Novel The Odyssey of Dalis (Contains Arrogant Young Master as a MC)

Elim · Feb 2, 2020

"Huh . . . ?"

"This isn't good!"

"Damn it."

The party immediately regrouped.

"Those cries were from grey wolves! The situation is not good. Grey wolves tend to be solo hounds. However, that is a different story when confronted with an enemy it cannot conquer by itself. They will howl to attract their fellow wolves to group together and outnumber their foe."

"But that damn dog was already at the end of its line. It must've been very thirsty for revenge."

"How many are wolves are usually in a pack?" Dalis inquired solemnly.

"The numbers tend to vary . . . but if we are unlucky, it could reach about fifteen . . . "

"Fifteen? That's five times the amount of people we have here!"

"Understood. Let's leave. Follow me."

Dalis gave a short wave of a hand to beckon the girls.

"You have a plan Dalis to get us out of here?"

"Not exactly, but I know we will be lambs for the slaughterhouse if we stay here. This glade is dangerous. It's too open fielded, allowing beasts to easily surround us. It would be a repeat of last time but worse. The Spliz's threads won't be of any aid either. Furthermore, It's quite dark now and will only get darker. The wolves eyesight are on par with humans, in actual fact, their night vision is superior. This is due to the abundance of rods [greyscale receptors] in their retina. Moreover their keen sense of smell . . . "

"So you don't know how many wolves are generally in a pack, but you know about all this other stuff?" Jessica chided.

"I was interested in their night vision."

Jessica was stupefied.

"Enough! The beasts will be here any minute! Dalis lead the way."

Dalis began running back into the veils of the dark forest, followed by Sienna and Jessica.

"Be careful and watch your steps. There are many ingrained roots sticking out in this part of the forest."

The three hastily travelled through the forest. Dalis's guidance and warnings enabled them to proceed at a faster pace than they had anticipated. However, this was not sufficient. The barking and cries of the beasts had not once ceased and the distance between them was approaching closer each second. After all, their battle from earlier had been exhausting. They were not allowed to even have a moment of rest.

"D-damn it? How can they be so fast!"

"They're natural hunters after all."

"Ahhh their bloody keen sense of smell! At this rate we will be screwed! Any ideas?"

"Sienna, are there any nearby lakes? Although I'm unsure, the wolves should be slower in chasing us down in the waters. Furthermore, we will be able to wash ourselves and remove this scent."

"Yes there was one . . . but with the direction you took, I have no idea where we are now."

" . . . "

"Well Dalis you have a place in mind right?"

"Yeah I do, it's my hideout . . . no residence."

???

Minutes passed . . . they were reaching their limit. Dalis's traversing speed had become considerably slower, Sienna seemed to be a little better off than Dalis, as for Jessica . . .

"W-wait, s-stop you two."

The two stopped their breaks.

Jessica was resting the palms of her hands on her knees, sweating profusely and heavily gasping for air. She had reached her limit.

"Jessica . . . If we don't hurry they're gonna reach us! Just a little longer . . . right Dalis?"

"Yeah we should be there in about ten minutes . . . "

"T-ten ten minutes?" Jessica's knees wobbled in response to that cruel statement.

"Jessica . . . ten minutes will pass in a moment of fleet. Hang in there!"

"*Huff* *Huff* *Huff* okay . . . let's go!"

"Actually . . . I'm under the impression that we will be safe now." (From the wolves at least.)

"What do you mean Dalis?"

"Haven't you noticed in the past five minutes the cries of the beasts have gotten less and less?"

"Yeah now that you mention it . . . Wait I don't hear anything anymore."

"That's right. We have survived the game of cat and mouse. Well done you two."

Dalis expressed a warm, ample smile. Setting their sight on Dalis, their faces alleviated with delight.

"Yessss!!!" Jessica shrieked with happiness. Her legs had dropped to the floor. She was now sitting down with her legs spread out. It was cloud nine. Dalis questioned her unladylike gestures inwardly but then dismissed it. This was very Jessica like. That was charming in itself. Dalis liked it very much.

"Ooof, that was a close one." Unlike Jessica, Sienna took her time before resting herself to the ground. She maintained a vigilant outlook. It seemed she was still wary of her surroundings. As expected from Sienna.

Though Dalis did not sit down, he leaned his back against a tree a meter away from him. Sienna then spoke.

"On a serious note, why would the wolves suddenly stop their pursuit."

Hearing this, Jessica's face was replaced, worn with seriousness.

"Hmm . . . perhaps it's because The Monster . . ." may very well be close by?"

The faces’ of the girls became ghast.

"Sorry Dalis, I must be exhausted from all that transpired today. Could you repeat that again for me?"

"Haha . . . yeah . . . come again Dalis?"

"Hmm . . . perhaps it's because The Monster . . . may very well be close by?"

Dalis used the exact same words as before. His nonchalant tone was tinged with mockery. It seemed he was subtly teasing them.

"WHAT!"

The two shouted in unison.

"Indeed, you heard correct. The monster is just around the corner or perhaps under your beds."

"Enough with the jokes. Dalis explain," Sienna reprimanded.

"Despite all the noise we are making, don't you find it strange that there is no sign of any life?"

"That is true . . . "

"Apart from us, it's oddly silent correct?"

"Yes . . . "

"Yeah . . . "

The girls took a closer look into their surroundings. The terrain was the same as ever. A lush forest filled with shrubs, vines, trees, etc. Nothing was particularly out of the ordinary except the list of things that Dalis had mentioned. Though, there was a small hill reaching about six metres tall behind them.

"A hill in a place like this . . . "

"Well it can happen right . . . right?"

"Yeah but . . . the Maizan forest is mostly flat land . . . "

"Shall I go investigate? I volunteer to be a tribute!" Dalis vehemently spoke.

"Your attitude in a situation like this Dalis . . . "

"My attitude?"

Dalis pondered . . . indeed, he was taking it lightly. The monster could be right behind that hill for all he knew. Or at least something that was on a similar degree of threat.

Yet, he was composed for the most part . . . and he was enjoying the thrill.

Was Dalis perhaps having fun?

(Fun?)

"Dalis?"

Dalis was snapped out of his thoughts.

"What is it?"

"Are you planning to go check the surroundings?"

"Yes. You and Sienna stay here. I won't be long."

"No I'm going to."

"You mean, we are both going."

Jessica and Sienna stood up and were determined to not let Dalis survey the area alone. If Dalis were to encounter the beast, then they would be filled with regret for not tagging along.

Dalis thought for a moment. Honestly speaking, he would fare much better alone as he was an expert of using dusk to his advantage. However, he didn't want to reject their goodwill.

"How about this, we camp here for tonight. We have barely rested. If we venture now, we will be pushing ourselves. Let's investigate first thing tomorrow morning."

After those words, the faces of the girls were filled with relief. They were on board with the plan.

"Oh but this place is dangerous isn't it? Shouldn"t we find another spot?" Jessica asked, realising this important detail.

"No Dalis's choice is actually spot on. After all, the most dangerous place is usually the most safe."

The three set up camp. A small campfire was lit, and they exchanged words. Luckily for Dalis, the girls had an exceptionally crafted bag. It had been obtained through trading with other candidates. Within that bag, they had carried some remains of beast meat that could be used as a source of nourishment.

After surviving all those hardships, the beast meat was especially savouring. It was as if they were eating a high-class cuisine. Their mouths could not stop for even a moment. Particularly, Dalis's eyes were all stars. Finally . . . he had passed the calepufer famine. As he was eating, a thought rose to his mind. He wondered how fried calepufer herbs would taste like? Knowing that he had to take a bite to test his theory, he obliterated that thought in an instant.

All went well until dinner was over. It was much too late to create an actual shelter. They were also reluctant to dig a room shaped hole to sleep in. Sleeping in the tree wasn't favoured and forming a hole from the hill was out of the question. If the other side of the hill was actually a cave with a beast residing in it, it would be an invitation to death.

Thus . . .

(How the hell did I get in this situation?)

Dalis was laid on his back. Sienna was to his left and Jessica was to his right. Unsurprisingly, they were laid on their backs snuggling reasonably close to Dalis.

Elim · Feb 2, 2020

It all started because of the shelter issue. Simply put, there was nowhere to sleep. Thus, it was decided that they would just sleep on the floor or at least lean on the logs they had rested on.

Then came the issue of comfort.

The floor was cold.

Although the campfire was a source of heat, it couldn't be lit forever. While they could add more fuel to the fire, there was the risk of the fire spreading out during their sleep. It wouldn't be funny if they were burnt due to a moment of carelessness.

Subsequently, Sienna suggested using each other's bodies to heat themselves up. Jessica was a little uncomfortable but was in agreement. Dalis preferred isolation. However, he was unwilling to sleep in these barbarian conditions and hastily concurred.

Sienna asserted herself to be in the middle.

This was the turning point.

Somehow, the girls became engaged in a small argument about the “fairness of sleep positions”. After Dalis listened to about twenty seconds of the conversation, he had utterly shut his ears off. He then decided to go venture the nearby periphery to kill time.

After he came back, the two had yet to finish their discussion.

Dalis was stupefied.

Thus, Dalis attempted to interrupt their nonsensical discussion and proposed an alternative.

"How about we bring back the campfire? We will have two people sleeping and one person awake to keep a watch on the fire. The person assigned to be awake would also be a lookout. We would rotate this every few hours so each of us will obtain adequate sleep amount. After all, even if this place may be 'safe” there is always the slim chance that a beast may pass by. It would be killing two birds with one stone. Correct?"

A moment of silence had descended upon the girls.

What Dalis had said was completely logical and the smartest choice. In fact, wasn't this something they learnt as a part of their training regime?

Despite this . . .

"No it's fine."

"Your right Dalis. But we shouldn't strain ourselves. We all need a good night's sleep."

"Like I said . . . "

"No." The two firmly rebuked in unison

Dalis was close to tilting off the face of the earth at this point. Irritated, he suggested being in the middle.

Miraculously, the bickering had vanished.

Dalis was left speechless.

***

" . . . "

It was the middle of the night. Two young girls laid to each side of him. They were fast asleep. It wasn't surprising considering all the events that occurred today. Or is it yesterday now? In any case, Jessica and Sienna were resting peacefully.

For the average young teen boy, being in this situation was a dream come true. Having the privilege to sleep with not one, but two women at his young age would allow any man to die without regrets. In addition, he would be able to brag about this to earn the intense hatred and jealousy from all fellow virgin men. The boost in ego was well worth the minuscule cost.

However, this was different from Dalis.

Dalis, for the most part, had no such doltish ideas.

In fact, many of the Orphanage children were the same.

If Halio was to comment he would say . . .

"Ya balls haven't dropped yet, have they?"

That wasn't to say Dalis was insensitive or immune. Rather, it was pleasing to him. It was new to him. He had slept in the same room with these girls back in the Orphanage. But, that was thoroughly another story. This time, they weren't separated by beds and ladders. They were close enough to touch. It was comforting to be aware of their presence beside him. He"d never felt so intimate before.

"Dalis are you awake?"

Dalis heard a whisper next to him. It was from Jessica.

"Yeah."

"Could I ask you something?"

The tone of her voice was very heartfelt. It seemed she had something she really desired to convey.

"Go for it."

"Back then . . . when that beast—"

"Which beast?"

"The boar . . . "

"Carry on."

"A-anyways . . . when that beast was charging at me, why did you go so far?

"Elaborate."

"Why did you try so hard to rescue me? You were so reckless. You had no reason to push yourself so far for someone like me. My life may have been in danger, but if I just wished to retire . . . then that would be that. It was as if you were putting your life on the line."

"Do you need a reason?"

"Yes."

"A reason . . . " Dalis mumbled.

(Why did I try so hard to rescue her? Why for someone like Jessica? Why was I so impulsive? My actions were certainly out of character. Was it because of Sister Edna's request . . . or was it because I wanted to?)

Being put on the spot, no matter how much he pondered, he couldn't find a precise reason. It just felt natural to him. Dalis was reluctant to keep her waiting. Hence, he just said this:

"Dunno."

"HUH?"

Jessica, who was waiting anxiously, elicited a shout.

"Quiet down. You will wake up Sienna."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Jessica's voice returned to a whisper.

"It's as it sounds. I don't know."

"Can't you give me a reason that I will actually accept?"

"What's a reason you will accept?"

"Argh! Anything that is not, "I don't know." Got that?"

"Hm . . . because you're my roommate?"

" . . . Is there more to that?"

"I did not wish to see you hurt?"

*Sigh*

(Did it really matter?) Dalis did not understand.

"Ah whatever!"

Jessica frantically rustled her hair in frustration.

"Could you quit wiggling?"

"Who's damn fault do you think it is?"

"You?"

*Sigh*

(That's a second sigh.)

"Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?" Dalis asked.

Jessica turned her back against him and did not reply. Instead, a slightly crestfallen murmur echoed out into the night.

"In the past, I thought you were similar to me. But eventually, I started having doubts about it. Now I can say that my intuition was right. You are probably like the rest."

Dalis's ears managed to catch the fleeting murmur. He did not understand the words that escaped her mouth and felt it was difficult to reply. But no matter how much time had passed, there was only a bout of silence.

(What did she mean . . . ? Ah, whatever I'm tired.)

Dalis decided to withdraw and drowse into his slumber.

***

Zzzzzz

!!!

Dalis suddenly opened his eyes.

His eyes were wide awake.

They were starking.

(Rhinearian Beetle!)

The Rhinearian Beetle had been downright forgotten! Dalis began to recall back to his last conversation with the beast . . .

*Flashback*

"Hey! I order you to remain and guard my residency. I do not permit you to sleep until I am back."

The beast gave a short cry in response as it moved its body up and down. It seemed to have understood its master's order.

"Good. I won't be long."

*Present*

($%^#^! I won't be long?? It's been like seven whole hours or more by now! If that beast to all intents and purposes obeyed my decree . . . )

" . . . "

" . . . "

Suddenly, Dalis's eyelids closed in a leisurely manner and returned to their natural state.

(Well. Let's be honest. In all probability, its gone to sleep. Unbelievable! I was roused from my deep sleep from something as nugatory as this.)

Hence, Dalis returned back to dreamland.

Meanwhile . . . at "Dalis's residency".

Two silhouettes were dashed against the night sky, lit by the moon and glittered in starlight. One, a crude shack standing sturdily yet with leaves tranquilly swaying to the breeze. The other, a shivering lump of earth that threatened to crash. It was questionable whether the Rhinarean Beetle was shimmering due to the rain earlier, or the many tears cascading down his face. Despite this, it was concerned more about the well-being of his master than his own fatigue. Aggrieved with a choice that he had pondered upon for the last few hours, he made his decision.

The Rhinarean Beetle solemnly raised itself. It disobeyed its master's orders and began looking for him.

The third day dawned, bright and sunny. In defiance of the desirable, remarkable weather, the three were heavy in sleep. Considering yesterday, they were nearly dead with fatigue. Outwardly, they may have held pertinacious perseverance. However, the truth was they were in dire need of rest. Dalis was the first to awaken in the wake of noon. He raised half of his upper body and performed a light stretch. Noticing that the girls were still asleep, he quietly cleaned up the campfire from last night.

There's nothing worse than being woken up first thing in the morning.

(Damn Stilla . . . )

Contrary to his beliefs, he would obediently get up from bed if it was his true big sister.

A couple of minutes later . . .

Yawn

Jessica was the second to leave the dreamlands. Sienna had awoken shortly after Jessica.

"What time is it?" Sienna asked a little drowsed.

"It's past noon according to Dalis."

"I slept for that long? Did I make you guys wait?!"

"No. I had only just awoken around thirty minutes ago or so. Jessica awoke a few minutes before."

"I see. It appears that yesterday's exhaustion took quite a toll on us. That's not good. We missed valuable time that could've been spent on hunting . . . if only we woke up a few hours earlier . . . "

"Don't worry Sienna! We managed to obtain a decent earning from yesterday. Right Dalis?"

"Correct. We hit the jackpot. Or at least Sienna and I did."

"Hey!! You didn't need to put it like that!"

Jessica grumpily walked up to Dalis, raising a fist. Having said that, her actions then turned a 180. She turned around. Not letting Dalis and Sienna see her expression.

"What's with her?"

"I can't tell if your slow on the uptake or just acting ignorant." Sienna sighed.

"Anyways. You girls ready to go?"

"Yeah." The girls replied simultaneously.

The three walked towards the top of the hill. There appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary on top of the hill. Nonetheless, as they approached close to the other side . . . they noticed that the hill was in truth, hollow. It was probably a cave . . .

Author note: Yeah, this sleeping cliche where the girls fought over Dalis wasn't meant to happen. It should have been much more normal and accepted. I am very sorry, my rom com desires kicked in. Fuck! This scenario was supposed to be reserved for . . . *Ahem*

Elim · Feb 2, 2020

"A cave?"

"Appears so."

"This can't be The Monster's lair . . . right?" Dalis murmured.

"Dalis, what do you think?"

"There is only one way to find out."

Dalis eagerly strolled a couple of steps before being grabbed on the arm by Sienna.

"What are you gonna do if it's in there?"

"If it's there, I will leave. I'm confident in my stealth capabilities."

"If it spots you?"

"I will run."

" . . . " Sienna expressed a deplorable face.

"In any case . . . I'm curious. Who knows, we may find something interesting. Besides, there is no guarantee."

"That's true . . . but . . . "

Sienna held a fair amount of faith in Dalis. After all, Dalis has continued to exceed her expectations and accomplish many feats. This faith is not entirely derived from the Pre-soldier Exam. It also included her time at the Orphanage. Observing Dalis's ample performance without a transformed mana seed had caused her to have a great degree of admiration for him.

"Sienna let's listen to Dalis and investigate this cave. I'm also kind of curious to see what's in there too."

"Alright . . . since you guys insist . . . "

Sienna lowered her hand.

"Then it's decided. If you girls want to wait here, then now is the time to speak."

"No we are fine."

"I'm coming as well."

"Alright . . . since you guys insist . . . "

Sienna was, to some degree, baffled. He copied her exact words, expressions, and tone. Was he mocking her? Or was he just having fun? She had a feeling it was the latter. Thus, she dismissed it. Though it left a bitter taste in her mind.

The three entered the small cave. It was almost three metres tall. Nearly half the size of the hill it formed in. The interior of the cave was about as normal as the outside entrance. There was nothing in particular of interest. Dalis was disappointed, but he continued to walk in anticipation, hoping something would catch his eye.

Though the depth of the cave was shallow, it wasn't merely a hollow. As the group ventured deeper, the light that intruded the entrance gradually became dimmer and dimmer. Even so, the temperature remained relatively the same. It only dropped a small degree in temperature. Unlike most caves, there were no chambers or passages. The entire length ran in a straightish line. If a beast were in there, it would be a difficult task to outmaneuver it as there was only one pathway to take off. Fortunately, there were several large boulders and other rugged rocks that could serve as cover if needed.

Strangely, there were no signs of life . . . at least visible life. The marks left behind the cave floor distinctly indicate that this small cave was home to a particular beast. As if it had marked its territory.

"Those footprints may seem bigger than the average beast but . . . what are those jagged lines." Sienna inquired, concerned.

"Is it the . . . Monster . . . but what could it exactly be?" Jessica asked in a worried tone.

"Beats me. Let's move on. However, keep your eyes peeled."

The two nodded and returned to cave exploring.

At the very end of the cave, the cave widened to a spacious dome. The temperature of the cave permeated with warmth. Various broken down bones were littered on the ground. In spite of the vast disparity to the passageway, to Dalis it was considered dull: a letdown. After all . . . there was really nothing there.

"This is the beast's resting den. Is this where it hibernates?" Sienna slowly spoke with awe.

"It really looked like a place for The Monster to reside in." Jessica followed.

" . . . "

("The Monster?" Location to hibernate? Who cares what it is? This chamber was an utter waste of time. Sure we may have found the accommodation of the so called "Monster . . . " but heck it isn't even present! I was expecting something valuable to be there but nope. There's no treasure, no hidden secret, nothing but a deadbeat of regressed bones.)

"What's wrong Dalis? Your face appears to be weighty and ugly? Could there be something you realised?" Sienna earnestly inquired as she stared at his furrowed brows.

(I realised this place was an outright squander of the clock.)

"No. I was just contemplating. If the beast is not here then, that would mean it's taken a temporary leave. After all, those wolves abstained from approaching this area, and the heated room suggests that this room is still in use."

"Wait! That would mean it could come back any minute now!" Jessica gasped in horror.

(Did she seriously just realise it?)

"That's right. I was in actual fact about to tell you guys to depart before it arrives." Sienna exposed, nodding her head.

As if that was the queue to commence the inevitable foreshadowing, deep resounding stamps could be heard from the passageway. It echoed so distinctly within the cave that it had prompted the halt of the trio's actions.

"T-that sound . . . it wasn't my imagination right?!" Jessica exclaimed in a panic.

"No. I think we all heard it loud and clear . . . " Sienna responded warily.

"Quiet down. Right now we need to escape." (Seriously?! I may have desired for something at the end of this cave . . . however . . . encountering The Monster from behind our tails was not on the menu! Given our situation, we'd be forced to confront the beast since it's blocking the entrance! Damn it. Maybe I should've thought things a little more thoroughly. I may be naive, but I'm confident to abscond by myself. Howbeit, I'm not alone. There are two others I'm required to consider as well. Damn it! )

Dalis was deep in thought, racking his brain of possible solutions to escape.

"Dalis . . . "

When Dalis heard Jessica's anxious voice, he terminated his thoughts and turned to the two of them. Beads of sweat could be seen trickling down their pale white skin. Although the room was warm, it was nowhere enough to generate perspiration. They were understandably very nervous and were awaiting for Dalis to conclude his thoughts.

(Whatever, what's done is done. We just gotta do it.)

"Sorry. Here's the plan. We lay in hiding among the numerous rocks and boulders. Then we stand by until the beast walks past us. If the beast walks past us then that's great. We just need to wait for it to pass a considerable distance away from us. After that, we can quietly depart from its trespassed territory. Moreover, we will not hold our weapons and leave them on the floor of where we hide. We want to avoid generating as much noise as possible. After all, this beast could have sharp ears. I'm more concerned about the weapons blowing our covery, rather than our heated breaths."

"Alright, but what happens if it discovers us?"

"Then we would need to make a break for it. Confronting it in this compact cave would be a death sentence. The terrain is unideal and unsuitable for combat."

"That's true. Besides if it's The Monster, our objective should be to desperately flee, rather than attempt to foolishly engage in bloodshed."

"Correct, Sienna."

"Sounds easier said than done. But I guess we just got to do it. We could always just retire anyways," Jessica chided, feeling much more at ease. It was a vast comparison to her previous state.

The movements of the unknown beast grew ever so closer.

The three silently and unobtrusively moved to the entrance. Every step was nerve-wracking. At the given moment, their pacing was only barely silent despite being careful. This was because they were pretty much power walking. The trio was not hidden yet as it was essential to separate themselves from the inner chamber of the beast. Otherwise, even if they were to successfully deceive the beast, escaping undetected would be beyond the bounds of possibility.

Dalis suddenly halted his tracks and turned to the girls, nodding his head.

Similarly, the girls nodded in response. It was a tacit understanding.

Each of them used the solid minerals as a shelter to conceal themselves. They made sure to avoid creating noise by carefully placing their weapons onto the ground without a sound.

Stamp Stamp Stamp Stamp

The beast was a few meters away from them. Although they hid behind cover, their hearts and minds became perturbed. Realistically, they shouldn't be able to have a clear view of the beast, from their positions and in consideration of the unlighted area. Nevertheless, one would not even need to catch a glimpse to understand.

The four-legged beast was to put it bluntly . . . humongous as a mammoth.

It was likely to be around three metres tall. Its formidable height is further portrayed by its head, just almost touching with the cave's ceiling. Although the trio was unable to discern its physical features in detail . . . they knew they were dead meat.

Why?

Well, what use is hiding behind large rocks and boulders if their size couldn't even be measured to even half of that titan's level? The titan would simply need to lay its eyes down on the mortal world to see the unbidden insects crawling. An insect repellent was not even a thought.

(#$%^&)

The Vanquish General was not kidding at all when she said you will recognise The Monster if you were to encounter it. In actual fact, there would be not a remote of a question as to a candidate would dare to try and combat this beast. That would be courting death. Even Dalis was on the borderline of deciding to not take the risk of legging it. Instead, retiring as of this moment would be the most rational choice of course.

To make matters worse, Dalis with his keen eyes could seize a brief look of that monster's tail. Its entire tail was a walking porcupine. Dalis knew that this wouldn't be a matter of simple pricks and needles.

Without a moment to waste, he looked towards the girls. Dalis deduced that their faces had lost all colour. He was responsible for this situation and was fully aware that it was his fault. However, there was no time for regrets as the beast was, even more, closer than before.

Dalis raised his arm and gave a thumbs up. Howbeit, his thumb was swayed behind him in a 90° fashion. It signified them to retire.

Unsurprisingly, the girls nodded their head without dissent.

"I wish to retire."

In the blink of an eye, a divine shine spread across the perimeter of Jessica. Jessica had teleported out.

The unforeseen glow of light alarmed the beast, stopping it's walk, turning its head towards where it was seen.

Sienna and Dalis had yet to retire. They were both very stubborn and were hesitant to let things end on this note.

The beast cautiously plodded. It was heading straight towards Dalis and Sienna!

Sienna reached her hand and tightly grasped onto Dalis's hand. Dalis shifted his attention to Sienna and looked at her in the eyes. It was implicit. He knew what to do.

"I . . ."

All of a sudden, an unremitting voice could be heard in the distance. Each passing second, the voice grew louder and more distinguished. It was now possible to hear the discrete words.

"Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck . . ."

That voice.

He would never forget that voice even if he were to lose his memories a thousand times.

There have been said to be voices as delicate as the heavens themselves, Sister Edna, and voices so languid it could melt anyone down on the inside regardless of gender, Sister Enda.

This voice could also be considered a miracle.

For Lord Caleyar should never have made such a mistake.

A voice so noble should never be able to sound so mind-numbingly irritating.

Without a doubt, it belonged to Melvin.

Elim · Feb 2, 2020

Dalis would never have thought that the sound of this voice reaching his ears would ever be a godsend.

The beast had come to a standstill, slowly revolving its body to the direction of that vulgar voice.

And at this moment, a smirk of schadenfreude blossomed across Dalis's face.

GRRRRRR

The Monster let out an enraged growl. Its demeanour had conspicuously reformed to that of a mad beast. Its firm porcupine tail plume stood up and started to tremble and began to wave up and down. Then, one of its bandy hind legs were lifted off the floor, oscillating back and forth. The beast appeared to be gearing itself for a relentless charge.

AARROOOOO

In a moment of seconds, The Monster charged out. Unknowingly, leaving behind the two uninvited guests.

"Looks like we are safe," Dalis said in a gratified tone.

"I can't believe we managed to get out of this one without retiring. Dalis, was that Melvin's voice I heard?"

Dalis's smirk grew wider.

"That's right. Who else would dare cuss out a line of swears in broad daylight? Only the surface of his depository has been revealed."

"I admit that he has a foul mouth, but . . . was it really that deplorable? It's gone way too far. Not even the Church would tolerate that much swearing."

"In any case we better get going. Let's not let this chance slip off our fingers."

"You're right, we gotta help him."

"Oh . . . yeah . . . that's our next course of action."

Sienna looked at Dalis with disbelief. Was he really not planning to aid Melvin at all?

Suddenly, their faces began to contort. They wore grieved expressions. Dalis's was layered with a paste of guilt. Sienna's hands clenched. Their heads turned marginally down.

Jessica was no longer with them.

Despite their fortunate strokes of luck, it was not divided evenly. Jessica had taken the low roll. It was unfortunate. If she had refrained from uttering those words a moment later, the three would have remained together.

"Dalis . . . take it with a grain of salt . . . it was not your fault."

" . . . "

Dalis did not reply.

"If Sienna had not uttered those words, the light given off from the teleportation wouldn't have startled the beast and brought it to a standstill. She inadvertently allowed us to continue on."

Hearing these words, Dalis's face seemingly relaxed. Although he still had a shred of guilt, he was unable to refute those words.

"Your right. I will apologise to her later."

"No we will both apologise."

"No. You have nothing to apologise for."

"But—"

"No."

Dalis was obstinate. He refused to let Sienna apologise for nothing. She had done nothing wrong.

"Alright. But let me accompany you."

"Sure."

Dalis and Sienna briskly headed towards the entrance of the cave. They had to find their “saviour”. Their legs had soon stepped foot back into the luxuriant Maizan Forest. They were first greeted by the afternoon sun that radiated upon them, causing the two to inevitably squint their eyes. Light had returned to the world.

"Though we had only been in there for a couple of minutes . . . it felt like it took much longer," Sienna commented.

"Surprisingly, thanks to the beast."

The duo surveyed the area, turning their heads left to right. Unexpectedly, there was nothing in sight. There was no sign of Melvin, nor the beast. Where could they have possibly gone?

"There's no one . . . " Sienna muttered.

Although there was neither in sight, Dalis through his observant eyes discerned recent tracks left behind the beast. Granted that the footprint marks were a little difficult to perceive, the unique tail markings were discrete in view.

Sienna following Dalis's line of sight, had begun to notice his findings.

"Oh, these must be trails left behind by the The Monster.

She walked towards the trail and bent down on her knee, examining the marks carefully. Dalis slowly walked towards her as well to obtain a closer sight.

The trail was not linear. However, it showcased a general direction of where the beast had advanced.

"Let's go." Dalis was the first to speak.

"Right."

The two followed the trail. It appeared that the beast was indeed in a rush, as parts of various vegetation had been squashed along the way. The most alarming left behind evidence was the serrated, porcupine tail engravings found across particular trees. The two were unable to understand . . . why had the beast bothered to add these various hard imprints? They refused to believe it was simply markings left behind the tail grazing upon the trees. After three-quarters of a mile, their eardrums captured the voice of their familiar roommate, Melvin. Accompanying him, were barks of wolves and the howl of The Monster.

"Hey those barks, could they be . . . "

"Yup looks like that snob had somehow not only angered a pack of wolves, in addition The Monster.

"I'm surprised that he's managed to survive that long . . . "

"Believe me, he's very tenacious. You could squash him, freeze him, crush him or burn him, but he"ll spring right back up like a human cockroach."

"Dalis . . . you really don't hold back at all when it comes to Melvin."

"Sometimes, It's hard for people to accept the truth. But one day, they will be forced to come to accept it. Just recall our three years with him."

"Why am I coming to terms with your words? I can't help but feel guilty."

"I'm glad you are coming to that understanding," Dalis sincerely approved.

"How about we stop running our mouths with garbage behind our friend's back and aid him!"

*Sigh*

Dalis sighed deeply as if he couldn't be bothered.

Sienna's pupils greatly expanded upwards. She was baffled. Did he really not care about Melvin at all?

After traversing a little closer, a new scene was presented before them. There were four candidates present. Dalis was able to recognise two of them, one was Melvin, and the other was in fact Stilla! They appeared to be cornered by four grey wolves that stood before them, and The Monster who stood behind the beasts. It was now out in the open—The Monster's true appearance!

There was no darkness obstructing the figure's appearance. For Dalis, it seemed as if a black and white photo had become dyed with colour.

The physical features of the beast were not at all distinct from what Dalis had discerned back at the dark cave. It was a beast, as large as a mammoth. A grey thick furred creature: It had four legs with paws that were slightly honed with knives. Its grey fur turned shades of black, towards the back half of its abdomen. Its grey tail was a rounded plume and spiked like a porcupine. Its head was not much different from a grey wolf, rather itself was likely to be an evolved wolf. However, its physiognomy was extensively matured. Ravening sharp jaws and menacing eyes of a hunter.

The “King” of the wolves, its epithet—The Monster.

Observing the condition of the candidates, it was not as unfortunate as it could've been. Melvin, despite being the main source of attention was only vaguely worn in clothing and shape. Truly the vitality of a cockroach. Stilla had scars and bruises here and there but nothing major. For a body consolidator, her disfigures would naturally heal without a problem. However, it was a different story for the other two. Those two were very exhausted and could only barely hold their ground. Though they seemed to be fine enough to defeat the wolves, against The Monster it was an impossible feat.

AWOO

Two grey wolves howled, jumping towards Stilla and one of the candidates. Stilla swiftly dashed to the side and delivered a roundhouse kick to its abdomen. The beast trembled and groaned. Albeit she was not done yet, raising a leg to stomp the beast down to the cold floor, knocking it out. She may have not killed the wolf, but she didn't break a sweat either.

However, the outcome was not as good for the other candidate. The attacked candidate was forced to block the beast with his axe. The crescent-shaped head entered a tug of war with the jaws of the wolf. Normally in such a struggle, the special artefact would overpower its opponent. After all, it was an enchanted weapon. How could a normal beast contend against cold steel hampering at its face? Nevertheless, the candidate was severely debilitated. Wielding a weighty axe and being heavily pressured by a beast was simply too much for him to handle.

YAAAA

The candidate's companion gave a vicious jab, right in the ribs of the wolf. He continued to thrust the dagger as far as it can go, determined to kill the beast. The wolf was angered and swiftly rotated its body to whack the bastard who stabbed him. In spite of its lowered speed, the momentum was strong enough to knock the boy several meters away. He landed bedraggled into a bush. The boy consequently fainted.

"Greg!!"

Melvin was finally ready to strike. Wordlessly, he conjured a dozen of mana bolts to destroy his target.

Bam!

A fury of bolts sprayed onto the grey wolf, relieving the struggling candidate. The grey wolf cried in anguish, and its legs fell to the ground.

After the candidate caught his breath, he thanked Melvin and set off to tend to his fallen friend. They were likely unable to continue the battle. Somebody had to take care of the one fainted ally.

"Hmph, useless," Melvin muttered once the boy had left.

"Melvin, don't say that. They did well to take on a pack of wolves before we arrived." Stilla pouted with indignance.

"Without us their exam would've ceased there."

Melvin then elegantly but somewhat smugly, walked forward ahead of Stilla confronting the beasts. He stopped after a couple of meters, folded his arms, and looked reluctantly upwards with disdain. Melvin then began to speak.

"Dogs without an owner are known as wild dogs. Allow this man of gentle birth exhibit how to punish dogs, who are incompetent to adhere to their master's orders."

GRRRRRR

AWOOO [By the two remaining wolves.]

" . . . "

" . . . "

" . . . "

While the group of wolves/dogs became agitated, everybody else was dumbstruck unable to say a single word.

Stilla appeared to cringe, just a little. Albeit, she had a wide smile on her face.

Sienna had her jaws dropped after hearing this utterance from Melvin.

Dalis had many things pop in mind: why are you acting so arrogant in front of The Monster? Did my ears stop working once I heard you spam the word “fuck” while running from these very wolf beasts? Since when were you their "master"? This was but a drop of the sea from the number of questions raised by Melvin's brainless denouncement.

Despite this, Dalis's face was mostly indifferent. Each passing day with him increased his resistance to Melvin's big-ego shenanigans. He believed that one day he will become immune to Melvin's “solemnity”.

Elim · Feb 2, 2020

The dogs were agitated. They appeared to be voracious, desiring to crunch out the living flesh of that human at any moment. Dalis and Sienna were observing from afar. While they hadn't made a move, the duo was hidden from sight.

"Dalis, we probably need to take action right away. That idiot is going to get himself killed."

"Can't be bothered, he's asking for the death wish. How about we make use of our circus tickets?"

"Enough of the jokes. Even if you were not planning to aid Melvin, you would definitely not stand by as Stilla is in trouble."

Dalis did not reply and instead said this:

"Let's just observe for now. Melvin may be arrogant, but he isn't so foolish. He likely has a plan in mind."

AROOO

The Monster howled. In response the two grey wolves split off, running from each side to attack Melvin. Melvin did not panic and began to chant his voiceless incantation. He was prepared for this. A current of wind swept beneath the ground floor, briefly fluttering the ends of his robe.

ARR

One of the wolves pounced. Melvin dodged the attack with ease and quickly shifted his attention to the incoming second attack by the other beast. With a swift push of his foot, he was able to successfully dodge the next attack. The wolves were angered by their failed attempts and commenced an even harsher offensive assault. The spectators watched as Melvin swiftly continued to dodge the barrage of attacks.

Although it appeared that Melvin was able to hold his ground, he was steadily losing the edge in the battle. The pressure did not allow Melvin to have a slim chance to catch his breath or be allowed to exploit an opportunity. The wolves were determined to ravage him.

"Why is Melvin struggling? He may be faced with two grey wolves, but he is more than capable enough to bring them down," Sienna questioned with disbelief.

"Look carefully at the eyes of those wolves. Do they look like they're playing around? Those exasperated pupils are ready to burst out of their sockets! It seems I underestimated Melvin's aggro calibre. To think it would reach to this extent against beasts. I have been enlightened."

Dalis appeared to have cultivated a new level of profound understanding.

"I get it now. However, I'm at a loss of words with regards to your behaviour."

As those two exchanged comments, Stilla was ready to enter the thick of the fray. She also realised that Melvin was surprisingly in a bind. She bent her knees, locking onto her target, and dashed off.

"Get away from . . . "

Jumping in the air, clenching her fists, one arm taut, she released a devastating punch downwards onto her foe's abdomen.

"MELVIN!"

POW

CRACK

The moment of collision and the cracking of bones resounded. An anguished cry followed, and the beast dropped dead from the blow. It was a one-hit K.O

Sienna eyes boggled out.

Dalis was flabbergasted.

Sienna let alone Dalis had not expected a complete knockout from Stilla's punch. Dalis may be able to accept this. However, it was an utterly unbelievable sight for her. Sienna was a body consolidator herself. While she may be lacking in pure physical strength compared to the average body consolidators of Gigan Walls, she was confident that her prowess was on par with Stilla. Although she used a weighty sword, killing a grey wolf in one swing to the abdomen was not possible for her. Yet, right before her very eyes, Stilla unarmored without her knuckle braces had just accomplished what she deemed impossible. It was a massive blow to her self-esteem.

Dalis noticed Sienna subtly trembling with an unsightly look on her face. Dalis was a little alarmed and was evoked to speak.

"What's wrong?"

"Was Stilla always that strong?" Sienna asked as if she had lost her soul.

" . . . Yes, albeit even I was startled by that fist. She may even be able to smash that evolved wolf into a pulp," Dalis joked as his lips curved upwards. He was very impressed and felt a bit of pride welling inside.

"Ha ha . . . Our group? To think my individual skills were lacking as well . . . " Sienna chuckled to herself with self-mockery, turning her head down away from Dalis; she was ashamed of herself.

Dalis examined Sienna and glanced towards Stilla before returning to her. Dalis pondered for a while, recalling a particular memory and then discerned the issue. He gave a soft snort as a smile leaked out from his face.

"Sienna. Do you think you're not on the same standing as Stilla?" Dalis straightforwardly asked.

The candid inquiry by Sienna made her briefly freeze. Nonetheless, she soon replied.

"Well . . . I thought I was . . . but—"

"I reckon you are," Dalis casually remarked.

" . . . What makes you say that?"

"How could you be stumped by something as minor as this?"

"You were clearly expressing your approval of her."

"Correct, there isn't an issue with that right?"

Before she could reply, Dalis continued his train of speech.

"Stilla deserves the praise. Not anybody could one-shot a grey wolf in one blow. Though I'm unable to make an accurate judgement as I have not witnessed any real Gigans facing beasts in the flesh. I dare believe she would be able to fair against them."

As those words reached her ears, she became agitated.

"Dalis, why contradict yourself? You are underestimating body consolidators who are Gigans! Sure we have learnt techniques from the Orphanage, but in sheer physical strength, myself or Stilla shouldn't be compared to them. As a half Gi-"

"Perhaps I'm acting presumptuously. However, who's to say that Stilla will be unable to face them? Defeat them? Even if Stilla is unable to defeat an average Gigan practitioner, what about the future? "No one knows what the future holds, that's why its potential is infinite." I have as much faith in Stilla as I do with you Sienna. If you bring yourself down for something so trivial, your potential can't be brought to fruition. You will only put yourself more behind and never pass by that wall that blocks your future."

Sienna's complexion rose, appearing to express a sense of realisation.

Taking a deep breath. Dalis finalised his last words.

"Sienna. Do you think you're not on the same standing as Stilla?"

" . . . "

"No. I don't believe my efforts are lacking anywhere behind hers. Maybe she's more talented me, maybe she's a tad bit more stronger. However, I'm once again sure we are on the same ground. Even if that is not true as of this moment, I will make it happen. No, rather I will surpass her!" The light in her eyes that were once filled with a mixture of jealousy and loss are now ignited with blazing energy.

"Hmph, that's the spirit." Dalis was content to see her reform back to her normal self. Out of all the children he was familiar with, Sienna is the individual Dalis respected the most.

"Thank you."

"No need. I just did what I wanted to do. Even without my words, you would have appropriately dealt with your conflict."

"You overestimate me. But that means a lot when its coming from you." Sienna smiled very happily. "You know there's also another reason why I'm confident. Maybe that's the main reason . . . "

"Hm?"

"Because you believed that I was on the same standing."

" . . . You're giving me too much credit," Dalis tittered.

"What you said was really mature . . . you never cease to amaze me."

" . . . "

Dalis drifted his attention towards the battlefield. It appeared that the two wolves that attacked Melvin were now quelled. Only The Monster was left.

Melvin laid his eyes onto the fallen wolves and nonchalantly shifted his head to the direction of the remaining beast.

"Rabid cur what are you wagging your tail for? Are you ready to repent to your master? It's very unpleasant to have my eyes lay on your drooling mouth."

GRR ROOF

The Monster raised its head in the air and growled in retaliation. With a sudden pounce, the enraged beast opened its wide hyena-like jaws, aiming to crunch its prey to death. Melvin hastily dived towards a nearby tree to escape the incoming blow, resulting in the beast crashing into the tree behind him. Despite being hit, the beast was barely hindered and easily shrugged off the pain, resuming its assault. Although Melvin was not slow, the body size of the beast made it difficult for him to dodge, and in a couple of seconds he was already in mortal danger.

"Fuck, this cur really desires to entertain his master."

Stilla did not remain still, flanking from the rear she delivered a series of punches to various parts of its anatomy. The beast was not perturbed and solely focused on its endeavour to ravage Melvin. Since the beast was evolved, its constitution and resistance was sky high. Stilla's pounding was barely much of a threat. This angered her, provoking her to append greater power into her fists.

After enduring for a minute, the beast could no longer ignore Stilla, halting its advancement of Melvin and changing its attention to her. The beast swept down its porcupine tail as if it was a cutting knife. The sudden shift to Stilla caused her to flinch. Luckily, she was able to dodge in the nick of time by gliding herself below the beast's body as cover.

Before The Monster could react, Stilla tucked her arms and legs close, buckling her knees to unleash a barrage of vigorous, violent kicks.

"Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora!"

If Dalis had heard this, he would definitely be obliged to give voice to a particular line. However, Dalis at this moment was . . .

"Wild mongrel! Taste this young master's arcane mana!"

Suspended green bolts could be seen trembling around Melvin, conjured by manipulating the natural mana of the air. The bolts glowed, emanating Mother Nature's energy. They began to surge out in an array, directly towards the beast's back.

The beast roared with resentment as it took the onslaught of its two opponents. It had not been able to strike a single blow against these humans since entering combat. As soon as the pacing slowed, the beast exploited the opportunity for a counter-attack. Utilising Its porcupine tail, it latched onto the bark of a nearby tree, reeling in, then swung itself towards Melvin. It had finally brought out its trump card.

The movement of reeling in had inadvertently caused Stilla to be scraped across the ground. It was a fortunate turn of events for the beast.

"Kyaaaa" Stilla screamed with agony. The weight of the beast was unbearable. Not to mention being sandwiched in between, not only the beast, but also the hard ground floor. Even for a sturdy body consolidator, this was simply too much. Stilla was swept away and sent flying towards the back of the beast's hide. Blood could be seen coughed out in mid-air . . .

Elim · Feb 2, 2020

As Stilla soared through the air, her eyes became tightly shut. She was prepared to embrace the impact of the downfall; the pain was not over yet. However, contrary to her thoughts, she felt a series of strong arms and a firm chest capture her injured body.

"D-Dalis?" Stilla weakly called out. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

"Ah ha . . . sorry to disappoint you. But I'm not Dalis."

It was Sienna.

"A-ah . . . Sienna? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you, of course! How can you think of trying to face The Monster with just the two of you! Don't worry, we will help you take it down. Stay here and rest for now."

Sienna carefully rested Stilla's back against the tree.

"Okay . . . I will take your advice and rest for a little. I pushed myself there. I will follow up soon." Stilla pressed her palm against her temple. She felt nauseous from the impact. Typically, she would brace herself and continue to stubbornly aid her allies. However, the impact from that brawl was simply too much to handle even for Stilla.

"Alright I will be leaving now." Sienna began hastily walking.

"Wait!"

Sienna turned around.

"How many are you facing the beast with? If you can't fight even with your numbers then run! Please tell Melvin I said that. Otherwise he won't listen!"

"Don't worry about the beast. You just focus on recovering. It may just be me and “one other” but that “one other” is somebody really strong. In fact, you know him really well." Sienna couldn't help but let out a smirk.

"D-Da . . . "

Stilla paused her words with half squinted eyes and let herself relax. She looked towards a particular direction with a touching smile on her face.

(If its little brother Dalis then everything will be fine.)

***

Moments before this interaction on Melvin's side . . .

Melvin was at his last straw against The Monster. Stilla's scream reverberated in his mind, infuriating him. He desired to press on with his unleashed suspended green bolts of mana. However, he was conflicted. Melvin very well knew that these conjured green mana bolts were not sufficient.

The beast was lunged in the air. Jiffs away from ravaging Melvin's innards, disregarding his magic bolts. If he were to continue to blast away, Melvin might be able to inflict significant damage to the beast. Albeit, the price he would pay was to dance at death's door.

Was it really worth the exchange?

If he were to cancel his attack, it was not too late to regret.

Nonetheless, it was a different story for this boy . . . No, man!

This fucking wild dog dares hurt her?!

In front of him?!

Melvin Serven?!

With his Feeria blood flowing within him, he would never let such desecration come to pass! If he were to not enact vengeance, he would not be surnamed Serven. He had yet to undertake his comeuppance with those who had tarnished his family!

"WILD DOG!!!"

The floating green bolts trembled with vexation, increasing their intensity with only one purpose: to wreak havoc on their impudent foe!

AROOOOO

BOOOM!

As the intensified bolts sprayed onto their target, a small, turbulent dust cloud had erupted. However, that dust cloud was minute. It was simply not a hindrance to The Monster.

It was at this moment, a figure out of nowhere swerved within the eruption. Capitalising on the chaos, the figure made a beeline to The Monster's furry four legs, delivering an unseen powerful whipped strike at its frontal legs.

AWOoo

The wolf cried, squinting its eyes in anguish. It could not bear the pain of such a strike. Nonetheless, it was mid-air. The momentum of its descent was unable to be halted. The force was not adequate enough to alter its trajectory. Diving dead straight to Melvin!!

Melvin was prepared to embrace the moment of impact. It was behind time to utter retiring from the exam. He had briefly seen a figure in those few seconds, but his brain was unable to pinpoint what or who it was as he was in a moment of crisis.

"Urghff"

Melvin felt a course of pain run through his stomach.

Something had hit him.

He was sent flying to the side.

Fortunately, the strength behind it was scant, which resulted in him travelling only a few meters before meeting the hard floor. Seconds pass by, Melvin steadily stood up and saw the beast lying on a tree that had broken in half. It seemed to be temporarily unable to move. Its eyes were menacing. If it were to rise back up, it would without question seek vengeance.

"It's good that you are still up. If you were to be knocked down with just that. Then I would have just left you there."

Melvin turned around. He saw a boy around his age. Every time he saw that nonchalant face, he would be displeased and have the compulsion to stir a makeover.

It was, of course, Dalis.

Moments before Melvin's inevitable collision, Dalis had actually delivered a kick to his stomach to push him out of the way. This occurred right after he swung his tri-section staff at The Monster prior to falling to the floor.

"It is a known fact that insects love sugar. Yet, why is it that some insects are very picky to solely have their sights on the most succulent desserts? Is it so moreish that you're unable to rinse your conscience?"

"Stealing your thunder eh? Is this how you treat your life benefactor? To think I'd have more control in the laws of lightning than a Feeria? Could you remind me what your speciality was?" Dalis chuckled with disdain. He was unfazed at all by Melvin's taunt.

It had yet to be revealed that out of all elemental spells, Melvin's most latent talent is his control of lightning. Melvin is considered to be very fortunate in this regard as lightning is one of the most difficult elements to control and master. Nevertheless, it was an element that Melvin has yet to fully comprehend and bring to live combat. That is why he refrained from using it. Moreover, it is the element with the most destructive might! It was even once believed that lightning is the primary element of the gods.

Despite the wounds and the exhaustion overcoming to Melvin, his ego was agitated from those words. However, he knew that Dalis had possibly saved his life. So, he was unable to utter a word. Otherwise, that would be impertinent of him. In spite of this, his mouth refused to speak the words that should be said . . . after all it was Dalis!

"How long are you going to stand dazed for? You couldn't have possibly forgotten about her right?"

Melvin was abruptly struck. He had actually forgotten about Stilla. The sudden events and appearance of Dalis, had for the nonce, dispelled himself from reality. Melvin cursed himself inside and immediately asked:

"Where is she?"

"Likely in the hands of Sienna. Let's get a move on."

Dalis turned around without looking back. He speedily headed towards their location. Melvin followed after him. The two traversed a couple of meters and soon found Sienna running up to them.

"How's The Monster? I'm ready to join the battle," Sienna asked with concern. Her body language suggested her desire to fight.

"Temporarily unable to move. I delivered a clean strike directly at its legs making it difficult for the beast to walk. Nonetheless, it is still The Monster. With our conditions, we should flee for now."

"You! This moment is . . . " Although Melvin intended to finish his sentence, he cut it short. Instead, he hurriedly queried:

"Where is Stilla?"

"She's over there resting. Follow me."

The two wordlessly followed Sienna.

When the boys spotted Stilla, they approached her without delay. Melvin was quick as a flash while Dalis was comparatively much slower. Albeit, one could see the urgency within his leg movements even if his face masked his worry.

Melvin arrived by Stilla's side and dropped to one of his knees.

"S-Sister how are your injuries?"

Stilla opened her eyes and began to speak in a "mellow" voice.

"Hehe looks like I made you guys worried again. Don't worry I'm alright. I probably just need a bit more rest . . . sorry guys."

"That is no problem. I will *cough* allow me to rephrase. We will look after you. The Monster is momentarily disabled. We plan to flee for now and then canvass our subsequent course of action. Thus, there are no such needs for apologies."

*giggle*

"Okay," Stilla uttered as she tried to raise herself up.

"Stilla. Don't push yourself," Dalis promptly warned her with a deep resolute voice, halting her attempt to stand. She became as obedient as a child.

"Sorry Dalis."

She was unable to hide her effort at being resilient.

Dalis glanced his eyes down subtly to Melvin. They exchanged glances.

"Carry her."

Melvin was wordless but acquiescent. He prepared himself to carry her on his back, but Stilla said that was unnecessary. She stated that helping her up and supporting her by the shoulders was enough.

Elim · Feb 2, 2020

The four candidates evacuated the area. While they were somewhat slow-going due to Stilla's physical condition, it seemed that luck was on their side as The Monster had not pursued after them. Nonetheless, on their way to Dalis's shelter, the howls of the evolved hound could be heard no matter how much they travelled. After all, Dalis's "residence" was not too far from the beast's sleeping den. They were worried about the proximity of his "home", but Dalis reassured them it was all right. He stated that he had a hidden card that he had yet to play back at his "residence". Although they were sceptical, they had their faith in Dalis.

Along the way, the team managed to spot a bunch of candidates that were attracted by the ongoing uproar. Dalis and his allies were kind enough to provide warnings that The Monster was there throwing a tantrum. Most of them took their caution to heart. However, it was inevitable to meet a few reckless participants who dared challenge the beast. They were not deterred in spite of being warned by the organisers. Though Sienna and Stilla desired to rebuke them, Dalis and Melvin were not bothered. Dalis told them to not bother with them as we had no right to talk. After all, they were the same: reckless and conceited to believe they can face it. Dalis's party had suffered a great loss. It was only after the result they came to understand the harsh reality, or at least acknowledge the disparity. They were young after all. Who could blame them?

Eventually, the party arrived at Dalis's residence.

"Woaah Dalis you made that yourself? That Cabin looks a little stylish for something that is supposed to be used as a temporary shelter," Stilla awed in amazement.

"Yeah you're so right . . . you really put in quite a bit of effort there didn't you Dalis?" Sienna commented. She was also quite astounded.

"It seems that barbarians also have a diminutive sense of design. Perhaps you should consider applying to be a craftsman?" Melvin chided though strangely impressed.

"Thanks for the praise. It's my current magnum opus," Dalis replied after listening to the positive feedback. However, he was unable to appreciate it to the fullest as something else was unsettling in his mind. Where was the Rhinearian beetle? Was it fed up with him, the master, and had taken the opportunity to leave? How long was it able to obey the orders before departing?

Dalis was a little bitter and upset. Be that as it may, he concealed this to not let his companions worry. He knew deep inside that his taming skills were not perfect. If he was a little better, then perhaps the domesticated animal would not leave him. Yep, it was definitely due to his lack of skill and not because of his domesticating techniques.

After a few exchanges of words, the group decided to prepare for the upcoming evening. Stilla was persuaded by the others to stand by and rest. She reluctantly took the offer though was stubborn and came to aid after an hour or so. They worked together to gather aliments and assembled a couple of adjustments to the cabin for it to be suitable to house all of them. The previous cabin was only sufficient to accommodate about two people. Dalis seemed to be abnormally offended in the process, albeit he put up with it. By the time the new settlement was complete, dusk had arrived. They prepared their campfire and began to discuss their plan for tomorrow.

"So are we really planning to have a rematch with The Monster?" Sienna asked solemnly.

"That's right Sienna. Our group tends to be quite competitive and unwilling to give in. Even if it's The Monster, we will make sure to at least fight until we are satisfied. We may be stubborn, but with the four of us we can surely beat it down! Yeah!" Stilla saluted in agreement, raising a fist in the air.

"Indeed. That old dog and I have yet to settle our debt. I'm not content to concede defeat without another attempt. Besides . . . " Melvin furtively snuck a glance at Stilla.

"Besides?" Sienna questioned.

"It is nothing."

"Shall we now start devising tomorrow's operation?" Dalis uttered.

The three looked towards Dalis, Stilla nodded, and the rest seemed to indicate their approval. Sienna was the first to speak her thoughts.

"Killing the beast may be easier than we think. Due to today's ruckus, there are a large number of candidates that have been attracted by the noise. If we get lucky, the beast may be already close to its death bed. Though looking back at it . . . it is probably unlikely. In any case the beast probably hasn't had enough time to recover."

"Correct. We can swoop in for a quick kill steal. The others would have no choice but to concede the rewards to us. Furthermore, they would be exhaus—"

"DALIS!!" Sienna shouted with displeasure, interrupting him.

"I was kidding."

Stilla stared at Dalis with suspicion.

"I'm not as unscrupulous to not share the rewards. I will make sure to adhere to the law of equivalent exchange."

"Better," Stilla replied. She seemed vaguely confused but was satisfied.

Surprisingly, Melvin had not invaded in the conversation to criticise Dalis's unjust scheme. Sienna was partially confounded. While Dalis had some thoughts in mind that may be the answer to this, he did not speak those ideas.

"Should we work together with the candidates if they're present?" Sienna inquired.

"If it is necessary. Otherwise, it is preferable to put that cur back to its standing ourselves. The organisers are overseeing the exam. It is to our best interest to exhibit our capabilities. However, as future Vanquishers, it may be more beneficial to demonstrate our teamwork as a group. Nevertheless, we happen to be in a group of four. Thus, I propose we remain with our regular group," Melvin explained in a smart manner.

"Sounds good. What do you think Dalis?"

"It aligns with my thoughts," Dalis affirmed somewhat regrettably. His attitude expressed his wish to not be associated with Melvin.

"Okay so we decided to stick together. Now it's time to talk about our roles right?" Stilla cheerfully said.

"Correct, but there is something else we require to address first."

"Hm? What could that be?" Stilla tilted her head.

"How are your injuries?"

"I'm a-okay!"

"You seem to have the energy, however, what about your injuries?"

Stilla abruptly hardened in place. Though she hastily covered the truth.

"I'm fine!"

"Lies."

"N-no I'm not."

"Why did you stutter?"

"W-who stuttered?"

She really sucked at lying. It was very Stilla-like. Dalis believed that this was a good thing.

"Sienna and Melvin go check her condition."

"W-wait wait. Sorry I lied. >_< I'm still wounded."

"How adverse are the injuries? Perhaps we may really need to acquire medical attention," Melvin asked with concern.

"It's fine it's fine! As long as I eat up this meat and rest all night for tomorrow, I will be good as new!" Stilla confidently declared as she munched eagerly at her food as if to indicate—I'm healthy and full of energy! Look!

"Dalis, your thoughts?" Sienna sought his advice.

" . . . "

Dalis did not utter anything but simply nodded his head. He was a little reluctant, but her assistance was necessary, and there was no preventing Stilla. In addition, Dalis had concluded that Stilla would likely be able to participate adequately tomorrow. If this was not so, Dalis would certainly not let her join.

"The tail . . . " Melvin mumbled. Though he said it under his breath, all of them had heard it.

"That tail that looks like a porcupine and is quite the plume. What about it Melvin?" Stilla asked innocently.

"Yeah we need to conceive a countermeasure with that dangerous tail. Although I had never seen it been utilised clearly, it used its tail to spring about right?" Sienna commented.

"Oh yeah I remember it used its tail to fling around. That's how it caught up to Melvin so fast even with his spells," Stilla mentioned.

" . . . "

" . . . "

" . . . "

The air became to a certain degree . . . awkward. After all, that was what caused Stilla to be severely injured and almost fainting from the battle.

Melvin hurriedly spoke to dispel this unwelcome atmosphere.

"Y-yes that had occurred . . . yes indeed. It would be burdensome considering that the tail is not a threat we could effortlessly establish measures for. The foremost we could do is avoid it. However, we would be unable to prevent it from frolicking around. Unless we cleave it . . . which is not realistically in our favours."

"Right . . . with all those trees . . . " Sienna pronounced

"Then we simply need to take the trees out of the picture, correct?" Dalis's voice resounded.

"Eh? How do—wait a second . . . I got it!" Stilla shouted, filled with cognisance.

"A place without trees . . . " Sienna murmured

"A change of location . . . Yes, if I recall correctly, there was an environment that could be suited for our conditions. Indeed that place would be most ideal," Melvin slowly spoke.

(To think I was unable to conceive such an unadorned solution. How distasteful.)

"Ah wait . . . But there's a lot of water there and some trees. Would that be alright?" Stilla worryingly asked.

"That is fine Stilla. In fact, it would become the pivotal factor for my checkmate." Melvin smirked with glee.

(Water?) Dalis glanced to Melvin. Although there was no location that he knew of. It seemed that was not the case for Melvin and Stilla. Despite this, Dalis had understood some part of Melvin's ploy.

"It seems we can now draft an effective stratagem," Dalis uttered in a bad-ass tone.

Elim · Feb 2, 2020

It was the fourth day. The weather was sunny and mild: a perfect day to implement their plan into action. Although the initial schedule was to set off by morning, the group instead rested until it had reached noon. This was due to Dalis's suggestion to allow Stilla to obtain more rest and recuperate for longer. Stilla, of course, was not permitted to complain and unwillingly complied.

After breakfast, they moved out towards the direction of where The Monster was last seen. As they approached closer, the howls’ of The Monster resounded, becoming increasingly distinct and louder. It was not much different from yesterday. It appeared there were was another batch of brave candidates facing the beast. Perhaps the candidates presumed that the evolved wolf was fatigued from the several clashes prior to today. Thus, schemed to take advantage of its current condition. Or maybe the candidates had united under one banner? Nothing was definite until the party had reached the source of those continuous howls.

At this point, other sounds had been vocalised. . . they were the screams of participants, no, rather victims . . .

Eventually, Dalis's team had reached their destination. Before their very eyes, a humongous wolf the size of a mammoth stood proudly over them.

This was The Monster.

It appeared to be half-wounded, but it was vigorous and triumphant. The surrounding radius was once filled with luxuriant trees and plants. However, now it was ruined foliage.

Around six candidates were encircling the beast. The distance between them was roughly sixty metres. A single glance could tell that the odds were not in their favour. Their clothes were torn, and bruises and wounds were in stark view on various parts of their bodies. Some of them had blood trickling down from their more serious wounds.

Fortunately for them, none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening. It was credible as there was a healer. It was thanks to her that the party managed to keep intact despite how threadbare and exhausted they appear. However, her pale face, wobbling legs, and vehement gasps suggested she was reaching her limit.

There were two individuals out of the six who gave the impression of being unexpectedly fine.

One was a fair-skinned girl, with long orange hair draped over her shoulders. She wore a sky blue cloak over the top of a brown leather chest plate, harnessed together by belts, connected to a baggy pair of trousers. They looked casual. But with the many tears in them, she looked no better than a beggar. Yet, she showed an expression of ease. Even though her situation shouldn't have allowed it.

It appeared as if she either had a lot more up her sleeve, or she simply didn't realise her own position . . . She was the prey.

The other was a young male donning a jaded green martial robe. He had a neat high collar that accentuated his jawline. He had sharp violet eyes of steel, and aside from a flowing crimson ponytail reaching down his back, the rest of his hair was cut short and sharp. Even in his body's dishevelled state, the boy showed no signs of fatigue.

The group recognised them.

Those two sharply delineated individuals were Alexia and Hayate.

When Melvin saw them, his handsome countenance distorted, replaced with a repulsive hardened look. Stilla's natural smile became rather wry while Sienna's expression turned sour. Dalis seemed to be insusceptible to the whole scene and solely displayed a subtle interest with those two outliers. Otherwise, there was nothing different.

"Who are those two?" Dalis asked.

" . . . You don't know?" Sienna replied stiffly.

"Dalis don't you remember them? We have met them a couple of times in the Training Facility. They're Alexia and Hayate," Stilla reminded him.

"Hmm . . . there are no bells ringing. Ring it for me if you would like."

"Dalis you're kidding right?" Sienna looked at him in disbelief.

Dalis tilted his head in response.

Sienna was unable to understand this man.

"*Sigh* Alexia there is the young mistress of the Mae Family from Feeria. She is known to be one of the most talented mages of the young generation. When it came to water, it is she is considered unrivalled. It is said her control of water would one day surpass her father—Harold the Water Elemental Master. While that green-robed male is Hayate. He is from the Swamp. Although his background is unclear, it is rumoured to be quite exceptional and he is renowned as the “rising prodigy of the Swamp”. They're considered to be the top candidates of this Pre-Soldier Exam." Sienna explained in a peevish, but firm manner.

"Judging by everyone's reactions, there's some history to it I assume," Dalis stated in an uninterested voice, glancing towards Melvin's profile.

"Is there a problem? I feel very uncomfortable having being stared at by an imbecile. Would you mind looking another way?" Melvin said with an irritated tone.

"Dalis! Melvin! Don't start anything okay? We have to go help them," Stilla exclaimed.

(Did I do something?) Dalis mused with obliviousness.

"Hmph," Melvin snorted.

" . . . Yeah I guess . . . " Sienna mumbled in an unenthusiastic voice.

"I propose remaining stationary to prevent the occurrence of mishaps. Those two intolerant and contemptuous ignoramuses are likely to botch our conceived plan," Melvin articulated with heartless intentions.

He knew that if the plan was to follow through at this given moment, those "ignoramuses" would most definitely be a nuisance.

"Melvin . . . " Stilla tramped towards Melvin. She was ready to scowl at Melvin! Stilla too disliked Alexia and Hayate, but she did not hate them. As such, she would not hesitate to aid them if they were in trouble, likewise to now. How could he not put aside their differences? They may be in competition, but they were fellow Orphans!

Just before she was about to teach Melvin a lesson, Dalis stopped her hand.

Although Stilla had not raised her hand yet, he had seen her fist clenching.

It was apparent what she was going to do.

Thus, Dalis had reached fast grappling her wrist, though it was not firm at all and rather gentle. Dalis had deliberately done this to soothe her anger.

"D-Dalis?" Stilla was a little out of the zone as she was caught up in the moment. Oddly, her face became a tiny bit flushed due to his intimate action.

"Melvin is correct. Just follow up alright?" Dalis said with a slow, gentle voice. Contrary to her expectations, there was no scolding, no anger, nothing negative: just tenderness.

"O-okay," The world seemed to spin around for her. Those rosy cheeks were now conspicuous. Open for Melvin and Sienna to scrutinise.

Melvin, in his mind, felt a little thankful for Dalis. But, as soon as he noticed the reaction of Stilla, he steamed with indignation. However, this was concealed. Instead, his face expressed a hard, uncaring look. After all, this was not the time to be acting immature.

On the other hand, Sienna was wowed. Although her eyes could not compare to Dalis, they too were keen like a sparrow.

Despite observing Dalis for three years in admiration, she was now impressed with another feature about him. It was not his skills, brains, or usual calm demeanour, but his unexpected charm to captivate women.

(Wow, even my skipped a bit after watching this scene. It was one line with no flowery words, yet Stilla looks like she has been enthralled! One line!! This can't be intentional right? Observing Dalis up close is much different from a distance . . . Unfathomable . . . truly unfathomable as expected from Dalis) Sienna mused as she blankly looked at the two.

Stilla still remained a little dazed. Noticing that Stilla was acting strange, Dalis attempted to snap her back to her usual self.

"Oi keep focus Stilla."

"Eh? Oh yeah."

Stilla brows and eyes turned sharp, turning her attention back to the battlegrounds that had been unintentionally ignored for the time. Dalis breathed a mumbled sigh with relief.

She was back in the game.

It really was a wonder. Who was the big sibling in this relationship and who was the little sibling?

When Dalis looked back at the battlefield, he noticed that the four of the six fighters were unable to continue combat. Two of the famous candidates remained standing, two have been knocked out, while the other two sat next to each other as one treated the other's arm.

Dalis gulped and turned his head to face the haunting death glare of Stilla . . .

At the battlegrounds . . .

Alexia and Hayate persisted to stubbornly resist The Monster.

Two streams of water could be seen manipulated by Alexia. They were azure in colour similar to the sky. The waters coiled as if they were aquatic snakes, slithering the air around her. These currents were usually calm like a stream in the mountain range. However, if they were to be aggravated, they would become a waterfall . . .

Much like now!

They were water cannons ready to gush out and cascade mercilessly on their mundane foes!

"A meer dog dares continue to misbehave in front of me, your mistress? Allow me to say, this is not the extent of the Mae Family!"

Alexia gestured her arms as if she was a waterbender. In response, hydro cannons became heavy artillery, splashing down heavy blows onto the wolf. The beast growled in response and began to relentlessly charge at her. The water was strong and more potent the closer its target was, but when compared to the beast, it was not powerful! If there was a water source nearby, perhaps there was the chance of the beast being halted, but that was only a realm of possibility. Furthermore, sixty metres was stretching her capabilities.

Thus, it was unstoppable!

Despite knowing that her water had only slowed the beast to a minor degree, she remained unmoving. She was not perturbed at all by the ever-closing in mammoth-sized wolf.

How arrogant and haughty was she?

Or did she have a plan?

Elim · Feb 2, 2020

By the time the beast was about thirty-five meters away from clobbering Alexia, the boy, who had yet to make a move, had sprung into action.

"Hidden Technique: Gasify!"

The corporeal Hayate faintly glowed somewhat white, similar to the appearance of a hazy mist. It looked as if he was undergoing sublimation, but he was not. In reality, the mana seemed to congeal, and his layered white hands turned into gas! It looked eerie! His arms glowed white, while his hands appeared to be smog. That was not all . . . his feet could be seen levitating a few centimetres off the ground!

He ran like the wind. Or rather, it should be said he was a whirling wind, outspeeding the beast and arriving right beside Alexia. With a series of swooshed arms, wind could be seen coating air inside the water jets, augmenting the power of the water cannon. Also, it acted as a tailwind blowing the water forward with greater velocity!

The beast growled as it started to feel the damage from the sheer force of the combined attack. Its movements had drastically reduced, cutting its speed by fifty per cent. However, this had only served to enrage the beast and provoke it to push onwards with its relentless assault.

Noticing that the beast was even more ferocious than before, Alexia simply smirked with pleasure while Hayate continued to effuse the presence of being relatively calm. The two continued with their hand movements, refusing to back down from this tug of war. Their arrogance was shocking. Nonetheless, Hayate was actually panicking inwardly which only grew by the second, as the beast unsparingly charged onwards, unhindered.

"That candidate . . . Hayate was it? He is a swamp user correct? Their primary arts are focused on utilising free mana. He is not touching the water . . . How is this person controlling his mana out of his body like that? I presumed it was gas, but that can be seen as wind in the currents of the water," Dalis inquired inquisitively.

"No you are right. He is using gas, it is just not visible to the naked eye. Besides his initial start-up phase, including his ghostly hands, it is said he uses a scant amount of his mana to connect the concealed gas to his wind force. It is quite common for many powerful experts to use tricks like this as it could even evoke the illusion that they're using movement mana from Feeria. I'm surprised that you didn't know this Dalis." Sienna answered his question soberly.

"Oh? I did know, actually. However, it didn't cross my mind. It is rare to see a swamp user like Koji, and it was unexpected that this guy is on this level."

"That is true. After all he is a special one. Learning gas manipulation is said to be more difficult than solidifying or liquefication since it also greatly involves understanding how the natural mana and the air works. Furthermore, Hayate is quite special as he can manipulate the gas to form wind-like currents." Sienna nodded.

"Quite capable . . . but at this rate they would be unable to hold on much longer," Dalis spoke aloof.

Before Stilla could butt in and unleash her bottled tempest, Melvin stuck up his chin and opened his mouth.

"Shall we aid those spoiled children?"

***

When the beast had arrived about fifteen meters away, finally, Alexia started to sweat. If this was dragged for any longer, the accumulated puddle of sweat that sprinkled downwards was not the only thing that would fall. Hayate was quick on the uptake and swooshed away like the wind, leaving her behind.

"Bastard!"

Alexia cursed him, and her water cannons churned, protruding to the utmost of her abilities, bombarding upwards to the beast's eyes. Blinded by the ongoing stream of water, The Monster growled even louder than before.

"Ughh"

Alexia groaned and was going pale, but she had to keep this up. If she was to just utter a few words, escape was likely. However, her pride refused to succumb to defeat from the beast.

A few seconds before impact, she threw herself to the side, falling to the floor. Just in time to dodge the incoming smash. Screeching sounds can be heard as the beast slid the ground and was stopped in his tracks after realising its failed attack.

AROo ROOF

Despite failing to crush its target, The Monster howled with delight and began to bound towards her. After all, she was now easy prey.

Now there was no escape!

Although that was the plan of the evolved wolf, it was hampered by somebody. It was the other prey! Hayate capitalised his advantage with speed and his small body, relative to the beast, to maneuver around and deliver blistering blows to the beast. It seemed so easy that he didn't seem to look as if he broke a sweat. He utilised his now fully gassed arms into sharp wind blades that delivered deadly slicing cuts to the beast. If he didn't exert himself this much, then he would be unable to prevent Alexia from being trampled.

Alexia, panting and catching her breath, on the flat ground watched Hayate save her. She felt quite gratified, but then remembered that he literally abandoned her a moment ago and this goodwill diminished. She thought to herself, at least give her a heads up!

Alexia tried to stand up. However, after exhausting all her strength as well as her mana she was deadbeat. In spite of this, Alexia pushed herself to stand since she was vulnerable and still in danger. The moment Hayate slips or is unable to prolong his attacks, The Monster would most likely aim to mince her to pieces. If it was not for the beast being disdained to kill her fallen comrades, they would probably be dead or forced to retire.

It seemed the evolved wolf was much more interested in killing herself and Hayate. This was because of their previous jeers in the past half hour. Yet, she did not regret having taunted the beast. Showing her superiority was nature to her, and to flaunt herself around her people was her cup of tea. That was Alexia Mae in a nutshell.

If she did not do this, she would not be herself. Nor, the “great” mistress of the Mae Family, Alexia Mae.

Gripping the ruined hard floor, she bent her arms to try to propel herself up. It was at this moment, a shadow loomed over her. She struggled to turn her head to see what lurked behind her. If it was a beast, then there was no other option but to grit her teeth and retire. Hoping in her heart it was a neutral entity, Alexia managed to rotate her fallen body. As she laid on her back, a figure appeared before her eyes. Her brows turned in as she grit her teeth detested.

It was freaking Melvin.

Worst of all, he had his chin stuck up, back straight, and his hands clasped behind his back as if he was some expert. Many Feeria experts exhibit this practice to signify that they were 'superior" to their opponent or people around them; it was an infamous bearing of Feeria. It should be known that Alexia was one of the few people that unexpectedly did not undertake this common profound art despite her “superior" status.

This drew her mad!

But then she squinted her weak eyes and noticed something else.

She took everything back.

That was not the worst of all.

What incensed her the most was that Melvin was not even bothering to spare a single glance. Yet, he coincidently walked by her side as if he wasn't aware of her existence—she was thin air.

No, he probably viewed her as another insect; to the level of an ant.

"Y-You ," Alexia stammered. Besides being filled by anger, she was also filled with disbelief. Is he really ignoring a beautiful girl like her? Not to mention she was bloody injured! She was also an important mistress in The Great Feeria City! They were both Feerias! Aside from their families, she understood that there were past grievances and conflicts between her and him. But did he really have to go this far?

Melvin seemed to have not heard anything as he continued to stare at the events unfolding as of this moment. He concentrated, watching carefully to await the moment for his turn to arrive in the plan.

To Alexia, it appeared he was completely ignoring her, which he was, giving the impression of a cold shoulder. She felt so indignant that her next words sounded hoarse and painful.

"Melvin p-please don't ignore meeee . . ."

Those words were like pleasant like the Autumn winds to Melvin's ears. He softly hummed to himself and pretended not to notice. Only after a minute did he decide to take a good look at Alexia's succumbing: he glanced his eyes downwards towards her. He was expecting to relish in her countenance by indulging himself further in his schadenfreude, but when he saw Alexia . . . he trembled.

Alexia was the same as he predicted. She was in an unwell condition; hair dishevelled, clothes dirtied, torn, and her beauty soiled. This was exactly what he desired to see. Payback for one of his misfortunes with her in the past.

The mistress of the Mae Clan transformed into a peasant.

The painting was perfectly illustrated, except for the face . . .

When their eyes met, the stored tears began to flow down her cheeks, burning her eyes, and her lower lip trembled. Sobs wracked her body, robbing it of the ability to speak, and all she did was cry. Although the cries of indignation were not loud, they were utterly adequate to make any man heart-stricken with pain. Especially considering she was one of the most young beauties of Feeria.

Never would he have conceived that Alexia Mae out of all people would be ever left in this state. He had heard stories that this mistress has had been involved with some things to be lead shed with tears. But, he dismissed them as ludicrous rumours. When he recalled his time with her, whether it was in Feeria or Caleyar Orphanage, . . . Alexia weeping tears was entirely absurd and unimaginable.

However, he was forced to face reality.

Alexia Mae was not only reduced to a peasant, but she was also raining teardrops.

Awkwardly, Melvin removed his clasped hands from behind. He also lowered his chin and stuck up back. After that, he clumsily moved towards her and briefly bent down his knees to speak to her . . .

Elim · Feb 2, 2020

"A-ahem . . . Alexia Mae, mistress of the Mae Family and daughter of Harold the Water Elemental Master, are you anticipating myself to have compassion for your forlorn predicament. Hmph. Naive juvenile I—"

"BASTARD WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Melvin palpitated.

He felt his mind go blank and emotions swelled and rose up within him.

It was as though the gods were striking Melvin with lightning, punishing him for his shameful conduct and profanity that was not related to swears or curses.

Instead, it was for his disgraceful behaviour for callously tyrannising an innocent young girl.

It is true that she is arrogant, haughty and is a headache for many. However, at the end of the day . . . she did not deserve such treatment at all to be "punished" to this extent. It was clear as day for anybody that the girl in front of Melvin right now was not the arrogant and haughty mistress, she was just a normal girl.

(I am disgusted with myself.) Melvin shook his head, absolutely ashamed for his actions.

If Dalis had seen this and heard those words coming from Melvin's mouth, he would be utterly disappointed with him. In fact, he would likely be very pissed off. He many even deliver a wake-up kick or punch to the gut. If it was Stilla . . . he would be considered to be lucky if he were to be alive the next day.

Somewhat clumsily, he subconsciously moved to his pocket. Scavenging his pocket, he found nothing. His plan to wipe her tears away had gone to dust.

(Curses, I had forsaken it back at the Orphanage since there was a risk of it being confiscated. A meer pack of tissues has impeded me? Fuck!)

Melvin was eminently troubled with his situation. He was similar to Dalis of being “somewhat” of a loner. He had little experience with these things due to his lack of communication with others. However, if it was Dalis, he was certain that he would understand what to do. Once again, he compared himself to that insect, and his mood went even further sour. It was not the time for this. Melvin decided to not utilise his intellectual wits and instead, just go with the flow speaking whatever comes to mind.

"Alexia Mae, you and I have feuded in the past, and I dislike you."

(What the hell is this bastard spouting?)

"However, I acknowledge that my actions have gone too far and though I loathe to even consider reconciling with you, right now as of this moment, I shall apologise for my insolent behaviour."

Melvin bowed deeply towards Alexia. If she was standing, then what she saw would not be able to be observed by her eye. Alexia shockingly saw Melvin's express an apologetic countenance, along with a deep sense of regret.

This bastard was sincerely looking back on his actions.

While this may mark an unbelievable recording in history . . . it was still not sufficient.

"Y-you think this is enough?! Bastard!" Alexia complained with her eyes still filled with tears, sniffing occasionally. It was notable that Alexia had evidently somewhat calmed down. However, she was still vexed and in sorrow.

" . . . H-How should I compensate you?"

"Don't know! Figure it out yourself!"

" . . . "

(I suppose I owe her a favour then . . . )

Melvin was at a wall. He really had no idea what to do. Due to Alexia, he was unable to proceed with the plan. Melvin's initial role was to beckon and taunt the beast to lure it to a particular location. After all, he was the perfect bait. However, he had patently complained about it, which lead to him being the one to prevent any mishaps or mitigate any unforeseen variables. This especially became relevant when the party had come across Alexia and Hayate. Knowing them, they were bound to cause trouble.

Although he seemed to have a minor role, that was irrefutably untrue.

In the subsequent upcoming task, he was the key figure.

"Melvin hurry up!" A desperate hurried outcry was heard in the distance. It was from Sienna.

Melvin looked towards the direction of the voice and then looked back towards Alexia. He gritted his teeth and shouted.

"Stall for me!"

(To think I would become lodged here to treat a distasteful fledgling.)

***

"Ha . . . ha . . . ha . . . "

Dalis was on the run, puffing at a moderate pace as he was pursued by The Monster two hundred meters away from him. His tri-section staff was closed in and strapped behind his back. It had already been about thirty minutes. He was considerably resilient overall and was able to not lose his breath. Compared to the average male adult, he had a little more strength and speed relatively. The speed was commensurate to Stilla if her speed was about fifty per cent. That was the gap between a body consolidator and a solid non-practitioner. While other practitioners fell short against body consolidators in physical prowess, they often had means to maintain on their level. Despite all of this exposition, Dalis was, in fact, more flexible than Stilla and outclasses her in agileness. Unfortunately, he was up against The Monster. Even with his athletic maneuvers and speedy leaps . . . he was unable to distance the gap at all. It was primarily because of the beast's physiology. Conversely, if this continues, by the next ten minutes or so the gap would close! Was The Monster playing with him?

Stilla was about a hundred meters off to the left side, maintaining the pace with him. She seemed completely in shape, which was no surprise, but Dalis knew that she was definitely not in top condition. He regretted not dismissing her earlier at the rendezvous.

Her role was to be the runner up back up, in case he was unable to proceed onwards.

(Should"ve made Sienna do it . . . but that girl keeps on insisting . . . Sigh.)

"Dalis!" Sienna could be heard, scant on his right. She was quite far in the distance with respect to Dalis. This was much more for Stilla.

"Manage to shrug him off?!"

"Yeah! But it looks like we have to buy time for Melvin to catch up!"

"How much time?"

"Don't know! Hopefully not long!"

(Not good. It would mean the plan would need to be altered a bit. If he fails to come within five minutes of the forthcoming battle, then we may be somewhat in a pickle.) Dalis begrudgingly thought.

Fifteen minutes later . . .

"Dalis! Switch with me! Don't push yourself! Don't worry about me!"

Dalis ignored the continued calls of Stilla and pressed on. His puffs had become more rapid, and he was huffing as well. He had planned to let Stilla take over, but his stubbornness and care for Stilla had hampered him. The beast was now just fifty meters behind him! Dalis was thrusting his arms back and forth as sweat dribbled down his face. His whole body was practically soaked with perspiration, and his speeded-up heartbeat was accelerating by the second! Dalis felt as if he was a ticking time bomb due to the exhilaration of everything.

(IT"S BEEN BLOODY FIFTEEN MINUTES WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU MELVIN?!!) Dalis felt as if he was about to lose his marbles. He cursed inwardly in his mind. Though they had not reached their destination, without Melvin he was absolutely positive that the plan was now thrown to the shredders.

"Daaliisss!!"

"A little longer! We"re almost there!" Dalis exclaimed with a ragged shout in response.

Two minutes . . .

One minute . . .

Up ahead a clearing could be seen. In the middle, a sizeable pond glistened as small beast critters, and other animals swam in peace. However, it was not long before the denizens had sensed the hard tramples of what seemed to be a stampede and scattered away.

(It's right there!)

Dalis's eyes gleamed with delight, but before he could revel much longer, The Monster extended its neck and lunged a ferocious bite towards Dalis. Noticing the sudden lengthened shadow by the skin of his teeth, he hastily dodged to the side. Due to his weakened state, he was unable to maintain his momentum to evade the next strike. He was forced to use a nearby tree branch to accelerate himself closer to the pond! Gripping his hands deep into the wooden branch, he hauled himself with his utmost strength, upwards in mid-air!

"Hnghhh"

The forest clearing stirred, as a young teenage boy emerged from the depths of the forest, accompanied by the snarl of a wild vicious beast.

SPLASH

SSSSSPPPPPPLLAAAAAAASSSSSHHH

Billows of water spontaneously spouted from the lake's surface, dispelling the calm waters and transforming them into raging waves. As the shining sun radiated its light onto the surface, it appeared to accentuate the sparkles of the glistening sea, sprinkling the water with a magical drizzle. However, there was something else stark in view, the focal point. Half of the bodied water showed in full view a savage beast, breathing deeply within its jaws and glaring at the water's surface.

Meanwhile . . . beneath the waters of the lake was the shark's prey; a four-limbed fish. It was Dalis.

He had made sure to take in a deep breath before diving into the pond. Thankfully this pond was as he had estimated before, suitable to constrict the evolved wolf's movements. Though that was not the main use of this water with regards to the plan.

Dalis hovered his head side to side. He could see a few water animals and beasts here and there, but they had notably distanced themselves away from him. After all, just a couple of meters in front of him was The Monster. It was quite the marvellous spectacle to see. Dalis's line of sight took in the powerful grey thick legs which spread apart from the beast's abdomen.

"Urgghh."

While he was in his train of thought for his next course of actions. He suddenly gargled. Struck with an upheaval of exhaustion, superimposed with a lack of oxygen, his body began to collapse.

(Not . . . good . . . )

(Not . . . good . . . )

Elim · Feb 2, 2020

Important notice: I have changed all ' ' in dialogue to " ". I apologise for being jarring to you readers for so long. It will stick this way from now on. In the first place, I did this to stick closely to the British/Australian English but even for us, we don't use this very often. Most of us use the " " you are familiar with. All previous chapters have been updated with it.

Dalis's body began to collapse, and he felt his mind growing blank. His arms, his legs, nothing moved in accordance to his will.

The only thing that he was able to control was his eyes that were fading and losing the light.

His eyes continue to stare at the bubbles which drifted up to the surface.

(Is this the end? . . . Of course that snobby brat would be the one to lead me to my demise.)

A rising urge coursed through him.

Dalis couldn't help but continue to curse at Melvin within his mind and heart. In fact, he was obsolete with thinking about anything that would be considered to be regretful or cherishable. Not even his dear Sister Edna.

After all . . .

He absolutely refused to die in this sort of fashion.

It was not satisfying at all!

Besides the fact that he has many regrets, and some other buried things, he was unable to even utter any final words! Dalis deeply desired to say something witty and profound before his death such as:

"I have the will to kill enemies, but not the power to reverse fate."

Or

"The taste of death is upon my lips . . . I feel something, that is not of this earth."

Or

"I wish to retire."

However he was not even given this opportunity!

The more he contemplated about this, the more fumed he was, and he fervently stacked his curses at Melvin inwardly as much as he can.

It was equivalent to the riches of the wealthy.

Aggrieved, he also vowed to haunt Melvin and torment him for his whole life until he was exorcised.

***

" . . . "

Dalis had no idea how much time had passed, nor was he sensitive to anything around him. He erased his thinking and began to seriously conceive of the things he really desired to ponder about.

( . . . That's enough grudging and puerile musing by me . . . I'm eighty percent certain that Melvin was impotent due to something unexpected impeding him . . . )

While he thought this, Dalis did not dare to trace his thoughts about the remaining twenty per cent.

" . . . "

(Perhaps it's because of how ludicrous this whole thing is why my death feels so . . . unreal. Thus, I'm unable to embrace the solemnity of the situation.)

Dalis sighed deep within.

(In the end, I don't even know who I am . . . )

" . . . "

And then a particular word rose to his mind . . .

(Hope . . . )

Before he started to sink into the abyss and dwell eternally into his thoughts . . . his ears perked up. He started hearing a muffled sound reverberate through his ears. Eventually, he could discern that it was the sound of somebody's voice . . . and it grew more distinct by the second.

Dalis! Dalis!

Hope is to be alive

There was another voice. It was faint, reassuring, and nostalgic.

This can't be happening . . .

So live

Dalis please wake up . . .

Just live

Dalis don't go to the otherside!

That would be enough

You just need to wake up just for a moment!

For us all

You have so much to do!

Live

Don't leave!

DALIS!

The last shout was an awakening call to Dalis, resurrecting him back from the dead. Although he did not die, he was dangerously close to heading off to the other side.

Dalis gradually opened his eyes, he was presented with a blurry world in front of him. It only took a moment for him to recognise the outline of the blurry figure by the accompanied voice as his body shook.

It was Sienna.

Dalis laid on his back with Sienna by her side. Sienna had her knees on the ground, leaning down towards Dalis. One of her hands was rested across his chest and the other on one of his shoulders. Noticing that Dalis has awakened, she stopped shaking him. What was replaced was a wide smile and a joyous expression of relief. If one looked closely, her face was a little red.

This was not solely from urgency. It was also because she had planned to perform CPR on him, just a moment before Dalis woke up. Though there are ways to help circulate peoples’ mana flow which in turn could aid in resuciating, Sienna was incapable.

"Thank our Lord Caleyar . . . " Sienna sighed with relief.

*Cough* *Cough*

Dalis expelled some saliva and water from his mouth.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

Despite what Dalis said, he was putting a strong front to not let Sienna worry about him.

"How freely are you able to move?"

"Surprisingly, I think I can move well enough to somewhat fight. However, I'm quite burned out, so I will require some rest."

"That's a lot better than I had expected."

"Where are we?"

"Just a couple of meters away from the pond clearing. I was worried about Stilla so I couldn't move you too far away. I would've moved you a bit further and then joined in the battle, but you were in critical condition. It gave me quite the shock."

Sienna did not dare to ask how long he had been underneath the water for.

"I see . . . "

For some odd reason, Dalis had an iota of disappointment from not being able to die. His inner desire to reincarnate as either a slime, adventurer, hero, or skeleton came to ruins.

(Wait. That is not important. That girl needs aid.)

Worrying about Stilla in spite of his weakened state, Dalis proceeded to carefully and steadily raise himself up. Sienna, who turned her head towards the pond, all of a sudden jolted to the point that it almost made her fall.

"WATCH OUT!!!"

However, it was too little, too late. By the time Dalis had sprung the upper half of his body from the floor, his eyes were met with a terrifying ravenous huge beast.

With every ounce of his remaining strength, he attempted to dodge the beast's leap at post-haste. Dalis knew in all likelihood that he would be unable to evade the savage wolf, but that did not delay his strive to escape.

The wolf snarled with excitement, opening its jaws wide to reveal the ferocious conical fangs, slimed with saliva that ran down its chin. It was on the road to rip the living head off the frail human boy.

What was particularly noteworthy of this scene was that no matter how close The Monster approached, Dalis continued to wear an expression of defiance and traces of fear were unseen to the naked eye. When the beast noticed this, it was enraged and determined to inflict and display to Dalis what terror was!

BZZZZZZZZZZ

A buzzing sound echoed in their ears. But in the heat of the moment, nobody could pay attention . . .

BOOOM!

It all happened so fast.

Out of the blue, Dalis saw a behemoth not much smaller than The Monster smash into the evolved wolf, toppling down a few nearby trees as though they were dominoes. It was unbelievable!

Dalis rushed to stand up to obtain a closer view of exactly what had occurred. Sienna too, also followed up shortly after him standing by his side.

Although it was a little difficult to see with the floating debris and disordered forest, to the onlookers, it was clear as day. A bronze rocky carapace could be seen. The beast had six legs; three on each side. Its steel horns and mandibles seemed to shine with incredible power and were in full display for all to see. It was penetrating the other giant beast! Blood fell gradually by the passing second as The Monster was attacked.

It was a huge blow to The Monster.

Sienna was trying to take in the situation while Dalis was thrilled, trembling with excitement. He couldn't help but pleasantly exclaim in a monotone voice.

"Rhinearian Beetle!"

"That's right! That's a Rhinearian beetle! So there really are Rhinearian beetles in the Maizan Forest. Where did this rare beast come from? Did this beetle just save our lives? Dalis let's use this chance to retreat! It's not worth the contest. We shouldn't risk it and take this saving grace to the heart."

Dalis simply chuckled in response and headed slowly and nonchalantly to the beast. Weirdly, his steps seemed to strut a little as if he was swaggering. Was it due to the arrival of his pet? Or was it because of his condition? The truth was a combination of both. Sienna was not aware of this as her attention was occupied with her worry for Dalis.

"Daaalisss, Sieeeenaaa!"

Stilla had finally caught up with the turn of events. When she saw two towering mountains wrestling against each other, her run came abruptly to a halt. She focused her gaze and recognised the unfamiliar beast. Inevitably, she startled.

"R-Rhinearian beetle! Wooowww that's so coool! It's even teaching that big bad wolf a lesson. Go beetle go! Teach that bully some manners! Go go go!"

Sienna was slightly flabbergasted by Stilla's reaction but knew that this would be how she would react. Hastily, she jogged to her. Though Stilla seemed to be unaware of Sienna and closed towards Dalis, thus Sienna followed.

"Dalis are you okay?"

When she saw the exhausted and bedraggled Dalis, she clutched her arms onto Dalis instinctively.

"I'm alright. How about yourself?" Dalis responded to her inquiry and meticulously checked the condition of her body.

"Jeez I'm fine! It's YOU that needs the attention. You're in much worse shape than me."

"Is that so? I failed to notice."

"Bad brother! Bad!"

It was at this point of time that Sienna had arrived.

"Stilla."

"Sienna!"

The girls smiled at one another. Then, the three started to discuss their next course of action. After hearing that Rhinearian beetle was a pet that he had subjected and then domesticated, they were stunned. Sienna was muttering to herself about how utterly unfathomable Dalis was, while Stilla fared much better in taking in the situation. Amusingly, she seemed to have a belief that was bordering, "it is only natural."

When Dalis heard from Stilla that Melvin had yet to return . . . the curses within him coiled once again. It was now two times that Dalis had hovered between the road of life and death due to Melvin's absence. Dalis made an oath to one day have his revenge on him—two-fold and counting! In the first place, he was the most eager one in the group to take down that beast due to the past feud. So why the hell was he not here?!

Succeeding a couple of more exchange of words, Dalis walked towards the mountainous monsters.

"Dalis you still haven't told us what you plan to do! You can't fight with your condition! Me and Sienna are coming whether you like it or not!" Stilla hurriedly exclaimed.

Dalis did not turn back, but he had come to a stop.

"Relax and enjoy the show. Allow me to show you girls the reason they call me a beast master."

Author note: Referenced quotes are by Tan Sitong and Mozart; respectively.

Elim · Feb 3, 2020

Author note: One day, I hope to go back and add nice tables to this. >_>

Somewhere within the rustling Maizan Forest . . .

Insert classic Pok***n Wild Encounter music.

A wild The Monster appeared!

ARROOO

"Rhinearian Beetle heed my call."

The beetle growled in acknowledgement.

(Now then . . . )

What will Rhinearian Beetle do?

Fight, Bag,

Call for Backup, Run

→ Fight

Rhinearian Beetle fall back and use tackle!

"Rhine Rhine Rhine Rhine Rhine . . . "

"Rhinearian!"

ARROOOO

The evolved wolf cried in pain. The swift blow by the beetle had dealt moderate damage to the beast. It was a surprising attack for The Monster because the beast had suddenly retreated in the middle of the tussle. Unfortunately for Dalis, that was probably the best assault he would be able to inflict for the remainder of the battle as the evolved wolf has now evidently raised its guard up.

The beast snarled but did not make a move. Instead, it watched with keen eyes; bloodshot with menace. It was no longer playing fun and games.

"That powerful wolf has been fighting for so long and has even been struck twice by the brawny huge Rhinearian Beetle . . . and yet it seems to fair fine . . . in fact it even appears to be much stronger than before!" Sienna said with an unsightly look worn on her face.

"Indeed . . . " Dalis responded with an ashen countenance.

" . . . "

Stilla did not utter a word, but she understood that the big bad wolf had not displayed its full prowess. From here on out, she had to put in a hundred and twenty per cent of her effort.

It was a perilous situation.

Dalis who stood vigilant noticed the uneasiness of the two. Unexpectedly, they seemed, for the most part, unafraid and were willing to continue to brawl rather than escape. He admired their valiant courage but could see that both had subtly shaky legs. Although their minds had restrained themselves, they were unable to stop their legs from showing the desire to aid the Rhinearian Beetle.

"You two. Calm down. Like I said, enjoy the show. Do not worry, I naturally will make the call for backup."

Hearing this, the girls simultaneously let out a sigh of relief. They began to calm themselves down and were not antsy like before.

Dalis narrowed his eyes to the beast.

(Damn. That wolf may be a beast, but it is much more intelligent compared to other beasts. It comprehends that my beast's defence outrivals it. Therefore, it chooses to remain stationary, relying on its resilient constitution to slowly recuperate. While my Rhinearian Beetle is not something that one would disdain, its league is much lower than the wolf. I'm forced to attack!)

Thus, Dalis made his move.

"Rhinearian Beetle screech at that wolf to show who's the real monster of Maizan Forest."

"Rhine Rhine Rhine Rhiiiiineeeeee!"

The Rhinearian Beetle stamped its bronze anchor legs onto the hard ground. Due to how enthusiastic it was to hear its master's compliment, the beast notably appended extra strength than necessary. As a result, the earth trembled, causing the area around them to shake as if the forest was caught in a small earthquake.

Dalis frowned his brows but maintained his composure. While the spectators were watching with awe.

In response The Monster was provoked, retaliating with its own screech attack.

GRRRRR AROOO

Although no tremors were created, the Maizan Forest seemed to rustle with fear as a hundred nearby denizens in the one-kilometre range scurried away.

The Monster was successfully taunted.

After the evolved wolf closed the curtains to its screech, it immediately weaved left and right entering a relentless charge towards the beetle. The Monster was not going to let a puny insect off, for its insolence of threatening its throne. The beast was determined to put this meer bug back into its place!

Dalis was pleased and mused that beasts were at the end of the day still beasts. Keeping his watchful look, he waited until The Monster was just a scant away from assaulting his pet. He did not even move a muscle when the beast flung itself using a nearby tree, for a lunge, to increase its momentum and deal a charged strike.

"What is Dalis planning? The beast is closing in, it's already so close!"

"Daalliss!"

"Turtle up, brace your stance and point your drill 40° up."

The Rhinearian Beetle, who had waited for the master's orders, promptly took action. Widening its stance, clawing the six legs to the floor, it pointed its thorax and head into the air. It readied itself to embrace the impact.

BANG!

Dalis's pet took the full frontal impact of the beast's charge. It actually made the beetle succumb back. One should know that the average weight of the Rhinearian Beetle was about eight tonnes. Even if this is the evolved wolf, it was still astonishing to see the mighty Rhinearian Beetle, who is known for its impregnable defence, be pushed back. What was more unbelievable was that the beast was able to maintain its shove a few seconds after the impact.

"No way. How can the Rhinearian Beetle . . . "

"Rhinearian Beetle nooooooo!"

Dalis did not say a word and waited for the built-up debris and soil to subside.

Two figures emerged from the aftermath. When the children saw the outcome, their unrested hearts came to an end. In return, their expressions brightened. Sienna was holding in her cry of amazement, Stilla was wowing, while Dalis had a huge conceited grin on his face.

It was a magnificent sight to behold.

The Monster was locking its razor jaws onto the beast's abdomen, close by to the shoulders of the beast. It was grappled in mid-air by the beetle's acute large horn, pierced as if a vampire had been pinned by a wooden stake. A bloody hole was created surrounding the circumference of the wound. It was blood-soaked, and the blood only continued to dribble as the Rhinearian Beetle punctured forward.

It was a critical hit and super effective!

The fortuitous event was not over for the group of children. They had noticed that the evolved wolf was simply unable to crunch through the solid defence of the beetle. After all, the elytra of the beetle was the most prominent feature of the beast.

Not even The Monster itself could compare as demonstrated live on Church of Vanquish TV.

Dalis wiped the sweat that trickled down his face seeing that he had made the right decision.

It was a risky gamble, fifty-fifty.

It all depended on the reaction time of the Rhinearian Beetle.

If the beetle beast was unable to time its horn display, at the right moment . . . it would've very likely died. The Monster was vicious and merciless when it was serious. Dalis, with his keen eyes, saw through the beast's goal to throttle and rip its pet's thorax.

After all . . . that was exactly what it wanted to accomplish to him before! He would never forget how the beast had maneuvered to kill him before. It was precisely the same as the past. There was only a minor difference, the evolved wolf had not flung itself before. Dalis did not dare imagine what would've happened if the beast had used its tail specialty on him to try to kill him before.

(That really was a close call . . . this domesticated pet of mine really is not bad at all. I should reward it with those dreaded calpufer herbs once the battle reaches its conclusion.)

The Monster, despite the circumstances, still refused to let go and continued to endure the piercing of its abdomen. It howled in anguish beneath its steel teeth. However, within that hoarse voice, a mixture of hatred and resentment seemed to bellow out to the nearby enemies, striking fear within the children. The girls tried to swallow their fears, but they could not stop themselves from shuddering. Only Dalis was slightly disturbed. In spite of this, the pores where he had wiped his sweat off had begun to excrete with perspiration.

(Time to finish it off.)

Dalis clenched his fists, raising one of them out and shouted with a commanding voice.

"Rhinearian Beetle! Finish it off with a GERMAN SUPLEX!"

"RHHHIINNNEAARIAN"

Somehow the black eyes of the Rhinearian Beetle glowed red, showcasing a look of determination and power. It bent its bronze anchor six legs and prepared to throw The Monster. Four of the front legs of the beetle were raised to the air, pulling up the immobile captured prey in the process until it reached the halfway mark of beetle's body. Thereafter, the beetle accidentally toppled, exposing its back to the hard floor. This was because it was unable to hold the immense pressure of the wolf's body weight as well as its own body weight!

On top of that, the unfamiliarity of standing upright like a human. As a result, it was not only the evolved wolf that was thrown over the head . . . it was also the beetle itself!

BOOOOOMM!!

The earth rumbled for a split moment. The entire area seemed to have undergone an earthquake. A small thirty-meter long fissure crack was left after the wake. There were no openings within the crack, but it was on the verge!

Needless to say, everyone was stunned in place from the shock. Not even Dalis could firmly maintain his usual nonchalant composure. That one attack had actually caused a short earthquake! Even a cracked surface was formed. Some of the nearby trees seemed to be tilted to a degree. While some of the luscious plants have been overturned as if they were the ones to have experienced the German suplex.

"G-German suplex? What the hell is that? I have never come across that type of suplex before. If I don't know what it is . . . then how does a freaking wild beast know about it? Oh my Caleyar . . . "

"So COOL! So Awesome! Dalis! Dalis! Teach me! Teach your big sister! Please!"

Stilla's eyes shined so brightly that one could see the starry night sky reflected off her pupils.

Although the german suplex was not performed at its complete form, its fundamental essence was there. In fact, the mishap had made the scene even more spectacular. Though with the beetle squirming its legs in the air, trying to get back on its six feet . . . it caused the incident to appear less serious than it was.

The Monster had landed on the lower part of its neck first to the ground. Even till now, the beast continued to remain stuck on the large steel horn. Many bones around the wound have been impaled. If one looked closely, some of the wolf's organs have been punctured and are on their last breath.

And it was during these supposed last moments . . .

A purplish-black miasma of mana started to congregate around the evolved wolf's body . . .

Elim · Feb 4, 2020

The fourth day of the Pre-Soldier Exams. By this point in time, a total of hundred and twelve candidates have retired. Leaving a hundred and thirty-five candidates still active in the exam.

Of those hundred and twelve, over seventy per cent of them have retired due to being injured with grievous wounds. Fortunately, all of these individuals are well on their way to recovery and are currently recuperating in The Medivan Hospital. There has yet to be a single death.

Many overseers continued to observe the candidates survive the Maizan Forest. As a matter of fact, a sizable amount of them, including a few Medi-Brigade members, are awaiting deployment at a moment's notice.

The situation was considered to be dire.

Despite the warnings, many participants have dared challenge The Monster. It was a headache for the overseers. The irrational actions by the participants have signified that many of them are really still juvenile and naive.

While it was pleasing to see many of them conquer their fears and challenge The Monster, forming many small groups to slaughter it . . .

It was plain underestimation and arrogant of them.

If The Monster could be slain with a group of candidates, then why would they bother to warn these children to be wary of it? If a beast was too strong for them to kill, then they were expected to form groups to kill it or simply flee and find another beast. After all, though they may be contesting against one another, in the future they were going to be comrades, as future Vanquishers.

The main crucial issue is that the candidates have failed to follow orders. Though the organisers have not necessarily said it was prohibited to fight the beast, it was against their wishes.

For an army, if a soldier disobeyed their commander or officer, then it was possible for them to be considered to have committed treason. It was an obligation to follow orders. It is needless to say that disobeying orders could lead to a rupture in operation, dysfunction of the army's unity, and other adverse results.

When the overseers saw the talented Dalis in the middle of facing The Monster in the pond and then suddenly drowning, they had immediately dispatched people to teleport into forest including two Medi-Brigade units. By the time they had arrived, they had sawed Sienna desperately dive in the pond to save him. The dispatched unit then decided to vigilantly watch by the side and see what happens. When they saw him alive, they relaxed.

However, the very next moment he was charged at by the beast and it looked as if he wasn't going to survive. The dispatched unit was about to interfere until one of them recognised the incoming airborne Rhinearian Beetle which prompted him to stay their hand.

The turn of events was eye-boggling for the dispatched unit as they continued to see more and more scenes that stupefied them. It was especially astonishing when they saw the "German Suplex" performed by the Rhinearian Beetle. Although none of them had come across that technique before, to view it live and to see the resulting aftermath, all of their jaws were dropped to the ground. The two Medi-Brigade units have had their fair share of experiences in the battlefield . . . but there was nothing remotely similar to what they had seen.

Almost all of them were speechless. However, a few of them were able to reposition their jaws back into place.

"My $#$%^&* Caleyar, what the heavens did I just witness?"

"Beast master! Beast master! That orphan must be a descendant of the ancient beast master clan! Only a beast master could domesticate a beast and teach it to perform a suplex on another beast! Don't forget its opponent isn't any regular beast but in actual fact "The Monster!" Not only was he able to command a Rhinearian Beetle, but he could also actually make it fearlessly take on a beast that is much more powerful than itself!"

"Seriously who is this Orphan? I wonder if it's okay for me to adopt him? Not only was he able to defeat The Monster through controlling a beast like the Rhinearian Beetle . . . he's also so cool, handsome, and cute!"

When the dispatched unit heard that particular comment, they slowly turned their heads over towards that woman. She was actually one of the Medi-Brigade veterans. Some of the units seemed to have lowered their already dropped jaws to unprecedented levels that people would not believe would be possible. The others checked their ears to see if they had misheard.

Being stared at by all of her comrades around her caused her to flush in embarrassment.

"I-is that so wrong?"

For the record, she was twenty-eight.

"Comrades, stand at attention. We have trouble." A solemn voice ran from one of the males.

When they heard the tone of seriousness, each of them turned to glance back to the battlefield. Their pupils constricted.

***

A seething aura of hatred seemed to emanate. It was brought to form by the evolved wolf's purplish-black miasma of mana, congregating around itself.

A moment ago, the children were rejoicing, but once they noticed the odd ambience in the air, it all changed.

Their scalps went numb, replacing their joyous faces with concentrated seriousness. Both Stilla and Sienna trudged to Dalis, to take a closer look. While Dalis, without a sound, moved his hand to his back to grab hold of his weapon.

The Rhinearian Beetle shuddered as a chill ran behind its elytra. Being the closest existence to the abrupt advent of dark energy, it squirmed miserably in fright. Unfortunately, this only served to agitate the dark mana . . . blazing it with increasing concentration.

"Idiot, stop probing it. Calm down."

Despite the admonition, the Rhinearian Beetle failed to listen to its master's orders. Perhaps the beetle was so terrified that its eardrums have temporarily stopped working.

(You fearlessly slammed that beast to save me and even managed to deal a fatal blow just a moment ago. Why are you afraid of it?) Dalis mulled, complaining about his pet's attitude.

"What do we do?" Sienna gravely asked.

"Save the cool beetle!" Stilla immediately responded.

"Yeah for now—"

All of a sudden, the evolved wolf's fiendish energy appeared to condense and travel to one particular location of its body . . . the large steel horn of the beetle.

"RRRIIIIIIIIIII"

The Rhinearian Beetle wailed in agony as if it was being burned in purgatory.

Wait a second . . .

It was being burned.

The large steel horn was no longer rigid. As each second ticked, the soaring dark energy surged with inferno, melting the solid as if it was pastry. Although the purplish-black mana was not shaped like a teardrop, it flickered and burned similarly to a flame.

Dalis was the first one to react.

Aroused by the predicament and suffering of its pet, Dalis bolted with hostility and anger. His eyes were familiar . . . it closely resembled the time when he witnessed Stilla and Melvin being knocked out. A faint killing intent seethed outside of him.

Stilla and Sienna only paused for a moment to take in the scene, before dashing off to back up their suffering comrade.

However, by the time Dalis arrived, the large steel horn was no more.

The Monster laid upon the hard floor, slowly recovering. With keen menacing eyes, the evolved wolf glared and observed its enemy approach him. The expression it wore suggested that, once it had recuperated a sufficient amount, it would tear the living skin off him. Thus, all it could do was snarl in a guttural manner as means to express its hatred and desire to kill him.

Dalis first examined The Monster. Noticing that the beast didn't appear to be in a condition to make a move, he focused his attention to the Rhinearian Beetle. However, he took glimpses of the evolved wolf occasionally in case of any unforeseen issues.

Dalis glanced at the spot where the horn last was. Fortunately, the dark miasma had only afflicted the area of the horn. The space around it was barely touched, albeit contained minor scorch marks. Dalis's eyes went sentimental for a moment as he softly caressed the injury. The beetle gave a low cry in response.

He then dropped his head down to view where the horn had fallen. There was not a single remnant remaining that indicated a horn had fallen there. It had been utterly extinguished by the powerful dark mana.

Dalis countenance went grim.

He wanted to straight away help the Rhinearian Beetle return back to its six feet, but considering the size and weight of the beast . . . it was not a task that could be accomplished with ease.

"Quit squirming around, don't worry you will be fine."

The beast relaxed its legs, and no longer wriggled around, patiently waiting for its master.

Stilla and Sienna were now by Dalis's side. Stilla watched over the Rhinearian Beetle and provided some soothing words to further calm it down. The beetle felt warm in its heart, and like a baby, embraced its mother's warmth. Sienna was somewhat of out of words from Stilla's earnest care. However, she soon recovered and smiled.

"Sienna, assist me."

"Yeah. Though it appears where going to have a whole lot more trouble now."

Steadily, The Monster raised itself back onto its four legs. The beast's purplish-black mana had abated to a large degree. In spite of this, a corporeal layer of dark mana encapsulated its fur, highlighting the creature.

Most worrying of all . . . overtly, the beast's wound had stopped haemorrhaging. One could see the inside organs and blood vessels, gradually recovering. Although it would take a fair bit of time, it spelled disaster for the group of children.

***

"Should we interfere? Without the assistance of the Rhinearian Beetle, it would be challenging for the children to fight The Monster, needless to say kill it."

"I believe we should contact our superiors and obtain their stance on the matter. This isn't something we should rashly act upon."

"You're right. I will contact General Baseth."

The squad leader, of the dispatched unit, took out a marble grey stone that was shaped like a square. It was just enough to fit in a child's hand. If it wasn't shaped like a square, it could be easily mistaken for a natural stone. Though if one looked carefully, there were traces of unique patterns engraved to form a frame. This marble grey stone was one of the few types of sound transmission artefacts.

Although it was the most common type, it enabled the user to communicate at least two kilometres away at an acceptable quality. To use it, one would require holding the stone, chanting a certain phrase, as well as thinking of the person in mind.

"Prithee hark to quoth calleth thither!" - Please listen to said call towards that place!

The stone reacted with shimmering yellow light. It only took a few seconds for the connection to be established. For it to operate, it required the receiver to also have the same or similar type of transmission artefact.

Though the users speak aloud, the words received are conveyed to the mind.

The passed medium to transmit is unknown. It is speculated and argued that the communication line is granted through Caleyar's blessing.

Overall, it essentially acts in the way a telephone does.

"Hello, is this General Baseth?"

Muffling sounds could be heard over the line along with overlapping of voices.

"Hmm? Is this Connor on the line? You got something you need to tell Baseth?"

"Huh . . . Apostle Wrau?! How did I end up calling you? Wait, you just said General Baseth."

"Haha that's right bud. I figured you were going to call him, so I asked him to hand the stone over once the line was connected. He's next to me right now. So what's up?"

"Apostle Wrau this is the issue . . . "

Connor begins to explain the problem.

"Hmm . . . as of this moment, we are observing the broadcast through a multitude of channels. So we know exactly what is going on. The Monster was a beast we have known for a long time. Although it has some demonic mana, we actually let it go because it only had a small amount contained in its body. However, it seems that it is now a mistake on our part. Even though it lives in the Maizan Forest, free from demonic energy, over the years it has grown in its body."

"I pardon for my impudent inquiry sir, but isn't that a little . . . foolish? To let a powerful beast roam free . . . not to mention it is a rare evolved beast!"

"You're right, but that beast actually has a little history behind it. In any case, it was known to be a proud beast. It was due to its pride that it did not bother with harming humans. Of course if you dared to provoke it, then it would definitely give a bite back. In the past, it had been attacked by a couple of people, but I suppose its imperious nature disdained it from killing anybody. That was another major reason as to why it was ignored. After all, we aren't that cold-hearted to slay a beast that isn't causing any problems."

"Has the demonic energy ever been used by the beast? I still find it hard to believe that it wasn't condemned to death for such devilish energy."

"That's the kicker. Within the last fifty years, we have known about it, it has not once used its demonic mana. Thus, we have concluded that it was safe. We only know about it by detecting it with particular artefacts."

"Ah I see . . . I understand now. Thank you. I am sorry for the delay. What should our dispatched unit do?"

"Connor, wait for orders. It is decided we will watch over those kids for now. If it gets out of control we will contact you immediately."

"Yes sir!"

The line was cut.

It was primarily due to Apostle Wrau's influences that there hasn't been any major movements. He wanted to see what the children would do in this situation. After all, it was not every day; one would be able to experience fighting an evolved beast. It would be a valuable experience for them.

***

Tension filled the battlefield. Three children were faced off against the lord of the Maizan Forest—The Monster. Sweat threatened to trickle down their skin as they continued to stare, waiting for the beast to make a move.

If it wasn't for how exhausted Dalis was, he would've already attempted to strike it down. His restricted condition only enabled him to make a few drastic actions. Otherwise, he was certain to faint in the middle of combat which would be disastrous.

He had to find an opening for him to exploit to take advantage of his greatest strength; the element of surprise. It must be mentioned that though Dalis is tailored to sneak attacks, that are sometimes underhanded, he fairs very well in a normal standoff.

(Why isn't that "thing" here yet?)

That "thing" of course was referring to Melvin.

"Stilla, I will watch over the beetle. Work together with Sienna. Test the waters."

"Okay! Rest well beetle."

Sienna waited for Stilla to accompany her.

Soon the two stood side by side. Stilla had her fists ready, appearing to yearn and thirst for battle. Sienna drew upon her sword hilt, exposing the scintillating special model artefact.

ARRROOOO

Stilla and Sienna sprung off, circling in. Stilla flanked to the left while Sienna flanked from the right. They were equal in speed which made the duo appear harmonious and coordinated. The beast was forced to split its attention in half to embrace the incoming blows.

Sienna was a sole moment faster than Stilla, lunging her sword forward with great velocity, straight towards the wolf's side neck.

The Monster dodged backwards, sweeping the floor with its porcupine plume tail to counter-attack the entering fists of fury from Stilla. Sand was displaced up into the air, but this did not obstruct the girl from keeping her momentum or her trajectory.

Pow pow pow pow pow

Understanding that she was unable to maintain this for any longer, she retreated back down. The result was part of the beast’s tail having marks resembling a pummel. No longer was that section acute like prickles.

However, Stilla did not lose out either. Her clenched fists were grazed, especially her knuckles that were scarred with streams of blood. In spite of its worrying defacement, it was not a concern to a body consolidator like herself.

Vanquish style: Four crescent strikes.

Sienna erupted her body, filling the muscles with extensive strength reaching up to eighty per cent of muscle power. For the average body consolidator, this strength was considered naught. It only enhanced her muscles with thirty per cent more than the average consolidator!

With the increase in strength, her physical abilities were boosted, allowing her to dash towards the beast with unprecedented speed. Gripping her longsword that was uplifted a few centimetres off the ground, she executed a low blow towards the beast's upper half. Following the first attack, she repeated the attack from the reverse side, creating an upside-down V shape. Retaining the integrity of the flow and style, her attack pattern changes, replacing her low blows with mid blows, in trajectory to the aimed location.

The sudden change from Sienna's battle prowess caught The Monster off guard, pushing the beast to try and defend itself from the onslaught of arcing slashes.

Seeing Sienna unleash her inner muscle strength, Stilla also mimicked her actions, boosting her strength to a total of eighty per cent strength likewise to Sienna. She bolted after her to aid her assault.

Stilla lunged above by kicking off against her right foot to land on the side of the beast's hide. Then, she propelled her body upwards with her available leg to deliver a series of powerful battering punches in her descent.

Dalis was not idle and had seemed to slip in the shadows; patient for the inevitable opening.

"These children are not bad at all. That tomboyish heroic girl with short-medium blue hair is quite proficient with the four crescent strike technique. It would give anybody trouble within her league."

"Indeed. But that other girl is just as skilled. Without a weapon, her fists are equivalent to a rockslide, forcing the beast to bear the full brunt of the attack. It's not even a technique!"

"Hey look over there. That boy has disappeared."

When the dispatched unit looked towards where Dalis was last seen. The sole thing that remained in view was the oscillating six legs of the Rhinearian Beetle.

Elim · Feb 5, 2020

The splendid battle between The Monster and children continued to rage on for ten minutes. Sienna and Stilla were using up the full extent of their arsenal in an attempt to bring the beast down to its knees. However, not all abilities have been revealed. After all, it was impossible with their weakened conditions to perform at their utmost best. Let alone have the opportunity to perform some of them.

Sienna, who was the most recovered, was able to quickly catch her breath and follow up with a variety of slashes. While Stilla would need a brief moment to enact her next attack.

Unfortunately, the longer the battle was drawn, the crazier The Monster turned. As a result, its slams, bites, slashes, and whips were intensely fierce. At this point of time, the beast appeared to truly represent the image of a ravenous demonic wolf, depicted by the devilish energy and various bloodstained wounds.

The purplish-black mana coated around the beast's body seemed to escalate to about sixty per cent of its previous concentration. If it were to increase even further, then the end result wouldn't be a sole matter of a horn being melted.

Sienna was able to resist this fiendish mana to a considerable degree. However, that could not be said for Stilla.

Stilla was already not in her optimal state due to yesterday's injury. This is not even considering the fact that all of her clashes with the beast involved physical contact. An aching pain coursed through her body as she was slowly being affected by the demonic energy.

Although body consolidators have the foremost resistance to any elemental or physical attack, with Stilla's capabilities, it was not sufficient enough to cope with the ongoing affliction.

"Stilla if you can't go on then it's alright! I can handle the rest. Take a short break."

"No I'm fine! I can go on for a little longer!"

"Don't push yourself!"

(Until Dalis makes a move I will hold on.)

*Flashback*

"Stilla, although your punches pack a punch . . . there isn't any flavour within them."

"Eh? What do you mean by no flavour little brother?"

Dalis ignored Stilla and trudged away.

"W-wait wait wait wait! What do you mean by no flavour Dalis?"

Stilla would usually teach him some manners. However, whatever Dalis had said had piqued her interest. It seemed to be something of vital importance. That was what her instincts were informing her. Thus, she couldn't help but inquire about it.

Dalis stared at her. Stilla stared back, waiting patiently for his response.

Two minutes had passed . . . yet Dalis has not said anything. Within that two minute span, Dalis had barely moved a muscle, nor did he once glance away. Stilla was fine until the first twenty seconds or so. After that, she felt a little uncomfortable though continued to wait with unfailing forbearance.

When the initial minute passed, she started to feel apprehensive and agitated. This was expressed by her facial expression, in addition her closed in body language that squirmed and moved like a caterpillar. However, it was different from feeling entrapped by the web of a spider. After all, Dalis had never hurt her besides a couple of sparring fights at the Orphanage.

It was just after the two-minute mark that she was unable to hold it any longer and ended up apologising.

"I'm sorry . . . "

Dalis did not say anything in response, but his eyes did subtly move a bit.

In the next moment, he crossed his arms and said.

"Sorry. I teased you too far."

When she heard those words, she really wanted to deliver a full fist strike to his face.

She really thought she had done something unaware that upset him

Instead, it was his usual antics.

What irritated her the most was that his tone was nonchalant as always, along with a complete aloof attitude. It didn't appear that he was sorry at all. However, she knew him well. He was sincere. Nonetheless, the degree of sincerity was questionable.

Dalis cleared his throat and began to explain.

"In summary, it is compulsory to have a special technique. There are the Vanquish style attacks which can be considered techniques, but they are not the techniques I am referring to.

"Eh? So . . . like a hidden art or technique?"

"Correct. Although arts are exclusive techniques often restricted by bloodline, heritage, or other special conditions. So that will not be our focus. Look at everybody else. The majority of them have something that is considered to be a technique. In regards to blessed users, they do not have techniques or arts, but once they have a powerful artefact, they essentially have a technique."

"But you don't have one either Dalis!"

"Precisely. Hence, we must innovate."

"Innovate? I'm not good at theory . . . "

"Don't worry child, I will teach you."

*POW*

*Present*

After reminiscing about the past, putting her trust in Dalis within her heart, Stilla firmed up her conviction.

It was time to throw the house down.

She noticed that the beast has averted its attention towards Sienna. This was because Sienna suddenly increased the frequency of her attacks to assist in relieving the burden for her. When Stilla saw this, she smiled beautifully. It was unfortunate that there wasn't an audience to see it clearly. It was a unique one that couldn't be expressed in normal circumstances.

With the exception of one . . .

She stood with her feet parallel, hip-width apart, her knees slightly bent. Arms in front of her well proportionate thighs, palms facing back, hands clenched strong but relaxed. She pulled her shoulder blades down and together.

Stilla then closed her eyes, slowly inhaling and exhaling her breathes. Steadily, she moved her elbows out to a 45° angle until her arms appeared to represent a boxing stance. Her right and left hands were held by the chin, intersecting one another to form the point of a mountain.

Constricting her brows, she concentrated with all her power; she began to draw upon the force of the earth.

WHOOSH

Sand swirled the perimeter around her.

The air around Stilla was soughing as though a terrifying monster was being awakened. As each second passed, the wind gradually roiled faster. The turbulent energy within Stilla rumbled as the natural mana was absorbed into her, consolidating in each and every one of her bones. However, much of the energy seemed to seep into her arms, illustrated by the subtle layer of grey translucent mana that was briefly seen as a current of wind.

Moreover, Stilla simultaneously erupted her body muscles with extensive strength, breaching up beyond the human limiter, tapping on the strength that is referred to as "hysterical strength." Her overall strength soared until it had reached one hundred and fifteen per cent! Normally she could only reach on average around ninety per cent but the inclusion of her rapid absorption of natural mana enables her to breach this threshold.

However, one should know that the ability to utilise hysterical strength was a common occurrence for Gigan body consolidators. If truth be told, it is a renowned fact that body consolidators are able to reach heights of two hundred per cent muscle power! The strain behind attempting to excessively surpass the human limiter to such levels comes with a costly backlash. Nonetheless, as the individual becomes stronger, the aptitude to withstand the backlash increases.

If Stilla was at her best condition . . . a hundred and thirty per cent would be her maximum limit. However, if she did this, the consequences would have been severe. Even now, the demonic energy afflicted on her was acting like an aggravated snake. Coiling around her and constricting her in defiance!

"Am I seeing things? How is that girl controlling mana outside her body? Look at her fists! Isn't she a body consolidator?"

"Impossible!"

"Is this some kind of secret Gigan technique we don't know about? Or is it in an illusion generated by the rapid absorption of the natural mana? But to be able to consciously take in natural mana to fuel her mana seed . . . "

One of the most challenging mana practices was utilising the natural mana in the environment. Everyone with a mana seed is always subconsciously taking in the natural mana. It served as the key supplement to fueling their own mana within their mana seed. Controlling the natural mana was only a feat capable for skilled experts, and those well-attuned enough with mana to do so. Even then, it only really served as a secondary reserve or tool. The only exception for this control was those with a movement mana seed. They could freely use natural mana and their own mana. However, it was still quite difficult to manipulate and many Feeria people, in particular, could only do so much with the natural mana. Thus, only competent mage experts were truly defined as having the ability to control natural mana. The other seeds were too restricted in manipulating natural mana.

"If I recall correctly, there was a girl in the Orphanage who has a mana seed that contained properties of both a movement seed and body seed . . . It must be her!!"

"How Bizarre! How could such a thing be possible?! Is this why she is so capable?!"

"Frankly, I have no idea."

Forty-five seconds passed.

Stilla was continuing to build up strength.

Sienna had briefly glanced at her thirty seconds ago to check up on Stilla. She had noticed that Stilla was no longer assisting her in the fight. When she saw what she was doing, her eyes widened in shock. To not allow the beast to disturb her, she pushed herself even further to the utmost of her abilities.

However, it was at this forty-five-second mark that the beast's keen instinct warned of an approaching threat.

Turning its attention towards the direction of the threat, it saw Stilla gathering and building up strength. Its menacing wolf eyes accentuated with seriousness. Without warning, it used a desperate quick mighty slam onto Sienna. As a consequence, the sword wielded by Sienna cleanly pierced a foot into its skin. Due to Sienna moving on reflex, she wasn't aware of what happened. After all, she was already very exhausted, and such a rash move by The Monster caught her off guard.

Thus, the sword became stuck, wedged into the beast's lower abdomen close to the neck. The beast was furious, but could only hold in its anger for later. Having successfully fended off its enemy, it charged with a nimble motion towards the nearest tree. Imprinting its spiked tail onto the wooden tree bark, it hastily made preparations and flung itself into the air—the missile's trajectory was preset!

Elim · Feb 7, 2020

The missile was launched in the air. Perhaps it was because of the demonic energy coursing through its body that it was able to be airborne at unprecedented heights. The Monster opened its jaws wide, revealing the sharp razor teeth. It desired to deliver the killing blow with its teeth!

Oddly, the energy that circulated the beast started to intensify in the maw area. Its teeth started to erode . . . no, it began to corrode with purplish-black mana. They were now illustrated as the fangs of the devil. It was exceptionally horrifying.

The bystanders, who have been observing the scene, were unable to maintain their calm. They began to briskly conjure up defensive techniques to save Stilla. Otherwise, she would inevitably die as her current position did not allow her to move. However, the dispatched unit was unaware of the truth. The truth was that if Stilla desired to move, she could, but it would result in less aggregate power.

(So close . . . just a little more . . . )

Stilla sensed danger approaching her. Unfortunately, because her eyes were closed, she couldn't figure out where it was or how close it was.

Anybody would assume that this girl was courting death.

Little did they know that she had a powerful little brother, who she was a hundred per cent certain would save her in the critical moment.

"Move out!"

And it was at that exact moment of critical crisis . . . the boy who disappeared had materialised once again into the world.

A blurry figure came into view. He dashed heroically fast. His speed was unparalleled and equivalent to The Flash. A trail of sand swept behind him as if he was a dirt track race car. It only took a couple of seconds for him to reach a hundred meters and arrive thirty meters in front of Stilla.

As the wave of scooped up sand subsided, the figure was revealed.

It was of course . . .

Dal—

Wait . . .

It was unexpectedly Melvin??!

If the figure wasn't Dalis. Then where could he be?

Another figure appeared in view. This time it was certainly Dalis!

Dalis without warning was seen hovering in the air, masked by the wave of sand. He seemed to be one with the wave. However, he soon disrupted this harmony by somehow gliding on top of the wave as if he was surfing.

Obviously, he was only able to hold this position for a second, leading him to kick to propel himself upwards above the beast's head. Unfortunately for The Monster, it couldn't do anything about the nuisance since it was already mid-flight and soon to reach its destination to detonate.

Another cartwheel was performed by Dalis. Unlucky for him, the circumstances would not allow him to use his hidden technique. Instead, he dispatched a heavy downwards attack with his tri-section staff, exposing two sections out of the three towards the nape of the beast's neck.

The attack disregarded everything and released the greatest possible strength he could muster, for one heavy blow.

"HAAAAAA!"

BANG!!!

*CRACK*

ARRROOOOOOOO

The sound of cracked bones resounded and the beast uproared with a wail. Its head was involuntarily dictated downwards where it met a barrier of green mana.

*THUMP*

*SHATTER*

The head bashed into the green barrier, but the sheer force was powerful enough to shatter the barrier into pieces. Thankfully, Melvin had anticipated this and quickly evaded the incoming headbutt using his leftover amount of super speed.

The battle had yet to reach its conclusion.

Due to those spared seconds accomplished by Dalis and Melvin . . .

The real "Monster" was able to awaken and begin its outburst, ready to truly shake the battlefield.

*FLASH*

Stilla opened her eyes.

A look of resolution and firmness could be seen in those eyes.

Her chest heaved, and her body blazed with burning energy.

The swirling sand intensified!

The soughing wind roiled like twisters!

She exploded, bolting towards The Monster and breaking the record achieved by Melvin, leaving behind the solid ground where she once stood with webbed cracks. In fact, some of the earth appeared to wedge out.

She was so fast that nobody could react in time to utter a word.

The Monster was about to end in its descent.

Stilla's fists glimmered as she assembled her stocked up strength to deliver the herculean blows upwards to the sky.

(My fists are the fists that will pummel the heavens . . . )

"Hidden Technique: Eight Uppercuts that Pummel towards the Heavens!"

ORA!

ORA!

ORA!

ORA!

ORA!

ORA!

ORA!

ORA!

EIGHT UPPERCUTS PUMMELED THE MONSTER’S JAW

115% MUSCLE POWER!!!

ARRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The beast anguished cry was deafening. All denizens and candidates within the Maizan Forest stopped what they were doing. They all were struck silent and unmoving, turning their heads to the direction of the shrill scream.

Many of the denizens shook in fear and hid in fright.

Candidates were anxiously deciding to investigate or back away as far as possible.

Some of the denizens panicked as if they instinctively became aware that the reigning lord was . . .

The overseers who watched the transpiration of events were unable to even bat an eye. They were all so shocked to the point that one would think they have just been struck with lightning.

Let alone the audience who was actually at the scene. They saw it live in broad daylight.

Two objects flew in the air. One was notably much much smaller than the other.

One was the thickly furred grey wolf, whose body was rebounded back in the air by the force of the collision.

The other was . . .

The Monster's head.

A sprinkler and a pipe of blood showered the battlefield.

It only lasted for a couple of seconds, before forming a pond of blood and a lake of blood respectively.

Three young youths stood amidst the bloodbath.

However, two of them were not even subject to a glimpse of attention.

Everybody had their eyes glued to a girl.

She had brown, bobbed shoulder-length hair, with vivid green eyes. Her body was toned, defined with muscle where needed, and balanced. Although her clothes were battered and bloodied, especially her fists that were painted crimson red, she appeared as a valorous warrior.

Even after the aftermath, her brows were constricted like sharp swords, and her eyes contained an inferno of fire.

However, the valorous warrior only stood for a minute or so before being engulfed by exhaustion that overwhelmed her consciousness.

She started to collapse onto the ground.

Melvin and Dalis were quick on the uptake, simultaneously bending their knees and catching her fall. Melvin to her left and Dalis to her right. Both of their attention was focused on their fallen comrade.

Hearing her inhale and exhale softly, they were relieved. She just needed to rest.

Dalis took a glance at Melvin. It seemed he was preoccupied with watching Stilla in case of any mishaps. He gave a slight smile when he saw this but made sure to not let Melvin notice it.

Dalis removed his arms from the frail girl and handed the entire role to Melvin to watch over her. Melvin looked up at Dalis but didn't say anything in response to his actions. He gladly continued to take care of Stilla. It was apparent to everyone how much concern he had for her.

Dalis then went to greet Sienna who had approached them.

"Good work."

" . . . I did nothing. It was all Stilla."

"Remember what I said?"

"Yeah I know. I just wasn't aware that the road was much longer than I had anticipated."

"The four crescent strikes. Teach me nex . . . one day."

"It's a sword technique. It isn't something that could be achieved by using a bo staff. Silly Dalis you know this," Sienna chuckled, and her face brightened.

"Indeed. However, there is no downside to learning it, is there?"

"Hmm . . . I wonder if you said this to cheer me up. Or perhaps my sword skills . . . " Sienna inquisitively mumbled.

The truth was it actually both. Though there were a few more other reasons why he had said this.

Sienna then trotted past Dalis and checked up on Stilla. In the meantime, Dalis walked steadily towards the corpse of The Monster.

When he was an arm span away, he stopped. He examined the corpse. The scene was as sanguinary as the time he had slain the Red Bear. There were a few minor differences. The fountain of blood was not spread out. Instead, it concentrated in one direction like a showerhead. It didn't seem to end anytime soon.

Another difference was that there were various bloody wounds scattered across its body, but they were very minor compared to the decapitation.

It was out of the question to ignore the conspicuous long sword stabbed into its lower abdomen, close to the neck. As a matter of fact, it was showered blood red. Nobody would be able to recognise it as the same sword that Sienna had wielded during the battle.

Dalis then turned his back to the corpse and began to walk back to his comrades.

However, he stopped in his tracks as he had realised something important that he had forgotten to do.

Despite the grand denouement, despite it being very belated.

Dalis couldn't help but recall the scenes from a moment ago.

Tracing back to after Stilla had unleashed her final uppercut with an "Ora." He imagined himself declaring:

"And next, the readers will say . . . "

Is This a JoJo Reference? / Is That a Motherf***ing JoJo Reference?

Author note: JoJo? This is Gurren Laga**! Inspired!

Elim · Feb 8, 2020

The group of children gathered around the corpse of The Monster. Although Stilla remained unconscious, it was agreed upon that everybody would have a fair share of absorbing its mana. Melvin left for a little bit and returned holding a sword and a mace. These were the weapon artefacts they had used to collect mana from the beasts.

Sienna questioned Melvin of why they had not used their weapons in battle. In response, Melvin stated that she and himself preferred to be disarmed than fight with unfamiliar weapons. Thus, the two of them employed their weapon artefacts as, in essence, leeches instead.

While it was obvious for Melvin that he was unable to wield such weapons, Stilla in reality, couldn't make do with these weapons either.

The horrifying truth was . . .

She absolutely sucked at using armed weapons.

Whether they were bows, swords, daggers or the like. She was not competent and had no natural gift, either. When it came to using such weapons, her prowess was at foremost, slightly better than average.

She would fail to use the most of her abilities and had the unfortunate tendency to miss a fair amount.

No, she was nowhere near as incapable as the useless crusader with masochistic tendencies.

Fortunately, she had talent when it came to weapons that were thrown. For instance, a javelin or a throwing stick.

The group then began their process of mana consumption.

Naturally, Stilla's proportion of mana was filled up first. Followed by Sienna, Dalis and Melvin respectively. It turned out that The Monster was truly a unique, powerful beast. No matter how much time they spent with the absorption of mana, it never ended. It seemed as if it was a bottomless pit hole.

Dalis had no complaints with this as it ensured he would secure a top position in the Pre-Soldier Exam. Melvin was pleased and continued to absorb to his heart's content. Sienna was likewise. Soon they were wholly indulged in this practice.

****

It was inevitable that the dying shrill scream of the beast had drawn the attention of countless participants. Many of them had eventually arrived at the scene.

In their survey, they were left thoroughly astounded.

They saw four individuals crowd around a huge corpse of an evolved wolf in the middle of a bloody battlefield. Three of them were greedily sucking mana as if they were bloodthirsty vampires. Their wet red clothing made this scene very disturbing. Every passing moment, the life force of the beast grew duller, and its deceased body even started to gradually contract.

When they gazed at their faces, it felt as if their hearts were being grasped, threatening to choke.

"I-is that Melvin? His eyes are closed, and his mouth is moving as if he is muttering something. Could he be chanting some kind of Feeria spell?" a young girl with bobbed hair asked.

"Weird . . . I thought Melvin had the ability to cast spells without a chant. In any case, have you guys ever seen Melvin make an expression like that? I'm actually acquainted with him and never have I seen him wear such a baleful face," the boy with spiked hair chided.

"He must be doing some kind of dark ritual. Look carefully! Don't you see that layer of purplish-black mana veiled over that corpse? My blessed mana is feeling threatened just being in its presence. Even though we are a hundred meters away!" a male with wavy hair said.

"Damn how distur—LOOK AT THAT GUY!"

"Wait I know that guy. That's Dalis. He's that aloof guy who doesn't really talk to anybody besides his roommates. Though I heard if you get to know him, he's not an unapproachable guy at all and can be quite amicable."

"You call that face approachable??!!"

The candidate that said Dalis was amicable squinted his eyes. When he saw him, he felt an icy chill run down his spine.

Dalis wore an expression of a villain . . . no, it was probably more correct to say he appeared as a mad scientist. His eyes seemed to stare infatuated, completely wallowed in his experiment. The sinister smile of his gleamed with delirious pleasure. He appeared to be somewhat slithering as he was engrossed in whatever he was trying to do with the bloody staff in his hands. Needling and jabbing in a staff in various spots of the beast's anatomy.

"He's a mad professor . . . No mad doctor! Is he dissecting the beast? No it doesn't seem he's going that far . . . What the hell is he trying to do? Did I just see him lick his lips? For the love of Caleyar, who the hell told me he was amicable. He's the devil incarnate. What a load of bullcrap!"

"You are so right brother. Now that I think about it, Melvin and Dalis are roommates. Could it be that every one of them are lunatics? What do you think Qi Yu?"

The girl named Qi Yu did not reply. However, it was apparent to the two guys that she was trembling immensely in fear. Her blenched face seemed to suggest that she had seen a ghost. Their line of sight was directed by the shaking index finger that pointed out towards the bloody corpse.

It was difficult to perceive due to her being just out of the picture from their position. However, it was now glaringly overt.

Two girls could be seen. One of the girls was nestled in the other girl's lap. It appeared she was sound asleep though it was impossible to tell. Her clothing was bloody and tattered. The hands of hers were particularly alarming as they were painted crimson red. She seemed no different from the rest.

However, she was only a figure that was illustrated in the background. All attention was on the foreground—the other girl.

Similarly to the girl in her lap, her clothes were relatively tattered. However, it would be an understatement to refer to her garments as simply bloody. They were drenched in this red liquid.

The most frightening of all was her head . . .

Her entire face was splattered with blood.

Crimson red blood.

Brows relaxed, eyes half awake, jaw slacked, and a faint smile curled revealing her pearl-white teeth. The young girl was the spitting image of a mother . . . if one was to exclude the wine red face.

Her left hand was preoccupied with caressing the girl in her lap. Gently touching her silky maroon hair. It was as if the girl was her child.

While her right hand held a pureblood red longsword. Its sharp-edged end was speared a foot deep on the side of the beast's hide. The sword gave the impression of becoming denser in the epitome of blood, modelling a weapon equal to the devil's trident.

Due to the magnitude of horror, the two boys, who had seen what she had seen, were now petrified with utter fear.

They too trembled without a single word to be spoken.

It was as if they were standing before the gates of hell.

And as though the gates of hell were aware of their new guests . . . the gate opened.

The girl with the blood-splattered face turned her head directly in line with those three guests.

"Do you guys want to join too? We have enough to spare," the demoness inquired with a brightened smile.

"GYAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

"KKKYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

Those screams were only counting those specific three. Countless individuals that observed from that particular direction screamed and fled without a moment to waste as if their very lives were at stake.

Sienna was perturbed, but she soon realised that they must have run in fear because of her "muddy" outlook.

(It's just a bit of blood right? Sure it's quite a considerable amount, but still . . . )

After a minute or two, some individuals came to accept her kind offer. Although many of them were ready to sprint at any given moment, they were unable to resist the temptation to absorb free mana. After all, not everybody reacted the same way as those three candidates. Quite a few of them were aware that they were draining mana from the huge wolf corpse.

Eventually, after twenty minutes or so, a dozen people were crowding around the corpse of the beast, absorbing mana. The most concerning fact was that each of them steadily became engrossed in their practice. They did not resemble children aligned with the Church. Rather, they seemed like the youth generation of the dark cult.

Were they enmeshed by the purplish-black mana?

The pompous Melvin acted as a cult leader, fervently explaining with the aid of Dalis the art of sucking blood, including how to extract it efficiently and effectively.

It was at this point that the dispatched unit was ordered to prevent this influence from spreading and begin cleaning up the mess.

When the dispatched unit told them that these were the orders of their superiors, they reluctantly obeyed. A large majority of them knew that their actions were probably considered immoral, so they didn't have any hard feelings about it. Besides, they were only granted the opportunity in the first place due to the group's kindness.

However, that was the majority. The remaining few were like sly hungry cannibals and tried to consume as much mana as they possibly could before being rebuked again by the dispatched unit. All of them succeeded in obtaining a great chunk of extra mana. Dalis and Melvin were part of that minority.

(If I get the feeling that Sister Edna will bring it up . . . I will definitely apologise for my actions before she scolds me. Otherwise I will be punished . . . Besides, I did this for her . . . also because it was unexpectedly entertaining. Of course the second part would not be mentioned.)

(The process of extracting an evolved creature is a profound experience that one would not receive the advent of unless one was fortuitous. My extension of knowledge through printed work is not adequate and requires practical experience to solidify my comprehension. It was with good fortune that I was able to understand a sizeable proportion of the complexities that I had not been able to clarify.)

Elim · Feb 9, 2020

Stilla was handed over to one of the medics after a brief examination. They were told that Stilla would be in a coma for a couple of days. The group was worried but was assured that she had only overexerted herself, so she was soon to recover. This piece of good news rested their anxious minds and hearts.

The body was then carried off by the dispatched unit. Although the body was, to a great extent, a shell of its former self, it was still valuable. Evolved beasts were rare and are usually only inhabited within the most dangerous locations of the Pedlar Continent. This evolved wolf was an arbitrary exception.

Dalis, Melvin, and even Sienna complained that they deserved to have a fair share of the beast as they were responsible for slaying it. However, they were refused. It is important to remember that many candidates had participated in the downfall of the beast. Even if one was unable to even leave a scratch, the very fact they had assisted in wearing down the beast is considered as a contribution.

Fortunately, one particular woman from the dispatched unit appeared to empathise with their discontent and attempted to aid them. She contacted the organisers and managed to provide a reasonable concession for them. The trio was satisfied and expressed their thanks.

"There's no need to thank me. I just empathised with how you guys felt. That is all."

(Weird. I have the feeling that her smile is centred towards me? Am I acquainted with her?) Dalis mused with complexion written on his face.

Thus, the cult was disbanded, and the ordeal with the wolf had been resolved. Many candidates left the area and sought to scavenge more points just before the approach of dusk.

Though, there were quite a considerable number of participants that inquired about the specifics of what had occurred with the evolved wolf. They wanted to know the answers to the questions that have been running in their minds the entire time.

Was that really the so-called The Monster the organisers harshly warned about?

How did you guys get so bloody?

If it really was The Monster, then how did you manage to kill such a powerful beast?

The candidates did not have the opportunity to ask these before. After all, the group was immersed in their absorption of the wolf, and the oppressive ominous atmosphere made it very difficult for anybody to approach. Moreover, they were practically clad in blood!

Melvin concealed his overweening attitude and please. He exuded his disdain for such a "trivial" matter and spoke a few words of what had occurred. In his short words, he was very ambiguous, intentionally leaving out the details of the most intriguing parts and making it seem so vague, yet somewhat cryptic.

This incited their curiosity, forcing them to elicit a response from the group. Sienna was stopped by Melvin before she could clarify for them. When a couple of them turned to Dalis, he just gave them a look that said: "There is somebody readily here to tell you about it. Why not ask him?" Dalis was not inclined to speak as he had other thoughts in mind. Most importantly, he couldn't be bothered.

Thus, everyone had no choice but to obtain answers from . . . Melvin. Although he maintained his posturing of "what a drag," he explained with great detail of the transpired events to the point he was over-elaborate and ostentatious. There were many exaggerated lines and some bullshit here and there. Yet, he was so profound that it all seemed believable.

However, his bragging and swaggering were at threat as Sienna had reached her limits with him. Furthermore, the silent Alexia, who had been remaining low key up till now, had teamed up with Sienna to thwart him.

"Melvin, the only thing you did was cast a shield spell to save Stilla. There really wasn't much else you did . . . " Sienna affirmed bitterly.

"You bastard Melvin. What do you mean you were the "pivotal factor for the beast's demise"? You and freaking Hayate were throwing spells at each other to see who was more "qualified" to take on The Monster, and the "unqualified" would stay and watch over me. Am I a runner-up prize?" Alexia fumed, glaring at Melvin with burning anger filled in her eyes.

"What?! So all of that boasting of how he tricked the monster into triggering a magical circle was a lie? What "family hidden technique"? What "lightning that could give ancient beasts a run for their money"?" a female Orphan cried.

"I knew this guy was exaggerating things. But to think he took it that far . . . how can somebody be so shamelessly arrogant?" The Swamp boy was left astounded.

"You must be looking down on us on the inside eh? Damn snob. You may be from Feeria, but you don't have an ounce of shame. Other Feeria citizens are not as unscrupulous as you are!" a bulky male criticised.

"What did you say Gigan muscle head? You are comparing an embarrassment low-born like him to us? Tsk tsk tsk. We Feerias don't need to lie. Our strength is apparent to all eyes of heaven and Caleyar. We have the right to be arrogant. He is just an exception."

"That's right. We only need to wave a hand, and you would understand our power. There is no need for us to flex our muscles as a display of strength. So barbaric, so distasteful."

"Kid, all you Feerias can do are a bunch of magic tricks and flashy moves. One fist is enough to knock your face back into place," the bulky male retorted.

"As expected from those inferiors, they don't understand anything and talk with their fists. Even at the most basic level of communication their eyes and ears are blind."

When that sentence was dropped, the world became silent. Even the sound of a pin being dropped could be heard.

"By "inferiors" are you including us?" a boy asked with coldness in his eyes. This boy of Zetral ethnicity was named Benito Carter.

"Of course. Haven’t you wondered why our birthplace is named Feeria? It's so when bumpkins like you enter our high mountains, you will truly know the meaning of being “in-feeria” [inferior]" Clasping his hands behind his backs, he nodded to Benito. Not even a glance was given to the rest of the “inferiors”.

The seething resentment within the crowd had finally reached a boiling point.

"What gall!! You Feerias are future Vanquish soldiers of the Church, yet you act so impudent and lofty! My fellow future comrades of non-Feeria. Let us band together and discipline these snobbish fools and teach them how one should conduct themselves under the bannered allies," Benito orated. Solemn justice vibed behind his words.

"I Li Jun, concur! My swamp friends, let us join hands under the united banner to punish and teach these snobs their place! Exhibit the mystifying techniques of our land—The Swamp of Hidden Arts!"

"Whether you are Gigan or not, there is no difference between us. Anybody who feels that these Feerias need some proper smacking, follow our lead!" Raghav Babu rallied the rest.

The candidates that were supposed to be competing with one another had suddenly become integrated. What Pre-Soldier Exam? These men and women had a duty to fulfil. Although a little less than half of them have originated from different backgrounds, they had their dignity and pride in being future Vanquishers. They were not gonna let these ungrateful sinners disdain their loyalty.

This was more so for the genuine orphans who have been picked up. Many of them are very faithful to the Church and would not tolerate disrespect directed to their saviours. In fact, they're considered as family. They're essentially ridiculing their own mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers. It was for certain that their vexation was even more heartfelt than the internship boarding students.

Soon each and every non-Feeria, with the exception of Dalis and Sienna, had surrounded the Feerian candidates. The organisers and overseers watched without batting an eye. They seemed to have no plans with interfering with the mob. A minute ago they had been contacted by a member of the dispatched unit who had explained how the Feerias had humiliated them.

Making the comparison between a Feeria and a non-Feeria as a "Feeria" and "inferior" was considered a tacit taboo. Historically throughout the Pedlar Continent, if a Feeria dared to utter such a comment, they would be heavily reviled by the masses. They were at the mercy of being attacked or even be killed sometimes for such a comment.

It was due to this that the Feeria authorities of two hundred years ago were forced to issue a grave decree. If one were to utter such a comment, then it will be your responsibility, and nobody will defend you.

Despite this decree, many powerful individuals continued to whisper this comment in secret. In fact, the infamous bearing of Feeria endows this notion through sheer physical mannerisms, and this has been perpetually passed down in every generation. After all, it was by all means not against the law in any of the nations. Mocking remarks using the word “inferior” was just considered immeasurably intolerable to the degree that could stretch capital punishment.

Elim · Feb 10, 2020

"Twenty four against seven. Do you inferiors have no shame?! To use numbers to make up for your shortfall of skill, how cowardly and dirty!"

"So what? If you piss off a hive of bees do you expect them to send their forces one by one? Idiots! They will send in a whole swarm," a young Orphan retorted.

"Melvin you bastard what have you done? Now those other stuck up idiots have put us in this shitty mess," Alexia chided.

"That's right you started this mess. We didn't even want to fight them,” a Feeria blamed.

"We were told to get along with them. Are you rebelling? Don't drag us into your mess." Another Feeria followed up in cornering Melvin.

"Who the $@%# is "rebelling?"?! I may have unnecessarily tweaked a few facts to my favour, but I certainly never desired an outcome like this. Why are you falsely accusing myself when the culprits are those two imbeciles over there?!" Melvin exploded very aggrievedly. He understood that he was the root of all this. However, there had not been the slightest attention to stir a chauvinistic clash.

"Are you all going to let those inferiors bully us with their meer number advantage? Quit bickering around and let us show these ignorant inferior fools their mortal places," the perpetrator criticised.

The six Feerias were left with two options.

One was to flee from the scene and become a laughing stock while the other was to fight.

In reality, there was only one option.

Their massive egos would not back down. As the representatives of the young Feeria generation, they will not flee in fear and instead face them with conceited arrogance and disdain.

That was their dignity and pride.

Not a single one of them had run away.

While the two sides gazed at each other with tension-filled in the air, Melvin shifted his gaze towards Dalis and Sienna. He found that they had absolutely no interest with the two active volcanoes, and were occupied with the Rhinearian Beetle who had been off-screen all this time. It seemed they were trying to figure out how to flip it over.

Dalis sensed a lingering gaze on him and turned to see Melvin looking at his direction. Dalis's expression was not perturbed and continued to have a nonchalant countenance. The exchange only lasted for a couple of seconds before he shrugged his shoulders and turned away.

Melvin was enraged. Dalis had zero plans to aid him with a way out, let alone interfere. It seemed that even Sienna was in cahoots as she had not turned once either, which infuriated him even more.

(Serves you right. You reap what you sow) Dalis thought to himself. Although he felt a tinge of pity, Melvin had gone overboard with his nonsense. In spite of this, he was appreciative that he had not neglected Stilla's efforts within the battle. Of course, that was not enough to compel him to make a move to assist him.

(I feel bad for Alexia and the few who have been dragged in but . . . those two other guys and especially that one guy who dared to marginalise us as "inferior", deserves their reckoning.) Sienna pondered feeling guilty.

"I'm surprised that my Rhinearian Beetle was not attacked during the ensuing chaos."

"They probably had all their attention on the evolved wolf."

(No, there's no way nobody saw this upside-down giant beetle squirming around.)

"Well, as long as it's fine I suppose."

During the time that they were away, the Rhinearian Beetle had been subject to the gazes of many onlooking candidates. A couple of them had planned to kill it but were pressured by their peers.

This was because they saw the beast wail with tears in its eyes squirming desperately to live. They couldn't contain their pity and sympathy. Instead, they rebuked those who had tried to kill it with scorn calling them scum and heartless.

How could you kill such a poor beast?

How shameless of you to take advantage of its vulnerability?

A couple of them had grim and regretful expressions after that, but a few of them retorted by calling them, hypocrites.

In the end, they were unable to handle the public outcry and were forced to stand down.

"It's probably impossible for the two of us to handle this ourselves. Even with the addition of Melvin, it won't be enough. We will need to ask the other candidates for help," Sienna commented, as she turned to watch the battlefield. After looking for a couple of seconds she turned back.

"Yeah looks like we are going to have to wait for a while . . . " Sienna wryly smiled.

"I have an epiphany. Why can't this pet of mine just utilize its wings to get itself back on its legs? Could it be because it is too injured?”

The Rhinearian Beetle, who had been squirming a little, suddenly froze in place. Then it began to cry as if to agree that was the case.

"Guess that was the case Dalis." Sienna nodded, admiring his deduction.

" . . . "

Dalis raised a brow. He stared and scrutinised the beetle suspiciously. That moment of stillness had been captured through his eye sockets. He began to slowly pull out the blooded tri-section staff.

The beast saw its master's weapon. Blood could be seen trickling down from the way his master held his staff. Every movement appeared to be methodical as though it was a normal procedure. Inevitably, the Rhinearian Beetle started to screech and panic

Sienna was confused but continued to watch the events unfold.

The beast knew it was unable to prolong its feign of ignorance. Without hesitation, its wings started to vibrate and a buzzing noise was let out.

Before Dalis could swing, the Rhinearian Beetle had already flown a couple of meters in altitude.

Sienna was speechless.

Dalis retained the countenance of a displeased master.

***

It hasn't been long since the beginning of the battle . . . in spite of this, it was already close to its conclusion. It's not surprising considering the overwhelming number advantage. In addition, none of the candidates could be considered "weak" compared to the average Feeria candidate.

Four out of the seven Feeria candidates have been wiped out. Three of the defeated ones were captured and became prisoners of war. While the remaining one, that happened to be one of the boys who had clashed with the Gigan, was beaten up badly to the point that he was forced to retire.

The surviving three were Melvin, Alexia, and the main perpetrator.

Melvin was somewhat dishevelled and injured. Though for the most part, he was fine.

Alexia appeared to be in a very good condition where one would question if she was even actually attacked. She had her arms crossed and lordly gazed upon the peasant land. Her demeanour and posturing gave off an overbearing pompous presence.

The perpetrator was already at his last stand. He was naturally everyone's favourite pinata and was pilloried by essentially all members of the united children.

"You call yourself a Feeria, Wang Yong, but you are unable to last even a minute without being injured. Even the bastard is in a much better state than you are!" Alexia condescendingly exclaimed.

"Shut up you bitch! How brainless are you? They don't dare to cause trouble with the Mae Family. That is why you have barely been attacked," Wang Yong retorted infuriated. His cheeks were so red one could tell he was fuming steam.

"Ara ara. That is where you are incorrect Wang Yong, young master of the Yong Family. My family is equal in power in terms of status and yet, they are all dog-piling you as if they're a pack of trained dogs. They clearly do not care about background and are simply too intimidated to face this beautiful mistress."

Melvin, who was in the middle of combat between three candidates, couldn't help but twitch his brows and engrave a glimpse of her idiocy.

(Ignoramus.)

Her ignorance and arrogance had no bounds. Truly an ignoramus.

It wasn't a surprise that she ought to be attacked for those haughty words. Soon, five candidates shifted their focus from Wang to Alexia and began to surround her.

They were unable to let such words of ridicule be slid without punishment.

Alexia's pupil's shrunk for a moment before being revitalised with energy out of nowhere.

"Watch this beautiful mistress show you how it's done," she loudly declared. Alexia was ready to chant her spells.

"What is wrong with this girl? Nobody did anything in respect for her being the young mistress of the Mae Family, as well as being a victim of that snob Melvin. Despite all of that, why is she continuing to be such a stuck up?"

"She's a true Feeria noble right there. Common sense isn't a word in their dictionary when pertaining to their huge egos."

"Let's just give her some spanking. Surely then she will understand to be grateful for our kindness once we rough her up a bit."

Before they could land even a single move . . .

"Perverts!! You dare try to spank a beautiful noble mistress like me in public?!! What kind of "games" are you playing?!! Where are your morals?!! Are the teachings of the Church a joke to you five?!! We are in the land of our lord and you want to . . . assault me on this holy ground?!! How could the children from the Church desire and dare to do such immoral acts?!! This is tomfoolery and debauchery!!"

"Hold up what nonsense are you spouting?!"

However, it was too late.

The entire battlefield had turned all their attention to the five candidates surrounding Alexia.

Whispers could be heard amongst the peers as their faces wore complexions of disgust and scorn. Especially the girls who felt apprehension and fear, slowly backing away from those five fiends. The acquaintances and friends of the five guys were baffled.

A couple of people, including all of the prisoners of war, headed over to Alexia and protectively took her away.

"Such gall to try and assault in the eyes of daylight and in Caleyar's eyes. Don't worry, we will make sure to report this incident to the higher-ups of Feeria. They won't be getting let off easily for targeting our Mae Family’s young daughter!"

"That was brave of you young mistress, I would never have thought such fiends were hiding within us," a Feeria boy praised.

"I heard that the outside was a dangerous place . . . and it was as you say: dangerous entities were hiding within under our noses." She turned her attention to Alexia. "It's okay now you're safe with us," Delicately, the girl hugged her. She was a good friend of Alexia named Sang-jin Wi

Alexia wore a strange expression on her face as she blinked her eyes. The turn of events had surpassed her expectations. In fact, she didn't seem to know what was going on. She had planned to teach those five fools a lesson but then was greatly alarmed by their words, causing her to rebuke them on the spur of the moment. Before she realised it, her previous opponents were now valiantly by her side, acting as if they were a group of bodyguards.

Elim · Feb 11, 2020

Melvin observed the weird scene in front of him and felt a sense of familiarity. He pretty much had the gist of what had occurred. His mind flashed back to a distant past of a time he had spent with her.

*Flashback*

There was one-time several years ago in the Great Feeria Library where he coincidentally came across Alexia. She was invested in reading a spellbook about the laws of controlling water.

Melvin was somewhat acquainted with her at the time. He decided to use this opportunity to impress her by showcasing how it was done. Hence, he would be able to flaunt his superiority.

The prided little Alexia ended up losing to him in terms of knowledge. She was able to accept this as she knew that this guy was a complete bookworm. However, she stated there was absolutely no way she would suffer defeat if it was actual practice.

Then the two had a little competition to see who had superior control within the laws of water mana. Despite her speciality of water, she had actually been defeated, albeit barely. Of course, she inevitably forced a rematch onto him, which ended with the same result.

"No way, no way! My water is much stronger and more azure, while yours is so dull and plain. But why is it I can't form those complicated shapes like you do?"

"Hmph. Mae Family's young daughter, just because of your latent talent you believe you can surpass me when it comes to comprehending the elemental laws? You are patently still a novice . . . no amateur when juxtaposed to me, Melvin Serven."

"I don't believe you. I don't believe you."

"The facts are in front of you. Child stop looking away from reality," Melvin declared as he bloomed a conjured lily flower in front of her. The blue lily had six beautiful petals made of water. Upon his wish, it returned to its bulb state.

"CHEATER! CHEATER! That's how I lost! CHEATER!" Alexia shouted aloud, reaching the ears of almost everyone within the vicinity.

After accusing those words, she stormed off.

It was due to this incident that Melvin was later scolded by his parents for erupting trouble with the daughter of the Mae clan. Melvin argued that he was innocent, but it was to no avail. Offending a high status noble like her was not acceptable regardless if he was in the right or wrong.

What made the incident worse was that everyone took the side of Alexia.

Melvin was drowned with rage and vowed that if he had the opportunity again, he would display to everyone his superior control of the elemental laws. He resented Alexia for his indignation and desired revenge!

Contrary to his expectations, this sprouted desire did not last long. He was faced with an unusual scene the day after.

***

The day after.

He was not suspended or prohibited from entering the library. Hence, he returned to his daily readings. The first thing he did was walk towards where the incident had occurred to consolidate his determinations.

What he did not expect was to run again into Alexia reading the exact same book. Except for this time, she was even more immensely invested in reading it.

Melvin was about to teach her a lesson before recalling the words of his parents, eliciting a halt. Instead, he muttered his vow and turned his back and strutted away.

Unfortunately, Alexia had caught sight of his escape, and it only took a moment for her to approach beside him.

"Why are you running away?"

"Running? Why would I enact such a cowardly act?"

"Forget it. What I want to do is rechallenge you!"

"Challenge? You want to challenge a so-called "cheater", is that what I hear?"

"Yes, that's right! I'm going to be the best water elemental master, so everyone who wins against me when it comes to water is a cheater!"

"$%^*?" (How does that even make any logical sense?)

Melvin was utterly flabbergasted. No matter how much he tried to wrack his brains, he was unable to draw a rational conclusion. He had to interrogate her to settle his disturbed mind and get to the bottom of this.

"Then your father, and the other elders whether they're family or not are considered to be "cheaters" . . . is that correct?"

"No? How could I win against daddy, uncles, and seniors? Are you stupid? I need to wait until I grow up to challenge them."

" . . . Then who do you consider as "cheaters"?"

"You . . . and um . . . you? I guess? There's nobody around my age who can beat me when it comes to any aspect of water so . . . you must be the only cheater!"

Melvin’s calculative, extensive, and formative brain was dumbstruck. This girl definitely had a few screws loose in her head.

*Present*

" . . . "

Remembering such an unpleasant memory made his body feel an upheaval of fatigue. He then regained his state of mind to focus on the stirred events.

(Should I voice in their defence? No, if I made such a silly move, it is certain that I will somehow be muddled in the sex offender list.)

Melvin shook his head.

Although these guys were part of the candidates who attacked him, he no longer bore a grudge. Instead, he sympathised for their loss. They were not guilty at all.

Due to the dangerous turn of events, the overseers were once again forced to intervene with the exam. Alexia and the five non-guilty victims were taken away for interrogation. The overseers had seen everything that had transpired through the marble artefacts. But, that was not enough as audio was unable to be recorded for such a grand scale exam.

The victims struggled and pleaded they had done nothing wrong. However, that had only escalated the problem as the other candidates rebuked them, and became more fervent in their demand for justice. Thus, they were forced to shut their mouths. All they could do was curse inwardly.

(Such a shameless mistress from Feeria. My life is ruined because of the bullshit that came from her mouth. Who the hell is interested in a crazy girl like her?)

(That girl better not makeup shit once we get our say. Tomfoolery and debauchery my ass/ Why did she have to be a noble figure? Only Lord Caleyar knows what's gonna happen.)

(When I said spanking, It obviously meant punishing. I had no plans to spank her at all! If I did that the Church probably wouldn't be able to save me. Who would actually dare to assault her?!)

After they were taken away, the heightened tension gradually calmed down. Many of them stuck around for a while to exchange talk before heading off their own ways. It seemed that nobody was no longer interested in Melvin.

Dalis and Sienna were notified by their peers of what happened. Dalis was sceptical and thought they were exaggerating. Sienna too was sceptical but had many ideas running through her mind as if to validate the authenticity.

Then they walked towards Melvin to discuss their next course of action.

Melvin was still partly vexed but managed to forgive them as it was his fault, to begin with.

Due to the agglomeration of events, the group was rather easy-going. There were no specific plans for the next day. They were just going to hunt beasts, and that's about it . . . really.

***

And so the uneventful day had arrived. The group's initial plan was to arise early in the morning to hunt beasts. However, it seemed that exhaustion had overcome them once again.

It was not a surprise for Dalis and Sienna considering the fact they had gone through an arduous battle. The real surprise was Melvin. It seemed that his interaction with Alexia had unknowingly placed a strenuous toll on his mental health. As a result, he had only awakened just a quarter before noon.

Embracing the sunshine, he checked the time.

(It appears I have overslept along with them. Perhaps I should consider waking them up and scold them for sleeping in. No, that perceptive insect will know that I too had only roused a moment ago.)

Making his mind up, Melvin awoke the two sleeping children.

The two woke up and noticed the time. Dalis felt a little bitter but had no regrets. To him, sleeping was absolutely essential. Sienna accepted her slack and told herself that she needs to be less negligent of herself.

There was no time for breakfast, so they simply waited for the time to pass.

Dalis, on the other hand, had one last thing he was required to do.

"Oi, Rhinearian Beetle! You awake?"

The beetle opened its eyes, slightly tilting its body up and down to indicate that it was awake.

Dalis gazed upon the beetle for the time it takes for an incense to burn before turning his back.

His eyes were deep and profound. It seemed to reflect the boundless ocean.

It was impossible to know what he was thinking.

The beast was confused by its master's action. However, it had a peculiar instinctive feeling that prompted it to tremble in apprehension. It sensed its master's distress and wondered if it had been the cause of it.

"We may have only known each other for a short while. But with the passage of time, it is time for us to part."

The Rhinearian Beetle's craggy exterior began to shake. Only the beetle itself and its master would know if it were from nervousness or sadness. Almost longingly, the beetle approached Dalis's hand and caressed its massive forehead against it.

Dalis fortitude wavered but quickly regained. He thought for a moment and retrieved a few stalks of his prized calpufer herbs of which he wrapped it high up on one of its front legs.

"Worry not. There will be a time when we reunite. After all, I have yet to reveal the other secret techniques of domestication."

The beetle's eyes glazed over as the previous anxiety was replaced with a shudder—a different type of fear. However, that soon faded. A steely determination and creep of anticipation were seen instead.

The two turned away from each other and solemnly tread onwards on their respective paths.

"Farewell."

Elim · Feb 12, 2020

Dalis opened his eyes to find a familiar scene in his sight. He stood amongst many others upon a rhombus-shaped marble stage.

The first thing he captured was his roommates. All of them appeared to be a little dishevelled with some bearing worrying injuries. Dalis's sour mood dwindled noticing that ten out of the fifteen roommates were present. Sixty-six per cent of them had managed to survive for the entire five days of the exam.

Dalis searched around and barely caught a glimpse of other stationed individuals at the back through the crowd of candidates. He discovered Elliot in that crowd next to Jessica. He conceived that those particular individuals must be the people who have retired.

The sight of Jessica replayed a particular scene in his mind. Guilt washed over him.

"Dalis, you made it back."

Dalis turned his head back towards the front where he saw the smiling Sister Edna.

"Sister Edna. Yes I'm back," Dalis replied. He couldn't help but smile back in response.

Whenever the waves of Sister Edna's warmth washed over him, his mood would exponentially increase. Usually, he would hide the change of mood. However, his current low spirits evoked him to express his change open to the world.

Sister Edna was delighted to see Dalis's jovial mood, but she noticed that there was something a bit off with the carved smile of his. Unfortunately, she had no time to quell her piqued curiosity as the closing ceremony was about to begin.

"It appears that everybody is present now."

The noise generated from the crowd diminished until it was nil. Everyone had their eyes on the thirty or so individuals standing firmly. They were the examiners and overseers of the exam.

All attention focused on the speaker—General Zelgius.

"It is good to see a decent amount of you Orphans still left from the Pre-Soldier exam. Seeing this outcome shows that there are many bright future prospects worthy to soon be Vanquishers in the upcoming years. Vanquish Soldier Bethany! Please read the reports of the exam!"

"Yes Sir!"

A woman with brown curly hair and a slim figure stood before his side. A yellow parchment was revealed in her hands as she began to announce the results of the exam in a stern voice.

"First we will announce in ascending order the total amount of candidates who have retired for each day out of the two hundred and forty-seven participants . . . "

The reports on each day were announced, and a brief summary was reported pertaining to the retiring amount.

On the first day, thirty-three candidates had retired. The overseers commented that almost all of these individuals were bluntly the bottom lot. They were inept at surviving the first day. Only a minority of them were struck with unlucky circumstances.

The second-day, seventy-five candidates had retired. There wasn't too much difference between this and the first-day report. Many had failed to find an appropriate shelter to accommodate and had struggled to fight the beasts in the wild.

The third-day, ninety-three candidates had retired. Notably, the candidate retiring amount per day had reduced. Everything was quite general, except for one particular mention which was a few candidates attempting to challenge The Monster.

The fourth-day, a hundred and twenty-six had retired.

This report was rather different than the rest . . .

In this report, Vanquish General Marie spoke up.

It was a straight-up ear-lashing.

General Marie raised her voice and became a wrathful deity. She scolded all the children of Caleyar, condemning the insane foolishness of their actions by attempting to face The Monster.

She was so frightening that the guilty retired individuals at the very back felt their hair raising All they could do was lower their heads down in utter shame, enduring the backlash until the terrorising storm had passed.

What made the scene even more dreadful was that she had her eyes the entire time on the back group.

"You spoiled naive brats think this is a game? You brats are going to become the next Vanquish Soldiers for not only the Church, but also for the whole continent! How dare you impudent children bite more than you can chew off?! When you are sent on the battlefield to combat The Land of Demons’ fiends are you going to run off and try being a hero by taking the commander's head? Are you brats stupid? Do you understand that your impulsive actions are detrimental to not only us, but your friends, family, and your respected nations!!"

General Marie's demonic scolding went for so long to the point that the other overseers who watched were forced to cut it short.

Almost everyone who stood underneath the scolding of General Marie felt very tense as if they had done something wrong by the end of the speech. Even many of the overseers felt discomforted with a tinge of fear.

"You may now finalise the report," General Marie said as she turned to face Vanquish Soldier Bethany, handing the report over back to her.

"Yes, General Marie!!" she responded with a salute, visibly trembling while taking the report back from her.

Because she was the closest to her . . . she was forced to take the full brunt of the scolding.

On the final day, a hundred and thirty-one had retired. Only five above the previous day. Those five individuals were all candidates who decided to depart early in the exam.

" . . . Thus, out of the two hundred and forty-seven candidates, a hundred and sixteen managed to survive until the activation of the teleportation of the fifth day of noon."

Once she had finished her report, another report followed. A Medi-Brigade soldier announced this. The man who spoke disclosed the types of injuries that candidates had suffered and explained how one could avoid such a situation and ways of temporary treatment. It also noted that there was nobody who had died during the Pre-Soldier Exam despite the emergence of The Monster. However, the man succeeded those words with case reports that divulged candidates who had almost died.

Afterwards, General Zelgius spoke up.

"Now we will commence the announcement of the top thirty candidates from this year's Pre-Soldier Exam."

Eight individuals approached General Zelgius, one of whom was Scholar Somal. Five of them lived were citizens of the Church of Vanquish while the remaining three were from the Cresuilge Kingdom.

Upon their arrival, a short tremor quacked from the earth. Without warning behind the overseers, a majestic towering marble screen was raised above the marble stage. It appeared so naturally that one would think that this was an inbuilt mechanism. However, it was not that simple. The wide humongous marble screen was operated through the powers of the reinforced mana seed. Only those recognised as enchanters were able to make this function.

"Start the collection!"

The enchanters slowly lifted their arms, palms facing forward to the front. In response, over a dozen weapon artefacts elevated into their air fifteen feet above the ground. An identical blue translucent light glowed upon the surface of every airborne artefact present. Although matching, the gleaming intensity varied between each raised artefact.

There were some that glowed a pale blue resembling an aqua colour.

A number of them appeared to be cerulean.

Even less than that were glows that one could genuinely state as blue.

The rarer ones were dark blue like the deep oceans.

All of these artefacts reacted to the gestures of the enchanters, drifting towards their direction. Then the artefacts were categorised into colour groups that reflected their illustrated glow. This process continued until the enchanters collected each artefact.

"Now we will gauge the amount of mana present within the artefacts. As you may have noticed, the artefacts that glowed the darkest represent the greatest intensity of mana attained. Unfortunately, there is no real way to assess the quantity of mana contained inside accurately. Thus, an estimation is conducted for each collected artefact. Generally, there is a correlation between richer mana source and quantity of mana. However, in exceptionally rare instances, it is not always the same case."

Vanquish General Zelgius held out a white crystal the size of an average man's head. It gleamed through the thousand facets glorifying its attractive glassy surface to the world.

"This is a mana storage crystal. It is a modified version of Cresuilge Kingdom's fuel cells. It is a storage device that allows people to store mana. Although there is a limit to how much one could hold, the type of mana is not a deterrent to its mana holding capacity. Many of the beasts within the Vanquish territory are known to have a high degree of blessed mana within their bodies. Thus, mana collected will mostly be blessed. It is a known fact that blessed mana is special and tends to have conflicts with other mana types. Henceforth, this source of energy is limiting for its practical use. However, that is not an issue. After all, the point is to gauge the amount of mana for the artefacts. This crystal has been specially made to be much more potent in its ability to store mana."

General Zelgius paused for a moment of time before continuing his speech.

"The screen will televise an estimated ranking of the top thirty individuals for the Pre-Soldier Exam. Individuals who have gathered the most mana and the richest will be broadcasted there. Remember the rankings are not of much importance. Whether you rank first or rank thirty or was unable to enter the top thirty, it is not to something to fret over yourselves. The point of the exam is to test your individual skill and see how far you have come. Each candidate has already been individually assessed, and these records are not disclosed. Of course, if you manage to make it into the rankings, then that is an accomplishment that one should be proud of."

General Zelgius put the crystal within a marble container and placed it onto the floor.

"Let the appraisal begin."

Author note: I had planned to release a combined chapter... but I'm running out of stock. Sorry! An important announcement chapter will be released in two days. Please read it when you have time as it will affect a lot of things about the story including release schedule.

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Novel The Odyssey of Dalis (Contains Arrogant Young Master as a MC)

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