Chapter 25 - Bandit Hideout Okay, the bandit leader is over there. Skaal replied as Aldred arrived near a mountain. The mountain housed a large base. In the middle of the mountain was a huge house made of wood, bones, and stones. "Hmm...the security here is very strict.... Oh? What's that? There's a group of them eating? Skaal, think you can poison their food?" Who do you think I am? Such an easy task. Skaal responded as he scurried towards the hideout. Minutes later, Skaal came back. It is done. The effects will hit in a few minutes. "That's good. I'm gonna tunnel towards that huge house over there. When the poisoned bandits fall and cause a distraction, the leader will definitely step out of his house to see what the disturbances were." Aldred dove into the ground and made his way towards the main house. With the help of Skaal's mark and his sensitivity to energy, Aldred was able to tunnel directly towards the main house. He emerged slowly and quietly from behind the house. Luckily there were no windows at the back that could notify the residents of his presence. "When?" Aldred asked. 3...2...1.... Skaal muttered and as if on cue, confused and panicked voices sounded out within the base. .......... "What's wrong Jarlor? Why did you collapse?" "Myke! Wake up man!" "Kikam, what happened?!" "Boss! Boss! Something happened to our men!" People rushed out from the huge house including an old man...this was the old man that met with the Count earlier. He surveyed the chaos and shouted. "Quiet down! You, speak! What happened?" "Boss, I don't know what happened. They were fine just a moment ago, but when they got up, they all collapsed." A bandit replied. "Hmm." The bandit leader pondered as he gazed at the conditions of the collapsed men. "Call the healer!" .......... As the bandits assessed the situation, Aldred stealthily slipped into the huge house. Using his sensitivity in energy, Aldred was able to sense many weak energies from below. The kids must have been held there. Aldred closed his eyes and focused on the energies...where exactly were they.... After a few seconds or so, he was able to sense the cluster of energies somewhere down the hall of the house. Aldred closed in to the energies until a door blocked his way. He opened the door and peered inside. There was a horrid smell of blood, piss, and feces. Wrinkling his nose, he descended down the stairway, which led to a makeshift dungeon. There were three holding cells filled with children of all ages. Some of their eyes were vacant and dead. They must have been traumatized from seeing their home destroyed and their family killed. Others had terror in their eyes as they flinched when they heard Aldred walk down the stairs. Most of the children cowered when they saw Aldred, but one girl still had some traces of defiance and vigilance in her eyes. The girl looked to be about nine years old - Aldred's age. She had long red hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in rags with scratches and dirt covering her arms and legs. She got up and approached the edge of the cell. "W-who are you? How did you get here?" The girl asked. Aldred put his finger to his lips signaling them to be quiet. "My name is Aldred. I'm here to save you." "You? That's disappointing. How are you gonna save us with one arm? You should leave before they come back." "Don't worry. I'm strong. These small fries aren't my opponents." "How can you be so sure? You should-! Oh, no! They're back! You need to hide!" Aldred smiled. This girl...still worried about others even with her circumstances. To the shock of all the children, Aldred dove into the ground like it was nothing. The spot where Aldred dug into only looked like a clumped pile of earth...hardly noticeable to an average person. While beneath the ground, Aldred waited for the bandits to come in. .......... "Is the healer here?" The bandit leader inquired. "Yes boss, I'm here." A skinny, clean-shaven and pale-faced man appeared. He bent down and examined the unconscious men. "They seemed to be poisoned as shown by the foam from their mouths and blueness under their eyes and on their lips. Judging from the tint of the blueness and the amount of foam, I think the poison is not fatal. Looking at the events that have occurred, I believe poison was slipped in their food." "So the poison used was not to kill...but...to distract.... No! The dungeon! Quick, you five come with me! The rest guard the entrance of the house. Don't let anyone suspicious get out." "Yes boss!" The bandit leader and his five subordinates rushed into the house. Upon entering the dungeon, they looked around for any suspicious persons. Strangely, nothing was out of the ordinary...no intruder...no missing children...nothing. One of the five men walked towards the cells...and stumbled. "Fuck! What's this pile of dirt doing here?" The man exclaimed as he angrily kicked the dirt. "Wait!" The bandit leader yelled. "Isn't that a hole?" "Ah, boss...you're right. How did it get he-?" Another man replied but he was interrupted by a hand coming out of his chest. The bandit leader and the other four men gaped in shock. As the hand slid back leaving behind a bloody hole, the dead bandit crumpled to reveal a young boy with black hair, silver eyes, fang-like tattoos below his eyes, and an arm missing. The bandit leader quickly regained his senses and shouted. "What are you idiots doing? Get him!"
Chapter 26 - Taking out the Trash Aldred did not wait for the bandits to attack. He dove below the ground and tunneled around the bandits. The surprised men panicked as they glanced around the room. Suddenly, Aldred emerged from behind one of the bandits and slashed forward. His claw like hand tore of chunks of flesh from the helpless bandit. Even with their leather armor, they could not defend against Aldred's sharp and powerful claw that had been trained and strengthened to dig through solid rock like tofu. As the second bandit died, Aldred prepared to dive in again. However, never had he imagined that the bandit leader was a Fire Mage as fire shot towards him causing him to flip backwards in order to dodge. A piercing scream caught his attention. He turned back and saw that the fireball had hit one of the cells causing the ground inside the cell to burn. A couple of Water-Affinity children managed to put out the fire but some other children were still caught in the flames and were burned. None of the kids knew healing and the burnt children could do nothing but bear with the pain. Shit, I forgot about the hostages. I need to free them out. Aldred thought. Aldred sneered at the men. He lunged towards them, surprising them with his incredible speed. He charged towards the bandit leader, intending to kill him first. There was a saying from his past life - Severing the head will destroy the body, which was applied to both immortals and armies. However, what Aldred didn't expect was when the bandit leader used one of his subordinates as a meat shield. The bandit died in Aldred's arm and was subsequently thrown at the young boy. Both bandit and Aldred crashed into the floor. The bandit leader activated Fire Pit at the ground below them. The bandit's corpse was burned, however, Aldred fortunately escaped unscathed. With his current cultivation coupled with his powerful and well-tempered body, Aldred was unharmed by the fires in the pit. Aldred dove beneath the pit and tunneled towards the Fire Mage. "You, go alert the captains!" The bandit leader ordered the last bandit. As the bandit rushed out the basement, the bandit leader raised his defenses as he scanned the ground below. A hand erupted from the ground and grabbed the bandit leader's leg. The bandit leader screamed for help, alerting the bandits outside. As many bandits rushed in, Aldred shot out from behind the bandit leader and decapitated him. Just as he cleanly beheaded the bandit leader, a group of powerful looking men charged in. They were the captains of the bandit army. These three men looked at their leader's body and seethed in anger. "Big Boss was done in by this bastard! Second Boss, we must avenge him." One of the captains said. "You men from the outside! Come inside and help us kill this bitch!" Aldred! Let me hold them off while you free the children. Skaal said as his heart stirred for a fight. Aldred agreed and tossed Skaal towards the bandits. Skaal immediately changed into his Giant Beast Form and body-slammed into a group of bandits. Both the bandits and the children gawked at the sudden appearance of a demonic beast. Some of the children screamed in utter terror but they shushed when Aldred told them to calm down. Aldred slashed the cell bars with his hand and created openings for each cell. The children hurriedly rushed out of the cells. Aldred slashed towards the back wall a few times before kicking the pieces of stone and wood apart. The children all rushed out through the back. Some bandits came charging over but Aldred rushed to meet them head-on. "Run! Run as far away as you can!" Aldred urged the children. The kids scurried away, while Aldred killed a few more bandits. While Aldred took care of the bandits outside, Skaal was dealing with the bandit captains inside. Skaal rammed his pincers into the bandit captains. Although they were strong, none of them were able to hurt Skaal even with his weakened state. The bandits died left and right whether it's from decapitation or from crushing - they all suffered gruesome defeats. It was simply as easy as taking out the trash. After finishing the bandits inside, Skaal rushed out to help Aldred. They continued to kill off the bandits until finally, none was left. Even though all the bandits were dead, something still egged at Aldred's guts. His instincts told him that something was wrong. Aldred wondered about it but he just couldn't put his finger on it...until, that is, Skaal brought it up. Strange! Why are there missing a couple of bandits? There should be at least 100 more. "You're right! That's what I was wondering about as well...where are the rest?" Aldred mused. Suddenly, he thought of something...the children! Oh no! The 100 bandits must have chased after the kids! Aldred rushed towards the direction that the children headed off to. Skaal sensed that something was amiss and followed him as well. A painful shriek echoed the night. Aldred and Skaal sped up as they heard the scream. When Aldred approached a nearby grassland, he saw bodies...children and bandits alike. Standing in the center of the massacre was the girl that talked with Aldred earlier. Her hair was disheveled and fluttered in the night air. Her blue eyes flashed with anger and sadness and her clothes stained with blood. "What happened here?" Aldred muttered as he took in the sight. Aldred! That girl! I sensed that she has awakened...and a Quadruple-Affinity at that! She must be the child that the Count was looking for! It seems the slaughter that had taken place here caused her emotions to erupt. You must calm her down or this will not be good for all of us. Skaal notified. Aldred continued watching the girl. She knelt down beside a dying child...it was her little brother. She had promised her parents on their dying breath to protect her little brother...but now...she was unable to fulfill her parents' wish. The girl lifted the corpse in her arms and cried. Aldred walked up to the crying girl, making sure to not make any sudden movements and presented himself so that the girl can see him anytime. The girl looked up at Aldred with vacant eyes - her once bright eyes, now dull with pain and suffering. "A-aldred?" She murmured. "Yes...it's me. You alright?" "Kev...he...he's gone.... I promised our parents that I'll take care of him.... I-if only I had more power.... If only I had awaken sooner.... *SOB!* *SOB!*" "It's not your fault. Come! Get up, your brother wouldn't want you to behave like this." "How can you say that?! You don't know! You don't know how it feels to lose someone precious!" "But I do know! I...I've also lost someone...many. They all died because I wasn't strong enough. But I did not give in. I vowed to become stronger and smarter so that I can protect my future loved ones. You can do the same." "But...." "Think of Kev! Would he want you to destroy yourself with grief? Or would he want you to continue living?" "C-continue...living...." "For your sake." "F-for my sake."
Chapter 27 - Rare Affinities After Aldred and the girl, whose name was Julia Kreole, buried all the dead children, Aldred led the girl to his inn. When Lila saw the two, she gave them a questioning look. "Why Aldred, who's this?" Lila scolded while looking at the raggedy young girl. "Don't tell me you found her in the slums? Aren't you a little too young to be doing those immoral things?!" "Ah! You're mistaken, this is my cousin Julia. She's dressed like this because she ran away from home. She didn't like studying if you know what I mean?" Aldred lied. "Haha! I know. There are always some wealthy family's son or daughter running away from home because they were too bored of their restricted life." Lila agreed as she looked at Julia's attire once more. "Come little one, I'm sure you don't want to stay in that outfit right? I might have something that will fit you. Aldred, go on to your room." Lila led Julia to the staff room as Aldred walked to his room. After entering in his room, he pulled out Skaal and placed him on the table. What should we do with Julia? Aldred asked. Drop her off somewhere. Skaal shrugged. We can't leave her here or people will get suspicious. Plus, I don't know if she has any living relatives. True, if people found out about her Quadruple-Affinity status, she will be in a lot of danger. We could always bring her along. Haha! You sure know how to joke! I wasn't.... Julia won't be accepted by demonic beasts. In fact, even you will have a hard time where we're going. It's best for her safety and ours that she does not tag along. O-ok. *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* "Who is it?" Aldred asked when he heard the knock. Skaal scrambled back into his right pants pocket. "It's Julia." Aldred got up from his chair and opened the door. A rather cute girl stood before him. She was wearing a red dress that further accentuated her red hair and black shoes. "H-how do I look?" Julia asked, her head bowed and a tinge of red crept along her cheeks. "Ok, I guess." Aldred nonchalantly shrugged. When Julia heard the answer, she felt a bit disappointed...this wasn't what Lila said. Didn't she say that all men liked pretty women? How come Aldred wasn't affected? Was she ugly...or...? Julia was about to think something forbidden when Aldred tapped her shoulder. She looked up in surprise. "You alright Julia? I called your name a couple of times. Did you not hear?" Aldred questioned worriedly. Seeing Aldred worry over her, Julia smiled. "Ah nothing, I was just thinking of something. So, what did you need?" "I was asking you about what you want to do from here on out. Do you have any relatives I can send you to?" "No...they all died. Can't I just go with you?" "You can't. I'm going to a dangerous place." "I've become strong. I can handle myself. I won't let you down." "No. I'm going to the Demon Forests." "Demon Forests! W-why?!" Julia gasped in surprise. "My brother has family there." Aldred answered as he pulled out Skaal and showed him to her. "A demonic beast!...Y-your brother?" "Haha, I know that look. No, I'm not a demonic beast. We are sworn brothers. We are going to the place where my brother...Skaal's family is currently residing. Even though we are sworn brothers, the chances of me being accepted is low...not to mention an outsider like you." "I-I'll manage. You don't have to worry about me. Please, let me follow you. I-I won't survive out here by myself with all these strangers." "But you know Lila, you can stay with her." "We only just met. She's still a stranger to me." "Haha, then by that logic, you and I are strangers too." "T-that...that's different." "How about this. I've heard that Quadruple-Affinities have higher perception and can breakthrough their stages quicker than others. If you can break through past the Novice Stages by the end of this week, then I'll consider taking you along. For now, I'll go get you a Ritual Crystal and see what type of affinities you have." Are you really going to consider taking her along if she breaks past the Novice Stages? Skaal asked. I should give her a chance. If she does break through, that means she is determined and won't become a burden to us in the future. If not, then she lacks the motivation and will affect us if we bring her along. She's a smart girl. She knows this too. Fine, we'll do as you say. Aldred left the inn and headed towards a temple. He told a priest who was on-duty that he wanted to buy an one-time use Ritual Crystal. Because people rarely buy one-time use Ritual Crystal, the priest asked what he needed the crystal for and Aldred told him that his parents had asked him to buy it for his little brother. Now the Ritual Crystals that he used during his assessment years ago was a permanent crystal and those types of crystals were not for sale. However, the one he was able to buy was an one-time use and temples sell them for 1 gold each. Taking out 100 silvers, Aldred paid for the Ritual Crystal. After buying the crystal, he quickly left the vicinity. Unfortunately, he did not see the priest leaving his post and entering the inner temple with an excited look on his face. .......... "Head Priest Zol! You were right! There was someone who came to buy an one-time use Ritual Crystal." The priest exclaimed as he rushed into the Head Priest's quarters. "Really? What did the person look like?" Zol Lightbring, an aging man with white beard and a bald head, inquired. "A boy, missing an arm, black hair, silver eyes...about nine years old." "Hmm...could he by the legendary Quadruple-Affinity? Can't be...he's too old." "The boy said the Ritual crystal was for his younger brother." "That must be it! The younger brother is the one we're looking for. Tell the Subjugators! Our targets are two boys, one missing an arm with black hair and silver eyes, while the other is a younger boy probably with the same hair and eye color." "Yes Head Priest." .......... Aldred entered his room and saw Julia sleeping on the bed. He shook her awake and handed her the Ritual Crystal. "Here, drop a blood into this crystal and see what colors you get." Julia nodded her head as she rubbed her eyes groggily. Dropping a drop of blood onto the crystal, she anxiously waited. Many colors appeared and soon, one by one, the colors disappeared. What affinities do you think she will get? Aldred asked Skaal. Probably the typical ones - fire, water, earth, and air.... Oh what's this! Skaal replied but suddenly did a double-take at the results. Initially Skaal had imagined that fire, water, earth, and air would be the four affinities that Julia will obtain...however, contrary to expectations, the four colors disappeared. The four that remained were light green, dark green, purple, and white. "Light green, dark green, purple, white...what do they represent?" Aldred asked. "Light green - Plant Affinity, dark green - Poison Affinity, purple - Lightning Affinity, and white - Holy Affinity. All four affinities are rare. To all compile in one person...this girl's future will be bountiful and endless." Skaal muttered in response.
Yea some people didn't like how the MC was deceived in ch 6 and 7 and got pissed. Now they're writing bad reviews without considering the later chapters. Seemed they couldn't accept the fact that the MC is NAIVE and that there's a tragedy tag
Also check out my new novel Ping Pong King 2 ch out and I'll release daily http://royalroadl.com/fiction/8421
Chapter 28 - Breakthroughs Over the rest of the week, Aldred decided to continue training. He needed to be as strong as possible before he reached the Demon Forests. Who knew what would happen when he arrived. What if he suffered from hostility instead of hospitality? He needed to be able to defend himself if the time comes. He thought over the fights he had experienced over the few days that had passed...his fight with Ralph...his fight with the bandits. He used a few moves that felt unique...but what should he name them? For instance, the move he used to dive into the ground...should he call it 'Mole Drill'...nah.... He was never good at naming things. So, he asked Skaal for advice. "Hey Skaal, how should I name the move I used to dig underground?" "Hmm...how about Mole Drill?" "Haha, I'm guessing you don't have a good naming sense either right?" "Y-yea...." "What are you mulling over?" Julia asked as she walked over. It's been a day and Julia had already reached Novice 2nd Stage. Her leveling speed is monstrously fast. "You remember that move I did when I dug into the ground? We're trying to decide on a name for it but our naming abilities aren't so good." "Hmm...you said your technique was based off of observing moles right? Why not just name your moves based on that? Like digging through the earth can be...um...something like Tunnel...I guess. Haha, my naming sense isn't good either. I'm sorry." "No, don't be. Why don't we just call it Tunnel? Yea, Tunnel it is. Thanks." "R-really? No problem." "So how's your training doing?" "Pretty good. I'm on the verge of breaking through to Novice 3rd Stage." "So...." "Hmm? Ah...I know, I'm going." Julia said as she walked away. "We really gonna call it Tunnel?" Skaal asked as soon as he saw Julia out of sight. "You want to call it Mole Drill?" "Good point." "Okay, let's continue." The two continued thinking of names for the moves Aldred did. Regular strikes didn't warrant any names, but the spear-like move Aldred did when he dug out an enemy's heart was subsequently named as 'Drilling Spear'. Over the few days left, he continued to train in his cultivation and in his fist technique. During his training, he managed to breakthrough once more to the Core Condensing 2nd Stage. Now that he was able to generate his own Earth Qi and cultivate in it, he was able to train faster than when he had to absorb Qi from the earth. As for his fist technique, he was able to have some success in creating and perfecting three new skills. The first skill was called Fury of the Berserker Mole. It involved a continuous barrage of fierce slashes. The power of each slash was huge but the cost of stamina was great as well. In addition, the second skill was called Mirage. It involved dodging and moving at an incredible speed that caused afterimages of himself. He can use this skill to attack and both his afterimage and himself would do damage. This skill was made possible once he reached Core Condensing 2nd Stage when his speed and strength increased significantly. But, like Fury of the Berserker Mole, this skill required a lot of stamina. Aldred reasoned that he would only be able to use these moves sparingly. Once he reach the next stage, however, he will be able to increase his stamina usage efficiency. Finally, the last skill was called Mole's Bite. Unlike the previous two skills, this skill did not require a lot of stamina. In addition, unlike Fury of the Berserker Mole, this move can be used without Weapon Form. This skill was inspired by the way a mole used its teeth to tear chunks of flesh off of its opponents. Aldred forms his hand so that his fingers are bent. Using Mole's Bite, he would dig his 'teeth' into his enemies and tear off chunks of flesh. While Aldred was training and creating new skills, Skaal also started cultivating the Earth God Cultivation Technique. With his initial affinity to Earth, he was able to quickly acquire large success in this cultivation. Skaal was finally able to regain his lost level and even broke through to the next tier - Adult Tier 9. Julia, too, was also training quickly. However, it was the last day but Julia was still stuck at Novice 5th Stage...she was at a bottleneck. "It seems you could not reach your end of our deal." Aldred spoke. "Wait...there's still time left. The day hasn't ended yet!" Julia frantically replied. "Fine...let's wait till the day's end. If at that time you still haven't broken through to the Apprentice Stage, you will have to stay here." "Just one more stage...just one more stage! Why can't I break through?!" Julia anxiously muttered, her face intense with concentration, as she walked away. Julia continued to train and stress and groan in failure. What was she doing wrong? She was doing so well the first five stages...but going from Novice to Apprentice was like heaven and hell...the difference was tremendous. Doubt began to creep into her heart. Doubt was a serious and dangerous predator that have ended the lives of many. Julia had heard of many people who could not breakthrough to the Apprentice Stage because of such doubt...could she become one of them? Julia continued to meditate and train. Sweat poured relentlessly down her body and pooled on the ground below. She did not sleep all night. She was so focused on her breakthrough that she did not pay attention to the passing of time. Suddenly, a brightness blinded Julia as it crept through the window - startling Julia out of her training. She gasped when she looked outside. "Oh no! It's morning! B-but I haven't broken through yet! NO!" *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* "Julia. It's me. Have you broken through?" Aldred asked. "N-no...." Julia said disconsolately. "Then, this is goodbye. I'll tell Lila of your situation. I'm sure she will take care of you." "Wait...no!" Julia opened the door to her room and saw Aldred's distant back. "Stop...please wait!" Aldred stopped. He did not turn around. He just looked ahead. "Goodbye." Seeing Aldred leave, Julia tried to say something but doubt and hesitation forced her words back. She struggled with her inner self until finally...with the last of her courage, she shouted towards Aldred. "Wait! Come back!" With her shout let out, she was able to break through her wall of doubt and with her doubt broken, her bottleneck followed. Through an explosion of mana, she broke through to the Apprentice Stage. Aldred, sensing Julia's success, turned towards her with a smile. His next words brought unbelievable joy to Julia. "What are you standing there for? Let's go."
Chapter 29 - Test "There it is...the Demon Forests. It looks as magnificent as it had all those years ago. Hopefully, nothing much as changed." Skaal exclaimed as he admired the view and indulged in reminiscence. However, the scenery did not correspond with how Skaal described it to be. The forests were tall and dark...not a single light could penetrate through. The trees were bunched close together but luckily Aldred and Julia were able to squeeze through the cracks. "Have you told your family we were coming?" Julia asked. During their travels together, Julia had became more familiar with Skaal as well as his abilities to fight and telepathically communicate. "Yes. They were a bit surprised but that was expected since I mentioned to them that Aldred was my Brother and you were a friend. Hopefully they will see past your race and accept you guys. However, I doubt that they would do it so simply. Be careful, there may be a test or something similar." "Okay." "Hmm...oh, there's my cousin. She's come to pick us up." Aldred and Julia peered into the darkness. Julia was just about to say that they don't see anything when something caught their eyes...two glowing balls of light floated around like will-o'-wisps. On closer look, the two balls of light were two eyeballs of a giant Toxic Razortail. Julia quickly hid behind Aldred as he instinctively brought out his right arm. "Relax guys." Skaal said as he walked forward to greet the other Toxic Razortail. "She's harmless. Sherul! Have you come to guide us to the den?" "Yes. When mother said you were bringing a brother and a friend, she was surprised...but who knew they were human?" The Toxic Razortail called Sherul replied as she peered towards Aldred and Julia. "And children at that." "You didn't tell them we were human?" Aldred muttered towards Skaal who embarrassingly scratched his head. "Oops...couldn't really bring myself to say it.... But I'm sure they'll understand." Skaal answered. Then, he looked towards Sherul and asked. "They are my Brother and my friend, hopefully there's no problem." "Hmph! I've already notified Mother and Father of this situation. We'll see what they have to say." Sherul snorted. She paused for a moment as if receiving a telepathic reply from her parents. After a while, she turned around. "Mother and Father said they need to see these humans for themselves. Come." Sherul speedily departed. Skaal told Aldred and Julia to climb onto his back as the paths were quite dangerous for the inexperienced. After the two children climbed on and positioned themselves so that they won't fall, Skaal rushed after Sherul. When Sherul looked back and saw the two children on Skaal's back, she shook her head in dismay. To think Skaal, one of the more prideful and stoic Toxic Razortails, would let two humans ride him...this...has the world come to an end? No, Skaal could be considered as an eccentric even when he was young. This...could just be another result of it. Minutes later, they arrived in front of a cave. There were a number of Toxic Razortails peering curiously at Aldred and Julia. All of a sudden, from the entrance of the cave, an elderly couple emerged. They were...human?...no, they were Toxic Razortails but they have reached Human Form. These must be the Mother and Father of Sherul. "What is this Skaal? Did you become a pet to these humans?" The elderly woman scoffed. "No...it's just they are not familiar with the paths...." Skaal tried to explain as Aldred and Julia quickly scampered off of Skaal's back. Aldred cupped his hands and bowed towards the elderly couple. "This one is known as Aldred Blackehearth. This one greets Aunt and Uncle." Aldred replied in the Language of the Beasts. Initially he wanted to say 'Uncle and Aunt' but since it seemed that the elderly woman made all the decisions, this family must follow a matriarchy rule. The elderly man as well as the other Toxic Razortails were surprised when they heard relatively fluent Beast Tongue from the young human. The Matriarch was surprised also and her cold expression softened a bit, "What Aunt and Uncle?! I haven't accepted you yet. Skaal, what are you guys standing out here for? Come in." Skaal nodded towards Aldred and Julia. Though the Matriarch did not express it, she had shown some approval towards Aldred...though not so with Julia, however, she did not explicitly forbid Julia from coming in either. The trio entered the den along with the elderly man and Sherul followed by a group of curious Toxic Razortails. Sherul approached Aldred with some interest, "It seems you know some of our ancestral tongue. I can see why Skaal took an interest in you. Hmph! That still doesn't mean we have." However, even though Sherul said that, she couldn't stop the curious gazes of the other Toxic Razortails...in particular, the younger ones. The young Toxic Razortails kept asking questions to Aldred and Julia, however, Julia could not understand the words because they were spoken in the Language of the Beasts. Apparently, young demonic beasts are taught the Language of the Beasts before learn the human language. After a good amount of time had passed while they continued walking deeper into the den, they arrived at a large room. The room was fairly empty. On one side of the room...the furthest side from the entrance, a few tables and seats made from stone and wood were placed. The room was a bit stuffy and dry, but nevertheless warm even though it was near winter. "Where are we?" Aldred asked. "This is the Main Hall, where all matters are discussed. That includes your situation." The Matriarch answered as she sat on a seat. Her husband sat by her side and started fanning her. "So, what will become of us?" "Given that you are Brother of Skaal and that girl is a friend who was approved by Skaal, we will not drive you away...that is, without giving you a chance to prove yourself." "How should we prove ourselves to you?" "If you truly want to stay here, you must complete a task. The two of you must kill a demonic beast...a demonic beast of a rival clan." "Aunt...don't tell me...you want my Brother to kill one of them?!" Skaal gasped in surprise and worry. "Skaal, you cannot interfere. This is my final decision." "Skaal, don't worry. We'll be okay. Respected Matriarch, who do you want us to kill?" Aldred replied as he held up a hand to calm the protesting brother of his. "Haha, I like your attitude. We, the Toxic Razortails, are one of the four major families ruling this part of the Demon Forests. The other families are the Fiery Boarheads, the Deathblooms, and the Sharpfangs. The Fiery Boarheads and the Sharpfangs are our enemies, while we have a temporary and fragile truce with the Deathblooms. Sherul, explain to these young ones what these three families look like." Sherul stepped forward and responded, "The Fiery Boarhead is a humanoid with a boar's head. These demonic beasts are called 'fiery' due to their affinity to Fire. You may or may not know but our poison is weak against fire. The Deathblooms are butterfly-type demonic beasts with powerful Plant-type abilities. They have blood red wings with black markings. The only reason we have a truce with the Deathblooms is because of our common enemy - the Sharpfangs. The Sharpfangs are mouse-type demonic beasts who prey on us Toxic Razortails and our allies the Deathblooms. They look like mice except for their extremely tough and extremely sharp front teeth. They are our most hated enemies. The Sharpfangs have Earth-type affinity as well, so our Earth-type skills do no harm to them. The only reason we were able to keep them at bay was all due to Mother's lethal poison." "So...let me guess...you want us to kill a Sharpfang?" "Yes." The Matriarch nodded. "You have till tomorrow's sunset. Sherul, show them the general direciton." "Yes, mother." Sherul bowed.
Chapter 30 - Completion "The Sharpfangs like to hunt for food over there. They usually come out at night...hmm, you guys have about two hours left. They like to hunt close to their dwellings, so they tend to move from time to time. They're dwellings are...there!" Sherul replied as she pointed towards a large tunnel at the bottom of a hill. "Any weaknesses?" Aldred asked. "Hmph! You're really going to do this? Can you even harm one with your disability?" "Don't worry about that. I can manage." "Fine, they're weaknesses are small in number. Their main weak point is their sensitivity to light, having been adjusted to the dark environment for so long. Though they have extreme speed, they're defenses are relatively weak...at least not as strong as Fiery Boarheads." "Okay...how should we contact you when we finish?" "Ha...you mean if you finish." "Whatever, just tell me already." "I'll be observing nearby. If I see you in trouble, just call for me and I'll intervene. However, by doing so, you would have failed the test." "No worries, we don't plan to fail." Julia boasted in confidence. She knew of Aldred's capabilities as well as her own. There shouldn't be a problem. Sherul stared at her with a strange look and then turned her gaze to Aldred, who nodded his head in approval of Julia's words. "Fine...I'll leave you guys too it." Sherul shrugged - or at least she would have if she had human shoulders - and scampered out of sight. "So what should we do Aldred?" Julia asked nervously. She still hasn't adjusted herself to the darkness of the foreset. "Let's climb up some trees. We'll observe the Sharpfangs from there." "O-okay." The two children climbed up a nearby tree and waited for the Sharpfangs to exit their dwellings. After an hour of boredom, a group of Sharpfangs dashed out and split off in all directions. Aldred and Julia climbed down from their tree and crept towards the dwelling. Peering inside, they were lucky enough to see an elderly looking Sharpfang snoring away. This Sharpfang must be the parent...or one of them at least. Aldred examined the dark surroundings for signs of another Sharpfang, but luckily, he wasn't able to find any. Aldred motioned to Julia to watch the entrance as he tip-toed towards the sleeping demonic beast. Suddenly, the Sharpfang twitched its ears and rolled to the side - scaring Aldred so much he nearly pissed his pants. Aldred froze in his steps for a few long seconds before inching forward once more. Several feet away, Aldred stopped. His gut feeling kept alerting him that if he moved any closer, the Sharpfang would notice his presence. Aldred bend down and rummaged around the ground a bit while his eyes stayed on the Sharpfang's sleeping body. His hand grabbed a hold of something and he lifted it up to get a closer look. It was a skull...a boar's skull. Looking at the skull, Aldred suddenly thought up a brilliant plan. Aldred slid his right leg back and assumed a low position. With a quick lunge, he jumped towards the Sharpfang. His hand formed into a claw and he activated his recently developed skill - Mole's Bite. With a thrust and a swipe, Aldred tore off a huge chunk of flesh from the Sharpfang's side...revealing bone and organs. The Sharpfang squealed in pain before quickly dying. The high-pitch screech echoed the cave causing both Aldred and Julia to flinch. Fearing that the scream was heard by the Sharpfangs that went out hunting, Aldred quickly finished up. Then, he slashed his hand across the rocky wall so fast that sparks flew out and landed on the straw floor. The place quickly ignited. Aldred and Julia hurriedly left the burning dwelling and called out to Sherul. Sherul arrived and looked at the scene. "Seems like you passed. What's the reason of setting this place on fire?" "It's to cover our tracks and divert attention elsewhere." Aldred replied calmly. "Elsewhere?" "You'll know soon enough. Quick! Let's leave before the other Sharpfangs get here." "Alright." Sherul nodded as she grabbed the two children gently by her pincers and rushed back to the den. After traveling some distance away, screams of sorrow echoed the forests. .......... When the Sharpfangs heard that scream...they knew immediately that something had gone wrong back at their dwelling. They all rushed back as quickly as possible. Upon arriving, they saw their dwelling in flames. The eldest Sharpfang of the group frantically rushed in. What he saw caused him a massive amount of grief. His beloved...his mate of many years...the mother of his children...dead. With no time to mourn, he quickly dragged his wife's corpse out of the burning dwelling. When the other Sharpfangs saw the state of their mother, they too started tearing up. "WHO! WHO DID THIS TO MOTHER!?!" The eldest son roared. "Brother! Look!" The second eldest pointed. The eldest son as well as everyone else turned to look at where the second eldest was pointing at. They saw marks...tusk marks all over their mother's body. Tusk marks...the Fiery Boarheads?! Those bastards! The Sharpfangs burned with anger. It all made sense now. The Fiery Boarheads killed their mother and burned their dwelling. Who else could it be since the Fiery Boarheads were the only ones with enough bravery to fight them. They were the only ones with Fire Affinities. "FUCKING BOARHEADS! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" .......... When Sherul heard these words roar out, she was surprised. She looked at Aldred who had a smile on his face...did he knew beforehand? How did he do it? As if sensing Sherul's questions, Aldred explained. "It's simple really. All I did was stab the corpse with the boar skull that I found lying on the floor in the dwelling. Then, I sat the place on fire, burning away all tracks and sending falsified information to the Sharpfangs about who really killed their mother." "Haha, interesting. No wonder Skaal favored you...even I might do the same. With this test completed, Mother will have no reason to decline your stay." "That's good."
Chapter 31 - Traitor "So it seems your test was completed successfully eh?" The Matriarch replied. "It's true Mother, though they did not attack the Sharpfang head-on, they still killed a Sharpfang. In addition, they even made it seem like a Fiery Boarhead was responsible for the attack." Sherul answered excitedly. "Oh? How did you manage to do that, boy?" "It was simple, Revered Matriarch, all I did was grabbed the boar skull that was lying around in their dwelling and stabbed the corpse a few times. Then, I set the place on fire. When the other Sharpfangs came back, they were too blinded by sorrow and anger to notice anything wrong with the lacerations on the corpse except that there were boar tusk marks and fire. Who else could they blame except for the Fiery Boarheads, am I right?" Aldred explained. "Haha. Wonderful! With this, we can decrease the number of enemies we have by having them finish each other off. It is true that the Fiery Boarheads are on a fragile alliance with the Sharpfangs like how we are with the Deathblooms. You did a good job. You have proven your worth and gained our trust. We welcome you to our den." "Thank you, Revered Matriarch." "Haha, no, call me Aunt Sheila." .......... It has been a month since Aldred and Julia were accepted to join and live with the Toxic Razortails at their den. During that time of peace, Aldred and Julia continued to train and cultivate. With the help of Sherul and some younger Toxic Razortails, Julia was able to increase her power and abilities with Poison. She had become rather proficient with the use of poison. Skaal had continued making small improvements with the Earth God Cultivation Technique. He was able to increase his affinity with Earth, thus giving some boosts to his Earth-type abilities. In addition, he was able to change into Human Form...though the time-limit was only ten minutes. Aldred continued training the cultivation technique and the fist technique. He had to modify those techniques a few times in order to accommodate the loss of his left arm. After a month of close-door training, he was able to double his proficiency with his right arm. He could dig as fast as when he had two arms and his overall arm strength increased significantly as well. Aldred would have continued on training if not for the fact that his Aunt, the Matriarch, had called for a general meeting and Aldred was invited...rather ordered to attend. When he arrived at the Main Hall, Skaal and Julia were already there. He walked up to them and stood with them. The rest of the attending members were all powerful figures who managed to obtain their Human Form. Of course they're in their Human Form right now cause the small Main Hall cannot house all of these Toxic Razortails in their Giant Beast Form. "I had called you all here because of something important that had occurred outside our den." The Matriarch explained. "You may all know that the Fiery Boarheads and the Sharpfangs have been involved in a few skirmishes this past month. This is all thanks to young Aldred here for stirring up a big misunderstanding between the two families." The audience murmured in agreement and understanding when they heard this. Some looked at Aldred and gave approving smiles. An elder walked up and asked, "We know of this...but this can't be the only thing you want to tell us, is it? This type of news shouldn't warrant a general meeting." "That's is correct. Last week, the Fiery Boarheads and Sharpfangs had initiated war against each other. They have lost quite a few members...however, just yesterday, I received word that the two families ceased fighting...and abruptly at that. To suddenly stop fighting and even made an alliance...something was definitely wrong." "Could they have figured out something?" Aldred asked. "This was my thought as well. I had already sent out Sherul to gather some intelligence. She should be back soon." Just as the Matriarch finish this sentence, Sherul rushed in and whispered something to the Matriarch. The Matriarch's face paled a bit before she looked at the crowd once again. She replied slowly, "Sherul had just gotten back from gathering intelligence on why the Fiery Boarheads and the Sharpfangs stopped fighting with each other." "What is it? What's the reason?" The crowd asked curiously. "They found out...they found out that it was all a set-up!" "Y-you don't mean...!" "Yes...we have a traitor!" "WHAT?! Who's the traitor?" "We don't know yet but only the people here knows about the real cause that spurred the war between the Fiery Boarheads and the Sharpfangs. This can only mean one thing." Yes...this could only mean one thing, the traitor was in their midst. But who could it be? The attendees looked around at each other...who was most likely the traitor? However, everyone here was a respectable member of the Toxic Razortail family. Could the Matriarch be wrong? Maybe there was an outsider.... At the mention of outsider, they all looked at Aldred and Julia. However, a few dismissed the thought. After all, it was these two who started the whole set-up. But most of the Razortails kept their suspicions. Aldred saw the looks in their eyes and immediately knew that they were suspicious of them. In order to dispel these suspicions, Aldred voiced out, "Matriarch! Isn't there an elder who can use a special type of poison that can make someone tell the truth?" "Ah! There is! Elder Rell! Sherul, go summon him here." The Matriarch exclaimed. "This is a good idea Aldred. Everyone, I ask you to give me some face and allow yourself to be examined. Of course, you don't have to...but that would only make you the most suspicious." Everyone had secrets and many were nervous. Most of them did not want to tell the Matriarch of their innermost secrets...but they also did not want her to treat them as potential traitors. When Sherul came back with Elder Rell, everyone held their breaths in anticipation. Elder Rell was notified of the situation and quickly proceeded towards the first Toxic Razortail. While the elder conducted his tests, Aldred observed this old scorpion. The Toxic Razortail had a gray and dark green exoskeleton. He was missing a leg and his tail seemed to be limp and flat. If Aldred didn't know any better and saw this elder from a far away distance, he would have mistaken this elder for a giant lobster. The elder pricked his tail into the first examinee. When the poison set in, the elder proceeded to ask some questions. After a series of tests with a number of Razortails, there was still no traitor...only loyal family members. Finally, one Razortail answered a bit differently from the rest. "Are you a Sharpfang?" Elder Rell asked as a preliminary question. Victims of Elder Rell's truth poison always enter a trance-like state and could only say yes/no answers. So the questions were worded for convenience. "No." The Toxic Razortail answered. "Have you had dealings with the Fiery Boarheads?" "No." "Have you had dealings with the Sharpfangs?" "Yes." The crowd gasped at this answer. Could he be the traitor? "Do you work for the Sharpfangs?" "Yes." "Are you a traitor?" "No." The crowd breathed out in somewhat relief. Though the Razortail being tested was involved in some suspicious activities, he was not the traitor they were looking for. The Matriarch told Elder Rell to end the test with this examinee and move on to the next one. Then, she ordered some guards to bring in the Toxic Razortail for further questioning. Elder Rell moved on with the next one…and the next and the next until finally...someone couldn't take it anymore. That Razortail immediately backed up and quietly tried to sneak away. However, Matriarch's sharp eyes caught sight of this and shouted, "Her! Don't let her escape!"