisted math with at least 5 doctors, and even then the rejection rate is like 80%. But the stories say that Braverte did it on the battlefield by himself.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Pulmo can see that they indeed did hear a lot of stories about Braverte and even did a bit of research into him, to see if they were true. ¡°He¡¯s a genius.¡± ¡°The skin on his face ¡­ is that really his son?¡± This question angers Pulmo, as they have overstepped their boundaries. She looks at them with a frown. The two immediately know they have gone too far. ¡°We¡¯re sorry, we didn¡¯t mean to offend.¡± Pulmo relaxes her face and takes another sip of the tea. Teraw can¡¯t help herself as this is a rare chance to get some answers. ¡°Please tell us this, is it true that Braverte was in the top 10 of the Dark List?¡± This question surprised Pulmo a little as she thought that this wasn¡¯t public information. But perhaps their time at this school has detached them from the world they were in. The look of surprise on Pulmo¡¯s face was enough of an answer for Teraw. But Tearh is a bit confused. ¡°What is the Dark List?¡± ¡°You know how the universe ranks its strongest fighters right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But to be ranked you have to register your name, and prove your strength or have an amazing reputation. Well, it seems that there is a list for those who don¡¯t want to register their name, and their reputation isn¡¯t one that the general public would like.¡± ¡°So basically the strongest criminals list?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing, it¡¯s not only criminals. It¡¯s everyone who isn¡¯t registered. So the list is filled with rumors, hearsay, and lies. But the top 100 is generally filled with really dangerous people who have a proven track record.¡± ¡°So, if the Prime Perfect fought the number one on the Dark List, who would win?¡± ¡°Nobody knows, but they say that the number one on the dark list is as strong if not stronger than the Prime Perfect.¡± ¡°And Braverte was in the top 10 on that list?¡± ¡°Seems so.¡± Pulmo is a little proud of the fact that these two seem to revere Braverte the way they do. Tearh can tell that Pulmo seems a bit more relaxed so he fires off another question. ¡°How did you and Braverte meet?¡± Pulmo can tell that the question isn¡¯t one of malice or trying to dig up dirt. It¡¯s literally a curious student asking a question of someone who they admire. But this brings back a flashback to Pulmo¡¯s mind. She was just a young girl covered in blood, sitting in a burning house. Her mother and father lying dead in front of her as she cried. Her screams of pain and agony were drowned out by the crackling of the fire and the falling debris. The man who killed her parents was standing in front of her, looking down at her with eyes that seemed to glow red. The blade with which he cut and killed her parents was drenched in blood and the untainted parts seemed to glow with evil intent. The man took a step forward to finish Pulmo off, but then he suddenly noticed something. This scared him enough to hurry away as he escaped through the roof of the burning building and disappeared into the night. Soon after Braverte appeared his face twisted in anger at the fact that he was too late to prevent this from happening. His eyes are sad, as he looks down at young Pulmo. He then looks up at the roof through which the killer escaped. He has to make a choice between saving Pulmo or going after the killer. Without any hesitation, he walks towards Pulmo and lifts her up into his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡­ You¡¯re safe now.¡± Young Pulmo can¡¯t say a word as her tears won''t stop. Braverte holds Pulmo tight, and still jumps through the roof, when he lands he quickly surveys the area and sees broken branches and footsteps in one direction. He places his hand on the back of Pulmo¡¯s head. ¡°Hold on.¡± He then jumps in the same direction in which the killer went. Chapter 56 Fin Chapter 57: Tracking down a killer The killer is running at full speed through the forest. He occasionally looks back as he can sense Braverte behind him. While running the killer has a devilish smirk on his face. Braverte however is dead serious as he doesn¡¯t run through the forest but jumps from tree branch to tree branch while holding a young Pulmo. Following a crazy killer like this one is dangerous, especially if you simply follow his tracks. The amount of traps and or hidden ambushes that could follow increases the longer the distance is between the two. To avoid this to a certain degree, Braverte uses the trees to get a higher vantage point. He is a little slower than usual because he is carrying extra weight, but he is still able to sense that he is getting close every moment. The violent jumps from branch to branch and the speed with which they are moving have silenced young Pulmo. Her body and mind aren¡¯t used to this kind of force being exerted on her. Braverte knows he is putting a lot of strain on her body, but there is no other option right now. ¡°You¡¯re a brave girl. Soon we will catch him.¡± Pulmo nods as she holds onto Braverte tightly. The killer arrives at a big open field with a big rock in the middle of it. He stops and turns around, and when he is completely turned Braverte jumps down from a high tree and lands at the edge of the field with Pulmo still in his arms. The killer looks excited as he sees Braverte. ¡°You made it. And you brought the girl.¡± Braverte knows that things are about to get very violent so he puts Pulmo down. ¡°Stay here. Don¡¯t move, ok?¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Braverte stands back up and looks at the killer. ¡°Why did you kill her family?¡± The killer starts chuckling. ¡°I had to make sure you would keep following me. I wanted to kill the girl too. I was worried you would stop and take care of her. I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t though.¡± As the killer finishes, a lot of crazy-looking people come out of the bushes and woods and step into the open field. They all have their eyes set on Braverte. The killer is now smiling from ear to ear. ¡°I promised all these guys they would get to meet you. And I hate breaking a promise.¡± More and more people come out of the forest until there are hundreds of killers and thugs on the field. The killer has his arms out with his palms up as he smiles at Braverte. ¡°Surrender, and I promise you a sweet death. And we will kill the girl once we¡¯re done. Or an ugly death and the girl will be sold to the highest bidder.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Braverte looks to the left and then to the right to survey his surroundings and do a quick headcount of those present. He then starts nodding, like someone who just accepted a bad situation. Braverte turns back to Pulmo and looks her in the eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, I got you.¡± There isn¡¯t a hint of fear or hesitation in Braverte¡¯s eyes and his tone of voice is very soothing and with a calm voice of her own Pulmo replies. ¡°Ok.¡± Braverte turns back to the group, raises his right leg, and stomps on the ground. A wave of Higher Reasoning spreads across the field. Using this method Braverte is able to find the last person standing at the edge of the group and then after another 5-meter expansion, he releases the wave. Where the wave stopped the ground started to crack. The group of killers think it¡¯s an earthquake caused by Braverte so they just smile as they expected something like this. ¡°Your little tricks won¡¯t work here.¡± From the cracks suddenly a huge wall appears and from the wall, lava starts flowing down. Making the wall untouchable and unscalable. Braverte now looks the killer he was chasing right in the eyes. ¡°Thank you. You brought all of these open bounties in one place. I¡¯m finally going to be able to pay off my house. That mortgage was killing me.¡± The killers realize they have been trapped inside the walls created by Braverte. Braverte can sense that some of them are a bit startled. ¡°I only need your heads as proof.¡± One of the men in the group decides that he has had enough of listening to Braverte and charges at him. Braverte doesn¡¯t hesitate and disappears from sight. Pulmo is a bit startled at his sudden disappearance but she then sees him appear again behind the man who was charging at them. Braverte is holding his head in his hand. Braverte is now standing right in front of the group of men who wish to kill him. He looks at the killer who he chased here. ¡°You¡¯re last.¡± The killer surprised at the bravado of Braverte decides it best to end this right now as he orders everyone. ¡°KILL HIM!¡± The group descends on Braverte like a wave of insane bloodlust and killers. Braverte dodges attacks and with each of his own attack, he takes off a head. He uses several methods to decapitate his opponent, sometimes he just punches their head straight off. Other times he grabs a hold of the head and just rips it off. He also uses a roundhouse kick to decapitate a few others. He at times also uses his hand like a blade and slashes their head off. Braverte has taken off 25 heads when he jumps up and backward to land in front of Pulmo. He puts the heads down in front of her while still facing the group. He stands back up and smiles. The group realized that they might have bitten off more than they could chew. Braverte jumped back to both protect Pulmo from sudden attacks on her as she could be taken hostage and to show those who couldn¡¯t see what was happening that he took off a lot of heads. He knows that fighting is often more psychological than physical. The killer who Braverte chased down, might be the most shaken of them all. But he hides behind his men and orders them to continue their barrage. ¡°What are you waiting for? GET HIM!¡± Braverte stomps on the ground again, but this time two flyssa swords come out of the ground and pop up, Braverte catches them midair. Without delay, he jumps back into the group and starts taking off heads again. Pulmo is watching the whole thing mesmerized by the elegance and sheer dominance that Braverte is fighting this big group. The main killer has snuck off to circle around Braverte and has finally found an open spot where he has a straight line and open access to young Pulmo. If he can take her hostage, they will be able to stop Braverte and kill him. And now is his chance, so he dashes towards Pulmo. Chapter 57 fin Chapter 58: Protect Pulmo While Braverte is fighting the mob, her parent''s killer has found a chance to grab Pulmo and hold her hostage. The killer checks and waits for the perfect moment when the mob surrounds Braverte and obscures his view so that the killer can run and hold Pulmo hostage. Braverte is covered in blood and decapitating his assailants left and right. The mob is now trying to overwhelm Braverte with numbers and closes in on him. The killer thinks to himself that now is the perfect time. He runs at full speed towards Pulmo, who through all the mayhem can see that one man is moving differently from the rest. The man is running towards her, and as he closes in Pulmo recognizes the killer. She wants to scream but fear grips her throat and not a sound is produced. The killer is now only meters away from Pulmo, and stretches his arm out to grab her as soon as Pulmo comes into range. Pulmo can see the hand of her parent''s killer closing in. Still unable to scream she closes her eyes in the hopes that she will be safe in the dark. The killer thinks to himself that this will prevent Braverte from fighting. The killer''s stretched-out arm is sent flying through the sky. The killer screams in agony as he falls to his knees. He looks ahead to see what took his arm and there stands a stone sword-wielding clone of Braverte that spawned from the ground. He set this trap to protect Pulmo and he did it this way so that other possible assailants would think there might be more traps and get discouraged before even trying. The killer rips off part of his jacket and ties his arm up to stop the bleeding. Pulmo opens her eyes and sees a stone clone in front of her with a bloody sword. She sees the killer on the ground in pain with his arm cut off. She quickly puts 2 and 2 together to realize that Braverte protected her even in this situation. The killer in rage knows that he fell for the trap Braverte set and looks back to curse Braverte. But what he sees stops him. Braverte is standing in the middle of a sea of corpses and decapitated heads. His figure was darkened by the blood of his victims. Braverte is standing there with his head down as blood trickles down his face. There are still a few stragglers left of the mob who didn¡¯t engage with Braverte. Their fear saved their life. Braverte straightens his posture and from the side looks at the killer whose arm is missing. The killer felt a chill run down his spine as if the grim reaper himself gazed at him. Braverte then scans his surroundings once more to see the remaining few who have completely lost the will to fight. Braverte knows that the fight is over and doesn¡¯t see a need to prolong it anymore he looks at the stragglers. ¡°Kneel.¡± The stragglers know that obeying the order is the only way for them to survive. So they all raise their hands as a sign of surrender and kneel. The killer knows that his chances of survival are slim already but if he loses his backup it will be zero.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°What the hell are you guys doing!? He¡¯s exhausted, this is our chance. GET UP!¡± Braverte looks at all of them kneeling. ¡°Heads down.¡± The stragglers all put their heads down. Braverte waits till all of their heads are down. The killer is still trying to get them to fight back. ¡°GET UP! We can take him, he is finished.¡± Braverte raises his right leg and stomps on the ground. At that exact moment, a blade emerges right under the stragglers'' necks and decapitates all of them. Their heads roll on the ground as the killer is sent into despair and his last glimmer of hope disappears. Braverte breathes out as if that was the last of the mob. He now looks at the killer who has fallen backwards and is on his ass looking at Braverte walking towards him. Braverte with each step releases small waves of Higher Reasoning. When he is five meters from the killer Braverte stomps the ground again. When he hits the ground, multiple pillars jump up from the ground with so much force that whatever is on top of them is sent flying upwards. Braverte smiles as he looks at the pathetic-looking killer. ¡°For you.¡± The killer is confused about what¡¯s happening and so is Pulmo. But then the first one lands. A decapitated head lands right next to the killer. Followed by many more. It¡¯s raining heads. The killer tries to protect himself with his one arm, as the heads fall down like horrific hail. When the barrage of raining heads stops the killer is covered and surrounded by heads. Braverte has now lost his smile as he stares at the killer. ¡°How did you arrange all of this? You don¡¯t have the resources.¡± ¡°He helped me.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, he called himself ShaSha.¡± ¡°Where can I find him?¡± ¡°I never met him, we only talked on the phone. I don¡¯t know what he looks like.¡± ¡°Why target me?¡± ¡°He said you messed with his business. He promised me freedom if I did this, I just followed orders.¡± ¡°That is an excuse?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a pawn, there¡¯s no need to kill me, I can help you get ShaSha.¡± Braverte looks at the killer with a contemplated look. The killer sees this as an opportunity to save himself. And decides to embellish his importance a bit more. ¡°ShaSha has a whole network all over this universe. I¡¯ve seen it for myself.¡± Braverte with one quick smooth motion of his sword cuts off the killer''s hand. The killer screams in pain and falls to the ground. Braverte stomps on the ground and the killer is entangled in chains that spring forth from the ground. Braverte walks past the killer to the young Pulmo and squats in front of her. ¡°Do you want to take revenge? Do you want him to live and face justice? Or do you just want to walk away and leave him be?¡± Pulmo looks Braverte in the eyes. She thinks it through to find what she in her young heart really wants. And with a soft voice, she utters her wish. Braverte stands back up and gives her one of his flyssa swords. Pulmo takes the sword into her hands and stands up. She walks towards the killer who is still screaming in pain. But when he sees Pulmo stand next to him with a sword in her hands he realizes what is going on. ¡°WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! Don¡¯t do this. I can help you. I¡¯m sorry. I was just following orders. I didn¡¯t mean it. I¡¯m really sorry. Forgive me.¡± Pulmo looks the killer in his eyes and she can tell that he isn¡¯t sorry. He is just scared and will say anything to save himself. Pulmo raises the sword with the blade facing down. The killer is now completely overcome with fear and pleads for his life. ¡°NO, NO, PLEASE!¡± Chapter 58 fin Chapter 59: Finding Bilicus Braverte in his search for Bilicus walks into a big room. The room is empty except for a desk in the middle of it. Braverte walks up to the desk and places his hand on it. He scans the desk using H.R. to see if there are any abnormalities. He senses that there is a button on the side of the desk and pushes it. The button triggers several engines to start and the room is filled with the noise of wheels turning and creaking. Then there is a loud click but nothing happens. Braverte stays alert, traps might have been triggered or monsters might have been set free. And then the sound of metal doors slamming down can be heard all over the building. Pulmo who is outside sees the metal doors coming down on every opening of the building. She takes another sip of tea and slowly blinks her eyes as she knows that this isn¡¯t a threat to Braverte. Bilicus has arrived where he wanted to be. The metal doors came down on this doorway as well. Bilicus takes a small card from his pocket and holds it against the metal door, upon touching the metal door a blue glow emanates from the card all over its surface. Once the blue light dissipates the metal door swings back up. BIlicus goes into the room. Braverte has been tracking Bilicus¡¯ movements and locates his location once more. Braverte starts walking towards the way out which is blocked by the metal door. He goes to touch it so that he can transmute it into something else, but the moment his finger touches it several spikes spring forth from the door attacking him. Braverte jumps back to avoid the attacks. He thinks to himself that a door that attacks upon impact is a decent defense mechanism. This place isn¡¯t a quick hideout but seems to be the main headquarters of this whole thing. Braverte walks back to the desk, grabs it, and throws it at the door. The door senses a projectile coming at it at high speed and calculates the possible damage that could occur. The door gathers energy and sends out a blast to meet the desk, and the blast is strong enough to turn the desk into dust. Braverte looks at the wall. He grabs a piece of rubble from the floor and throws it at the wall. The same thing happens. Braverte now knows that the button triggered the defense system of the whole building. This means that any effort to destroy the building to create shortcuts will be met with heavy resistance. This feels like a method to slow Braverte down. Braverte then stomps on the floor to send out a wave of Higher Reasoning with which he intends to just transform the door and wall without touching them. The sensors in the wall and door can sense the wave of H.R. energy and that triggers an algorithm that runs through the door and walls. This algorithm offsets the energy that Braverte sent out. Braverte has never seen or experienced this kind of technology before so he is surprised at what just happened. He stomps again to verify his suspicions and it happens again. He thinks to himself that this is rather impressive but he knows that letting Bilicus be alone for too long could be dangerous. Braverte cracks his neck and starts walking towards the metal door. He winds up his shoulder and raises his arm to get the muscles ready for action. When he is close enough without breaking his stride he cocks back his fist and with full force punches the door. The door reacts but Braverte uses his fast reflexes to dodge each spike. The punch was strong enough to break the door completely and send it flying thus opening up his path forward.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Braverte starts walking in the direction of where he sensed Bilicus. The metal door was destroyed, but before it got shut down, it sent the information and footage of what just happened to the mainframe. Which then updates all the doors and walls to be better at dealing with Braverte. The next door was able to sense Braverte approaching and readies the spikes in advance to reduce his reaction time. Didn¡¯t help. The door was destroyed, this process of destruction and improvement went through several cycles as Braverte rushed to get to where Bilicus was. When he arrived at the last metal door, he was covered in bruises and blood. The doors didn¡¯t stop him, but they were effective in hurting him and slowing him down. But Braverte also learned a few things. He was dragging a huge metal door with him when he arrived at the last door. He saw the last metal door, stopped, and strengthened his grip on the door. He lowered his core and gathered his energy in his arm. And then with all his might, he flung the broken metal door at the last door trying to stop him. The metal door that was trying to stop him, recognized that there was an object flying towards it, but also registered that it was another metal door. This slight delay in computing was all that was needed for the doors to crash without the still functioning metal door being able to stop it. The last metal door between Braverte and Bilicus was now flying through the air with the other broken door. They both hit the wall and get embedded into it. Braverte walks through the dust into the room where Bilicus went. Bilicus was on the second floor when he heard the commotion and had to check to see what was happening and that¡¯s when he saw Braverte step through the dust into the room. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Braverte looks up to see Bilicus standing on the railing. He slowly keeps walking forward to close the distance between the two. ¡°To save my students.¡± ¡°Save them from what?¡± ¡°You.¡± This comment infuriates Bilicus. ¡°ME!? I make sure they get the cleanest MYOS there is. Before I came here, they were literally putting poison into their body.¡± ¡°Giving them cleaner poison doesn¡¯t make you a hero. It just makes you villain telling himself he is one.¡± ¡°So, what you¡¯re going to kill me for giving the people what they want?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you; I¡¯ll just make sure you get held accountable for what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°And you think by removing me you stop anything? If I leave, there will be hundreds of people willing to take my place. All you will do is create a war to fill the vacuum.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make an example out of you, no one will want to follow your steps.¡± ¡°In what world does that work? Supply is and will never be the problem, as long as demand exists there will be someone to fill that role. Even if you manage to stop MYOS, these people will just find something new to feed their addictions.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t my concern. I can only do what is in my control, and stopping you is what I can do.¡± ¡°You as the headmaster of this school cannot be this shortsighted. I am just a small part of this cycle, I will be replaced by the end of tomorrow.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll take down your replacement as well.¡± ¡°Do you not see how stupid you sound right now? You literally just said that you will just keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. I am the best option you have, trust me.¡± ¡°Trust you. TRUST YOU. Thanks to you, thousands of zombies are stored in warehouses. And I know that there is a reason for that, that only you know.¡± ¡°Braverte, trust me and just walk out of here.¡± Braverte is now close enough to the railing on the second to jump up. He lands right on the railing a few meters away from Bilicus. Braverte¡¯s eyes have turned cold as if the killer inside of him got woken up. ¡°Either face justice or death. Your choice.¡± Chapter 59 fin Chapter 60: The forgotten one’s purpose Bilicus and Braverte have locked eyes. Bilicus can see that Braverte¡¯s patience has run out and his threat of killing him is real. ¡°Killing me won¡¯t stop anything.¡± Braverte doesn¡¯t say a word, he intently keeps staring at Bilicus. While still on the railing, Braverte stands up straight and takes a step towards Bilicus. The bloodlust exuding from Braverte sends chills down Bilicus¡¯ spine. So much so that he feels death is coming for him and in his panic he sees no other option but to resort to his trump card. ¡°PINEAPPLES.¡± Braverte stops, and the sudden scream and randomness of the word take him aback. Confused, he looks at Bilicus. ¡°Wha¡­¡± The wall next to them bursts and explodes inwards. A huge arm lunges at Braverte through the flying rubble and punches him. Braverte who was on guard was able to block the punch but the force sent him flying nonetheless. He lands awkwardly back on the first floor but the momentum slides him back a few more meters. Braverte lowers his guard to see what it was that hit him. Next to Bilicus stands next to a zombie. The zombie looks at Braverte and screams like a wild animal. Braverte can¡¯t believe his eyes, as zombies have always been in a vegetative state. ¡°How.¡± Bilicus looks down at Braverte with a certain look of sadness and regret. But it doesn¡¯t stop him from uttering the next words. ¡°Get him.¡± The zombie understands the order and jumps forward to attack Braverte. Bilicus knows that the zombie is strong but it probably won''t be strong enough to take down Braverte. So he takes this moment where Braverte is occupied to ensure his victory and starts running towards his secret place. Braverte knows that the zombie is being controlled somehow, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s trying to kill him. The speed with which the zombie is moving isn¡¯t human. Braverte knows that he can¡¯t take too many of attacks before his body gives out because the zombie¡¯s strength is off the charts. He dodges the punches because the zombie is strong but it lacks fighting experience and seemingly the intelligence to adjust to new information. Braverte quickly realizes that the attack pattern is rather simple and can be easily avoided. As the danger somewhat subsides in his head he now has a choice to make. Kill the zombie or let it live and keep chasing him, or just cut off all its limbs. Braverte checks and sees that Bilicus has left, which means he is probably setting up another trap. Braverte needs to hurry before more zombies appear so he makes his decision.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Braverte dodges another punch from the zombie and 97 .then with full force punches their shoulder with the intent to dislocate the bone. Which should prevent the zombie from attacking, and it isn¡¯t as severe as completely chopping off the arm. The zombie is spun around after the punch, once it stops it screams at Braverte like an injured beast and rushes back in to attack. Braverte can see the muscles of the zombie working to put the bones back in place. The zombie''s body is doing its best to protect itself. Which means that Braverte has to go with the extreme option. After another attack, Braverte dodges it and quickly summons one of his flyssa swords. And in one smooth motion cuts off the zombie''s arm. The zombie screams in pain as its arm is sent flying through the air. Braverte having made his choice knows that he has to see it through to the end, he rushes towards the screaming zombie and cuts off its other arm. The zombie¡¯s screams fill the room as its blood gushes onto the floor. Braverte now has to cut off the legs as well, to ensure the zombie can¡¯t follow him. When he moves to get into position to cut off the legs he catches a glance of the zombie¡¯s face as it looks at him. There are tears in the zombie¡¯s eyes. Braverte closes his eyes because he has to do what he has to do and in a clean cut, takes off both legs from the zombie. Braverte stands over the torse of the zombie which is crying and screaming in pain. The sound of agony of an innocent victim dragged into a fight that had nothing to do with it, infuriates Braverte. ¡°BILICUS!¡± His scream reaches Bilicus who has arrived at a secret room He stands in front of 7 zombies. ¡°You leave me no choice.¡± Bilicus opens a safe and takes out 7 adhesive cards. He attaches a card to each of the zombies'' chests. The card sends pulsations through the zombies'' bodies. Their veins darken and the glow in their eyes intensifies. Braverte walks through the doorway of the room that Bilicus is in. ¡°You need to die.¡± Bilicus looks back at Braverte. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Braverte takes a step towards Bilicus and that is when the 7 zombies simultaneously take a step forward as well. Braverte can tell immediately that these zombies are different. They aren¡¯t screaming like wild animals or rushing at him thoughtlessly. ¡°What have you done?¡± ¡°What you made me do.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me kill these people.¡± ¡°They are already dead.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not. They can still feel, they still have a family that loves them. They deserve better than this.¡± ¡°The moment they took MYOS, they became receptive to the signal. The more MYOS they took, the more effective the signal becomes. These people modified their bodies so much, their brains only accept the signal as truth.¡± ¡°What is the signal?¡± ¡°Worry about yourself first.¡± ¡°Bilicus, you¡¯re going to die screaming.¡± ¡°You have to survive to keep that promise.¡± Braverte summons another flyssa sword and wields one in each hand. He knows that once he makes a move towards Bilicus the 7 zombies will attack. And because he knows that these are different from the previous one, he is reluctant to simply engage as there are a lot of unknown variables. But not doing anything doesn¡¯t solve anything. So Braverte takes a step forward and that¡¯s when the 7 zombies charge at him. Chapter 60 fin Chapter 61: Done waiting Pulmo is still sitting with the 3rd and 4th strongest students. She gave them some extra time because she knows that once Braverte is in trouble, he will find a way to let her know. And joining in suddenly might disrupt the flow of the battle in a negative. But then BOOM a huge explosion destroys the whole side of the building that Braverte is in. From the huge cloud of smoke, Braverte jumps out of it like a bat out of hell. He lands a few meters from Pulmo, his injuries haven¡¯t increased but the look on his face is a lot more serious than before. Pulmo stands up because this is the signal she was expecting. The 3rd and 4th strongest students Teraw and Tearh also stand up because they didn¡¯t expect this kind of fight. Pulmo jumps past the two students and lands next to Braverte. ¡°Bilicus?¡± ¡°No, somehow he is able to control the zombies.¡± ¡°MYOS zombies?¡± ¡°Yeah, he said the signal we have been tracing is a mind control signal that grows stronger the more someone takes MYOS.¡± ¡°Bilicus¡¯ plan?¡± ¡°I get the feeling it isn¡¯t his.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± Braverte stands up straight with his flyssa swords in each hand. ¡°Let¡¯s ask Bilicus when we¡¯re done. Now get ready, they are stronger than you think.¡± Just like Braverte, the 7 zombies jump out of the smoke one by one. They land next to each other, breaking the ground upon impact. Pulmo had to see it to believe it, but these were indeed the bodies of people who lost themselves in MYOS. They have been deemed clinically braindead but now they are moving around. Pulmo touches her bracelet and using Higher Reasoning transforms it into a beautiful scimitar. Braverte scans to see if he sees Bilicus anywhere but he must have slipped out in the commotion.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°They are victims, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that they will kill you if you let them. Cut off their limbs and incapacitate them, let death be the final resort.¡± Pulmo nods, Braverte has one more question left as he looks at Teraw and Tearh. ¡°Will they be a problem?¡± Teraw and Tearh both don¡¯t know what is happening. But they both don¡¯t want to get caught up in the mayhem that is about to ensue. They are fully aware that Pulmo and Braverte are far above their level. And this fight could be the death of them, if they interfere. Teraw and Tearh both look at each other and without saying a word back away. Pulmo and Braverte both see the two students backing away, and having spoken to them she knows that those two aren¡¯t that interested in the fight. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s get started.¡± Both Pulmo and Braverte rush towards the 7 zombies and the zombies reply in kind. The sounds of the fight cover the whole school. The students are being calmed down by the teachers who have an inkling of what¡¯s going on. And know that they have to keep the students safe and away from any secrets that might spill out from the fight. So the school is in lockdown. However, the sounds travel further than just the school grounds, as Demo and My-Ty both look back at the source of the sounds. Demo is concerned about Ten and the others. He stops walking and considers going back to help them. My-Ty can tell that Demo is worried for his friends. ¡°If you want to go back, go. But I doubt a weakling like you will make any difference.¡± Demo heard what My-Ty said but didn¡¯t let it get to him. He knows that his friends are doing their best and that they are facing tough opponents. But he has a gut feeling that if the number 1 strongest fighter joins the fray, they will lose. It¡¯s up to him to make sure that the number 1 stays occupied and unable to fight his friends. My-Ty has started walking again, Demo faces forward once more and starts walking as well. Ugly Face knows that Demo¡¯s friends are in trouble. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°No, but we have to see this through.¡± My-Ty smiles at the fact that Demo stuck by his choice. And a few moments later they clear the forest and stand in front of a small building in an open field. In front of the building stands the strongest fighter in the school, Sachem. He is looking directly at the trio that emerges from the forest. My-Ty has a huge grin on his face because he is delighted to see that Sachem is waiting for him. ¡°You ready?¡± Sachem also heard the sounds coming from the fights, he didn¡¯t want to waste too much time fighting My-Ty. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with quickly.¡± My-Ty releases a burst of Moksi from his body. The burst expands like a wave of energy. Demo feels the energy and smiles because it feels like My-Ty¡¯s intent to fight with all his power. Ugly Face falls to the ground because the energy was so overwhelming it made him sick. And Sachem seems completely unbothered. My-Ty turns his head to look at Demo. ¡°Watch.¡± My-Ty then slowly walks towards Sachem while cracking his bones and neck. ¡°You should get ready.¡± Sachem doesn¡¯t answer nor does he take a fighting pose as suggested. My-Ty comes closer. ¡°This isn¡¯t like last time. This time, I¡¯m ready.¡± Sachem sighs as he answers. ¡°As if readiness was the problem.¡± My-Ty cracks his knuckles as he is almost within striking range. ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± The two are now face to face. Demo takes another look back as he can hear the sounds of the fight intensifying in the distance. He turns his head back as he thinks to himself that My-Ty needs to finish this quickly so that they can go help the others. With a huge smile on his face, My-Ty throws his fist back to throw a huge punch, Sachem does the same. They both punch at the same time and the collision of their fists causes an explosion of energy. Chapter 61 fin Chapter 62: The Number One The clash of their fists created a shockwave strong enough to shake the trees at the edge of the field. Demo smiles because he sees something that he wasn¡¯t able to do before. Ugly Face can¡¯t believe what he is seeing, this isn¡¯t the level at which students should be able to fight. My-Ty and Sachem exchange blows and the two are seemingly evenly matched when it comes to power. After a few more fists collisions My-Ty jumps backwards. His knuckles are scratched and damaged while Sachem seems fine. My-Ty frustrated at the fact that Sachem isn¡¯t damaged or bothered by their exchange releases a scream of frustration. ¡°Seems you didn¡¯t slack off.¡± ¡°Only a fool believes that the past is more than a point of reference. I knew you would grow stronger than my old self, so I had to make sure I did the same. And it seems you didn¡¯t work harder than me.¡± My-Ty relaxes and stands up straight and then with a smile on his face looks at Sachem. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Teaching the weak their place doesn¡¯t need thanks.¡± ¡°No, I thank you for taking me serious enough to get stronger.¡± My-Ty takes a deep breath and then releases a deep sigh that seems to calm his raging energy. He repeats this pattern several times, and with each breath, his energy becomes more concentrated. Demo also notices the change in My-Ty¡¯s energy as My-Ty keeps refining his energy. After a few moments, My-Ty¡¯s energy and demeanor have completely switched from what they were before. ¡°Now, let me show you the results of my training.¡± Sachem instinctively knows that this My-Ty is more dangerous than the one he fought before and so he takes up a fighting stance. My-Ty however doesn¡¯t rush in, he simply walks towards Sachem. Demo who can¡¯t understand what is happening can¡¯t hide his confusion anymore as he asks the following question. ¡°What just happened?¡± Ugly Face is still on his knees watching the fight, but can at least answer the question. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that on My-Ty¡¯s planet fighting is a way of life. The weak die and the strong survive. But to make sure you can keep fighting most people use their anger as a source of strength. My-Ty is a prime example of that. He just charges in and fights like he is trying to kill you with each blow. But there is this myth that if they can control their anger and focus it, they become 10 times stronger.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°And that¡¯s what he just did?¡± ¡°It looked like he used a breathing technique to calm his energy and mind down.¡± Demo focuses back on My-Ty¡¯s back as he is walking towards Sachem. Demo thinks to himself that it¡¯s weird to think that a calm mind is more dangerous than an angry one. He thinks back at the boost of power he got when he lost himself in a rage. So how can My-Ty be stronger now? My-Ty in a very calm fashion steps into Sachem''s striking range and without hesitation Sachem strikes first with a punch that is extremely fast. My-Ty moves his body out of the way and smoothly rotates his torso to be in the best possible position to counter. My-Ty throws a punch directed at Sachem¡¯s head but Sachem dodges it by using a head slip. Then in one motion, Sachem rotates his body to duck under My-Ty¡¯s extended arm to get into position to throw a body blow. Sachem throws the blow but My-Ty uses his free hand to catch the blow and instead of using full force to stop it, he simply absorbs the impact and lets it push him backward. My-Ty lands calmly and gets back into his fighting stance. Sachem raises his guard, tucks his chin, and hunches over while lowering his core. Sachem can tell from that exchange that he is going to have to take this a bit more seriously. Sachem starts weaving his body left and right like a pendulum of doom. My-Ty calmly watches Sachem¡¯s body and mentally prepares himself for the unknown because he has never seen Sachem use this technique. There is a moment of silence as the two don¡¯t move while observing each other. Then like a bolt of lightning, Sachem comes forward and from a lowered position he throws an uppercut that My-Ty dodges. My-Ty uses this chance to throw a punch of his own, but Sachem ducks under it and throws an overhead right. My-Ty leans to the right to avoid getting hit and uses his body¡¯s momentum to deliver a strong knee aimed at Sachem¡¯s upper body. Sachem uses his free hand to block the knee then quickly throws a straight right at My-Ty¡¯s body, but My-Ty blocks it with his elbow. This last exchange pushes the two apart again. My-Ty¡¯s arm is tingling from the blow he just received. Sachem stands back up straight and looks at My-Ty who survived an attack that took down more enemies than he can count. Sachem is slightly impressed by the fact that My-Ty was able to grow this much in such a short period of time. ¡°My-Ty, what is your goal here?¡± ¡°My goal? ¡­ To beat yo¡¯ ass.¡± ¡°And after that?¡± ¡°Beat yo¡¯ ass again, till we¡¯re even.¡± ¡°Instead of these childish games, I believe your strength could be used to change this universe for the better.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Join me, and I will introduce you to the strongest fighters that will help you grow beyond your wildest dreams.¡± ¡°Join you in what?¡± ¡°Changing this universe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. I don¡¯t need help from losers.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again after I win.¡± Sachem gets back into his fighting pose. My-Ty moves takes up a fighting pose and inches forward. ¡°Only someone with no honor would disgrace our fight with something unrelated. I thought too highly of you. Let me show you the strength of a Belliger warrior who lives to fight.¡± ¡°If you live to fight, you¡¯re fighting to live. I¡¯m offering you a chance to change your destiny.¡± ¡°Just because you don¡¯t understand it, doesn¡¯t make it wrong. Fighting is a consequence of power. I chose strength, so combat is my life. What did you choose?¡± This question for some reason set Sachem off. With a burst of energy like a rocket taking off he rushes towards My-Ty and because they were already close it was instantaneously. My-Ty was caught off guard at the sudden speed with which Sachem closed the distance. Sachem already rotated his body accordingly and with the speed of light delivered a body that made My-Ty¡¯s body almost fold. Chapter 62 fin Chapter 63: Too Strong My-Ty is sent flying and rolls on the ground until his momentum is gone. He grunts in pain as he struggles to get up. He is doing his best to keep calm, but his face and eyes show flashes of uncontrollable rage. The pain broke through his concentration. He quickly focuses on his breathing to calm himself back down. Demo who was watching intently still has his eyes focused on Sachem. The speed and precision with which he attacked My-Ty were otherworldly. He can¡¯t help but be impressed with Sachem¡¯s skills. But then a sudden loud bang from where My-Ty is made Sachem¡¯s eyes flinch and made Demo turn his focus to My-Ty. The ground under My-Ty was cracked and destroyed in a final effort to get rid of his unchecked anger, he hit the ground to release tension. My-Ty having released his rage somewhat stands back up calmly and looks at Sachem as he cracks his neck. ¡°That was nice. A bit faster than expected, decent power, flawless execution. But We aren¡¯t done yet.¡± Sachem looks at My-Ty with eyes aglow with rage. ¡°Keeping you would be a headache. I see that now. Game time is over.¡± Sachem cracks his knuckles and then slams his fists together. When the two fists collide, a burst of energy is released like a small explosion. At the same time, a wave of energy that sprung forth from the collisions travels up Sachem¡¯s arms. Sachem puts his guard up, tucks his chin in, and hunches over. Having seen this pose before, My-Ty knows what¡¯s about to come and takes up his fighting stance. Sachem digs his foot into the ground as if he is preparing to launch himself as he whispers. ¡°One.¡± BOOM, like a flash of lightning Sachem moves in a zig-zag pattern towards My-Ty. My-Ty does his best to follow Sachem with his eyes, but he¡¯s too fast. My-Ty can only see after images whenever Sachem turns and moves in a different direction. As Sachem gets closer and closer, My-Ty knows that standing in one place isn¡¯t the best strategic move. So he dashes straight forward to either force Sachem to break the zig-zag pattern or possibly to collide with Sachem while he is moving at light speed. My-Ty¡¯s dash doesn¡¯t collide with Sachem but now My-Ty knows that Sachem will have to break the pattern and that will slow him down enough to create a chance for attack. Sachem without slowing down rotates his body and shifts his weight and then with a side step motion diverts his speed into a circular clockwise pattern. Sachem is running circles around My-Ty. The circle gets tighter and tighter as Sachem closes in to get within striking range.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. My-Ty knows that once he does it will be a problem, he knows that this is a speed-based skill so Sachem¡¯s legs are the key. My-Ty goes down and delivers a wide sweeping leg kick that goes counterclockwise. The kick is about to reach Sachem¡¯s leg, but then he does something that startles My-Ty. Sachem jumps up and forward and from the air punches My-Ty in the face. This punch seems a lot stronger than the previous one as My-Ty is sent flying a lot further. This time Sachem doesn¡¯t wait but chases My-Ty¡¯s flying body down at top speed. Once he catches up he ducks under the body and delivers an uppercut. My-Ty¡¯s body is sent flying into the air. Sachem doesn¡¯t jump up to follow him, he instead stays on the ground widens his stance, and looks up at My-Ty¡¯s body. Sachem then places both his arms on his side and starts waiting for My-Ty¡¯s body to come back down. Demo can tell that Sachem plans on punching upwards once My-Ty¡¯s body is in range. And with the punches My-Ty just took, the chances of him being able to come back from that are low. Demo looks at Ugly Face who is next to him. ¡°Wait, right here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Demo dashes towards Sachem who is focused on My-Ty. But then from the corner of his eye, Sachem sees Demo rushing towards him. He doesn¡¯t hesitate and meets Demo¡¯s punch with his own. Both of them are sent backward from the impact. Demo smiles at Sachem. ¡°Mind if I join in?¡± Sachem doesn¡¯t say a word, he just looks at Demo and sizes him up. Because he can¡¯t believe that Demo pushed him back while he is on ¡°ONE¡± and Demo¡¯s arm seems to be ok. My-Ty¡¯s body hits the ground and he lets loose a scream of pain and frustration. My-Ty slowly gets back up. His body was bruised and his face was bloody. He spits out blood as he stands up. His composure is gone, he is angry. Demo walks up till he is next to My-Ty and then looks at him from the side. ¡°Welcome back. How was space?¡± My-Ty looks at Demo while adjusting his jaw. And with a grin on his face answers. ¡°Cold, but peaceful. I¡¯ll send you there next time.¡± ¡°Sorry, to butt in, but it didn¡¯t seem like things were going your way.¡± ¡°I had him right where I wanted him.¡± ¡°Winning?¡± My-Ty looks at Demo as if he is about to punch him but doesn¡¯t. My-Ty then looks back at Sachem and accepts the fact that Demo is going to join. ¡°After he cracked his knuckles his power went up, a lot.¡± ¡°Yeah, and for some reason he flinched when you hit the ground right before that.¡± ¡°He flinched?¡± My-Ty takes a deep breath and gathers his strength and then raises his fist to the sky. Sachem¡¯s eyes open up fully in surprise. Demo notices this but doesn¡¯t know what it means. Before My-Ty can punch the ground Sachem is already dashing towards them at full speed. Demo reacts quickly and throws a roundhouse kick aimed at Sachem¡¯s torso. Sachem who has his guard up catches the kick with his arm. He then slightly rotates his body and takes another step inwards to prepare a hook to throw at Demo who isn¡¯t in a position to counter or block after that kick. But then Sachem sees a pair of eyes lurking behind Demo. My-Ty didn¡¯t intend to hit the ground, he wanted to lure Sachem in while panicked. Demo lowers his upper body so that My-Ty has the space to punch Sachem. And the punch connects cleanly on Sachem¡¯s face which is sent backwards. My-Ty smiles as this is his first clean hit on Sachem. My-Ty growls like a wild animal that just tasted first blood. Demo stands back up straight and the three now stare at each other as the fight heats up. Chapter 63 fin. Chapter 64: A fair win My-Ty and Demo are next to each other. They both look at Sachem. Ugly Face is on the sidelines mesmerized by what he is seeing. My-Ty is the first to break the silence. ¡°Why is this ground special?¡± Sachem doesn¡¯t reply instead he takes his fighting stance and lowers his center of gravity as he prepares to attack. My-Ty looks at Demo who has also taken up a fighting stance. ¡°Demo, that last attack felt good but it was cheating.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The only reason the attack landed was because he panicked. And that¡¯s only because he was worried about the ground, not us.¡± ¡°So? What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°It feels like we are using a hostage to weaken him. There is no point in beating him that way.¡± ¡°Huh? My goal is to defeat him, and if the ground is his weakness then we should use that.¡± ¡°Beating the weak or weakened isn¡¯t honorable. It shows that you have to use underhanded techniques to win to defeat the strong. And that¡¯s a slippery slope. We have to beat him using what we have, not what we can exploit.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we can beat him in a straight-up fight. I can tell he is still holding back. If he gets serious, we will be in serious trouble.¡± My-Ty smiles as the thought of Sachem getting serious excites him. ¡°And beating him when he is serious is the only way to win.¡± Demo looks at My-Ty with disbelief. How can someone be this simple-minded when their life is possibly on the line? He doesn¡¯t just want to win, he wants to win on his terms. Why would he make things more difficult than they need to be? ¡°So what¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± After My-Ty said that he fell silent as if he was still forming the plan in his head. After 2 seconds Demo with a confused look on his face replies. ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°We kill the hostage.¡± ¡°What?¡± My-Ty takes a deep breath and clenches his fist. Energy starts gathering around his fist, as he focuses his strength. Sachem immediately jumps into action because he has an ominous feeling that My-Ty intends to destroy the ground with his next attack. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Demo looks at My-Ty gathering strength reading for an attack and also smiles. ¡°Ok.¡± Demo turns his head to the approaching Sachem and dashes to clash with him to prevent Sachem from stopping My-Ty. Having gathered enough strength My-Ty lifts his arm and cocks back his fist. ¡°Sachem, let me help you focus.¡± Sachem sees Demo rushing towards him, and with a very quick sidestep dodges Demo. He sees My-Ty throwing the punch towards the ground and can tell he is going to be too late to stop him. So he tries to warn him. ¡°STOP!¡± My-Ty doesn¡¯t heed the warning and punches the ground with his full power. The ground breaks and crumbles. And then a loud crack is heard as an underlying layer is cracked as well. The sudden force exerted on the roof of this underground space makes the hole expand. Demo, My-Ty, Ugly Face, and Sachem all fall down the hole. They all hit the ground, but due to the dust and smoke of the ground and ceiling collapsing, they can¡¯t see their surroundings. Eventually, the smoke clears and they can see where they are. Demo¡¯s, My-Ty¡¯s and Ugly Face¡¯s eyes are wide open in shock. Then suddenly Demo¡¯s shadow starts bubbling. While this is happening Cyte reaches their sanctuary, quickly rushes through the shield and door, and runs to the passageway leading to Cleus¡¯ training room. She runs down the stairs and remembers the time she brought Cleus down there the first time to recover from his fight. It was a small room with just a table in it. Enough to store maybe a closet and a few boxes. Cleus told her to not come down while he was practicing and or recovering. So she hadn¡¯t seen the room in a very long time. She expected the room to be a mess, but when she opened the door she was stunned. Her surprise left her so shocked she couldn¡¯t move or talk for a few moments. The small room turned into a huge underground space that felt like the size of a soccer field. The walls were covered in blood and had scratches of techniques and moves that Cleus practiced. He used his own blood to practice the techniques he took from Endo and used them on the walls. He chipped away at the walls until it became this huge size. In the middle of the room, there was the table Cyte was looking for. On the table was a glass case, with a gold crown with blood like diamonds in it. Cyte removed the glass case, took the crown, and started running to go back to Cleus. As she left the room she thought to herself that her king will definitely reclaim his throne. Cyte is making her way back, and Ten has finally decided on the plan. He was hiding behind the boulder while thinking of the best way to stop Strils from leaving. Ten takes a deep breath in preparation as he is about to execute his plan. ¡°Mai, you ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ten places his hand on the ground and starts chanting. He uses his scanning ability to locate several places in the room but makes sure to keep his scan light enough to not be noticed. Then after having scanned the room Mai for a fraction of a second uses some of her computing power to help Ten do the math. From several places in the room, golems are being summoned. The golems are simple, but they are big and strong. Upon completing their summons the golems immediately start destroying their surroundings. Strils confused at what¡¯s going on knows that someone must be behind this. ¡°WHO IS THERE!?¡± The golems of course don¡¯t answer and keep destroying the room. Ten can tell that Strils is confused and distracted and uses that chance to run hunched over trying to hide himself towards the spaceship that Strils was docking things on. One of the zombie''s eyes lights up as they can see Ten move. Chapter 64 fin Chapter 65: Stopping Strils Ten is able to avoid Strils gaze as he franticly scans the room to find the source of the golems. Strils looks around and sees that the golems are doing a lot of damage. ¡°Damn. DOULOS!¡± The 3 zombies all raise their heads and stand at attention. They look at Strils awaiting orders. ¡°Destroy the golems.¡± The zombies rush towards the golems and attack them. The golems are big but Ten sacrificed strength, durability, and intelligence to ensure he could summon more of them. The golems fell apart after a single strike from the zombies. But this was enough as it gave Ten all the time he needed to reach the ship. He places his hand on the ship and using some of Mai¡¯s computing power turns the ship into dust leaving the MYOS that was inside untouched. The bags of MYOS fall to the ground. Strils sees the ship light up and disappears and is shocked. ¡°NO! WHO THE HELL DID THAT!?¡± Ten having successfully completed his objective knows that he needs to get out of there or his life is forfeit. He grabs one of the bags filled with MYOS, places his hand on the ground, and summons some more golems to distract Strils and the zombies. But Strils now knows that the intruder is trying to stop him and that the golems are just a distraction. ¡°Doulus, find the rat that snuck in and bring him to me.¡± Ten has reached the doorway from which he came and is about to run back to where Cleus is. He takes one look back to make sure he isn¡¯t being chased. When looking back he locks eyes with a zombie. The zombie he locked eyes with starts to scream and starts charging towards him. Ten¡¯s expression goes blank as if he just saw death rushing towards him. ¡°Dude.¡± He quickly regains his composure. ¡°Oh hell no.¡± Ten starts running but the scream alerted the other zombies. Now all three of the zombies are chasing after Ten. Strils sees Ten run off into the cave carrying one of the MYOS bags. Strils¡¯ face twists in anger because he knows that Ten now has proof of something he shouldn¡¯t. Ten is running at top speed, and touching the wall occasionally to quickly bring forth walls that slide in to block his pursuers. The walls do slow the zombies down, but not by much as they just rush through the walls at top speed. Ten knows he just has to make it outside and then he should be able to get some help somehow. Outside Cleus and Endo are still fighting. Endo has been making sure he stayed out of range from the domain that Cleus created. Endo is doing his best, but it feels like everything he does is countered by Cleus. So Endo tries something that Cleus would never expect. Endo jumps back and lowers his core, when he lands he places his hand on the ground and starts running in a low posture to the left. Cleus has never seen this move before, which means that Endo is either desperate or it''s an ultimate move that he has kept secret all this time. Either way, he is going to have to be careful. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Endo suddenly straightens his posture makes a sharp turn and runs back toward Cleus. He is holding his blood sword as he jumps up to deliver a downward blow. Cleus readies himself to receive the blow and counter it. But then Cleus hears something, it¡¯s the sound of blood bubbling. And in a flash, he remembers when he and Endo were young and talking in the royal garden. Endo was excitedly telling him about the technique his father the general invented. The technique used spilled blood, old or new, and then with a triggerable delay spawned spikes that would attack the enemy. And the signal for the spikes about to emerge was the bubbling blood. Endo is about to reach him, but Cleus now knows he has to get out of the way of the spikes about to attack him. The spikes emerge like bullets from a gun and attack Cleus. Because he knew it was coming he was able to avoid any serious damage but he was still pierced a few times as he jumped back. Endo lands on one of the spikes and smiles. He looks at Cleus with a grin he has often shown him. ¡°Didn¡¯t think you would be able to survive that one.¡± Cleus is hurt and bleeding while glaring at Endo. Endo cancels the spikes and they return to their liquid form and fall to the ground. Endo seeing Cleus like that feels like he is back in control of the fight. ¡°Exactly. This is how it¡¯s supposed to be. You bloody and on death''s door. Still can¡¯t believe you dodged that. I never used that technique so how did you know?¡± ¡°An ex-friend once told me.¡± This comment made Endo¡¯s eyes twitch a little because the insinuation that they were friends irritated him. ¡°Time to end this.¡± Endo readies his weapon, he is about to deliver the final blow. But then from behind a huge explosion happens. Ten, followed by three zombies spring forth from the doorway causing a huge commotion. Endo surprised, looks back to see what happened. This slight distraction was all Cleus needed. Cleus uses the blood on his feet to create an explosion of blood. He uses the force generated to propel himself forward at top speed. Endo realizes his mistake of looking away in a battle and turns his head back to Cleus who is coming at him at top speed. Cleus is so fast that Endo isn¡¯t able to react in time and stop the attack. So he has no other choice but to dodge by turning his body. Cleus doesn¡¯t let anything stop him and performs the attack as intended. A slash that''s so strong and clean that it creates a wind-slashing attack that hits the zombie that is about to reach Ten. The slash has sent Endo¡¯s left arm flying. Endo screams in pain at the loss of his arm, Cleus sees that another zombie is about to reach Ten. Cleus starts running towards the zombie, but as he does he makes sure to catch Endo¡¯s arm that was sent flying. When Cleus has the arm in his hand, he turns the arm into dust and whispers a curse that only the royal family knows. The wound that Cleus inflicted on Endo was clean. Endo regains his composure as he focuses on stopping the bleeding. He then sees his arm evaporate and suddenly feels something burning in his arm. The wound is starting to glow a strange purple. The pain of the wound intensifies several times over. Endo screams in agony. He has no idea why the wound is burning like this. But he knows that he is in no fighting shape. Endo curses Cleus under his breath, turns around, and runs away. Cleus jumps in front of the zombie about to catch Ten and stops the attack. ¡°Ten, you ok?¡± ¡°Yeah, I got what we needed.¡± ¡°Then ¡­¡± Before Cleus can finish his sentence a zombie comes from the side and tries to attack him. He dodges the attack but as he does the third one catches him mid-dodge and punches him. Ten sees Cleus flying after trying to protect him. ¡°CLEUS!¡± The three zombies now turn their focus back on Ten, whose face has gone blank once again as he stares in the face of 3 zombies trying to kill him. ¡°Mai?¡± ¡°I got you.¡± One of the zombies throws a punch towards Ten. Chapter 65 fin Chapter 66: Kneel The zombie¡¯s punch is headed directly for Ten¡¯s head. Mai quickly takes over Ten¡¯s body and mind. Using her computing strength and Ten¡¯s visual acuity, she analyses the trajectory of the punch coming towards her. Using minimal movement, she dodges the punch, but is met with another zombie¡¯s punch. Using the momentum of Ten¡¯s body, Mai rotates Ten¡¯s body with perfect timing to slip past the second punch. Mid rotation, the last zombie throws a punch, and Mai uses Ten¡¯s body to duck down to avoid that strike as well. Mai then for a very short period of time releases the limiters on Ten¡¯s legs so that he can use his full strength to dash away from the danger he is. His dash brings him right next to Cleus, who can¡¯t believe what he just saw Ten do. ¡°What was that?¡± I didn¡¯t know you could fight like that.¡± Having brought Ten to safety, she releases the hold she had on Ten. Ten grabs his head in pain, and gets a bloody nose. Using Mai like that, strains his brain and exerts a lot of pressure on his mind and body. ¡°I had help.¡± The zombies turn their heads to face Cleus and Ten. Cleus places his hand on Ten¡¯s chest and starts walking backwards. Ten is unclear on what is happening and why they are retreating. ¡°I don¡¯t think they will give up if we back away.¡± ¡°Trust me.¡± The zombies slowly start walking towards Ten and Cleus without saying a word. After a few more steps, Cleus suddenly starts smiling, and as Ten notices his smile, from the corner of his eye he sees a shadowy figure run out of the building he was in and away from the fight. Strils has decided that he will leave Ten and Cleus to the zombies. He has to make his way to Bilicus to inform him that Braverte is making a move using the students, and also bring the MYOS to safety. So Strils is running with several bags on him. Ten and Cleus have stopped walking backwards. Cleus bites his hand and summons another sword. ¡°This better work.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The zombies finally close in on Ten and Cleus, and without noticing, step into Cleus¡¯ domain. Once all three are in, Cleus spills some of his blood from his hand on the ground. The circular domain starts lighting up. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°I had to reactivate it, but it won¡¯t last long. We need to take care of them before time runs out.¡± ¡°We?¡± Cleus looks at Ten whose face is filled with fear. To comfort Ten, Cleus shows him a gentle smile. ¡°Can you cover my back?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I can ask.¡± Cleus straightens his back, points one of his blades at the 3 zombies. Cleus¡¯ eyes start glowing a deep red, and his body gathers a red fog around it. Then in an authoritative tone he commands them. ¡°KNEEL!¡± The blood inside the zombies releases a sudden shock of energy. Inside Death¡¯s Domain blood will obey its ruler. The zombies try to fight the authority exerted on them, but their bodies reluctantly end up kneeling. Cleus can sense that his control over them isn¡¯t perfect. Their blood has been contaminated with something that weakens his control. He won¡¯t be able to hold them for long. And just keeping them like this is taking a lot of energy. ¡°Ten, kill one of them while they are kneeling.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Ten places his hands on the ground and using Higher Reasoning he focuses his mind. In front of the zombie that is closest to them, a blue glow appears on the ground. The zombie starts screaming in anger and starts struggling furiously to be released from the hold that Cleus has on it. Ten finishes his mathematical chant, and from the spot where the glow appeared, a huge spike appears that is aimed at the zombie''s head. The zombie¡¯s struggle proves successful, it is able to narrowly dodge the spike that was aimed for its head. Having broken free, the zombie lunges at Ten at top speed. It¡¯s so fast that both Cleus and Ten are caught off guard. Cleus¡¯ concentration breaks as he tries to help his friend. ¡°TEN, WATCH OUT!¡± Ten sees the monster hurling towards him and knows that his only way out is Mai. ¡°MAI!¡± But Mai is unable to take control of his mind completely due to the fatigue that built up from their previous attempt. The zombie¡¯s hand is about to reach Ten. Ten knows that there is nothing he can do, so he closes his eyes and braces for impact. The zombie grabs Ten¡¯s head and lifts him up. The zombie is about to slam Ten into the ground. Ten feels himself in the air, as he can tell he is being forced downwards. He braces himself for death. Cleus tightens his grip on his sword so that he can cut the zombie and help Ten, but then he hears something familiar and stops, and smiles. The zombie¡¯s hand with Ten¡¯s head in it is about to reach the ground when suddenly a streak of black lightning passes through and the zombie¡¯s arm is sent flying. Ten can feel himself being dragged by his collar away from the zombie. Still alive, he opens his eyes and there is Cyte, she saved him from imminent death. The zombie screams in pain, the other two zombies are still kneeling. Cyte keeps her gaze focused on the injured zombie as she talks to Ten. ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°Yeah, thank you.¡± ¡°How come they are moving?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Strils just ordered them to attack me and they just went berserk after that.¡± Cyte¡¯s eyes open up in surprise. ¡°They followed orders?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± Cyte stands up straight and looks at Cleus. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this, your majesty.¡± Cleus nods, and then starts walking towards the two kneeling zombies. ¡°You take care of that one, I¡¯ll take care of those two.¡± At the end of that sentence Death¡¯s Domain¡¯s circle abruptly ends. The spell has been broken, and the two zombies stand up, enraged, looking at Cleus. Chapter 66 fin Chapter 67: Help them Cleus and Cyte both charge in first, because they believe that the best defense is a good offense. While they are fighting, Ten is sitting on the ground watching it all unfold. Mai is using her speed to overwhelm the zombie, but her attacks aren¡¯t strong enough to actually kill it. Using a strong attack like the one she used to save Ten, took a lot of strength and build up, which she doesn¡¯t have the time for now. She uses her speed to avoid hits and targets the vitals of the zombie, but each attack is deemed useless by its regeneration speed. The zombie keeps charging at her, preventing her from any special moves. Cleus on the other hand is dealing with two zombies. He has been fighting a lot and his experience is helping him manage. Whenever he lands an attack on one zombie, the other zombie immediately seizes that chance to attack Cleus. Which means that Cleus has to keep moving after each attack and that prevents him from delivering a heavy attack. Plus, whenever he is able to damage one zombie, the other engages, which gives the damaged zombie time to heal. It¡¯s a vicious cycle that he can¡¯t seem to break. And the two zombies also keep charging at him nonstop, preventing him from making any big moves. As he watches his two friends go toe to toe with monsters, he feels a bit helpless. But he knows that fighting isn¡¯t his strong suit. Mai turns on by herself. ¡°Ten, I¡¯ve analyzed Cyte¡¯s and Cleus¡¯ strength and their stamina based on what could have already transpired. They won¡¯t win this fight.¡± Ten watches the two fight the zombies, and to him, it seems like they are coping pretty well. ¡°They seem to be doing ok.¡± ¡°Cyte should have taken off the zombie''s head as well as its arm, but she knew she wasn¡¯t strong enough to do so, I think. And Cleus wasn¡¯t able to maintain that domain which gave him an advantage in the fight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°And most importantly, these zombies seem to have bodies that don¡¯t tire. Which means that if this fight takes a long time, they will lose by default.¡± ¡°So what are you saying?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to have to fight one of the zombies so that Cleus can beat his, then Cyte and Cleus can kill hers and then the three of you can kill yours.¡± ¡°Sounds good. But make it make sense.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t fully control your brain, because the strain is too much for you right now. But I can take over 25% which will allow you to analyze the attacks that are incoming and then you just have to dodge.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Just have to dodge, she says.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s scary, but if you don¡¯t do this, both Cyte and Cleus will die here.¡± Ten grits his teeth, and stands up. ¡°You¡¯re sure I will be able to see everything coming and have enough time to dodge?¡± ¡°Yes, you will see everything coming.¡± ¡°And have enough time to dodge.¡± ¡°Ten, we are running out of time.¡± ¡°We are going to have to have a talk after this.¡± ¡°I will listen to all your complaints once this is over.¡± Mai starts the takeover process, and enhances Ten¡¯s brain with 25% of her capabilities. As a result, Ten¡¯s right eye starts glowing. He can see a stream of information focused on muscle analysis and see the punch being projected before it is actually thrown. Ten thinks to himself that he can do this. But he will need some kind of weapon. He places his hand on the ground and starts chanting, but his vocal chords suddenly bring forth another voice as well. The second voice is Mai¡¯s and she chants along with Ten to enhance what they are creating. A very strong sword and shield appear from the ground. Ten then picks up a rock. ¡°Here we go.¡± Ten throws the rock and hits one of the two zombies that are fighting Cleus. The zombie immediately directs its attention to Ten. Cleus is as surprised as the zombie. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep him busy, so hurry up and finish that one off.¡± The zombie that was hit in the head now starts walking towards Ten, Ten grabs the sword and shield and readies himself. Cleus understands what Ten is doing and the strength it took to do what he is doing. ¡°As your king, I will avenge your death.¡± Cyte smiles, because she didn¡¯t expect Ten to help her king like that. ¡°I will bring red roses to your funeral.¡± Ten gets flustered at the fact that they are just killing him off like that. ¡°HEY, you better stop that!¡± The zombie that Ten hit with the rock jumps up in the air towards Ten. Ten can see where the zombie will land and the impact zone, so he jumps out of the way. ¡°Let¡¯s go you freak.¡± The zombie starts attacking Ten and Ten is somehow able to avoid each punch with the help of Mai. Having seen that Ten is actually able to keep his zombie busy, Cleus now has the ability to focus on just one zombie. The zombie cleus is fighting throws a punch that Cleus avoids by spinning around and using that spin he stabs the zombie in the chest with his blood sword. Now that he has the chance to actually stop for a short moment after an attack, he makes full use of it. He chants a quick equation and ends it with a single word. ¡°Hemolysis.¡± The sword in the zombie''s chest starts glowing as Cleus starts chanting. The sword starts breaking down inside the zombie, the blood with which it was made is taking control of the blood cells it finds inside the zombie. The zombie becomes incapable of moving. Cleus lets go of the sword and looks at the paralyzed zombie in front of him. The zombie is glaring at him with rage in its eyes. Cleus chops off its head with his other sword, grabs the flying head, and with his blood control explodes the head. The zombie''s body falls to the ground. Cleus breathes a sigh of relief and takes a few moments to catch his breath. He tightens his grip on his sword and looks at Ten fighting and then Cyte fighting. He makes a clear decision and starts moving. ¡°Hang in there, Ten.¡± He then dashes with his remaining strength towards Cyte and her zombie. Chapter 67 fin Chapter 68: Cyte’s Pride Cleus dashes towards Cyte to help her with the zombie. Cyte however grits her teeth. ¡°PLEASE STOP!¡± Cleus stops running towards her and stands still. Cyte keeps dodging the zombie¡¯s attacks while talking. ¡°I need to take care of this alone. Please recover and then help Ten.¡± Cyte refocuses on her fight, knowing that Cleus is safe and that Ten is capable of keeping the other zombie busy. She is able to stop worrying and focus on what¡¯s in front of her. She is unable to do any big moves because the zombie is relentless. Her basic attacks aren¡¯t strong enough to truly hurt the zombie, let alone kill it. Cleus stands still, looking at Cyte fight. He knows that what she is saying is that she wants to become stronger and this is a trial she has to overcome. He looks at Ten, who seems to be doing ok. Cleus takes a quick inventory of his stamina, the state of his body, both internally and externally. ¡°Ten, hold on a little longer. I will be right there.¡± Cleus sits down and relaxes his mind to recuperate some of his lost stamina. He makes sure to keep watching Cyte fight, in case she needs help. Meanwhile, Cyte lowers her core like she is about to jump very high. She then leans her body forward and dashes straight for the zombie. The zombie sees her coming and throws a punch. Cyte is able to dodge the punch but not entirely. The side of the zombie¡¯s fist connects and scrapes her face deep enough for a cut to appear. Cyte¡¯s blood trails behind her as she gets closer to the zombie. Her eyes start glowing a deep red, she recites a very short mathematical chant and ends it with the word. ¡°Rode Circulation.¡± In the blink of an eye, Cyte is behind the zombie. The zombie doesn¡¯t move, it just starts shaking as if it can¡¯t control its own body. Cyte quickly turns around and with her dagger she cuts the zombie¡¯s neck. And its head is sent flying. Cyte then throws her dagger into the zombie¡¯s head. ¡°Boom.¡± Her dagger lights up, and then explodes taking the zombie¡¯s head with it into oblivion. The zombie¡¯s body falls down to the ground. Cyte is exhausted, she puts her hands on her knees and is breathing heavily. Cleus has a smile on his face as he is amazed at what Cyte just did. She made sure to not completely avoid the zombie¡¯s attacks so that it would draw blood. She then used Higher Reasoning on the blood that trailed her and turned it into several daggers. She used the dagger in her hand to cut the zombie¡¯s neck. The blood daggers that she made then aimed for the exact same place and added cut upon cut. It was basically a chainsaw of blood daggers to cut through the zombie¡¯s neck. And before it could regenerate she delivered the final blow and separated the head. She wasn¡¯t able to do any big moves, and her basic moves were too weak. So she just stacked small attacks until they became a big one. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Well done.¡± Cyte looks up at Cleus and smiles. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m glad you two are having fun over there. But a little help here would be appreciated.¡± Ten is doing all he can to avoid death. Cleus stands up, and Cyte straightens up, and the two of them walk towards the final zombie. Knowing that Cyte and Cleus are coming to help gave Ten a sense of relief so he smiled. But that short moment made him lose focus, and he wasn¡¯t able to dodge the next attack in time. All he could do was block it with his shield. Ten is sent flying backwards towards where Cyte and Cleus are. Both of them look down at Ten with a proud smile on their face. Cleus extends his hand to Ten. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡± Ten grabs his hand and stands back up. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good, you two go.¡± Cleus smiles, because Ten did what he needed to do, and now they can finish what they have to do. ¡°Deal.¡± Cleus summons a sword, and Cyte summons a dagger. The zombie is now faced with several enemies and doesn¡¯t know who to focus on. Before it can make a decision, Cyte runs left and Cleus runs right. The zombie is now even more confused. That is when Ten decides to help once more. ¡°Hey, Ugly!¡± The zombie then puts its attention on Ten, which allows Cyte to jump up and attack its head. Cleus ducks down and attacks the feet. The simultaneous attack makes the zombie spin in the air. After the attack, Cleus and Cyte slide on the ground as they come to a halt. Then they both immediately jump upwards at the same time, as they come down towards the still spinning zombie they put their weapons lower so that it will stab the zombie as they come down. Cleus hits the zombie in the neck and Cyte stabs it in the head. They then hit the ground with a large impact that creates a huge dust cloud. Both Cleus and Cyte jumped backwards after landing, so they both come out of the dust cloud at the same time with a smile on their face as they say it together. ¡°Boom.¡± Their swords glow and explode at the same time. The zombie¡¯s neck and head are gone. Both Cleus and Cyte land and immediately sit down. Ten¡¯s body drops to the ground as well as he realizes it''s all over. ¡°We did it.¡± Ten looks at the bag of MYOS that he took from Strils. ¡°We need to bring this to Braverte.¡± ¡°In a second.¡± All three of them lean back and sprawl out on the ground exhausted. As they all look at the sky, in a different area of the school Braverte and Pulmo are still engaged in a furious battle. But the zombies have been reduced to 4. Three zombie bodies are on the ground. Both Pulmo and Braverte are unscathed but are tired. Braverte has a sad look on his face. ¡°Bilicus will pay for this.¡± Pulmo also has a sad look on her face. ¡°There¡¯s no other way.¡± The remaining zombies scream in anger, Braverte is unfazed. He starts walking towards the zombies followed by Pulmo. ¡°We will have to give them a proper burial when this is all over.¡± ¡°A painless end.¡± ¡°That is all we can do for them.¡± Chapter 68 fin Chapter 69: Mercy Kill Braverte¡¯s steps give birth to small puffs of smoke that color his frame in a dark brownish hue. His shoulders are slumped with regret as he grips his bloodied blade. The silence of the wind is only broken by the low grumble of the creatures that lost their comrades. Due to the endless experiments their humanity was broken and lost to the abyss. Every single emotion was subdued and eventually blown out by the endless crashing waves of drugs and mind manipulation. Their senses are a mere vessel to execute orders given. Love, hope and yes even fear were surgically and systematically removed. The husk of who they were was replaced by a beast that never questioned orders and wasn¡¯t limited by morals or their own personal ambitions. A beast without senses. These are the so-called zombies that slept in dark chambers, locked away from society like a secret no one dared to look at. These very zombies were now shaking in fear at the sight of Braverte and Pulmo approaching them. The fear that was ripped out of them, was born anew at the sight of Pulmo and Braverte slaughtering them over and over without killing them. Braverte can tell that the zombies have been overcome by fear. ¡°Seems like us trying to save their lives gave them a trauma.¡± Pulmo doesn¡¯t say anything as she keeps her head down. Braverte closes in on two zombies shaking in fear. ¡°Maybe we should have done that from the beginning instead of trying to stop them by cutting off their limbs. But they don¡¯t deserve a dog¡¯s death.¡± ¡°They deserve mercy.¡± Braverte clenches his teeth as he is ready to attack. ¡°The two on the left.¡± Braverte moves like an assassin, trained in hiding, in the shadows. He glides forward with his blade in hand. The zombie screams in fear and throws a punch to force Braverte to keep his distance. Braverte swings his arm upwards and cuts the zombie¡¯s arm in two. He then makes a small jump and when coming down he cuts the zombie''s head off. The head slides off its neck, but before it can hit the ground, Braverte grabs it and closes his eyes in sadness. The head explodes in his hand. Pulmo calmly walks with her scimitar in hand. The two zombies stand motionless like prey in the clutches of fear. Then one zombie steps forward and breaks free from his fear and screams at Pulmo. Pulmo unphased keeps walking towards the zombies. The zombie readies himself to scream again, but before it can, Pulmo disappears from sight and is then suddenly right in front of it. She stabs the tip of her scimitar into the zombie''s head. ¡°Peace.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The zombie''s head explodes. The two remaining zombies know that this isn¡¯t a fight they can win. They don¡¯t see any other option but the most basic one. Run away. They turn and try to run away, but both Pulmo and Braverte throw their weapons with extreme accuracy. They both decapitate the zombie they were aiming for. The two of them walk towards the fallen heads and use Higher Reasoning to turn them into dust. With their battle being settled, the two of them look at each other. ¡°I¡¯ll go and check on Demo. You go check on Cleus, Cyte, and Ten.¡± Pulmo nods and starts running in the direction of where she knows them to be. Braverte turns around as well and starts running in the direction of where he heard fighting, assuming it has to be Demo. Strils was running in the forest, he was headed to where Bilicus was to warn him. Then suddenly he gets a warning on his watch. He looks and sees that the three bars on his watch are gone. He stops running in befuddlement. He can¡¯t believe those three kids were able to take down three zombies. They were failed models, but they should be stronger than any student at this school. They must have cheated or had help. He looks back, thinking if he should go and finish them off since there is no way they are unscathed after fighting the zombies. Then from the corner of his eyes he sees Pulmo run towards them. He immediately hides himself because he knows that he is no match for her. But if she is here, what happened to Bilicus? He tried to contact him a few times but Bilicus can¡¯t be reached. Something is very wrong, he better hurry up. So Strils keeps running towards their new secret hideout. Bilicus has also arrived at the open field where he knew Sachem to be. He can¡¯t believe that the ground has been destroyed. This means that the lab has been exposed. He thinks to himself that this is very bad. Meanwhile, Demo, Ugly Face and My-Ty are still standing with shocked expressions. When the smoke cleared, they could see that they were in a laboratory. The lab was filled with dead Palindra bodies. The bodies were strung up with their stomachs cut open. Laid on tables with tubes and tools sticking out of them. Inside of tanks filled with liquid to preserve them. And that was only what they could see at first glance. There were several men in white suits who were doing the experiments. The men in white suits are shocked and some are stumbling to safety after the roof collapsed on them. They are just as surprised to see Demo and the others. The manager of the suits knows that this is a dire situation now that their secret has been exposed. ¡°Save the specimens, collect the data and transport all the MYOS. HURRY!¡± The scientists start to do their best to salvage what they can and get out of there without being killed. The sheer cruelty and brutality of it left Demo, My-Ty and Ugly Face speechless. Sachem stood up after having fallen down and looked at the trio. ¡°You¡¯ve done it now. None of you can leave her alive.¡± Demo is still in shock, looks around. ¡°What is this?¡± Ugly Face comes to his senses as well as he answers. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that MYOS comes from the Palindra, but I just thought it was a rumor. This is insane.¡± My-Ty is disgusted by what he sees. ¡°There is no honor in this.¡± Demo¡¯s shadow keeps bubbling and it gets more and more violent. Bilicus has walked up to the edge of the collapsed ground to look down and see what¡¯s happening. He sees Demo¡¯s group and Sachem on opposite sides. ¡°SACHEM! KILL THEM NOW!¡± Sachem looks up, sees Bilicus and knows that his presence here must mean something went wrong at the manufacturing site. ¡°YOU MONSTEEEERRRSSS!!!!¡± From Demo¡¯s shadows a huge hand springs forth and hits the ground as a hidden Chapter 70: Shadow Soldier The Palindra that came out of Demo¡¯s shadow fully emerges with his blade already in his hand. Demo is stunned at the fact that a Palindra came out of his shadow. And then he recognizes who it is. It¡¯s the soldier who he met in the fight on Planet Numbers. The Palindra Diwena who sent him into a rage after hurting him. ¡°Diwena, how are you here?¡± Diwena doesn¡¯t reply his mind is filled with anger. Without saying anything, Diwena lets loose a war cry and dashes towards the scientists. The scientists see the raging Palindra coming towards them. ¡°NO, WAIT! We were just following orders.¡± Diwena swings his blade and cuts off the scientist¡¯s head. Without pause he keeps running towards the next scientist. Sachem knows that he is there to protect this lab and the scientists from harm. He needs to stop the Palindra from killing all the scientists. Sachem turns his body and readies himself to run towards Diwena. My-Ty and Demo both charge at top speed towards Sachem and attack him. Sachem blocks their attacks. My-Ty looks Sachem directly in his eyes as he speaks. ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± Demo is facing Sachem with Diwena fighting behind his back. Demo can hear the scientists scream in pain as Diwena exacts his revenge. Ugly Face doesn¡¯t fully understand why My-Ty and Demo stopped Sachem. They don¡¯t seem to be friends with the Palindra that just showed up. Could it be that they stopped Sachem to allow Diwena his revenge? Diwena is cutting scientists in half, decapitating them and punching some straight through their chest. Sachem can tell that he is too late to save all the scientists, but he has to stop the Palindra from leaving this room and finding the others. So he jumps back from Demo and My-Ty. When he lands, he clenches his fists tight and slams them together twice. The second burst of energy is bigger and stronger than the previous time. The energy that went through his body with the second collision added a glow to his entire body. ¡°Two.¡± Sachem starts hopping in place, with his arms down. Both Demo and My-Ty know that Sachem just got serious and they can sense an aura of death coming from him. My-Ty starts his breathing technique to calm his mind again. ¡°Demo, what¡¯s about to charge at us is deadly.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Make sure you stay focused, and don¡¯t die.¡± Demo keeps his gaze on Sachem and starts thinking about what Sachem just did. He slammed his fists together and it looked like the energy from that went into his body. It didn¡¯t feel like body transformation but more of a redistribution of energy. And what¡¯s the most infuriating is that it actually was a pretty cool way to do a re-entry. Demo takes a deep breath and starts using the cover up technique he learned recently and focuses the energy on his fists. He then adds the Higher Reasoning he learned on Planet Numbers to it. The energy of both techniques is born from math and an understanding of Moksi. So the two techniques coalesce and merge into one. Sachem and My-Ty both look at Demo with a surprising look on their face. They don¡¯t know what this weird energy is nor what he is about to do with it. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Demo spreads his arms wide open and then quickly slams them together to create a burst of energy he can use. The energy he created was stable and clean, but the moment they collided they exploded. Demo is sent flying from the explosion. He hits the wall and flies through it, and crashes through 3 more walls. When he hits the 4th wall, he finally stops. He brushes the dust and rubbish off of him. ¡°Nope, that didn¡¯t work.¡± He looks around and he is in a room filled with scientists who are putting containers filled with brains into a big container. The scientists are startled and stopped mid stocking to look at the sudden intruder. Demo looks at them confused as well, but then he sees something in his peripheral. A stack of young Palindra children¡¯s bodies. Diwena has finished killing all the scientists that were in the room he was in. He is covered in their blood as he stands motionless with his head down. The rage is about to abide after having finished his revenge, but then a scream is heard. ¡°DIWENA! HERE!¡± It¡¯s Demo¡¯s voice. Diwena looks up and sees Demo in the distance in a room. And that is when he sees a scientist holding a Palindra brain. Diwena¡¯s eyes go dark, he completely snaps. Demo immediately stands up and runs out of the room and passes Diwena as he rushes into the room. Demo has a tortured look on his face as the two pass. Sachem realizes that his fear has come true, he needs to stop the Palindra as quickly as possible. He runs towards the room as well. My-Ty jumps in between to stop him with a flying kick. Sachem ducks under the kick and keeps going forward. Demo meets him halfway with a body check that sends Sachem backwards. My-Ty uses this chance to roundhouse kick Sachem. But Sachem is able to lean backwards and avoid the kick. He then quickly sidesteps both My-Ty and Demo and rushes towards where Diwena went. Demo grabs a big piece of debris and throws it towards the hole in the wall that Sachem is headed towards. Sachem hears the big rock flying through the air and instinctively sidesteps it. This small side step was expected by My-Ty who went in a straight line to where he believed Sachem to land. His guess was right and as Sachem is about to land My-Ty throws a body blow that lands and Sachem is sent flying a few meters. Sachem lands and looks at the hole in the wall and where the Palindra is and then back at Demo and My-Ty who are now next to each other. Sachem knows that as long as these two are awake or alive they will try to stop him from reaching the Palindra. He is going to have to take care of them first. Sachem raises his guard and starts weaving back and forth. He then, in a zigzag pattern, goes towards My-Ty. Sachem uses lightning speed to throw his first 3 punches, but My-Ty is able to block and evade them. But those shots were just feints to allow Sachem to get into close up range. Once Sachem is in, he threw a body uppercut, which connected and then rotated his body upwards to immediately follow it up with an uppercut to the face. My-Ty¡¯s face is sent upwards, but My-Ty grits his teeth and throws a hook aimed at Sachem¡¯s head. But Sachem slips under it, and delivers a left body hook followed up by a right overhand. My-Ty is sent flying backwards. Demo immediately jumps in with a question mark high kick. Sachem catches the kick with his right arm as the guard then delivers a left body hook followed up by a left hook aimed at Demo¡¯s head which is then immediately chased by a right hook that sends Demo to the ground. My-Ty has gotten back up and throws a right straight just as Demo falls. But Sachem head slips it again and throws an uppercut that lands right in the armpit of My-Ty¡¯s extended arm. My-Ty¡¯s shoulder is immediately dislocated. My-Ty screams in pain, as Demo gets back up and throws a right straight as well, but Sachem slips inwards and throws a right cross over Demo¡¯s arm and knocks Demo back down. Sachem stands looking down at the two of them. ¡°Wait right here.¡± Sachem turns towards where the Palindra is. Chapter 70 fin Chapter 71: Diwena’s revenge Diwena rushed into the room where he saw a scientist holding a brain that looked like his kind. With his arm stretched out, he grabbed the scientist''s head and slammed it into the wall. He then quickly grabs the brain container the scientist was holding to make sure it doesn¡¯t fall to the ground. He looks at the brain half conscious shaking with anger. One of the other scientists in the room takes a step back and the sound of this made Diwena turn his head and there he saw the big container. The container had a whole collection of brains. The scientists are frozen in fear because they know that an unchained Palindra is a danger that could kill them. Their eyes are fixated on the Palindra hoping that help will come to save them. Diwena can¡¯t believe his eyes. What little consciousness he had left disappeared and now it¡¯s all darkness. Diwena releases a tribal scream that sends shockwaves through the whole lab. The scientists in the room with him all dropped what they were holding and tried to run away. But Diwena doesn¡¯t give them a chance. He cuts one in half, rips off another¡¯s head, and keeps killing everything that moves. He chases the last scientist out of the room. Diwena grabs the scientist¡¯s head and squeezes it until it pops. From the corner of his eye, he can see a set of scientists down the hall running away. They came from a different room but heard what was going on and knew they had to escape. Sachem knows he has to hurry and dashes towards Dewina leaving Demo and My-Ty on the ground. Demo shakes off the darkness that was closing in on his eyes. ¡°My-Ty you good?¡± ¡°Never felt this good.¡± ¡°I have an idea, but I¡¯m going to need your help.¡± Dewina seeing the white of their jackets was enough to let him know that they needed to die. Diwena rushes towards them when his instincts warn him that danger is about to strike. He ducks down to avoid whatever it is. Sachem¡¯s strike aimed at Diwena¡¯s head misses its mark. Diwena screams at Sachem and readies his sword to attack. Sachem calmly assesses the situation and can tell that this Palindra is lost in rage so as long as he calmly dissects the Palindra¡¯s attacks, he should be able to handle this quickly. Because Diwena is so angry his attacks are wide and predictable. Sachem calmly slips past the sword attack and tries to get in close to throw a combo. But even lost in rage and moving purely on instinct, Diwena is a warrior who has been in battle and has been training his whole life. His muscle memory immediately throws a punch to where Sachem is about to go. Sachem doesn¡¯t expect this and gets hit and is sent flying back closer to where Demo and My-Ty are. Both of which have gotten back up. Demo smiles as Sachem is sent back. ¡°Welcome back. Did you enjoy your trip?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he did. But it seems he missed us more than he let on since he came back so fast.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Then we should make sure he feels welcome.¡± Sachem looks back at the two who are back on their feet. Demo is in front standing in a fighting pose rearing to go. My-Ty is sitting on the ground in the lotus position doing breathing techniques to recover and calm his mind. Demo starts jumping up and down like he saw Sachem do before. He lands and slightly turns his body to the side so that it¡¯s not in a straight line facing Sachem. Sachem can tell that something is different. He has tried to ignore them before and it didn¡¯t work, so this time he is going to have to finish them quickly so that he can stop Diwena. Sachem wastes no time, he gets his guard up, lowers his core, and rushes toward Demo. Demo has seen this move before but he still can¡¯t keep up with the speed. But he has seen it enough times to know where Sachem might strike. Sachem in the blink of an eye is in front of Demo and shifts his weight to the left. This puts Sachem in the perfect position to throw a left body hook, but Demo knows that a left hook is coming so he grits his teeth and throws a left hook of his own. Sachem being the faster of the two lands first and sends Demo flying but Demo¡¯s fist is still able to hit Sachem on his guard. Sachem looks at his fist, slightly surprised that Demo was able to connect. Demo lands and immediately charges back into the fight. Sachem throws a right straight to counter Demo¡¯s advance but slips his head and rotates his body inwards to get close to Sachem and with one smooth motion, he throws a right leg kick that lands on Sachem¡¯s thigh. And then uses the bounce back from his kick to help him rotate into a left hook that lands on Sachem¡¯s elbow. Sachem catches the punch on his guard and throws a chopping right that connects and forces Demo into the ground. Demo bounces off the ground but immediately dashes away to get some distance. Sachem looks at his elbow which is tingling from the pain. Demo looks at My-Ty. ¡°10 SECONDS!¡± Sachem stayed on high alert because he knew that My-Ty could jump into the fray at any moment. So when My-TY suddenly jumped in Sachem was ready for it. While the two of them are fighting, Demo closes his eyes and quickly reviews the exchange he just had with Sachem and why he lost. He replays his actions and Sachem''s reactions to find the flaws. 10 seconds pass, Demo opens his eyes and starts running toward Sachem. ¡°SWITCH!¡± My-Ty jumps to the side letting Demo come back into the fight. As the three of them engage in their fight, Bilicus is standing at the edge of the hole looking down. He can¡¯t believe that Demo and My-Ty are able to fight with Sachem on equal grounds. But then Bilicus hears footsteps from behind him and he immediately checks. Braverte comes from out of the bushes and has his eyes fixed on Bilicus. Bilicus feels a tingle run down his spine as he breaks out in a cold sweat. He knows that words will have no effect at this point. So he turns back and jumps down into the lab. Braverte runs up to the edge and looks down to see Bilicus land and My-Ty and Demo fight Sachem. From his vantage point he can then also see the rest of the laboratory. He sees the open bodies of the Palindra. And thinks to himself that this is how they did it. He hoped it wouldn¡¯t be true and that this barbaric method was stopped when he killed that drug kingpin the most gruesome way to deter others from trying. Braverte then jumps down as well. Bilicus sees Braverte jumping down and knows that he has to get away or his life is forfeit. Braverte lands and sees Bilicus running away. But he knows that Demo and My-Ty might be unable to beat Sachem alone. ¡°You two, can you handle him?¡± My-Ty is resting and doing his breathing techniques while Demo is fighting so he answers. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Once I kill Bilicus, I¡¯ll help you with him. Stay standing till then.¡± ¡°We will do more than that.¡± Braverte nods and starts running in the direction that Bilicus went. Chapter 71 Chapter 72: Dead End Bilicus is running at top speed trying to get away from Braverte. Having been here before he knows the way out. As he turns the corner he instinctively stops out of shock. The whole corridor is filled with dead bodies. The walls are covered in blood, and even the ceiling has marks of death on it. From the side of his eye, Bilicus sees Braverte running towards him and that snaps him out of it. He continues running down the hallway. As he runs, Bilicus steps over several corpses and thinks to himself that this is insane. Perhaps a Palindra escaped and went on a rampage but they have so many failsafes and security that this could never have happened. Plus all the Palindra that arrive here have been so sedated they are basically in a coma and kept in that state perpetually. Bilicus then turns the next corner and what he sees in front of him makes him lose his balance as he slips and falls on his ass. Diwena stands motionless in the hallway breathing heavily. Diwena is covered from head to toe in the blood and intestines of the scientists who had the misfortune of crossing his path. Bilicus slipping and falling catches his attention enough for him to turn his head and look directly at him. Bilicus is on the ground as it feels as if the devil himself has appeared to take him. Diwena¡¯s gaze and presence are enough to make Bilicus shudder in fear as he crawls backward. It''s then that Braverte turns the corner as well and sees Bilicus on the ground and a blood-covered Diwena. Braverte saw the corpses of the Palindra so he knows that this Palindra took revenge for his fallen brethren. But given the state the Palindra is in, and the things it must have seen, Braverte reasons that it must be in a state of rage and unable to comprehend reason. ¡°Mirtha Quinthar? (Have you finished your revenge?)¡± The sudden sounds of his mother tongue bring the light back into Diwena¡¯s eyes. Diwena looks around him and sees the bloody hallway and the remnants of many a scientist on his blade. He then looks at Bilicus on the ground. ¡°Vuthal (Who else is responsible for this?)¡± Bilicus still shaken up doesn¡¯t answer. He keeps looking at Diwena in fear. He does know that the question was directed at him and that if he doesn¡¯t answer it might anger him. ¡°What?¡± Diwena starts walking towards Bilicus. ¡°Who else kill my people?¡± Bilicus without a second thought answers. ¡°Sachem!¡± Diwena tightens his grip on his sword and is ready to strike Bilicus down. Braverte seeing this has to prevent it from happening. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Vandhi! (Please don¡¯t kill him.)¡± Diwena looks at Braverte and then back down at Bilicus and continues walking. He walks past Braverte dragging his sword on the ground. Braverte knows that Diwena is about to head to where Sachem is. ¡°Please be careful, there¡¯s something off about Sachem.¡± Diwena doesn¡¯t stop nor does he reply. He keeps walking and making his way to Demo and My-Ty¡¯s fight leaving Bilicus and Braverte alone. Braverte in one smooth gliding-like motion closes the distance between him and Bilicus. Bilicus tries to get up before Braverte reaches him but he is too late. Braverte cuts both Bilicus¡¯ hands off. Grabs him by the and slams him into the wall. He then uses Higher Reasoning to chain Bilicus to the wall. Bilicus screams in pain at the loss of his hands. But Braverte is unbothered by his screams as he looks at Bilicus with disgust. After Bilicus is done screaming Braverte summons a set of blades on a table like a surgeon getting ready to operate. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for what you did.¡± ¡°You really think killing me ends this? This is just the beginning. I was nothing more than a pawn in this. Even Sachem is nothing more than a tool. I had no CHOICE.¡± ¡°You had no choice? Explain yourself.¡± ¡°They took my family.¡± ¡°You have a family?¡± ¡°I have a son, a daughter, and a wife. To make sure I knew who I was dealing with they did unspeakable things to my wife right in front of me. Have you ever heard someone you love scream in pain and wish for death and all you can do is cry? I had to sit there, forced to watch them take advantage of my wife. And when they were done they cut off her fingers and stuffed them in my mouth. They told me if I don¡¯t do what they tell me, something even worse will happen to my daughter and son.¡± Braverte is at a loss for words. That kind of psychological and physical torture is insane. He has only heard of similar cases when dealing with one specific group. ¡°Chayil.¡± ¡°THOSE BASTARDS!!! They took everything from me. Now every month they send me pictures of my wife hung up on the wall like some sick trophy. And if I ever dare to object or fail a mission, they send me parts of her body. Braverte, I had no choice.¡± ¡°Do you know where they are keeping them?¡± ¡°I know that they separated my kids and my wife. In the beginning my kids were allowed to write me letters, so I would get a letter from each of them once a month as well. They told me that their mother was taken away. And that they were in some place surrounded by other kids whose parents were like me. With every letter they sent, it was clear that their minds were being brainwashed. They started asking me why I betrayed their God. And that it was my fault that their mother was where she was. And then their letters stopped.¡± ¡°What did they make you do?¡± ¡°They put me here at this school and used their connections to make me vice principal. They told me to distribute drugs to kids. But when I saw what those drugs did to these kids I used my knowledge to make a safer version of the drug. One that delivered the same results but without the addiction. It was a better drug, but I went against orders. My wife lost her leg for that.¡± ¡°Why make you sell drugs?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But when they realized that my version of the drugs was better they gave me a new formula to use. This formula included an element not of this universe. They made me do several experiments to get the formula right. But once I did, I realized that these drugs are designed to take over someone¡¯s mind.¡± ¡°So Chayil wanted zombie soldiers.¡± ¡°And now that you¡¯ve done all this. What do you think they¡¯ll do?¡± Braverte looks down to the ground knowing that Chayil is a dangerous organization. Chapter 72 fin Chapter 73: Death or obedience Braverte is contemplating what the implications are of what he has just been told. Bilicus can tell that Braverte is realizing the scope of things. So Bilicus continues. ¡°They will hunt you down and kill everyone you love, Braverte. They will do horrible things to Pulmo. Let me go, and I might still be able to salvage this situation.¡± ¡°Who is the head of Chayil?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never met him, I only heard his voice through a speaker.¡± ¡°What do they call the boss?¡± ¡°They call him God.¡± Bravere looks up with a smile on his face. ¡°I have to kill a god?¡± ¡°Let me down. If I don¡¯t fix this, my family will die.¡± ¡°Bilicus, while I sympathize, it doesn¡¯t change what you¡¯ve done. I know the public can be fooled by a good sob story and then justify your horrific actions as heroic or that you had no choice. But that way of thinking only works with people who weren¡¯t affected by what you did. I saw the tears roll down mother¡¯s cheeks. I heard the screams in the hallways as they visited their unresponsive children. I felt the pain when looking at fathers sitting on the ground in a corner with their heads down. I am sure you believe you did what was right and you had no choice. But can you take that and tell it to the parents who lost their kids, or the sons and daughters who lost their siblings? Do you think your justifications will lessen their pain?¡± Bilicus lowers his head. ¡°The ones who chose to do the drugs would have done so regardless. I did my best to make the drugs as clean and effective as possible. I tried to make the best out of a bad situation. I did it to protect my family. I didn¡¯t force anyone to take the drugs. I didn¡¯t shove it down their throats, I didn¡¯t market it, I didn¡¯t even ask them what they wanted. I simply wanted to save my family and keep the people I love safe. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt anyone. And I didn¡¯t. I cannot be held accountable for others¡¯ actions. Plus, what would you have me do? Would you rather I ignore my family and let them die at the hands of those monsters?¡± Braverte looks Bilicus right in the eyes and takes a step closer to him. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Saying you followed orders doesn¡¯t absolve you from responsibility. The guilt of taking a life doesn¡¯t just disappear because you feel you can hand over the responsibility to someone else. The blood is on your hands, the souls of the ones you have killed will haunt you. For the person who gave the order, it is nothing but a vague taste of death that they orchestrated. They might lose sleep over it, but you will forever sleep in darkness. And because you wanted to save your family, you dragged thousands of families with you into the abyss. Your love for your family doesn¡¯t save you from this. The fact that you love your family doesn¡¯t give you the right to take what others love away from them. Your life ends today.¡± Bilicus screams at Braverte in rage, letting lose a primal yell. Braverte stares at Bilicus with a deadpan. Bilicus starts crying during his scream, and then through his tears, he starts speaking. ¡°I just wanted to save my family.¡± ¡°I understand. I truly do. I would have done anything to save my son, my wife, my friends or my remaining family. But not at the expense of others. What you have done is create a cycle of pain that can only bring forth a bigger one.¡± ¡°I helped them. I gave them clean MYOS. I didn¡¯t know that they would end up like zombies.¡± ¡°But when you did know, did you stop? Did you do anything to help?¡± Bilicus doesn¡¯t answer immediately; as the tears keep rolling down his face, he lowers his head as he replies. ¡°I couldn¡¯t risk it.¡± ¡°Bilicus, may you find peace in whatever comes next.¡± Braverte grips his sword and starts taking a striking pose. Bilicus can see what is happening and panics. ¡°WAIT!¡± Braverte stops thinking that perhaps Bilicus has some more information he can share. Bilicus looks Braverte right in the eyes as he pleads. ¡°Wait, wait. I need you to promise me something.¡± Braverte doesn¡¯t reply and just gazes at Bilicus. Bilicus continues. ¡°I need you to find my family and save them.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not their fault. They were dragged into this. I secretly sent countless mercenaries, assassins, and detectives to find them. But every time, they just ended up dead. But if it¡¯s you ¡­ you can save them.¡± ¡°And why would I do that?¡± ¡°Because they are innocent in all this. They have nothing to do with this. And if I¡¯m dead, they will lose their value as hostages immediately. But if Chayil knows you¡¯re coming for them, they might keep them alive.¡± ¡°And how would I let them know?¡± ¡°Just tell Sachem. He is their puppet on this planet. I am sure they have something implanted in him for direct communication.¡± ¡°Wait, you sent mercenaries to find them, and they let you live even after killing them?¡± ¡°I think they enjoyed the cat and mouse game. Whenever the mercenaries¡¯ bodies were found, they had a huge smiley face carved on their chest. And I would always get a postcard with a bloody smiley face on it the day after.¡± ¡°Hmm. I won¡¯t promise anything, but I¡¯ll see what I can do to save your family.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Braverte raises his sword, pulls back his arm, and then pierces Bilicus¡¯ chest with the blade. Braverte¡¯s strike is clean and precise. Bilicus spits blood as his heart is pierced. The two lock eyes one more time and then Bilicus¡¯ head drops for the last time. Chapter 73 fin Chapter 74: Unveiled Secrets Braverte stands in silence in front of Bilicus¡¯ corpse. He thinks to himself that at the end of the day, Bilicus was a pawn in someone else¡¯s game. He was a victim of circumstance. There is someone pulling the strings who created an army of zombies. Based on everything that happened, these zombies will follow orders and be capable of regenerating lost limbs. No fear of pain or death. It would be an immortal army with super strength. If they were given proper armor and weapons, they would be unstoppable. The sounds of Demo¡¯s fighting snap Braverte out of it. Braverte hears a strange sound in the opposite direction down the hall. As he quickly turns his head to identify the source, he sees a scientist breathe out their last breath. He turns his head back and starts walking towards the fighting. Around the corner of where the scientist dead, is Strils. He saw Bilicus lose his life and heard what he told Braverte. Strils can¡¯t believe what he just heard. How could Bilicus hide this from him for so long. He knows that if he is found by Braverte or Pulmo he will die. He needs to get out of here and leave this planet. He runs away into the dark hallways to find his escape. Pulmo finally reaches where Cleus, Ten, and Cyte are. She sees the three of them on the ground but can hear them laughing. She is relieved to see them still alive, but then her eyes open in shock to see that these 3 young ones were able to defeat 3 zombies. Impressed, she gently smiles. The three of them hear and then see Pulmo approaching. Ten is the first one to welcome her. ¡°I got the proof.¡± He raises the bag of MYOS he took from Strils. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but Strils had a bunch of it in the basement of that building. But I think he left by now and probably took it with him somehow.¡± ¡°Everyone ok?¡± Cleus smiled as he sat up. ¡°A king is always fine. To be anything else would bring shame to his followers.¡± Cyte chimes in. ¡°Indeed.¡± Pulmo doesn¡¯t answer. She takes a closer look at the bodies of the zombies and can see that their wounds are blood-based. Which means these kids really did take them down alone. She then looks at the building, and based on what Ten just told her, there might still be more hidden. ¡°Wait.¡± She went into the building, and a few minutes later, she came back out with another bag filled with MYOS and some other documents. The three of them know that Pulmo is going to tell them to go with her, so they have already gotten up. Pulmo nods as a sign of appreciation. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Pulmo, and the rest then go to where Demo and Braverte are. Dewina took his time to get to where Demo was. Because he exerted a lot of energy to avenge his brethren. His steps were slow as he recovered some of his stamina and calmed his enraged mind. He knows that fighting in anger dulls his reaction speed and adaptability. When he reaches the fight he has calmed himself and takes a moment to assess the situation. Sachem is fighting in a calm and systematic manner with extreme control and a highly tuned reaction speed. But his counters and reactions seem to follow a set pattern, as if someone drilled the proper reactions into his body. Diwena thinks to himself that Sachem must have gone through hell to get that kind of muscle memory. But Demo, on the other hand, is improving at an alarming rate. Whenever he engages Sachem, he uses his body weight with heavy punches and rotates his body to enhance the speed of his combinations. And when he gets countered he calls My-Ty to take his place and then closes his eyes to review what went wrong. My-Ty is also learning how to control the flow of the fight. He is starting to treat the exchanges with Sachem as a game of chess instead of an exchange of strength and technique. Whenever Sachem counters, it feels as if My-Ty was expecting it to a certain degree and prepared his own response. And whenever Demo steps in, My-Ty keeps his eyes focused on Sachem. He has also realized that Sachem is following certain patterns of attack and defense. It¡¯s clear that My-Ty is focusing on being fluid in a fight and controlling the flow. Whereas Demo is learning how to use his body and powers in a proper way. But both of them look exhausted. This new strategy, however effective, is draining them mentally and physically. They won''t last much longer if this continues, and Sachem looks like he still has an ace up his sleeve. Diwena decides that he has to step in to make sure that they can defeat Sachem. Diwena jumps up high and raises his sword up above his head so that the blade is on his back. Right as he is about to land he swings the blade down full force on Sachem. Sachem saw him coming so he threw a left straight and turned his body to face an incoming Diwena and threw a right uppercut. His fist and Diwena¡¯s blade collide. ¡°Seems I was too late to stop you.¡± ¡°Ovindor Zhaqris (You¡¯re next).¡± ¡°Big words from a low-ranked warrior.¡± These words shocked Diwena. Not only did Sachem understand him but he even knew that Diwena wasn¡¯t a general or a royal guard. This shock was the opening that Sachem was waiting for. He threw a quick combination of punches that struck Diwena and sent him back flying. Diwena lands, immediately stands up, and brushes off the punches like they were nothing. But thinks to himself that this human is strong. Demo and My-Ty both took that moment to recover. Sachem, in a zig zag pattern, rushes towards Diwena while weaving his body and head. Diwena slams his sword into the ground and then swings it like a lever. This throws debris and dust towards an approaching Sachem. But Sachem is deterred because he is able to sense where Diwena is. He rushes through the dust to where he senses Diwena. Once he is close up he throws a right straight with full force. The punch goes straight through Diwena. But that¡¯s when Sachem realizes that what he hit wasn¡¯t the Palindra. It was a shadow that took his form and had a bit of his energy. Sachem fell for the trap. Diwena jumps with his swords from the shadows under Sachem. The timing was impeccable but Sachem¡¯s was still able to dodge the vital attack. But his face was cut. Sachem jumps back and touches the cut on his face. He can¡¯t believe he fell for such a basic trick. But this is the first time he has seen a Palindra do this move. But even so, he shouldn¡¯t have been touched. Perhaps fatigue is building up after My-Ty and Demo. He is going to have to go full power. Sachem takes a deep breath. The atmosphere around his body changes. The energy level in his body raises at a high rate. He then slams his fists together 3 times. An explosion of energy is released, and the spectators cover their faces to prevent the dust from messing up their sight. Then, from within the dust, a single word is heard. ¡°Three¡±