《Raising A Few Wives in a Beast Apocalypse》


 Chapter 1 Evolve Or Die!

    Year 2025, Zimba, in a random city, time around 10 a.m. In a random school and a random senior high school class.


    "Teacher, what are we doing today". A blonde haired cute girl spoke to her teacher standing in front of the class after raising her hand and being picked.@@@@


    "Emily....sigh, we literally have a time table and a syllabus, how can you possibly not know what we''re learning today?. I know you want to talk to this handsome teacher of yours but can you at least think of a not so obvious reason?". The teacher, a young man with short black hair and grey eyes replied to her narcissistically.


    Hearing the first part of his reply, Emily blushed with embarrassment after being exposed in front of the class. But after hearing the second part, she couldn''t help but role her eyes at this narcissistic teacher of her''s. Even the classroom who were about to make fun of her lost the will to do so after hearing the teacher''s statement.


    Seeing how his words had gotten everyone quiet, which was his desire, the teacher smiled at himself thinking he was so smart.


    "Tsk, damn manipulator". Another cute girl, this time a brunette, spoke under her breathe.


    "I heard that Layla, anyway let''s get on with our class okay. Today we will be looking at..."


    Just when the young teacher was about to address his class, he was interrupted. The interruption, not only interrupted him but everyone, everywhere. The whole world was interrupted, especially those who were having se...cough, point is everyone was interrupted.


    "EVOLVE OR DIE!!!"


    That''s right, the interruption was a voice from the sky that everyone in the world heard... except for deaf people of course.


    Because of the voice, many people who were doing something that requires focus died. The people who died the most were motorists, as even if one stopped in time before hitting those in front of them, it didn''t mean those behind then would do the same. The roads were consumed in utter chaos accompanied by screams of agony and explosions everywhere across the world.


    "Stop you idiots, where do you think you''re running to when they are coming from the only way out of here?!". Muku who had finally collected himself a bit, screamed at his students. But sadly his shout was mostly met by deaf ears, not many students stopped.


    By the end of the episode, only he, Emily, Layla, Jade and one other girl were left in the room.


    "Sigh, I was too late to act, well I can only keep these girls safe for now.". Muku very much wanted to go after his students but he knew there was no way they would all run in one direction plus it would just endanger the girls who remained.


    So he proceeded to close the door and barricade it with desks. Then took down the red axe on the wall, took his chair and set down while nervously starring at the door.


    "You girls stay away from the window and find a place to... Never mind". He was about to tell the girls to find a place to sit away from the windows but seeing how they all came and stood as close to him as they could. He shut his mouth knowing that there was likely nothing he could say that could get them to back off from him in that moment.


    "Why do you all take a deep breathe huh, we wouldn''t want a repeat of what happened with the other students to happen with you as well after all." Muku talked to them trying to get them to calm down their racing nerves.


    Hearing him speak so softly, the girls took heed of his advice and started to calm down, even if it was only by just a bit.


    "Sir, are we going to die?". Emily asked him with teary eyes and a shacking body due to fear.


    Looking at her for a moment, then the other girls who were also asking the same question with their eyes. He sighed again, closed his eyes then opened them before speaking.


    "No matter what happens, I, your teacher will protect you all with my life, so as long as I live, you will all be alive as well.... Of course if I die then you''re screwed...Ow!!"


    Hearing him speak so resolutely, the girls had all basically gotten their emotions in check. Though hearing the later part, Layla couldn''t help but hit the back of his head.


    "Did you have to say the latter?!". She asked him while glaring, but the visible smile on her face and the faces of the other girls showed that his attempt to lighten up the mood worked

 Chapter 2 At least its not a Zombie Apocalypse

    After a few minutes in silence, screams of agony started ringing out all the building, accompanied by beastly growls. Hearing all the chaos going on, on the lower floors, the girls, couldn''t help but squeeze closer to Muku, which made him smile wryly.


    Weren''t they just making it harder for him to fight like this if anything came?


    On the bright side, them being like that calmed down his secretly racing nerves. This way he would be able to act more appropriately no matter what situation might occur.@@@@


    Boom!


    "Growl"


    "Ahh!"


    Just as he was stuck in his thoughts and the girls were trying their best to bury themselves in his body. A sound of a door being blasted open on their floor was heard, followed by a growl and then screams.


    Sounds of things breaking, screams and growls was heard for a while before everything went quiet again. Animalistic footsteps heading their way could now be heard. The girls started shacking in fear again, as Muku''s grip on the axe tightened and his gaze laser focused on the door.


    Things went quiet when the footsteps reached their door then...


    Pwak!


    The small glass part on the door was broken and a large dog head with a bloody mouth came through, looking inside.


    "Greee"


    Seeing some food inside (the humans) the dog started growling while trying to break it''s way through, luckily the desks stopped the door from completely opening. But the dog''s effort opened up a small part of the door.


    It pulled it''s head back then put it through the opened part. Just as the dog was probably thinking that it was about to have another feast.


    "S-So what''s our next step?". Chloe''s unconfident voice sounded again.


    "Obviously we have to find a way to start killing these monsters, from what you said I think it''s safe to say, they are either going to get stronger or stronger beasts are going to show up eventually. So hiding it out isn''t a viable solution. We just have to do what the voice said, Evolve or die". Before any of the other girls could reply to her, their joker teacher Muku, replied to her with a serious expression, his eyes blazing with battle intent.


    "Well, I guess what sir says makes sense, but how do we go about it, I doubt the same trick like now will work, it mostly depended on luck anyway. And we also don''t have any weapons other than the axe.". The critical Layla spoke.


    "Hmm, I have a plan but I need all your cooperation, plus there are emergency axes in every classroom so the weapon part shouldn''t be too hard to address." Muku, after thinking for a bit finally spoke.


    "Okay, lets hear it". Emily said, while looking at him along with the other girls.


    "Okay, so the plan goes like this...."


    ...


    A while later, another dog made it''s way to Muku''s class''s floor. As soon as it turned the corner, it noticed a blonde girl standing on the hall way looking at it. As soon as their eyes met, the girl ran into the room after a little scream.


    If the dog was a little smarter, it would have noticed that the girls'' fearful expression was a bit off. But it was a creature that worked on instinct after all, so as it''s prey ran, it chased.


    As soon as its head made it into the room, an axe was brought down on it. Before it could react, it''s neck was cleaved right through, killing it instantly.


    "What?!". Muku who had done it along with the girls, were all surprised by this feat. None expected him to have so much strength.


    "I think it''s the evolution, I can''t wait for when I evolve". Chloe the otaku was first to recover and said with clear excitement in her eyes in her eyes. She felt that she was close to realising the dream of every otaku in the world. Which was obviously to get stronger, beyond human capabilities.


    [Eight more kills needed before evolution]


    The monotonous voice was heard again in Muku''s head as the familiar numb feeling occured.

 Chapter 3Are you calling me ugly?!

    "Well that went well". Muku said with a smile feeling that he had gotten a little stronger.


    "Well, easy for you to say, you aren''t the one who had to be bait". Emily said with a grumpy face.


    "You know kids, it''s only been a few hours since this whole thing has started but I can''t help but feel like you all having been taking me too lightly ever since then". Muku said with a displeased look on his face, feeling like these little girls have been treating him like they are of equal age for a while.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about". Emily replied why looking away to avoid eye contact.


    The other girls did the same with all similar thought in all their minds.


    {Well, we wouldn''t disrespect you if you didn''t act so childish all the time}


    "Well whatever, we don''t have the time right now, lets get on with it, I feel like I can take on a single dog head on now, so I don''t need bait anymore. I''m going to risk it a little bit and go to a lower flo.."


    "No!!" ¡Á 4


    Muku was telling them how he was planning to go to the lower floors alone but before he could finish, he was interrupted by a compined shout from all the girls.


    "Don''t worry I''m not abandoning you, I just think that by waiting for them to come to us isn''t effective enough in the long run. So I was thinking if I g...oh that''s doesn''t seem necessary, seems your shout alerted them". Just as he was explaining himself to the girls, he felt multiple familiar animalistic footsteps coming up the stairs.


    Although he was surprised by his new found sensitivity to minor vibrations in the ground. He knew it wasn''t the time for that as the situation had suddenly gotten dire.


    The dog feeling the threat on its life wanted to pull back but it was finished off by Muku it''s head falling to the ground. Then it''s corpse too was dragged and eaten.


    [Six more kills....]


    "Well that was a close one". Muku said with a slightly fearful expression since before being struck by Jade the dog almost made it through. Since he hadn''t really faced one head on, he wasn''t sure if he would be able to handle it.


    The dogs seemed to have finally learned their lesson as they didn''t try to force themselves in anymore. But they also didn''t leave, just circled around in front of the door.


    "I- I''m sorry everyone, I couldn''t do it and almost put everyone in danger". Emily said to everyone with her head held down, tears threatening to get out of her eyes.


    "It''s fine Emily, it''s only natural to not be so easily capable of taking a life. In fact the one I''m worried about is Jade, I think there''s a possibility she''s secretly a serial killer." Before the girls could say anything, Muku had already spoken, even joking with her a little bit.


    "Hey!!!, what do you mean I might be secretly a serial killer?, you''re the one who''s decapitating them without batting an eye. If you ask me, you''re the serial killer here!". Jade angrily rebutted his statement.


    "Hmhp!, there''s no way I could be a serial killer. Can''t you see my handsome face, have you ever seen a serial killer with such a handsome face before?". Muku replied to her with a disdainful expression on his face.


    "Are you calling me ugly then?!". Jade''s expression darkened as she asked.


    "Hehe, Hahaha". Emily along with the other girls couldn''t help but laugh at their comical exchange.


    Of course they all knew that, Muku and Jade were trying to lighten the mood with their act, which warmed their hearts.


    "Thank you for not blaming me everyone, and I will try to not hold you all back again, I know that this isn''t the time to be weak. I also want to be strong and protect you all". After laughing, Emily seriously said to everyone, knowing that their current situation didn''t allow any room for weakness or weak people.

 Chapter 4 Anyone have a phone?

    "So how are we going to take care of the three remaining dogs?. I also feel we should do it quickly, lest more come join them.". Layla said with a frown on her face, not knowing how to get out of their current predicament.


    "Simple, we make an obstacles in the middle of the room then open the door. Since sir Muku can oneshot them, he can just kill one after the other quickly before they completely get through the obstacles. Of course it''s a risky plan since we don''t know how agile they are." Chloe said, this time without stuttering, it seemed after getting to know the people around her a bit more, she gained more self confidence.


    "Hmmm, good plan, I vote we do it". Layla said after considering it and how they didn''t have any other plan anyway.


    "Me too". Both Emily and Jade said at the same time.


    Seeing how they agreed to their plan, Chloe happily smiled, feeling useful to the group.@@@@


    Seeing this from the sidelines, teacher Muku also smiled, happy at how smart his students were.


    "Why are you just gawking at us like a pervert, say something". Jade looked at him with a disgust visible on her pretty face as she said.


    "Ey, show some respect, I''m your teacher!!, and of course I agree with the plan otherwise I would have expressed my disapproval already. Also I''m not a pervert, I just like seeing my students work together okay". Muku was triggered, and angrily replied but at the same showed that he was in on the plan.


    "Enough joking around, we don''t have the time, let''s get to work". Layla reminded them of their situation, and everyone got to work. Using the desks that weren''t used on the door to make the obstacles.


    In less than twenty minutes, they were done. Then came a question, who was going to bell the ca...cough, who was going to open the door?.


    Although they had removed most of the furniture blocking the door, the dogs weren''t hitting in anymore. So they didn''t know it could now be easily opened.


    "Does anyone have their phone on them?" Muku suddenly asked, which confused the girls but they all took out their phones and holding them out. At that point in time, the phones were all basically useless since there hadn''t been any network available since the voice. In fact, the whole world over had no network, so people couldn''t contact each other through anything that required network.


    Seeing them all present a phone, Muku''s face darkened for a second but didn''t say anything before taking them all. Before the girls could ask what he wanted to do, he tossed them all at the one after the other.


    "Hey!, my phone!". All the girls screamed in anger.


    "What do you mean, last I checked, my class didn''t allow phones, so how could any of you possibly have them". Muku replied with a smile that gave off anything but happy vibes on his face.


    Enraged by the wound it got from it''s food, the dog growled and lunged at him. It''s aim was to rip off his neck. Muku barely managed to roll out of the way but he dropped his axe in the act.


    {I''m screwed}. He thought as the dog threw itself at him again, mouth wide open, ready to finish it.


    .....


    Back at the girls'' side, luckily for them their dog, acted according to the script. When it was still in the air all four of them struck forward, hitting it on different parts of its body.


    "Ooow!"


    The force was enough to not only hurt it but managed to push it back. The dog with four new wounds fell back. It quickly got up and started growling at them but didn''t attack again, only stared at them with it''s crimson colored eyes full of murderous intent.


    Being looked at like that made all the girls gulp down some saliva in fear. Just then, Jade happened to look in Muku''s direct and that''s when she noticed his dire situation. Without thinking thinking and not even knowing where she got the strength, she threw her axe towards the dog that was about to jump at him.


    ...


    Just when Muku thought he was going to get ripped apart, staring at his death as it''s mouth got closer.


    Bang!


    An axe appeared out of nowhere and dug itself into the dog''s neck and making it fall to the ground. Without even thinking of what had happened, Muku quickly jumps for his axe, picks it up and quickly finishes off the dog that was howling in pain on the ground.


    [Four kills left....]


    "Huff, that was close, than...shit!". Muku was expressing his relief when he looked in the direction of the girls and noticed that they had all gotten distracted and were looking at him. This gave the dog that was attacking them the opening it needed. It jumped over the desks again, this time knowing that it won''t be struck down.


    However when it was still in the air and about to bite Jade''s slender neck. It''s eye noticed a shadow speeding forward from the side. Before it could make sense of what was happening, an axe dug into its back, bringing it''s body down.


    It twitched for a bit on the floor before it breathed its last.


    [Three kills left...]

 Chapter 5 He made me do it

    "Huff, well that almost took a turn for the worst". Muku took in a long breath thinking of how he and Jade almost died. The dog he he just killed was a few centimeters away from ripping Jade up.


    "Y-year, and thanks for saving me". Jade stuttered a bit as she spoke, still shaken by how she almost died.


    "No need for that, besides you saved me first remember". Muku waved the gratitude off.


    "Yeah, you''re right, in fact it can be said that it was because of you I almost got killed". After regaining her wits, Jade quickly got back to her old ways. Of always trying to find trouble with Muku.


    "This brat... You know what, I''ll give you this one because there is some truth to what you said. In fact I want to apologise for my mistake.". Muku at first felt like fighting it out with her but as the grown up he gave in, for the sake of peace.


    "Don''t blame yourself sir, none of us are accustomed to to fighting these monsters so a mistake here and there is only natural. We should just be greatful that nobody got hurt or worse, died.". Before Jade could say anything, Emily the appeaser spoke first.


    Hearing her and knowing that she was speaking the truth, Jade could only curse under her breathe. She couldn''t find trouble with Muku again in the situation otherwise the others will find her to be an unreasonable person.


    "Umm, excuse me everyone, I suggest we find a new place to hide, the stench of blood here is sure to draw in more killer dogs." Chloe raised her hand as she spoke softly, seemingly afraid she might be getting in the way.


    "Chloe, you don''t need to raise your hand before speaking, we are not in school anym...well we are but you know what I mean. Anyway, no one is going to get angry at you or something like that, you have been nothing but helpful since the start after all. And you''ve made another good suggestion, let''s get out of here before more of them come." Muku spoke with an wrily smile on his face, not knowing what to do with this student of his that seemed to have low self-esteem.


    "He''s right you know". Emily backed him up while the other two girls nodded in agreement.


    "O-okay, if you say so". That''s all Chloe could say while being stared at by everyone.


    "Good then, let''s go, and I suggest we go close to the storage room. In a few hours when the adrenaline completely runs out, we are going to need more than just water." Layla who seemed to only know how to speak important things spoke. Though it was to be expected, she was the best student in the grade after all.


    "Great idea, why didn''t I think of that, let''s do that". Muku said while walking towards the principal''s office at the end of the hallway.


    {Maybe because you''ve been getting dumber since this whole situation began}. Jade thought but didn''t dare say it out loud.


    "Oh, seems it''s locked too...from the inside even. However is inside, open up the door please, it''s Mr Chisen". Muku tried opening the principal''s door, but it wouldn''t barge.


    He proceeded to try and call out to the person inside, since it can''t be guaranteed that it''s the principal who was in the room when the attack began, he didn''t directly call out to him. Oddly though, even after calling out for a while, nobody answered, yet when he checked the door again, it really was locked from the inside.


    "Why not just break it, maybe the person inside succumbed to the pressure after seeing what''s happening and committed suicide". Jade came closer to Muku and said.


    "You know, I''m starting to get the impression that you are a rather violent little gir...hmm you might be right. We don''t have any time to waste even if the person is just ignoring us after all". Muku was in the process of figuring out the truth about Jade''s personality but then thought she did have a point. Luckily for him he didn''t continue what he was saying or he likely would have been kicked in-between his legs.


    Bang!


    Without wasting anymore time, Muku hit the door with his shoulder, forcing it open. When he looked inside he was faced by a scene he didn''t expect.


    The intern (a dude, can''t have girls dying for arbitrarily after all) who was working as the principal''s assistant was busy dragging the principal''s dead body into the restroom. Before he could make sense of what was going on, the guy sprinted towards him before taking a lunge, hands held out, aiming for Muku''s chest.


    Muku was taken off his feet and thrown to the ground outside the room. He and the intern started rolling around while the intern was trying to gran Muku''s neck and he was trying to prevent it. Muku noticed something behind the girls.


    "I got this, go a look for the key, now!!". When the girls were about to help him, he screamed at them. They felt a bit scared by his scream so hurriedly entered the room to do what they were told.


    "It wasn''t my fault, he made do it, he made me kill him!!. After seeing what was going on outside, he foolishly wanted to go help the students!. For my own safety, I had to do, I had to snap his neck.". The intern confessing everything without being asked, seems he had gone mad from committing murder.


    Muku suddenly pushed the intern into the air with his feet, throwing him away from him. Just as the intern was about to get off the floor and likely attack Muku again, a large mouth bit into his neck.

 Chapter 6 Tossing bodies

    The intern''s eyes widened as he suddenly felt unbearable pain on his neck. The light in his eyes slowly drained away before fading into nothingness. He was utterly and completely dead.


    The stray killer dog had made it to the scene. And it came in with a bang, biting a traitorous intern''s neck off!.


    Muku had long noticed it, that''s why he had told the girls to quickly get into the room. He knew if he had told them about it they likely wouldn''t have done it, not wanting to leave him behind in such a dangerous situation.


    When the dog was still busy savouring the taste of the intern''s blood. Muku quickly rolled to his axe that was a few feet away. He quickly grabbed it and aimed at the killer dog''s head that was still dug deep into the intern''s neck.


    The dumb dog which had not met any resistance from these two legged foods, did not see the attack coming. It expected the other one to run away while it ate the one it had killed then hunt the one that ran later. But unluckily for it, there''s a supreme and undisputable law in the world when it comes to most things. Nothing is absolute, there''s always an exception. And it had met that exception.


    Well technically, since it was dead before it could even realise what was going on, it didn''t know that it had met the exception.


    [Two kills left....]


    A familiar voice rang in Muku''s head, of course it was followed by the familiar numbness.


    "Huff, that was certainly too close for comfort". Muku said while pulling his axe out of the dog''s skull.


    "Ahh!". He suddenly screamed while grabbing the back of his head and looking behind him.


    "Don''t play hero again, what if it went after your neck instead?!". Jade, who was also the one who had slapped him on the back of the head said with a serous expression on her face. Without waiting for him to respond, she walked back into the principal''s office and continued to look for the key in silence.


    The girls had figured out what had happened and why he screamed at them after they saw the dog.@@@@


    "You get the guy you got kille... I mean you avenged". Jade said after they finished tossing out the dog.


    "I''m your teacher!, how dare you tell me what to do, besides I''m looking for...". As Muku raged, he was interrupted by a cry from Emily.


    "Found it!". Emily excitedly started jumping up and down with the storage room''s key in her hand.


    "Tsk". Muku wasn''t too happy about it though, since he now had no reason to not toss the body out. And so he accepted his fate unwillingly under Jade''s smug smile and did it.


    Luckily the janitor''s bucket and mop happened to be in the principal''s rest room (yeah well, my novel, my conveniences). While the girls were busy in the storage room he was mopping up the blood on the floor.


    "How did I, this handsome and smart teacher fall so low?. Even my students are oldering me around now.". He lamented while cleaning.


    ...


    On floor one...


    Bang!


    BANG!


    Bang!


    Three bodies fell from the sky outside, two human, one dog. If the killer dogs had even a little thinking capacity they would have found the occurrence rather weird.


    But sadly all their brains knew was eating and why would they turn away from a free meal?. And so a race to the food among them commenced. There at least thirty dogs on the floor while there were only three bodies, so the intensity of the competition can be easily imagined. In less than two minutes, all that was left of the bodies were blood stains on the ground

 Chapter 7 Kill count met!

    "Well, it''s to be expected, and it''s better than nothing I guess". Muku said looking at the store room filled with only canned foods. The foods ranged from canned beans, fish, beaf and the beverages were all the same....coke.


    "Let''s move some into the office incase an emergency occurs and we can''t come get more.". Layla said, thinking of a possible, unwelcomed but likely future.


    "Yeah, and we should barricade the stairs, who knows if another dog or two will show up, our teacher might end up sacrificing one of us if that were to happen". Jade added, though the later part of her statement was obviously targeted at the usual suspect, who now was giving her the stink eye(Great teacher Muku of course).


    "Sigh, you just can''t help yourself can you?". Emily said while looking at Jade, who looked away in embarrassment without saying anything.


    "Okay, Chloe and Emily will move some food while Jade and Layla will help me barricade the stairs". Muku gave our orders and everyone got to work.


    It took quite some work to move the headmaster''s big*ss and super heavy desk to the stairs. Muku even did most of the work after the little girls started complaining. Jade saying girls weren''t meant to do such heavy lifting while Layla said she was more of a thinker than a doer. Truth if the matter is, they were both lazy and just didn''t want to do it.


    .....


    "Phew, finally done, but this again brings us back to a past problem. We can''t stay hidden, we need to get stronger". After finishing up. Muku thought of a reoccurring problem, the situation reminded him about the saying, "you can''t have your cake and eat it".


    "That''s simple...well risk it, but still, it''s our only option. We just have to make a bit of noise up here to bait in a few of them. Of course the danger is that, we might bait in too many and get killed..". Layla thought out loud.


    "Hmm....works for me, lets do it... the sun will set in a few hours so lets be quick about it. I have to at least kill one today" Jade grabbed her axe thinking about the excitement to come.@@@@


    "Careful, your fangs are showing". Muku said trying to come her down, as it would lead to making mistakes. Jade understood what he meant, she again made a "Hmph" sound but calmed down nonetheless.


    .....


    Bang! Bang! Bang!...


    "There are five, every get ready, don''t let them get through the table!". Muku screamed out as he got ready to receive the leading killer dog.


    The killer dog aimed straight at him as if it knew the man was going to attack it no matter who it aimed for. It got into pouncing position, and pounce it did.


    "Honestly, I know these dogs aren''t very smart nor where they there when I killed the other ones, but why do they always fall for the same trick?". Muku smiled wrily as he spoke looking at the dog getting ready to jump to at its death.


    "Well it''s likely because they haven''t met anyone who fought back, so their vigilance against us is basically zero. Which you should be celebrating instead of complaining about I might add." Layla replied him as his prediction came true. The dog basically jumped at his axe and he killed it.


    [One kill left....]


    "I''m not complaining, just that, its always good to spice things up every once in a while". Muku said while pulling his axe from the dog, getting ready to support the others.


    "Yeah well, when a dog spiced things up before, you and me almost died!". Jade who was fighting back a dog replied to him.


    They had been shallowly cut so many times by the girls that their crimson eyes turned even redder with rage. They kept on trying to break through to their prey who kept on wounding them, which made them even more mad. And like that the circle repeated.


    Emily, Layla and Jade managed to mangle their dogs so much that they bled out and died, setting them on the path of evolution.


    [Condition for Evolution met. Kill 9 more giant dogs to reach Rank 1 Evolver and gain specialisation]


    The voice and numbness familiar to Muku had finally made its way to their bodies.


    Unfortunately, Chloe the otaku didn''t have enough stamina to finish the job. Just when she couldn''t lift her axe anymore and the dog was about to successfully jump over the table and take a bite. Great teacher Muku stepped in.


    [Kill count met. Evolution Commencing. Initialising Specialisation. Individual found to be first human to meet the requirements. Ultimate ability to be generated as reward]


    With that familiar yet unfamiliar voice, great teacher Muku fell unconscious.

 Chapter 8 Devine Metal Warlock!

    The reason why Muku was lucky enough to be the first to reach a kill count of ten in a world of guns was because of three things. First, kills by guns weren''t counted by whatever being that was acting behind the scenes. Second, although there were people who were more skilled than him the whole world over, they might not have had the courage to fight the beasts they faced, faced beasts that rendered their skills useless(not all of them were killer dogs after all) or didn''t come across ten beasts to kill quick enough. But the main reason is, he was just lucky.


    ...


    Muku found himself surrounded by darkness. His body felt sore all over but he couldn''t open his eyes. He felt that someone or something was dragging his body somewhere but he couldn''t hear any sounds.


    Suddenly he felt a burning pain in his lower abdomen. He could feel a sphere forming there. And for some reason he knew what was going. It was the formation of a mana core...


    [Mana core formation complete. Extremely High affinities with telekinesis and metal element detected, requirements for Legendary Specialisation met. Legendary Class, Devine Metal Warlock awakening...]


    With the familiar voice saying unfamiliar things, Muku''s body felt more than numbness this time. His whole body felt like it was burning all over and yet he couldn''t even open his lips to scream. Making the whole experience even more unbearable. After what felt like a lifetime of suffering but was only five minutes, the burning sensation stopped.


    When he was about to sigh in relief in his mind.....


    [Reward Ultimate ability: Law of Nihility, generating...]


    With that statement, he braced for pain, yet nothing happened. Before he could be happy he was suddenly attacked by the worst headache possible. It was so painful that he was a hair''s breadth away from having his mind break. Along with the headache strange information he understood nothing of was being implanted in his mind. As soon as his the information was done being implanted, the pain stopped and he completely went unconscious.


    .....


    A few minutes back....


    The girls was shocked to see their teacher collapse with no warning like that. All their minds went blank for a few seconds not knowing what to do.


    "Shit!, someone grab his hand and lets drag him to the room. More dogs should be coming soon!." Layla was the first to regain her wits but from the suprise curse, the others knew that she was just as panicked as the rest of them. She just suppressed it because she knew they didn''t have the time, which the others admired. They quickly did what she said.


    And as if trying to prove her right, the remaining ten dogs on the seventh floor quickly made their way up the stairs. Drawn in by the scent of blood spreading in the air.


    ....


    With the dogs so close by, even the girls with their semi awakened or even normal senses in Chloe''s case, could hear them approaching.


    When the multiple footsteps reached the door, they stopped. The area descended into complete silence, making the girls even more tense. Their breathing became a bit unstable and more audible.


    Bang!!


    As if waiting for the girls to be on edge before attacking. The door was blasted open, one dog after the other speeding into the room. Seeing this scene, the girls all had one thought....


    {We''re dead}


    The leading dog was about to bite Chloe''s head off after knocking away her axe. She didn''t have enough strength to make it cut deep so it basically bounced off. The other girls didn''t have enough time to react and help her because more dogs were coming and aiming at them.


    Chloe seeing the giant head getting closer and closer to her, she closed her eyes. Hoping it will be as painless and quick as possible. Though deep down she knew it was definitely going to be the most painful experience of her life. And likely the last as well.


    Woosh!


    "Howl!!"


    Suddenly she felt a slight breeze pass by her ear followed by a pained cry from a dog.


    She couldn''t help but open her eyes, what she saw confused her greatly. At her feet the dog was dead with a silver sword embedded deep into its skull.


    "Howl!!" ¡Á 9


    Before she or anyone else could react, a blurry figure passed by her and the other girls from behind. Followed by nine cries of pain from all the dogs who had made it into the room. The principal''s office was large after all, especially after the removal of the giant table. And they stood a bit of distance away from the door, giving all the dogs enough room to enter.


    By the time they came to their senses, all the dogs where on the floor howling in pain as their legs had been cut off. And right at the middle of them, great teacher Muku stood facing away from the girls with a bloody sword in his hand.


    "Finish them off". Teacher Muku said without turning back, continuing to stand there, maybe trying to look cool. Which to the girls in that moment, he definitely did.

 Chapter 9 The power of a Rank One Evolver

    The girls didn''t waste time, and none hesitated this time. In less than five minutes the dogs were all dead.


    [Seven kills left.....]


    The familiar voice range in all the girls'' heads.@@@@


    Layla, Emily and Jade all killed two dogs each, while Chloe killed three, which caught her up to the rest.


    "Umm Sir, why are you standing there like that?". Jade couldn''t help ask the question all of them were wondering. Surprisingly she asked it in a respectful manner, guess it''s true when they only the strong are respected.


    "Cough...I can''t move". Great teacher Muku made a fake cough before exposing his shameful situation.


    "What!!" ¡Á4. All the girls were flabbergasted by his statement.


    The cool image of him that had formed in their heads shuttered after less than ten minutes of life.


    ....


    A few minutes back.


    Muku woke up around the time Chloe stepped up. Though he still couldn''t move his body, feeling a weird emptiness from within. He then noticed that some sought of energy was being drawn in from the air and being stored in his newly acquired mana core. The more the energy entered his body, the better he felt, and like with the name of the mana core he subconsciously knew, he also subconsciously knew that the energy was mana.


    A couple minutes later, although his mana core was far from being full. He had enough in it to move again again. The first action he did was look towards the girls, that''s when he noticed it. No it wasn''t one of their underwears, sadly they where too far that, and their school skirts were too long anyway.


    He saw a killer dog a few inches away from biting off Chloe''s face. And the other girls would likely be in the same situation in a second or two.


    "I felt that my mana recovery was going slower than before, I thought it could be because of the swords. So I thought to unsummon them, it appears my conjecture was correct, it worked. Seems I was supporting their prolonged existence with my mana." Teacher Muku said, his eyes sparkling, as a nerd, he of course liked finding out new things about things he found interesting. And he definitely found mana interesting.


    "Oh, that makes sense otherwise it wouldn''t be magic, but creation instead". Layla nodded as she said.


    The other girls didn''t say anything, Jade was even still angry because they were basically ignoring her.


    "This room doesn''t seem very ideal to stay in for the night, why don''t we go to the teacher''s lounge?". Emily suggested.


    "Hmm, makes sense, lets do that. Hopefully the dogs from the sixth floor and below don''t come up during the night". Muku agreed while the girls nodded in agreement.


    "So anyone else expecting another psycho with a dead body to pounce on our teacher again or is it just me?" Jade said as they walked, led by Muku who had mostly recovered his mobility, though his mana was still less than half of his core''s full capacity.


    "Don''t jinx it please". Muku''s expression flinched a bit before he spoke.


    The girls just giggled, while subtly slowing doing. Noticing it, Muku''s expression turned dark but he continued to the door without saying anything.


    When he reached it, he couldn''t help but gulp down some saliva before opening the door. Although the situation before wasn''t too dangerous for him if the killer dog was removed. Except for a few unique type of men, no other man would appreciate being jumped on by another man after all.


    Luckily for teacher Muku, the lounge was empty. Jade sighed in disappointment behind him but he ignored the little brat.


    The room had a few sofas and a kitchenette with some coffee ingredients. It was a plain white room, but had enough room for the five of them, though there were only three large sofas. The rest being single sitters. (And the author really doesn''t like describing rooms and such. So please excuse him if he''s ever vague about it in the future)


    "At least there''s more than just coke now, we got some coffee too now. And luckily the electricity hasn''t gone off yet". Emily, always looking for the positives said.


    "Your optimism is blinding, stay away from me". Jade jokingly said while moving away from he

 Chapter 10 This sofa smells nice

    After they had their canned dinner, cleaned up in the principal''s bathroom(dude had everything). The girls quickly laid on the sofas to rest. They all fell asleep in no time at all. Which was only natural after the crazy day they had, in fact, crazy can be said to be an understatement.


    Great teacher Muku pulled over a single sitter sofa and sat while facing the door. His trusty axe beside him, he didn''t want to freely use his magic before figuring out their situation, so the axe was still useful. While he guarded the door, he focused on his mana recovery.


    This led him to accidentally discover that meditation can speed up mana recovery, his core was 80% full at this point. He also found out that the presence of mana in the body seemed to work against exhaustion. He can be said to have had the worst day compared to the girls, but he didn''t feel tired at all. Which made him like mana even more.


    Around 2 am, Layla woke up and came to Muku.


    "Sir why don''t you sleep and I guard the door for the rest of the night?" She whispered not wanting to wake the others up.


    "No I''m fine, you can continue sleeping, you growing kids need proper re..." Muku who was in the middle of rejecting Layla''s offer was interrupted by three voices from behind them.


    "We''ll join her". The voices of Emily, Jade and Chloe sounded at the same time.


    "You brats, it''s the middle of the night, why do you want to give me a headache even now? Go back to sleep all of you". Muku rebuked them, but was met with defiant eyes from all of them.


    "Sigh, fine, I''ll sleep for a bit, then we switch again got it?". Seeing that they wouldn''t give in, teacher Muku could only give in. Though he planned to only sleep for an hour then wake up.


    "Yes sir". They all agreed.


    With that Muku got up from his sofa and went to one big sofa and laid down to rest.


    "Hmm, this sofa smells nice". With that statement he drifted off into sleep. It seemed although his body was getting sustained by mana, his mind still needed sleep to recover after all he had gone through.


    He didn''t know that his innocent statement almost made Chloe faint from embarrassment since that''s where she was.


    The girls pulled over one big sofa where three of them sat while Layla sat on the one Muku stood up from.


    After 30 minutes, Jade couldn''t help but look back. Seeing his sleeping face she couldn''t help but make an unconscious statement.


    After breakfast, they set out on a hunt. The girls were kind of exited since after a day of being hunted, they were now the hunters. A classic case of hunter becoming the hunted.


    After a few minutes of advancing slowly, they had reached the sixth floor. As soon as they turned the corner they were met with a bloody scene. Bloody and ripped school uniforms all over the ground. And fifteen dogs laying around with bloated bellies, clearly having eaten their fill.


    The scene made the girls want to explode in anger and pity for their dead schoolmates. At the same time they couldn''t help be happy that they chose to stay with their teacher instead of running out. As for teacher Muku, seeing this scene, he swore to himself that he won''t let any of the girls he had end up like that no matter what.


    Seeing the food deliver itself to them, although they were full, didn''t stop the dogs from getting up and charging forward.


    Before the girls could do anything, great teacher Muku made his move. He again moved at a speed that turned him into a blur in front of the girl''s eyes.


    "Howl!!" ¡Á15


    Familiar cries of pain were heard by the girls, and again the dogs were legless, crying on the floor. The situation was like that of an adult fighting toddlers. The dogs didn''t have a chance to resist. Despite their size, they were still unranked beasts after all.


    Without asking questions, the girls all got into action and started killing the beasts off.


    [Three kills left....] ¡Á 3


    [Four kills left....]


    Jade, Layla and Chloe each killed four dogs while Emily killed three.


    "Hmm, I don''t know about this, it kind of feels like we''re the bad guys now". Seeing how they had basically killed defenceless dogs, Emily couldn''t help but feel sad.


    "Are you forgetting what is in their stomachs right now?". Jade just said that single statement to her before shutting her mouth.


    "Sigh, you''re right I guess. They brought this on themselves"


    Only Emily would even consider feeling pity for such creatures...

 Chapter 11 Beast Empress!!

    "Should we continue to the next floor or you need some rest?" Teacher Muku asked his students.


    "Actually, we should be asking you that, all we did was enjoy the benefits of your labour...wait are you trying to be our sugarda..." As always, when talking to Muku, Jade always goes of topic. This time she even exaggeratedly held her modest chest as she stepped away from Muku.


    "By asking that, I assume you''re still okay to go?". And as always, Layla is there to interrupt her if it''s not the time for such things.


    "Huff...Yeah, that only took like a quarter of my power, the situation wasn''t dire like yesterday so I didn''t have to put a little more effort into it." Muku took a deep breath before answering as he was about to explode on Jade. At the back of his head though he swore to spank her one of these days.


    He couldn''t help but look at her with narrowed eyes as he thought it. Jade suddenly felt like she was being stared at by a deadly predator. When she looked around she was only met with the gaze of her teacher who had a harmless smile on his face, but she felt like it was anything but harmless.


    "L-lets continue then, I can''t wait to reach Rank One". She couldn''t help but stutter under his gaze, she only spoke out to get his attention from her, luckily for her it worked.


    "Okay, but on the fifth floor I''m not going to cripple all of them, I''m going to leave one for each of you, with your current kill counts, you should be strong enough to fight one of them and win if you''re careful.". Muku said as he led the way. He didn''t want them to just have high battle strength without any skill or experience to back it up as that could lead to many problems in the future.


    The girls all nodded, but only Jade was truly excited after hearing it. The little girl seemed to be a budding battle maniac that''s surely to give Muku headaches in the future.


    .....


    "Growl"


    [Kill count met. Evolution Commencing. Initializing Specialisation].


    It seemed the only person who got extra rewards was the first guy, or maybe there was a quota and she sadly didn''t make the cut.


    Unlike the numb feeling from before, this time Jade felt a tingling feeling all over her body (not in a sexual way, get your mind out of the gutter). Although she felt extremely uncomfortable, it was at least a lot better what Muku went through. Though she felt the same sensation and sudden thought that her mana core was forming.


    [Mana core formation complete. Extremely High affinity for Beast element detected. Requirements for Pseudo-Legendary Specialisation met. Pseudo-Legendary Class, Beast Empress awakening....]


    With that message in her head. Jade was hit by pain like she had never felt before. Cold sweat trickled down her cheeks...her head cheeks. Although the pain was only around 80% the pain Muku felt, it was still nothing to scoff at, she wanted to scream out, but couldn''t.


    Although all this when narrated seems to take a while, it only took around 3 minutes. Though to Jade it felt like forever.


    After the pain, she finally could open her eyes again, and unlike Muku she could already walk. A faint beastly aura being released from her that only Muku could sense. Though asking her to fight would be too much for her at the moment. Having heard of Muku''s experience, she immediately walked into a relatively clean classroom and sat down on the floor, letting the mana enter her body. She didn''t even look or talk to anyone.


    "Well..seems it went well enough, though her attitude appears to have gotten worse. Anyway, now the rest of you, go ahead. Now we already know that I was just unlucky and it''s not that bad". Muku said to the others after seeing that Jade seemed to be fine. He was a bit jealous that she could already move so soon but as a mature teacher, he didn''t let it bring him down.


    The others hesitated for a second before resolutely pouncing on the dogs.


    [Kill count met. Evolution Commencing. Initializing Specialisation] ¡Á 3

 Chapter 12 Pseudo-Legendary!

    After the familiar voice rang in all their heads. They all froze in place like Jade before them.


    While the girls where evolving. Teacher Muku finished off the rest of the dogs. He had noticed that after reaching Rank One, they were no longer useful to him. Which would likely be the same for the girls, so there was no need to keep them alive, especially with their noisy howls.


    ...


    Emily''s evolution....


    [Mana core formation complete. Unusually High affinity with Fire element(holy variant). Requirements for Pseudo-Legendary Specialisation met. Pseudo-Legendary Class, Phoenix Mage awakening]


    A class that makes her impervious to all flames below Pseudo-Legendary, just her, no clothes included (wink, wink). Only works up to Evolvers one Rank above her. Even the air around her got a bit warmer than the surroundings due to her uncontrolled mana, even though only a bit had been sucked into her core.


    ....


    Layla''s evolution....


    [Mana core formation complete. Unusually High affinity with Ice and shadow elements detected. Requirements for Pseudo-Legendary Specialisation met. Pseudo-Legendary Class, Child of Cocytus awakening....]


    The air around her got a bit colder while she was also giving off a slightly dangerous aura. The latter likely caused by her shadow element that has ties to darkness.


    ...@@@@


    Chloe''s evolution....


    [Mana core formation complete. Extremely High affinity with lightning element detected. Requirements for Pseudo-Legendary Specialisation met. Pseudo-Legendary Class, Zeus''s Descendant awakening....]


    Tiny sparks of blue lightning would spark on her petite body from time to time. While Emily and Layla got their Pseudo-Legendary Class qualifications from their double elements with unusually high affinities. Chloe, like Jade, got the qualification due to her single extremely high affinity for her single element. Teacher Muku got into the Legendary Class due to double "extreme affinities".


    "Hmm, seems one''s aura isn''t so hard to utilise, just need to focus on the target with some sort of intent huh. Oh and as for your question, I was trying to calm you down. I won''t let any of my students get arrogant in front of me after gaining a little bit of power before getting themselves killed...So are you calm now?.". Muku said, but only looked at her when he was addressing her question.


    "Y-yes sir". Jade slowly trying to hold back her anger that will likely get her beaten up. As soon as she replied, Muku took back his "aura suppression".


    "Now, what next, it''s not even mid day yet so it''s too early for lunch. But since you all just evolves, do you want to go and rest or should we continue." Muku asked the rest, Jade already expressed her opinion but they did things based on majority vote after all.


    "Lets continue"¡Á3 All the girls said. Seems even they were excited to try out their new abilities, even Emily who doesn''t like killing couldn''t hold herself back. She wanted to toss a few fireballs and see what happens. Of course something would get burnt, but knowing doesn''t stop one from wanting to experience something.


    ....


    They got to the fourth floor soon after. A familiar scene to the fifth and sixth was seen. Bloody floors, broken furniture and doors. Though there was a twist this time. Not even a single dog could be seen on the floor. Either when they ran before they kept on running or they heard them coming and ran away.


    "Well this certainly is new, did they have some other appointment or something?". Muku said holding his chin looking at the odd situation.


    "Maybe they could sense yo.. I guess it''s our auras now, and with all of us being together, it should have been amplified even more." Chloe put out a conjecture.


    "Hmm, you might be right. Anyway, lets continue, we should meet them eventually." Muku replied as they continued walking.


    The fourth floor was a bit different to the other floors. Although it was mostly the same, it had one unique feature, the utility room. The room where all the random things the school might need from time to time like tools and what not where kept in there. Along with the janitor''s backet and mop (normally). The room had a reinforced steel door, making obviously harder to break than most.


    "Cough"


    When they where passing by, a suppressed cough was heard from the room. When they turned to look at it. They noticed how the door had scratch marks all over its lower part, along with a few minor dents.


    "I think there are people in there". Jade said while looking at the door.


    Everyone else rolled their eyes thinking "obviously, we all literally heard the same cough". But nobody said it out loud as it would likely lead to this petty girl holding a grudge.

 Chapter 13 Cat Girl

    "So who''s gonna open it?". Emily asked clearly not wanting to do it.@@@@


    "Well Jade is the one who heard something". Muku said, also not wanting to do it, he had be jumped once already after all.


    "Hmph!, you jerks!". Jade hearing what the two said while the other two stepped back knew there was no escaping. While cursing her loud mouth she went towards the door.


    "So I''m pretty sure I have enough strength to kick it open now, should I do it". She asked with her hand on her chin.


    "Sure, go ahead and kill whoever is inside with it when it hits them". Muku sarcastically replied with a smile on his face.


    "Tsk, can''t you act a little more grown up please. You could have just said no without the sarcasm. You know what I''m not in the mood to talk to argue with you right now." Jade who felt that she had acted the fool enough for one day chose the high road for a change.


    "Oy, whoever is in there, I know you can hear us talking, open the door, the dogs are gone. If not, I''ll break it down!". She then shouted at the door.


    A few seconds later, she could hear some movements inside but none seemed to be moving toward the door. Which pissed her off.


    And then the most wondrous thing happened, her arms grew orange fur up to just below her elbow. Her hands grew some sharp looking four inch black claws. Two orange cat ears appeared on her head. Her legs up to her knees were also covered in orange fur, though they didn''t grow claws or her school shoes would have been ruined. And tail grew from her tail bone that went down into her blue school uniform skirt before lifting it up, exposing the back of her cute white panties that ironically had a cartoonish cat head design.


    The other girls couldn''t take their eyes off her transformation, while great teacher Muku couldn''t take his eyes over her cute panties covering her soft looking sizable cheeks, yes it''s obviously "those" cheeks this time. Not to mention her thighs...his eyes sparkling with appreciation of the work of art in front of him.


    {So this is the legendary cat girl huh}. He thought


    Emily quickly noticed that them and Muku were looking at different things. She quickly covered his eyes to his disgruntlement. Whether she was being a good friend to Jade or just didn''t want Muku to look at other girls like that, only she knew for sure.


    Everybody came closer and looked inside after seeing nothing jumping on Jade, which made her roll her eyes. Inside the room, five people could be seen huddled together, shaking in fear. Two male teachers, one female teacher, one boy and one girl student. Their eyes shut tight not daring to look at who opened the door.


    As for why they were like this when already knew it was humans who opened the door?. Well, who on this Earth wouldn''t feel scared of people who can basically rip open a reinforced metal door?. Especially after everything that had happened. Who knew if these human looking people were actually humans?.


    "I think you scared them Jade". Muku said while looking at the people shaking in fear.


    "Well it''s their fault for not opening up when I asked nicely". Jade said with a shrug.


    "I''m pretty sure you immediately mentioned breaking down the door soon after asking them to open it but okay. Now you all step back and I''ll talk to them". Muku said while signalling the girls to move back.


    "Hello everyone, I''m Mr Chisen, the teacher for senior class 4B. These girls are my students. And don''t be alarmed by how that girl opened the door she''s related to gori...Ow!... She''s an evolver, if you don''t know what that is, you can come out and I''ll explain. We even have food and water if you want any. But if you don''t want to, we won''t force you, we''ll even leave right now". Muku said, he almost went off track but a kick from Jade set him straight.


    With that, he also stepped back and joined the girls waiting for the people in the room to make their decision.


    After hearing him explain himself and even give them options. Not to mention the food they hadn''t had since the previous day. The people in the room were moved and their nerves slowly comed down. They all started opening their eyes to see who they were talking to.


    "Oh, it really is teacher Chisen". One of the male teachers finally spoke after a while of deliberation in his mind. Muku''s face was familiar to him after all. Though like most teachers, they hadn''t actually talked to him before since he never went to the teacher''s lounge or even tried to interact with the other teachers much. Which made sense since he was just twenty while the other teachers where all in their 40s, basically old enough to be his parents.


    "Yes, and it''s you senior". Muku replied with a smile, he didn''t know who the teacher was.


    The girls standing beside him seemed to have realized his predicament and couldn''t help but snicker. Even the usually serious Layla couldn''t hold back.


    Hearing them, Muku''s lip couldn''t help but twitch, swearing to spank the rest of them along with Jade when the time comes

 Chapter 14 Youre Evil

    What they didn''t know was witnessing their bunter made the five utility room people relax a bit more. They now felt more certain that this Mr Chisen and his students meant them no harm, otherwise why would they embarrass him in front of strangers?.


    They slowly got out of the room, they couldn''t walk properly at first. They had been sitting in the huddled up like that since the previous day after all. Not to mention the hunger and thirst...for water.


    "Why don''t we lead you upstairs, we can talk there, that''s also were the food is. I''m sure you all could use a bite right now.". Muku said in a soft voice, not wanting to scare them. These people had likely not slept due to fear of the killer dogs that where only a door away from them all night. So their mental states would be a bit unstable.


    "Y-yes, thank you". This time it was the middle aged female teacher who spoke. One male teacher and the two students kept their heads down not daring to look at Muku and his students. It seemed the pressure of the killer dogs had hit them quite hard. It would take them a while to recover, with the first step being getting food and some sleep.@@@@


    Only the old guy from before who recognised Muku and this middle aged lady seemed to be in a slightly better condition. Their nerves seemed to recover a lot easier than the others.


    "Ahh!".


    As they walked up the stairs, as soon as they reached the fifth floor and saw the many dog corpses on the floor. The female student couldn''t help but scream as she and her whole group took a step back.


    "Don''t worry they are all dead. You''ve got nothing to worry about, lets proceed". Muku said trying to calm them down. While wondering when he had been appointed to be these people''s babysitters. Especially when he saw the four little girls giggling away at his misfortune from the corner of his eye.


    After calming down a bit, the oldman and his group finally started walking forward, following behind Muku''s group. Though the four girls had long disappeared ahead, leaving Muku to deal with these people alone. He could only sigh and add one more reason to his spank bank... not the one you''re thinking.


    ....


    A few, excruciatingly slow for Muku minutes later....


    Even Jade couldn''t control herself. Luckily for her Muku didn''t look their way or she would have been teased to death for being so girly despite putting on a tough act.


    "Well Mr Chisen, you and your group seem strong enough to me. And I''m sure a little more people wouldn''t make much of a difference right?. And we will just stay here, so you can still mainly focus on your students like always". Mr Swindon after talking to his group finally spoke up. Him and his group were so traumatised that they didn''t even dare to attack a legless killer dog like Muku had planned for them to do.


    "Hey!....". Jade screamed out in anger but when she was about to continue. Muku raised his hand to stop her from speaking. She grumbled but still shut up and set back down.


    "Is that so, I understand, we''ll do it like that then. But you''ll have to do a bit of work in return. There are some bodies killer dogs bodies all around that youre group will have to throw out the window or the situation after they decay would be quite unbearable." Muku said with an expressionless face.


    "O-Oh, that we can do". Mr Swindon agreed, feeling too embarrassed to reject even that.


    "Good then, for now try to rest. Me and the girls will go continue killing them". Muku said while getting up and walking towards the door, signalling the girls to follow.


    They walked till the fourth floor in silence. Until finally Jade couldn''t help it but speak up.


    "Hey are we really going to take care of those freeloaders?" She asked Muku with a frown on her face. Even the other girls didn''t seem too happy about the idea. The sweet and kind Emily included.


    "Of course we are....until we kill ourselves out of the school and leave them behind to fend for themselves. Which means, likely by tomorrow morning we will be leaving here. Who knows what will come out of that portal by the gate next after all" Muku said while smiling but didn''t slow down his steps.


    "Oh....you''re evil". Jade and the other girls were shocked by how ruthless he could be. And he does it in a way you won''t even suspect him of anything of such a nature.


    "I''m not evil, I''m just not a pushover" Muku said this time with a chuckle.

 Chapter 15 99 more kills!?

    On the third floor...


    "Well, this could be troublesome". Muku said while looking at the 50+ unranked killer dogs on the floor. They were so many they couldn''t fit on the passageway, some were poking thier heads out of the classrooms.


    They alone weren''t the problem, just him alone could easily deal with them. The real problem was the two meter killer dog that was standing in front of the other dogs. ''Lower stage Rank One'' are the words that suddenly came to his mind when he looked at it. Just like when he suddenly knew what a mana core was, it was the same. He suspected that the being behind the scenes had somehow made it that they can automatically recognize some things. As to back his claim, even the girls knew what it was.


    The beast was still pitch black like the others. The difference though, other than body size, ranged from black spikes poking out of its back. Crimson eyes excluding intelligence. A body that radiated mana unlike the others. Longer canine teeth and claws.


    "You guys take the underlings and I''ll take at the big g...Oh shit!!"


    Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!


    While Muku while still giving orders to the girls. The Rank One killer dog seemed to run out of patience. And it did something nobody expected. It swiped it''s claws in the air and its claws were actually detached from its body and flew toward Muku''s group. If Muku didn''t hurriedly party then with his axe, he and Emily standing beside him would have been given a few extra holes on their bodies. Even more astonishing was how new claws quickly grew in the place of the ones thrown at them.


    "Well damn!, who would have thought, well at least from this I now know to expecting anything from these monsters. Girls, attack!" Muku said while sprinting toward the beast. His body carried forward and made lighter by his telekinesis.


    Pwak!


    Within seconds he was in front of the beast and his axe falling down on its huge head. But to his suprise, his axe broke without being able to cut the dog.


    He quickly stepped back in surprise. That''s when he noticed a look of disdain in the dog''s eyes. It seemed it already knew his attack wouldn''t do it any harm. No wonder it didn''t even react.


    "Damn, even a beast is giving me a disdainful look now?. Well I''ll show you, here I was thinking I could minimise my mana expenditure by using the axe instead of creating swords.". With that said, a silver longsword appeared in Muku''s hand as he ran to attack the beast once again. Though this time it didn''t passively accept his attack.@@@@


    ....


    On the girls'' side.....


    Woosh! ¡Á 3


    With that statement, he creates two more swords, his limit was only three at the time. Made them shoot forward aiming at the leader killer dog''s giant had.


    "Lets see if you can deflect two at the same time". He said while standing still.


    The dog''s eyes narrowed but soon a look of disdain appeared in its eyes again. It did something unexpected, stood up in its two hind legs and slapped the swords away. But before it could get down on all fours again, it sensed danger.


    Before it could react, Muku appeared just below it, his sword stabbing dip into its throat and coming out through the other side. It seemed the dog''s mana and skin that could easily shrug off the axe, couldn''t resist a weapon created from the mana of a same level being. Before the blood could spurt out and cover him all over, Muku had already stepped back.


    His chest was heaving up and down as he had pushed his telekinesis to the limit to increase his speed. This had taken quite a bit of energy from him.


    The dog fell to the ground, chocked on its own blood for a bit before dying, it''s eyes full of disbelief. Which made sense really, like how of a human was killed by a chicken, of course they would show surprise in their face as their died.


    [99 kills left before Rank up!]


    Muku stepped back to the girls'' side, his face scrunched down a bit after hearing the message. To get to Rank Two he had to kill 99 more Rank One beings after all. The previous 10 was nothing worth mentioning in front of the new requirements, and he almost died to get those ten too.


    As soon as their leader died, the remaining seven dogs got out of their berserk state and quickly turned around to flee.


    "Oh no you don''t, and now without him in the way I can finally let loose". Seeing the dogs start running away, Jade spoke before disappearing, her speed a lot faster than the one before. She had reached and surpassed the speed Muku used to kill the leader dog. Less than five seconds later Jade appeared again. The dogs were all dead, and unlike the ones who dies before them, their heads were sliced off.


    "Gulp, seems she wasn''t kidding when she said her base form was an agility type". Emily said with a nervous expression. She just realised that she''d probably be unable to react if Jade tried to kill her. Of course such a day definitely never come, but she couldn''t help but think of it.


    "Phew, that took a lot out of me, but it was fun as hell though". Jade said, her modest chest heaving. Seems the speed took a lot out of her.


    "Good that you had fun, now would you mind looking down at your uniform?". Muku said while looking at her with a smile.


    "Huh, what do you...oh". Jade was first confused, but when she looked down she understood. Her originally blue school uniform was now more red than blue in the front area. Even her face had some blood on it. With her smile, she kind looked like someone who fell out of a horror movie. Especially with her claws that were still dripping blood.


    "You''re sleeping outside today". Muku said with a deadpan expression, while the girls at his side subtly nodded.

 Chapter 16 Telekinetic force field!

    After the battle, Emily went from dog to dog, burning it with her golden flame. Since the target wasn''t moving, she could confidently use her power indoors, though Layla was beside her just in case. Chloe tried to help getting rid of them with her blue lightning, but she only managed to cook them instead. Seems she was still far from Zeus''s level of being able to erase things out of existence with lightning alone. So she could only helplessly sigh and give up.


    It took a while for Emily to finish, but it was eventually done. It''s something that definitely had to be done at that point. They couldn''t risk attracting the dogs below anymore. Not after finding out that they weren''t all unranked like they thought.


    "Hey!, stop ignoring me!, is that the thanks I get for all the work I did?. You''re going to make me sleep outside?". Jade said as she walked behind the others after being silent for a few minutes not knowing what to say.


    "You clearly have the speed to avoid the blood or at least you could have just poked their heads like you did with the other dogs. But you chose a literal blood bath, that''s what you get." Muku said back to her while still walking forward. They were going back up the stairs. Muku and Jade were pretty spent after all. Nobody wanted to take a risk to go down further when not all their members where a hundred percent.


    "Hmm, do you think it''s so easy to control your body at such high speeds?. It literally was my first time after all!" Jade defended herself.


    "Even worse, you did something unnecessary, wasting your mana when your initial speed would have been enough. No matter what you say, unless you can find a way to change your clothes your definitely sleeping outs...you can take them off thou... Ow! Who pinched me!?". Muku was about to get off track again before someone pinched his back.


    At this point Layla, Emily and Chloe where walking just right behind him so he couldn''t tell who did it. Even worse was how all three of the girls pretended like they didn''t hear him.


    "Hehe, I''ll tell you if you le...". Jade thought she had found her way back into the room but she interrupted before she could finish.


    "No, I don''t need to know". Muku rudely interrupted her. To which she only "hmphed" but didn''t say anything more.


    It seemed like Mr Swindon''s group didn''t rest first when they left. They took care of throwing the dogs out the windows. The reason why Muku''s group came this conclusion was because all the floors they passed till they made it to the top, no longer had dead dogs on them.


    ...


    Around 1 pm, everybody had fully, recovered, Jade still pouting as Muku really barred her from the room. Even made everyone eat in the principal''s office just so that she doesn''t dirty the sofas in the lounge.@@@@


    "Okay, we''ve had lunch, let''s go for round two, we must take care of everything today if possible....so we can ditch this extra weight tomorrow morning." Muku spoke as he got up, though the later part he only said it in his head.


    On the stairway to the second floor.


    "Okay everyone, get ready, I feel like this time is going to be different from before so be mindful of your surroundings... Yes, I''m talking to you Jade. Now go!. Muku gave his orders to which Jade made a disgruntled sounds again for being targeted. They then stepped onto the floor from the stairs.


    Unlike the previous floor. There wasn''t even a single unranked killer dog here. Just three ranked ones lazing around.


    "Shit, they are all middle stage Rank Ones!. I''ll attack one, Jade One, Layla one, Chloe you can assist Layla if she wants, as for Emily...cheer everyone on". Muku was first startled by their slightly higher level. But quickly regained his composure and gave out orders.


    As for why he specifically told Emily to stay out of it. That was because he had noticed that her flame tends to spread easily when she was burning the dogs. While she couldn''t properly control it yet, so that could lead to a situation were there all burned to death in the building. Wouldn''t it be embarrassing to survive the beast attack only to be killed by your ally?.


    Woosh!¡Á 12


    Twelve claws flew toward Muku''s group. The three dogs had all sent out their long range claw attack at the same time.


    Clak!¡Á12


    (A/N : don''t judge the sound effect, unless you know what sound projectile claws make when they hit the floor)


    Oddly as soon as the twelve claws arrived in front of Muku, they seemed to have hit an invisible barrier and fell to the ground.


    "I knew it could be used in more ways than just propelling my body. So other than the base spell we subconsciously already know from the start, we have to come up with the rest ourselves huh. How fun, I''ll call it (Telekinetic force field)". Muku said, which was just to explain to the confused girls what had happened.


    Then the moved into one class knowing one of the killer dogs would follow him. Well, he was hoping anyway, luckily the dogs didn''t embarrass him as one really did follow him.


    "Good idea!". Jade said as she moved into another class. And another dog followed her as well. Leaving the last one to the three remaining girls.

 Chapter 17 Ice spikes!

    Muku''s fight.....


    {Well, although it took some effort to kill the other one before and this one is stronger, I should be able to do it with less effort. I now know what to expect after all. Would have been better if I could use the force field and the speed booster at the same time though. No use in thinking about what I can''t do, now it''s time to fight!}. Muku thought as he and the dog stared at each other with killin intent radiating from both sides.


    Boom!


    As if on cue, both of them charged forward at the same time. Muku stepping on the desks while the dog bulldozed its way through. When they were less than three meters away from each other, the killer dog lifted it''s paw, unleashing its signature attack.


    Woosh! ¡Á4


    "Not this time!" With that shout Muku jumped into the air avoiding the projectile claws and another sword appearing in his free left hand. Now holding two swords he went down, the swords aimed at the dog''s head. Like the one before it, the dog stood on its hind legs, it even seemed more adept at it than the last one.


    Clang ¡Á2


    Both swords were successfully halted by its claws.


    Woosh!


    When it opened its mouth about to bite at Muku''s head, a third sword speedily pass by Muku''s head and before the dog could react, the sword was already poking into its mouth, coming out the other side.


    The killer dog quickly pushed Muku away and tried to grab the sword to pull it out. Whether it would survive even if it successfully pulled it out was questionable. Blood was already pouring out of it''s mouth and back of the head were the sword came out.


    Slash! Bang!


    The dog was so occupied with the sword that it completely forgot about Muku. He took that chance to run behind it and slash its head off from the back, putting it out of its misery.


    [97 kills left....]


    (A/N : no the author isn''t going senile or doesn''t know how to count. A low stage Rank One beast counts for one kill, while a mid stage counts for two. In fact, it depends on the strength of the beast.


    Note: Killer dogs are one of the weakest beasts around, even when they are Rank One)


    "Tsk, seems these things aren''t anything special once you know what to expect." Muku said while while walking out of the room to go and see Jade''s fight. He chose her before the others since she was alone while they were three. He did see them paying a game of "dodgespikes" with their dog though.


    {Though I have to admit, right now she might be even stronger than me. I hope she doesn''t realise it or I might be in for a real headache} He had some fleeting thoughts as he stared at her back.


    .....


    "Hahaha, Layla, what are you even doing?, how are you even having so much trouble with this weak thing?". Jade said as she was looking at the fight between Layla and her dog.


    Layla being a mage type couldn''t get in close and personal with the dog like Muku and Jade. So she could only exchange shots woth the dog. While it threw some claws, she threw some ice arrows. They were mostly cancelling each other out and dodging the rest. This situation made her feel a bit helpless not knowing what to do. She had refused any help from Chloe and Emily, though Emily was banned from helping anyway.


    Hearing Jade''s taunt she for the first time was angered and...


    "Haah!" She screamed out.


    Stab! ¡Á 4


    Ice spikes started poking out of the group, with the area in front of her being ground zero. They kept getting longer the further they got from her. The killer dog was completely caught off guard and was stabbed right through by four big ice spikes. One spike for its head, one for its chest and two for its stomach. It was even lifted into the air by the spikes, it was dead in less than a second.


    [98 kills left....]


    "Well....that was unexpected". Jade managed to say after collecting her jaw of the ground.


    "You idiot, haven''t you ever played games or watched movies?. Don''t you know that mages will eventually trump over other classes in attack power?. Why would you try to piss her off?". Muku said why giving her disdainful look.


    "Umm, Layla I''m sorry, I was just joking so I hope you don''t take it seriously. We''re friends after all...right?". Jade hearing his words couldn''t help but break in cold sweat and quickly apologised to Layla.


    Layla on the other and just looked at her before looking at the dog she just killed.


    "Hey, don''t ignore me!. We''re fine are we?. Say something!" Jade was even more scared, she had no dreams of being an icicle or popsicle one day after all.


    "Thank you". Layla looked at her again and only said that.


    "Huh?, for what?" Jade was confused.


    "I realised that strong emotions can help us advance our magic. If you didn''t make me angry I don''t know when I would have been able to learn the ice spikes spell". Layla explained.


    "Oh, right. I totally meant to do that. And I accept your gratitude that''s what friends are for right." Jade being told how useful she was couldn''t help but let her ego inflate. She even puffed out her chest with a smug look on her face. The others seeing this could only roll their eyes but remained quiet

 Chapter 18 Fighting the Boss!

    An hour later.....


    "Everyone should have rested enough right?, so let''s continue" Muku said.


    They had been taking a break on the second floor. Though nobody was really too tired, they knew floor one was going to be the big fight so they needed to be in peak condition.


    On the stairs, Muku poked his head out to survey the situation. That''s when he noticed it, a beast of a killer dog. The killer dogs they had fought before were beasts but the one in his sight was a beast even among them.


    Two and a half metres while standing on all fours. Whole back covered in spikes. Huge bulldog like head, mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. Pitch black skin unable to hide the bulging muscles. Half a meter long front claws on it''s bear like paw. The aura It was releasing was greater than the three mid stage Rank Ones from before combined. Without a doubt It was a peak stage Rank One beast. And it was gulping down a dead body of a student.


    Muku quickly pulled his head back before it sensed him. Then pushed back Jade''s head that was about to poke out and look at the dog. She of course wasn''t happy about this but seeing the seriousness on his face didn''t say anything. This monster was likely the one that destroyed the school gate.


    "There''s a peak stage Rank One killer dog there. We might have to fight that one together, even Emily... though try not to burn the building. Luckily for us it seems to be the lazy type and didn''t go up the floors itself having the food brought down to it, otherwise we would have died before even reaching Rank One. Anyway, me and Jade will be the vanguard, Layla and Chloe will support us from the back group. If the situation seems to be getting out of hand, that''s when you step in Emily. Now everyone gets ready". Muku quickly gave out his orders before anyone could say anything and quickly got into action.


    He charged forward, Jade beside him, the rest following a few metres back.


    Woosh!¡Á4


    The dog seemed to have already sensed them and was playing the fool. It had already finished it''s meal and quickly sent out some claws.


    "Expected it". Muku said with a smile as he deployed the force field. He like he said expected the attack.


    Boom!¡Á4


    But what he didn''t expect was how the force from the claws would push him back for a whole two metres. As well as take a huge chunk of his mana away. Just like that, a quarter of his mana was gone.


    "Damn, what power, Jade don''t play around this time, if you are hit even once you will die.". Muku said with a serious expression as soon as he stopped being pushed back.


    "You think I''d let myself get hit after what I just saw?, you know what, whatever, let me show you what I can do. Ahh!". Jade replied him before using her stun attack and charging at the killer dog boss.


    Clang! Pwak!


    Surprisingly the dog wasn''t stunned as Jade thought it would be and even more surprisingly it managed to react fast enough to block Jade''s high speed attack. It even counter attacked and slapped at Jade with its other paw.


    (A/N : Killer Dog Boss = KDB)


    It didn''t have time to react before it was hit, though unless it could have dodged. There was nothing else it could have done to an energy attack as a physical type beast. It''s body started spasming a bit while it tried to suppress it.


    "Now!" Chloe shouted, getting Muku and Jade out of their shocked state. This was the first time they had seen Chloe act to actually attack after all.


    Not wasting time,Jade uses her "high quick" again and this time aimed at the dog''s front leg. It tried to move out of the way but the spasms made it a tad too slow nor able to properly tense up it''s muscles and so...


    Slash!


    Howl!


    It''s leg was cleanly cut off, prompting a loud cry of pain from it. Not giving it time to recover Muku sent three flying swords at its head. The dog looked at the swords approach with a look of despair in it''s eyes as it knew it could at best stop one in the situation with its mouth. Worse yet none were aiming at its mouth.


    Stab¡Á3


    All three swords stabbed into its skull killing it off instantly.


    [95 kills left...] (Muku)


    [97 kills left...] (Jade)


    [99 kills left...] (Chloe)


    "Huff!!, it''s finally over, Jade was that exciting enough for you?" Muku huffed in relief and couldn''t help but taunt Jade as he set on the floor, more mentally tired than physically as he still had at least half of his mana left.


    "Hmph!, No not at all, what''s so fun about a beast I likely wouldn''t be able to kill by myself". Jade replied also slumping down to the floor.


    The rest did the same as they laughed at Jade''s reply. This fight drained everyone mentally no matter how small the part they took in the fight. They have never felt so much I danger before, they all knew that one wrong move could have ended in someone dying after all.


    "I just hope there is no other beast like it close by". Jade said again.


    "Brat!, are you trying to jinx it!?". Muku roared, while the girls all laughed at his reaction.

 Chapter 19 "Projectile Claws" skill acquired!

    "Hmm, so you''re saying both of you got reduction on your kill count to Rank Two when I killed the dog?". Muku asked while looking at Jade and Chloe.


    "Yes". The both spoke at the se time.


    "Well then the logical conclusion is that whoever damages a beast from Rank One onwards will get KP based on their contribution. Though it has to be something significant otherwise even Layla would have gotten something since she assisted a bit. But to think the monster was actually worth 5 kill points. It must have been quite a beast even among Rank Ones.". Muku being blessed with a good brain quickly deciphered the situation.


    "Makes sense, hey do you mind if I dig into its chest?". With that statement from Jade everyone couldn''t help but look at her with a weird expression.


    "Hey, stop looking at me like that, I just got this feeling that there''s something useful to me there okay". She quickly defended herself seeing how the others were looking at her.


    "Oh, you should have led with that, we thought you were developing an interesting in bloody hearts or something. I mean you have the weirdest class out of everyone here after all like what the hell is a Beast Empress anyway?". Teacher Muku maliciously commented. Seeing his smug expression, Jade got the urge to punch him in the face, but she held herself back.


    "And you think Devine Metal Warlock sounds less weird?...like what''s so devine about it?, you dont seem devine at all. You know what, I don''t have time for this. Jade retorted as she walked toward the dead KDB.


    She had to put in a bit of effort to turn the dog around as it had fallen forward when it died. Since she didn''t yet have enough control over her ability, she had to completely turn into her cat girl form just because she wanted to use her claws. With the dog dead, its defense that depended heavily on its muscles plummeted. Though even then it took Jade a bit of effort to break through its hard chest area especially getting through the rib cage.


    "Wooh, so this is what has been calling out to me". Jade said with sparkling eyes not minding the bloody mess she has created. Though the others couldn''t help but scooch a bit of distance away from her clearly shaken by what she was doing with a smile on her face.


    "Well what is it, show us". Emily said, but still didn''t come closer to Jade.


    "This!". Jade who hadn''t noticed the extra distance between her and the others excitedly pulled out a red crystal like sphere radiating mana, it''s size a little smaller than a golf ball.


    "It seems its called a beast core and it''s rare to find in lower level beasts like this." Jade explained the sphere as she held it out.


    "This isn''t fair, doesn''t this mean she can just horde skills from beasts we kill from now on while the rest of us wreck our brains to create new ones!?". Emily shouted out in disgruntlement.


    "Actually it seems I can only gain three skills per Rank like this. And don''t forget that the IA said that beast cores are rare among Rank Ones". Jade clarified. Hearing it, not only Emilia but everyone else also felt relieved because they didn''t want to face a day were Jade had a hundred of skills while all of them combined had around ten or something like that.


    "But still, you don''t have to think about coming up with skills like this... though now that I think about it maybe that''s why youre the one with such a class". Emily was expressing her jealousy when she realised that Jade didn''t like thinking very much so she would have been screwed if she didn''t have this core devouring ability from her class.


    "Hey!, are you indirectly calling me dumb!?". Jade exploded in anger.


    "Forget that for now, go get yourselves some change of clothes from the receptionist counter. Especially you Jade.". Muku seeing that Emily didn''t know what to say to Jade''s question quickly interfered, diffusing situation like a good teacher.


    Uniforms were issued out at the front desk on the first floor by the receptionist. So there were always some uniforms there. Although Jade was the most bloody one in the group, every had some level of blood on their clothes after all the fights they had. Even Muku was thinking of getting himself a male student''s school uniform.


    "Hmph!". Jad felt that he was trying to cover something up but she was a girl after all. So despite seemingly not minding her current bloody appearance, she definitely would want to change her clothes if possible. And so she didn''t pursue the matter and went to choose a uniform with the rest.


    (A/N: Jade isn''t dumb, she''s just one of those people too lazy to use their brains when they feel like they don''t have to)


    With their change of uniforms chosen, the girls were about to go to the school bathrooms to take a shower before wearing new clothes. The electricity was still around so the water and everything other than the network blocked by mana were all working fine enough.


    "Wait, I just remembered something, let''s go check if there are still any killer dogs outside. Which is highly likely after all the corpses we tossed out." Muku suddenly said as the girls were about to merrily go take a bath.


    "Yes!!". Emily shouted in happiness, even jumping up a few times. Looking at her the others were confused as to why she was so happy at first. But then they realised something.


    They were going outside and Emily could finally participate in battles!

 Chapter 20 Emily unleashed!

    Woosh!


    "Flame burst!". Emily excitedly shouted, hitting an unlucky unranked killer dog that was trying to flee from the mad pyro. The dog was incinerated before it could even howl in pain.


    "Hahaha, take that! Hahaha, who''s next?". Emily had basically gone berserk ever since they went outside of the school building.


    She was tossing out what seemed to be exploding fireballs. They would only explode when they made contact with the dogs then envelop them, burning them until they are charcoal.


    "Well, so is this why they say you should never let a lady get too pent up?" Muku said with a pondering look his hand on his chin. He and the girls didn''t even get a chance to do anything ever since they came out and where all just following behind the mad Emily.


    "I can''t help but feel that your statement has double meanings". Jade said while the other two nodded in agreement.


    "Cough..you''re overthinking it. Anyway I hope Emily finishes soon we only have about two hours of daylight left after all." Muku replied, shifting focus, trying to cover up what he said.


    "Hmm, if you say so. And we can always join in if she takes too long.". Jade said.


    "Yuh, you''re welcomed to try if you want. I for one refuse to get in her way right now." Muku replied look at Emily''s current state with a wary look.


    "Your know what, you might be right. I can''t believe this is that sweet Emily who couldn''t even attack these things before. It''s literally only been like a day, how has she changed so much.". After also looking at Emily''s current state Jade backed off from her plan while expressing her suprise in her change.


    "Well I guess seeing the others doing something all this time, especially during the boss fight while she only carried some water got to her". Chloe chimed in, she could somewhat relate to Emily as even she hadn''t had many chances to act too.


    "Makes sense, from now on we shouldn''t let anyone sit on the shelf for too long, one psycho in Jade is enough for the group after all" Muku nodded in agreement while Jade gave him a side glance but was too lazy to argue.


    .....


    An hour later.....


    "Huff, that was fun. Too bad they are all dead or ran away though". Emily said looking at the dog shaped charcoal all over the school premise. The rest of the unranked dogs ran out through the gate in the direction of the city.


    Looking at the city her eyes seemed down and bit before regaining their glow. She then turned back and walked toward the others who had long stopped following her after seeing how she was bullying the dogs that weren''t even resisting.


    "I''m done here, I guess we can go take that bath now. We are leaving tomorrow morning right so we have to properly prepare and come up with a plan.". As she got to the others she said. She didn''t stop though, she went inside, grabbed her new uniform heading for the showers.


    "At least she seems to have gone back to normal now. Though I don''t think I can still see her in the same way as before". Jade commented while looking at Emily''s back.


    "Yeah, and what are you all still doing here?, go join her. Jade, don''t come out unless you shower at least three tim..ow". Muku was speaking when he was kicked on the leg by Jade who "Hmped" and walked away.


    "It was either this or my bloody clothes after I cleared the school of all the dogs. Do you think I made the right choice?". Muku said with a smile on his face.


    "Makes sense....wait what!?, you''ve killed them all?" Mr Swindon along with his group were all shocked.


    "Well the girls helped of course, couldn''t have done it without them even". Muku affirmed while giving the girls their deserved recognition.


    "Even then, there''s only five of you!. How''s that possible!?". Mr Swindon asked, his emotions unstable from the shock.


    "That''s what the power of Rank Ones can do Mr Swindon. If you had been a bit more daring, you could have had it too. Though it''s too late now. It won''t be so easy anymore." Muku said while looking at him with a neutral expression.


    "R-right". That''s all Mr Swindon could say, his mind was overcome with regret. His group was also the same. They had thought that it was a fluke when Muku and his group has killed all the dogs before. Or the dogs had even killed each other somehow despite the wounds on them that didn''t look like they were from bites. Humans are don''t trust others easily after all. Although in recent times that''s probably for the best, but in some situations like this one, it leads to people missing out on golden opportunities. So it''s a matter of lucky really.


    "Anyway Mr Swindon, you and your group are staying in the the Principal''s office, there isn''t enough room for everyone to rest properly in here after all". Muku said, his expression still neutral.


    "But..okay, we will go, I hope you all have a good night, we will see each other again tomorrow". Mr Swindon wanted to disagree at first but seeing Muku''s eyes narrow a bit when he said "but", he quickly changed his statement. He wasn''t sure why but he felt that if he disagreed in that moment he would have regretted it.


    With that he and his group walked out of the room heading for the principal''s office. The female student of their group looked back briefly, hesitated then continued walking out with the rest.


    ...


    After Mr Swindon''s group left and Muku closed the door....


    "Did you have to scare him like that?". Emily asked Muku.


    What Mr Swindon and his group didn''t know was that Muku had used a bit of his aura when he narrowed his eyes targeting Mr Swindon. Which stopped him from disagreeing.


    "Would you rather all ten of us stayed in here or we went to the office instead?". Muku asked her a question if his on.


    "Well no but...sigh, fine.". Emily didn''t know what to say. She was one of those people who are too nice even when it goes against their own self interest. Luckily Muku wasn''t, Jade also wasn''t, Layla didn''t seem to care much about people outside of their group, Chloe might be a bit like Emily but she wouldn''t raise her voice against the group.


    "Even then, it kinda seems like you want to do something to us behind close doors the way you said it". Jade taunted. The other girls felt their faces hit up thinking about it.


    "Oh please, like I''d be attracted to little girls like you all". Muku said rolling his eyes.


    "Hhmp!" ¡Á 4


    With that, the girls ignored Muku for the rest of the night, and even the plan for tomorrow that was supposed to be discussed was forgotten.


    "Huh, what happened?". Muku was confused as to why the air in the room suddenly changed. But for some some reason he didn''t dare talk to any of them in that moment. His senses warned him against such an action.

 Chapter 21 Hope

    Around twelve midnight....


    The door to the principal''s office was quietly opened and a shadow hurried out from the inside. The shadow slowly made it''s way towards the teacher''s lounge, and slowly opened the door and got went inside without even looking inside the room. Then faced the door to quietly close it.


    When the shadow turned around it was startled. Everyone in the room was up and looking at the shadow from a distance. Then the lights were turned on, now everything could be seen clearly since only the moonlight was the source of light before which didn''t offer much in visibility. The shadow turned out to be the female student from Mr Swindon''s group.


    "Care to tell us what you''re doing here I''m the middle of the night?". Muku spoke with a curious expression. Well there was no way a little girl who hadn''t even killed a single beast could be after their lives so he really was curious. And he hadn''t been able to sleep after the air in the room changed when he made his comment about the girls. And it seemed they were also still awake, so there wasn''t any anger from anyone about being woken up.


    "I..uh..". The girl softly spoke, clearly nervous, she was so nervous she even forgot what she wanted to say.


    "Do we look that scary to you little girl?. Why don''t you breathe in to calm down for a bit then speak properly". Emily spoke seeing the "little girl" getting so nervous she was about to faint. As for why she would call someone who looked around the same age as her as little girl, only she knew.


    "Uh, right, sorry. I.... Please take me with you when you leave tomorrow, I''ll even carry all your luggage or you!". The girl said out loud after calming down a bit. Of course it was only loud enough to be heard in the room.


    "What?!, what do you mean when we leave?, why would we leave, the school grounds is beast free...did you overhear something?". Muku was surprised by what she said, wondering how she found out, trying to cover it up then coming out and admitting it seeing how she looked certain that they were leaving.


    "I- no, I didn''t overhear anything, but your I guessed it from your behaviour and body language, you all don''t seem to want to get overly familiar with the rest of us, like how one would do with people they don''t plan on interacting for long.... And...". The girl gave her reasoning and was about to say more when she was interrupted.@@@@


    "Sigh, fine, if that''s what you all want, who am I to disagree." Muku said, seemingly still a bit unwilling.


    "Anyway, what''s your name girl?. We''re going to work together from now on so we have to know at least that right?.". Muku asked the girl.


    "It-it''s Hope sir". The girl said after stuttering a bit. Instead of stopping crying, she cried even more. This time though they were tears of joy.


    "Sheesh, what a cry baby. Anyway get your emotions under control and go back and sleep. We don''t want the others to suspect anything if you stay here after all. We will call you in the morning and discuss our plan then". Muku said to the girl. If one took a closer look at his face, they would realise he was actually trying to hold back a smile.


    "Y-yes sir, I won''t disturb you anymore. See you all tomorrow and have a good night". The girl quickly responded before leaving the room and heading off to sleep.


    "You too, get some sleep, growing kids shouldn''t stay up so late.". Muku said to the girls. They all narrowed their eyes at being called "kids" but didn''t say anything and went of to sleep. The next day was likely going to be busy one after all.


    {Phew, they agreed to let her tag along. As expected of me, such a great actor}. Muku thought to himself as he tried to sleep on his sofa.


    That''s right, Muku had long wanted the girl to tag along when she said she was willing to get stronger. Not to mention he was a virgin weak to requests from girls anyway, and Hope happened to be a pretty little girl with a bright future. But he knew he couldn''t just come out and say it or the girls would call him a pervert or be angry that he didn''t consult them. So he left it up to Hope to convince them by showing her hopeless situation, and lucky enough she didn''t disappoint.


    Was he being manipulative?. Who cares as long as everyone is happy.

 Chapter 22 Departure and chatty Chloe?

    The next morning....


    "Oh, so you want to check out the area around the school and it will take up most of the day so want this little girl Hope to carry your supplies for you since the rest of you will be fighting?". Mr Swindon asked for confirmation while looking at Muku.


    "Yes". Muku only said one word, clearly not willing to talk too much.


    "O-oh, If that''s your choice, go ahead". Mr Swindon replied with a smile, clearly happy that it wasn''t him that was chosen for such a dangerous task. Even the others from his group were showing relieved expressions. They all still hadn''t realised their precarious situation after all. And for some reason they really assumed Muku''s group was willing to support them while they laze around for no reason. They were about as delusional as one could be in that moment.


    Hope looked at her group with teary eyes because of their parting. After all they had created some form of bond after surviving the beast attack together. But they, thinking that she wanted them to say something to stop her from going onto such a task all looked away in embarrassment.


    Seeing this Muku and his group could barely hold back their laughter. Hope though couldn''t help but be saddened by their reaction after realising it, the little uncertainty she had about leaving them quickly shattered. She was now completely sure that she had made the right decision. And so, she carried one bag on her back containing some canned food while holding two others with some water and such. Though Jade, Layla''s and Chloe were also carrying one bag on their backs.


    "Once a person becomes an Evolver they need to consume a lot more food" Muku said without being asked.


    He had noticed that Mr Swindon''s group were wondering why they would need so many supplies for just a day long outing. And like the idiots they were they easily believed him, well not like they could do anything to stop him from taking as much as he wanted anyway.


    "Okay, now we''re off. See you later Mr Swindon and group." Muku said as he and his group that now had an extra member left. Mr Swindon and his group happily waved him off.


    ....


    "Focus, who knows if we will suddenly be attacked out here. You must always be ready to react"


    As Hope was walking absent mindedly, Chloe tapped her shoulder and gave her some advice with a friendly smile on her face. The reason Chloe did this was because this timid little underclassmen reminded her of herself.


    "Y-yeah, thank you senior" Hope said timidly.


    "No problem, oh and I''m Chloe, senior year...you should be Hope if I remember correctly right?". Chloe continued to make conversation with her. Which suprised the rest. But realising that the two seemed to have somewhat similar personalities, they understood.


    "Yeah, I''m Hope, third year. Nice to meet you senior". Hope was a lot less nervous seeing that the group didn''t see her as a outsider.


    "Likewise, oh and I''m sure you already know of our teacher Sir Muku....but I guess yiu know him as Sir Chisen. He prefers his students call him by his name though, his reason was that calling him by surname made him feel old. That blonde haired girl is Emily, the green haired one is Jade and the brunette is Layla, they are all nice people. I''m sure we will all get along." Chloe continued the introductions, hearing their names, Emily smiled at Hope in acknowledgement, Layla nodded while Jade made a v sign with a grin on her face. Teacher Muku had only waved back without looking behind him and kept on walking forward.


    "Oh ho, who knew our little Chloe would be such a chatterbox?" Jade teased, to which Chloe''s face reddened in embarrassment.


    "I hadn''t gotten used to you all yet okay". Chloe defended herself, not wanting to be embarrassed in front of her junior.


    And like that their banter continued as they walked forward. This made Hope feel a lot more welcomed into the group and she also got to understand them all a bit more. Of course other than Hope, the rest were still ready to take action at an moment if an attack happened.


    As for why they were walking you might ask?. If a Rank One beast suddenly attacked you, would you rather be in a car constrained or outside?. Not to mention that a car''s noise as you drove would basically be asking for trouble. Besides, other than Hope, the rest of them were a lot stronger than normal people with a lot more stamina too, they might not be as strong as Jade or Muku but they weren''t weak either.

 Chapter 23 Can this be eaten?

    Maz city was a midsized city surrounded by mountains on all side, meaning the roads all went through mountains to get to it. Because if that the city looked like it was built in a giant not too deep hole like area. So one could basically overlook most of it from the mountain road.


    Which is what Muku and his group were doing in that moment. Though inside of feeling awed by it like from the past, they felt their hearts tighten. Smoke could be seen slithering into the sky from all over the city, suggesting large fires in those areas. Cries of humans could be vaguely heard from time to time with growls of beasts that sounded different from the killer dogs.


    They couldn''t help but gulp down some saliva. After all, their little school already had four Rank One beasts not to mention their monstrous boss. From this anyone can deduce that the city was likely going to be filled with Rank Ones, if nothing of a higher Rank showed up.


    Emily, Jade and Hope had their expressions darken. They all had families in the city after all. So seeing it''s state they couldn''t help but be worried. Before, they managed to keep calm and not think about it because, they themselves weren''t safe and they also hoped that the situation wouldn''t be as bad as the school.@@@@


    The city had police officers who had weapons after all. But looking at the scene in front of them, they new that the police officers has probably made little to no impact in the situation. What they didn''t know was that, guns, tanks, fighter jets, nuclear weapons or anything of that nature that didn''t require too much human effort to kill no longer worked. So the cops were just as screwed as them, even the government was screwed. Hell it was the most screwed with their potbellies and zero stamina to even run.


    (A/N : Nothing personal, just fiction)


    "Okay, lets go...Hope, stay close to Chloe from now on. And Chloe keep her safe". Muku gave his order after calming down his nerves. Which he had to do, this place was a lot different from the school where there was one kind of beast with the same moves after.


    "Yes sir" ¡Á2 both girls replied.


    "Good, Jade, beside me. Layla, back us up. Emily you''re the rear guard. Oh and Chloe, be mindful of the sides. Our target here is a building that we can use as a temporary base, has to have a back exit and close to a food source if possible. Muku gave out the rest of his orders.


    "Yes" ¡Á5. All the girls called out, agreeing with the plan and taking their positions. Muku and Jade in the front, Layla supporting them from behind, Chloe monitoring their sides along with taking care of Hope who has also been handed back Muku and Jade''s bags since they moved a lot when fighting unlike the mages of their group. Muku was also a mage, but he was also a warrior type like Jade, that''s what a Warlock was after all. And was Emily monitoring the back.


    ....


    "Hiss"


    She jumped into the air, landed on the giant python''s head and jammed her claws into its eyes. The claws she could now extend up to seven inches dug deep into the python''s head, killing it on the spot. All this was done in two seconds, while her stun effect only worked for about three to five seconds on Rank Ones.


    [95 kills left...]


    "Oh, it seems this one was a bit strong for Low Rank Ones, I got two kill points from it". Jade said as he tried to shake off the blood off her claws.


    "Is that so, then maybe it won''t take us as long as we thought to get to Rank Two if even a Low Rank One in the city pays so well". Muku replied her with a pondering expression. He was kind of happy actually, because if they had to kill a hundred Rank Ones to rank up then it would have taken them who knows how long for all of them to rank up. Emily, Layla and Chloe also smiled upon hearing what Jade said.


    Hope on the other hand, didn''t know how to react seeing how they were so nonchalant about facing such a monster and killing it. She was already shaking in her boots after all.


    "Don''t worry, you''ll get used to it soon enough". Chloe tapped her shoulder and said with a smile on her face.


    "Y-yeah" Hope replied, not knowing if she really wanted to get used to killing or not.


    "Hey, can this be eaten?". Jade said while poking the dead python with obvious desire to eat in her eyes.


    "What the hell, of course it can''t. It''s a freaking snake!" Muku wanted to shout at her for even suggesting it, but remembering where they were, he didn''t shout and only spoke, getting a bit loud at the end.


    "But some do eat snakes though". Jade retorted not wanting to give up.


    "Yeah, but never oversized alien snakes though!... You know what, this isn''t the time, lets get out of here before that thing''s blood draws us some trouble". Muku''s urge to spank her returned with a vengeance, but he held himself back and ordered for everyone to continue their journey.


    "Sigh". Jade sighed as she walked away from the snake corpse, looking at it from time to time. Inside she vowed she''d find a way to taste its meat, or at least the meat of its brethren.

 Chapter 24 Baneful Healer

    "Hey I got an idea, why not go to a mall, there should be beasts, clothes, food and basically anything else we''d need. I''m sure in a few minutes, Hope would be Rank One too." Emily suggested as they moved away from the giant python''s corpse.


    "You do know there''s a chance we''d get killed there right?. If that snake is any indication, I''m sure the beasts here are stronger than the dogs, not to mention even more in number....see look at that, there comes more now". Layla was in the middle of explaining why Emily''s name idea wasn''t too good for the current them. When fifty or so beasts that looked like large spiders as big as normal sized dogs came speedily crawling at them.


    (A/N : No I don''t have a thing for dogs, just felt it would make me sense than to say as big as goats or something like that)


    "Ew, just had to be spiders huh. But hey, at least Hope can get to Rank One sooner now". Jade said with slightly disgusted look as she looked at the incoming spiders. Muku was looking at her intensely for a while until she had to ask....


    "What?, you fell for my feminine charms already sir, how scandalous". She said faking some embarrassment while covering her mouth with her hand. The other girls other than Hope who had frozen as soon as she saw the spiders, flinched and intensely looked at Muku awaiting his reply.


    ''As if, I''m just wondering why you don''t look at all scared like girls should, hell other than Hope who looks like she might pee herself or faint, none of you look that bothered by the insects, like what the hell!?" Muku finally asked, not even caring about what she was implying. This of course made the other girls feel relieved for certain reasons.


    "Hmph, do you think we''re those cliche? girls from anime or something like that?, you do remember that we have basically been bathing in blood the last few days. Not to mention we even tossed out the principal''s... You know what I mean. So better stop expecting some cliche stuff from us. Jade was a bit pissed how he clearly wasn''t taking her seriously but still explained as the other girls agreed.


    "If you say so...now time for some action". Muku said, the spiders where now only a few metres away.


    "This one seems like an Emily thing, I''ll go guard the back". With that statement Jade switched places with Emily who already had glowing eyes at this point. Her berserk state was again coming out to play.


    "Don''t kill them all please, leave ten for Hope". Muku said looking at Emily with a wrily smile. It seemed it will take quite a while for her to completely vent and get rid of her berserk state.


    "Sure...flame burst!"


    Boom! Boom!....


    Emilia replied to him as she got into action killing the spiders off. Even though she didn''t need to say her skill name when she used it, she seemed to like screaming it out though. Which Muku found kinda cute if not for her crazed facial expression.


    ....


    A few minutes later...


    "I''m not sure, but I feel that the air around her isn''t safe right now". Jade replied, also not sure why she felt danger just then.


    "Oh okay,". Muku didn''t ask more since Jade would have told them if there was anything else already.


    (A/N : Please don''t roll your eyes at me for giving all of them powerful classes okay. Let me explain, the truth is....I''m just extremely biased, sorry. But it will all make sense eventually so don''t worry ^__^)


    After a few moments, Hope could control herself a bit more and the air around her that had become poisonous was purified. She opened her eyes and looked at everyone around her with a greatful smile on her face. She knew that without them, she might have died in that utility room too scared to get out, let alone evolve to Rank One.


    "Well, what''s your class?. Don''t keep us in suspense". Muku asked, his eyes glowing with curiosity.


    "Y-yes". Hope was a bit disoriented by his enthusiasm so stuttered a bit.


    "M-my class is Baneful Healer, I can use both poisonous and healing magic. I can kill Low Rank Ones if they are exposed to the poison for half a minute. Though for now I can only make Mid Rank Ones and above become weaker for five seconds or less with my poison. I can easily kill unranked ones though. As for my healing magic, it only works on minor injuries for now. Well at least that''s what the information in my head is saying." Hope told them.


    "Baneful Healer, sounds so cool, better yet, we now have a healer in our group. Though it sucks how I''m the only strictly warrior class...". Jade spoke in happiness before quickly becoming depressed upon realising that she was another mage type class.


    "Stop pouting, like you would have liked being a mage who stood at the back. And if she had become a front liner you would have likely complained about her stealing some of your fun anyway.". Muku said to Jade rolling his eyes.


    "Oh, you''re right. It''s better like this after all". Jade became happy again. And from then on, like the rest, Hope found out how easy she was to please.


    "Congratulations Hope". Chloe said to Hope with a smile on her face, ignoring the dramatic Jade on the side. Everyone else congratulated Hope as well.


    "Now you must get stronger, I have a feeling that you will be an irreplaceable part of the team in the future" Muku said to Hope with an approving smile.


    "Yes sir, I''ll do my best from now on". Hope was really happy, that was actually the first time he smiled at her after all.


    "It''s getting late, lets look for a temporary building to rest, we''ll continue the journey tomorrow. Also we have to make a plan instead of randomly wondering around."


    "Yes sir!". The girls replied to him as they all walked forward, looking for a place to rest. This time they were a bit more relaxed since there was no longer anyone who was completely defenceless.

 Chapter 25 Backgrounds

    In some random house close to the outskirts of Maz city....


    "Hey, do we really have to stay in the dark?" Jade asked in a disgruntled voice.


    "Yes, unlike the school, most places here are dark, if we turn on the lights now. That''s basically asking for trouble...and can''t you just turn your eyes into cat form and be able to see or something like that?. Muku replied her.


    "Hmm, good idea....nope I can''t. My control over my beast form isn''t anywhere close to being enough right now it seems. Sigh, this sucks, did we really have to leave the school, we could have totally kept it as out base or something like that". Jade was excited for a second by the prospect before she felt down again, even missing the school now.


    "Can you shut up for a second, we got an important discussion to do. And not like anyone forced you to come". Layla finally chimed in, she felt that Jade was being too childish when she clearly knew what situation they were in.


    "Hmph, fine". Of course Jade didn''t like being rebuked but she managed to control herself.


    "Now, what''s our game plan here?...we left the school because it was too close to that portal thingy but we never came up with a target to work towards did we". Muku asked the girls. He of course could easily think of a few things to do, but he wanted to hear their opinions since they''d be doing it together.


    "Umm, why don''t we look for our families?". Hope suggested, she had gotten a lot more comfortable with the rest now. As soon as she spoke though, everyone went silent, making her feel nervous. The only light in the room was from the moonlight outside so their facial expressions couldn''t clearly be seen by the others.


    Though if they could see each other, they would have noticed that Emily and Jade now wore worried expressions on their faces. Layla''s expression didn''t change much. Chloe''s eyes flickered a bit, the light in them deemed for a bit before going back to normal. As for Muku, he looked like he was stuck in thought for a bit.


    "I-im sorry, I shouldn''t have said anything". Hope quickly apologised, thinking she had said something wrong"


    "No, it fine Hope, you haven''t said anything wrong, I guess your words affected everyone so much they couldn''t speak. I for one also have a family here and got sad thinking about them. A mother, father and little sister. We live on the other side of the city so if we were to look for our families, then we''ll go to mine last so... anyway you said nothing wrong". Emily was the first to speak up in the relative darkness they were in.


    "I also have a family here, two older brothers and a mother. We leave close to the city centre, my mother works for some government big-wig so we leave in the cottage beside her mansion. Though my brothers both left for another city. So there''s only my mother here. And yeah, you didn''t say anything wrong Hope, no need to feel sad" Jade said.


    "My father is abroad, I only see him once every few months. We almost never talk, the only way I know that he''s alive all those months is because of the money he sends me every month. So there''s no need to go to my house since I leave alone. It''s a mansion at the centre of the city. Chloe said with an uncharacteristically neutral voice.


    "So, you and your foster mother, why don''t you get along?". Seeing how they had been sitting in the darkness for a while the situation getting awkward, he had to break the ice.


    "It was her decision". Layla answered after staying quiet for a bit.


    "Why do you say that?" Muku pushed for more information, the silence from before was just too loud for him after all.


    "When she adopted me, I was excited until she said "girl, I''m not looking for a daughter, I just want an easy pay day. So lets make a deal, you stay here with me, I get the money, and you get to live a life better than what you''d live at the orphanage. What do you say?"..... After that, I agreed to her proposal but we have been strangers leaving under one roof ever since. I''m not complaining though, she kept her promise after all". Layla explained, her voice still as calm and neutral as ever.


    "Oh, is that so". Muku didn''t know what to say to that.


    "Now you know why I don''t mind not going to the house". Layla added.


    "That doesn''t matter, she still provided you with a decent lifestyle after all". Muku said.


    "Suit yourself then, and how about you?". Layla gave in to his idea of going to her house then asked a question of her own.


    "Me what?" Muku asked, confused.


    "Tell me about your life". Layla elaborated what she meant.


    "Oh, there''s really nothing to it really, just an orphaned child genius who chose to be a teacher". Muku said, glossing over the details.


    "Okay". Maybe realising that he wouldn''t say much, Layla took him at his words. Though she felt that he was being unfair in wanting to know about her but keeping his information to himself. But being a person if few words anyway, she kept quiet.


    The silence prevailed for a few hours from then. This time Muku hadn''t tried to make conversation again, he didn''t know what to talk about with a teen girl after all. So until Chloe and Hope came to replace them, they stayed like that.

 Chapter 26 Jealousy and Hypocrisy

    The next morning....


    "So, who wants these ones?". Muku asked looking at the two beasts in front of them. They had already eaten breakfast and left the house, continuing their journey toward Hope''s place. The two beasts he was talking about were giant lizards about the size of a cow. They had green scales covering their whole bodies, large claws on their legs and bloodthirsty yellow eyes.


    "Sir, aren''t you getting a little too lazy". Emily couldn''t help but ask.


    "What are you talking about, I''m only giving you all a chance to catch up". Muku replied with a nonchalant expression.


    "But aren''t we all still Low Rank Ones?". Emily asked, confused. Even the other girls were wondering what he was talking about.


    "Tsk, can''t you just let your teacher be lazy for one morning you brats!. I''ll kill one then, while Chloe and Hope kill the other". Muku rolled his eyes as he spoke.


    Before anyone could say anything, he propelled himself forward with his telekinesis. When he got in front of the beast and it wanted to slash at it''s head with his sword. It tried to move out of the way but one of its front legs wouldn''t move. Before it figured out what was happening, its head was split in two.


    [93 kills left....]


    It gave him two kills points despite being a Low Rank One. As for why its leg couldn''t move, Muku had been practicing. And his telekinesis could now barely deserve the name. Though it was still nothing impressive. After killing it, he ran back to the team. This all happened in less than five seconds. Stunning not only the girls but the other lizard too.


    "What are you zoning out for Chloe and Hope?. Attack it before it chooses to run away...oh wait, seems there''s no need to worry". Muku was afraid the other lizard would run after seeing its companion so easily killed, but whether luckily on not. It turned berserk instead and charged forward, it''s eyes having turned red. It was even giving off a Mid Rank One aura now.


    Crack! Crack!


    Chloe quickly reacted seeing it rush forward and sent out blue lightning bolts from both her hands. Her power needed to be built up to increase in lethality so her sudden attack only managed to slow down the berserk lizard.


    "Hope!". She called out to her partner in the fight.


    Hearing her name, Hope jumped into action, green mist came out of her hands and went toward the lizard, covering it''s whole body in it. Although with the lizard''s current Rank, the poisonous mist wouldn''t kill it in a short period of time, it managed to irritate its eyes until it covered them. During this time, Chloe was building up and attack.


    "I wonder if this would be enough...". With that statement from Chloe.


    Boom!


    Was he being hypocritical?, yes. But in his point of view, humans are born to be hypocrites. The most hypocritical ones are those who claim to not be hypocrites. After all, deep down, they know how hypocritical they are.


    ...


    "Flame burst!". Boom! Boom!


    As they thought, the fight from before had drawn in more beasts. Right now Emily was fighting a giant python that looked like the one Jade fought before. Jade was on the side almost drooling.


    The two golden fire bombs hit the beast but its defense was strong enough for it to only get inch deep wounds with a radius of around ten centimetres. Compared to the beast''s large body, the wounds were manageable.


    "Do you want some help?". Jade asked.


    "No, you killed your own alone, I can do the same!". Emily shouted back as she prepared her next attacks.


    "Sun explosion!". Emily shouted out in her cute voice as she put her hands together. And so a big sphere of golden flames with a radius of a metre appeared in front of her. The whole area felt a bit hotter. Emily''s clothes were actually getting destroyed just by the heat.


    The snake felt danger and wanted to flee but it''s head was stuck in place unable to move. Emily was focusing on her attack so she didn''t notice this weird scene, but the other girls noticed it, they all looked at Muku briefly but didn''t say anything. They knew that if he didn''t do that, Emily''s long to prepare attack would likely miss, and it seemed to take a lot of power like Chloe''s previous attack from which she hadn''t recovered yet.


    BOOM!


    As soon as the attack made contact with the beast. An even louder explosion sounded. The snake was burnt to a crisp and died on the spot.


    [96 kills left....]


    Only Emily got the kill points, Muku technically didn''t harm the snake after all.


    "Well fu..! Did she feel that the noise from the previous fight wasn''t enough or something!?". Muku said, feeling a headache coming. With this, they will definitely have to fight a few more times than they would have had to do if such a loud sound wasn''t made.


    "But you have to admit it''s a cool attack though...even has a cool name too "Sun explosion". Jade chimed in.


    "This brat!". Muku''s developing headache progressed a few more stages.

 Chapter 27 Ruined house

    Around thirty minutes later....


    "I knew it!". Muku shouted out as Layla was fighting a giant spider.


    "Ice spikes!". She was copying Emily by shouting the names of her skills because she found that it made them easier to cast.


    Psss!


    (A/N: Yeah well I don''t know what sound a giant spider would make when it spits out it''s web okay)


    The giant black spider got out of the way by jumping into the air, and spit out its web at Layla.


    "Ice Shield!". A shield of ice materialised in front of her. She had realised that it''s pretty easy to create new skills with her ice as long as they weren''t too complicated.


    Bang!


    The web hit the ice and couldn''t get through. Which was to be expected since the spiders web it used for capturing, so didn''t have much power for direct attacks.


    "Haaa!". Layla screamed and one of the ice spikes below the spider grew in size, consuming those around it. It turned into a giant spear that point to the sky. The spider that hadn''t jumped out of the way but just up was impaled as soon as it came down. This was a new skill Layla had just come up with and it didn''t have a name. It didn''t even take as much mana as Emily and Chloe''s attacks.


    "Ice arrows!". Layla screamed out again.


    [97 kills left....]


    "Sigh, everyone is learning big moves but me". Jade said with a pout.


    "What are you talking about, neither I nor Hope have any big moves. And look at the trouble Emily and Chloe caused us because of the so called big moves. I''m happy that at least Layla has some restraint, then again it''s to be expected from my top student." Muku said. His words made Emily and Chloe look down with embarrassment while Layla started to vaguely emit a proud aura.


    "Tsk, what are you talking about, you learned that fancy new freeze skill". Jade was still not appeased.


    Back at Muku''s group''s side...


    "This....". Hope only managed to say that one word before she couldn''t say anymore. Her eyes started teary up as she looked at one ruined little house among a few others.


    "Is this your..Ow". Jade was insensitively asking the obvious when Layla pinched her back. When Jade looked at her she noticed the look in her eyes, that''s when she figured out that she was being insensitive.


    "Don''t jump to conclusions, maybe they managed to escape or weren''t even home at the time" Muku finally spoke up after a moment of silence. His words gave Hope some hope.


    "Y-yeah". Jade quickly supported him, wanting to make up for her oversight from before. The other girls nodded in agreement while Chloe even put her hand on Hope''s shoulder to show support.


    "T-thank you everyone, maybe you''re right. I won''t give up hope so soon.". Hope felt gratitude that they were so considerate, but at the back of her head she was already trying to make peace with the possibility that they were gone. There were a lot of blood stains on the street accompanying the ruins after all. And her father was on leave while her mother didn''t work so chances were...


    In fact everyone was clear of this but nobody voiced it out. Those with families in the city also started fearing the worst. But since it wasn''t confirmed yet or at least like Hope''s case, they soldiered on. It wasn''t the time to be overcomes by negative thoughts after all.


    "Let''s go find a place to rest, we will continue tomorrow, it''s already getting late. And we will have to find a place to restock on our food too, soon" Muku said.


    "I-I know if a small shop we can check out tomorrow. It''s a small shop so unlike a mall there wouldn''t be a reason for many beasts to gather there". Hope slowly said, she hadn''t recovered from the ordeal but wouldn''t let it affect her productivity in the team.


    "Good, for now, a place to rest for the night is our target. Let''s go". Muku said as he led the way out of the ruined street. He couldn''t help but wonder what beast could possibly cause such a thing. For some reason he was almost certain that it was stringer than the dog Boss from before by a lot.


    Which wasn''t hard to accept after all the beasts they had fought so far, it had made him realise that the dog wasn''t too strong for a peak Rank One beast since even Low Ranked giant pythons, spiders and lizards were close to its strength. Just that the group had gotten stronger as a result of learning how to control their magic skills better.


    ...


    A few kilometres away from Muku''s group a monster was sleeping on top of a ruined building. Yes, a monster and not a beast. With it''s size the word monster seemed more appropriate.


    It was a humongous python around twenty metres long and two metres thick. It''s skin a glistening black with two little horns on its head. It''s body was radiating pure brutality and malice even as it rested. This monster could easily swallow a grown man whole...which it likely already had, a few times too.


    Its eyes opened briefly opened a bit for no particular reason, which exposed its yellow eyes that were full of intelligence. It then closed them again and went back to sleep. It was the overload of the area after all. So who would dare disturb it?.

 Chapter 28 Ill show you all!

    The next morning....


    Going the opposite direction of the monster. Muku''s group walked toward the shop Hope was guiding them to. Her eyes were a bit red since she had cried away most of the night. But as a Rank One she didn''t that much sleep so other than her eyes looking a bit wrong, she was mostly fine... physically.


    It took them quite a few hours to reach the shop, this was because they kept on meeting a few Low Rank Ones every now and then. Muku''s kill target dropped to 90, Jade to 92, Layla to 93, Emily 92, Chloe 93 and Hope 95.


    (LR1 = Low Rank One. MR1= Mid Rank One. PR1= Peak Rank One)


    They noticed a weird trend, they''d either meet a LR1 or few unranked ones. But never a MR1 or higher. Infact there were more LR1s than unranked ones. This made Layla come up with a hypothesis. That the closer they were to the edge, the higher the chance of meeting a weaker beast and the closer they got to the centre, the higher the chance of meeting a stronger beast. Although her hypothesis was mostly true, it didn''t account for anomalies like the giant python they still didn''t know about which was closer to the edge of the city.


    "So that''s the store huh....did it always have three LR1s as guards?" Muku jokingly asked as the looked at the three large lizards laying in front of the shop.


    "N-no, I''m sorry for the terrible suggestion" Hope meekly spoke.


    "You got a thing for blaming yourself for every little thing that goes wrong don''t you?". Jade said while playfully poking Hope''s nose.


    "N-no". Still meek, Hope replied.


    "Jade is right, you really need to stop that habit of yours. We''re comrades and friends aren''t we?. You should treat us as such". Chloe supported.


    "And it''s clear to see that you weren''t the first one to think to come here, because of which these three beasts thought to camp on the spot waiting for their food to deliver itself. Layla added.


    "So who wants them?, they are coming toward us after all". Muku suddenly said, making the girls refocus on the lizards. Their scent must have been carried over to the lizards by the wind since they were still hidden behind a building a bit of a distance away from the shop.


    "I''ll go, maybe I can finally get another core...wait I haven''t seen these lizards use any special attack, neither have the snakes now that I think about it. And I don''t want to spit out spider webs from my mouth so it''s a hard pass on the spider ability.". Jade replied before she was lost in her own thoughts and start blabbering random things.


    "Are you going or not!?. We don''t have all day after all". Muku loudly asked her, rousing her from her thoughts.


    [93 kills left...]


    Hope got the familiar message with the numbness. She ignored both as she was just happy to kill a Rank One on her own...well mostly on her own.


    On Jade''s side, she was still fighting her beast, grumpily as she had seen Chloe one shot hers. Her mood got worse when Hope did the same.


    "Grr!". It was actually Jade who made such an animalistic sound as she grit her teeth in jealousy.


    "Is that how you all want to play it huh, okay, I''ll show you all!" She screamed out as her speed increased and her claws got longer and started glowing with green energy and all ten were sent at the lizard''s large head. They poked it all over but because of its hard flesh, they didn''t get too deep. But a surprising thing happened, all ten claws exploded at once. They were either on the beast''s neck or head area and were complimenting each other''s explosion. And so like that, the lizard''s head, although wasn''t blown off, it was stripped of its scales and skin. The injuries on its face severe enough to kill it, which they did.


    [90 kills left....]


    "Huff...See, I told you that I''ll show you. You all thought I couldn''t kill a beast without getting closer, well there you go". Jade said as she huffed for breathe. It seemed the new attack took quite a bit out of her, she was primarily a physical type after all.


    "Yes we did, now lets quickly get some food before this place is over run.". Muku replied to her as he and the rest of the gang speedily went toward the shop. Although their battles this time weren''t too loud, who knew what was close enough to hear it after all.


    As they went to the shop, Muku and Jade subtly looked in a certain direction before looking at each other and continuing forward.


    ....


    "Sir, those people actually managed to slay the beasts. And they managed it all in a one on one battle". A man said while looking at Muku''s group from the top of a building a 3 kilometres. His eyes looked like those of a hawk.


    "What!?, such people already exist?. I wonder if we should go meet them or not". The hawk-eyed man''s boss spoke from beside him. His eyes weren''t good enough to properly see from such a distance so only the hawk-eyed man could spy on Muku''s group.


    Actually they had arrived before Muku''s group the previous day but when they noticed the lizards camping there, they could only wait and see if they would leave. The city wasn''t safe enough to casually walk around anymore after all. And the shops of the area were all at the place the lizards where.


    "Well there''s one young man and 5 little girls, so they shouldn''t be some bad people.". The hawk-eyed man spoke.


    "Interesting...but lets study them a bit longer then decide...."

 Chapter 29 Safe Zones?

    "Everyone fully packed?". Muku asked the girls as he put his bloated backpack back on his back.


    "Yes". They all replied.


    "Good, now let''s get out of here, I noticed a clothes shop close by, I think we all would appreciate a change of clothes". He added to which all the girls'' eyes lit up. No girl can deny clothes after all.


    "Let''s hurry up then!". Jade was the first one to respond and speed out of the store. The others quickly followed after her, Muku just looked on with a speechless expression at their reaction before quickly following after them.


    ...


    In the clothes shop....


    All the girls chose shot skirts with tights and loose fitting t-shirts. This, in Jade''s case made Muku rather disappointed because she moved her legs quite a lot when she fought which was always a sight to behold for him. He could basically describe her underwear just from memory at that point. Of course Jade didn''t know all of this or who knows what she would have done. Muku chose a gray tracksuit with tears of joy streaming down his face due to happiness of finally being out of a student''s uniform.


    (A/N: I''m not a fashionista so please excuse my bland clothes descriptions)


    When they got out, a few unranked spiders had made it to the lizard bodies. But since they were too busy with their already prepared meal, they didn''t bother with them and so they managed to get away without a fight.


    "Is that so...wait, what''s this safe zone you''re talking about?". Muku asked curiously, the girls were also curious.


    "As I thought, you really aren''t from the city...well at least not since the apocalypse began". Adam said, forgetting to answer what he was asked.


    "Mr Adam, we don''t have all day" Muku said, slightly annoyed at being ignored like that.


    "Oh, right, sorry about that. You, see when the apocalypse began, after the imposing voice said evolve or die, another, feminine and robotic voice sounded in all our heads. It said, I''m going to quote this part, "[Number of people in relatively close proximity to each other detected to be more than ten thousand. Two temporary safe zones to be generated. Locations ''sports stadium'' and ''local university'' designated as safe zones until Level 3].". Adam paused for a bit to catch his breath. Then continued...


    "Most at the time were still confused, but after seeing the people around them getting massacred most of us ran subconsciously ran toward these two areas. And when we arrived we noticed that the stadium was completely enveloped by a green barrier. Of course we were apprehensive to touch the thing, but with beasts behind us, we could only continue forward. And magically we didn''t slam into it but passed right through, while the beasts slammed on it. Adams stopped for a bit again before continuing...


    "From then, the beasts sticked around fir a few hours before heading back into the city to hunt those who hadn''t made it to the barrier. The lucky people who managed to make it to the barrier are around two thousand if I had to say. The rest are either dead, still in the city, ran out of the city or in the other safe zone we haven''t been to so I can''t say how many are there. From then, after a day, we realised there was a big problem with our safe zone, it had no food. And so volunteers would be sent out to gather food in turns. With that, here we are, we noticed your group when we were scouting that shop. And I swear we had no ill intent." Adam finally finished speaking.


    "Hmm, interesting, what do you think girls?, should we go check it out?". Muku said eyes full of curiosity, he didn''t really care about the people, just wanted to see the barrier.


    "Sure" they all agreed, they wanted to see the barrier as well.


    "Who knows, we might even see some familiar faces there". Muku said, as for why he didn''t say "see some family members", he didn''t want to get anyone''s hopes too high, especially Hope''s.


    "Yeah, and it would be pretty nice to sleep without keeping your guard up". Jade added as the others agreed. None of them had been able to completely relaxed ever since the killer dogs attacked.

 Chapter 30 Random Classes?

    "Good then, let''s go...Hope you know the way right?". Muku said after everyone agreed to go.


    "Uh, sir, can you please guard us, in return we''ll guide you there using the safest pathways.". Before Hope could speak, Adam spoke first. He wouldn''t let go of this chance even if he had to thicken his skin for it, they could basically guarantee his life in this dangerous city after all. Not to mention, with them, his group can carry more food since they wouldn''t have to worry about only carrying stuff they can runaway with.


    "Yuh no, sounds like a tedious task, and we don''t really mind meeting beasts actually". Muku said to him.


    "Sir please!, I''ll even introduce you to the leaders of the safe zone. I''ll tell them how you assisted us with obtaining the food. That way you can gain a lot more benefits, like a personal room to stay, you must know, there are not that many rooms at a stadium.". Adam knew that he couldn''t expect strangers to move for him without benefits so he shot his shit and told them everything they could gain by helping him.


    "Hmm interesting, there are already leaders huh?...well okay, we''ll help you out, just make sure to deliver on your promise." Muku said, he looked at the girls as he spoke and saw that they weren''t objecting his plan so went ahead and decided.


    "Thank you sir, I promise you won''t regret it". Adam said, a smile beaming on his face. Which anyone can understand since his life was basically guaranteed now.


    "Okay, and we might have to make a quick detour or two so don''t be surprised when the time comes." Muku said, not forgetting their initial mission of looking for the girls'' families.


    "No problem sir". Adam said while still smiling, what''s a little bit more time when your life is safe?.


    "Okay, now lets go and get the food, we don''t have all day, and the longer we delay, the more beast we''ll have to deal with"


    With those words from Muku everyone went back and Adam''s group started collecting food into their huge camping bags.


    "....Anyway, John here got the "Hawkeye class", like wtf, is he supposed to stare the beasts to death?. And what kind of bullishit class is that anyway?. He didn''t even get a minor strength boost or anything. Well at least he can see beasts from afar and runaway in advance". Adam explained with a stifled expression and John couldn''t help but glare at him because he felt like he was being subtly despised by this leader of theirs. Then Adam was interrupted...


    "Hehehe.. hahahaha". Jade couldn''t hold it back anymore and laughed. The way Adam was explaining it, it really was hard not to laugh. Even Emily, Hope and Chloe couldn''t help back giggle while Layla smiled. Muku being the adult of the group, of course couldn''t be so rude...and so he was busy fighting back a smile.


    "Cough, what about the leaders at the base?, what classes do they have?". Muku quickly asked trying to get rid of the awkward mood the girls had created by laughing.


    "R-right, I haven''t talked about them yet. Unlike us, they are true experts, although they both don''t have elements, they have minor affinities with physical enhancement. Aleck is a strength type Evolver with a "Strong man class", while Simon is a speed type, his class is [Fast man]... though Aleck had to pester him the whole day before he was willing to expose the name for some reason. Together they can barely fight a Rank One beast. They are the hope for our safe zone, I''m sure they will grow to be strong one day and maybe they will make it to Rank Two like I assume you all have reached. Oh and they are actually brothers so the safe zone hasn''t been divided into two factions or something like that.". Adam explained with a proud expression on his face.


    He really did think the two brothers were amazing. They had real classes after all. They could fight beasts their rank. While he....was miner in the apocalypse. Even his comrades looked up to the two leaders. Though as for whether it will still be like that when more people awaken, nobody knows. After all, among so many people, there should be quite a few who have more potential than their current leaders. Just that they hadn''t awoken yet, or more directly, were too scared to go out and kill beasts.


    And apparently he thought Muku and his group were Rank Two, he couldn''t fathom a Rank One being as strong as they were after all. Only if he knew that they were still LR1s, he''d probably die on the spot due to an envy induced heart attack.


    Jade wanted to laugh and correct him but Muku quickly covered her mouth and glared at her, prompting her silence. He would rather Adam''s group think that way as, the stronger they thought they were, the less likely they were to even think of crossing them.


    At the same time he and his group realised how fortunate they were to have their peak affinities and classes. They all thanked God in their hearts. The life Adam and his group were living seemed quite tough after all. And thinking of facing the killer dog boss with a "miner class" was.... anyway, they''d be screwed.


    And so the group continued their journey in the once glorious but now ruined city.


    (A/N: Ungrateful bastards, instead of thanking God, they should be thanking me!...but wait, wouldn''t I be him in their case?....well whatever)

 Chapter 31 Letter for Layla

    About an hour later....


    They hadn''t met too many Rank One beasts, only two actually. Muku took care of one while Jade took care of another. Bringing their kill counts needed to 86 and 88 respectively. When Adam''s group saw Jade transform, their eyes almost popped out of their heads. Accept for John who had seen her before from afar, but even he was awed seeing her from a close angle.


    It was quite shocking to see a person turn into a cat hybrid after all. Not to mention how she easily took care of a LR1 lizard, which their leaders would have to team up to barely win against after a long battle. With her show of power up close, their respect for Muku''s group increased.


    Then they made a detour toward Layla''s house. It was at the edge of the outer area of the city. Any further into the city they would be in the middle areas and the chance of meeting MR1s would increasing drastically. Anyway back at Jade''s house. It was still standing unlike Hope''s house. Though her foster mother wasn''t there, all she found was a letter addressed to her.


    It said...."To my lovely daughter Layla, if you''re reading this letter then I''m glad you survived and even came to check on me. Anyway, my chances of surviving this are low but I''m going to try to get to the safe zone....not that I have that much time left anyway. Just incase we never meet again, I want to apologise to you for being so cold all these years. You see, the year I adopted you, I had been diagnosed with leukemia, and it was quite progressed so my chances for survival were low. They said I''d likely die in a few years. I accepted my fate, but before that I wanted to experience my dream of being a mother. So selfishly I adopted you, but since I didn''t want you to be too sad when I eventually died, I tried to keep you at a certain distance. For that I''m truly sorry, I hope you can forgive me one day. And I hope you know that I always loved you. Honestly I''m not even sure why I am writing this right now, I guess I again selfishly want you to remember me positively if possible.


    Sincerely, your undeserving mother."


    Before she even knew it, tears were streaming down Layla''s face.


    "I always knew you cared mom, your eyes betrayed you from the start. I was only playing along since I knew you had your reasons....but this.". Layla spoke as more tears flowed out.


    The others just looked on from a bit of a distance away, they hadn''t read the letter so didn''t know what to say to her. They didn''t know why she was even crying, which was already surprising since Layla never showed any emotions before. As for Adam and his group, they were outside, a bit scared since there was always a chance of being attacked out there alone. But they couldn''t say anything as the weaker party...much much weaker party, hell, they were so weak they were insignificant and they knew it.


    Remembering the first with the dog boss, they knew this one was going to be a tough fight, they were all still a bit away from MR1 which starts at 50 kills.


    Chloe and Emily started building up their attacks while Muku set out to delay the two beasts they would attack. Jade and Layla sped to their beast in hopes of killing it off quick and standing by to assist if anything went wrong.


    All though the situation was tense, everyone couldn''t help but feel a bit excited, they were a lot stronger from before now. So they wanted to see how they would fare against beasts even stronger than the dog boss that was their toughest fight to date.


    "Hmm, how am I gonna delay two beasts though?". Muku said as he went to meet the two beasts after Layla and Jade had already led one a bit away from the others.


    "Oh, I know, I''ve gotten a lot stronger now, so I should be able to...". As Muku''s voice trailed off, Sword after sword where appearing in the air behind him. When they stopped appearing there were already twenty and Muku''s face had gotten a bit pale. He had only used half his mana, the reason his face was pale was because was because it took quite a lot of mental power to control so many objects at the same time. Being an evolved human it was a lot easier for him than normal humans but it was his first time trying it, so of course it was straining for him.


    When Chloe and Emily who were looking on as they gathered power so this, they were surprised a bit since it seemed like a too big a jump from three. But they always looked up to their teacher so thought it was only natural. When they thought he was going to attack each lizard with ten swords, something unexpected happen.


    The swords started merging together until only two larger swords were left. They were each four metres long and one metre wide. Spinning around Muku in mid air, quite frankly the scene looked cool to the little girls.


    Then something that made their eyes almost pop out happened.


    (A/N: To be continued... hehehe)

 Chapter 32 Legends potential

    A few moments before.....


    Muku was having trouble with the twenty swords when something happened.


    [10% of Legendary Class potential realised]


    Kcha!


    Something seemed to break in Muku''s mind due to the pressure. Suddenly the twenty swords that seemed super hard to control weren''t as hard anymore. Then he got an idea...why not merge them and see if it''s possible...


    ....


    Back to the present....


    Woosh!¡Á2


    Slash!


    The two giant swords flew out, aiming at the giant lizards. Muku''s aim was to wound them a bit and pull aggro while the girls gathered power. But surprising to all, him included, the beasts were cleanly sliced in two.


    [82 kills left....]


    [76 kills left....]


    Even then, the blades still seemed to have some power left, in his excitement he noticed that Layla and Jade were still fighting their lizard. And so he sent the swords forth!


    Stab!¡Á2


    Bang!¡Á2


    The two groups were walking toward the stadium with a bit of space in-between them. It seemed Muku''s group was discussing something in hushed voices and asked Adam''s group to walk a bit behind them.


    "So you''re saying, that the reason why your class is Legendary is likely because not only is it strong from the start, all it''s potential can be realised by specific actions, making it stronger?. And you just happened to realise a bit of the potential before when you pushed past your limits?". Jade asked for confirmation from Muku. He had taken the initiative to explain because he felt they would beat him up if he didn''t, which wasn''t too far from the truth.


    Jade and Layla basically got their KP stolen, whole Emily and Chloe had to attack the sky because they no longer had targets, wasting half their mana. Their attacks even drew in a decent amount of unranked beasts which they had to unnecessarily fight and kill a few before scaring the rest off.


    "Y-yeah, exactly, so can you all stop looking at me like I stole your life savings?" Muku said, his expression still awkward.


    "Fine, we''ll forgive you this once, just don''t experiment after telling us to prepare attacks next time, nor kill steal just because you''re excited" Emily was the one who spoke while the others nodded their heads in agreement. Of course Jade hoped they would make him pay in someway, but since the others had already agreed to let him off, she could only, reluctantly accept the situation.


    "So can our classes also awaken their potentials". Jade asked after moving on, she didn''t take long to jump in-between trains of thought after all. Her eyes sparkled as she thought of what her class would be able to do if she awakened it''s potential.


    "Probably so, but I think it will be a lot harder for you guys than it would be for me. Hell I even think that every class has potential, just that, it probably would take one hell of a catalyst to realise the potential of a Random class. And I have a feeling that there are more things hidden behind our classes that we will have to explore for and find. All of us". Muku replied to her.


    "Tsk, so you''re basically saying you have monopoly to unlocking your potential in normal cases?. So not fair, that attack of yours clearly had more power than Emily and Chloe''s ultimate attacks. Not to mention you hadn''t even merged them into one even larger sword yet. Sigh, whatever, one day I''ll show you that your class is nothing special, hmph!, we''re also Pseudo-Legendary after all". Jade said, even made a promise at the end. But it didn''t disguise the obvious jealousy and bitterness in her voice which made everyone put on wrily smiles.


    "Look over there, we''ve almost made it. That''s the stadium...wow, it really has a green barrier around!" Hope exclaimed pointing forward as she was the only one looking that far ahead.


    "It really does...Mr Adam, you and your group can come closer now, we''re done talking.". Muku called out to Adam. He and his group then walked a bit faster to get closer to them. Although he and his group were a bit tired, they pushed on. They all knew the apocalypse wasn''t a place to so easily give in to little tiredness, not to mention they were almost to their destination.


    "Now, lets go have a look inside, shall we?". Muku said with a smile as they continued on.


    ....


    In the shadow of a building twenty meters away from Muku''s group and twenty away from the barrier. Big and yellow cat eyes suddenly opened with no visible body containing them and looked toward Muku''s group with malice before closing up again.


    Muku''s group were walking straight towards the eyes and whatever creature they belonged to, seemed to be getting ready to receive it''s meal or the day. It hadn''t hunted since the previous day after all.


    {Which one should I target?}. The creature thought, waiting for the prey to come closer into its striking range.

 Chapter 33 Deaths Shadow!

    As Muku''s group got close, seemingly relaxed without their guards up. Which the beast observed through its shadow sense, which didn''t need for its eyes to be open. Instead of feeling the usual excitement accompanied by a hunt like the past, it felt more and more dread as they got closer. Though as a superior MR1 beast, it didn''t abort the plan to attack, why should it be wary of its prey after all. The group in front''s auras seemed quite powerful, especially the man in front. But it was likely just an illusion by this prey to trick its senses, otherwise how can it''s food it had been eating without resistance so far be so strong.


    Tap, tap, tap...


    Muku''s group got closer and closer, the beast''s feeling of dread got stronger and stronger, but it didn''t back down.


    .....


    On Muku''s side....


    "Can I have this one?". Layla suddenly asked, confusing everyone other than Muku and Jade who could sense what she was talking about, they were even slightly surprised she could sense it as well. She was usually part of the other group that couldn''t properly sense hidden gases yet after all. What they didn''t know was that she didn''t sense the gaze but the creature''s aura itself, which they themselves couldn''t sense.


    "Sure...I''ll defend the first attack for you and you can deal with it". Muku replied. At this point the others realised that something was definitely going on but didn''t attack. Adam''s group all had a look of realisation on their faces then suddenly, fear encroached their eyes along with the realisation.


    "Just defend, don''t attack it". Layla said as she narrowed her eyes at Muku a bit, clearly still not over the kill steal from earlier.


    "It was a mistake okay, and I won''t". Muku said raising his hands to show surrender with a wrily expression that was basically pasted on his face at this point.


    As they got within two metres of the buildings shadow, the beast made it''s move.


    Woosh!


    It was also because of her shadow element that she was able to sense the beast even without sensing it''s gaze. She only spoke up after seeing Muku sneakily looking in the direction of the beast. Quite frankly, the beast stuck out like a sore thumb to her, to her senses, the shadows basically highlighted its presence. She at this point had just discovered the weakness of the shadow element amoung those with it when they are the same Rank.


    So when the shadow panther melded into the shadows and was circling them, she could still sense it. As for why it had so many shadows to use I''m the first place, it was because the sun was close to setting, so there were large building shadows everywhere. But it was all useless as Layla''s eyes were always on it, no matter were it went.


    This frustrated the beast as it was most deadly when it attacked from the shadows. So Layla being able to track it, basically halved its power in half. Because of this it chose her as its target. It didn''t want to leave such a troublesome figure to roam around.


    "Need help?". Muku''s asked, though he probably wouldn''t be much help in the situation, Emily and Chloe should be somewhat useful with their energy type elemental powers.


    "No, I was just thinking of something...let me see if works or not". Layla replied while still following the shadow panther with her eyes.


    "Shadow spikes!" Black ethereal spikes extended out from Layla''s feet and stabbed toward a certain building. Of course it looked weird to the others but since they knew she could see what they couldn''t, they just looked on as she did her thing. And as interestingly as it entered, the shadow panther popped out of the shadow.


    There was a long gash on its hind leg. It has been caught off guard by the attack. It likely assumed Layla could only attack with ice, which, as a physical type element like Muku''s metal, wouldn''t be able to harm it when it was in the shadow realm. But then the little brat suddenly threw out a shadow element attack at it, almost stabbing it on the butt if it hadn''t managed to barely escape.


    "Growl". The panther''s hatred for Layla went up another level, it''s eyes radiating even more malice now.


    "Hot damn!, almost forgot you had the shadow element". Jade screamed out. Her statement was understandable as Layla hadn''t used it ever since she told them about it and only gathered a little shadow elemental energy on her palm.


    "My ice element was alone good enough for all the situations we''d faced until now, and I didn''t know how to properly make use of the shadow element in the first place.". Layla replied also staring and the shadow panther as it stared at her. The only difference being that it looked at her hatefully while she seemed emotionless with her ever stoic face.


    "I think I can finish this in less than five minutes if no variables get involved". Layla said, gathering shadow energy in her palms.


    The shadow panther didn''t stand around anymore and quickly got into its shadow form from before and sped toward Layla. It also didn''t want the fight to last too long, after all it was an ambush type predator that usually only needed to be active for a few seconds before killing it''s prey. So it hated this prolonged fight quite a lot.

 Chapter 34 Not worth a toe nail!?

    Bang!


    Again, the shadow panther''s claw met ice. Though this time it was attacking while Layla defended. It quickly jumped back to regroup. But Layla didn''t give it a chance....@@@@


    "Ice lance!"


    Woosh!


    As the panther was jumping back, a huge, half a metre thick and five metres long spear manifested in front of Layla and flew toward the beast.


    Bang! Boom!


    Again the beast was caught unprepared and the blunt top of the lance slammed into its chest and pushed it back then slamming in onto a building wall. The panther wanted to jump into the shadow realm but immediately felt danger from it so didn''t. Layla had already created spikes in the realm at that area. Oddly enough, the shadow element can''t hurt physical things...unless they are in the shadow realm.


    As the pained panther wanted to make a run for it as it sensed a large amount of mana gathering below it. Its body froze for a second, and the next...


    "Shrike''s frozen spear!"


    Stab!


    A huge ice spear extended from the ground and impaled right through its guts as it carried it into the sky. The panther''s lifeforce quickly flowed out of its body. It''s scorpion tail tried to pock the large ice spear and break it but it was of no use. As it died, its eyes weren''t on Layla it''s killer but the man standing behind her who just looked at it with an innocent smile from the beginning of the battle to the finish. It knew that without his interference it might have gotten away...but then again, who made it so hell-bent on killing Layla?.


    [87 kills left....]


    "Sir, you can put me down now, I can walk now". Layla said in a soft voice, still embarrassed.


    "Are you sure?". Muku asked her as he looked into her eyes.


    "N-yes, I am, besides, you might have to fight and I''ll only get in the way." Layla almost said no before getting a hold of her self and looking away from his mesmerising gray eyes as she spoke.


    "Okay, if you''re sure... though you''ll never be a burden to me no matter what". Muku said while putting her down. Hearing his later statement, she couldn''t help but furiously blush again. Seeing this, Adam''s group gave him mental thumbs up for not missing any chances.


    When she was out down, she went to the back of her group as she sensed Emily and Jade''s gazes on her. Even Chloe would steal glances of her while Hope had a weird smug smile that showed that she completely didn''t understand what was going. So to save herself from all this trouble, she chose to walk behind them.


    "Ahh!!". A loud scream from a dude was heard from inside. And sounds of muffled cries of many people were also vaguely audible.


    "Adam, you and your men should stay here for a bit, were go check out what''s going on. Layla and Hope will stay behind with you.". Muku said his gaze still focused in front of him, getting to receive any situation that takes place.


    "Okay boss, that sounded like a shout from one of our leaders, I hope you can save him if possible". Adam said, he didn''t try to forcibly go with them as he knew he''d be useless.


    "But.." Layla wanted to protest staying behind but Muku cut her off by raising his hand. As for Hope, she had already gotten used of her role of taking care of Adam''s group so she didn''t think much of having to stay behind.


    "I know you want to come along, but we don''t know what''s going on there and you can barely walk. Quite frankly the only reason why I''m asking Hope to stay behind is to guard you as you recover.


    Hearing this, Layla blushed and nodded in agreement to staying behind. As for Adam''s group, they could only put on wrily smiles hearing him indirectly admit to not caring about them at all. Of course Muku in reality also cared about them, just that all of them combined weren''t worth Layla''s toe nail in his eyes.


    Maybe it was better that they weren''t aware of his thoughts and assumed on their own after all.

 Chapter 35 Clich茅 situation

    After climbing the stairs and getting into the stadium...


    "What the hell is this!?". Jade asked as she saw thousands of people sitting on the stadium sits while a group of about twenty people with punk hairstyles and clothes were surrounding a group of seven people who were laying on the ground.


    "Shh!, l want to see where this goes...such a cliche? scene". Muku said, his eyes looking forward in interest. He could now clearly sense every present''s power level from their mana. And none of them seemed that strong. The best of them had an aura comparable to a MR1 killer dog, so he was no longer worried and just wanted to observe what was going on. Of course Emily and Chloe wanted to quickly save the people on the field but they wouldn''t easily go against Muku''s wishes and the people''s lives didn''t seem to be in any danger anyway. Jade didn''t care either way.


    The seven looked like they had suffered a major beating. One of them was holding his right hand which was bent in a strange way with his left hand. From the looks of it, this bulky guy was likely the one who had screamed before. Though the rest of them didn''t seem any better. Yet no one from the terrace area even got up to try and help them. Most, especially the men just looked down with shame in their eyes, they couldn''t do anything to help their bosses after all. As for the rest, they managed to look at the situation going on in the arena, but their gazes were filled with pity when they looked at the seven. Anger and fear when they looked at the twenty.


    "Come on Leader Jacob, I thought they said you were the strongest one here, why was your arm so easy to break then?. Should I try to break the other one instead?, maybe it''s the dominant one". One of the punk gang who had green coloured hair spoke as the others laughed.


    "You shouldn''t bother yourself with this trash Boss, I''m more than capable of taking care of him, let me take care of him. If it wasn''t because of the barrier, he along with everyone else here would have definitely been long dead.". A pink haired, ugly, punk dude said while laughing.


    "You''re right, I really shouldn''t bother myself with this tra....wait, who are they and why aren''t they sitting down with the rest?". As the apparent punk gang boss was revelling in being bootlicked, he noticed Muku and the three girls looking on from the stands.


    "No, I refuse!, women and girls these days are always talking about equal rights, but whenever the situation isn''t beneficial to them they quickly defect and play the gender card again. I don''t want you girls to be like that, so go ahead and prove to me that you''re different, take care of the situation yourselves.". Muku said while folding his arms and looking away, making his stance known.


    The girls were dumbstruck, they didn''t know what to say. Not to mention that he had a point. But still, as for why their usually reliable teacher would become so unreliable, they didn''t know. Jade''s glare got even more intense.


    "Hey!!, are you four making fun of me?. Am I nothing in your eyes?, do you want to die!?". The punk boss was enraged seeing them basically act out a skit while ignoring him, the him who had all the lives in the stadium in his hands. If course many could easily escape from the stadium, but would they be able to survive the beasts outside?. Not to mention the darkness, luckily the electricity had still not gone out or even the arena would have been in darkness. But these bastards, they dared ignore him after all that!.


    "Wow, he''s actually about to blow his top because we refuse to make him the centre of attention. Is this the legendary, delusion of grandeur?". Muku was looking at the punk boss again, his eyes filled with interest.


    His nonchalant tone really pissed the punk boss off. If he was closer, he would have noticed that Muku''s eyes held no emotion other than disdainful interest when looking at him, which would have likely made him attack on the spot. As for everyone in the arena, they felt this guy was mental, but couldn''t help but be impressed by his unyielding mentality to power.


    "Men!, get that bastard down here for me. I want to skin him alive. I want to make him watch as I f*ck those bitches in front of him". The punk boss finally couldn''t take it anymore and ordered his men to capture Muku.


    What he didn''t notice was that when he said he last words, Muku''s eyes finally turned cold. The overwhelming aura he and the girls were hiding, leaked out for a split second. Nobody than the girls sensed this though, and when they did, beautiful smiles appeared on their faces. Despite his words, he really couldn''t stand by when someone said such things about them it seems.

 Chapter 36 Show of strength

    "Sigh, when will some people learn that...it''s not what you say, it''s how you say it. And some things shouldn''t be said. Even if you weren''t really going to get a chance of doing something in the first place, but saying it in a certain way will definitely lend you in trouble.". Muku said as he looked at the ten men speeding toward him with nasty looks on their face, while his face was now expressionless.


    Seeing how he didn''t even try to run or look panicked, the punk boss couldn''t help but feel that something was wrong. But thinking about their recently gained strength, he just shrugged the feeling off. Plus the bastard''s words were really infuriating, not to mention his good looking face, all good looking dudes must die!


    "Hey you, come he....ahh!". The first thing to reach Muku was speaking as he reached his hand pit at Muku before the was punched in the stomach and flew back. Luckily for him, Muku held back or he would be dead with a hole going through his body. His flying body took out two other thugs. These ten thugs were the weakest in the gang and had random classes so taking them out wasn''t hard.


    In less than a minute all of them had been punched in the gut and laying and groaning on the floor. Muku even went forward on his own, jumping the barricade and stepping into the ri...field. He as a wrestling fan would rather it had been a wrestling arena but it was more of a soccer stadium instead.


    Everyone in the stadium looked on as he took out the goons. They all secretly gloated at them getting beaten. Those weak ass bastards were the most arrogant ones of the gang as if they were actually strong. One of them even had a "dancer class" yet walked around with a smug look on his face as of he could perform the "dance of death" to kill his enemies.


    "So you have a bit of skill huh, well this is were your luck ends. You only took out the drags of my group, now the real hell begins. Pete, kick his ass, just don''t kill him okay". The punk boss said, ordering a quite bulky middle aged dude from his group to step up.


    "Kid, you''ve messed with people you shouldn''t have. Now you''re going to have to suffer the wrath of I, the Steel king!". The bulky dude with a bald head and many facial piercings said. His skin turned silver, he seemed to have that cliche? ability in all apocalypse novels that a random side character has, metal skin. If it was a zombie apocalypse maybe he would have had it made, but sadly rank one beasts can bite through steel, easily too.


    Of course that didn''t stop him from radiating so much arrogance Muku almost wanted to puke. The dude really felt like he was the king of the world in that moment. But looking at his shiny bald head, Muku couldn''t help but wonder what would happen is Chloe hit it with a lightning bolt.


    Those on the terraces who had earrings and the likes quickly took them off. It was so bad that some when taking off their wedding rings and tossing them to the ground. A married couple who managed to make it to the stadium together were sitting beside each other looking on when the husband noticed his wife taking off their wedding ring. Their eyes met and they froze for a bit looking at each other like that, then the man also quickly took off his ring and threw it away, while the wife continued taking off hers.


    "Y-you heard that right?, he can only do that if there''s metal on you, get rid of the metal you have and attack him together. There''s no way this bastard can defeat all of you!". The punk boss said nervously at the start but got confident at the end. Yet what his men didn''t notice was how he, their strongest member dared not, to attack.


    "Idiots". Jade who was looking in said, the goons looked like moths swarming to a flame to her in that moment.


    "Well to be fare, his aura is hidden so they don''t know just how out of their league they are right now". Emily the goody goody didn''t mind defending even idiotic goons...of course she wasn''t aware of their heinous crimes otherwise she might have beaten them up herself.


    "Ahhhhhhhh" ¡Á 8. The goons screamed as they all fell back....


    "Oh, do I can now do that too huh?". Muku said to himself, he had a bad habit of experimenting mid fight. Now he had tried to repel them with his telekinesis and it worked perfectly, if course it could still be better. Even when he fought Pete, he wasn''t completely sure if he would be able to affect someone else''s metal made from their mana. But luckily for him, the situation has always worked out in his favour. And not like he doesn''t assess the risk before experimenting after all.


    "Get up you idiots, lets begin for real!". Muku called out to the goons on the ground with a smile on his face.


    As for the goons, they were horrified at learning that he wasn''t even serious until then. They now knew that they were the ones who had messed with someone they shouldn''t have, unlike what the still screaming Pete said.


    And so, none dared get up.

 Chapter 37 Unreasonable third rate villain

    "What?, I''m not good enough for you so face me standing up?". Muku said as he glared at the goons on the ground. Everyone who heard him felt like rolling their eyes, he was the one who knocked them down then intimidated into not wanting to get up. They felt that he might just be the most unreasonable person in the whole stadium or even city.


    "S-sir, please forgive us, we''ll get out of your way... we''ll even leave the stadium, spare us this once please!". One of the goons on the ground kowtowed as he screamed, the others quickly joined him.


    "Hey you fools, what are you doing!?, get up and fight! If you don''t I''ll kill you all myself!". Punk boss screamed out at his chicken gang before Muku could speak. The gang members all shook a bit hearing his words but gritted their teeth, not daring to get up.


    "Good, is this how you pay me for sponsoring your degenerate lives?. Did you forget the eternal loyalty you all swore when I let you play around with the female gang members until they died!?". The punk boss was infuriated as he screamed out some horrendous words that made the eyes of everyone who heard it turn cold.


    They finally got the full picture of what this punk gang dared do, since coming to the arena they had only beat up the leaders and their men but didn''t even touch the women. Now they all knew it was only a matter of time before they did, and the women would definitely suffer even more than the seven who got beat up. All the women who were close enough to hear him were now shaking in fear. Chloe and Jade''s eyes had turned cold, barely stopping themselves from attacking the bastard.


    Emily who thought that they were only ruffians before was now glaring at the gang boss with a murderous. Just imagining what the women they killed must have gone through really angered her to the extreme. I mean, the women were part of their before so couldn''t have been good people but still, nobody deserved to suffer like that...is what she thought.


    "You''re still not moving!!, fine then, stay there forever!". The punk boss was livid.


    Woosh¡Á2


    "Ahh!"¡Á2


    Half a metre long wind blades flew from him and hit the necks of two of the men on the ground. They both screamed out in pain, grabbed their necks and fell flat on the ground, spasming for a bit before dying, laying in pools of their own blood. Everyone except Muku who could have easily stopped the punk boss was surprised. As for why he didn''t stop him...why would he stop hellbound men from killing each other?


    Muku reached out and grabbed the punk boss''s neck then lifting him up, after the idiot exhausted his meager mana pool in less than a minute. It was quite easy too, with his strength that has been gradually increasing everytime he makes a kill. The punk boss was kicking about in the air while trying to take Muku''s hand off his neck and not succeeding.


    "Calm down idiot, I''m not even chocking you". Muku said while rolling his eyes.


    Hearing him say it, the punk boss finally realised he could still breathe. His face reddened a bit in embarrassment of his overreacting. But he quickly got a hold on himself and glared at Muku with hatred but not saying anything.


    "Really?, you really hate me now?, I literally just defended myself. I only beat up your men a bit... mostly. In fact the only casualties were by your hand you idiot. So where do you get the justification to hate me from...oh wait, third rate villains and side characters always did turn out to be unreasonable so I guess you''re not in the wrong.". Muku spoke out, barely acknowledging the idiot he was grabbing. Seeing how this bastard has been so nonchalant from the start to even now, the punk boss felt even more hatred for him. He must have a inferiority complex or something, otherwise why would you hate someone just because they are disregarding you?.


    "I don''t like the look you have so...(bang!). Take a nap". Muku said as he punched the punk boss in the face, knocking him out then tossing him at the others. As for poor old Pete, he had also long fainted, unable to endure the pain for long. Everyone in the arena was awed by what he had just accomplished alone, but remembering his weird personality, they wondered if they had just escaped a dog only to face a dragon, but none dared say anything, just continued sitting there, waiting for him to decide their fate.


    "Wow, they really did a number on you guys huh?....Jade call the rest, Hope just got some practice fodder!". Muku spoke, the first part directed at the seven people the punk gang beat up. The last part was for Jade who did what she was told.


    Hearing this, the beat up seven heaved a sigh of relief seeing how he seemed to want to help. But as for being openly called practice fodder, although they didn''t know what he meant yet, their lips still twitched but they didn''t complain.


    "T-thank you sir, we''re in your debt. May we know sir''s name" A skinny man with bruises all over his face said as he helped the bulky guy who has his arm broken get up.


    "Wow, it really is the age of strength huh!?, even a 30 year old dude is calling me sir". Muku said with an exaggerated look of awe on his face.


    "Sir, I''m only 27 actually". The skinny man''s lip twitched before he spoke, an ugly smile on his face.

 Chapter 38 Healing glow

    "Really?" (Muku)


    "Yes" (Skinny man)


    "....If you say so" (Muku)


    "I mean so!!" (Skinny man)


    The skinny man finally couldn''t help but scream out in frustration. This brat was so infuriating, he was arguing with him about his own damn age!. Of he wasn''t a thousand percent sure he''d be beaten up, he might have wanted to fight it out on the scene.


    "Heheh...Arg!". The bulky man the skinny man was helping stand couldn''t help but laugh at their exchange then groaned in pain.


    "Brother!, let me get you inside". The skinny man said to the bulky man before trying to walk forward. But the bulky man refused to move.


    "Sir, I''m Tom and this is my younger brother Dom, I''m sorry for his rude behaviour of not introducing himself sooner. And we really can''t thank you enough for what you have done for us". The bulky man...or Tom rather, spoke in one breathe while holding back groans of pain he surely wanted to make.


    "Oh, Tom and Dom huh...what a lazy naming sense the author has... Anyway, I''m Muku and wait a bit, the rest of my group are coming soon and there''s someone who should be able to help your situation". Muku spoke, the group of seven waited, not like there has anywhere better to be. And they were curious about who this helper he mentioned was and how would they be able to help them.


    Less than five minutes later Layla, Hope and Adam''s group came after being called by hope.


    "Leader!, you''re alive, thank God!". Adam screamed as he ran toward Tom and stood in front of him with sparkling eyes like a fan meeting his idol.


    "Oh, it''s Adam, I''m glad you made it back, you even brought back such capable friends". This time it was Dom who spoke as Tom really couldn''t speak anymore.


    "Why don''t I take care of them for you then?". Muku said to Tom with a smile.


    "But how will y..". Tom was asking before he was interrupted.


    "Don''t worry about that" Muku said interrupting Tom.


    His vagueness confused everyone, the girls included, thorough Layla seemed to have an idea of what he wanted to do as she looked at him with suspicion.


    "Okay, I''ll be back in a while, please help the girls settle in". Muku spoke without waiting for Tom to respond to his previous statement. Then the eighteen unconscious people and two corpses, suddenly floated up and toward each other, forming a floating human ball. Muku turned around and started walking towards the exit as the human ball floated behind him and following where he went.


    "Sir..". Emily called out before she was interrupted.


    "Don''t worry, just settle in, I''ll be back in a little while, I don''t need help for this one!". Muku interrupted her and shouted back as he continued walking away.


    Emily wanted to say something more but Layla grabbed her shoulder. When Emily looked back at her, Layla shook her head. And with that Emily could only stop herself from saying anything. Though she was still worried, they had basically always been together since the apocalypse began after all, and he had become the one she depended on most. And with her feelings for him, if anything were to happen to him she might just break...no she''d definitely break.


    "Umm, young ladies, let me show you to your room, you can wait for the young sir there. I''m sure he''ll be back soon". Dom said after being pushed forward by Tom.


    Layla nodded and led the way, following behind Dom. The other girls followed behind her after looking in the direction Muku left from for a bit more. Adam''s group was led away by Tom and the rest in another direction. They would likely be asked to spill all the information they knew about Muku''s group.


    "Umm, Layla, there''s a lady who''s been looking in our direction ever since you came, with tears in her. I wasn''t sure before who she was looking at since it could have been Mr Adam''s group. But now I''m sure she''s looking at you. Look there.". Jade suddenly said to Layla as they walked behind Dom. Layla looked in the direction Jade pointed with confusion then...


    "What!?". She said in a shocked voice as her eyes widened to the max.

 Chapter 39 This isnt Fairy Tail

    On Muku''s side....


    "Well this is a lot draining than I thought, why did I have to act cool instead of asking for some people to carry these fools?, sigh, the things I do for my students.". Muku said to himself complaining about how taxing on his mana carrying so many people with his telekinesis was.


    He went out of the barrier, travelled a bit deeper into the city. Somewhere along the lines, most of them woke up, but dared not move. They just pretended like they were still unconscious waiting to see what happens, they reckoned that if he was going to kill them, he would have done it already. As for the two bodies, maybe he was going to make them bury them or something. What they didn''t know was that Muku already knew they were awake and was just waiting for something to happen.


    "Huff, finally, I was starting to wonder if I had gotten unlucky and chosen a safe route.". As Muku spoke and the punk gang were all awake and confused by his words. Beasts started appearing around them. They were all MR1s, basically an absolute death sentence to the punk gang if they were made to fight them.


    There were two giant lizards in one side, which seemed to always travel in pairs. One giant python on another side and two giant spiders on another. All were looking at the humans in front of them with hungry eyes, barely stopping themselves from pouncing due to two reasons. Any one of them would already be a nightmare to the punk gang, but now, there were five of them. They were absolutely terrified and hoped Muku would take them away quickly.


    But to their horror, the invisible grip that was holding them disappeared and they fell to the ground. Seeing this, the beasts were triggered and almost pounced but barely managed to stop themselves. The reason for this was because even with their little intelligence they knew that whoever pounced first would be enemy number one and would definitely be attacked by the others. And so they just stood there staring down at their prey and sometimes warily glancing at the other beasts around them.


    "Okay listen up idiots, the reason we''re here is because...well you''re unlucky idiots. Anyway, right now I''m going to give you all a chance to survive. Whoever manages to escape these five beasts, I''ll allow to live, whoever can''t...well obviously they will die. Now begin!". The more words that came out of Muku''s mouth, the darker the punk gang''s faces got.


    To the joy of the beasts, and the despair of the punk gang, an invisible force pushed them all away in five directions. That''s right, Muku basically served them up to the beasts on a silver platter. The two bodies were quickly consumed but the large python when they fell in front of it.


    "Ahh!".¡Á 2


    The two live people that were throw along with the bodies were struck down by the python''s tail as it feasted on the body''s. They screamed out loud as they were slapped away, falling a bit of distance away, unmoving and silent. Whether they died or not, it didn''t matter because they''d be killed off soon enough. The slapped had broken many of their bones after all, so even if they didn''t die, they wouldn''t be able to get up and run.


    (A/N: Note that this is not the Monster Python mentioned before, just a random MR1 one)


    The snake was a bit smarter and slithered away. It was already full anyway, not to mention it would be in a disadvantageous situation even if they managed to kill this prey. The giant lizards were mates so they''d likely team up against it afterwards.


    Seeing the competition disappear, the greedy lizards jumped at Muku immediately. But then he suddenly disappeared from their sight. One for the lizards suddenly felt danger from its side and....


    Slush! bang!


    Before it could react Muku who was holding a large silver broadsword struck down. The lizard''s head was cut off in one swing and fell to the ground.


    [69 kills left.....]


    Woosh! Woosh!


    Again, before the other giant lizard could react, Muku who had just landed on the ground wave his hand. Two swords came flying from the air and stabbed deep into the lizard''s eyes. As it hissed in pain he finished if off by cutting off it''s head with his large broadsword. The heavy sword was so quick in his hands because he supported it''s weight with telekinesis when swing it up and propelled it with it when bringing it down.


    [64 kills left.....]


    "Wooo!, seems I''m really getting the hang of this. And now I''m a little closer to Mid Rank One.... though with this absurd power level, nobody would believe me if I said I haven''t reached even 50 Kill Points that should signify the mid stage. I reckon I can even fight the stronger PR1s now. So this is the power of a legend huh...I must say, I quite like it". Muku said as the familiar numbness went through his body. He was letting loose a bit since he was alone. With the girls he had to not over do or they wouldn''t respect him as much. Every normal man craves strength after all, so who would be nonchalant after attaining it?


    The giant python that has slithered a distance away before turning to observe the scene, it wanted to see who would win and of it could fish for some benefits. I mean, it''s a freaking snake after all, since when was it trustworthy?. Anyway as soon as it saw the fiight that ended in seconds....it immediately turned back around and fleed for its life.


    As it slithered away, it thought...


    {That''s no prey. that''s a predator like itself. One even higher up the food chain even}

 Chapter 40 Reunion

    Back at the stadium, soon after Muku left.....


    "What!?". Layla''s voice resounded as she looked in the direction Jade pointed in. Tears started streaming down her cheeks. There in the terrace, a pretty lady in her early thirties with a pale and sickly face could be seen. She was also looking at Layla with tears streaming down her cheeks.


    "Mother...". Layla''s voice sounded out again, this time, her words shocking her friends. They had suspected it, but hearing her confirm it was still shocking.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Layla practically flew towards the woman in the terrace. The weakness she felt from the battle before seemed to disappear as she ran forward. Of course it was only her adrenaline pushing her forward.


    Seeing this little girl who was definitely with that monster from before running their way in an unnatural speed. The people on the terrace who were still there quickly got up and ran away. They thought that they might have offended her by looking and she was going to beat them up for it. And who would wait to get beaten up. In less than a minute, only Layla''s mother was left there standing, everyone else had cleared away from the area.


    "Mother!"


    "Layla!"


    The mother and daughter called out to each other as soon as Layla got close enough to her. They quickly fell into each other''s embrace and both started bawling, overwhelmed by happiness from finding each other alive in such uncertain times.


    Everyone who saw this managed to quickly realise what was going on, as long as they had a properly functioning brain. She did literally shout mom at the end after all. Quite a number of people started shedding tears of their own even, they are the ones who hadn''t seen their loved ones ever since the apocalypse began. They couldn''t help but wonder if they will have such a blessed reunion or they will never meet again in their remaining lifetime.


    Even the girls were teary eyed and filled with emotion when they saw this scene. They were all happy for Layla to be reunited by her mother. Emily and Jade were now looking forward to seeing their family members even more. Chloe was just happy for a friend and only thought of her estranged father for a split second before suppressing the thought.


    "Uh, yes, nice to meet you too girls. And thank you for looking after Layla for me". Audrey said with a gentle motherly smile on her face. Which made all the girls think of their mothers and before Audrey realised it, she was in the embrace of the four girls who had jumped on her at the same time. Layla on the side was stunned at first then a look of realisation appeared on her face and she just looked on with a faint smile.


    "There there, you''ve all worked hard. I''m proud of you all". Audrey said in a soft voice as she held them close, a gentle look in her eyes.


    Audrey was also surprised by the sudden hug attack but quickly realised what was happening. The girls just missed their parents and seeing her and hearing the way she talked, they couldn''t hold back and hugged her. At the end of the day they were still little girls of only sixteen and even fifteen in Hope''s case so they still had a high level of dependency on their parents, especially their mothers. Even Chloe who has lost her mother when she was still a little child couldn''t help but jump into the hug as she also vaguely remembered her mother.


    Anyway, hearing Audrey''s praise was exactly what they needed in the moment. Muku couldn''t substitute a mother''s sense of comfort to these girls, no matter what he might try, though he wouldn''t try to in the first place. The best he could do was being like a dependable older brother, which he could do without even trying.


    "Umm, girls, Mr Dom is waiting, why don''t we continue this later?". Layla called out to the girls. Hearing her, they came back to reality and quickly jumped away from Audrey''s embrace with red faces from the embarrassment they felt.


    "We''re sorry!". The all called out while bowing to Audrey a bit, not daring to look her in the eyes. They were afraid they might have angered her by with their sudden actions.


    "Oh no, it''s okay, I quite liked it too actually. In fact, anytime you need a hug, I''m here for you. So no need to feel bad okay". Audrey replied with a smile. This made them want to jump on her again but they held back.


    After thank her again for being tolerant of them, the group walked toward Dom, with the addition of Audrey as Layla was holding her hand and dragging her along. Audrey tried to break free but realised that she couldn''t do anything to get out of Layla''s vice like grip that held her hand tight enough so she won''t escape but loose enough as to not hurt her. From this Audrey guessed that Layla must already be quite a strong evolver, and remembering what one needs to do to evolve, her heart couldn''t help but clench in pain thinking of the struggles her daughter must have faced.


    They were led to a large room that seemed to be an office before, it had a few chairs and one large sofa along with a desk. It was actually the best room in the stadium....a stadium wouldn''t have residential rooms after all. Dom left after showing them the room. They then unpacked their things from their backpacks. Took out some food and had some with Audrey who tried to refuse at first but could only give up under their combined insistence.


    After a bit of silence after they finished their meal. Layla looked at Audrey with clear eyes and spoke.


    "Do you really have Leukemia?"

 Chapter 41 Who said you will die?

    Hearing the question, Audrey''s eyes widened so much from shock it seemed like they were going to fall off. She immediately regretted leaving the letter in a moment of weakness.


    "I...ah". She didn''t know what to say.


    "Don''t try to cover it up, I can even show you the letter. But if you don''t want to tell me, it''s fine, it''s your decision.... though I was starting to think that we could finally start acting like a family, I guess I was wrong. I''m tired, I''m going to sleep". Layla spoke while looking at Audrey, the more she spoke, the more tears clouded her eyes, at the end, she was even crying, which made her look away.


    She then layed down on the huge blanket they had placed on the ground to sleep on claiming she wanted to sleep. Seeing this, Audrey''s heart hurt, she couldn''t understand how this girl still cared so much for her despite how cold she had acted all these years. She was left not knowing what to do.


    What she didn''t know was that even from a younger age, Layla had long figured out that she was acting, she just didn''t expose the fact that she knew. Audrey was way too attentive for someone who didn''t care. She provided Layla with everything she needed over the year''s, sometimes even before she asked. Her reason always being "I''m keeping up appearances". And whenever Layla got sick, Audrey''s act would show quite a number of glaring cracks. Anyway, what mattered the most is that both of them secretly loved each other a lot so Audrey keeping such a thing from Layla really hurt her. Especially even when she knew she already knew.


    "I''m sorry Layla, but I feel that the more you know, the more my death will hurt you and I don''t want that.". Audrey said while looking at Layla who was facing away from her with a sad look in her eyes as well as resolution to not say anything.


    The other girls just listened on without saying anything, they felt like this was a family matter and they also couldn''t do anything to change it so might as well stay silent. But of course hearing that Audrey had cancer was close to death also made them sad.


    "But who said you were going to die?"


    Before Layla could say anything, a male voice was heard from the door. There a young good-looking man who looked to be twenty, short black hair, grey eyes, wearing a grey track bottom, black t-shirt and a friendly smile plastered on his face.


    "Who..." Audrey was about to ask who the young man was. She was so disorientated that she had forgotten seeing him beat up a whole gang earlier as well as interact with the girls.@@@@


    "Muku Chisen, at your service. I''m also the proud teacher of these girls here. You must be Ms Knight, Layla''s mother, nice to meet you". Muku spoke after interrupting Audrey while bowing down a bit.


    "So you''re saying...". Layla trailed off not daring to finish her statement in fear she might be too hopeful.


    "Yes, if we get your mother to Rank One, chances are, she will awaken a class that will fix her illness. Of course I''m not a hundred percent certain so lets not get to excited until we see what happens". Muku finished her statement and made sure that they understood that it was still just a theory of his.


    "Now, Ms Knight, are you willing to try it out at least?". Muku asked Audrey while looking in her direction.


    "Yes she is!". Before she could answer, Layla loudly exclaimed first and decided on her behalf. Which was understandable, this was they only way they could at least had a chance to save Audrey. Hell, even if the apocalypse didn''t happen, Audrey''s case was already too far gone to be saved by medical treatment. The best it could do was extend her life a bit before she died.


    "But...isn''t it too dangerous?". Audrey was hesitant, she didn''t want to endanger someone''s life on her account, especially when they were just operating on a theory.


    "Umm, ma''am, with no disrespect, I think you are looking down on me a bit too much. Remember how easily I beat the punk gang before?, I wasn''t even using ten percent of my power then". Muku said with a serious expression.


    "Wait, you are....SIR SORRY FOR BEING SO RUDE!!, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!". Audrey suddenly shouted pleading for forgiveness, startling everyone. She had finally realised she was talking to the monster who took care of that evil gang so easily without even breaking a sweat using his mystic powers. And she already knew that the world was now ruled by the strong like him, and if he gets offended by her, he could easily kill her or do anything with her and she wouldn''t be able to do anything about it, and with his strength, neither will anyone else. She had forgotten that he was Layla''s teacher and didn''t seem to be evil, she was just that scared.


    "Layla, you take care of this, I''ll go outside for a bit". Muku awkwardly got up and left the room, he really didn''t know what to do in the situation. The mother of one of his students was kowtowing infront of him shaking in fear. He also knew that if he stayed in the room, calming her down would be hard.


    .....


    As he left the rest of the girls followed behind him. They also wanted to check out the stadium and going with him would be a lot more fun.


    "So, what did you do with the punk gang anyway?". Jade asked the question all the girls wanted to know as they walked around the stadium.


    "I...let them go". Muku said while avoiding eye contact.

 Chapter 42 Big brother!

    "Really?". Jade was not convinced with his obviously unconfident answer.


    Even the other girls were suspicious. But there''s no way they''d think he fed them to beasts, the best they could think of was that he beat them up a bit more and let them go with a warning or locked them up somewhere for a while. Not that they were naive, it''s just the impression that Muku had given them to that point that clouded their judgement.


    But if Layla was here, she might have sniffed out the truth. Maybe not accurately what he did with them but at least that he didn''t leave them alive. And she would have supported his decision too. These weren''t the times to be lenient and forgiving, especially to such scum that would obviously hold a grudge and come back for revenge the very first chance they got.


    Although Muku said it was for the girls. Deep down he knew he did it for himself as much as them. In fact, even if the girls weren''t around, he probably would have still done it.


    "Yeah really, anyway, lets go back, Layla should have calmed her down by now and it''s not fun seeing emaciated people laying around with stomachs growling all over the place due to hunger. And Hope, better not say we should give them some of our food or I will spank you right here and now". Muku replied to her, quickly changing topics. He didn''t want the kids to change the way they looked at him by knowing what he did, so for as long as he could, he would preserve the image of a kind teacher they had in their minds.


    It just so happened that he noticed Hope wanting to say something when she was looking all the people around them. The people were not that thing yet since it hadn''t been that long yet since the apocalypse began but one could tell that they were definitely losing weight and were extremely hungry. And so Hope thought of asking Muku if she could give them some of their food since they could always get more if they wanted to. But Muku told her off even before she could say anything, hearing his threat she quickly grabbed her butt and gave him a fearful look. Emily and Chloe who were also thinking of asking the same also couldn''t help but grabbing theirs as well, their faces reddening a bit from thinking of something they probably shouldn''t be.


    "Can we go now?". Jade said, she also didn''t like seeing these people like this. She didn''t even think of helping them, not because she was cruel or anything, but just knew that she couldn''t. In fact even the other girls, other than Hope understood why Muku said they couldn''t help.


    Firstly, they were too many people, by the time they provide a meal to all of them, the ones they fed would have already gotten hungry again. And who''s to say that there won''t be a riot when some see others receiving food when they aren''t?. And for how long could they possibly do it even if by some miracle they can satisfy the whole crowd?. Then lastly these people would start expecting to be fed by them from then on, and if they aren''t, they would likely turn on them, forgetting all they had been given for free before. Such is human nature, ungrateful trash that''s ever greedy for more.


    Of course there are some good ones who can be so good that one can confuse them for saints. But if they don''t get corrupted by the world, or exploited, they will definitely be killed off. "The good die young" isn''t just a saying, it has been proven correct in many cases. After all, in every dozen or so people, only one or two are truly good, the rest I eaither straight up evil or only appear to be good while waiting for a chance to strike.


    (A/N: This is Muku''s view on the world after experiencing some situations that forced such a thought process on him as he grew up..... though Author-san doesn''t particularly diagree with it^_^)


    .....


    "Oh, is that so..."


    "What are you brats getting jealous for?, I''ll take care of all of you too". Muku saw thelr expressions and quickly said with a roll of his eyes and a mocking smile to their obvious jealousy.


    Hearing this, Chloe and Emily copied Layla''s actions from a few seconds before. While Jade "Hmphed" and looked away, but one could easily see she was pleased from the small smile on her face and her slightly reddened ears.


    (A/N: These girls blush way too much!)


    "Then can I call you big brother from now on!". Hope shouted with excitement visible on her face.


    "S-sure". Hearing her shout Muku almost fell off his chair. But seeing her blindingly excited face he couldn''t help couldn''t bring himself to turn the little girl down, so could only nervously agree.


    Hearing this, the other girls were surprised, but then their eyes lit up a bit. They all thought the same thing.....{One less rival!}


    Seeing the group''s interactions, Audrey couldn''t help but put on a helpless smile. How could she not see what was going on?. These four girls all liked their teacher. It was like there was a ticking time bomb in the group that would be set off the moment Muku chose one. Luckily Hope, the naive little girl only wanted him as a big brother, but who knows how long that will last before she wants more too?.


    "Thank you big brother!". Hope excitedly called out as she jumped towards Muku aiming to hug her new older brother she always wanted. Especially now when she likely doesn''t have any family left.


    "Okay everyone, time to sleep, tomorrow we have to go hunting. By lunchtime tomorrow I want Ms Audrey to already be a Rank One". Muku said as his hand was grabbing Hope''s face, pushing it away, preventing her from hugging him. Though she still kept on trying to push forward, clearly not wanting to give up. It was quite comical actually.


    "Yes sir". After everyone else agreed to sleep, Hope could only reluctantly give up on the hug for now and also go back to bed...or more precisely the blanket on the floor.


    Muku took the big couch as his resting place and slept there after pushing it in front of the door. They were in the safe zone so didn''t need to be as on guard as before but still Muku made sure that if anyone tried to open the door, he''d immediately be woken up.


    And like that, their eventful day ended...

 Chapter 43 Generating random class!?

    Next morning, they had breakfast, brushed their teeth and left the stadium after notifying Tom of their purpose for the day.@@@@


    They didn''t have to, but were just being polite. And of course Tom wouldn''t stop them, quite frankly he even wanted to go with them, but thought they hadn''t known each other long enough for such a request, not to mention his still broken hand, Hope hadn''t gotten around to healing it after all that happened after. And Tom even thanked them for escorting Adam''s group and was even more greatful that their killed the Shadow panther that was slowly wiping them out without them being able to do anything. Now they scavenging teams should be a bit more safe, in the area around the stadium that is.


    They walked for quite a while in the direction of the city outskirts. They could have made noises to attract beasts, but they didn''t want to call them too close to the stadium. As for why they were going heading towards the outskirts instead of deeper in?. Beasts got stronger the deeper in you went while they wanted weaker ones, they could probably easily defend Audrey even if they went deeper in, but the chance of finding unranked beasts would be slim to none by then.


    "Hmm, this should be far enough, Jade, scream for us". After walking quite a few kilometres away from the stadium, Muku spoke.


    At this point, Audrey had long run out of stamina and was on his back. She had tried to protest to being carried but with the difference in strength in their normal states, not to mention now when she''s sick and he''s an evolver, she could only powerlessly let him carry her. She did try to push him away at one point but felt like she was pushing a wall and quickly gave up, resigning to her fate, albeit embarrassed.


    "What!, why me?....wait, are you indirectly calling me loud!?". Jade was offended and so she shouted.


    Muku didn''t say anything just looked at her with a smile. She glared back. And in less than a minute since her shout, to her dismay, dog sized spiders could be seen speedily crawling towards them. They numbered around 15 in number. These little but quite big things always seemed to travel in large numbers. And from how they were coming out of a building, they were likely nesting in it. As for whether Muku knew this or not from the start, only he would know.


    "Do you still want me to respond to your question?". Muku finally said, it seems he had been waiting for the critters to show up before speaking.


    "Ahhhhh!".


    Then suddenly a loud scream that could shutter ear drums was heard. Unlucky for Muku the source''s head was right beside his ear, though now was trying to bury itself into its back. That''s right, it was Audrey''s frightened scream. She had just noticed the spiders after they came close enough to them. Her vision had been impacted by her illness so couldn''t see as well as before. But when she did see them, a women''s worst nightmare, literal large spiders, she couldn''t hold herself back. She had seen quite a few other beasts when she ran to the stadium, like large dogs, snakes and lizards killing off the people around her, but hadn''t seen the spiders.


    And even the beasts she did see seemed to be disgusted by her. Many had a chance to kill her but only sniffed in her direction before attacking other people. They likely smelled that she was sick and would rather have the healthier meals around her. Just as a human would rather have a fresh meal than one that''s about to go stale if they have a choice. So in a way, being sick, saved her life. Anyway, on top of not seeing large spiders before, unlike the beasts before, these were even charging I''m her direction which was another new experience. So her being so scared only makes sense.


    She received her first prompt, and since she had been told about it, she didn''t get startled or surprised by it. Even the numbness running through her whole body didn''t faze her. She wanted to ask what that force that assisted her was, but she felt she already knew the answer to that so didn''t and just walked toward the next spider. She felt a bit stronger already, whether she was imagining it or it was real, she didn''t know but it at least made her more motivated but killing these spiders.


    A few minutes later with the help of the force, she managed to kill nine spiders and was standing in front of the last one spear raised. Everyone held their breaths, this was the do it die moment. Although at least she visibly looked a lot better after killing the nine spiders, they still couldn''t tell if it was doing what it was supposed to be doing.


    Stab!


    Again with the help of the force, she killed the beast.


    [Kill count met. Evolution Commencing. Initializing Specialisation]


    With that now familiar voice, like the ones before her, Audrey''s body froze. A tingling feeling going through her body. She didn''t know why, but she felt that the cancer cells in her blood were actually being consumed and mutated into something else by the energy rocking her body as it gathered toward a certain point.


    [Mana core formation complete. No particularly outstanding quality detected. Generating random class].


    Hearing those words, Audrey''s heart felt like it was going to skip out of her body. Nobody had told her about the class levels yet. But anyone with even half a brain can figure out that a "random class" wasn''t anything good.


    [Random Class, Lesser Vampire awakening....]


    With that last prompt from the IA, Audrey''s consciousness went dark. Her consciousness was cut off from her body.


    Outside of her body. Her eyes suddenly sprung open.


    Her once beautiful brown eyes had turned blood red and nothing but the thirst for blood visible in them....

 Chapter 44 Lesser Vampire or....?

    "Mother?". Layla said as she walked closer to Audrey who was facing away from the group. All of them suddenly felt like the air around her had changed. And not in a "evolution is done" kind of way, but a sinister way they couldn''t understand.@@@@


    "Growl!"


    As soon as she heard Layla''s voice, Audrey''s nails grew long enough to match her fingers in length. Her canine teeth elongated into vampire teeth. She then turned around and pounced towards the approaching Layla who was caught off guard. As Audrey was about to reach Layla and bite down. Muku who had reacted just in time appeared right in-between them. His arm held out in front of him to stop Audrey. In the heat of the moment he forgot he could just stop her with his telekinesis.


    (A/N: That or author-san is just trying to advance the plot. Well whichever it is, I''m sure we can all agree that we''re all interested to see where it''s going right?)


    And so Audrey bit down on his arm. Teeth sinking in, into his flesh. If he hadn''t felt the evolution pain, he might have screamed out in pain.


    "Ahh!". The girls screamed in shock at this sudden and completely unexpected turn of events. Especially when they noticed Audrey''s sinister blood red eyes that lacked intelligence only filled with brutality.


    "Wait!". Muku said, raising his free hand when he noticed the girls about to act, likely to attack Audrey. Although he felt warm that they wouldn''t mind attacking her for him, he felt that the situation could be controlled with bloodshed..other than his arm''s of course. Not to mention Layla who just stood there unmoving with a shocked look on her face, her brain seemed to have crushed or something. The other girls stopped but it could be observed that they were ready to attack at any moment''s notice if they sensed anything wrong even if they had to go against Muku''s order.


    [Lesser vampire venom detected in the bloodstream aiming to turn the individual into a lesser vampire. Unawakened bloodline has been roused. Unawakened bloodline attacking venom source]


    The prompt from the IA is the reason why Muku stopped the girls. Since he didn''t seem to be in any immediate danger and Hope could heal him easily enough, he took the "wait and see" approach. At the same time wondering what unawakened bloodline the IA was talking about. But then remembered the reward he got for being the first evolver, something about Nihility. Which he had almost forgotten since unlike his telekinesis and metal element, he couldn''t sense it. So with this sudden unawakened bloodline he got from nowhere, he assumed they were related in some way.


    In Audrey''s now empty head a prompt also rang out at the same time.


    [Failed to infect target. Unknown blood force attacking individual. Individual''s blood is being taken over. Unable to resist. Individual''s blood is being mutated.


    All this was happening unbeknownst to anyone, Audrey included. If she was conscious to it, she might have panicked.


    [Lesser vampire class nullified. New class, influenced by foreign blood force generating. Unique class, Grey-eyed Vampire Queen (Subdued) awakening...]


    As soon as the Lesser vampire class was erased. Audrey''s consciousness was awakened and put back in control, so she heard what was said after that. She was surprised and confused until the memories from her brief berserk mode hit her. She was distraught by what she did, especially how she was still biting down on Muku''s hand even though she was now back in control.


    Om Muku''s side, here''s what he got....


    [Lesser vampire successfully subdued and converted. First servant gained. Grey-eyed Vampire Queen (Audrey). Completely unable to disobey Individua. Will die when individual dies. Cannot betray Individual. Unable to to attack individual]


    "Well....that was". Muku said but didn''t know how to finish.


    "An epic fail?". Jade finished for him while the others nodded.


    Layla smacked her own forehead, embarrassed for her mother who ruined her one moment of being cool. She then smiled and walked to her. She heaved a sigh of relief knowing that despite her exaggerated transformation, her mother had returned back to normal and was still the same from before.


    "Mother?" Layla asked, this time she stood a bit of distance away, having learned her lesson from before. Though she no longer sensed the ominous aura from before.


    "Y-yes?". Audrey replied, she remembered how she had tried to attack Layla before. If Muku hadn''t been there, she might have really hurt her daughter. And for that she couldn''t forgive herself and couldn''t even bring herself to face her. Not to mention she even bit the hand that fed her, literally, without Muku who knew if they would all be there at that moment and she bit him.


    "Don''t worry, I know it wasn''t your fault, nor was it really you who attacked me before. I''m sure even Sir knows it" Layla knowing her mother immediately said. Over the years she had long figured out Audrey''s act due to Audrey''s shitty acting skills. So knowing what was going through her head at this moment was easy enough for her.


    "R-really?". Audrey asked for confirmation. At this time the others couldn''t help but wonder which one of them was the mother. Not to mention Audrey''s unmotherly look at the moment.


    "Definitely, now lets go back to the stadium and talk. It''s not safe here". Layla affirmed with a soft voice.


    "Okay". Hearing that, Audrey finally got up and walked toward the group. Her eyes daring not, to look in Muku''s direction.


    Muku who remembered the prompts left her alone for the moment. He knew that she had gone through a lot in these few minutes so needed time to think to herself without him adding to the trouble.


    And so they walked back mostly in silence. Though due to the noise they made before, they encountered a few more LR1s that managed to get Hope, Emily and Chloe''s Kill count down to 80 KP needed.


    They only managed to reach the stadium late after due to all the battles. But when they did, everyone that saw them was looking their way from a distance. You''d think that it was because of Muku''s presence due to what he had done the previous day, but it was actually due to Audrey.


    The girl...no, the woman was now so beautiful that all the men were enchanted. She looked like an angel descended down from the heavens above. She was so beautiful that the women didn''t even feel jealous, some even wanted her for themselves!.


    In fact, if it wasn''t because of Muku''s deterrent effect, a large crowd would have long formed around her. Her now baggy clothes were just adding to her allure to these people. Hell, if it wasn''t because of their newly formed bond, Muku might have also fallen for her newly acquired beauty and charm.


    Seeing all those hungry looks on her, Audrey couldn''t help feel a bit afraid. And without noticing it, she had moved closer to Muku.


    "Hey!, stop there!". Suddenly a male voice was heard from behind them.


    When they turned around, they were all surprised to see who it was.

 Chapter 45 Finally did it!

    It turned out to be one of the dudes they helped before. He was an unremarkable fellow who they''d likely have forgotten if given one more day without seeing him, even Hope who healed him.


    "Can we help you?" Muku asked looking at him with an expressionless face.@@@@


    "Ah, that, I was talking to you, I''m talking to this lady right here. Every new person to the safe zone must report to us the leaders so that we can assess whether they are good people or not. And because of which, I''m going to take this lady with me to my room for an interview". The man spoke some bullishit mixed in with some truths. As for why everyone thought it was some bullshit....well, his eyes were continuously scanning Audrey''s body with a lecherous look.


    The poor lady had to hide behind Muku in the end, she felt like he was the closest person to her in the world for some reason, ever since her evolution, she felt as connected to him as she did Layla. Seeing her hide behind another man displeased him a lot, but he didn''t dare antagonize Muku directly and hoped his bullshit would work.


    Everyone from the sidelines who saw what he was doing couldn''t help but feel disgusted by his actions. He noticed them, but didn''t care about what these spineless losers thought about him. He was a Rank One after all....well it was a random class (Woodcutter class) but at least it could be used to fight beasts.


    "Oh, is that so?, well, then I guess my whole group will have to come with to your room now won''t we?. Okay, lead the way, lets go". Just as the girls were about to lose it and beat up this trash of a man, Muku spoke after raising his hand to stop them. Hearing what he said, the girls stopped and now looked at the man with a mocking smile, waiting to see what he would do next.


    "Ah, no!. Your group did such a great service for our stadium so I couldn''t possibly do such a thing to you, just the lady is fine". The man denied taking Muku''s group and shamelessly even said he only wanted Audrey. He even hid a meaning by saying "our stadium" than just "stadium", which was basically his way of telling Muku''s group that they were outsiders.


    "The lady is also part of my group though". Muku said, the small smile on his face widening. The four girls from his class felt a chill go down their spine. This was the expression he put on everytime he was pissed off and it never ended well for whoever pissed her off when he taught them before the apocalypse began.


    "No, no, no, that won''t do, I didn''t see her before, so I need to confirm it my..."


    "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!". Before the idiot finished speaking, he was interrupted by Muku''s booming voice and then...


    Boom!


    His body was smashed into the group hard, he was even bleeding from his forehead but just couldn''t get up no matter what how hard he tried to push himself up. He couldn''t even move a finger, let alone his body. He felt like an insurmountable force was crushing down on him, the floor he was laying on even sank in a little. He now regretted giving in to his lust, though he only had that thought for 2 to 3 seconds before he fainted, the pressure just took much for his mind.


    "Sir!, stop, reign in your aura, you''ll kill him!" The girls quickly said in unison while shaking Muku to rouse him from his anger.


    "Ah, sorry about that, I made you all see such a terrible side of me. Let''s go to our room, it should help me calm down". Muku said after calming down a bit.


    In Muku''s group''s room...


    "So you''re saying you got a random class that turned you into a mindless bloodsucker?. And luckily because of Sir''s unawakened bloodline, your trash class was overwritten and you were given a unique class called Grey-eyed Vampire Queen? Which from the information from the IA is as strong as a Pseudo-Legendary class?. Well no wonder you seemed to be as strong as Jade when she just ranked up.". Layla spoke, trying to confirm what Audrey had said to the group, while Audrey just nodded in agreement.


    "I''m so jealous, you look so cool...does that mean I''ll also get a cool upgrade if I bite him?". Jade said while looking at Muku with eyes full of desire making him scooch a bit away from her.


    "Maybe if you had venom that tried to turn me into someone like you, I don''t think it will work. It seems to be just a defensive mechanism to anything that tries to change the state of my blood". Muku said quickly as Jade inched closer. Hearing him, she was disappointed but felt it only made sense otherwise he''d be too Op, making loyal servants left and right. As for the servant thing, they were told about it but didn''t have a large reaction to it. Reasoning being....


    "Jade you brat, you really wanted to bite me, didn''t you hear what she said, when she said she''s now my lifelong servant I can do whatever I want with?". Seeing the disappointment in Jade''s eyes Muku was angered greatly, the brat really would have bit him if she didn''t reason with her soon enough.


    "I heard her, but I know you won''t do anything, you''re just not that kind of person. You just don''t have it in you. So being your servant really wouldn''t change anything". Jade said with a nonchalant expression as if stating a fact. Quite frankly the other girls thought the same but didn''t voice it out knowing that no man would want to hear such a thing. But Jade the filterless idiot just said whatever came to mind.


    "I don''t have it in me huh?". Muku said with a dark and then.


    Pa!


    "Ahhh!". Jade cried out, now standing on her fit looking at Muku with shocked teary eyes as she held her aching butt cheek. While the others looked on with suprise etched on their faces.


    That''s right, Muku finally did it, he spanked the brat. It appears he hadn''t completely calmed down from before which fueled him to do something he had always wanted to do. Spank the brat, he even felt that it was a shame she jumped away or he would have continued. He felt that it didn''t even qualify to be a spanking with just one slap... definitely not because her butt felt really good in his hand.


    It all happened like this, after he finished speaking, he picked her up with his telekinesis, put her in front of him. Before she could react, his hand had already made contact with her rear and she jumped away from him with a scream of pain. Then stood a distance away looking at him with shock.


    "D-did, did you just spank me!?". She cried out again.


    "There are just some things you don''t say to a man". Muku replied to her slowly, his face expressionless.


    Seeing this, the other girls who had also been thinking the same as Jade couldn''t help but grab their rears as they subtly moved away from Muku.

 Chapter 46 Do I really seem so unreasonable

    "You!...Ahh!". After the pain receded Jade lunged at Muku with a shout and again she found herself lifted up in the air by his telekinesis which prompted a cry from her.


    "You still haven''t learned your lesson I see". Muku said while cracking his fingers looking into her eyes.


    Seeing this shouldn''t help but shudder a bit, thinking that she probably wouldn''t be able to escape this time. She also realised how dangerous his telekinesis ability was. She couldn''t even sense it and only realised he was using it when he grabbed her.


    "No no, I''m sorry sir, please don''t lower your great self to the level of a disrespectful brat like me". Jade quickly changed her stance after realising she couldn''t win, especially in such a confined space. So she shamelessly apologised. Seeing this, the others couldn''t help but put on wrily expressions. As well as promise themselves to always watch what comments they make about Muku, especially in front of him.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t, but I can see that you have a lot of pent up energy don''t you?. So tomorrow morning we''ll be setting out, and we will spend the whole day outside. The group''s progress is way too slow anyways. By the end of the week, I want everyone to have at least reached MR1.". Muku said to her before continuing to say something that addressed the whole group. The others didn''t disagree, as staying in the stadium was unproductive and quite boring actually.


    If it wasn''t because it was already late in the afternoon, they would have gone back out. So for now they could only tell each other some stories as they waited for nighttime to come and they would have their dinner and sleep.


    Knock! knock! "Hello, Mr Muku!, are you there?. It''s Tom."


    Suddenly as the group was revealing in their stories and laughing with each other to pass the time. A knock was heard from the door followed by Tom''s deep voice that was audibly laced with some unease.


    "Come on in Mr Tom". Muku''s vice sounded. At this time everyone was either sitting on a chair or the large sofa and the blanket was folded in a corner so letting Tom in wasn''t a problem.


    "Okay, thank you". Tom''s voice sounded out again from behind the door. He slowly opened it and got in.


    "Please, take a sit". Muku said gesturing at the chair beside his, which was also the only free chair in the room.


    "Ah yes, thank you". Tom thanked him as he nervously took a sit. That''s when he noticed her, the lady described to look like she came out of a fantasy novel by those who saw her, and he felt that they weren''t wrong, she just looked that beautiful. But remembering the last guy, he didn''t let his gaze linger and looked away.


    Everyone in the room noticed his actions and internally gave him a nod of approval. They had noticed how easily people lost their reasoning from seeing Audrey from before. So Tom being able to untangle himself so quickly was really an achievement. While Muku narrowed his eyes wondering if Tom swang the other way and subtly pushed his chair a bit away from Tom''s. Luckily Tom didn''t seem to notice or he would have puked blood from anger, like since when did being a gentleman and not wanting to be beat up start being translated as being queer!?.


    Of course he could have waited for it to naturally heal but who knows if it would work the same way as the bones would likely heal in an awkward position. And Hope''s healing seemed to return everything into its original state. So he really was greatful beyond words. This time didn''t say anything else since he knew there was really nothing he could do for Muku''s group with his strength so just swore to himself to help them in the future if he ever got the chance. He had already promised them way too many things in two days, so much so, his life was probably not his anymore.


    "Okay, you can see yourself out now Mr Tom"


    "Yeah, and please just call me Tom"


    "Sure, Tom"


    With that Tom left....


    "Did you have to be so magnanimous on him?". Jade asked after Tom left. She could understand not holding someone else''s sins against him but to even heal him?. Tom was the leader, so he should have kept his men in check from the start, which he failed. So not healing him should have been his punishment for failing as a leader in her opinion. But what Muku did, was basically rewarding him for failing.


    "You see kid, in this world nothing is certain, you never know what could happen. Like, what if, one day Tom was the only one in a position to help us?, if we hadn''t helped him now, would he help us then?. You might think that since we helped him before he would be obligated to do the same. But the thing about humans is that, sometimes they work based on the last impression you gave them. Besides, not like we lost anything from it, Hope got some practice in and the people of the stadium will now think positively of us again after the incident from before, which is never a bad thing". Muku calmly educated Jade as the others also listened on, they all couldn''t help but think he really had some far reaching wisdom and always seemed to act in a way that would benefit them the most.


    .....


    "So, how did it go?". Dom asked his brother who had just reached in front of him a bit of distance away from Muku''s room.


    "Well, what do you think?". Tom said as he moved around his once injured hand. When he was walking over to Dom, he had made it seem like it was still injured.


    "So it went well?". Although aware of the answer from Tom''s hand and beaming smile, he still seeker affirmation, which was this weird many people liked doing for some reason.


    "Damn straight!" Tom already used to his brother''s weird personality trait replied.


    "Good, now lets go eat, Adam''s group really came with good stuff this time". Dom said as the brothers walked off.

 Chapter 47 Self rejection?

    The next morning, around 7 AM. The group was already up and were walking out of the stadium....


    "Okay, I''ve had it with this stadium, it has no working shower!". Jade complained with a frown on her face as she sniffed herself. Being an evolver she didn''t sweat as much as a normal person would. Hell, she barely sweated at all, but because of her hypersensitive sense of smell, she could still smell the faint scent of sweat on her.


    The others nodded in agreement, while Audrey felt quite embarrassed, she hadn''t bathed since the day of the apocalypse. Luckily for her, her sweat didn''t stink or she would have had no face to be so close to the others.


    (A/N: Apparently, some people, especially in South Korea, don''t have stinky sweat)


    "If that''s the case, lets rap up here and continue with our journey. Your house is next if I''m correct, right?" Muku replied


    "Y-yeah". Jade didn''t sound too happy about the prospect of going to her house next actually.


    The others all understood what she was thinking though. There was a high chance that she will likely end up in the same situation as Hope and she didn''t know if she could take it. No one said anything about her mother being fine, as they felt promising her anything in such an uncertain time period could only lead to greater pain for her in the future. And so they continued their hunt in silence. Though Audrey had walked closer to Jade and held her hand as they walked. Jade accepted the gesture and they continued walking forward in silence. Having Audrey around really had a calming effect on all the girls...of course her new appearance still made them feel a bit awkward.


    ....


    Around an hour later....


    They had realised that although they couldn''t go too far, Jade''s house was actually close enough for them to reach on that very day. So they chose to go seeing that since it was mentioned, Jade had been really down, which dulled the moral of the whole group as she was their fire cracker. Even if they couldn''t manage to return in time, they were strong enough to sleep outside anyway. And they all knew that there was basically no chance of finding Jade''s mother home, what they hoped for was a letter like the one Layla got which would give them a clue of where to look.


    (A/N: Kills Left= KL)


    They had met a few MR1s which managed to get Emily, Chloe, Layla and Hope''s KL to an even 80. The girls gave each other opportunities to kill the enemies so that they could all equally benefit. As for Audrey, she.... couldn''t remember how she got her nails so long before and so with embarrassment, could only stand at the side lines trying to make her ability work. Jade said she will kill the later ones and no one could force her to kill after all. Muku was just a bystander considering he had 64 KL so felt that it was best to give the others this chance.


    "Well, this is new". Muku said looking at the twenty one metre tall giant rats in front of them, squeaking at them and seemingly readying to attack. He and his group had walked in on their meal on a dead giant python.


    "Yeah, I was starting to think that there were only snakes, spiders and lizards here....now that I think about it, it only makes sense for there to be giant rats here". Layla replied to him also suprised.


    "What do you mean it makes sense?". Hope asked, she didn''t get it.


    Audrey seeing Jade''s feat that she knew she couldn''t do also felt her blood boiling and in her long baggy black dress ran forward. She wanted to kill them all as fast as possible and see how close to Jade''s strength she was. Though quite frankly even if they were equally strong, she probably wouldn''t stand a chance against Jade who had quite a decent amount of experience on her side.


    And so, the end result of Audrey''s boiling blood was taking around three minutes to kill the ten rats. It appeared the rats didn''t have any special skills after all. But still, Audrey couldn''t help but mope afterwards.


    She had realised the gap between her and Jade, both in strength and experience, Jade made it look so easy, while she ended up getting scratched left and right before she got the job done. Though the scratches were shallow, they were still embarrassing, an old lady like her showing such a pathetic display in front of children, how shameful!.


    (A/N: The above is basically Audrey''s thoughts, and a lot of people who aren''t actually that old call themselves old, so don''t read too much into it)


    [88 kills left....]


    "Umm Hope dear, could you please he.." Audrey was speaking as she walked toward the group, wanting ask Hope to heal her wounds. When suddenly her fangs made a sudden appearance as she passed a rat Jade killed and before she knew it she was already biting into it. And a shocking scene happened, all the scratches on her skin miraculously started disappearing.


    "Is that safe?". Jade asked while looking at Audrey like the rest.


    "Well, it seems to be healing her body so I''d say yeah... maybe. A bit unsavoury maybe but, as long as it works I guess." Muku replied also looking at Audrey who was now getting up with horrified look in her eyes, also shocked by what she had done.


    "What, what was that?, am I still a monster?" Audrey asked no one in particular.


    "No I don''t think you are a monster, more of because of your lack of control on your abilities they are basically doing whatever they want with your body...I suspect that you''re subconsciously rejecting them. Which, with your special class that seems to have basically altered your race, might be quite bad". Muku replied her.


    Hearing him, Audrey calmed down a bit at least she now had an idea of what was going on. Like he said, she had been internally feeling quite disgusted by her vampire class. Though, because of Muku''s interference, her class no longer needed her to consume blood to survive and would only need it under certain circumstances like now, she still felt disgusted with being a vampire. But now seeing how it was causing her problems, she knew she had to find a way to accept her new self, after all, if she didn''t become it, she would have definitely died in a little while.


    Squeak! Squeak!


    Bang! Bang!


    Just as Audrey was still stuck in thought and the others were waiting for her to collect herself. Two loud squeaks were heard from outside the walls of ice. And before the group could make sense of it, the walls were both broken through a distance away from Audrey and two large rat heads could be seen coming through, one on each side.


    "Well damn!, two PR1s here!?". Muku voice cried out.

 Chapter 48 Chloe and Emily step in!

    That''s right, the two giant rats that were around two metres tall, were both peak Rank Ones!. These would be the first PR1s the group has come across ever since the dog boss.


    "Well luckily these rats are giving an aura around the same as the dog boss. Which makes sense considering that the LR1s of their species only counted for one kill point each... quite disappointing actually". Jade said. After the initial suprise of the sudden appearance of the two beasts, everyone realised that their auras weren''t anything special.


    "Can I take one of them?, I feel I need to develop my fighting style a bit more, I lack diversity like Layla has". Emily was the first to ask for a rat.


    "Yeah, you''re right. And I''ll take the other, we really shouldn''t continue relying on our one hit kill skills that are over the top anyway". Chloe seconded her. As she said, she and Emily along with Hope tended to condense most of their mana into one attack which then left them powerless. Although it got the job done, it wasn''t really a good game plan as they might get into situations were they''ll have to fight more than a single target.


    "I''ll take down my ice barrier then.". Layla said and I''m the next moment, she and the rest were standing a distance away from Emily, Chloe and the rats.


    "You can do it girls!" Muku screamed from the sidelines.


    "Hey!, did you really have to move so far away!?''. Emily screamed back dumbstruck by how quickly they all moved away.@@@@


    Chloe looked on with a wryly smile on her face. Quite frankly she also wanted to move away, nobody wanted to be around when Emily fought. The girl really liked making her flames explode on impact for some reason, which tossed debris all over the place. At one point Muku was almost stabbed on the kidney by a stray glass shard from one of her impact points where there was a building behind the beast.


    "Umm, Emily, why don''t I lead my rat a bit away before you attack yours so that we don''t get in each other''s way?" Chloe said while looking at Emily nervously, hoping she doesn''t realise the real reason she wanted to move away from her.


    "So you also don''t trust me huh?, it was only one time and he stopped it didn''t he?, you know what, whatever, do what you want hmph!". Sadly for Chloe, Emily caught on.


    But since she had gotten what she wanted she quickly got into action, saving the apology for later.


    "I can finally try it out!". Chloe''s voice rang out in excitement. As an anime fan she had seen quite a few where lightning had been used and she was about to copy one of those techniques.


    "Lightning coat!"


    She screamed out and her body was enveloped by blue lightning that crackled all over and...


    Whoosh!


    She sped forward, leaving a blue lightning trail behind her. Surprisingly her speed was almost as fast as Jade''s fasted speed!. And it could be seen that with enough training she will reach Jade''s speed, if not surpass it.


    Bang! Squeak! Boom!


    In less than a minute she was beside one of the rats and punched it on the guts with her lightning charged fist. Surprisingly the force was enough to throw it onto a car that was abandoned close by. The rat squeaked in pain from both the lightning punch and being smashed into a car. But it didn''t stay down for long and ran toward Chloe as soon as it got up who led it a bit of distance away from the other one.


    .....


    What they didn''t know was that the moment Chloe killed the rat, two large crimson eyes opened up in a nearby building.


    As soon as they opened, Jade started feeling like something was wrong. But since she couldn''t detect anything, she didn''t voice it out to the others, but she subconsciously out her guard up. Which Muku sensed but didn''t say anything since she didn''t say anything, but also prepared for any sudden situational changes as he and the others looked at Emily''s battle while Chloe walked back to them.


    .....


    A few moments ago...


    After Chloe led her rat away, Emily''s battle also began.


    "Flame burst!" She threw her first spell at the rat.


    Boom!


    Squeak!


    The rat had underestimated the firepower of her small fireball and so didn''t dodge. It turned around to hit the fireball with it''s tail instead. It managed to get the work done by successfully hitting it, but...it lost half of its tail because of it which left it squeaking in pain.


    It''s eyes turned red and charged toward Emily.


    "Flame burst!". Emily readied to receive it by summoning five five balls in front of her.


    Seeing the fire balls, the rat hesitate and didn''t continue it''s charge and actually started stepping back. It seemed to have enough intelligence to know it would suffer greatly if it was hit with all those at once. Because of this it started circling Emily from a distance, looking for a chance to strike.


    It was at this time that Emily managed to see Chloe concluding her battle with a cool new skill. Which also seemed to fulfill their target, a finisher that didn''t take all their mana and leave them powerless as Chloe was smiling and still looked rosy despite the fight with a PR1. Of course the fact that the rat was only about as strong as a MR1 lizard might be the reason the fight was so easy for Chloe, among other reasons like her sizable strength.


    "Damn!, she''s already done it!, I can''t even copy it with my fire or my clothes would be burnt off me. Only if I had better control over it, maybe I could do it....and this rat is really starting to piss me off!". Emily spoke to herself, frustration clear in her voice. She couldn''t think of ways to minimise her mana usage while keeping the attacks strong enough.


    "Flame storm!"


    And so she gave up and created another effective but costly attack. She screamed out as she opened her arms and flames appeared in-between, spreading out the further they went.


    The rat that was caught unprepared was turned to ash before it could escape.


    [75 kills left....]


    "Oh well, I''ll try again another day". Emily said to herself with a wryly smile on her now pale face.

 Chapter 49 Lightning judgement!

    "Sooo, what happened to developing less costly attacks?". Muku asked after he and the group walked up Emily who was now too tired to even walk to them.


    "I''ll come up with something next time, of not, I''ll just evolve and get stronger this way until I can afford to use these spells as much as I want. All of you can take care of the marathons while I''ll just sprint.". Emily said with a laid back expression, clearly she had mostly given up on reducing the expenditure and distraction of her attacks. She was on her way to be someone Megumin would give a thumbs up.


    (A/N: Megumin is one of the main characters from the anime "Konosuba" who always uses all her magic power in one attack and refuses to learn any other spells even when they are more cost effective. Another one of author-san''s favourites)


    "Okay, whatever floats your boat I guess". Muku shrugged, as whatever she chose she''d still be very useful. With her current firepower, she can be like the group''s secret one use weapon when fighting stronger enemies and can support herself on weaker ones...of course she''ll have to create better skills sooner or later.


    "Oh and you too Chloe, good job, what amazing work you did" Muku said with a smile while placing his hand on Chloe''s shoulder.


    Crumble!


    As if waiting for this one final push, Chloe''s clothes broke apart and crumbled to the ground before the little pieces were carried away by the wind. Leaving her completely naked and right in front of Muku. It seemed her "lightning coat" skill had basically destroyed her clothes when it continuously travelled through them and they were barely holding on until Muku touched them and they fell apart. Everyone froze, the smile also freezing on Muku''s face as his and Chloe''s eyes met.


    "Ahhhhh!". Chloe''s piercing scream was heard as she tried to cover her privates with her hands. Without thinking, Muku took off his t-shirt and drapped it over Chloe''s naked body and turned around to look away from her.


    "Y-you pervert!". Jade was the first one to summer as she screamed at Muku with a red face as if she was the one who was exposed.


    As for Chloe she probably wore Muku''s t-shirt that was luckily long enough to be like a dress to her. And then covered her eyes with her hands before looking away from the others, she didn''t know how to face them after what such a thing. She felt like she could just die from all the embarrassment. Her mind going crazy, her thoughts all over the place....


    {He saw everything!, What am I going to do now?. Should I make him take responsibility?. How am I going to face the others now?. Will they think it was deliberate? What kind of perverted skill did I create!? And....HE WAS EVERYTHING!!}


    The others just looked at her with wryly expressions not knowing what to say, even Audrey didn''t know. She also had never had her body seen by a man after all.


    "It was an accident you idiot!. I''m sorry Chloe, I didn''t mean to.". Muku screamed at Jade without turning back. The brat was really trying to add fuel to the fire. He also apologised to Chloe.@@@@


    "I-its okay, I know my skill caused it, you have nothing to be sorry for. I should be the one apologising for showing you such an indecent thing". Chloe summered a bit as she replied. She couldn''t blame him, since no one thought that her new skill would do such a thing.


    "Oh no, you dont have to apologise, I quite lik...".


    "ROAR!!!"


    As Muku was about to say something that would have definitely gotten him called pervert by more than just Jade this time. He was luckily interrupted by a super loud roar and all his senses screamed "danger!". As he and the whole group looked in the direction of the scream.


    Then suddenly, the dust was blown away, making the giant rat king visible again. Of the hundred spears that fell on it, only three managed to pass through its wind barrier and lend on its body. Even those three didn''t seem to do mush damage after stabbing its back, only angering it even more.


    "ROAR!!!"


    The beast roared again, even louder than before. At this point it was just around ten metres away. Then it sped forward again.


    "Hope now!". Muku ordered hope to release her attack. The dark green ball of poison she had been condensing that was just as big as a soccer ball was thrust forward.


    Boom!


    It exploded into a region of green mist at the spot the rat was. She had taken some inspiration from how Emily made her attacks explode on impact. The poison was quickly mixed in into the beast''s swirling wind barrier which allowee some of it to get to the rat. It wasn''t enough to do significant damage to it considering their differences in strength but it was enough to irritate its eyes, bringing the rat to a halt as it roared with its hands on its eyes.


    Due to its lapse in concentration, it''s wind barrier visibly lost most of its strength. And on that matter, it seemed the rat could only use the wind to defend and not attack or it would have likely already done it by then.


    "Chloe!". Muku noticed the declined defense and screamed out to Chloe to act. Even if she was close to him and he didn''t have to shout, he felt it would convey the severity of the situation. As the rat seemed to already be recovering, which would make it''s defense super strong again.


    "Lightning judgement beam!".


    Boom!


    Chloe screamed out and a two metre wide beam of lightning shot of the area in front of her arms she was opening wide. Her normally brown eyes now glowing blue. It was so quick it made a boom sound as it broke the sound barrier aiming at the rat king''s chest area. The recoil sent her flying back, by Muku would had been expecting this grabbed her with his telekinesis. He quickly noticed that Chloe had lost consciousness. She had used every ounce of mana she had in the attack after all, so it only made sense to faint, this was her first time going all out... luckily she didn''t destroy her clothes this time.


    [30% of Pseudo-Legendary class potential realised]


    It was at this moment the rat king finally opened its eyes, which then widened at the attack it knew it couldn''t avoid. It solidified it''s defense as much as it could in such little time and then...


    Bang!!


    The attack hit it''s barrier and shuttered it with little resistance and smashed right into its chest. The beast was lifted off the ground and thrown back wards, getting rammed through a house and coming out through the other side. Its chest area now having a scorched black spot that covered all of it and a part of its hands and stomach. It''s fur and surface skin was burnt off. Sparks of blue lightning crackling all over its body as its body spasmed. Blood flowing out of its mouth.


    The beast looked like it was close to death, that''s just how devastating Chloe''s all out attack was. Hell it wasn''t even all out since she had used a decent amount of mana in a battle before otherwise this attack might have blown a whole through the rat instead.


    It truly deserved to be called lightning judgement....

 Chapter 50 Final judgment!

    "Woah!....isn''t Chloe a bit too Op?". Jade asked looking at the deviation. Even the ground Chloe''s attack passed by was scorched black!


    "Definitely deserves to be called lightning judgement". Layla nodded in agreement.


    Even Emily on the side wondered if her ultimate attack could be that strong. The answer was no, her attack was super strong, could cover a wide area but as for single target damage, Chloe definitely ruled. For now, she was a crowd battle type mage while Chloe also for now seemed to be more inclined to single target battles. As for whether they could evolve into being able to do both, only time would tell.


    "Is it over?". Hope couldn''t help but be hopeful, her face was now a bit pale after using most of her strength.


    "Roar!"


    As soon as she stopped speaking, a roar answered her question. The battle was still not over. The rat king stood up again, it''s aura now chaotic, it''s eyes completely red with the iris that was supposed to be there nowhere to be seen. Looking at it like that, everyone couldn''t help but think.."berserk mode". The intelligence I''m it''s eyes long gone. They were seeing it through the large whole it created through the house.


    "Rooooar!"


    It roared again as it charged forward, now on all fours like a true beast. It smashesld through the poor house from before and finally putting it out of its mystery. And it''s wind barrier was long gone but it still felt stronger than before.


    "What are we going to do now!?". Hope screamed in fear, she was internally kicking herself for having a loud mouth that jinxed it.


    "I can try to intercept it, I still have most of my mana after all". Jade spoke with a serious look, but there air of confidence she always had before was nowhere to be seen. She knew that even if the beast lost it''s defense, she likely wouldn''t be able to do much damage to it in this state.


    "No, Layla by me some time, I''ll put an end to this". Without even thinking about it, Muku turned down Jade preposition.


    "Yes sir". Layla replied to him as she prepared her skill to delay the beast. She also didn''t support Jade''s suicidal attack.


    "Tsk, fine". Seeing the others basically ignoring her suggestion, Jade gave up on it. And also because she knew Muku wouldn''t say he''d take care of it if he didn''t have a plan.


    "Shrike''s frozen spear barrage!" Layla spammed her current best spell.


    (A/N: I know I have been jumping between skills and spells a lot...but in my defense, it''s what felt right at the time. But from now on, it will be spells all the way, it seems to make more sense now)


    Bang!


    In it''s berserk mode, the beast''s senses didn''t seem to be as accurate as before. Because if which, the first ice spear stabbed it in the gut and took it to the sky. As a testament of its absurdly high body defense, the spear only managed to poke a few centimetres into its body before it was broken with a slap and the best started following down.


    "Just a bit?, we would have been thrown away by the dust cloud if you hadn''t interfered!". Jade was hysterical, they already hadn''t bathed for a while and he wanted to make them even more dirty?. How could she not be made, even forgetting the fire situation they were in a for moment.


    "Cough, sorry about that, I thought it might survive if it the attack wasn''t at least that strong". Muku was a bit embarrassed, he knew that he really had overdone it a bit.


    "No big brother, you don''t need to apologise, you were just making sure it didn''t survive after all". Hope quickly defended her big brother while glaring at Jade and Layla which made them smile wryly. The little girl had completely switched sides.


    "We should get out of here soon, all that commotion should have drawn in a a lot of attention here." Emily said with a worried face. The others nodded as they knew she was right.


    But what they didn''t know was that any beasts that were close enough to the battle ran away instead. The territory overlord was fighting a foe strong enough to make him go berserk after all. Who would want to stick around for that.


    Anyway, Layla took down the ice dome and with Chloe on Audrey''s back they left the area. Their destination was anywhere away from there. Their journey to Jade''s house would have to be put on hold for now. But they couldn''t go back to the stadium now, not with most of their members out of commission like this, especially when they just found out that there were monsters like the rat king roaming around. It would be dumb to be as carefree as before knowing such information.


    So their target was a house to rest in as they thought of their next step somewhere a bit of distance away from the battle sight.


    ....


    Ten minutes after Muku''s group left the scene, a monster slithered over. It''s cold yellow serpentine eyes now staring at the flattened rat king. A trace of surprise appearing for a second before it lunged on the body and swallowed it with little effort.


    After it''s meal it looked in a certain direction before slithering back where it came from. The direction it looked in, just happened to be the direction Muku''s group left in. Whether that was the reason it looked, only it knew. But for some reason, it didn''t go in that direction, maybe the rat king was already a good enough meal for the day and it didn''t want to bother itself for now.


    Whatever reason it was, it definitely saved the lives of Muku''s group as in their current conditions. They had zero chance of fighting the city''s overlord monster that was even stronger than the rat king.


    ....


    During the time the monster looked in their way, Muku found himself looking back not knowing why. But he for some reason felt that they made the right decision by leaving when they did or they would have regretted it.


    He didn''t know why though. He subtly looked in Jade direction but noticed her acting normal, meaning she didn''t detect anything. Which made him sigh in relief, it seemed that at least for now, they were safe.


    {It seems I need to get stronger, I was so arrogant until now thinking that no beast can threaten me that much in this city right now...how wrong I was. That rat would have definitely killed me if I was alone, that is if I didn''t run away. This won''t do, how can I protect them like this?}


    Muku thought as they walked forward, thinking about a horrible scene from his childhood. The others could sense a gloomy aura suddenly surround him, but didn''t ask because they thought it was due to the battle having tired him out.


    And like that, their walk continued as they searched for a building...then a great one appeared in their sites, albeit a bit sketchy....@@@@

 Chapter 51 Cuteness overload!

    "It''s a love hotel!". Jade screamed.


    "Shut up!, how does a kid even know about that anyway!?". Muku snapped back.


    "Hmph!, only you think of us as kids". Jade refused to back down.


    "Whatever, let''s rest here, there doesn''t seem to be a better building close by anyway. And we shouldn''t keep on walking around in our current conditions". Muku said, giving up arguing with her.


    "Hmph!" Jade unwillingly agreed. The others couldn''t help but have their faces redden a bit, accept Hope who was confused, she was also the one who suggested the building, only seeing it as a normal hotel. She grew up as a sheltered child who always did everything her parents said and never bothered with looking into things she was told not to until she was an adult.


    All she saw was a tall building with a sigh that said "Heavenly Pleasures Hotel" and suggested it. Although she felt the name was a bit weird, she always tried not to judge how other people lived their lives. All she thought on the matter was...@@@@


    {it''s their building so they can name it whatever they want, I don''t know if their facilities are enough to be called heavenly though, but it''s their life I guess}


    With that, the group advanced toward the building that had three floors. The first floor had the reception area which was obviously unoccupied and five rooms.


    "So are we going to stay on this floor and upper floor?". Emily asked, she really didn''t like being in buildings ever since she got her element...for obvious reasons, so her expression was a bit dark.


    "Well, considering the broken down front door and the blood stains all over the floor, I''d rather we go to an upper floor." Jade gave her opinion, which the others agreed to. Although they were rather used to the sight of blood by now, they''d rather not see it if they don''t have to.


    "Jade, you''re our vanguard and Ms Audrey, let me carry Chloe and you''ll take the back." Muku gave out his orders. And everyone did as he said.


    At this point, although he was still capable of fighting l, he didn''t want to always be the one doing everything all the time. So while Jade turned cat, he created a sword and gave it to Audrey who really just didn''t want to make feel useless.As for why they were doing this, it was just in case a small but strong beast was hiding here or even if there were other people here. You can never be too careful after all.


    [Wow, she''s really soft! And she really does smell grea....I should stop, where''s my dignity as a teacher!?..... Was she always this cute though?, To think she isn''t wearing anything underneath this t-shirt, I can even vaguely make out two little buttons on her ches....Noo!, what am I thinking!!!...]


    Muku''s thoughts were all over the place as he princess carried the unconscious Chloe. As a healthy man, he really couldn''t help but get hot and bothered by what was happening.


    "Perv"


    "Huh?" He suddenly heard a voice, looked in front of him and noticed Jade looking at him from the corner of her eye. She was the one who spoke, she had noticed him checking out Chloe, and quite frankly she was jealous, all of them had long noticed that the one who seemed to have the best chance with him right now was actually Chloe due to how he was always throwing comments her way every now and then. If course Chloe herself hadn''t realised it, and neither did Muku either and of course Hope was also chilling on that list. As for Audrey, she hadn''t been around long enough to realise anything.


    Anyway, seeing this scene, Jade couldn''t help but get jealous and call out, making everyone look Muku''s way.


    Bang!


    She screamed then ran to the door before shutting it in Muku''s face unable to face him. Which made him speechless and could only go to the room in the side where Layla and Audrey where. A new thought in his mind..


    {So cute!}


    (A/N: Hope might be innocent but that doesn''t mean she''s unaware of sex and condoms. That stuff is taught at school after all. What she didn''t know about was "legendary stuff" like love hotels, sex toys and such other things you likely know about ^_^)


    In Layla''s room, she and Audrey were sitting on the bed after throwing out the dusty blanket. Now they just looked at each other in awkward silence.


    "Umm, Layla, why is it that you never hated me over the years?...I adopted you and ignored you afterwards after all". Audrey couldn''t help but ask the question that has troubled her for years.


    "I think the correct way would be to say, you tried to ignore me....but you failed, quite greatly too actually". Layla replied, with a calm voice like usual.


    "What do you mean?". Audrey asked in confusion, she felt she had done a pretty good job at ignoring her.


    "You see mother, you''re a nice person, you''re so nice you don''t know how to not be nice". Layla replied again, this time smiling a bit.


    "Whenever I asked for anything you bought it saying that you didn''t want people to think you didn''t take care of me. Even when I didn''t ask for it and you somehow found out, you''d get it and give the same reason, apparently too lazy to come up with something else. Then there were the school events that required you there like sports days, you always came, even when I didn''t tell you. Wearing an easily identified disguise that I would find in the laundry the next morning. When I got a little sick you''d rush me to the hospital saying you''re afraid that you''d be implicated if I died...who dies from a cold?. Not to mention your eyes everytime you looked at me, they were never cold, I could see the love, yearning and pain in them and....". Layla was speaking on and on, giving Audrey one reason after the other before she was interrupted.


    "Okay stop!, I get it!, I didn''t realise I was so obvious!. Ahh, how embarrassing, it must have been hard to hold back from laughing at me all these years". Audrey interrupted her and spoke while covering her red face with her hands from all the embarrassment.


    "No, I never felt like laughing, I really appreciate everything you did for me. What bothered me was not knowing why you were doing it when you clearly didn''t want to. I only kept up the act since I thought you must have a real good reason for doing it, and I didn''t want to ruin our relationship by exposing you. And I knew it likely had something to do with sickness from how on some days you wouldn''t get out of of bed all day. But other than that, I really liked how we lived, I saw it as our on special mother-daughter relationship like no other". Layla spoke again, this time hitting the very core of Audrey''s heart.


    "Ahh, my beautiful daughter!, I don''t deserve you!" Audrey suddenly screamed as she lunged toward Layla and hugging her, pressing her face on her quite large bosom.


    "You''re squashing my face!". Layla cried out.


    Muku who was watching this scene couldn''t help but smile and then quietly walk away. A new thought in his mind again...


    {Why are they all so cute!?}


    "Jade, lets go" He says while knocking on the very same door that was shut in his face a while back.


    "Okay!". Jade''s voice was heard from the other side.

 Chapter 52 Not you too!

    "Are really up for this?". Jade asked Muku who was working beside her as they made their way up the stairs.


    "Yeah, why do you ask?". Muku replied a bit confused.


    "Well, you used such a big attack and it should have blown through most of your mana right?. I mean you were even breathing hard after it. I can do this alone after". Jade said, she was really worried that he was overworking himself.


    "Aww, are you perhaps worried about little old me?...you couldn''t possibly hold forbidden feelings for your teacher could..Ow! Jade you brat!". Muku was teasing Jade and before he could finish he got a kick on the leg.


    "Hmph!, have it your way then. I won''t care even if you work yourself to death". Jade said and looked away from him, now focusing on the task ahead but the faint blush on her cheeks didn''t escape Muku''s eyes.


    "Don''t worry about me, I wouldn''t be here if I couldn''t afford to be, I still have around a third of mana surprisingly. Probably because I realised more of my potential, I''m at 50% now.". Muku said trying to ease Jade''s worries.


    "I said I don''t ca... what!!, we still haven''t realised any at all and you''re already at 50%! So unfair!, can we switch classes please!?". Jade shouted while shaking him by the shoulders, completely forgetting that she was supposed to be angry with him and also about their scouting mission.


    "Let me go already, and quiet down, did you already what we''re doing?, and I thought you didn''t care...and I''m freaking shirtless, show some decency, what will the others think if they saw us like this?". Muku said while taking Jade''s soft hands off his shoulders, luckily her claws weren''t out of she might have even scratched him.


    "Oh, let me go!. And it''s not my fault if you''re a pervert lusting over his students. Maybe the reason you''re here to push me down away from the others....no, you wouldn''t dare!". At first Jade spoke trying to spite Muku but the more she spoke, the more she felt it made sense. So she quickly jumped away from Muku and was now holding her hands in front of her modest chest giving him a wary look.


    "What the hell is wrong with that head of yours!?, Do you think if I wanted to do anything to you I would have waited for the apocalypse?...sorry to disappoint you but I don''t have a thing for kids". Muku said with a deadpan expression, this kid''s imagination is so messed up!, who scares themselves with their own thoughts anyway?.


    "Really?". Jade said, still visibly was still wary.


    "Of course really!, you know what, if you don''t want to come just go back already!" Muku finally snapped, the brat really was testing his patience.


    "Hehehe, although you saying you aren''t attracted to us is definitely a lie, I at least know you won''t force yourself on us. And sir, you really need to find a shirt soon". Jade finally broke her acting. She just wanted to get back at him for teasing her.


    "You!...you know what, whatever, we have things to do". Muku was again pissed off by her saying that she didn''t believe him when he said he wasn''t attracted to them. Sure, he was, but that doesn''t mean he wants it to be known, especially by this brat.


    "Not even gonna deny it this time huh?". Jade said, unable to hold herself back.


    "Say anything else and I''ll spank you right here". Muku said without looking at her. Hearing his words she couldn''t help but remember the last time and quickly shut up.


    They were sharing one room for two people. Layla and Audrey, Jade and Emily, Hope and Chloe and Muku was unsurprisingly chilling alone envious of the pairs... though even if there was another dude in the group, he would have still chose a room to himself. So while Muku and half the girls went to bathe, half waited for the others to finish. Audrey offered Layla to bathe with her, but Layla gave her a flat no.


    Soon everyone was done bathing and were gathered inHope and Chloe''s room again. Chloe had refused to get out of bed and blanket for obvious reasons after finishing bathing.


    "Umm....do we even want to know?". Layla asked as she and the girls looked at Muku oddly.


    "What?...oh, this?, do you like it? I can make you your own if you want!''. Muku said excitedly.


    Right now, he was no longer shirtless but had something on. It was a cut off part of a blanket with a hole in the middle that his head went through. Although it didn''t cover his sides, since it covered the front and back, Muku felt it was good enough, he was quite proud of it actually.


    "No thank you, I just thought it was rather unique." Layla quickly refused, even if Muku could wear the thing, it would be totally different than if a girl like her wore it, especially if some wind blew by while they were in battle.


    "Oh okay, your loss then". Muku said with a shrug.


    "Well I think it looks cool, big brother". Hope supported her big brother.


    "Good girl Hope, you know how to appreciate real fashion!". Muku said while patting her head as she giggled.


    "They really got into their roles huh?". Jade said as she looked at the two acting like they were really brother and sister. The others nodded, though they all found it quite heartwarming.


    "Now, for our plan for tomorrow...any ideas?". Muku asked for the opinion of the others. They could no longer half hazardly do whatever they wanted anymore. Not after facing the rat king and being certain that it was definitely not the only beast of its level in the city. They now had to properly come up with plans.


    "Well, I say since we''re already close enough to Jade''s house, we might as well go there. We just have to be more cautious than before when engaging in fights, they shouldnt be too loud or too long if possible. And she did say there''s a mall closed to it after all....some of us really need some clothes." Layla offered her input while looking at Muku and Chloe. Muku didn''t even flinch as if everything was fine but Chloe couldn''t help but look away a bit in embarrassment.


    The others didn''t even bother to offer another suggestions. Then they realised that they couldn''t really change much about the way they planned, the best they can do was be more cautious.


    "Well that settles that then, anyone with anything else to say?". Muku also agreed to the plan and asked for the input of the others.


    "Umm. So I realised 30% of my potential earlier today". Chloe said in a low voice. Everyone then looked at her with a jerk, suprise in their eyes.


    "Not you too!". Jade cried out a few seconds later.

 Chapter 53 Despair and regret

    The next morning, back at the school.....


    The building was eerily quiet, blood stains everywhere...just as Muku''s group left it. Though now there was a slight difference. The middle-aged lady was laying lifeless on a sofa in the teacher''s lounge. Her eyes wide open, with an eternally frozen look of despair and regret in them. Completely naked, her body completely covered by a thick white liquid. Some more of it leaking out of her private parts.


    "You...you killed her!". Mr Swindon screamed as his looked at the timid guy who didn''t speak when Muku''s group was around. His eyes were filled with anger, but not even a hint of remorse. Both of them were also naked like the deceased lady. It was easy to figure out what took place here.


    "Stop screaming!, you''re as much to blame for this as I am!. I was just unlucky that she died while it was my turn.". The man said, clearly more annoyed that she died before he was satisfied than anything else


    "It was your idea though!". Mr Swindon was trying to shirk responsibility. Not because of the law or anything, but more fire his own conscience.


    Last night around 8, the four of them were sitting around as usual with nothing to do. Then the timid man called Mr Swindon for a secret talk, in which he suggested r*ping the lady. Mr Swindon first wanted to refuse but he was soon persuaded, and in all honesty, he had also thought about it. All that happened left them feeling pent up and needing a release. They were too chicken to go fight the beasts outside but attacking a helpless woman?....The middle aged woman was unlucky to be there at that time.


    They made their plan and approached the woman with smiles on their faces. They didn''t straight up jump her, they were thick-skinned enough to actually ask her to do it with them. And of course the lady rejected. This became their fina trigger and so they quickly jumped her, ripping off her clothes left and right as she screamed.


    Seeing this, the male student was overcome by fear and quickly split from the scene and disappearing into the darkness. Nobody had the time for him or even cared really, which made his escape quite easy. As for whether he''d survive or not, nobody knew.


    Back in the school, Mr and Swindon and his accomplice managed to completely subdue the poor lady after a while and started to r*pe her one after the other like animals. They had gone berserk and their adrenaline pumped high, they continued doing it throughout the whole night, nonstop.


    The lady screamed out at first but after a few hours she lost her voice or even the strength to scream. She then just layed there powerless as they kept on using her body anyway they wanted. Until that morning when she finally got the sweat release of death, putting her out of her misery, eyes left open. Her last thoughts were that of immense regret of not taking the chance to gain power when it was offered before by the young man who left them.


    Although they all spoke to each other saying Muku''s group likely got wiped out, deep down they all knew that they were abandoned for being leeches. But since they had food and the beasts had been cleared, she didn''t care much. It was only last night she realised that the real beasts where always right beside her, not the ones outside she feared so much. But sadly it was too late for her. After those thoughts, she breathed her last. A final tear ran down the side of her face.


    Mr Swindon and the timid man kept on arguing until they started fighting. As no one wants to really imagine two grown men fighting naked (which you just did). Let''s just say after a while they stopped when neither got the upper hand(they were both quite weak after all)....As for what they would do from then on, only they knew.


    Emily the golden haired and eyes beauty now wearing a black short skirt and tights and a white t-shirt. Jade the green haired and eyed beauty, wearing a purple short skirt, tights and a a pink t-shirt. Hope the purple haired and eyed cutie, wearing a black t-shirt and a grey track bottom(copied Muku). Black haired and hazel eyed Layla wore a simple long black dress. Audrey wearing a grey dress. Muku basically back to his old look...which looked almost exactly like what Hope wore.


    "Wow ladies, you all look great, especially you Hope". Muku said while giving them a thumbs up. They all giggled while Hope now had a smug smile on her face, clearly pleased with herself for standing out to him. But she didn''t know that he was basically complimenting himself, which made the others giggle again.


    "Couldn''t you change to a different style though sir?". Emily asked in curiosity.


    "If it ain''t broke don''t fettle with it I always say". Muku said with a smile. His fashion sense has always been terrible so when he found a look no one was against. He stuck with it, it was quite comfortable too.


    "If you say so". Emily perfunctory answer. Internally she was thinking of how she''ll make him dress when he becomes hers prompting her ears to redden a bit.


    "Everyone, I suggest you all get at least one change of clothing". Chloe said when everyone wanted to leave the shop. At first they wanted to refuse, but remembering Chloe''s recent incident they all got one change of clothes. One can say that their powers weren''t like Chloe''s so they wouldn''t face such a situation, but who knew Chloe''s powers would do that before it happened?.


    With that, they left the shop and went to Jade''s house. As they got closer, Jade felt her legs become heavier. It was as if all the happy memories with her family were weighing her down, not allowing her to move forward.


    "Jade!". Emily called out as she grabbed Jade''s shoulder, the two of them have been friends the longest in the whole group. So she was the one to notice what was going on with Jade before anyone else and tried to pull her out of the state of overthinking.


    "Huh?, oh, I''m fine, let''s go". Jade said after noticing the worry in Emily''s eyes and continued on, her legs no longer as heavy knowing that no matter what, at least she wasn''t alone. Though the weird feeling didn''t leave her heart, she felt like something bad was about to happen.


    Then they turned a corner and got in through a mansion''s front gate. Jade''s house was now in view. What they saw was a lizard.


    A giant lizard even larger than the ones they saw before. And it was napping on the roof of Jade''s mother''s boss'' mansion. Beside the mansion was the cottage Jade and her mother lived in and it was smashed to pieces.


    "Another half-step rank two..."

 Chapter 54 Wrath of the Beast Empress!

    Sensing their gazes, the beast opened its eyes and in that moment, dread hit everyone in the group. They could feel it, this monster was even stronger than rat king!. Well almost everyone felt dread....


    "My house...it smashed my house, mom"


    Jade spoke as she stood still, her expression unreadable. Her hair that now covered her face being the reason. Then suddenly, her aura exploded out. Green energy seeping out of her body, accompanied by thick bloodlust targeted at the lizard king. The others were surprised. Before they could react Jade had disappeared. Her speed so fast that not even Muku saw how she moved.


    BOOM!


    The next moment, they heard a boom sound from the direction of the lizard king. And their shock Jade was already on the mansion roof and had punched the lizard king through the roof and into the mansion. Well, they assumed she punched it, as right now Jade''s body wasn''t visible, all their could see was a dense green energy that screamed primal savagery.


    "That''s not mana..." Layla said, eyes wide open as she looked at Jade with both worry and shock. The others also sensed the same and were surprised. Except for Muku, he had long known that it wasn''t mana from the day he used it to blow up a beast''s face. It seems Jade''s mana only fueled her transformation while this unknown energy was for fighting.


    Boom!


    Another boom was heard and this time, it was a huge earth spike coming out of the mansion aiming at Jade. And of course with her stupidly fast reaction speed and actual speed, the earth spike missed.


    Boom Boom Boom Boom!


    Four more came, and again, all missed. But they did manage to destroy the mansion. Now Jade was standing of the ruins of the mansion while the lizard king did the same. They were staring at each other unmoving, but if one looked closer they''d surprisingly see a trace of fear in the yellow eyes of the lizard king!.


    Then as if on cue, both charged toward each other, but before the lizard king could travel half the distance, Jade was already in front of it and...


    Boom!@@@@


    The lizard king was given another punch and flew back, smashing into the debris. It seemed Jade''s green aura worked like Chloe''s lightning, it coated her hand for an attack.


    Bang!


    "Are we sure her class isn''t a legendary one?". Hope asked jokingly and yet nobody could respond, they were really wondering if that really was the case. This level of distraction really was a bit too much after all.


    "If my hunch is correct, she likely realised some of her potential to be able to do this, and quite a large chunk of it as well". Chloe spoke, she felt that this scene was a bit familiar to her own. Though Jade''s was way more exaggerated.


    As they spoke Muku quickly grabbed the falling Jade who wasn''t moving and brought her to the rest of the group. As she got closer, her hair was receding back to its prior state of being short. While the rest of her transformation was also coming undone. By the time she was in front of them, she was back to normal, albeit her clothes seemed a bit stretched out. That''s when they realised that her body had actually grown a bit when she transformed, which is why they felt something was weird before when they were looking at her.


    "Okay really?, is this going to be a normal occurrence for you girls from now on?". Muku spoke with a wryly smile on his face after noticing that Jade was unconscious. And he couldn''t help but think that she''ll likely take longer to wake up than Chloe did.


    Looking at her, Layla, Emily and Hope couldn''t help but clench their fists. They realised that, just like Chloe, Jade was now a lot stronger than them. Especially Jade, as it was obvious she had realised some of her potential. They wondered when they''ll have their chance.


    Audrey didn''t think much of it though, she was still working on accepting herself so she could properly use her current power, so realising potential was still a faraway goal for her. Chloe also didn''t think much of it, she had realised that realising potential was not something they could control so was patient with it. She was even happy for Jade as she knew Jade was getting depressed when everyone else seemed to be improving while she didn''t.


    ...


    Two minutes prior the battle, before Jade''s explosion. Seeing her broken down house, Jade couldn''t help but think of what could have happened. Then one thought kept on repeating in her mind.


    {What if the beast broke down the house, pulled out her mother from the rubble and consumed her whole?}


    The thought made her so angry and sad that it felt like her body was going to explode. Imagining her mother screaming as she was eaten alive. She started feeling an intense pain from inside her chest the....


    [80% Beast Queen potential realised....]


    With that prompt, she felt energy like none she ever felt before explode out of her body. And then her body felt like it was changing then started to feel lighter and foreign?. Her whole body was covered by a weird energy yet she could clearly see through it, her vision seemed even more clear even.


    Before she knew it, she had jumped to the roof and punched the lizard king into the mansion. The the fight between them began, she actually hadn''t gone berserk as the others thought. But at that moment, her focus was solely on killing this beast and nothing else, which she did. Everything she did, was by instinct throughout the whole battle, even the earth shuttering breath attack.


    After using the breathe attack, her whole body felt powerless, like there was not the slightest bit of energy left in it. As she fell down, she felt a familiar invisible energy energy wrap around her, stopping her descent to her definite death. Making her feel safe and secure, as soon as she let down her guard though, she lost consciousness. One last thought went through her mind before she fainted, along with a single tear....


    {Mom, I''ve avenged you}

 Chapter 55 Half-step Rank Two!

    "Roooooar!" ¡Á 10


    "Well, seems the cavalry has arrived...a bit late, but here still. So much for keeping a low profile...." Muku said while looking at ten PR1 giant lizards that were fast approaching.


    "Should we go meet them halfway?" Layla asked getting ready to get into action. The others girls also getting ready.


    "Normally yes, but not this time. Sorry girls, but due to the commotion, we have to leave here quickly. So I''ll take care of these ones alone. We can''t stick around too long, lest we draw in more than one half-step R2 and lose our lives". Muku said before speeding forward.


    The incoming lizards were likely the lizard king''s underlings that came to assist it. It seems the lizard king was not only more powerful than the rat king but had stronger subordinates as well.


    Chloe wanted to assist, but to do that she''d have to use the "lightning coat" to be fast enough. Remembering how it went down the last time, she gave up the idea, he could handle it alone anyway.


    As Muku sped forward, he held out his hand to the side and a huge sword like the one he used to kill the giant lizards when he took care of the punk gang appeared. It was the perfect weapon them in his opinion, of course, these ones were a bit stronger and bigger. To which he responded by making the sword even bigger than before.


    "With my current strength, this should be quite easy.... Shooting Start Sword!" Muku shouted out the name of his spell at the end of his sentence, and the giant sword in his hand flew forward.


    Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Bang!


    [36 kills left.....]


    Muku''s sword managed to kill four lizards before it was stopped by the fifth dye to lack of enough momentum. Each lizard actually gave 6 KL, not too different from the MR1s but he wouldn''t complain about it either since there were just enough for him to meet the kill count!


    "If one isn''t enough, take two!". As soon as his words fell, two more swords formed and flew forward. This time none managed to block and were all wiped out. It was so easy to kill them off because after the death of the first four, the rest tried to flee, making them easy pickings for Muku''s sword. It seemed, these lizards only go berserk for their mate and not any member of their race. That or the PR1s were whimpy after gaining more intelligence. Well whatever the reason was, it only made things easier for Muku and he wouldn''t complain. As soon as the last beast fell.....@@@@


    ...


    Boom!


    Twenty minutes after Muku''s group left, the familiar monster made it to the battle scene. It didn''t even look for the gate and directly broke through the mansion''s surrounding wall. And it seemed so effortless, like it was going through a sheet of paper, yet it was a large wall made out of rocks and concrete.


    This time though, there was a look of confusion in its eyes, it couldn''t sense were the new half-step beast it sensed went. This was a first for it, as it could always tell were the strongest beasts in the city where at all times, just felt like it wasn''t time to eat them yet. But this time a beast manages to escape it''s senses, this angered it greatly, anger now visible in its eyes. Who wouldn''t be pissed if their food tempted them with its scent and then ran away?.


    As for why Muku managed to escape the beast''s senses, it was because he had wrapped his whole group in a telekinesis bubble that didn''t let any aura leak out. He had also erased their presence around the mansion area before leaving. Although he felt like he was just being paranoid, he didn''t know that his paranoia saved them.


    .....


    "So are you going to tell us what happened? And why we left in such a hurry". Emily asked after they ran a few kilometres away and were now resting in some random mansion. They were still in the privileged area, so mansions were everywhere.


    "Just take my word when I say, of we had stayed, there was no escaping death...and why are you suddenly talking so informally to your teacher?". Muku said the first part seriously then caught on to the way Emily was now speaking and asked while looking at her with confusion, she was usually hus most respectful student after all, even more so than Layla and Chloe.


    "Well this is how I am going to speak from now on, we''re no longer in school, so I don''t see why I need to still call you sir when we''re now companions instead of teacher and student". Emily said with a serious expression, clearly not going to back down from her new position, surprisingly everyone greatly as they wondered what brought in the sudden change.


    They were not wrong to assume, something happened that caused her to change, it was earlier on when she thought she''d lose Muku when they mistook his aura. Although it was clearly cleared up, she realised that they''re current lives weren''t as guaranteed as before, so if she held back too much, who knows if she''ll suddenly die without even making her feelings known to Muku. Which would be an eternal regret to her even after death. So she took her first step to making her feelings known, making Muku realise that their roles weren''t the same as before.


    Chloe and Layla narrowed their eyes a bit while looking at her, seeing the fire in her eyes. They then looked at each other, both of them had realised what Emily was trying to do. A fire started burning in their eyes as well, they refused to fall behind, and thought, if she was going to do it, they will do it as well. Audrey just looked on, a wryly smile on her face, she didn''t know what to do in such a situation as a mother figure to all these girls.


    "Whatever floats your boat I guess". Muku replied nonchalantly, as for whether he understood what Emily was trying to do, only he knew.

 Chapter 56 I need it

    "So you''re saying that to evolve to Rank Two we need to realise all our potential?". Layla''s asked for confirmation for what Muku had just told them.


    "Yes, and the reason why Chloe and Jade lost consciousness afterwards is likely because their bodies were pushed beyond their limits by the power since they haven''t even reached middle stage yet, were normally that''s when someone should start realising their potential". Muku replied, his lip twitching a bit, Layla was also speaking casually like Emily did. But since he was too lazy to argue he just ignored it while plotting his revenge. One of these days they''ll all know the pain Jade did...


    "Oh, so fainting afterwards is like the body''s self protection mechanism were all it''s energy can be used to recover without being redirected to something else?". Layla continued, and gave her hypothesis, she sounded way more confident after seeing that he didn''t rebuke her for how she was speaking.


    "Very likely, and we might have to stay out here for a while, we can''t afford to stay this weak any longer with the monster I sensed roaming around the area. If it didn''t arrogantly let it''s aura rampage around it, I likely wouldn''t even have sensed it since a beast of that level should be able to keep itself hidden if it wanted to." Muku supported her theory and also made his plan for the future known.


    Although the others hadn''t sensed this monster he was talking about, they knew it had to be something really frightening if even Muku was nervous despite his new found strength. So no one disagreed to it, even if they''ll have to face the constant mental drain of always having their guard up.


    "But wait, why didn''t you faint then?". Chloe asked.


    "Hmm, maybe because my body is stronger because of my class?....that or I''m just that amazing". Muku spoke with a smug expression on his face, as for how Chloe was also being casual, he didn''t even bother to acknowledge it this time, already thinking it might be the theme for the day.@@@@


    Hearing his words and seeing his expression, the girls couldn''t help but roll their eyes. Every now and his narcissism would leak out so they were used to it.


    "Big brother, when do you think Jade will wake up?, it''s already been a few hours more than it took Chloe". Hope asked Muku with a slightly worried gaze as she looked at Jade.


    "Not sure, but her condition seems stable so there shouldn''t be anything to worry about". Muku replied with a smile, at least this little sister of his was still respectful. He even patted her head as he spoke, causing a blissful little smile to appear on her face....as well as envious gazes from the other girls.


    "Umm Mr Muku, I''d like to talk to you about something in private if you don''t mind". Audrey''s voice rang out after the other''s finished talking. She had been mostly quiet for a while now, so everyone knew that something was going on with her. They could guess what it was but they didn''t ask, waiting for her to speak up in her own. She was a grown woman after all, so they didn''t know how they could ask her about it, but luckily it seems she''s made up her mind.


    "Yeah sure, let''s go to the other room". Muku replied with a smile as he got up. Audrey nodded and followed after him. The rest remained on their sits just giving them curious gazes as they walked out.


    "I- I''m sorry for causing such a misunderstanding!". She finally managed up some courage and apologised, though still not daring to look at him in the eyes.


    "No need to apologise, it''s fine, even I''m not without blame, I should have asked you what you meant instead of jumping to conclusions. If anything, I should apologise to you for assuming such a thing". Muku said with serious look on his face, seemingly unaffected by the whole situation. But if Audrey looked his way she''d notice that one of his hands was in his pocket and was covering up a certain situation. I''m fact he was even more embarrassed than Audrey, just that he''d long mastered the art of a perfect poker face. I inside he was thinking...


    {Oh my god!, what was I thinking, if she hadn''t cleared things up, was I really going to do it? How am I supposed to face her after this? Someone kill me now. No no, don''t panic, out on a poker face and try to play it down, and hopefully she won''t tell the girls}


    "No-no, you don''t need to apologise, it''s really my fault". Audrey refused to accept his apology.


    "Well is that''s the case, why don''t we pretend it never happened and get on with the real reason we''re here". Muku said, his serious expression still present.


    "O-okay". Audrey was starting to calm down seeing him being so calm about it and so agreed instead of running out like she wanted to.


    ....


    "Now, tell what''s the problem exactly?". Muku asked after they had calmed down and sat down.


    "Right, as you already know, I haven''t been able to elongate my nails ever since that one time I did it I''m instinct. It even got worse after I dra..sucked thats rat''s blood I started feeling a bit disgusted with myself and it actually got worse, now I can''t even sense the mana in my body". Audrey spoke, revealing her recently gotten secret.


    "Well, that''s certainly odd, didn''t even think it was possible. But I think I have an idea on what might be happening. It seems you''re rejecting your abilities, and the more you reject them, the less access you have to them. Which seems to stem from your class'' relation to blood that you don''t like Totally understandable.". Muku spoke, to which Audrey listened and nodded.


    "But as you know, the world has changed, and if our mindsets don''t also evolve with our bodies, we will definitely not have a good life in the current world.... Your case being a perfect example. In fact, let me tell you a secret of mine, you remember the punk gang right? (Audrey nods) Well I got them killed by beasts just to prevent possible future dangers for me and the girls if they ever got the power for revenge.". Muku said with a serious expression, telling her something he thought he''d never tell anyone.


    And of course Audrey was greatly shocked, her eyes widening as far as they could. And yet, there was no fear or disgust for Muku in them. Instead there was admiration?.

 Chapter 57 Yet you dared call me pervert?

    "Thank you" Audrey spoke, her words confusing Muku even more on top of the look in her eyes, he at least expected some form of criticism in some way after all. He didn''t even know what to say in the moment.


    "I''m not sure if this is because I''m your forever servant or whatever, but in any case, right now, I really admire you. You''re willing to go so far for the girls. Like you said, unlike me, you''re willing to evolve your mindset, I hope I can be like you one day, or even a fraction of you would do. I don''t want to be forever protected by my daughter, I''m the mother, I''m the one who should be doing the protecting and yet..". Audrey spoke her mind, expressing her inner turmoil to Muku.


    "Thank you for saying that, if I''m being honest, it had been weighing on my mind a bit. And if that''s your wish, I guess we should get back to work. Let''s first deal with the issue of you being unable to sense your mana. I''d like to try something if you''re willing". Muku spoke and Audrey nodded in agreement, ready to do whatever he asks.


    He then instructed her to sit on the floor and face away from him, which she did, albeit with a little confusion in her mind. Then she felt his touch her bare back. The dress she was wearing was backless. Feeling his cold hand, she couldn''t help but shiver a bit.


    "I''m going to channel my mana into your body and try to see why you can no longer sense your mana okay?". Muku''s calm voice sounded just behind her. To which she nodded again, she felt too nervous to talk.


    Then suddenly she felt a foreign, yet familiar energy invade her body, it felt a bit uncomfortable at first but then it started feeling...good?, the feeling was even increasing the more the energy spread within her body. It got to the point it felt so good that she had to clench down her cheeks as to not make any weird noises.


    "Well this is odd, it seems your mana went dormant?. So this is what happens when a person rejects themselves huh, quite intriguing. But I suspect that it would cause problems for you if it stayed like this for too long. Anyway, let me try to rouse it from its sleep, I''ll have to inject a bit more mana into you than before so don''t get startled okay?". Muku spoke, but Audrey didn''t respond to him, he thought that she was likely too focused on the situation within her body so didn''t hear him.


    Well he wasn''t completely wrong, she was focused on the situation within her body. But she did hear him, just didn''t dare to open her mouth as she knew it would definitely lead to her losing all her face in front of him. As she was stuck in her thoughts Muku suddenly increased his input when she was completely unprepared and....


    "Aahnn". She let out a little moan. Immediately afterward she felt like digging a hole and burying herself right there and then.


    To say that Muku was surprised would be an understatement, but after all that had already happened, he managed to keep his cool and continue. But it seems her mana was quite stubborn, refusing to continue circling around her body even after his urging. Muku was now considering sending in a torrent of his mana instead of the little streams he had been sending. What he didn''t know was that what he was doing was actually super dangerous, sending your mana into another''s body could easily kill them if you don''t have enough control over it. Luckily for both of them, he seemed to have a natural talent for it and not to mention, Audrey''s body was basically tailored to be his perfect servant, so it was very welcoming of his mana.


    "Okay Audrey, I''m going to increase the input by quite a bit. So get ready". Muku spoke but before Audrey could respond he had already sent the torrent of mana through.


    "Aahhhhnnn!". Audrey let out a loud moan that covered the whole house. Her underwear and the part of her dress around that area were now drenched with a particular liquid. That''s right, unbeknownst to Muku, he had made the mother of his student orgasm with just his mana alone.


    "Success!" Muku called out, her mana was now flowing again.


    When he looked at Audrey he saw her, panting, with a rosy face. She looked drained, like all the strength in her body had been drained. Although he thought her scream before was a little sus, but remembering the misunderstanding before he stopped himself from thinking such a thing. Just chalked it up to "an effect of her mana reactivating". Then suddenly...@@@@


    Bang!


    The door was kicked open and a livid Jade stepped right through.


    ....


    "Now for our little talk, you managed to escape it last time, but today..hehehe. To actually dare call your teacher a bastard, were really do have to get you back under control or who knows what you might do next" Muku spoke to the shaking Jade who was now laying on his lap with her stomach, her butt sticking out.


    Pa!


    "Ah!"


    Jade let out a little cry of pain. The others who''d again come to eavesdrop quickly went back, afraid they''d be caught and subject to the same punishment. Of course he wasn''t using too much strength, just enough for it to sting a bit. Jade''s cries of pain went on for a few more spanks the....


    Pa!


    "Aahnn!". A different sound came out of Jade''s mouth.


    "Oh my, what was that?, did you just moan!?". Muku asked in an exaggerated way, though he really was suprised, who would have thought she''d actually find some pleasure in such a thing?.


    "N..no, you miss heard". Jade unconfidently denied it. Her face red with shame.


    "Lets find out then!" Muku didn''t argue with her and just...


    Pa!


    "Mmhnn!". Jade let out an even more audible moan.


    "You really are enjoying this aren''t you?, and yet you dared call me a pervert before?. Well sorry but I refuse to indulge a pervert like you, now it just seems like I''m doing sexual acts with a minor". Muku again exaggeratedly spoke and quickly removed her from his lap, leaving her the chair and left the room.


    He felt that he''d taught her a good enough lesson for now. Definitely not because he felt that he might lose control of himself if she kept on making such sounds or because he didn''t want her to discover the tent he was now pitching. Though sadly for him, she''d already felt the tent after the first slap, was even part of the reason the pain turned to pleasure for her in the end....she wasn''t a masochist after all, well, at least not completely. But not like he could be blamed, he was a healthy young man. And her butt really was too soft and addictive, rousing all sorts of feelings.


    Since he couldn''t join the others immediately for obvious reasons, he could only go wait it out in the bathroom. Hopefully it won''t take too long.


    His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Jade so didn''t even knock in the bathroom door. Like the cliche? situation, the one inside also didn''t lock it and...


    Their suprised eyes met....

 Chapter 58 Do you want a second round already?

    They looked at each other for a few more seconds, both their brains having short-circuited then...


    "I''m sorry"


    Bang!


    Muku apologized, slammed the door shut, turned around and left. The girl I''m the bathroom didn''t say a word from start to finish, likely too shocked to speak or even scream.


    ...


    Around 40 minutes later....


    Everyone but one girl was back in the lounge. Muku just sat there lost in thought, likely thinking about what he had seen. Audrey who finally managed to regain some strength after a while was also there, also stuck in thought, sitting a bit away from the others. Jade who was subtly glaring at Muku from time to time and her face reddening each time, was also present, her nose twitching a bit when she looked in Audrey''s direction sneakily. Chloe, Layla and Hope who were confused by the actions of the other three were also there, nobody saying anything.@@@@


    "It''s been so long, when will Emily finish bathing, I''m supposed to go next after all". Hope complained.


    That''s right, the girl Muku walked in on was Emily who was completely naked about to take a bath. And he saw everything, even noticed how much bigger her chest was compared to Chloe. The same Emily who finished bathing a long time ago but lacked the courage to leave the bathroom.


    "Why don''t you go check what''s keeping her then". Chloe replied.


    "You''re right, I wonder why I didn''t think of that!". With that reply Hope got up and sped off.


    "Is it just me or does she seem to have become dumber compared to the time we met?". Layla couldn''t help but ask as she looked at the door Hope left out of.


    "Maybe she has the same disease as Jade of not bothering to think too much when she feels she can afford not too?". Muku who had finally escaped his thoughts spoke.


    "Don''t worry, I fixed the mana issue so she''ll at least be fine in that regard." Muku assured Layla who was looking at the door Audrey left out of with worry in her eyes.


    "Really?". Layla asked, though she already knew the answer, she couldn''t help but still ask.


    "Yes, I promise, the only thing that''s left now is for us to help her with how to activate her abilities as well as properly use them". Muku spoke.


    "Okay, so how are we going to do that?" Layla asked, wanting to know everything.


    "Tomorrow we go hunting, with Jade up andy current abilities, we should be able to stay clear from the monster I sensed. And after she learns how to properly use her abilities, I''ll take you all to the other strong aura I sensed which isn''t as absurd as the minster''s.


    "Umm, what do you mean by new strength?" Jade asked, she was unconscious when Muku ranked up so didn''t know yet. He has been completely covering up his aura with his telekinesis so she couldn''t sense it, that''s just how the monster scared him. He dared not let his aura even leak.


    "Oh that, here...". Muku didn''t explain but only just expanded his aura suppression field and covered the whole room, letting his aura out a bit. Within the compressed area it became so condensed and intense that the girls slightly found it hard to breathe. Noticing it, Muku reduced the field again. Of course, he won''t always control it like this, just that he was still relatively new to it so couldn''t properly control it yet, let alone retract it, so could only suppress it with his telekinesis.


    "Woooah, when did this happened!? No wonder I couldn''t even react before and you caught me so easily. I mean, I couldn''t react even before the rank up, but still, it felt worse today, like I was a powerless little girl under a middle aged uncle''s grasp." Jade spoke up, the last part making Muku''s lip twitch and the other girls giggle.


    "Do you want a second round already?". Muku glared at her as he spoke.


    "No please!, I''m sorry, my mistake, I''ll never do it again". Jade immediately shrinked back in fear and apologised. Internally cursing her mouth for being as loose as Chloe''s. She shouldn''t be so daring with her track record of being the only one who got beaten up for talking too much.


    The others looked at her with amusement wondering just what Jade went through to become so meek. At the same time they couldn''t help but feel a little scared at what could make Jade like that and how they were close to facing it as well.


    "That reminds me, Jade, how much potential did you realize?". Hope asked out of nowhere. She couldn''t understand what they were talking about when she came since she wasn''t around when the topic began. So was just waiting for the topic to change then ask later.


    "Oh that...80%". Jade said with a smug smile on her face.


    "What!?" Everyone in the room screamed out in shock at her words, Muku included.

 Chapter 59 Self Acceptance

    Their collective shock was understandable, after all they knew what Jade didn''t. Which was that as soon as she reaches the peak of rank one, she''ll basically immediately reach the peak of Half-step Rank Two as well!. The others couldn''t help but feel jealous, though Chloe and Muku weren''t as intense as the others, they''d already stepped onto the path, so it shouldn''t be too hard for them to catch on.


    "I''m tired, I''m going to bed". Emily said and quickly left without waiting for anyone to say anything. She didn''t yet know how to face Muku and now had to deal with the fact that Jade was already at 80% while she was at 0%?. They all knew Jade must have realised a lot of her potential, but wasn''t 80 a bit too much?. And she didn''t have an idea on how to do realise her own, so she''d rather go sleep than get depressed thinking about it.


    Layla also got up, but since she couldn''t sleep without bathing, she went to see if Audrey was done. She also didn''t want to stick around Jade right now. The girl really left no room for others to breathe. The others looked at them leaving without saying anything.


    "Big brother, I''m feeling really disheartened right now...can I sleep with you just for today?". Hope who was clearly not as broken up about Jade''s advancement as the other two, took a chance to see if she can use it to her favour. And so spoke with a sad expression on her face while looking at Muku, but the excitement and expectation in her eyes betrayed her real feelings.


    "No!"¡Á2. Before Muku could speak, Chloe and Jade had already shouted in denial on his behalf.


    "Hope, a man and a girl should never sleep in the same room unless they are married. Even if you''re now like siblings, it''s still unacceptable, got it?". Chloe spoke to Hope with a smile that was anything but warm on her face, faint sparks of blue lightning going off on her body as she spoke. Seeing this, Hope nodded in agreement, fear visible in her eyes. Chloe had always been the nicest to her since the beginning but seeing this side of her, she dared not argue or she was afraid she might get a lightning fist to the face.


    "And how can you be so trusting of this pervert, what if he did something to you in the middle of the night after silencing and binding you with his telekinesis?.....oh shit!, I''m sorry sir, I didn''t mean it!". Jade added a few words of her own before she even realised what she was doing, it had become natural for her to talk maliciously about Muku it seems. She quickly apologised, but the damage had already been done as Muku was now menacingly glaring at her.


    "My my, what a vivid imagination you have there, maybe I should try it out with you. What do you think? At least then you''d be certain that you''re speaking the truth right?" Muku said with a smile that sent shivers down Jade''s spine.


    "Ahhh!" Jade screamed, got up and ran out of the room. Though what the others didn''t notice was the vague blush on her face. She actually thought of the scenario and was curious how it would feel like, which brought the slight blush to her face. The others just looked at her leaving, Muku even had a slight smile of victory on his face.


    The others noticed her mood change, but didn''t say anything since most of them had to go through it and knew it was something she''d have to figure out herself. Muku wanted to say something but the event from last night really left him not knowing where to start.


    "Now, since we''re deep into the city, we''re likely to only find MR and above so it''s going to be a bit hard for you Audrey, but don''t worry, we''re all here to assist if anything goes wrong". Muku said while looking at Audrey, not noticing that he''d dropped the "Ms" after the event last night. Maybe without being aware of it, he now saw her as Layla''s mother..she was a gorgeous woman after all. Though the girls noticed the change, but remembering how they also changed how they address him, they could only pout and stay quiet.


    "Okay, and thank you for slowing down for me. I promise to do my best and not let everyone down". Audrey responded with a pretty smile on her face that made Muku pause for a bit just by how pure and innocent it looked.


    "No worries, we''re a team after all...now I guess we are going to have to teach you how to use your blade like nails first. Which I think Jade would be the perfect teacher for obvious reasons.". Muku said while shifting his gaze from Audrey to Jade, signalling her to come forward and assist Audrey.


    She did so without complaining, which suprised everyone, but remembering how this was more of an Audrey related task than Muku, they understood. As long as it wasn''t Muku, Jade was usually nice to everyone else, well of course that only applied to the ground members, as for outsiders, they were nothing but grass in her eyes.


    "Okay Ms Knight, first feel the mana circulating I''m your body, after that manipulate some of it to come out through your nails while envisioning your nails growing longer...well I''m basing this off how it works for me, so there might be some differences. But it should work along those lines.". Jade without delay, told Audrey what to do.


    Audrey nodded and did what she was told while her eyes were closed as to focus better. The others just looked on in curiosity, waiting to see what happens. Though they were surprised by how what Jade said sounded almost like how their spells worked. They burn the mana in their body to get their desired spell which they would have imagined before had.


    "Woah!, it worked!" Hope exclaimed as she and the others looked at the right hand nails of Audrey''s hand grow longer and longer until they were more than a metre long. Though they looked like think silver blades attached to her fingers than nails.


    Of course they weren''t overly shocked or amazed, since she just relearned something she already knew, it was her base spell like Muku''s two-threw swords in the beginning, Emily''s flame burst and the likes. But they were curious to see what new spells Audrey would develop after this. After all the lady had a Unique Class equal to Pseudo-Legendary Classes in potential. Though for now, from how she was even able to cast the spell, it can be said that, Audrey was finally starting to accept her new self, which was great news.


    "Ah, good, just in time for a test run as well.". Muku suddenly said looking in a certain direction. From there, a giant spider appeared. It was just a mid rank, so the perfect practice partner for Audrey.

 Chapter 60 Glimpse into the Queens power!

    "Do you think you can take it?" Muku asked Audrey who was now also looking at the approaching MR1 spider.@@@@


    "I''m not sure, but I want to try". Audrey replied with a resolute look on her beautiful face. She also didn''t seem to mind Muku calling her so casually... well he was technically her master now after all.


    "Good". Muku responded with a smile on his face. The girls just looked on, Layla was a bit nervous though, her mother was still at 98 KN after all. So she was like the earliest of Rank One, while the spider was a strong Mid Rank. This fight would have been difficult for even the best of them under such conditions.


    "Kssss!"


    The spider roared insectly as it charged forward after seeing then.


    (A/N: Hahaha "insectly"...so what if it''s not a word, as long as you get the point right? Hahaha)


    "Haa!" Audrey screamed as she ran forward to meet the spider.


    "Quite unexpectedly bold of her actually, based on her previous way of doing things. She really wanted to change it seems." Muku said while the girls nodded in agreement.


    Clank!


    Audrey attacked the spider''s leg as soon as she reached, maybe trying to throw it off it''s balance. But sadly it appears she was still too weak to break through its defense and barely left a scratch on its exoskeleton. But Audrey didn''t give up, she kept on at it, attacking and dodging, opting to wear down the spider since she couldn''t brute force it like everyone else. The others offered to help after ten minutes when Audrey s breath got a bit laboured from the constant running around and dodging. The spider''s silk attack really gave her quite some trouble.


    "How unyielding!, so cool!". Hope said while looking at Audrey''s battle with keen interest. The others thought so as well, they felt that they might have already asked for help after half the time.


    "I agree, and this might be perfect for her actually, it accelerates the rate at which she gets familiar with her abilities as well as figure out her preferred battle style." Muku said with a nod. Unbeknownst to all, he had been keeping any beasts that can their way at bay as to not disturb Audrey. The power of a Half-step was basically the same as a god at the current stage of the apocalypse. He could sense everything within a city block quite clearly and smack it with his telekinesis. Could have even killed them but that would be a waste of resources in his opinion.


    "Yeah, and is it just me who thinks she might have a lot more stamina than even Jade?". Emily added, she was slowly getting over the incident after realising that she wasn''t the first nor the only one he''d seen naked after all. If Chloe could play it off, she can also do the same.


    "Hey!, I just never got the chance to fight long battles okay!". Jade quickly defended herself, though internally she also felt that she wouldn''t have been able to fight so long at Audrey''s current stage. Maybe it was because of her vigorously blood due to her vampire class?.


    "Yes, not like I can use it after all". Audrey replied with a smile, already used to Jade''s personality.


    "I wonder what you''ll get from this....wait, will you be able to shoot webs out of your butt like the spider did?" Hope asked with curiosity. Hearing her Muku couldn''t help but sneaker, though honestly he and the girls also wondered the same, it was the only ability the spider seemed to have after all.


    Hearing Hope''s question, Jade who was about to consume the core froze with her mouth open. She quickly closed her mouth and held out the core to Audrey a spoke.


    "You know what, I change my mind, I can''t take something that''s yours. Also, I''m pretty sure you can use it to recover your mana.". Jade hastily spoke, seemingly wanting to get rid the core as soon as possible.


    "No, no, I can just recover naturally, you can take it". Audrey spoke, not accepting the core, after hearing Hope she kinda didn''t want it either now, even if she didn''t have the same ability as Jade.


    Jade ended up forcing the core into Audrey''s hand abd walked away. Everyone else couldn''t help but laugh at her actions. And also Audrey who seemed to be contemplating throwing it away.


    "No don''t!, try enveloping it with your mana and make it guide the mana in it into your body". Muku said when Audrey really was about to throw it away.


    Seems despite knowing that there was basically no chance of her getting an ability from it, she didn''t want to take the chance, she didn''t know what her new body was capable of after all. But since Muku ordered her to do something, she had to. Of course he wasn''t ordering her, but asking, just that he didn''t completely understand his role as her master yet, which literally meant that anything he asked her to do, she will di it.


    So Audrey did as asked and in front of everyone, the beast core really started losing its radiance while Audrey''s almost exhausted mana level started to rise. Within a minute she was back to her peak mana capacity while the core now radiated half the energy compared to before.


    "So it really works huh...this is good news, in the future when we get more cores, we will have a spare energy source. And I have a feeling that beast cores will be super important in the future." Muku said with his hand on his chin, clearly pleased by the result.


    Though Layla was pouting a bit at how her mother was basically used as a test subject for something that very much could have led to the core exploding since they didn''t know what was possible with it yet. But knowing that Muku could have likely contained the explosion or at least kept everyone safe, she didn''t pursue the matter.


    "Anyway, I think we should continue our hunt. It would be great if all of you can reach Half-step within the next few days. I have this foreboding that the situation will get worse soon.". Muku said as he led the way to their next target.


    The others although didn''t feel the foreboding he was talking about, weren''t opposed to getting stronger anyway so merrily followed along.


    "Mother, what an nteresting move you used back there, how did you get your mana to not be eliminated in the beast''s body though?" Layla started a conversation with Audrey. She really was curious about how Audrey did it after all.


    "Oh that, I don''t know how I did it, I just knew it would work for some reason. Sigh, Only if it wasn''t so gory". Audrey replied. Layla nodded in understanding, she too, had somethings she could just do not knowing how she could do it, and so could everyone in their group for that matter. Maybe Audrey''s mana just had a special characteristic thad allowed for what she did. Yeah that was probably it....

 Chapter 61 Oh my!...

    One week later.....


    Jade, Emily, Layla, Chloe, Hope, Audrey were all now at 5KN, 15KN, 15KN, 10KN, 20KN and 30KN respectively.


    "Okay ladies, this has been a very busy week...and I think you''re all strong enough to take on the weaker of the two Half-steps I sensed...that is if you want to. After all, the beast is stronger than the lizard king and I won''t be helping."


    "Tsk, who do you take us for?... besides I took care of that lizard king on my own after all. We can totally take care of the next monster easily if we work together". Jade immediately spoke up in arrogantly. Though she wasn''t wrong, they were definitely a lot stronger than a week before.


    "Although your words make sense, don''t forget that you were under the boost of potential realisation at the time... and even if you all don''t need it now, you shouldn''t look down on your enemy like this or you''ll regret it someday.". Muku said to her with a reproachful expression on his face, he really didn''t like how Jade could be so arrogant sometimes, which could cost her her life someday.


    Seeing him like this, Jade didn''t say anything knowing that he was really serious. And well, she kinda really liked it when he showed concern for her. In fact that was the reason she acted arrogantly outwardly but has never actually done anything too over the top until now.


    "Anyway, despite the way Jade said it. The underlying meaning is that, we''re definitely ready for this fight, we''re all almost at the peak after all... though it''s kinda disheartening that none of us realised any potential throughout the week.". Emily spoke up for the girls.


    They had actually already gone to her house earlier in the week. And like the usual, they didn''t find anyone there. But she did find a letter from her mother that said they''d be going to the university safe zone. After which Emily decided that since it was like that, they should rather get stronger first before going there. Since for now, her family should be fine if they made it to the university. If not, then the chance of meeting them somewhere in the city would be pretty low even if they search. So they might as well focus on getting stronger while hoping to luckily meet her family somewhere by chance if they were still in the city.


    "Good, lets go then". Muku said with a smile after seeing the other girls nod to Emily''s words.@@@@


    With that, the much toward the unknown beast began. With Jade complaining about having to walk everywhere like she normally did. Though the ones who really felt strain of constantly walking were the other girls since their classes weren''t too physical despite making them stronger than normal people.


    ...


    "What an overwhelming aura, even more intense than yours big brother!" Hope said when the group got close enough to the beast to sense it.


    The others got ready as well, green energy swirling around Jade which she called beast aura as she turned catgirl(old version). She hadn''t been able to get into the advanced form ever since the lizard king battle. Her current strength was likely not good enough to support it.


    Green poisonous gas coating Hope''s hands making the others step away from her a bit. They''d seen her kill beasts from a distance throughout the week after all. She''d just raise her hands in the direction of the target, her poison then merges into the air and then, less that a minute later, the beast would drop dead, blood flowing out of it mouth, nose, and eyes. Seeing her insidious power oddly made Audrey not feel as bad about hers.


    Audrey held both her arms out and both their nails started elongating until they were around a metre and half long. Faint grey mana radiating from them, which had caused the explosion of many beasts throughout the week.


    Although, she had already fought...or more precisely massacred some spiders. Emily was still good to go, also getting ready to battle. Being the opposite of Layla, hot air started to radiate from her body after she got serious.


    Muku just stood back, looking at all of them with a stupid grin on his face. He was looking at them like a father looking at the children he''s painstakingly raised finally start to open their wings to fly out into the world. If the girls had seen this, they''re definitely be pissed, after all they all started out together, he just evolved faster. So what gives him the right to look at them like that?.


    "High quick!" (Jade)


    "Lightning charge!" (Chloe)


    "Frozen javelin!" (Layla)


    "Burning spear!" (Emily)


    "Whisperless death!" (Hope)


    "Oh my!, I forgot to name my spell!" (Audrey)


    Everyone who was about to run forward almost tripped and fell when they heard Audrey''s shout.

 Chapter 62 Golden Death Ray!

    After Audrey''s little episode, the battle finally went under way. Jade began slicing beasts at super speeds, only killed one or two of them since that''s all she needed. But still continued to wound some more to make it easier for the others. Interestingly enough, despite having already reached the peak and with the realised potential, she didn''t immediately climb up to Half-step(80%). Maybe a person doesn''t rank up mid battle or in a situation where they can''t afford to do it immediately. Which would be great, since if one was fighting a beast tide then suddenly froze while ranking up... wouldn''t they be killed on the spot?.


    Soon enough, Chloe also found herself in the same situation, but continued punching beasts with her lightning coated fists to stun them for the others. After a relatively long battle since the peak spiders were quite agile and sensitive to danger, the girls finally managed to finish it. Audrey was breathing heavily after slicing beasts all of over the place for so long.


    Emily, Layla and Hope had slightly pale faces from all the mana they used. Emily had been throwing flame spears left and right while Layla was basically doing the same with her ice. Hope had been continuously expending her mana not only to keep her poison''s potency strong enough, but also keep it away from the others who couldn''t see it.


    Jade and Chloe were doing a lot better since they immediately ranked up to Half-step after the battle. Luckily, this time Muku contained their breakthrough aura so the monster wasn''t drawn over.


    "Good job ladies....now that everyone has gotten to a point were killing beasts doesn''t improve your strength, do you still want to fight the spider queen?". Muku asked, he''d totally understand if they didn''t want to fight anymore after a long battle and having already reached their target.


    "Although we''ve reached the peak, we still need to realise our potential after all. So maybe this battle is just what we need to step onto that path. We''ve long figured out that battle is the best way to realise potential after all". Layla spoke up quickly as of afraid someone would reject the idea. She might be a little tired but she could still fight for a while longer and felt that the pressure could be exactly what she needs to get the ball rolling on her potential realisation.


    "Yeah, Layla is right" Emily supported Layla. While Hope and Audrey agreed to it. They also wanted to step onto the path to rank two after all. Jade and Chloe just looked on, they of course wanted to participate in the battle but felt it wouldn''t be as impactful for them as it would be for the others so chose to stay out of this one.


    "If that''s what you want... I''ll stop suppressing it then" Muku said with a little smile. As soon as his words fell, he drew back his telekinetic force that was pressing down on the spider queen that had been wanting to come out for a while now then....


    "CRRRR!!"


    (A/N: honestly what sound is a giant spider supposed to make?)


    The spider queen''s furious screech rang out. The girls gulped down in nervousness. Muku, Jade and Chloe immediately stepped back and started watching from a distance.


    "Hey!" Emily called out, they were doing it again!...well at least this time she wasn''t the only one it was being done to do she felt a lot better about it actually.


    "It''s huge!" Hope called out. The spider queen was even larger than the lizard king. The monster in front of them was at least four and a half metres in height and had a large body, it kind of looked like a large version of a tarantula. Luckily the girls had been facing spiders for a while now or they definitely wouldn''t have had the guts to fight the creature in front of them. It looked like something that crawled out of the nightmare realm for the sole purpose of terrorising people in reality. Not to mention it''s monsterous aura, they were even wondering how Muku was able to suppress such a thing so easily.


    "Great!, another monster with an element!" Emily complained looking at the darkness radiating from the beast''s body.


    "Hmm, it seems somewhat like my shadow element...but a lot more sinister" Layla said.


    "Hey you two!, aren''t you supposed to be preparing attacks to receive!?" Hope said with an exasperated look on her face. While she was already releasing her invisible poison(Whisperless death) in the direction of the spider, these two were just standing there talking.


    "Oh right!, sorry". Emily said then prepared an attack, Layla didn''t say anything but also did the same, they were both super embarrassed. Seems that caught a bit of the "Muku syndrome" of studying your enemy when you''re supposed to be fighting.


    "Well, that got a bit too close for comfort didn''t it!?" Muku exclaimed, after the attack on Emily.


    "Oh please, I bet you had the black arrow in your grasp from the start". Jade retorted while rolling her eyes. Though internally she was signing in relief.


    "Be that as it may, that was still a dangerous situation!" Muku exclaimed.


    ....


    "I think we need to try something else, direct attacks will probably not even reach that thing". Hope said, she still couldn''t think of anything that could work, so told the others, maybe they will be able to think of something.


    "Oh, Layla, can''t you, I don''t know, get into its dome with your shadow element or something like that?". She suggested to Layla with glowing eyes.


    "Then what?, get eaten alive before I can even cast a spell....hmm, I might have an idea, but you both will have to buy me some time". Layla replied, she was about to shrug off Hope''s suggestion but it made her think of something she could try.


    Hope and Emily who''d finally gotten over her brush with death nodded to Layla''s plan. They didn''t know what she wanted to do, but since she was basically the most reliable one in their group, they trusted her.


    "Umm, I think you should attack first, your attacks mess with mine after all" Hope said to Emily who nodded in agreement.


    "I think I''ll try it now... Who knows, I might be able to get a hit in with it". Emily said to herself as she held her hands out, and created a triangle shape by holding them together.


    "Hope, get ready to throw your best attack at it okay?" Emily said as sweat trickled down her face as she created her new spell. Hope was confused as to why Emily was so sure her attack would work, but nodded none the less. After all, she could feel hot energy building up around Emily and knew the next attack would definitely be something special. Not to mention Emily''s now glowing golden eyes reminiscent of scenes she''d seen in the past.


    "Golden death ray!". Emily called out and a beam with a thickness of around fifteen centimeters flew out from her hands. The spider was hit before it could even react, the black dome was actually broken through!. Luckily for it, Emily''s aim was off or she might have ended the battle then and there.But it did get an extra hole just above its right legs. The beam went through its body and came out the other side.


    "CRRRR!". The spider queen cried out in pain and anger from being injured by food.


    Emily immediately felt all the power in her body disappeare and she started falling to the ground. But surprisingly a smile appeared on her face as she fell.


    Which was because it finally happened!


    [30% of Pseudo-Legendary class potential realised.....]


    Her numerous days of thinking of what she could come up with to realise her potential, paid off.

 Chapter 63 Shadow Charged!....

    Hope was quite shocked by what Emily just did. She''d imaged Emily would throw out another exploding attack or something like that. But not wasting the window she was given, she quickly released the spell she was preparing as the hole Emily had created was already closing.


    "Descent of the poison cloud!" Hope exclaimed as a dark green cloud that suddenly appeared in the sky above the spider descended and enveloped it whole.


    Most of the poison was stopped by the dome but some of it got through the two holes created by Emily''s attack, one in the front and another in the back. Even so, the little that got through was quite effective as it had the spider''s newly acquired wound to exploit. The spider started feeling dizzy and couldn''t effectively attack as before. But that''s all the poison managed to do since there wasn''t a lot that got through the holes on the dome before they closed off.


    "Sigh, my element really sucks when the enemy has a barrier spell". Hope spoke to herself dejectedly. Then her gaze suddenly snapped back in the direction of Layla. All her senses were warning her to run, but since she knew Layla wouldn''t harm her, she didn''t listen to them and just waited to see what would happen. The spider was taken care of for at least a minute as it fought off the poison''s effect after all. As for Emily, she was swiftly taken away by Muku when she was still falling to the ground, so Hope didn''t have any worries right then.


    "Step out of the way!". Layla rather hoarse voice called out to her and without asking anything she immediately did. The threatening aura that was coming from Layla who was behind an ice wall was enough to answer any of her questions after all.


    Ice cold air gathered in the sky above the battle field casting a shadow on everyone. Interestingly, the air was actually black in color like a raincloud. Hope couldn''t help but shiver due to the coldness then it suddenly stopped feeling cold. Muku had stepped in, creating a force field that stopped the cold air from reaching her. To which she smiled broadly while internally thanking her attentive big brother.


    "Shadow charged frozen sky lance!" Layla called out and two metre thick and seven metre tall black lance descended from within the raincloud like air descending on the spider that was still disoriented by the poison from Hope.


    Just when everyone thought the black lance''s sharp end was going to come into contact with the dome around the spider...it actually passed right through!. As of there was nothing there.


    Stab!


    "CRRRRRRR!". The spider queen cried out in pain as it was nailed down by the lance through its midsection unable to do anything other than sceam and kick it''s legs all over the place in pain.


    A distance away, just like Emily, Layla also fell unconscious and Muku acted again. As soon as she lost consciousness, the lance that was pinning the spider down, immediately disappeared.


    Just before she fainted, Layla heard a voice that made her just as happy as Emily...if not happier.


    [50% of Pseudo-Legendary class potential realised...]


    ....


    "Did that attack just....". Muku spoke but didn''t finish his sentence.


    "Ignore the spider''s defence?" Jade finished it.


    Seeing them go away, a look of amusement appeared in the monster''s eyes but it didn''t do anything and waited for them to go further away away before coming out of hiding and consuming the spider''s body and going away.


    It had bigger issues to worry about right now....time was almost up after all...


    .....


    More than a kilometre from the battle scene, Muku''s group could be seen sitting in a mansion. They had coincidentally wondered to the area where Chloe''s house was. And after Chloe mentioned it, they just had to go see it. Which is where they were right now.


    "So you lived in this large place all by yourself?". Jade asked Chloe looking at her with pity instead of envy. While it was envious to have such a big house, there was nothing envious about living in it alone.


    "Well, not completely, I did have a personal maid who came during the day" Chloe said with a slight smile, but it didn''t hide the sadness within her eyes.


    "Aw, don''t worry, you won''t ever be alone from now on okay". Jade immediately stood up and hugged Chloe, Hope joined in as well. Muku and Audrey just looked on with slight smiles on their faces witnessing the beautiful scene.


    "Thanks". Chloe said, trying to hold back her tears, but failed. Though after a while she managed to calm down.


    "Mmm". Just then, Emily woke up. It had at most been an hour since she fainted. Meaning she woke up a lot sooner than even Chloe from before by at least three hours.


    "So, how much did you realise?". Hope asked excitedly not even waiting for Emily to gain her bearings. Well at this point, to their group, fainting after battle automatically meant potential had been awakened so Hope''s question wasn''t that weird... though a bit too quick. What they didn''t know was that normal people realise 5% at most, at once, so their bodies don''t get overwhelmed leading to going unconscious. Maybe that''s just the difference between legends and normal people.


    "30%" Emily replied as a smile appeared on her face.


    "Woah, congratulations, I''m so envious!" Hope exclaimed. She was really happy for Emily. Being as observant as she was, although she didn''t say anything, she''d long noticed that Emily and Layla were really frustrated about not having realised any of their potential yet. So knowing that Emily would finally relax a little after this, made her happy. The others also congratulated her after Hope, making Emily''s smile even broader, blinding Muku for a second.


    Around thirty minutes later, Layla also awoke. And when they heard that she''d awakened 50%. Another round of congratulations ensued. Now only Hope and Audrey were left at the peak.. though unlike the ones before them, neither of them felt too much pressure because of their situation, all they really cared about was being together with everyone else. And they knew that eventually even they would realise theirs, soo there was no need to rush.....


    ....


    Back at the school portal.....


    98% of it was already blue, meaning in a few hours at most.....

 Chapter 64 Personal base acquired!

    "Hey, I got an idea! Why don''t we make this our base? I mean sure, we could go back to the stadium or even go to the university, but wouldn''t our own private base be a lot better than those crowded places?". Jade suddenly said, prompting everyone into thought.@@@@


    And honestly, no one was against it. They had gotten used to the company of each other so much that living in a crowded area with a lot of strangers didn''t sound very appealing to them.


    "Hmm, what about our family members if we find them?". Emily asked, she still had the hope of finding her family members.


    "Simple! We just bring them here; this place can house at least fifty people from its large size...quite frankly, no offence, Chloe, but I think your father was crazy when he built this mansion and left you alone in it". Jade replied to Emily while conveniently cursing Chloe''s dad while at it. Which made Chloe smile wryly since she couldn''t disagree with her words.


    "If it''s like that, then I accept, I also don''t like living with thousands of random people if it can be avoided. But we''ll have to at least go check the university out just in case some of our family members are there". Emily agreed to Jade''s idea.


    "Then I guess we might as well go gather food and some other necessities for the rest of the day. It''s still only midday after all, and we don''t have anything else to do anyway" Layla chimed in, expressing her agreement with her words.


    Muku, who had chosen to take a back seat in the discussion, just nodded in agreement along with Hope and Audrey. He quite liked it when they didn''t always look to him for every decision. They were living in perilous times, so the group shouldn''t depend on him for everything. As it would be broken the moment something happens to him that way, which he didn''t want to happen.


    And so the group got to it. There were a few food shops close by, so it didn''t take long for them to collect what they needed.


    "Hmm... unlike Chloe here, the rest of us still need clothes; any idea where we can get them, Chloe?" Layla asked while looking at Chloe.


    "Well, the closest is the mall....the same one where the spider lived". Chloe replied then left the decision of what they will do to the rest of the group.


    "There''s no way it could have covered the whole place with webs, right? So let''s go check it out" Emily gave her opinion.


    "I want a phone, so lets go check it out!" Hope gave her opinion as well, her reason making the others smile wryly. Though they couldn''t disagree that they also wanted one, modern-day people basically can''t live without a phone after all.


    "Well, we still got a bit of daylight left, we might as well go". Muku spoke, and with that, they went...


    ....


    I''m in front of the mall...


    "Oh, that''s a lot better...or not," Hope said with a smile that quickly disappeared.


    The first floor was covered with spider webs left and right. And there were human-sized cocoons all over the place, along with large spider eggs that were a lot more than the cocoons. The sight looked quite horrific as the human-sized cocoons had humans in them who were likely the food prepared for the spiders that would hatch out of the hundreds of eggs lying around. So Hope''s short-lived happiness was understandable.


    "Should I burn everything?" Emily said her eyes already glowing fiery gold, anger visible in them.


    "Do that and you''ll burn down the whole mall, might even burn down a few other buildings as well," Muku spoke, indirectly saying no.


    "Layla", Muku called out; Layla nodded, then...


    "Frozen world". Layla said in a low voice, and then frost spread out all over the room, freezing everything in place. Only the area they were standing wasn''t frozen. Not because she has great control but because Muku set up a field.


    "Break". She said again then..


    Crack! Crack! Crack!..... Boom!


    All the spider eggs that had been frozen exploded into frozen chunks that went all over the place. Everyone including Muku were startled by Layla''s display. He thought she was going to toss ice arrows that would freeze in place at them or something.


    He could have taken care of it, but no one wanted to see how the spider eggs looked like squashed or with swords going through them with juices flowing out of them. Even Chloe could have killed them with her lightning, but that would have cooked them. But again, no one wanted to know what they smelled like after being cooked. The place was already stinky enough.


    "Interesting spell". He couldn''t help but comment.


    "Thanks". Layla said, a slight smile surfacing on her face for a second before it went back to being neutral.


    "Can we continue now?". Jade said, visibly jealous. He had never complimented any of her spells!.


    After that, they headed for the frozen escalator to the next floor. Basically ignored the first floor, barely could stomach looking at it. The second floor was mostly filled with clothes stores, so they looked into that. Luckily, some shops had their doors closed, or the bad smell from the spiders would have gotten on the clothes like most of the clothes on the floor. Everyone, including Chloe, who already had clothes back home, filled up a huge bag with as many clothes as they could. She was a girl, after all; how could she ever say no to clothes?


    The third floor was filled with utility and tech shops. Everyone got what they wanted. The latest mobile phones and laptops even got spares. Another big bag was filled. The girls tossed in everything they found appealing; after all, Muku was going to carry everything with his telekinesis, so they didn''t have to worry about it causing them problems. As for causing him problems?...well that''s his problem.


    After getting everything they wanted, the group left the mall and returned to Chloe''s mansion, or is it their mansion?...

 Chapter 65 Level Two World Evolution

    Back at the mansion.....


    It was around 7pm the group had already had dinner and taken their baths. Now, they were just lazing around, talking and laughing.


    "Oh hey!, I suddenly remember something!". Muku said and got up under the curious and confused look of the girls. He returned after a bit and in his hands was the black core from before. Seeing it, the eyes of most of the girls look up in realisation. While Layla and Emily, who were unconscious at the time, were surprised, they could guess that the core was likely from the spider, but the fact that it even had a core, which was super rare, was the surprising part. Seeing it, both Jade and Layla felt a sudden urge to consume it, just that Jade''s urge was only a fraction of Layla''s.


    "As you two might have guessed, this beast core is from the spider queen and so since you two dealt with it, it''s yours. Hope already said she doesn''t want it" Muku said while handing the beat core to Layla. He''d already seen how Emily didn''t seem interested in it while Layla seemed like she was close to pouncing on him if he didn''t hand it over. So he quickly handed it over to her.


    "You keep it, just remember that you owe me and Hope a favour for it", Emily said, looking at Layla, who was holding the core like she was prepared to fight to the death for it while looking back at her. She could clearly see that Layla wasn''t going to give it up no matter what, so might as well ask for a favour. Not like the core was useful to her other than as a mana charger anyway.


    "Sure," Layla said and immediately brought the core up to her mouth.


    As soon as the core touched her tongue it melted into her mouth. Immediately, a black aura shot out of her body, and luckily, Muku contained it in time, or it would have literally blown the roof off. Her already black hair seemed to turn even blacker. Her hazel eyes turned black, the aura kept on rising until it threatened to break through Muku''s telekinesis cage, then finally stopped. The others were surprised that he was even able to contain it actually. Then Layla received a surprising prompt.


    [95% of Pseudo-Legendary class potential realised....]


    Just like that, Layla became theoretically the strongest member of their group. Her already out-of-control aura from the earlier rank-up was now even more heavy. And on top of the chill her aura gave off, there was now also a faint sinister feeling to it. Muku had to suppress her aura into a space a metre around her for Hope and Audrey to breathe properly as they hadn''t even stepped into the Half-step stage yet. Luckily, Emily''s aura was under control, maybe because it was only 30% so she could control it.


    "Let me guess, your realised potential increased?". Muku calmly spoke while looking at Layla''s newly black eyes that gave off a dangerous feeling.


    "95%". Layla only said the percentage and everyone in the room felt like thunder went off in their heads from the shock.


    ...


    At the same time at the school portal...


    99.9% of it was now blue then....100% of it turned blue.


    [World mana has reached a sufficient level. Initiating Level 2 World Evolution in 5 minutes. You''re advised to seek shelter in safe zones if possible. There is a high possibility that any building that is not designated as a safe zone will crumble due to immense shaking. All are advised to proceed cautiously]


    As soon as the voice stopped speaking in everyone''s head. Everything started shaking. Muku immediately covered the whole mansion along with the wall with his telekinesis and....lifted it all off the ground along with the group it was on. A big hole was left in the place the mansion stood before as it now floated two metres in the sky.


    Muku''s face started perspiring like crazy. Not because of the huge mana expenditure he was going through but the pressure his mind was going through to keep on focusing on keeping the building up. Telekinesis was all about one''s mental state after all. The girls were all looking at him with worry on their faces, taking turns wiping away the sweat that kept on gathering on his face. His eyes were shut tight from the moment he began, and so he couldn''t even see what the girls were doing, nor sense it for that matter. That''s how focused he was...he had to be.


    .....


    At the stadium....


    The people were all gathered at the edge of the barrier looking outside. They felt like they were in a different dimension from the rest of the world. While they stood still, everything outside the barrier was shaking like crazy, and buildings were breaking crumbling down like the voice said. Tar on the roads was getting ripped apart as the ground.... stretched?. That''s right, buildings weren''t just being destroyed, they were actually also moving away from the stadium in their ruined state. It almost seemed like the world was... increasing in size.


    Looking at the scene outside the barrier, the people realised that the world they knew was gone. They were now in the apocalyptic age and things will never go back to what they were before. This realisation motivated some to get stronger after the world''s evolution ends. While most became even more cowardly and would die within the safety of the barrier, they now thought that even stepping on the ground outside of the barrier was dangerous.


    Unluckily for those who got their confidence due to the incident, they will realise that... getting stronger from scratch has become even more dangerous than before.


    Tom and his group looked on with neutral expressions on their faces. But if one looked closer, they would see the despair in their eyes. They knew that with their weak classes, they might not be able to survive the new world anymore. They wouldn''t be able to even struggle to survive like before.


    ...


    At the university....


    A handsome young man with fiery red hair, along with his group of companions, also looked on at the scenes outside the barrier. As if to mock everyone, there was a bright full moon in the sky that allowed people to see quite clearly what was going on outside the barrier. But unlike Tom''s group, this group of youngsters looked at what was happening with excitement in their eyes.


    .....


    At the school (ruins).....


    Mr Swindon and his accomplice who were still too scared to exit the building even after the warning. Were now dead beneath the rubble of the once glorious highschool.


    The portal was now around a kilometre away. Completely blue, bestial sounds coming from the other side, as if waiting for the world to stop shaking before coming through....

 Chapter 66 Hallowed Ground!

    Back at the floating mansion....


    Muku was still pushing his mind past its limits; at this point, all he was thinking was, "Hold it a little longer".


    The girls kept on looking at him with worry on their faces but didn''t interrupt as they knew it was a critical moment. Hope suddenly thought of an idea and so tried to implement it. A gentle light green glow, as opposed to her usual sinister-looking dark green gas that she usually displayed, appeared on her hands.


    She then held her hands on top of Muku''s head, even touching his black hair a bit. Her eyes closed, clearly trying to concentrate; the others didn''t try to stop her. They just looked on with curiosity looking to see if what she wanted to try would work. Instead of the usual surface healing she did, she was trying to do a deeper level heal that affected a person''s mind. She tried for more than a minute with no success but didn''t give up. Instead, she burnt through even more of her mana to make it work. So much so that a holy green glow surrounded her, when it touched the others, they felt their nerves start to relax.


    [40% of Pseudo-Legendary class potential realised....]


    Surprisingly, she instantly realised more potential than Emily and Chloe! Maybe because she developed a spell that affected the mind which was something that can''t be easily done. As soon as she got the message, her aura exploded out in the room, but luckily, unlike everyone else before her, her''s was gentle and didn''t harm anything. The entire room was now bathed in a green glow and the girls around her felt so relaxed by it that some of them almost moaned in satisfaction but managed to hold themselves back. Their bodies felt the best they had ever been; it was like all the hidden fatigue, whether physical or mental, that was plaguing them was eradicated by Hope''s spell.... intact, that''s exactly what happened.


    As for Muku, his once extremely tense face was now a lot more relaxed. It seemed Hope''s spell managed to have the effect she wanted it to have. She finally opened her eyes, and looking at Muku''s now visibly relaxed expression, Hope smiled a bit and fell into Audrey''s waiting hands. She didn''t smile because of the awakened potential, but because she managed to assist her big brother.


    "Wow, what an OP spell! So holy-like!". Jade exclaimed in a low voice; she, like everyone else, was greatly impressed by Hope''s new spell. They were already used to destruction spells, so seeing something so powerful yet not destructive was an amazing experience.


    "What do you think she''ll name it?". Emily asked curiously.


    "Maybe..."Hallowed ground"?. I certainly felt like I was standing on holy ground at the time." Jade gave her guess. The others couldn''t help but agree with her suggestion; they also felt that way.


    "Tsk, and they call my element holy?". Emily said, expressing her jealousy, albeit jokingly, since everyone could tell she wasn''t really jealous.


    "Umm, I think you''re forgetting her other side". Layla finally chimed in, reminding people of Hope''s poison element that had killed beasts before they even knew what was happening.


    "Oh, right!.....no wonder her class is called Baneful Healer. She''s like a fallen angel that still has her divine power or something," Jade said while joking as well.


    Although the girls didn''t say anything, they did what he said. In fact, they all stayed up, other than Hope, of course. She actually didn''t wake up the whole night, the spell and the potential realisation likely took more out of her than everyone thought. And surprisingly even Muku didn''t wake up, but they could understand.


    Because of Hope''s spell, the rest of the girls didn''t have any trouble staying up all night. They even had a feeling that they''d still be as energetic as they were in that moment even when morning comes.


    .....


    The next morning.....


    All manner of beasts had been coming out of the portals ever since the world stopped shaking. And it was happening all over the world. They were even more varied than the ones that first appeared. As anyone can easily guess, many beasts that came out of the portal were legit Rank Two! That wasn''t even the worst part, a few Rank Threes managed to slip through. Every portal spat out one Rank Three along with many lower ranks. Their mere aura affects the weather around them.


    And like most cities, the city in which Muku''s group wherein was surrounded by four portals. One in each cardinal point, though they were in the outskirts and were pushed even further. The closest portal to Muku''s group was the Northern side portal.


    ....


    At the northern portal....


    Like the school portal and every other portal in the world, it had turned blue from green and spat out beasts for hours.


    The weather around the portal started to change out of nowhere. Snow started falling in a country that had never snowed before. The portal increased in size. Then a huge white paw stepped through, followed by a massive body.


    It was a giant white wolf around fifteen metres tall with giant cold blue eyes that would send a chill down the spine of anyone who dared stare at them.


    The area within a kilometre of the wolf was quickly covered by snow. That''s right, it was a genuine Rank 3 beast. The new king of the north.


    "AWOOOOO!!"


    The Wolf king howled to the sky as if to let those close enough that their new king had arrived.

 Chapter 67 End of the "Humans on Top" Age

    "Hhm?" Muku jumped up from his bed suddenly and looked toward the North. He faintly heard a howl from that direction, which, despite not sounding too intimidating, caused goosebumps to cover his whole body. He felt like if they headed North at that time, they would all die before they even knew what killed them.


    Surprisingly, unlike Muku, Jade wasn''t intimidated by the howl...well, she was, but even more than that, she felt anger. For some reason, she felt like she was being challenged by the howl. If she didn''t have enough self-control, she might have run toward the howl at that very moment. Luckily, she did, and not to mention, she, along with almost everyone in their group, could sense bullshitly strong auras all over the place. They basically felt like ants in front of anteaters.


    So let alone speeding into the distance, Jade didn''t dare even release her aura, though none of the strong auras were particularly close by or would care about weaklings like them. What was close to them in the moment was actually uncountable beasts that were all at least Rank one and many of them were even Half-step Rank Twos. Luckily not all the beasts seemed to be moving toward the city(ruins). Most were actually going toward the forest. It seems like normal animals; beasts prefer places covered by vegetation, trees and the like.


    "Surviving just got a lot harder hasn''t it"? Chloe asked a rhetorical question with a wry smile on her face. Just when they basically just reached the top of the food chain. They were tossed back down before they could even properly relax. The others also shared her sentiments as they silently agreed.


    "Don''t be disheartened by this turn of events. We managed to climb up before, and I''m certain we can do it again. Just that this time it will be a bit harder." Muku''s voice rang out in the room as he walked in. Hearing him and his words, the girls all felt a bit better. As he said, unlike the first time, they weren''t completely new to the experience of climbing up the food chain so it should be a lot easier than before. Well, at least deciding what to do will be easier.


    "I''m sorry for not waking up; I guess I was a lot more spent than I thought; I''ll make it up to all of you later. As for now, I think we need to survey our surroundings while trying to get to Rank Two as soon as we can." Without waiting for the girls to say anything, or remember last night''s incident, he continued speaking.


    As he finished speaking, Hope walked into the room, still looking a bit groggy. Everyone turned her way when she greeted them.


    "How are you feeling dear?" Audrey asked her a question instead of replying. After all, Hope took way too long to wake up and they were all very worried.


    "I''m feeling great, actually, see", Hope replied while flexing her nonexistent biceps. Seeing her like that, everyone smiled; they could tell that she really was fine now.


    "Thanks for the assistance last night, Hope. Without you, I wouldn''t have been able to succeed". Muku thanked her for what she did. Although he couldn''t sense his surroundings at the time, he could still sense when a foreign energy invaded his body. He easily realised that it was Hope''s mana, so he didn''t try to eject it from his body and let her do what she wanted. Which left him pleasantly surprised when it got rid of his mental exhaustion, allowing him to hang on until the end. When he opened his eyes and saw her lying on the couch unconscious, it was easy for him to figure out what happened.@@@@


    "No problem big brother, I love helping you out whenever I can!" Hope exclaimed with a big happy smile on her face, her previous sleepiness nowhere to be found.


    "Umm, are we still sure about not joining either the university or the stadium?" Muku couldn''t help but ask after they properly scouted their surroundings. To say that they were basically living in a sea of beasts at this point was no exaggeration.


    "Definitely!". The girls all replied at once. It seems he had underestimated the desire to have their own place that the girls had.


    "Okay, if you say so....but I''m sure we could easily be the leaders of either of those places if we wanted to." Muku tried one more time.


    "We aren''t going!" Jade snapped at him in annoyance.


    "Do you want to be a leader to thousands of people?" Layla asked him calmly.


    "Hell no! And Jade, shout at me again, and we''ll have a round two right here, right now". Muku replied to Layla and Jade in one sentence. Jade quickly shut up and walked a bit further away from him.


    "And neither do we; on top of it,, we also don''t want to be under anyone''s rule. Do you think the leaders of the safe zones would appreciate having strong people they can''t command around?" Layla expressed her thoughts, completely ignoring the whole Jade incident.


    "I know all that, but the situation here is a lot different from before. I''m not sure if I can still keep everyone safe like before". Muku replied; he''d already considered everything Layla said but still felt it was better than exposing the girls to so much danger.


    "Good that you can''t, you never had to from the beginning. We''re a team, and so we''re supposed to keep each other safe. Not just let you do everything." Emily chimed in before Layla could speak, while the other girls nodded in agreement. Though inside they were happy that he cared so much for them that he was willing to put himself in such an uncomfortable position.


    Of course, they also knew the risk they were taking by not joining a safe zone. But they felt that with each other''s help, they could definitely survive without a safe zone. And with their talent, it won''t take them long to climb back up the food chain again. Not to mention the words that Adam said about the safe zones only lasting until the third level of evolution. So, getting a head start on how to survive in a situation without a safe zone isn''t a bad thing. They will be a lot more prepared when the time comes and the situation will definitely be a lot more perilous.


    "Fine, if that''s what you all want. For now let''s go bother some Half-step Rank Two beasts and see if we can realise the rest of our potential and evolve to Rank Two.". Muku finally relented. Though he wasn''t too broken up about it, he also liked their current situation after all. Just that he felt that he had to consider what the girls wanted.

 Chapter 68 Blood Corruption!

    "Now I can''t help but wonder if the lizard king was actually a lizard king or just a lizard baron pretending to be king?". Muku said with his hand on his chin while looking in front of him. The girls looked at him and rolled their eyes. Not like it had told them it was king, they are the ones who named it that, yet hear he was shamelessly blaming it.


    The reason why Muku even said such a thing was because of the ten Half-step R2 giant lizards surrounding them. Each seemed to at least be as strong as the one Jade killed before, while some were even stronger.


    "Jade, I think they are here for you. Should we step back and let you handle it like last time?". Muku spoke while looking at Jade with a serious expression on his face as if he was really going to it if she agreed.


    "Well, sure, you can definitely step back, just be ready to collect my corpse soon after...if there''s any left. Oh, and send me away with the words of a love song, okay?". Jade replied while rolling her eyes, the others giggled after hearing her answer. She threw in a reference from the song "If I Die Young" by "The Band Perry". Muku definitely didn''t see that coming and didn''t know how to respond.


    "Well, I refuse to let you get stabbed by the sharp knife of a short life, so I''ll help you out". Muku spoke after finally thinking of a comeback, and before Jade could say anything else, he''d already jumped toward the closest lizard. Everyone else also engaged some lizards of their own.@@@@


    "Mother, do you want me to assist you?" Layla asked Audrey while distracting three lizards with her ice attacks. Muku was fighting two, Jade two, Chloe one, Emily one, Hope one, Layla was also supposed to fight two and Audrey the last one due to their current strength. But Layla was worried that Audrey might not be able to fight the lizard since she was still just a peak rank one.


    "Thanks for worrying for me, dear, but I''m okay; I can at least distract you while you deal with your own fights. Who knows, maybe I will be able to realise some potential this way" Audrey replied with a loving smile on her face, but resolution radiated from her eyes. Seeing her like this, although she wanted to say something else, Layla chose to remain quiet as she could tell her mother wouldn''t back down no matter what she said. And maybe she was right, this could just be what she needed to realise her potential.


    "Okay, just be careful okay". Layla said before going closer to the two lizards she was to deal with, hoping to kill them quickly and come back to watch over her mother.


    "Sigh, what a good child I have. I shouldn''t let her down". Audrey spoke to herself, then sped toward the lizard that was left for her to fight. Although it was the weakest one among all the giant lizards present, it was still a lot stronger than her.


    "Roar!" Seeing the weakling of the group of prey they had surrounded running toward it with unmasked killing intent, the giant lizard roared in anger. It felt insulted, like how a human would feel insulted if a chicken directed killing intent at them...unless the human is one of those who are actually afraid of a chickens that is.


    Boom!


    A low booming sound was heard as a large earth spike rose from the ground below Audrey just as she stepped on it. It seems the beast had good timing as Audrey barely had time to react. Although she managed to get out of the way, her arm, which she had subconsciously put in front of her as a form of defence, was cut open from the elbow to her hand.


    Luckily Muku noticed what was happening with the girls and shielded them with his aura. He then conveniently killed off the two remaining lizards.


    ....


    [Unique Class potential fully realised. Evolution to Rank Two commencing....]


    This was the prompt Audrey received just before her aura exploded. Then her body was plagued by a familiar numbness, this time more intense. She could almost feel her cells being improved throughout her whole body.


    That''s right, Audrey was the first one in their group to reach Rank 2. That''s right, she realised all of her potential in one battle. When she opened her eyes again, her aura quickly started getting sucked back into her body until no one could even sense that she was actually a legit Rank Two or even an Evolver for that matter. That is if it wasn''t for the dangerous feeling she gave off even without releasing her aura.


    And to the dismay of the others she now looked even more gorgeous. Muku could already imagine the headaches they have every time they come across any man or woman,, for that matte,r, who can''t control their lust. He also couldn''t help but wonder if the other girls would also end up as beautiful as her. If it really turned out like that, wouldn''t he be hated by every man they meet?.


    "So not this is the strength of an initial stage Rank Two huh?... We wouldn''t have even been able to fight back if it was an enemy fighting back. Just the aura was enough to defeat us all. If I knew that before, I''d have voted for going to a safe zone!" Jade exclaimed, still in shock from how strong Audrey''s aura was. And she''s the weakest of the Rank Twos!?.


    "Let''s get out of here, who knows if no Rank Two beasts are making their way here wanting to get rid of future potential?" Muku spoke up bringing the girl out of their stupor.


    And with that, Muku''s group quickly left the scene. Luckily they were fighting a distance away from their base. After so many times of them causing commissions after battles, there was no way Muku would allow them to fight close to home and draw in beasts to them.


    No one even bothered to ask about the blood-red giant lizard that was following behind them.


    ....


    Like Muku predicted, around ten minutes after they left, a Mid Rank Two beast that was close by really did show up on the scene. Although it didn''t find the one who broke through. It still found free food and that was good enough for it. So it merrily feasted; everyone likes free things, after all.

 Chapter 69 Battles!

    A few minutes before Audrey''s breakthrough...


    On Jade''s side, she was faced by two giant lizards stronger than the one she soloed before.


    "Damn, just looking at them makes me angry". Jade spoke to herself as her eyes started glowing green. But she didn''t manage to access her berserk mode transformation. Maybe because her emotions weren''t strong enough, though she was pissed off non the less.


    "Roar!". Before the beasts could do it, she roared first. Her roar sounded a lot like a tiger''s. As soon as the roar reached the beasts, they were stunned in place. Then Jade used her high quickly as she sped toward the beasts. She threw out a slap at one of them, and just as it was about to reach the beast''s face, her hand was covered by her beast aura that took the form of a giant tiger claw with long, sharp claws. She then took a swipe at the beast''s throat, ripping it off then did the same on the other one all within one second. By the time the stun effect wore off the beasts no longer had throats and choked on their own blood for a few seconds before dying. It was definitely a beastly way of fighting.


    "Hmm, I sense a beast core in this one, lucky me!" She spoke to herself as she ripped the beast''s chest open and took out a core that glowed with a dirt brown colour.


    She then looked around her with a proud expression on her face. She thought that she was the first to finish killing off her beasts, only to see Muku sitting on the head of a beast that had a crushed neck like the one beside it. They looked like they had been strangled to death.


    {Okay how''s anyone supposed to fight that?.... I''m just glad we''re on the same side}. She thought to herself as she walked over.


    The two then started watching the other battles...


    ...


    Emily''s battle.....


    Being a mage type with little improvement to her physical prowess, Emily was having a horrible time fighting the giant lizard. She had to always be on guard if she didn''t want to suddenly be skewered by the earth spikes. If it wasn''t because of Muku intervening in the beginning and moving her out of the way, she might already be dead.


    Unluckily for her who thought he was going to finish the battle for her, he didn''t. He even looked away from her to signal his stance which made her smile wryly. How did he expect a mage like her to fight this thing that kept on erecting earth spikes wherever you stood?. And so, her struggles began....


    The beast wasn''t giving her time to concentrate and cast her spells. Which she didn''t know was a problem until then; maybe that''s why Muku left her alone; she and Hope were the only ones in their group who couldn''t cast spells while moving. Which made her current situation a great learning opportunity.


    Fortunately, after a while of struggling, she finally got the hang of it. Though she could only do the most basic spells for now.


    Chloe''s battle...


    "Should we tell her to be a bit more serious?". Emily asked the others she was with as they looked at Chloe''s battle. Unlike her, Chloe wasn''t having any trouble at all, the girl was actually playing around with the lizard instead of ending the battle.


    "No, let her have her fun. It looks like she''s about to finish it off anyway". Muku replied with a little smile on his face.


    From the beginning, Chloe didn''t have any trouble with dodging the earth spikes. After a while it kind of got fun for her, dodging them, stepping on them and propelling herself all over the place. Especially looking at the lizard that seemed helpless on how to catch her. Although she was having fun, she was also trying to get better control of her lightning so that she could fight all out without it destroying her clothes.


    "Hmm, seems it''s about time I end it" She spoke to herself after seeing that four people had already finished their battles.


    "Lightning blitz!" She shouted the name of her spell, and her already super-fast speed increased. She started circling the lizard at such a fast speed that all it could see was a blue lightning circle surrounding it, unable to see Chloe''s figure at all, until...


    Whoosh! Bang! Boom!


    Chloe suddenly broke away from the circle, and her tiny lightning-coated punch made contact with the beast''s chin, and its head exploded at the top of it. The lizard died on the spot, not even completely sure how it died.


    "Wow, the lightning punch worked even better than when I first used it!. I''m really getting stronger huh. Though I still have some work to do with my control". Chloe was extremely happy with her current abilities, but when she looked down at her clothes, her happiness was greatly reduced. Although the situation wasn''t as exaggerated as last time when she was left completely naked, her current clothes managed to hold on. Just that they were left looking like rags with many holes on them and there was a lot of smoke coming out of them. But at least everything that should be hidden was still hidden.


    She immediately wanted to ask Layla to make a dome for her to change in, but surprisingly, Layla was still in battle. She could only swallow her embarrassment and ask Muku, who happily helped her.


    ...


    Layla''s battle...


    She was perplexed, with her strength, she should have been able to kill the two lizards in less than a minute. But for some reason, she could penetrate their defence. Even considered using her shadow charge, but remembering how it would cause a commission as well as leave her drained, she decided against it and continued to trade spikes with them. She just assumed that maybe they were some sought of unreasonably tough variants.


    What she didn''t know was that the reason why she couldn''t penetrate their scales was because Muku was secretly defending them with his telekinesis at the last moment. Not because he wanted to mess with Layla, but because of Audrey. He knew that as soon as Layla finished her battle, she would kill off Audrey''s lizard, which wouldn''t be good for Audrey''s growth. Especially then when he could vaguely sense that she was close to a breakthrough. Though there was no way he would have guessed that she was going to jump straight onto Rank Two from PR1.


    And so, Audrey broke through, Muku killed off Layla''s beasts and they made their getaway. No one even found out what he had been doing, though Jade, who had been sitting with him for the longest time, had her doubts. But knowing how it could lead to spanking if she spoke up, she didn''t dare say anything...

 Chapter 70 Flexible Beast Aura

    Back at the base....


    "No fair!, I thought Layla was my only competition on who would make it to Rank Two first, but for Ms Audrey to jump the line like that!". Jade said with a pout on her face.


    "Oh, stop complaining; if you weren''t so lazy, maybe you would have reached Rank Two a long time ago". Layla replied to her with an eye roll. After all, Jade had been at 80% for more than a week and even that came due to her emotions.


    "Hhm, you might be right...oh hey, I just remembered something; I found a core in one of the lizards; I wonder what skill I''ll get this time?" Jade didn''t disagree with Layla, she was just venting with no real intent behind it. And she happened to remember the core because of it, which she immediately went it get from her bag.


    "So, do you think it''s going to increase her PR percentage?" Hope asked Chloe, eyes full of curiosity.


    "Hmm, I don''t know, but I doubt it" Chloe replied with uncertainty.


    "I''m almost positive her PR won''t be affected. Her situation is unique compared to the rest. Her class doesn''t actually have an element, her beast transformation is her power. So beast cores, which are elemental in nature, can''t affect her potential realisation. But it''s not necessarily a bad thing, after all, her class can likely use skills from any element...well, at least that''s what I think". Layla chimed in, giving her take on the matter.


    "I''m back!" Before anyone could say anything, Jade''s voice was heard as she returned.


    "I''m surprised you didn''t consume it on the spot when you got it actually... you know what, don''t respond to that, just consume it and let us see.". Muku spoke, like everyone else; he couldn''t wait to see what would happen after she consumed it.


    Other than rolling her eyes, Jade didn''t do anything else as she quickly brought the core to her mouth. She also could barely hold herself back. A familiar scene of the core melting into her mouth as soon as it touches her tongue appeared.


    Boom!


    Immediately after, her aura exploded. Like usual Muku had to contain it. Which wasn''t hard because Jade''s aura didn''t get stronger, she just lost control of it for a bit. Which half confirmed Layla''s theory. A few seconds later, Jade opened her eyes, which she had closed; a smile immediately appeared on her face.


    "So, what did you get?" Hope asked.


    "Let''s go outside and I''ll show you". Replied Jade as she walked toward the exit.


    "Like I''d even think of doing such a thing, how would I show off if I killed you then?" Jade replied rolling her eyes in annoyance.


    "If you say so....now, Audrey, why don''t you introduce us to your new friend here?". Muku said, jumping from Jade to Audrey in one statement. After hearing what he said, the others immediately shifted their eyes from Jade to Audrey and the blood-red giant lizard beside her that she''d left outside the gate.


    "Oh right, it doesn''t have a name; I only created it in the heat of the moment, wanting to see if I could. There''s no point in naming it since it will likely die within two more days because its body can''t resist the blood corrosion for long.". Audrey replied, explaining the giant lizard''s presence.


    "Oh, okay, and I guess we never congratulated you for reaching Rank 2, so let me be the first to say, Congratulations, Audrey", Muku replied and congratulated her on her breakthrough.


    "Thank you" Audrey accepted the congratulations shyly. Then the others congratulated her as well. Everyone was happy that she broke through, now with her here, they felt more secure about their lives. Especially after she showed them the strength of a Rank Two through her aura. They all knew that even if they grouped up against Audrey now, they''d likely still be killed in less than a minute, Muku included.


    "Okay, let''s return and come up with a game plan for the future. Clearly, potential realisation is unpredictable, so we should look into other matters while hoping that we realise it along the way," Muku said as he walked back to the mansion.


    ...


    Back at the mansion....


    "So, what''s our next step?" He asked, though he had some suggestions, he''d rather include everyone in the discussion.


    "I think it''s about time we visited the university don''t you think?" Jade suggested she had been observing Layla for a few days and noticed that sometimes she seemed to get lost in thought, and a sad expression would appear on her face. She''d quickly cover it up with a smile, but Jade would have already noticed it. And there was only one reason for Emily to be like that, which was the unknown situation of her family. Of course, most of them, including her, also had such sad moments, but for them, they were almost certain that their families were dead, but Emily wasn''t yet, so it ate at her more than the rest.


    "Hmm, sure, I also think it''s about time we visited the other safe zone of the city. I''m curious to see if they are as weak as the stadium. We''ll set out tomorrow then" Muku agreed, while the others nodded. Although they hadn''t seen Emily''s sad moments, they had long noticed that her glow seemed to have dimmed down by quite a bit, and they could all guess why.


    "Umm...so the water issue?" Chloe suddenly asked something everyone had forgotten. It was almost the end of the day, and they still had no water. As Evolvers, they didn''t need to drink water as much as normal people so it had easily slipped their minds.


    "Oh, right! I had forgotten about that; thanks for reminding me. I got the perfect solution for it. Let''s go outside and I''ll show you!" Muku replied to Chloe as he got up and headed for the door.


    The others followed behind with curiosity in their eyes, they wondered what his solution was. Was he going to make it rain or something?


    Is that why his class was called divine?....

 Chapter 71 Domains?

    "As long as there''s the ground beneath us, water will never be a hard commodity to access." As soon as they got out of the gate, Muku spoke while creating a large hollow cylinder in the air.


    Whoosh! Bang!


    The long cylinder with a length of about ten metres and a radius of about a metre was thrust into the ground. It sank in so deep that only a few centimetres of it remained visible at the top. Then Muku pulled it out. This time around, its base was covered unlike before, so the soil within the cylinder was taken out along with the cylinder. With that, Muku had created a well within a couple of minutes. Water was already gathering in it, quickly even.


    The girls looked on with amazement, they were all impressed. None of them had thought of such a solution. Not because they didn''t know of it, but being so used to a modern way of life, some simple things like digging a well for water are easy to overlook.


    "Phew, I''m glad that worked, that could have gone horribly wrong if there wasn''t water on this spot". Muku said while wiping away his nonexistent sweat. As he said, there was always a chance that the groundwater on the spot he dug wasn''t so close to the surface. Luckily for them, that wasn''t the case.


    "Wow, good thinking big brother. Now we just have to wait a bit for the water to gather and we''ll be set." Hope enthusiastically praised him.


    "Good thinking, indeed". Even Layla praised while the others nodded.


    "Crazy how easy having powers makes manual labour. I can''t help but wonder if you would have suggested it if you didn''t have the power to do it other than your physical strength" Jade asked Muku with a mischievous smile on her face.


    "No way in hell, I''d rather die of thirst. Do you know how hard it is to dig just a two-metre deep hole with your physical strength, let alone ten?" Muku replied with an eye roll. This little girl clearly had no idea how hard digging holes was for her to even ask such a thing. Hearing his reply, the girls who were expecting him to at least pretend to be chivalrous couldn''t help but giggle. Though his straightforward personality was one of the things they liked most about him.


    "Well anyway, it will take a while for the water to gather into a sufficient amount. So let''s head back and do something else while waiting" Muku said as he created a metal dome around the well. Although he''d have to keep on supplying it with mana for it to keep on existing, it was worth it. Maybe when they get stronger they can create things they won''t have to keep on supplying with mana for it to continue existing.


    "Uuu! I know, we can try meditation; maybe that will help with our potential realisation or help us gain better control of our elements!". Chloe suggested something she''d seen in anime and read in novels.


    "Well, the alternative is playing games on our phones, so we might as well try it out" Layla immediately agreed to the suggestion; playing mobile games wasn''t her forte. Unluckily for her, that''s all Jade and Chloe downloaded along with some anime when they had the chance. Now the internet was gone, making it impossible for her to download what she likes, so meditation didn''t sound like a bad thing to her. She was curious to see if it would really help in some way.


    "Sounds interesting, let''s go get it done then!". Jade said while speeding ahead.@@@@


    ....


    Ten minutes later....


    "This is boring as hell!". Jade suddenly called out, interrupting the others who were greatly invested in the practice. Even if they hadn''t gotten any obvious gains, it helped them let go of some of the tension in their mind. Which was already a good thing for them. But apparently, that wasn''t good enough for Jade.


    Muku created another cylinder, though this one was only around four metres. With it, he fetched most of the water and closed up the well again then he and his group went back to the mansion. The large enclosed cylinder full of water floats behind them. The girls couldn''t help but admire how convenient his abilities were.


    Inside they took turns bathing, using a metal bucket Muku created. It was rather awkward for the group that has gotten used to a shower but at least it got the job done. Layla even chimed in by creating an ice bucket to cool some of the water for drinking since it was summer and the weather got super hot at times.


    ....


    After bathing and eating.....


    "So, have you noticed how we have less than a couple of days'' worth of food left? And how all the shops have been destroyed?" Jade asked Muku, an expectant look on her face.


    "Sigh, fine, tomorrow we''ll hunt down a beast and try its meat" Muku replied with an exasperated look on his face. This girl sure knew how to be persistent, she even waited for the perfect time to mention it. Their food consumption seemed to be increasing by the day; it was like it would disappear into thin air the moment it reached their stomach. It''s like normal food wasn''t good enough for them anymore.


    "Ah, right, that reminds me, what about the base? Are we going to leave it behind?". Hope asked with a confused look on her face. As soon as she did, everyone who was merrily talking with each other immediately went silent. Clearly, no one had thought about it.


    "Umm, I guess so. I''d have preferred to take it with us, but with my current mana, I can, at most, carry it for around three kilometres. Which wouldn''t have been enough even if the world didn''t change, back then we''d have needed to travel at least seven kilometres from Chloe''s information, but now, it''s at least fourteen kilometres". Muku spoke while rubbing his head, feeling a headache coming on. What were they supposed to do now?. If they left it behind, then it would likely be destroyed by a beast. But they couldn''t take it away either.


    "I think I can be of help if mana is the problem", Audrey spoke up, leading to everyone focusing on her, wanting to hear what her suggestion was.


    "How so?" Muku asked for clarification.


    "Well, I''ve noticed that mana and yours seem to be extremely compatible. Maybe because I got my class from your bloodline. Anyway, because of that, I think I can channel my mana into your body so that you won''t run out before we reach our destination. I couldn''t do it last time because I was too weak and wouldn''t have made a difference, but now, I''m pretty sure I can support you for at least double the distance you mentioned.". Audrey explained. What she meant when she said she could help.


    "Well, great then! Problem solved!". Jade chimed in, expressing her happiness. It was her idea to make the mansion their base after all, so she definitely didn''t want to ditch it.


    "Hmm, that could work, okay, we''ll do it that way then. For now, everyone should go sleep. With Audrey''s blood puppet, we don''t have to keep watch, only if it could last longer". Muku said as he got up, getting ready to go to his room.


    "Good night everyone." He said as he walked away.


    "Good night to you too". They all replied and got up to go to their own rooms.


    "Big brother can I sleep..ah! Never mind. Good night". Hope tried to go sleep with him again, but this time instead of a warning, Chloe struck her with a weak lightning bolt, prompting her to immediately change her statement.


    And with that, everyone went to their rooms after blowing out the candles. The only one left awake was the poor giant lizard that would die in a day or two.

 Chapter 72 Beast meat acquired!

    The next morning....


    The group had bathed and eaten. Muku only covered up the well with some rubble, instead of completely closing it. He thought maybe it would be of assistance to some people who have no water that will happen to pass by eventually. And he was actually right, long after they left, the well would become a popular water source for many survivors and even some beasts.


    "Okay, everyone ready?". Muku asked the girls as he was preparing to lift the mansion. They nodded in agreement and he got to work. This time it was a lot easier than the first time he did it, maybe due to the familiarity or because he got stronger. Well, either way, he wasn''t complaining. The mansion headed south slowly while hovering two meters above ground. Beside the spot where the mansion was, the dead, shrivelled-up body of the corrupted lizard could be seen. It died even sooner than Audrey thought it would.


    "This is quite the experience". Emily said while looking at the group below them while sitting on the mansion wall with the other girls. Unlike last time, they weren''t too worried about Muku''s position, so they chose to enjoy the ride instead. Not to mention, they needed to be on the lookout for beasts that might try to attack it.


    "Yeah, would have been better if we went as high as the clouds!" Jade excitedly agreed. If he heard her, Muku would definitely vomit blood in anger. Did this girl even have an idea of how hard it was to get it to their current height?


    "Maybe when he ranks up a few more times we''ll be able to go up that high. This is good enough for now" Luckily for Muku, at least Emily wasn''t so unfeeling as she replied to Jade.


    "Guess so...hey look! A bird! A giant bird!" Jade shouted, pointing in a certain direction into the sky in front of them. Emily looked in the direction she pointed and could barely see a black figure. But she didn''t doubt Jade''s words, she knew how freakishly sharp Jade''s senses were after all.


    "Should we call Layla to this side?" Emily asked for Jade''s opinion. They weren''t all sitting in one spot.


    They were distributed around the wall. Emily with Jade, Chloe with Hope, Layla alone and Audrey alone. Emily was good at ranged attacks, while Jade was good at close combat, so they complimented each other. But Emily''s attacks wouldn''t be able to reach so far before dissipating so she suggested asking for Layla''s help. She could use her beam attack, but that would take a huge chunk of her mana, which would be a waste, in her perspective when Layla could do it for a lot less mana.


    "Hmm, nuh, it''s only a PR1 and even if it was a Half-step. I could stun it with my roar and cause it to plummet to the ground and possibly die from the impact". Jade denied the suggestion but with good reason.


    "Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that! You don''t use it much" Emily exclaimed. With that ability, Jade was definitely the worst enemy for beasts within the same rank as her and even worse for those lower in Rank than her. With her current strength, she can make an unranked beast explode into a bloody mess.


    "Yeah, that''s not my fault, though. Author-san had forgotten about it, so it was out of my hands". Jade replied.


    "Oh, that makes sense. Anyway, the existence of flight-type monsters just made this whole situation even worse. I wonder how the weaker people are surviving" Emily replied, quickly getting depressed by the presence of flying beasts.


    "Don''t think about it too much; your hair will go grey. Do you want to look like an old lady in front of Muku?" Jade said teasingly.


    "What!, no! Not that!. Okay, I won''t think about it anymore!" Emily was given a fright by the prospect. Even more than what Jade expected.


    "Hehehe, you''re so easy". Jade teased again.


    "You dare make fun of me! Hmph! I''m not talking to you anymore". Emily said with a pout and looked away from Jade.


    ".....okay, just put it on the ground I''ll do it". Not having the energy to argue, Layla simply agreed.


    "Wait a minute, let me fix it up a bit first". Audrey replied as she started plucking off the bird''s feathers at hyper speed. She was so fast that Layla couldn''t even see her hands. When Layla thought she was done, she sliced off the bird''s head. Blood started gushing out, but it didn''t fall to the ground; it formed an orb in the air instead. When it was all drained out, Audrey cut the gut open, took out the guts and put them in the blood-red dish she''d made with the beast''s blood. After removing everything she felt should be removed, she threw away the blood-made dish along with the feathers and insides.


    "Here". With an innocent smile, she headed the beast to Layla. Who felt like taking a step back from her but managed to hold herself back.


    "Aren''t you a bit too good at that?" Layla couldn''t help but ask.


    "Why thank you, but I don''t deserve the praise; it was basically no different from a chicken, just a bit bigger," Audrey replied, still smiling.


    {That wasn''t a compliment!} Layla screamed in her head.


    "Okay". But only agree in reality and put the bird on ice.


    "Now, if you''ll excuse me, I think Master will need my assistance soon", Audrey said, then disappeared from Layla''s site.


    {She''s really making full use of her abilities, appearing and disappearing all over the place. And it seems the hold Muku''s bloodline has on her might be stronger than we thought; as soon as she lets down her guard, she immediately calls him master. Well whatever, not like there''s any real harm done}. Layla thought to herself as she went back to her task of monitoring the surroundings.


    .....


    "Is it about time master?" Audrey asked as soon as she appeared beside Muku.


    "Yes, you can begin whenever you''re ready". Muku replied, his face a bit pale from the tough task he was carrying out. He didn''t even notice Audrey addressing him as master, though honestly, he wouldn''t mind such a drop-dead gorgeous lady calling as such. But he''d never admit it.


    "Okay, here I go. Please excuse me" Audrey said as she placed her hand on Muku''s back and started channeling her mana into his body. Also unlike what Layla thought, she wasn''t off guard when she called Muku master. After ranking up she''d noticed that resisting the way her class dictated she address Muku seemed to weaken her, on top of being increasingly harder to do. So she was just testing Layla''s reaction to her calling Muku like that, and after seeing that she didn''t react negatively, she gave up resisting.


    "Ahh, that hits the spot". Muku said as his face returned back to normal from his pale look before.


    "I''m glad to be of service master". Audrey replied, a beautiful smile blossoming on her face. Too bad Muku couldn''t see it or he''d have definitely been mesmerized by the beautiful site.


    "Is this really what made you scream like crazy before though?". Muku couldn''t help but ask after remembering a certain night.


    Hearing his question, Audrey''s face immediately turned red. She didn''t dare say anything in response. Especially after remembering how she climaxed for the first time in her life that night.

 Chapter 73 Barbecue!

    A few hours later.....


    They were now close enough to the university, encased in a green barrier for Jade to be able to see it clearly. The journey shouldn''t have taken so long but they had to avoid a few Rank Two beasts in their direct path. As well as fight off a few H-S R2s. Other than that, it was quite fun for them, especially when they saw people run away when they saw the mansion approach. I mean, who would stick around when a floating mansion approaches them?.


    The experience also made the group realise that there were quite a number of people outside of the safe zones. Interestingly, all of them were Rank One!. This made sense, really; unranked people wouldn''t be able to survive so long outside in the current world. It seems like humans were always adapting to the situation despite the many chickens in the safe zones.


    "I think we should stop here. Can''t get too close to the university with a floating mansion after all", Muku spoke up after Jade told him that they were around three kilometres away from the mansion. He then slowly placed the mansion on the ground and sighed in exhaustion. Despite the sufficient mana provided by Audrey, his body still felt sore from the continuous of such pure mana. This is something he only found out after they began: that Audrey''s mana was a lot purer than the rest of them. It was likely due to being a higher rank, so his lower-rank body couldn''t handle it too well.


    ....


    "So getting here took more time than we thought, because of that, we''ll have to go check the university out tomorrow. It''s better to show up in the morning so that we can be sure to make it back before sundown. Wouldn''t want to travel at night, after all; put your hand down, Jade; I know you got perfect night vision". Muku addressed the group after they gathered in the lounge.


    "I wasn''t going to even talk about that...it''s true, I''m awesome but I was going to talk about something else. We already got the beast meat, can I take Emily out to roast it now?" Jade explained herself, to which Muku didn''t even know what to say and waved her off. He then got up and headed to his room to rest.


    "Yay!" Jade screamed in joy and dragged Emily away while Audrey, Layla and Chloe followed behind. Hope headed for Muku''s room instead.


    ...


    "Big brother, should I cast Hallowed Ground on you?" Hope softly asked when she got into Muku''s room and saw him massaging his head with his eyes closed.


    "No, it''s fine; you don''t have proper control over the spell yet, so you''ll just be wasting most of your mana. I can handle this slight headache; it should go away in an hour or two". Muku replied, still not opening his eyes.


    "If it was just a slight headache I know you wouldn''t have been resting here but outside with the others instead. From your body language, I can tell that you''re having trouble with your whole body; it''s likely painful from using Audrey''s higher-rank mana". Again, Hope displayed her absurdly high observation ability.


    "....You know, sometimes it really scares me how observant you are". Muku replied while smiling wryly.


    "Hehehe, I''ll take that as a compliment. Also, as you said, my control over the spell is really bad, and I waste a lot of mana, but how will I improve if you don''t let me practice?". Hope took what he said about her observation ability as a compliment; after all, without it, she might have died a long time ago with Mr Swindon''s group. What she didn''t know was that it also helped her escape being violated by them; there was no way they would have first targeted the middle-aged lady if she had been there. After she expressed her happiness with the unintended compliment, she gave Muku a reason to use her spell that he couldn''t deny.@@@@


    "Sigh, fine, do what you want. You''re lucky you''re my cute little sister or I''d have given you the Jade treatment for being so persistent." Muku relented, he didn''t know how to argue with her logic after all.


    "Hehehe, Hallowed Ground!" Hope giggled a bit then cast the spell. A gentle green as majestic as before radiated from her body and covered the whole room. Muku was enchanted by the sight, it was the first time he''d seen it after all. He could think of only one word to describe how Hope looked right now, and that was "Holy".


    "Why don''t I try?" Chloe chimed in.


    "Ah, right! Chloe can just electrocute it until it''s cooked!" Jade exclaimed in excitement; she really wanted to eat the beast''s meat.


    "Okay, but try it on a smaller part first...here" Muku said while cutting off the other drumstick off the bird.


    "Okay, here I go". Chloe said as she held her hands out, lightning came out of her hands and hit the large floating drumstick. Smoke quickly started coming out of the drumstick, along with an enticing aroma. Everyone couldn''t help but gulp down some saliva, wanting to dig in at that very moment. Then they blinked; the meat went from undercooked to almost charred in less than a second. Chloe had lost her concentration due to fantasizing about how the meat would taste.


    "Oh, crap! I''m sorry!" Chloe, noticing what had happened, immediately apologised. Emily then came forward and patted her shoulder in consolation, a look of camaraderie visible in her eyes.


    "It''s fine, it happens. I got another idea we could try" Muku said with a smile on his face.


    ...


    "Tsk!, why didn''t you do this earlier?" Jade complained while thinking of the two wasted drumsticks.


    "Keep talking, and you won''t get any", Muku replied without looking at her.


    "I''m sorry, it won''t happen again" Jade immediately apologized with a fearful expression on her face. He wouldn''t refuse to give her some meat when it was her idea, and she caught it, right?


    Right now they were all looking at the makeshift stove Muku made. It was a silver flat surface where sliced-up pieces of meat were roasting. The heat was coming from Emily''s flame that was burning below it. If the heat became too much, he''d either add more layers to the metal or Emily would stop fueling it for a bit. With this new method, the meat was perfectly roasted without wasting any more.


    After a while of roasting, all of the meat was cooked. And everyone was looking at the large dish full of meat, especially Jade and Audrey. Both unwittingly let out their canines and fangs respectively. It was actually the first time Jade managed to let her canine teeth out without a full transformation. For her control to improve so much due to food made everyone roll their eyes at how much of a foody she was, but they didn''t say anything.


    "This smells so great, although I want to make Jade the genie pig to see if this is poisonous or not. I think that will be unfair, so let''s all take a bite at the same time". With those words from Muku, everyone took a piece from the dish and bit down after giggling at what he said. Jade just rolled her eyes, feeling like arguing would be wasting time right now.


    As soon as they all bit it, they all felt a weak stream of energy come out of the meat and enter their body. Not to mention that it was the tastiest meat any of them had ever eaten.


    Surprisingly they didn''t eat even a quarter of what they usually ate before they felt full.


    "Ahh!" Emily screamed in surprise, then everyone immediately looked at her.

 Chapter 74 Hidden Attributes!

    [Agility has increased by 1 point due to beast meat consumed]


    The above prompt is the reason why Emily screamed in surprise. Just when she thought nothing could surprise her anymore, this happened.


    "What''s wrong?". Jade asked while still eyeing the meat even though she was already full. Emily didn''t mind her distracted expression and explained what happened. At the end of her expression, even Jade was fully concentrated on listening to what she was saying.


    "So what you''re saying is, eating the meat improved your dexterity?" Jade asked for confirmation.@@@@


    "Yeah". Emily replied while nodding.


    "No, fair; why didn''t my agility improve then?" Jade, who couldn''t take it when good things didn''t also happen to her when they happened to others, quickly complained.


    "Maybe your agility is too high for the meat to make a difference", Layla chimed in with a thoughtful look on her face.


    "Hey!, are you calling me slow?" Emily immediately protested.


    "Well, you definitely aren''t faster than anyone in the group. Even Hope is faster than you...maybe it''s because of your large chest." Jade immediately took the chance to make fun of Emily''s chest, which she secretly envied.


    "Hmph!". Emily didn''t know how to refuse the statement despite knowing that Jade was making fun of her. Her chest really made it hard for her to fight while moving, which she found out the hard way when she fought the giant lizard. Though now that she thought of it, she was never good at sports either.


    "So you''re saying, the lower one''s agility is, the easier it is to increase by consuming beast meat?" Chloe asked Layla, she was pretty interested in the topic.


    "Very likely, but we''ll have to experiment by eating more beast meat", Layla replied; she wasn''t too sure yet after only one case, though she felt she was at least close to the truth.


    "Maybe it''s not just agility that can be increased from eating beast meat. I might be reading too much into it but I don''t think it''s a coincidence that an agile beast''s meat increased Emily''s agility. Maybe a strength-type beast would have increased her strength instead". Muku gave his own take on the matter after thinking for a bit.


    "That makes sense, wouldn''t that mean we have hidden attributes on top of our elements and ranks? I wonder how many they are!" Chloe excitedly added to Muku''s statement. Being a seasoned otaku, such things were what excited her the most.


    "Hmm, hidden attributes. That sounds appropriate". Layla agreed with the term Chloe called it.


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever; what I got from this conversation is that we will have to hunt down and eat as many different kinds of beasts as we can, right?". Jade asked the group with sparkling eyes from the excitement she was feeling. She was already imagining herself sitting on top of a mountain made of different kinds of roasted beast meat.


    "This incorrigible foody," Emily said while rolling her eyes at Jade.


    "No, let''s stand down and watch for now. Maybe we got ourselves some nice ghost neighbours and they''ll visit us soon to introduce themselves". The young man gave his order along with a joke.


    "Sigh, sometimes I''m not sure if you''re joking or not but okay. There''s another issue that needs the agent addressing. We''re running out of food, and with every food store or shop around us destroyed, we can''t easily find it. Though even if they weren''t destroyed, we would have run out of it soon enough since there''s no longer any food production." The blonde lady reported another issue.


    "Oh, that, that''s a real problem, isn''t it? Why not eat beast meat then... most of them just look like oversized versions of what we eat anyway" The young man made a suggestion.


    "With all due respect sir, only a mad people would consume alien meat just because it sort of looks like the meat they know. Even mushrooms that kind of look the same can''t all be eaten.". The blonde lady strongly denied the idea.


    "But some of them can. Anyway, if you''re going to deny the idea so strongly, then you better have a better solution to the problem. And why are we even worrying about feeding everyone anyway? Wasn''t it already agreed upon that everyone would look after themselves?" The young man replied.


    "I do, actually, and as for why we''re feeding everyone, it''s because you''re secretly a good person who couldn''t bear to see others suffer so much." The blonde-haired lady spoke with a cheeky smile on her face.


    "Tsk, whatever. Just tell me the plan and go away already; I want to rest," The young man said while rolling his eyes.


    "Okay, there were four rice silos around fifteen kilometres east of here before the apocalypse, so now it should be maybe thirty kilometres away. Although they likely also fell during the evolution, we should still be able to salvage a lot of the rice by moving away a bit of rubble. That should last us long enough for us to figure out our next step." The blonde lady explained her plan.


    "Thirty kilometres!? Might as well kill beasts instead, then! Do you know how long such a distance is?. Not to mention the beasts we''ll definitely meet. You''re only saying this because you weren''t there when a Rank Two flew us by. I''m telling you, if that thing didn''t see us as little ants unworthy of its stomach, we wouldn''t be here right now!" The young man exploded out in complaints.


    "I know it''s dangerous, but it''s all we can do. Even if we go with your idea of killing beasts, how many will we be able to kill in a day? And can you guarantee that there will always be enough close by to kill? Not to mention, what if they are too strong to kill, and you get killed instead? Please, Jack, this week''s our only choice" The blonde-haired lady spoke emotionally, even calling the young man by his name.


    "Sigh, I''ll do it if you''re even willing to break your own promise to keep our relationship professional when working. Seriously though Sarah, sometimes I wonder which one of us is the real leader here. It''s like I''m just a puppet while you''re the one holding my strings. This is why there are rumours of me being henpecked going around". Jack agreed to her plan, but not without grumbling about it.


    "Hehehe, that''s why I love you. And don''t mind the rumours; what do they know about our love, huh?" Sarah completely tossed out professionalism as she spoke while walking over to Jack and giving him a hug, pressing his head on her sizeable chest.


    "Of course, you''d say that. Such a devious girlfriend you are. Anyway, what about the other side? Do you think they will help us?". Jack asked after taking in a bit of his girlfriend''s intoxicating scent.


    "Sigh, they have been getting more unruly as time passes by. It''s like they are losing their humanity and turning into beasts in human skin. So I''m not sure if they will help. At this point, I''m actually afraid that they will backstab us actually". Sarah replied to Jack''s question. Completely ignoring how he called her devious, he has been calling her that even before the apocalypse after all, but their love has always remained strong.


    "Truly a shame, to think they''d allow such little power to go to their heads. I wish they meet a Rank Two soon and be humbled. To think it all began after we barely took down a Half-step R2 beast just two days ago. How can a person''s head grow so much in such little time?" Jack expressed his disappointment in his old schoolmates, whom he thought were comrades.


    "Well, all I know is that if we understood them, then we would likely be no different from them. So I think it''s okay for us not to understand" Sarah replied to him in a soft voice. But she didn''t get a reply back. She looked down at him and noticed that he''d fallen asleep in her arms.


    "Sleep tight, my crimson mage,", She said with a gentle smile and hugged him even tighter. Soon even she fell asleep....

 Chapter 75 Holy Flames Of Judgement!

    The next morning.....


    "Everyone ready? Let''s go! Anyone who isn''t standing in front of me within 2 minutes is staying behind!" After a hectic morning of the girls running around the place preparing for their visit to the university. Muku called out in exasperation after an hour of delaying; even after that, they used the full two minutes before showing up.


    "Finally! Next time, I''m waking you all up three hours earlier," Muku said to the girls with an eye roll. To think he''d experience the legendary "women always take forever to prepare" for himself.


    "Sorry!" They all apologized. Audrey and Layla just looked on with amusement in their eyes. The two of them weren''t joining the others since someone had to guard the base. They weren''t too excited about it but it''s something that had to be done.


    ''Now get on" Muku said as he created a large silver disk enough for everyone to stand on. The girls got on with curiosity in their eyes; Jade was especially excited; they could guess what would happen next.


    "Why didn''t you ever do this before?" Jade asked Muku with an accusatory gaze on her face. Practically blaming him for all the walking they did in the past.


    "Because I only thought of it recently, not to mention I didn''t have enough mana back then. And it''s not like you couldn''t have thought of it and told me". Muku replied while also getting on the hovering silver disk.


    "Hehe, this reminds me of the silver surfer,", Chloe said while looking at the disk with glowing eyes.


    "Okay Layla and Audrey, we''re off. See you in a bit" Muku said farewell to the two ladies that were staying behind as the others waved at them, and they waved back.


    Whoosh!


    The disk flew off into the distance at a decent speed. There was no wind resistance; it was as if the wind was getting pushed away beforehand, which it was. In less than thirty minutes, the group was already close to the university gate.@@@@


    "We don''t want to startle them just in case they are like Tom''s base, so let''s walk from here" Muku spoke while getting rid of the disk and after they landed on the ground.


    "Aww, why!?, can''t you just leave me out here with the disk then?". Jade said, having enjoyed the ride too much.


    "You can stay if you want, but I''m not wasting my mana for that" Muku didn''t even look at her as he walked toward the gate. The other girls followed behind him, completely ignoring Jade. She grumbled for a bit then followed behind them.


    The gate was actually wide open with no guards on it like the stadium. Likely for the same reason, of it being pointless since it was within the barrier and beasts couldn''t get through. On top of that, not many new people have been turning up after the first few days of the apocalypse.


    So the group easily walked through. But their clean clothes and rosy faces, seemingly out of place in the apocalypse, did attract quite a bit of attention from the people who were loitering around the place. Though no one came too close to them. Surprisingly most of them were Rank Ones, unlike Tom''s base. Sadly the auras they gave off were of weak classes that likely wouldn''t do well in battle, but a few seemed to be decently strong. Even stronger auras were coming from the large university building in front of them.


    "Hmm, now that we''re here, how are we going to search for people we might know?" Chloe asked, although she didn''t think she''d meet anyone she knew, she was just asking for the others since she happened to think of it.


    What she saw was something she would never have imagined in her wildest dreams or even nightmares. Her little sister, beloved little sister, looked so thin and frail, tears streaming down her puffy eyes, likely having cried for a very long time. And a disgusting man about to...


    BOOM!


    Emily''s aura exploded along with golden flames that raged into the room. Before the average-looking young man or his minions could make sense of what was happening. They were erased out of existence, not even their ashes remained...


    The young girl in the room had long closed her eyes, already thinking that she was going to die on the spot. Yet even after a few seconds, all she felt on her skin was a gentle warmness and nothing more. She curiously opened her eyes and saw a weirdly awe-inspiring scene; she was completely enveloped in golden flames along with everything else in the room. Her mind short-circuited, not understanding what was happening; one second, she was about to be violated, and the next, she was standing in a golden sea of flames that didn''t burn her at all.


    Tap tap tap


    Just as she was still trying to make sense of what was happening, she heard the tapping sound of footsteps approaching her. She immediately tensed up not knowing what was coming. But she still kept her gaze fixated on the direction the sound was coming from. She could now vaguely see a silhouette of a person which seemed familiar for some reason. Then the flames started to part as the silhouette got closer to her until the person was completely reviewed.


    Seeing who it was. Blonde hair, yellow eyes and a face that looks so much like her''s that she disliked it. Tears started coming out of her eyes again as she held her mouth.


    "Big sis..." She called out longingly with a croaking voice behind her hands that covered her mouth.


    "Elsa...". Emily said as she took her little sister into her tight embrace; both sisters started crying in each other''s arms. The flames slowly started disappearing until there were none left. Then Elsa felt Emily suddenly get heavier as well as suddenly go quiet. She looked at her sister''s face and noticed that she had fainted, but a happy smile was still frozen on her face.


    "What was that!?". Jade exclaimed while sneakily wiping away the tears that had gathered in her eyes. She couldn''t help it, the reunion of the two sisters was just too emotional.


    "Holy flames of judgement?". Chloe replied also wiping away her own tears.


    "You and Big Brother really like putting the word judgement in everything, don''t you? You''re even naming other people''s spells now". Hope tried to joke around to ease the atmosphere but her face looked even worse than Jade and Chloe as tears were still streaming down her face.


    "Whatever, this is not the time; I think we should help the little girl before she falls over with Emily", Chloe replied, a little embarrassed since it was kind of true.


    "Hello Elsa, I''m Jade, your big sister''s friend; although we never met before, I''m sure your sister has mentioned me before, right?" Jade spoke softly to Elsa as she walked closer to her. To which Elsa nodded.


    "Good, let me help you with Emily, okay?" Receiving a positive reply from Elsa, Jade smiled as she took Emily from the struggling little girl who clearly hadn''t had a decent meal for a while.


    The others then stepped into the room but didn''t get too close to Elsa since she was likely still shaken up from what happened. So wouldn''t want strangers close to her.


    "You, I know you". Elsa''s now less croaky voice sounded as she looked at Muku. Which surprised everyone since she shouldn''t have ever seen Muku before.

 Chapter 76 Do you want to get us all killed?

    "What a rude kid....and where do you know me from?" Muku asked curiously.


    "I caught big sister looking at a picture of you on her phone almost every day before the apocalypse" Elsa unhesitatingly sold out her sister in less than five minutes since she saved her.


    "Oh.... I don''t think that''s something you should be telling me. Though I do wonder where Emily got a picture of me; I never use photos on social media or anything like that," Muku replied while smiling wryly, of course, the latter part of the sentence was something he only thought but didn''t say out loud.


    "If you''re wondering where she got your picture, she took it when you were distracted around six months ago. The jerk even refused to share it!" Jade added to the fire by revealing even more dirt on Emily. And like Muku, she kept the latter statement to herself. Chloe didn''t know whether to laugh or cry for Emily for having such a sister and best friend.


    "Okay, okay, whatever, can we move on to something else now? Here, place her on this" Muku spoke with an eye roll while creating a floating board for Jade to lay down Emily on. Elsa looked at the scene with curious eyes; she hadn''t seen many mystical abilities in action, so everything they did was new and interesting to her.


    "Isn''t she too calm for someone who just went through all that?" Chloe couldn''t help but ask, seeing Elsa, who now looked quite normal, other than her extra thin body.


    "Oh, that; I remember Emily saying that her little sister is a weirdo and doesn''t easily show her real emotions to most people. So maybe that''s what''s happening now". Jade replied, unbothered by Elsa''s calmness. Hearing her speak, Elsa looked at the unconscious Emily with a look of betrayal in her eyes. Clearly, she forgot that she had just sold out her big sister not too long ago.


    "So she''s like Layla then?". Hope commented.


    "Yeah, probably something like that". Jade replied while nodding in agreement.


    "I wouldn''t advise saying it in front of Layla, though... unless maybe you want to know what being an ice cube feels like", Chloe immediately cautioned them.


    "Pfft, there''s no way Layla would do such a thing....right?" Jade laughed not believing it, but she wasn''t as sure at the end after remembering how she was the reason Layla learned her ice spikes skill.


    "She probably wouldn''t, but I won''t take the chance. Thanks for the warning Chloe". Unlike Jade, Hope wasn''t suicidal, so she took heed of the warning.


    "Hey, is my big sister going to be okay?" Elsa interjected after seeing them go off track.


    "Oh, right, don''t worry kid, your sister will be fine. This is a regular thing for her. In fact, she''ll wake up stronger". Jade replied to Elsa.


    "Why were you so submissive to that asshole! How dare he come to our base, do what he wants and leave!?" Sarah shouted at Jack after he finally removed his hand from her mouth.


    "WOMAN, DO YOU WANT TO GET US ALL KILLED!?" Jack exploded, startling everyone including Sarah, this was the first time he ever shouted at her


    "I''m sorry for shouting; I lost my cool for a bit there", Jack apologised, seeing her eyes getting teary and showing a wronged expression.


    "You see that man...no, that monster. He could have easily killed every one of us in this safe zone. In fact, even the green-haired girl could do it alone. The rest of them didn''t seem like pushovers either. I''m currently at 10% Half-step Rank Two and yet I felt like an ant in front of them!" Jack explained himself.


    "Really, it can''t be that bad, right? I''m sure we could have held our own if we joined hands". Sarah was still sceptical and felt that Jack was exaggerating.


    "Can you go check on the situation in Dean''s room?" Jack didn''t argue with her and gave her an order instead. Although she didn''t know why he''d go off track like that, she still did as she was told.


    "My god!" Sarah exclaimed as strength left her legs and she fell to the ground, her hands on her mouth, fear in her eyes. Everyone immediately went over to see what was wrong, they were all also struck with fear when they looked into the room. Though Jack didn''t even bother to go look, he already knew that there would be nothing good in there.


    The room was empty and spotless. And that was the scary part. When Muku''s group came, there was a lot of furniture in it but now there was nothing. Not a thing, not even Dean and his two goons. The same dean who was also a 10% Half-step Rank Two like Jack. Which meant only one thing. He, his minions, and all the furniture in the room were destroyed into nothingness. And yet the walls were untouched.


    Such absurd strength! Such absurd control over it! Everyone felt cold sweat run down their spines with horror filling their eyes. They felt gratitude for Jack and his instincts, or they would have provoked those monsters and gotten erased from existence.


    "I''m sorry; I''ll never argue with you again! I''ll always do what you say from now on" Sarah said after wobbling herself to Jack and giving him a hug. Though it was more to seek comfort and safety in his arms than to show how apologetic she was.


    "It''s fine. And there shouldn''t be a need to fear them too much. From Dean''s personality, I''m certain it was his fault that he got killed. I''m actually glad that they didn''t kill the rest of us off in anger, so they shouldn''t be unreasonable killers," Jack said, trying to comfort Sarah along with everyone else.


    "So what will we do now? How will we deal with them?" Sarah asked.


    "I''m not sure myself, well just have to figure something out when they show up next time. Though that doesn''t mean we should stop living, so let''s continue with our plans as we made them before they showed up" Jack said while clenching his fist. He never felt so weak, even in front of the Rank Two beast even though it was a lot stronger than the monsters. Back then, it just made sense for him for the beast to be that strong.


    But for fellow humans to make him feel so weak?. How was that possible with all the work he put into getting stronger?

 Chapter 77 Laylas request

    "Enjoying the ride?" Jade asked Elsa who was sitting in the disk beside the unconscious Emily, with her eyes looking all over the place.


    "Very much". She replied simply.


    "Tsk, this kid really reminds me of Layla, are we sure they aren''t related?" Jade spoke while rolling her eyes at how calm Elsa was, totally unlike anything you''d expect from a little girl like her.


    "Just let her be. Haven''t you noticed that you''re actually the only hyper one in the group? If anything, you''re the strange one here" Chloe defended Layla and Elsa.


    "Hey!" Jade exclaimed before pouting.


    "Look, everyone, we''re almost there", Muku spoke up, cutting off the girls'' conversation as they all looked forward.


    "Wait, you''ve got a mansion?.... how''s it still standing?" Elsa asked curiously. The mansion really looked majestic but out of place surrounded by ruins all over the place.


    "We''re just that awesome kid. Stick with us, and you''ll see things you''ve never thought possible," Jade spoke up, shamelessly taking some of the credit for something that had nothing to do with her. Everyone, including Elsa, rolled their eyes. She didn''t know the details, but she was almost certain it had nothing to do with Jade.


    ...


    "Welcome back everyone... what happened to Emily?" Audrey welcomed them and asked about Emily''s condition. However, she wasn''t too worried after seeing that no one seemed particularly worried about her, so it shouldn''t be anything serious.


    "Oh, nothing much, she probably realised almost all her potential after seeing her sister in trouble. Which, although it makes sense, is a bit exaggerated when she already had the power to save her without blowing up like that. But I guess that''s just how the power of "family and friendship" that''s always mentioned in anime works" Jade replied nonchalantly while heading for the kitchen.


    "Oh, is that so. Then this pretty little thing should be her little sister, right? Though it''s rather obvious, she basically looks like a younger Emily with a different eye colour. Hello, honey, I''m Audrey, what''s your name?" Audrey spoke while walking over to Elsa with a gentle smile on her face.


    Elsa didn''t reply, she just looked at her in a daze. She had never seen anyone so beautiful before. She felt like she was standing in the presence of an angel or even a goddess.


    "What''s wrong sweety?" Audrey asked Elsa with a worried look on her face after seeing her dazed expression. She could somewhat guess what the problem might be, but she didn''t want to be as narcissistic as her master.


    "You''re really beautiful". Elsa subconsciously blurted out what she was thinking. Everyone couldn''t help but smile in understanding. If they hadn''t stayed with Audrey every day, they might have been just as dazed as Elsa was right then.


    "Oh, why thank you, sweety, And you''re super cute yourself. So are you going to tell me your name now?" Audrey accepted the compliment with a smile, even if she knew she was beautiful, she still liked being told so by others.@@@@


    "It''s a new spell I created when you were out. My potential realisation is now at 99%. I''m sure all that I need to do now is to figure out how to enter the shadow realm mystery and I''ll rank up". Layla explained. She spoke as if she was telling them nothing of consequence when she was literally one step from ranking up and even knew what she needed to do.


    "Ah, no wonder your aura seems to have gotten stronger. Well, congratulations then" Muku congratulated her with a smile on his face.


    "Okay, tell me something. Does your family have some kind of secret cultivation method or something?. Coz first it was your mother and now you are about to rank up as well. Aren''t we all friends here? why not share it with us?" Jade spoke, her pout getting even worse.


    "Instead of always jumping around the place, maybe you should try meditating". Layla didn''t miss the chance to educate Jade. She felt Jade was too hyper for her own good, especially for this matter of potential realisation.


    "Tsk, whatever, keep your secrets then" But Jade wasn''t so easily educated. So she grumbled and walked away, going to her room.


    "So you realised more potential while meditating huh?" Hope asked Layla.


    "Yes," Layla replied while nodding.


    "Okay, I''ll go to my room and try it as well then. I feel my new spell might be the key to my ranking up" Hope said, then also ran upstairs. Although she didn''t mind the others ranking up before her, he''d rather not always be one of the last ones like usual this time as well.


    "Well, since there''s nothing to do right now anyway, I might as well go meditate as well. I haven''t improved in quite a while, after all; I''m practically the weakest one in the group now," Chloe said before also going to her room.


    "Yeah, I think I''ll just go take a nap" Muku said while planning to also go to his room. He had no idea what to do to realise his potential at the moment, so he might as well relax, right? But he felt a hand grab his own from behind.


    "Need anything?" He asked the person.


    "Can you spar with me please?. I technically should be stronger than you right now, and yet I don''t feel like I am really stronger for some reason". Layla spoke. Her eyes burned with battle intent.


    "Hmm, you want to spar, huh? What an interesting idea! Maybe we should get everyone else to join in....other than Hope. It can help us learn how to fight humans. After all, there''s no guarantee that we''ll always meet people weaker than us and don''t want to fight. I doubt we''re the only ones with classes so strong," Muku mused the idea; he quite liked it, actually.


    "Sure, they can join in, but I''ll fight you first!" Layla hadn''t thought that far, all she wanted was to see if she could beat Muku. Who''s depth none of them could figure out. To them it seemed like the more potential he realised, the less he tried in battle. It was like it all became too easy for him.


    "Okay okay, just go easy on me. But let''s first gather the others for a meal, then do it," Muku replied to Layla with a wry smile. This girl was really too competitive, she even wanted to beat up her teacher now?


    "Good, I''ll go notify everyone then", Layla said, then ran upstairs. Muku sat back down; her enthusiasm was kind of annoying, actually. But he had to admit he wanted to see how his team could do against him and each other.

 Chapter 78 Muku Vs Layla

    The next morning.....


    Sadly for Layla, her idea was pushed to the next day for various reasons. The most important one was that Emily was still out cold, and they didn''t want to leave her out. Also, Elsa needed to settle in a bit more, while the others had basically already thought of what they would be doing for the rest of the day.


    The hours went by so slowly for Layla that she felt like time was standing still. But finally, the next morning arrived, and everyone was eating the last of the bird meat. When Elsa first had a taste of it the previous day it miraculously returned her body to how it looked like before she was starved and even got rid of the dark circles beneath her eyes. Along with increasing her agility by 100 points, though she was surprisingly still a lot slower than everyone on the team. It seems unawakened people can never stand up to awakened ones, especially stronger ones like those in Muku''s group. Emily had woken up somewhere in the night after seeing her little sister sleeping next to her; she pulled her closer with a smile on her face and went back to sleep.


    The next morning Emily helped Elsa change out of the oversized dress she was wearing. Apparently, when she had gotten some clothes for herself before, she had also gotten some for Elsa just out of habit. Which was super fortunate for Elsa as clothes weren''t so easily available anymore.


    "What''s wrong Big sis?" Elsa asked Emily after seeing her constantly getting distracted all morning.


    "Huh? Oh, nothing", Emily replied, clearly having something on her mind.


    "Thinking about the university incident?" Jade said, shocking Emily on how she got it right so easily.


    "No need to be shocked, I''ve known you long enough to at least tell that much. And you really shouldn''t beat yourself up for it, the scum deserved it. You should hear some of the things they did from Elsa when you have the time. Then you''ll know that you actually did a good thing. I''m certain everyone here also agrees with me" Surprisingly for the first time ever, Jade actually spoke in a soft voice as she tried to reassure Emily that what she did wasn''t wrong. And like she said, everyone thought the same, so they nodded while giving Emily reassuring gazes.


    "Thank you for trying to make me feel better Jade, everyone. I''ll try to get over it, but for now, we have something to do, don''t we?" Emily expressed her gratitude.


    More than feeling guilty for killing the garbage humans, she was worried that the others wouldn''t look at her the same way as before and would be disgusted or something like that. But seeing how they still looked at her the same way, she was glad and most of her worries evaporated. This surprised her as she was certain that the previous her would likely be depressed for at least a year from the thought that she killed people. It seems she had changed more than she''d thought, whether for the better or otherwise, she wasn''t sure yet. Though as long as she had the others, and now with her sister as well, she didn''t care too much either way.


    "Oh yeah! That reminds me, so what percentage are you at now?" Hope asked, eyes full of curiosity.


    "99%". Emily replied, a slightly prideful expression on her face.


    "Sigh, and now they are two" Jade said with a bleak look on her face.


    "Hehe. Wait, who''s the other one?" Emily quite enjoyed the current look on Jade''s face.


    "Tsk, don''t be so smug about it. I doubt you know the last step you need to do to Rank up like Layla, though," Jade replied while rolling her eyes.


    "Oh, so it''s Layla; that''s actually not as surprising as I thought it would be," Emily said while looking at Layla, who was just sitting there, seemingly lost in thought. Probably thinking about the upcoming duels.


    "Well, he can literally move a whole building with it, so.... I don''t think it''s too surprising, really". Chloe said with an unmoved face beside her.


    "Yeah, Big Brother is OP and undefeatable!" Hope commented excitedly.


    "Tsk, so is there really no way to resist his telekinesis?" Jade asked annoyedly after finishing her laugh.


    "That''s not completely true. Master and I carried out an experiment before. His telekinesis can''t affect those of a higher rank as long as they surround themselves with their mana. So it can''t be said to be undefeatable" Audrey said from beside them. They were all sitting on chairs they brought in from the house while enjoying the show.


    "So, what you''re saying is that he''s basically undefeatable in the same rank?" Jade said with a bleak look on her face. Her hope to one day defeat him had been crushed just like that.


    "Well, if you''re fast enough, I''m pretty sure you can at least get away before it reaches you," Audrey said with a wry, trying to console Jade.


    "So, only Chloe has a chance then?" Jade said, her expression even darker.


    "N-No, I''m sure you do as well....if you push your speed enough," Audrey replied while slightly panicking after seeing how she had actually made the situation worse.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter. He''s a higher class than us anyway, so it''s not unacceptable. Maybe the "Divine" part of his class name is for his Telekinesis?" Jade said after her expression got better. She seemed to have resigned herself to her fate of never getting revenge for the spanking she suffered at his hands.


    "Hmm, that kinda makes sense actually. I always wondered why his metal would be called divine. I mean it''s strong and all, but that shouldn''t be enough to be called divine right?" Chloe pondered on Jade''s words and thought that it made sense.


    "So, Telekinesis is so rare and strong that it''s called divine?". Emily chimed in while stroking the hair of her little sister lying on her lap.


    "Might be so, maybe there''s more to it than moving things. That could be why he hasn''t been able to realise more of his potential. He basically can do anything you can think of with metal after all." Chloe spat out more theories excitedly. The prospect of helping Muku realise his potential interested her greatly.


    "Well, that sounds interesting, maybe you should tell him after the duels are over!" Hope said to Chloe.


    "What!, why me!?" Chloe exclaimed in surprise, almost jumping off her chair.


    "Well, it''s your theory after all. We only mentioned things randomly and you broke it down. After that, we''ve basically just been listening to you," Jade said while rolling her eyes.


    "F-fine, I''ll do it" Chloe resigned herself to her fate, though nervously. She didn''t know how she was going to even start the conversation.

 Chapter 79 Muku Vs Layla Pt 2 (Final)

    Back to the duel....


    "Okay, you can attack first this time" Muku said while looking at Layla standing opposite him.


    "Don''t underestimate me! Ice spikes! Ice arrows! Ice lance!". Layla screamed before casting her spells one after the other.


    "Come on, you can do better than this" Muku said with a smile as he easily got out of the way.


    "Blizzard!" Layla didn''t reply as she cast her next spell. The battlefield was immediately covered up by snow making it hard to see, much to the dismay of the audience, but Layla didn''t care about that.


    "Frozen world!" As soon as Layla cast her spell, the snow froze in place. Which hypothetically meant Muku, who should have been exposed to it, was frozen as well. Which would be Layla''s win.


    "Frozen meteor shower!" But she didn''t think it would be that easy and immediately cast another spell. Numerous giant ice blocks appeared in the sky above the battlefield and started falling down at fast speeds.


    .....@@@@


    "Okay isn''t she going a bit too far!?" Emily exclaimed.


    "Nah, I think she should even go further!". Jade said, enjoying the show.


    "I''m sure Ms Audrey would intervene if Big Brother can''t take it, so it should be fine...right?" Hope spoke, clearly lacking confidence"


    .....


    Boom!


    Whoosh! Whoosh!....


    An explosion rang out from the area Muku was on, ice shards flying all over the place. Then numerous large swords flew into the sky and cut the ice meteors into tiny pieces.


    "Nice try, quite ruthless even. But still not enough" Muku said with a smile while looking at Layla provocatively. He would have looked a lot cooler if he wasn''t slightly shaking from the cold. He had promised himself not to unnecessarily use his telekinesis and was already suffering for it.


    .....


    The giant hummer descended on Layla''s ice barriers slowly. Yet the barriers didn''t even manage to slow it''s it down; it just broke through with its speed and proceeded like that, like an unstoppable force.


    "Frozen Sky Lance!" At this time Layla also finished casting her ultimate spell, the very same one that put an end to the spider queen''s terror, even if it didn''t last long enough to kill it then. This time, it was even more solid; she had gained better control over it. The giant black lance descended from the sky above Muku. It was a lot faster than his hammer, so it quickly caught up. It was as if they were trading an attack for an attack to see who fell first.


    "Oh, come on! aren''t you going a bit too overboard here!?" Muku screamed after realising he couldn''t move again. This time it wasn''t because his shadow was trapped by Layla again. It seemed the black lance coming down on him had a passive ability similar to Shadow Lock that kept the target in place. He tried to set up metal barriers above him but the Lance went through each one of them as if they weren''t there.


    Now the only option he had left was to use his telekinesis to knock Layla out so that the spell is cancelled out or lose the battle. As a man of his word, there''s no way he''d do that. He had to think of another way.


    "Sigh, okay, Layla, I surrender; I can''t get out of this without using my Telekinesis. It''s your win, cancel out the attack." Muku spoke as he cancelled out his "Final Judgment". Unlike Layla''s attack, which automatically froze the target in place, his attack needed him to use his telekinesis, which meant Layla could easily avoid it. And so, it was his loss.


    Hearing his words, Layla immediately cancelled her attack, and all the ice in the area disappeared, and the sky cleared. She now appeared in front of everyone again, her face a bit pale. The attack still took too much out of her. Even though she''d just won, she didn''t look too happy about thorough.


    "Hey, why don''t you look happy despite having won?" Muku asked Layla with confusion in his eyes.


    "I only won because I basically asked you to not use half of your strength, if not more. I''ll only be happy when I beat you at full power. Not to mention that despite having realised more potential and just a step away from Rank Two, I still had to use my best spell to win and you don''t even look half as spent as I am. We''ll have a rematch when we reach the peak of Rank Two. I should have figured out how to beat you by then," Layla explained herself before walking off to the sitting area. The others congratulated her on her win, but she just nodded; she sat where Jade had gotten up from preparing to go next. She then closed her eyes. She clearly didn''t want to talk so the others left her alone.


    "So it''s Jade and Emily next huh?" Muku said after seeing that Jade and Emily were the ones who had gotten up.


    "Yeah, I''d have rather faced Chloe and had a competition of speed that no one could see, but she still has to realise a bit more potential before that, sadly", Jade replied, not caring about how Emily felt about being indirectly called a replacement.


    "Oh, so you think I won''t be challenging enough for you huh?" Emily said with a dark look on her face, having taken offence to Jade''s statement.


    "Well, I didn''t mean it like that; I just think that I can probably end the battle before you can react, that''s all", Jade tried to explain herself, but it only made the situation worse.


    "Well let''s go find out then" Emily smiled slightly and walked over to the battleground, her whole being radiating battle intent.


    "Umm, Jade, I have a feeling you''re going to regret your words soon", Hope couldn''t help but comment from the sideline.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll show all of you why they say only speed is absolute?", Jade said before arrogantly following after Emily.


    Another epic battle was about to be fought. Will it be as Jade said or will it be something else?...

 Chapter 80 Jade Vs Emily

    "Big brother, who do you think will win?" Hope asked Muku after shamelessly pushing her chair closer to his.


    "Hmm, I''m not sure. Jade hasn''t exactly gone all out for a while, so I''m not sure what she''s capable of. Then there''s Emily and her new spell. Not only is it absurdly strong, but she seemed to have cast it instantaneously last time. So it really could go either way. But if I had to choose, I''d say Emily will win; Jade is too arrogant for her own good; this will be a good lesson if she loses; it would stop her head from growing any larger." Muku replied, expressing his thoughts while the others listened. Elsa was inwardly happy that he thought her sister would win.


    "Then I''ll also bet on Emily then! Ow!" Hope replied. Muku immediately flicked her forehead prompting a little cry of pain.


    "We don''t bet on friends...at least when they are fighting other friends" Muku rebuked her.


    "Okay, I won''t try it again" Hope replied while poking her tongue out of her mouth cutely.


    ....


    "Okay, like before, I''ll count down from there then the battle will begin. Remember, although I can probably intervene before real damage is done, I think it will be best if you don''t lose yourself in the moment. There''s always a chance that something could go wrong" Audrey spoke while standing in-between Jade and Emily. She spoke the last part while looking at Jade, who immediately put on a wronged face; why did nobody have any faith in her? But knowing that she brought it on herself by the way she behaved, she didn''t say anything to defend herself.


    "Since you both understand, I won''t delay anymore. 3...2...1..Fight!" As soon as she said the last word, Audrey immediately disappeared.


    Whoosh!


    Jade immediately turned catgirl and used her "High Quick". This time it was so intense even the beast aura she used to power herself up internally was now outwardly visible. She left a green trail as she ran forward. A smirk immediately appeared on her face as she inched closer to Emily who seemed to not have reacted yet when...


    Boom!


    Golden flames exploded from the ground around Emily and spread outward in every direction. Jade came to a quick stop and immediately backtracked. She could feel the heat of the raging flames while still a few metres away from them so there was no way she''d want to be touched by them.


    "Damn! Emily, do you want to roast me or something!" Jade shouted angrily from a distance.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got perfect control over it. It would only leave you naked and bald; other than that, you''ll be fine!" Emily shouted back, her response almost making Jade spit out a mouthful of blood from anger. How''s that any better!?, wasn''t it actually even worse!?.


    "So this is how you want to play it huh?" Jade called out to Emily again, her eyes full of anger. She felt so powerless right then, this was the weakness of being a close combat fight.


    "Just give up! or do you want me to turn the whole battleground into a sea of flames?" Emily called out again with a smile on her face. She was enjoying Jade, this brat; didn''t she remember that their class were the same rank? And she had realised more potential; how could Jade think she''d win?


    "Never! Earth Spikes!" Jade refused to give up and cast her green earth spikes spell. She couldn''t see nor sense Emily, who was hidden by the golden flames properly, so she just randomly attacked wherever she thought Emily was. It seems Emily''s spell dispersed her presence, making it seem like she was everywhere with the flames.


    She immediately cast it when Jade disappeared in front of her when she blinked. Her golden flames turned a darker shade of gold and spread out in every direction. She didn''t know where Jade went, so she felt that she might as well burn everything everywhere.


    Boom!


    The flames behind her came into contact with something, and a booming sound was heard. When she looked back she realised that it was Tiger Jade''s paw. The claws were burned off as the tiger was thrown backwards, but the paw didn''t look too damaged; the claws immediately grew back as well. It seemed the tiger''s body was made completely of beast aura, and Jade''s body was encased inside and protected from harm. It might just be exactly what Jade needs to break through Emily''s flames and land a hit.


    Having quickly realised this fact, Emily prepared her next attack, not wanting to give Jade enough time to regroup.


    "Burning Meteor!". Emily took a bit of motivation from Layla''s prior spell. But instead of numerous attacks, she only created one huge one. A huge golden fireball descended on the spot Jade was; she could easily dodge it but knew that she''d definitely suffer if she let it reach the group.


    "Earth Spikes!" Surprisingly, the tiger could talk; of course, Jade could talk, but to talk through a tiger''s mouth was quite odd to look at. As soon as she called out, tall and large earth spikes exploded out from the ground and met the giant fireball midair and stabbed directly into it. Before Emily could mock the terrible plan.


    "Explode!" Jade called out and the peak point of the earth spikes exploded. This was unexpected for Emily as she had long forgotten that Jade could make her Beast Aura explode since she stopped using it after a day or two saying that she didn''t like it.


    BOOOOOM!


    The explosion of the earth spikes also caused the explosion of the giant fireball. The sky was painted gold with hints of green mixed in. If people just focused on that spit it would seem like it was the end of the world. A strong flame-infused shockwave spread out from the explosion point. Both Emily and Jade were thrown away by it, but Jade managed to lend a lot better than Emily who fell to the ground. Though a lot of her beast aura was burned away exposing part of her body that was buried beneath. It wasn''t regenerating anymore, likely due to Jade running out of energy; it was her first time using it, after all.


    "Haha, seems its my win!" Jade called out as she pounced on the down. Emily clearly didn''t care about an honourable win. Why would she wait for her to get up? Wouldn''t she get burned to a crisp then?


    Boom!


    "Holy Flame Judgment: Explosion!" Surprisingly, just when the slow-moving and smug Layla was about to touch Emily''s head with her battered claw. Emily propelled herself away with her flames, easily escaping Jade''s lazy attack. She didn''t wait for Jade to react and cast her strongest spell almost point blank in front of Jade, she even made it explode to make it spread faster.


    "Ahh!" Jade, who was completely caught off guard, screamed in fear as the flame completely enveloped her and burned the rest of her beast aura away. She even closed her eyes thinking that she was definitely going to die on the spot.


    "Huh?" Jade made a confused sound as she opened her eyes only to see that bit even her clothes were burned, but all her beast aura was gone.


    "Hehe, you''ve lost", Emily said, looking at her with a smug smile on her super pale face. She had used everything she had in her last attack. Although even half of it would have been enough, she wanted to make sure that Jade wouldn''t be able to escape.


    "Yeah, I guess it''s one zero now. I''ll win the next on..." Jade responded with a smile, she had no hard feelings about looking. But before she finished talking, she fainted and fell into the arms of Audrey, who''d appeared there at an unknown point.


    If she had just realised her potential without fighting immediately after, she might not have fainted. But even her stronger than most body had its limits.

 Chapter 81 Baneful Ground!

    "Wow, what a satisfying battle". Muku said from the sidelines.


    "And Jade lost due to her arrogance, like you said too," Hope spoke from beside him.


    "But would she have won if they didn''t battle so soon and she wasn''t arrogant?" Chloe asked Muku.


    "Who knows, don''t forget that Emily also recently reached her current stage. So, like I said before, I''m not too sure," Muku replied.


    "Just like now, any battle they will have in the future will likely be won based on who made a mistake that the other one capitalized on first. Or maybe who attacked faster" Layla gave her insight before closing her eyes again. She was likely trying to recover faster by focusing on her abs, yet at the same time, she was interested in what was going on around her.


    "Hmm, I wonder if it will be like that for the rest of us since our classes are at the same level?" Hope asked.


    "Maybe, but I doubt it can be so perfect; your element is directly suppressed by Emily''s, so having an equally matched battle would be hard", Chloe replied.


    "Well, that sucks", Hope replied with a dejected look on her face; although her poison element was lethal, she felt it wasn''t as good as the others.


    "Don''t feel bad about it; you''re all growing; I''m sure you''ll find a way to fight back eventually", Muku spoke, trying to console Hope.


    "Yeah, you''re right!. Our classes are the same level so I shouldn''t be forever suppressed by her!" Hope was immediately motivated, got up from her seat and ran to the battleground, her eyes blazing with battle intent.


    "Umm, where is she going?" Chloe asked.


    "Well, it''s you versus her next, so..." Emily, who''d just arrived beside Audrey and Jade on Audrey''s back, spoke.


    "What? When was that agreed upon!?. You fight her if you want; do you want me to be poisoned to death!?" Chloe shouted out in protest. Unlike Emily''s fire, her lightning left a lot of gaps which Hope''s poison could get in from, so why would she agree to a battle with her? That''s basically asking to be positioned to death.


    "I''m sure you can think of something" Muku replied while picking Chloe up with his telekinesis and throwing her toward the ring. Although he also wouldn''t ever want to fight Hope without creating a force field, he still wanted to see how others would fight her.


    .....


    "What a cool entrance!" Hope called out with administration in her eyes when Chloe seemingly flew over and landed on her feet.


    "Yeah, that was totally intentional... Anyway, I hope you don''t make it too potent". Chloe replied with a wry smile on her face. She was brainstorming how she could come out of this without her body turning green from being poisoned. She could try to evade the poison, but Hope has the "Whisperless Death" spell that can''t be seen so she won''t know where to run to.


    "Yeah, don''t worry, I know just what to do...that reminds me, there''s an idea I want to try. It won''t harm your body; want to help me? The point of all this is to improve ourselves instead of winning right?" Hope asked Chloe with a hopeful look in her big purple eyes.


    "Okay, sure, as long as it doesn''t harm my body, then it''s fine", Chloe agreed despite having a bad feeling about it; she just couldn''t say no to those cute puppy dog eyes.


    Boom!


    Chloe disappeared in front of Hope with a clap of thunder.


    "Oh, shi..ahh!" Hope exclaimed in fear. How could she not? Chloe, who had disappeared from her sight less than a second before, was now in front of her, holding her lightning-covered arm out in a punch. If not for the slender hand that stopped the punch, Hope felt like she would have died right then and there.


    "Well, little Hope, look what you did. You almost lost your life because of it". Audrey said with a chuckle, teasing Hope, who was now pale-faced. Hope probably didn''t hear it through all the thunder ringing all over the place.


    "You go to the others; I''ll take care of this; she should run out of mana soon enough with all this expenditure". Audrey got closer to Hope and spoke. Hope nodded and quickly ran to the others, the experience had truly shocked her. Especially when she knew that it was her fault.


    ...


    "My, this actually stings a bit. To think this usually quiet and meek Chloe would be so destructive". Audrey said as she pushed Chloe away with a little bit of her strength, throwing her a bit of distance away.


    "Ahh!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!.....


    The crazed Chloe screamed out in anger after landing on her feet when Audrey pushed her away. The lighting bolts in the sky that were hitting the place randomly were now targeted, and they all hit where Audrey stood. Audrey didn''t dodge; she was strong enough, and her mana barrier was enough to block the attacks of a lower rank like Chloe, even if she was going berserk.


    When the dust and smoke from the lightning bolts dispersed and Chloe noticed that Audrey was unharmed she appeared to get even angrier.


    "What kind of scary spell did that little girl create to turn her friend into this?" Audrey said to herself as she looked at the approaching Chloe. Chloe was running at super speed, but to Audrey, she might as well have been walking as she could clearly see everything.


    Boom!


    Then suddenly something that made even Audrey''s eyes widen happened. Chloe turned into a lightning bolt and appeared in front of her within an instant.


    Bang! Boom!


    Chloe immediately threw her lightning punch, though a lot stronger than any she''d thrown before. This time, Audrey''s casually made mana barrier that had already been battered was breached, and the punch connected. Audrey was so surprised that her mind blanked out for a second; after all, she wasn''t exactly a battle veteran who was ready for anything and everything. This open was enough for Chloe who threw another punch, even stronger than the one before. Although the chance of actually hurting Audrey with her punches was slim, it would at least hurt a bit for Audrey.


    Whoosh! Bang!


    Before the punch landed, Muku appeared behind Chloe, grabbed her by the neck a bit and threw her back. Chloe was unprepared for this, so she hit the ground hard. However, it didn''t hurt her much as she immediately got up.


    "Sorry for interrupting; I know you can easily handle it, but I don''t know how to do it without hurting her accidentally due to your power difference. So let me do it," Muku said to Audrey, but his gaze never left Chloe.

 Chapter 82 Ending Chloes Berserk Mode

    "Y-yeah, sure" Audrey replied, just as Muku said. She and her mother''s heart were holding her back. She could have suppressed Chloe with her aura alone but didn''t know if it would anger Chloe even more and make her overdraft herself which would require more time to recover from. As for fighting out with Chloe, she didn''t know how to properly control her strength yet, evidenced by the slight push that threw Chloe away, which was unintentional. So she chose to let Chloe tire herself instead. But Muku had other plans.


    The more time Chloe spends in the berserk state that doesn''t care about her body condition, the more self-harm she''ll be causing herself. So Muku came to try and knock her out.


    "Steel Cage!" Muku cast a spell that trapped Chloe within it.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Bang!


    But the lightning bolts from the sky made quick work of it. And Chloe broke out. Her current state of mind was to attack anyone closest to her, who was now Muku, and so she attacked.


    Bang!


    She punched at him but her fist bounced off the air. Clearly, a force field Muku had created. Before she could regroup, Muku grabbed her with his telekinesis and froze her in place.


    "Gotcha!, phew!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    "What tha!?... Audrey, quickly lock out the lightning!" Like before, lightning struck down in the area Chloe was in. And for the first time ever, Muku felt his Telekinesis start to falter. Chloe''s lightning bolts were slowly chipping away at it. So he told Audrey to lock out the lightning. Audrey''s barrier had been to keep their auras in but didn''t stop things from outside from getting in.


    "Yes, Master" Audrey did as she was told. So now the lightning couldn''t get into Audrey''s barrier from the sky, let alone hit Muku''s telekinetic restraint on Chloe.


    Crackle! Crackle! Bang!@@@@


    Even having her lightning locked out didn''t stop Chloe as she started generating the lighting herself. It was working as well, though not as quickly as the lightning from the clouds. Muku moved quickly, hit the back of her neck and she fainted. The lighting coming from her body immediately stopped as she slumped down. The sky also started clearing up.


    "Finally done, what a feisty girl" Muku spoke with a relieved tone while taking Chloe into his hands. She really had caused him some trouble, he didn''t expect that there were actually elements that could affect his telekinesis if they were strong enough.


    "Is she going to be okay?" Audrey asked with a worried look on her face.


    "Well, it will likely take quite a bit of time with some healing from Hope. We didn''t let her go berserk for too long after all. She should be okay by this time tomorrow." Muku replied while they walked to the others who were looking in their direction with worried looks on their faces. If not for the unconscious Jade beside them, they might have run forward.


    "That''s good news. Today really was quite eventful" Audrey spoke in a more relaxed tone.


    "Yeah, and super rewarding as well, now I''m the weakest in the group. Hahaha," Muku joked as they reached the others, who rolled their eyes hearing his words. He just defeated a supercharged Chloe and yet dared to say he was the weakest?


    "Other than getting stronger?" Muku asked a question of his own.


    "Does that even need to be planned?" Layla replied with another question.


    "Good point, then I''ve got nothing" Muku finally gave his answer. They''d basically done everything they had set out to do before, so the only thing he felt was left was to get stronger.


    "I''ve got an idea, what if we go out and help Elsa evolve tomorrow if the others are up by then?" Emily chimed in.


    "Oh, right! The little lady still hasn''t evolved yet. I guess we can do that; we don''t have anything else to do anyway," Muku replied after thinking about it a bit.


    "But we haven''t seen any unranked beasts for a while, though" Layla poured cold water into their plan.


    "You''re right! What should we do? Should we just use rank one beasts?. Will that work!?" Muku exaggeratedly replied.


    "I''m not going to use my little sister as a test subject for such a thing!" Emily immediately interjected.


    "Then what do you propose?" Muku asked her.


    "We''ll just have to look for them. The people from the university travel around the place, right? So maybe they know where we can find them close by," Emily told them her plan. She had actually been thinking of it since morning. The idea of her sister being defenceless didn''t sit well with her, especially after the circumstances she found her in. So she wanted to remedy it as quickly as she could.


    Elsa, who was sitting quietly beside her while listening on, immediately hugged her to express her gratitude. Even a little girl like her understood that she needed to have her own strength in the current world instead of relying on Emily for everything. Supporting Emily whenever necessary rather than holding her back sounded a lot better to her. Plus who wouldn''t want powers?


    "Okay, if that''s what you want, we''ll do it. I wanted to visit them again anyway. This time we''ll be real neighbours since we''ll be taking the mansion with us." Muku replied with a smile.


    ....


    Around 8 o''clock PM.....


    "Thank you, sis", Elsa spoke while lying next to Emily in their shared room. She appreciated how Emily asked the others to help her evolve. Their room was dimly lit. Muku had gotten solar panels and batteries from the mall before but was too lazy to set them up throughout the whole place. It was a mansion after all. And they still had a lot of candles anyway.


    "Don''t worry about it, you''re my little sister after all..... Also is there something you need to tell me?" Emily replied while holding Elsa closer.


    "They didn''t make it". Elsa only said one statement but it was enough for Emily.


    And so, like that, the two recently orphaned sisters cried themselves to sleep. Two precious faces they will never see again flash in their minds, along with all the happy memories they will never share again...

 Chapter 83 Jacks proposition?

    The next morning....


    Everyone had gotten up, including those who had fainted. Jade and Hope were mostly fine. Chloe though, her body was slightly painful and felt fatigued despite her mana being full.


    "I''m sorry" Hope apologised to Chloe as she cast her healing spell on her.


    "I told you already that it''s fine. Although things went out of control from what I heard, but at least I realised so much potential because of it right. Since no significant damage was done, I''d say it might have even been a blessing in disguise," Chloe replied to Hope''s hundredth apology since she woke up, which was less than thirty minutes before.


    "Even if you say that, what I did was wrong. I will always regret it. But still, thank you for forgiving me" Hope spoke while continuing her healing on Chloe, her eyes teary.


    "Come here," Chloe said while pulling Hope in for a hug. She wasn''t nearly as angry about it as Hope thought she was, in fact, she wasn''t angry at all. She meant everything she said about seeing the incident as a blessing in disguise. Who knows when she''d have gotten to 99% potential realisation otherwise? And she had no memory of what happened when she went berserk anyway.


    "Sigh, I wish I was awake to see the rampage, though", Jade commented from the side. Having been told what happened by Emily, she really felt like she missed out on something amazing. Not to mention that there will likely never be another chance ever again, which made her even sadder.


    "You can just have a battle with Chloe in the future if you''re so interested; that should give you a taste, at least", Emily chimed in while rolling her eyes.


    "Ah! You''re right! Chloe! you and I will have a battle right after we''re done with this, okay?" Jade half asked and half told Chloe about wanting a battle with her.


    "Sure, I wasn''t conscious for the last one, so yeah, okay", Chloe readily agreed. She also wanted to see her "op" abilities as the others put it, in action. Beasts were fun to fight, but their intelligence took away some of the fun from the battle. So fighting Jade in her new beast form should be quite fun.


    "Great!, now will this thing go any...ahh!"


    Bang!


    "You brute! How could you treat a delicate lady like myself like this?" Jade exploded out in anger, looking at Muku, who had his eyes closed and was sitting on the ground.@@@@


    Currently, he was moving the mansion closer to the university. And since he''d gained a bit of experience in it, it wasn''t as hard as before so he was aware of his surroundings. Hearing Jade complain about the speed when it was already hard enough to keep it up and move it really pissed him off. And so, a telekinetic wave burst from him, and before Jade realised it, she had been smashed into the wall. Of course, it wasn''t a too-strong wave, or it would have hurt....the wall.


    "Honestly, Jade, you brought this one on yourself...like usual", Emily commented while sighing.


    "Tsk, whatever" Jade replied while going back to her seat. She swore to herself for the thousandth time that she''d get back it him one day for bullying her... even if she caused it. What self-respecting man would be so petty with a cute girl like her?


    "Sigh, fine, we''ll go; I just hope nothing goes wrong", Sarah finally relented.


    "Great! Let''s go", Jack spoke while taking Sarah''s hand into his own and leading the way. He could tell that she was still shaken from the last time, so he hoped that this would calm her down a bit. Which, thankfully, it did.


    ....


    "So this is the other safe zone, huh? The people here seem a lot less gloomy than those at the stadium. Not to mention stronger" Audrey said as they were walking toward the university.


    "Maybe because there are a lot of hot-blooded young people here, it affected the rest positively. Unlike the stadium where it''s mostly chickens that dare not step out of the barrier." Muku replied with a smile. He liked this place better than the stadium just for that very reason. It''s better to see people who struggle to live than leeches.


    "We seem to have drawn quite the crowd" Hope spoke nervously. Being stared at by so many people was something she could never get used to no matter what.


    "Yeah, want to hold my hand?" Chloe replied while extending her hand to Hope like a good friend. Truth be told, she was also a little nervous.


    "Well, I think you''d be looking too if you saw people come out of a floating mansion", Jade spoke; she was a lot more relaxed about the situation than even Muku was. The others silently envied her carefree personality. The only one who seemed as relaxed about the situation as her was Layla who didn''t seem to even acknowledge the presence of all the people around them.


    "Don''t worry, everyone, I can sense the leaders coming; we should be out there for their eyes soon enough", Muku spoke, trying to calm the girls. He could somewhat understand the people looking at them.


    They were both curious and wary of his group, since they didn''t know their intentions yet, they chose to watch from a distance. Some had seen his group last time and heard about what happened to Dean''s group who quickly ran and hid after confirming it was them. Some surprised murmurs were also mixed into the noisy group of people; it was from those who knew Elsa from before and could hardly believe how differently she looked in just two days.


    "Ah, if it isn''t Mr Muku and company. Welcome back! Would you like to join us inside for a chat?" Jack came out with his own people behind him wearing a slightly forced smile. He had heard about how it''s hard to punch a smiling face and thought maybe he might as well try it out.


    "Oh, it''s leader Jack, thank you for welcoming us even though you''re likely a busy man. And we would definitely love to have a chat with you, so lead the way, please," Muku replied with a smile on his face. The others from his group really wondered how he could switch gears so easily from his usual personality, which was quite laid back to this glib-tongued one. They didn''t know that it was something he had to unwillingly learn to do after being paraded all those years as a child genius. He might not have survived it all otherwise. But that''s his dark history they will likely never learn about any time soon.


    ....


    "Sorry to be blunt and presumptuous but....is there something my people can help you with?" After they entered the large meeting room and took their seats, Jack immediately jumped to the major question he and his people wanted to know.


    "Like I said before, I really like how smart Leader Jack is, and because of this, I respect you. So I''ll also be straightforward with you. Yes, there are two things your group can help us with, well more of one, really; the other one can just happen naturally. You see, my comrade here has a little sister who needs some unranked beasts to evolve. And since I know that information is really precious, especially now, I''m willing to give you some Half-step beast meat for it, or a reasonable favour." Muku also got to the point and told Jack their reason for being there.


    "Oh, is that so? Luckily for you, Mr Muku, we just happen to have the information you need. But before that, let me give you a proposition that will not only get you your unranked beasts but even more" Jack replied with a smile. He and his group were a lot more calm now knowing that Muku''s group wasn''t there to seek trouble with them. He even saw it as an opportunity to address an issue that had been stressing him for a while.


    "Oh, is that so... Well, you''ve definitely piqued my interest, so please, do tell", Muku replied, looking at Jack with a curious gaze. His whole group also had curious gazes, wanting to know what the proposition Jack had was.

 Chapter 84 Proposition accepted!

    "You see, me and my group are planning to target a rice silo a few kilometres away from here. To that end, I''d like for you and your group to assist us. In return, we will share half of the gains. As for the issue with unranked beasts, it won''t be a problem since there have been reports of unranked beasts residing close to the area. With each other''s help, I''m sure the matter will be dealt with a lot easier than if one group did it alone" Jack immediately told them his proposition.


    "Hmm... although me and my group could likely still easily complete both tasks as long as we have all the information...." Muku spoke, then trailed off at the end, making Jack and his group tense, thinking that the deal was about to fall through.


    "But, since we aren''t bad people and have learned that your group tries its best to feed the people here. We''ll help and go along with you. Just know that if we sense that you''re trying to exploit us, it will not end well for you" Muku continued, his words making Jack both relieved and tense at the same time. The idea of making them completely carry his group that was forming in his head was quickly squashed before it fully formed.


    "R-right, there''s no way we would ever do such a thing. Thank you for agreeing. You definitely will not regret this partnership," Jack replied, a bit nervous at the beginning but confident at the end.


    "Great!, I hope so as well. Now for the other matter. We''d like to go through your base and see if there are any family members of any of my people here if you don''t mind" Muku agreed to the deal and mentioned the issue he had mentioned before.


    "Oh, just that?. Sure, feel free to go around and look. I suggest starting from the dormitories, everyone should have seen you other than the people there. So if anyone among them knew any of you, they would have come forward, and since none did, the dormitory people are the only ones left" Jack immediately agreed with a smile on his face. He thought it would be something difficult to deal with, but he was happy to help out.


    "Thank you for the tip", Muku replied with a little smile of his own; he liked dealing with people like Jack, who was straightforward.


    "I have an idea; I''ll order someone to go tell them all to come out of their rooms when you pass by so that no one is skipped" Jack offered more help without even waiting for Muku to agree he''d already signalled for someone to go and do as he said.


    "Thank you again" Muku expressed his gratitude again.


    "It''s nothing; we are allies now, so this much is expected", Jack waved it off.


    "If you want, I can lead you to a room to rest while waiting for everything to be prepared", Sarah finally spoke; she had observed Muku''s group and realised that they really weren''t bad people. She now looked at Muku with a slightly weird gaze, and so did most of the people from her group. One young man surrounded by so many young and beautiful girls, how could they not suspect him of being a pervert?


    "Ah! Sure, lead the way", Muku said while gesturing for her to lead the way.


    With That Muku''s group was led to the university''s teacher''s lounge. They were then offered some orange juice they didn''t reject since it had been a while since they had any.


    ....


    "Being in a teacher''s lounge brings back quite a few memories" Chloe said with a reminiscent look on her face.


    "Yeah, you were like a little mouse afraid of everything back then. Haha," Jade jokingly replied.


    "Well, not all of us can be as reckless as you", Chloe defended herself while feeling slightly embarrassed because what Jade said had some truth to it. Despite being an otaku who always wished for an apocalypse, she was petrified when it actually came. Truly a dark and embarrassing history for her.


    "I guess you''re right, to think we almost got killed by unranked dogs back then. Haha," Jade didn''t try to defend herself.


    "To think we''ve come so far within just a single month" Emily chimed in.


    Back in Jack''s office.....


    "Did you really have to invite them to go with us though?" Sarah asked Jack. Although she didn''t particularly disagree with his decision, she was just used to it at this point, so she couldn''t resist asking him why he did it.


    "Yeah, as you know, I''m super sensitive to people''s auras, right? And although you might find this hard to believe, other than the little unranked girl, everyone in that group is now somehow a lot stronger than the Half-step beast that almost killed my team. They were all strong before, but in a day, they all got even more absurdly strong, even though the two new people were the same. Which brings me to the lady who had her face covered. Her aura...." Jack patiently told his girlfriend what she wanted to know, before trailing off at the end.


    "What about it?" Sarah asked, getting him out of his daze.


    "Right...I couldn''t sense it. As you know, even unranked people have an aura albeit weak. But her, there was nothing. Yet I felt like she could kill me without me even knowing how I died. I suspect she might already be a Rank Two" Jack continued explaining, not knowing that his suspicion was the truth.


    "Really!?, with how hard it is to realise potential?" Sarah exclaimed, not believing him this time even if he had never been wrong about such things before.


    "I''m not sure myself; maybe she just has an ability that counters mine", Jack replied with a shrug. His eyes traced the curves on Sarah''s body unbeknownst to her.


    "Y-yeah, that''s probably it, there''s no way anyone has reached Rank Two already." Sarah was now even more certain that there was no way the woman could have reached Rank Two after Jack gave such a viable reason as to why he couldn''t sense her aura.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter, we''re allies, so no matter which it is, it''s fine. And with the upcoming expedition, I''m sure we''ll find out which it is soon enough," Jack spoke while getting up and walking toward Sarah, who was on the opposite side of the desk.


    "Yeah, I guess you''re rig...what are you doing?" Sarah replied while stuck in thought then felt a kiss on her neck from behind. That''s when she noticed that Jack had gotten off his seat and came to her side.


    "Nothing, I''m just showing my girl some love", Jack said in between the kisses.


    "This.. Ahn..isn''t the time" Sarah protested weakly with her eyes clothes, clearly enjoying it.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be quick" Jack ran to the door locked it and ran back.


    "Yelp!, what are you doing!?" Sarah let out a small, surprised scream as Jack picked her off the chair, put her on the table facing up, and immediately started pulling off her clothes. What he was doing didn''t align with what he said of it going to be a quick thing.


    ....


    Less than a minute later....


    Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!


    "Jack!, ahn!, ahn!....harder!....faster!"


    Clapping sounds accompanied by Sarah''s lewd moans could be heard leaking from the room.

 Chapter 85 Jack and Sarahs prowess

    The next morning....


    Everyone was ready, Muku''s group had already arrived. They were already seated in one of the five trucks that were going on the expedition. Apparently, Jack''s group kept these trucks and two fuel tankers in the safe zone, saving them from being either destroyed by beasts or the world''s evolution from before. They were really lucky to have all of them. Especially now when they needed to go on such a long supply run.@@@@


    "Never thought I''d get to ride a car again," Hope said excitedly.


    "Tsk, this is nothing compared to a flying mansion" Jade replied with a pout on her face.


    "What? Still salty about losing at rock paper scissors?" Muku took a jab at her.


    "Why are you so happy when you lost too!?" Jade snapped at him.


    "Well, I don''t mind sitting at the back, but you clearly do" Muku defended himself with a smug smile on his face.


    "Tsk, whatever" Jade didn''t want to talk to him anymore lest she say something that would get her a spanking.


    Like Muku said. They had lost at a rock-paper-scissors match, so they had to sit in the back. The front of the truck could only fit three people in. Audrey was the driver, and Elsa got a sit because of her child privilege. And the last seat went to Chloe who won the rock-paper-scissors match. Everyone else was sitting in the back.


    While Muku, Hope and Emily were fine with it. Jade and Layla were gloomy because of it, just that Layla didn''t voice it. But it was obvious by the chilling aura that she was released that made the others gather around Emily, who had a wry smile as she released a bit of her aura, knowing what they wanted. They were again made painfully aware of how much Layla didn''t like losing at anything.


    "Ah, finally, we''re setting off; this is going to be fun!" Hope was still as excited as ever.


    "Until the sound of the trucks draws beasts our way, maybe", Jade spoke, trying to dampen Hope''s mood, but it did the opposite.


    "That''s even better, I can get target practice!" Hope replied even more excitedly.


    "Ahh! Get away from me; you''re so positive it''s blinding my eyes!" Jade exaggeratedly said while blocking her eyes. Hearing her, everybody laughed, even Layla smiled a bit. They were enjoying the trip quite a bit.


    The people on the other trucks looked at them with odd expressions. While they were all tense, getting ready to fight off any sudden attacks, the other group was clearly enjoying the ride without a care in the world. Seeing the scene stifled their hearts greatly. Is this what the difference between experts and side characters like them led to.?


    "Hey, are you sure about leaving the mansion unattended?" Jade said after they finished speaking.


    "Yeah, it should be okay; beasts don''t usually stray too close to safe zones, after all", Muku replied with no worry in his voice.


    "Growl!"


    "Growl!....."


    It was as if the wolves were waiting for this moment as that''s also the moment they lunged forward. Their yellow eyes filled with brutality with only one thought in their heads, which was to rip all these noisy humans into pieces and devour every last one of them.


    "Strength buff!" Sarah was the first to cast a spell. It was surprisingly a support spell which was the first time Muku''s group came across such a thing. A faint yellow glow immediately enveloped all the evolver and their auras got a bit stronger as they charged forward to meet the wolves in battle. Their eyes were just as crazy as those of the wolves, though their craziness was powered by their backup.


    "Crimson body!" Jack was the next to cast his own spell. His body was immediately enveloped by red flames, and his speed took another leap. He was the first one to meet the wolves.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Within ten seconds, he had punched four wolves back into the pack, and he showed no signs of stopping. He madly punched the wolves left and right. But sadly his punches weren''t strong enough to kill them in one shot. The wolves radiated earth elements, which might have played a part in their defence even though they couldn''t use it. But those he hit still took a bit of time to get back up again and shake off the dizziness.


    Soon, the others joined him, and their struggle against the wolves began. That was when Muku''s group noticed that Jack had been targeting the stronger wolves and leaving the weaker ones for his group so that they could somewhat fight them off.


    ...


    "He''s good" Muku commented.


    "Yeah, a bit weak but knows what he''s doing. Hey Emily, why can''t you do what he''s doing?" Jade replied then asked Emily a question.


    "That''s probably something class-related; my flames can''t enhance my body''s state", Emily replied, not too bothered by it. She would have liked being able to do it as well, but still, her class offered way more and could do a lot more damage.


    .....


    The battle had gone on for around five minutes, and somehow, Jack''s group was still holding on. They were now struggling a bit due to their fatigue but were holding on nonetheless. The importance of Sarah''s class was highlighted in this instance; although she was always at the back getting supported, she would cast "Rejuvenate" on whoever couldn''t take it anymore, and they immediately regained half of their stamina.


    "Wow, what an interesting class!" Hope exclaimed while looking at Sarah with glowing eyes.


    "Your "Hallowed Ground can do a lot more though?" Jade spoke with a bit of confusion. She wondered as to why Hope would be impressed by someone less impressive than her.


    "Be that as it may, just because I''m better than someone doesn''t mean I can''t acknowledge their skill right?" Hope answered in a way beyond her years.


    "Hmm, I guess you''re right....oh, it seems the leader is finally about to make his move", Jade was replying to Hope when she and the rest sensed the leader, who had stood back until now, about to make his move.

 Chapter 86 Monsters

    "I guess he can''t hold back anymore huh?" Muku spoke while also looking at the leader, who was creeping in on the battlefield unnoticed by Jack''s group and was completely focused on their opponents.


    "I''m surprised it could actually hang on this long when we''re hiding out auras. I thought it would pounce right in" Chloe replied.


    "Even when a beast can''t sense your aura if its instinct is strong enough, it can sense that there''s danger close by", Jade spoke up as if defending the beast.


    Whoosh!


    Before anyone could respond, she was gone.


    Bang!


    "Howl!"


    The wolf leader howled in pain as it was punched in the gut by Jade who suddenly appeared beside it. It was thrown a few metres back.


    "Wow, their defence is really good. I thought that bunch would at least break a couple of bones, but it only threw it back", Jade said while staring at the beast that was getting up.


    "Growl!" The wolf leader growled threateningly but was actually stepping back rather than forward. When it was looking at Jade who had only released a bit of her aura, it felt like it was looking at an insurmountable mountain. It got the urge to prostrate in front of her but it managed to resist the urge.


    "Well, I didn''t know you were actually a chicken instead of the wolf", Jade said while walking toward the wold leisurely.


    "Grrrr" The wolf''s eyes were immediately covered in anger, it was as if it understood what she said and couldn''t take being looked down on so much. Its body was immediately covered by a layer of brown earth from top to bottom, its eyes red with anger. Even its aura increased by a bit.


    "Well, it seems the little chicken wolf actually has a bit of guts after all", Jade added to her mockery, not influenced by the wolf''s enhanced state.


    What she didn''t know was that when the wolf entered its seemingly berserk state, it affected the wolves behind her that were fighting Jack''s group. They were also powered up, although they didn''t get the earth armour. Jack''s group, which was barely holding on, was immediately overcome.


    Crackle!


    "What''s wrong? did something go wrong?" Emily asked with a bit of worry in her voice.


    "It''s nothing much, I just realised I can only have one spell from each element, so I had to choose between the spikes and the amour. I obviously chose the spikes since I didn''t have long-range attacks. I''m just disappointed that I had to waste a perfectly good core to find that out" Jade explained why she looked disappointed.


    "Oh, it''s just that?. Although it sucks but it also makes sense, your class can''t be too broken after all. Now let''s continue the journey; we''ve delayed enough," Muku spoke, then went back to the track. Everyone did the same; Jack''s group could rest while they continued the journey.


    Although they met more beasts on the way, Muku''s group took care of them this time. So they didn''t need to stop the trucks as the beasts were killed while still a distance away. This sped up the journey.


    At this point, Jack''s group was numb to anything Muku''s group did as they wouldn''t be surprised if his group could even affect the weather at this point. Which they didn''t know they actually could to some extent. If Chloe or Layla were to use their strongest spells right then, someone from Jack''s group was likely to have a heart attack. Some things just shouldn''t be done by humans...


    ....


    Around an hour later.....


    "That''s our destination huh?" Muku asked no one in particular while looking forward.


    There were four broken-down silos around a kilometre away from them. Rice grains were all over the place. But luckily, the silos weren''t completely broken, which meant some of the rice was preserved under the rubble on top.


    "It would be great to have something to go with the meat instead of eating by itself all the time. Even if it is super tasty" Hope spoke her mind, looking forward to having some rice after almost a month. She never thought she''d ever miss rice, but there she was.


    "I just hope there really are unranked beasts as we were told" Emily was more worried about her sister''s matter.


    "Don''t worry about it; I think you''ll like what we find when we get there", Jade replied to her while looking forward, but the way she was looking, it seemed like she was looking beyond the silos...


    ...


    {Why do I feel slightly uneasy?}. Inside the truck, Audrey thought to herself.


    It was the first time she felt like this ever since she reached Rank Two. But she couldn''t pinpoint what was causing the feeling so she ignored it while staying vigilant. Since she didn''t know why she was feeling like that, she didn''t bother telling the others.

 Chapter 87 Spineless Jumper!

    Soon after, they reached the silos. It took a bit of effort to remove the rubble on top, but eventually, they did and loaded all the trucks. Muku''s powers could have made the whole process easy and quick, but Jack refused the aid saying that they''d feel too useless if they allowed him to deal with this as well.


    "Now that that''s taken care of, let me lead you to the area where the unranked beasts reside. Though I''m pretty sure you can already sense it" Jack engaged Muku''s group in a conversation to address the other part of the deal. It was time to lead them to the unranked beasts nest.


    "Sure, but I''m curious, how are you so informed about this area? No offence but I don''t think you could have made it here without us," Muku replied and asked a question plaguing his whole team. And with good reason too. The brown wolf wasn''t the only Half-step R2 beast they came across to get there, and it alone was enough to wipe out Jack''s group.


    "Oh, none taken. Although it kinda stings to hear, indeed, my team and I couldn''t have made it here on our own. That''s where my friend here comes in; he has a rare class called "Jumper". It has zero combat ability, but he can teleport a whole kilometre forward. Which makes him perfect for scouting missions" Jack said while casually grabbing a thin young man who was passing by behind him.


    "Oh, no wonder, what an interesting ability", Muku replied, truly impressed; so what if he couldn''t even kill a fly? He didn''t need to. He could just disappear from the scene if it bothered him, and even with its annoying speed, it wouldn''t be able to catch up and bug him more.


    "Yeah, and if your group wasn''t around, we were planning on using him to scout ahead and then take appropriate detours when necessary. Though that would not have only consumed more time, it would have also had a high-risk factor with an equally high chance of completely blowing up in our faces and killing us all if an anomaly occurred. So we''re really happy that your group joined us. I know we have barely managed to not drag you all down, let alone help. So thank you for tolerating us" Jack explained to Muku what their initial plan was.


    And honestly, he was right about the chance of success having been low. The previous time the jumper came to scout, the wolf pack was nowhere close by. Just like most of the beasts, Muku''s group took care of on the way. This made Jack''s group realise how naive they really were to think they could have succeeded with their weak strength. Luckily they realised before it was too late.


    "There''s no need to be grateful; we''re in a cooperation. And I don''t think the Jumper is as weak as you think he is....well he is, but he has the potential to be a great assassin" Muku waved off Jack''s appreciation and moved back to the Jumper.


    "That''s where the problem is, sadly he''s a wimp, he dares not get too close to a beast ever since he almost died when he killed his last one to get to Rank One" Jack replied with a wry smile, he also knew that the Jumper could be a great assassin, but the guy didn''t want to get too close to beasts.


    "Oh, no wonder he was hiding behind Ms Sarah before; I thought he was her guard or something", Muku spoke with a look of realisation on his face. He and his group then looked at the Jumper with an odd look in their eyes. They felt like he was wasting the potential of a decent class.


    As for the Jumper himself, although he was internally complaining about them gossiping about him in his presence, he didn''t say anything. Just stood there with a face red from embarrassment since everything Jack said was true. But even the he refused to ever get too close to a beast that isn''t at least extremely injured, even if he''s beaten to death, he won''t do it!


    "Yeah!, Elsa! Go!" Soon Jade joined in, even more enthusiastically than Muku.


    Soon, Emily, who didn''t want to be left behind as long as the others, excluding Layla and Jack, were cheering for Elsa like mad people. Jack smiled wryly, to think these crazy weirdos were a lot stronger than him. Even Layla covered her face with her eyes from embarrassment at knowing them. Luckily, other than Jack, there was no one else around, and Muku had created a sound barrier around them, or she might have died from embarrassment.


    Elsa was exasperated by the behaviour of the idiots. Normally it was only her older sister who was so excitable, but now there was a whole bunch of them. Although outwardly she gave them an annoyed look, internally, she was happy; even the nervousness she was feeling was greatly reduced. She grabbed the two weapons in her hands tightly and focused her attention on the mouse that hadn''t moved till now despite looking like it couldn''t wait to tear her apart. She figured Muku must have been holding it back.


    "Squeak" The mouse squeaked loudly and sped toward Elsa. She was briefly startled by the charging beast but quickly realised that it wasn''t as quick as she thought it would be. She easily dodged to the side and slashed at its side. A large gash immediately appeared and blood flowed out, dying the beast''s fur in the area red.


    "Squeak!" The mouse squeaked both in pain and anger, but there was nothing it could do. And so, the battle continued like that, the mouse would lunge forward, Elsa would dodge and slash it again. She became more daring after a while and started using the axe, which she used to finish it off by burying it into the mouse''s head.


    [Condition for evolution met. Kill nine more unranked beasts to reach Rank One and acquire specialisation]


    The prompt familiar to most but unfamiliar to Elsa sounded in her head. She had finally taken her first step to getting stronger.


    "She''s good" Jack commented with some amazement in his voice. The way she dealt with it, her strength. She seemed way too strong for a little girl. Did just being in Muku''s group make you weird?


    "Hidden attributes" Layla spoke up, only saying two words that confused Jack but were familiar to everyone else.


    "I didn''t know they''d make such a difference," Emily said with a hint of surprise in her voice. Elsa was a lot stronger than her and most of the girls in the group when they began. It seems eating all that meat really helped a lot. The others were also presently surprised.


    "Sorry, but what are you all talking about?" Jack couldn''t hold back his curiosity and finally asked. Though it always made him feel like a country bumpkin whenever they talked about something he didn''t know and he had to ask. How was this fair? Didn''t they all experience the apocalypse for the same amount of time?. Why were they so much more knowledgeable than him then!?.

 Chapter 88 Death

    (A:N: Hey!, it''s me again. I didn''t want to do this since it might seem a bit like a spoiler but I have to. This chapter is something that''s bound to make some people think "I''m dropping this sh*t". So I just want to say, read the next chapter as well before deciding. P.s I don''t like AoT or JJK ^_^)


    Muku then explained everything they knew about hidden attributes to Jack while getting the next beast for Elsa to fight. The little one said she could kill another one before resting. Since she looked energetic enough, no one denied her what she wanted. So, soon after she was enthralled in another battle with another mouse.


    "So you''re saying that Beast Meat is not only safe to eat, but it has other uses than just sating hunger? I knew I shouldn''t have listened to Sarah when she stopped me from taking back some spider meat" Jack spoke with a regretful tone.


    "Woah, I''ll hold you right there. You see, not all beasts can be eaten, especially spiders, why would you even think that''s edible?" Muku immediately stopped Jack''s dangerous train of thought. Who did he think he was? Hajime Nagumo from Arifureta, who could eat anything? Even he, with his plot armour, didn''t dare do such a thing!


    "Oh, they can''t be eaten? How do you know though?" Jack wasn''t trying to refuse Muku''s advice, just that he was curious how he knew.@@@@


    "Let''s just say my group has a Poisonous Meat sniffing anim...Oww!" Muku didn''t mind giving Jack a hint, but it got him a kick to the leg from Jade, and he immediately shut up. Jack was smart enough to realise that their being able to distinguish between edible and inedible meat had something to do with Jade, so he didn''t ask further, afraid he might also get a kick. And with their lack of significant ties, his kick might kill him on the spot.


    .....


    Around an hour later.....


    Elsa was already fighting her ninth beast and would reach Rank One after just one more battle. Although she had been taking regular breaks, she was now a lot slower than when she began. Her body was drenched in sweat, but even then, she refused anyone''s help in ending the battle. This made Emily very worried and proud at the same time. This was the first time she had seen her little sister push herself so much.


    "Wow, little Elsa is really amazing; I''d have asked for help long ago," Hope spoke while looking at Elsa with admiration in her eyes.


    "Well, we can''t all be the same way. And you''re perfect just the way you are" Muku spoke while patting Hope''s head.


    "Jeez, Big Brother, I know, you''re so goofy", Hope complained, but the fact that she wasn''t trying to get away and the big smile on her face made everyone quickly realise that she was enjoying the attention. They all rolled their eyes at the two. Weren''t they just randomly displaying their affection for each other when unnecessary now?


    "Please take care of her and..... I love you" Emily then looked in Muku''s direction before wording out the sentence without making a sound. She smiled even more brightly after finally being able to say it. After almost a year of feeling it, at least she won''t have too many regrets now. Blood started flowing out of her smiling lips.


    How could it not?. There was a huge claw stabbing threw her chest after all. That''s also when the MR2 Crow had frozen up the moment its claw came into contact with Emily''s blood and regained its awareness. It immediately took to the sky and started flying off. Audrey, who''d finally made her move, just barely missed. Everyone else wanted to attack the crow but were afraid to hit Emily, so they could only watch as it flew away.


    Muku just stood there not doing anything, his eyes looking at the crow. Everyone felt a weird primordial aura start to leak from his body. As for how they knew it was primordial, they didn''t know, they just felt that it was and was somehow linked to all of them. They found themselves grovelling before they knew it, they couldn''t move. The immediate space around Muku started breaking and mending itself, but it looked like it wouldn''t be able to hold for long. It was the space that couldn''t hold his power and would immediately break down, creating a black hole. Everyone was scared by this, but only Audrey was excited as if something she had been waiting for was finally happening.


    Muku''s hair started turning grey. After half of it turned grey, one of his eyes that hadn''t left the beast that was flying away started glowing with a grey light. Then the beast that hadn''t flown too far plunged to the ground. Muku''s body started cracking up and blood leaked out of the gaps. Audrey, who was the only one who could move, immediately hit the back of his head, making him faint. Since her move was to save him, her bloodline didn''t stop her from hitting him.


    As soon as Muku fainted, the cracking of his body stopped. The space immediately stabilised, though, for some reason, everyone felt like it was no longer as strong as it should have been. Audrey didn''t hesitate and immediately ran to the area where the beast fell. Jade followed behind her, though not as fast, but quickly stopped after seeing that she couldn''t keep up and waited for Audrey to return. Elsa wanted to follow, but the others stopped her as they remained with the unconscious Muku.


    She found it on the ground with its legs in the air. Half of both its wings seemed to have been shaved off, yet. No blood was leaking out. It was like this was the beast''s new normal state that replaced how it looked. Like part of it was completely erased from even having part of it in the first place. Audrey didn''t delay, she quickly took Emily from the beast''s claw and ran back to the others. She placed her beside Muku.


    She, along with everyone, looked at Emily with expectation in their eyes. As if wanting her to be alive even though they knew it was impossible with such a wound. And to their utter disappointment and anguish, she, Emily was long dead. Her body already growing cold.


    "Nooo!" Elsa screamed in sadness and pain. Again because of her weakness, her family had died sacrificing themselves for the useless her. Why was it always them and not her!?. Was she cursed by the very world itself to be the cause of the death of everyone she loved!?.


    Beside her, Jade, Chloe, and the rest didn''t make a sound. Jack, who was standing by the side looking on with some pity, suddenly felt like a storm was brewing.


    "CAW!" That''s when the stubborn and maddened crow made its appearance. Although it could no longer fly it was still a genuine Mid Rank Two beast that not even Audrey could kill herself.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    As if they had been waiting for the beast to show up. Jade, Chloe, Hope and Layla''s auras exploded.


    Jade''s berserk state made a reappearance. This time even more intense than before. Long green hair that reached the ground. Long sharp claws. Long green tail. Long, sharp, beastly teeth felt her mouth. And Intense Beast Aura twirling around her. Her eyes showed nothing but bloodlust as they looked at the giant crow. Not only had Jade broken to Rank Two, but she was also not alone. There were three other berserk Rank Two''s beside her. All looking at the beast with the most primal level of hatred and savagery.

 Chapter 89 Rebirth

    Just like Jade, the other three had gone berserk. Chloe''s returned to her familiar state. Black clouds quickly covered the sky above them. This time they were even darker. And the lightning crackling from her body was even darker than before. Luckily, she hadn''t let the lightning go berserk like before, or some people, Jack in particular, would have died. It was she was both berserk and aware of what she was doing, just like Jade and the rest.


    Hope, who wasn''t even completely at the peak of Half-step R2, surprisingly broke through as well. No wonder someone said that anger can be the most powerful and helpful tool if used correctly. Her eyes were glowing green with a calm light. Yet the dense purple poison swirling around her painted a different picture.


    Layla''s state and aura were even more odd. One of her eyes had turned pitch black like a black hole. While the other was white as snow, from the pupil to the iris, everything was white. Her hair was also half black and half white. Even her aura was divided in two; one side was black and sinister, and the other side was white and freezing.


    Audrey who had barely managed to not lose control. Was the reason why Elsa and the others weren''t affected by the domineering auras that would have crushed them to death? Although the girls hadn''t completely lost it, they still couldn''t control their auras.


    Many Rank Two beasts close to the area sensed the mass breakthrough. But none dared come this time, their senses told them they would only be walking to their deaths if they went.


    Boom!


    Woo!


    Bang!


    Stab! Stab!


    Before the MR2 Crow could make sense of what had just happened. Its face came into contact with a Beast Aura-covered feast. For reasons unknown to it, it didn''t try to dodge even if it might have been able to. The feast threw it backwards, with a cry of pain leaving its mouth. Its skull was left with a dent where it was hit, which made it dizzy.


    Then it was enveloped by a purple poison that not only filled it with fear but was slowly eating away at its feathers. It was like the poison implanted fear into its very mind making it too scared to even fight back. It didn''t even try to fight back against the poison eating away at its body with its mana.


    Then another fist landed on its body, their time a lightning-coated one that punched the air out of its lungs from its abdomen. Its body was left feeling numb. Now even if it wanted to use its mana, it would be very difficult to do.


    The core was floating above Emily''s body. The darkness element in it actually started getting expelled from the core and fading into the surroundings for some reason. The previously pitch-black core turned clear and then slowly descended on Emily''s forehead under everyone''s confused expressions. Even Elsa stopped crying and looked at the core, wondering what was happening.


    The core soon touched Emily''s lips and melted into her mouth. The others couldn''t help but get their hopes up, they wished that some kind of miracle would occur. But then, even a minute later, nothing happened. Their eyes started turning dim again. That''s when smoke started coming out of Emily''s body. The air around her body quickly started heating up, to the point that they all had to step back.


    Their hope was rekindled again. But then something completely opposite to what they wanted happened. Emily''s familiar golden flames started burning around the body. Then her body was burned to ash less than a second later not giving them a chance to react.


    "Ahhh!" Elsa screamed again in horror. Not only had her sister died in front of her. But she was burnt to ash soon after as well while she was thinking a miracle was about to occur. The little girl was close to losing her mind because of what was happening. It was just too much for her. She immediately fainted soon after the scream. It was her body''s self-preservation system acting up after sensing that Elsa really was about to break.


    The others covered their mouths to stop themselves from screaming. They were overcome with pain and anguish even stronger than before. Why did it seem like the world was playing a trick on them? Why was it continuously giving them hope only to take it away soon after? Tears started streaming down their cheeks again. That''s when....


    BOOM! Golden flames enveloped the area, them included,, even before they could react. This time it was Jack who screamed in fear, that too like a girl. Luckily for him, no one was paying attention to him, or he might have just died from the embarrassment. That''s when he noticed something weird. The sea of flames that surrounded them was only warm and didn''t burn them at all. It actually felt rather nice, like a mother''s warm embrace.


    Unlike Jack, the others had been looking in the area where Emily''s ashes had been from the start. They didn''t even flinch when the flames enveloped them. That was because they could see a familiar body forming from the golden flames. That''s right, Emily''s body was getting reformed!


    The golden flames started getting pulled back to their origin. And the more flames that gathered, the more visible Emily''s body became. Before he knew what happened, Jack was on the ground unconscious. Jade had knocked him out. She had noticed something that the others hadn''t yet, which was Emily''s nakedness. Which should have been obvious from the start since her clothes were burned along with her body before. But with all that was happening, everyone completely overlooked it.


    Soon, the flames were almost gone and Emily''s standing body was completely visible. Her eyes were closed but visibly moving around. When the last of the flames entered her body, her eyes opened up. They were the familiar golden colour everyone knew. When they opened up, they were briefly showing confusion, but as soon as they looked at the others, the confusion was gone, and she immediately smiled at them.


    Woosh!


    Jade immediately disappeared from the spot along with the jacket she took off Muku at some point. The next moment she was hugging Emily as well as covering her with Muku''s jacket.


    "Oh my, I didn''t think I''d ever get one of Jade''s rare hugs," Emily said with a smile while teasing Jade.


    "Shut up, you jerk with a broken class", Jade said with a smile on her face. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks, and still not letting go of the hug. It was as if she was worried Emily would disappear if she let her go.

 Chapter 90 Hug Fest!

    Five minutes later...


    "Umm, Jade, it''s been five minutes," Emily said with a wry smile on her face. She didn''t know Jade was so clingy before.@@@@


    "Just for more minutes, please", Jade said, refusing to let go.


    "N-no, w-we don''t, have the time!" Emily explained while prying Jade off her. She fixed the jacket and closed the zipper. Luckily, it reached her knees, so she wouldn''t be too embarrassed walking around with it, though being commando underneath was still a problem.


    "Arg!" Just as she was about to sigh in relief and walk to the others. She was again hugged tightly. This time it was Hope, and she did it in an even more exaggerated way than Jade by using her legs as well to hold Emily. So, at this point, Emily was carrying Hope, who wasn''t saying anything as she walked forward. Although it was quite a task to deal with these clingy friends, she could feel their love for her which made her newly regenerated heart feel warm. It always felt good to know that you''re loved after all...even when it''s a bit extra like her current situation.


    "Can anyone help me get her off m...oh come on?" Emily was submerged in hugs before she could even finish asking for help removing Hope from her. The others had joined in on the hug, Layla included, she couldn''t keep her usual calm in this situation. Even Jade came for a second round to the dismay of Emily.


    ...


    Another five minutes later.....


    That''s how long it took for Emily to convince them to let her go.


    "We''re beyond happy to have you back, Emily", Audrey spoke with a happy smile on her face. A few happy tears ran down her cheeks. Although she was also part of the five-minute hug, she almost jumped to hug Emily again but controlled herself as an adult.


    "Although I never really left, I''m still glad to be back" Emily replied with a smile of her own.


    "Mmm" Before anyone could say anything else, Elsa''s little voice was heard from behind them. Emily immediately walked toward her.


    Elsa slowly opened her eyes with some confusion in them. Then as if remembering something, her eyes widened for a moment before tears started flowing out of them. She didn''t even bother to move from where she was laying, nor look to the sides. Just continued looking at the sky with her reddened blue eyes full of pain.


    The others didn''t disagree. And they quickly left the area. Jade dragged Jack along while Audrey princess carried Muku. Luckily for him, he was unconscious, or he would have died from embarrassment.


    ....


    "Jack!" Sarah screamed as soon as she saw the unconscious Jack getting dragged by Jade.


    "Don''t worry, he''s fine. Just unconscious, he''ll get up in a while," Jade said why letting go of Jack''s collar, allowing him to fall to the ground with a thud. Sarah glared at her as she ran forward but didn''t say anything. She checked on Jack, and after seeing that he really didn''t have any wounds on him and didn''t seem to be injured, she was appeased.


    "Can I ask what happened, if you don''t mind" She gathered the courage to ask what had happened while holding Jack''s head in her lap. Her whole group wanted to know what was happening when they kept on hearing explosion after explosion in the distance. When they finally made up their minds to go over and see what was happening. The sky which had long darkened in the direction, released a lightning bolt that struck away all their confidence.


    "Oh, that, nothing much, just somebody dying because of the appearance of a Rank Two beast, it getting beaten up and killed for it then the person coming back to life looking all prim and proper" Jade explained in a way that left Sarah with a lot more questions than she had when she asked the first question.


    She was also interested in knowing why Mr Muku, who seemed to be invincible before, was in such a state. But after the previous reply, she didn''t bother, she just assumed it happened while fighting the Rank Two beast or something. After seeing a glimpse of what seemed to be straight pandemonium before. She no longer questioned that the group had at least one person who was a Rank Two Evolver.


    "Since everything here has been taken care of, let''s go," Jade said while walking to their track. She jumped to the back. Layla, Chloe and Hope joined her. Chloe left the front seat to Emily because of her "situation" that wouldn''t appreciate a strong draft.


    "Hmm, this is actually not so bad" Jade said while she sat on top of the rice that was covered up by a tarp below them. It was a lot softer to sit on than the meat from before. Hope was beside her with Muku''s head lying on her lap. She even had a smug grin on her face, after all, she had won a rock-paper-scissors match for it. She didn''t mind how bloody he looked just enjoyed getting to touch his head for a change, even if she liked being patted by him. The others were giving her side glances filled with jealousy.


    And so, the return journey began; this time, Audrey released her Rank Two aura in their immediate surroundings. So no beasts dared to bother them, it seemed Rank Two beasts weren''t too commonly found yet. Which was a pleasant surprise for the group since only Audrey was ready for battle.


    Well, Emily was also ready since she had also reached Rank Two, but no one had actually noticed it yet. She had long noticed that they were oblivious due to all that had happened, but she didn''t say anything, she wanted to see how long it would take them to realise it. To think the terrible incident had actually become exactly what she needed to rank up, she couldn''t wait to tell them about it and see their expressions.


    The journey went smoothly and they arrived around 5 pm. Jack had regained consciousness along the way. So when they arrived he was ready to talk with them about how they were going to divide the rice. He almost wet his pants when he saw Emily getting out of the track with a smile on her face as if she wasn''t the same person he watched get impaled and killed by a rank two beast.


    Jade smiled at him while placing a finger on her lips with a dangerous look in her eyes. It was clearly an indirect way of saying, keep your mouth shut or die. And of course, like the real man he was. He nodded in agreement, internally promising himself to never mention it even if he''s beaten to death. What? Thought he''d refuse to keep quiet? Tsk, that''s not being manly! That''s just being an idiot!

 Chapter 91 Your death will go unavenged

    "Just as promised, your group will take half and we''ll take the other half. In fact, if you want more, or all of it, we don''t mind; we would have been dead without you," Jack spoke after collecting himself. His group members were immediately shocked by what he said, but knowing that he was definitely aware of a lot more than them, they didn''t say anything. Not to mention that they all knew that they wouldn''t have been able to easily keep their lives if Muku''s group didn''t intervene.


    "No, that''s not necessary. In fact, we''ll only take two tracks worth of rice. You keep the rest; you''re feeding a whole base, after all. If Master was awake, he would definitely made the same decision" It was Audrey who spoke for the group since Muku wasn''t awake to do it. She actually only wanted to take one truck''s worth of food but felt that it would be too nice and would lead to the other side thinking that they were nice pushovers, even if not consciously.


    She removed the cloth covering her face before speaking. She felt like it would be impolite to speak with it. Seeing her face everyone on the opposite Jack''s side was mesmerized. He had gotten a glimpse before when the Rank Two appeared. But he was still mesmerized like the rest, which showed just how beautiful Audrey was. They all immediately understood why she kept her face covered when interacting with strangers. Such a face in the current times would definitely cause trouble.


    Some of the male members of Jack''s group had a flash of lust in their eyes. But as soon as they met her smiling gaze, they felt their raging blood freeze. They couldn''t shout out or even move a finger; a second later, everything returned to normal. They immediately took their eyes off her and looked anywhere else, to think they almost died just for having lustful thoughts!


    When they looked around, they happened to notice that the rest of the girls in the group were super cute. The only reason they weren''t up to the level of the lady with grey hair and eyes was due to their young ages, and they would catch up in a while. But after having learned their lesson the first time, they didn''t think of anything improper this time. Which was to their luck as, unlike Audrey''s warning, Jade might have cut off a hand or leg. The girl was just that ruthless; she just hadn''t had the opportunity to show it while dealing with people. So they definitely dodged a Beast Aura-coated bullet.@@@@


    "Really, thank you, but we''ll take this as owing you a favour. So whenever you think of a way you want us to repay you, we''re willing to do almost anything" Jack didn''t refuse the rice since they needed it; he opted to chalk it down as a favour his group would owe the other side.


    "Sure" Audrey didn''t deny his offer. She then got onto a track along with the rest. Then went through the mansion gate with it. Then, I came back to get the other one while thinking about how a lot easier it would have been with Muku around. But still, they weren''t willing to allow anyone into their territory, while the girls couldn''t drive a truck, especially one with a manual gearbox. Jack respected their decision, even telling them to keep the trucks for as long as they needed.


    ...


    In the evening...


    "Sir, there were a few rebels who invaded the mansion despite you having strictly ordered everyone to stay away from it" A skinny man who had remained behind to manage the safe zone in Jack''s absence reported.


    "Oh, how many were they?. How did it turn out for them?" Jack asked with a casual tone.


    "At least thirty sir. And none of them returned; all we heard were some screams accompanied by beastly roars. Which made others who were overconfident in their abilities curious. They also went in and likely died. They only stopped after they reached beyond thirty; I suspect some were just looking for a way to commit suicide, though," The skinny man reported with a respectful look on his face; a flash of fear would appear in his eyes every time he remembered the blood-curdling screams accompanied by beastly roars.


    "Took you long enough" Emily replied with a roll of her eyes. It had taken them longer than she thought it would, her built-up excitement for when they finally do had long faded.


    ...


    "So you''re saying you needed to die to reach Rank Two, and the process needed a beast core of a Rank Two bird-type beast?" Jade repeated what Emily just told them with a deadpan expression on her face.


    "Yup, though I technically didn''t die" Emily replied with a smug look on her face.


    "And you knew this from the start?" Jade asked with the same expression, but everyone could tell that if Emily said yes, she might get punched in the face.


    "No, I didn''t. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been dramatic" It was only when my body "died" and my spirit was separated from it that I got the information", Emily explained further.


    "Oh...wait. Your spirit was separated from your body?. What does that mean?" Jade asked with confusion visible on her face, this was the first time she had heard about such a thing after all. The others were also confused, they all looked at Emily for her to explain what she was talking about.


    "Hmm, I don''t know how to put it other than saying, it''s like my soul was ejected from my body while my body was reforged by my flames. It was like I became a ghost beside my ghost that could see everyone and everything that was happening while you all couldn''t see me" Emily explained.


    "Oh, so that''s how you knew about Muku''s situation without anyone telling you about it!" Jade exclaimed in understanding.


    "Yep," Emily replied.


    "But wasn''t the whole situation a bit coincidental? In some way, somehow, everything worked out in a way that would benefit you. It just seems unreal. And for real, coming back to life? What kind of ability is that? Doesn''t that basically make you immortal?. And all you had to do was lay down and die!. Totally unfair!" Jade complained, why wasn''t she, the one who could shrug off death!?


    "Hey, it''s not as broken as you might think okay!" Emily exclaimed while rolling her eyes. She could see the envy in everyone''s eyes.

 Chapter 92 Worth only 1%!?

    "Is that so? Explain to us how such a broken ability isn''t broken", Jade replied, not believing Emily at all.


    "Firstly, the cooldown is one year, meaning I''m not different from everyone else during the cool down. Though it will get shorter the stronger I get, who knows if I''ll survive that long. Then, the need for a higher rank core from a bird-type beast. Meaning, right now, if I were to die and weren''t on a cool down, I''d need a Rank Three core while we don''t even know if there''s any around. And even if there are some Rank Threes around, do you think we can kill it?.....


    .....Then there''s the issue of how I almost died for real during Muku''s incident. His power destabilised the space around the place, to the point some cracks appeared all around the place and I was almost sucked into one of them. Which means attacks that can affect space can kill me. If it wasn''t for his aura that froze me in place, I really would have died for real. After all that, you still think my skill is broken?" Emily explained the others covered their mouths in shock at what Emily went through. Elsa even held her hand a bit tighter.


    "Yeah, that does sound super rough, but you have to admit, no matter what, a skill that can bring you back from the dead is broken no matter what" Jade acknowledged that Emily''s skill wasn''t as perfect as she thought. But still, it was the most broken skill they knew currently nonetheless; the others agreed as well.


    "You say that, but you''ve got Beast Aura that can basically do anything and everything. On top of that, from what I noticed during your battle with the crow, you can control beasts if certain conditions are met. Do you think that''s not broken, especially in a beast apocalypse? Then there''s the devastating breath attack." Like Emily just said, Jade gained the ability to control beasts when she was berserk, which was what she needed to rank up. In normal cases, it won''t work on higher stages or rank beasts like the crow.


    "Then there''s Hope, she can not only poison your body but your mind too. If she hadn''t poisoned the beast''s mind with fear, Jade wouldn''t have been able to take control of it. On top of that, she''s a great healer; how''s that not broken?" Emily didn''t wait for anyone to say anything before continuing. And she was correct again.@@@@


    Hope can poison both your body and mind, and she could not only poison you into an angry state but other emotions like fear as well. Like Emily said, it was because she poisoned the crow into a fearful state along with Jade''s Beast Control that allowed the girls to beat it up without it fighting back. The combined attacks of the two had basically broken its mind. If it was just one of them who used their abilities on it, it would have broken out of the state after the first attack it received.


    "Layla can ignore defence with an attack she can continuously use without stopping as long as she has the mana. Since she''s now a rank two, I think it''s safe to assume she can now enter the shadow realm where no one can harm her and wait for a chance to attack. Is that also not broken, especially considering how most beasts have strong defences?" Again, Emily spoke without waiting for anyone to say anything. Though, at this point, the others didn''t even want to speak, they were all shocked by how Emily was so aware of their abilities before they had spoken to anyone about it.


    "And Chloe, she''s just perfect. How is it that there''s someone who can be a jack of all trades and still be so strong? She can fight close range and is even faster than Jade; her attack is also equal to, if not stronger than, Jade''s, with a stunning effect on top. Her long-ranged attacks are nothing I can compare with when dealing with single targets, especially when they are a sizable distance away.....


    .....Not to mention that she can summon a lightning storm that can keep on spewing out concentrated lighting as long as she has the mana to support it. And she can resist Muku''s telekinesis, which not even Jade''s omnipotent Beast Aura can resist" Emily continued making her point, every time leaving the others with nothing to say. Chloe has also fulfilled the last step before she she evolved, which was to turn multiple lightning bolts from the clouds into one, instead of making them individually strike one spot. Which created a more devastating attack.


    "Even Ms Audrey, the moment her mana comes into contact with your blood, you''re dead. And who can promise that they can finish a whole battle with her without getting at least scratched?" She didn''t say much about Audrey, but what she did say, was enough for everyone to understand how broken Audrey''s abilities were.


    "Oh, it was your doing?. I didn''t know we could do that" Chloe spoke. She didn''t think about it like Layla did but still got the prompt.


    "Then does this mean that when a kill is shared, if one person inquires about it, everyone gets a prompt?" Hope asked a rather rhetorical question since it was quite obvious.


    "You all also got 0.25%!?" Jade inquired. To which the other three nodded.


    "Which means a MR2 beast is only worth 1%!? What about a LR2 then!?" Jade asked with wide eyes. One has to understand that when they were Rank One, most LR1 beasts were worth around 2%. So this was definitely a shocking discovery.


    "Maybe it just takes a lot more Kill Points to reach the peak of Rank Two" Layla shrugged. Although it would take a lot more work for them to reach the peak now, she wasn''t against it. She quite liked battling beasts after all.


    "That''s likely it, I''m sure you''ve all noticed that it''s now calculated in percentages instead of just counting the number of beasts killed. Which I say is a lot more comprehensive than when it counted beasts when they didn''t provide fixed amounts of points" Chloe spoke, liking the new way of tracking progress. She also didn''t mind having to work harder to get to the peak.


    "Tsk, why are you all so calm about this!?" Jade spoke in an annoyed tone after noticing that the others weren''t as lazy as she was.


    "No wonder you''re a catgirl, you''re so lazy" Emily teased Jade for being so openly lazy.


    "Whatever, I''m still going to get to the peak before you though," Jade said while rolling her eyes. How could Emily say something so negative about her catgirl form when it was so strong and cute!?. She''ll show her how great she was by reaching the peak first!


    "Is that a challenge?" Emily asked with a smile. Se felt that with her current strength and her AOE attacks if she was thrown into a sea of beasts. She''ll come out as a Peak Rank Two within hours if they weren''t too strong, or she ran out of mana first. While Jade mostly had to attack a single target at a time.


    "Yes, it is", Jade immediately responded; competitive sparks appeared between the two friends as they looked at each other with confident gazes.


    The others just quietly looked on, but secretly they''d also try to be the first to reach the peak. Even Audrey wanted to be the first; she was the first to reach Rank 2, after all. So being beaten to the top would be quite embarrassing.

 Chapter 93 Revealed everything!

    "Now that that''s all over and done with, can we talk about Big Brother?" Hope spoke after the others finished discussing the previous topic. After reaching Rank Two, she realised that she needed a lot longer to recover her mana due to the increase in her mana pool. She wanted to wait until she was completely recovered before starting his healing process, so other than wiping away his bloodied body, which had been done by Audrey in private. No other aid had been provided to him.


    "Well, is there really anything to talk about? We''ll just wait until you''re fully recovered, then heal him" Jade didn''t understand why Hope was so worried since she should be able to heal him in a while.


    "That''s the thing, as an evolver, his condition should have improved visibly even without healing. It wouldn''t improve by much, but there would still be some progress, but his state hasn''t changed at all" Hope explained what she meant.


    "Really!?" Jade was finally startled, she didn''t know the situation was actually so bad. Although he wasn''t getting worse, not getting better at the same time was still a big problem.


    "There''s no need to worry, although he won''t get better on his own for now. Hope, you should be able to heal him until he wakes up to manage his own body condition. Albeit it will be hard, it''s doable now that you''ve ranked up" Audrey interjected before the girls worried themselves to death.


    "Really?" Hope asked again, just to feel more secure. To which Audrey nodded with a smile, which calmed Hope and the others down. They completely believed her, not just because she was older and a lot more knowledgeable, but because of her class, which seemed to make her a Muku expert.


    "Wait, does that mean that if I was still a Rank One Evolver, I''d not be able to do anything to help him?" Hope asked after catching on to how Audrey worded her sentence.


    "Yes, the situation would have been really troublesome then, but we are lucky that you evolved. His wounds are different from normal ones after all." Audrey explained, her words making the girls a bit sceptical but they still chose to believe her.


    "What do you mean his wounds are different from normal ones?" Hope couldn''t help but ask, she was a caring little sister who wanted to know everything about her big brother after all.


    "They were caused by his bloodline. His erratic emotions when he saw Emily getting "killed" were enough to rouse it. Luckily, it was only a little bit, not even a fraction of a single percent, or he would have died on the spot," Audrey explained even further with a fearful look in her eyes; she herself didn''t know when she gained this information; she just knew that she knew it before she knew it. That''s when she acted and knocked him out before.


    "Really!? not even close to one percent and he''s so injured; what kind of bulls*it bloodline is that!?" Jade exclaimed in shock, even the other girls were shocked.


    "Well, he erased part of a MR2 beast with just a second long glance as a Rank One who isn''t even at the peak so I kinda believe it" Chloe spoke. As she said, such a feat wasn''t something that should be possible, but to think it happened with a lot less than one percent of his bloodline power.... was rather scary, actually. Luckily, they were on the same side. Otherwise, such an enemy would have been too much to handle.


    "He''s the real broken one here, not to mention that even though he''s just at 70%, he can beat our 99%". Emily commented, probably just trying to shift away focus from her own broken ability.


    "Yeah. And now he has become even more broken with this bloodline," Jade spoke gloomily; she had just realised that she might never get the chance to avenge herself for all the bullying she had suffered at his hand.


    By the time Elsa freed herself from her thoughts, Emily had already fallen asleep beside her with a goofy smile on her face. She rolled her eyes having an idea what Emily was dreaming about. But still, she took the chance and wiggled her way into Emily''s arms, who subconsciously hugged her tightly still asleep. Then with a smile somewhat like the one Emily had, but for a different reason, a different kind of love, but still as strong, she also fell asleep.


    .....


    Two hours later.....


    "I''ve fully recovered my mana; I can start now,", Hope said while looking at Muku.


    "Are you sure it''s so late? We can just begin tomorrow", Audrey replied from behind her, startling Hope. Everyone else had gone to sleep. In fact, even Hope should have gone to sleep, but Audrey knew the little girl enough, to know that she''d do something like this.


    "Y-yes. The sooner I begin, the sooner he gets better," Hope replied, a bit nervous at the start but firm at the end.


    "Okay, if that''s what you want" Audrey didn''t try to change the girl''s mind. Though she was certain she wouldn''t have been able to anyway.


    "Hallowed Ground" Hope cast her strongest spell, not wasting any more time. The familiar glow appeared and this time a lot stronger than ever. It was about to go beyond the room before being stopped and contained by Audrey''s mana barrier. She had suspected something like this happening, which was the major reason she even woke up.


    The spell needed to be concentrated to work better. Which was rather easy for Audrey, not because she was strong but because it wasn''t an attack-type spell; otherwise, it would have been a lot harder to contain, if even possible. After a few days, Hope should be able to control the range of this gentle spell on her own and won''t need Audrey''s help.


    Hope kept the spell cast until all her mana ran out. Even then, Audrey had to tap her shoulder for her to stop. They looked at Muku and noticed that his condition seemed to have improved by around 5%. Of course, Author-san is using percentages for it to be a lot more comprehensible to the readers.


    Since she had been told by Audrey that it would be hard to heal him. Hope wasn''t discouraged by the little progress. She was just glad that it worked in the first place. No matter how long it would take, she''d heal him completely eventually!


    Then with the help of Audrey, she wobbled to her room to sleep. Audrey then went to her own. It was beside Layla''s. She looked at Layla''s door for a bit but eventually decided against entering. She chose to give her daughter some privacy. She then entered her own room and slept.


    "Sigh," A disappointed sigh escaped from Layla''s mouth. She was still up and heard Audrey''s pause in front of her door. She also wanted to bond with her mother but didn''t know how to go about it. So she hoped that Audrey would initiate it, but it seemed Audrey was too considerate.


    And so, they were stuck at an impasse...

 Chapter 94 Shouldnt I be the one pinching you!?

    A week later....


    Muku still hadn''t woken up. Other than hunting a few beasts for food close by, the girls hadn''t left the mansion much, if at all. They hadn''t even bothered to interact with their "neighbours", who didn''t bother them either. Although they were worried about Muku, they could only put their faith in Hope. Who was slowly but gradually healing his body.@@@@


    They were also using their free time to meditate. Audrey had even improved her mana control by 4%, putting her at 5%. The moment she reaches Peak Rank Two, she''ll immediately enter the Half-step R3 stage, albeit on the weaker side. She wasn''t the only one though.


    Emily, Chloe and Hope had also improved their mana control by a bit. Emily and Chloe being a bit better than Hope. Both were at 3%, while Hope was still at 1%. Likely because of their past experience. Chloe had always been trying to better control her mana after a certain "incident" that left her naked. While Emily got some inspiration from her spell that chooses who to burn despite covering everyone. So it was understandable that she wasn''t as fast as them. Not to mention that had spent most of her week in a weakened state after using all her mana on Muku.


    As for Layla, she had refused to say. Which made others think that she might not have improved by even 1%. So they didn''t pry, not wanting to embarrass her. Though it wasn''t true, Layla was already at 2%, just didn''t want to admit that she had lost to Emily and Chloe when they ranked up on the same day. The girl really didn''t like losing.


    Jade, on the other hand, was going through something completely different. Unlike the others, she had to completely abandon mana and switch to Beast Aura. Her evolution path was a bit unique. Her access to mana was only temporary and had to be changed if she wanted to get to Rank Three. She had to replace the mana in her core with Beast Aura. So far, her normal transformation with the orange fur was a construct of mana, while her berserk state was a construct of Beast Aura.


    When she was Rank One, the two worked in tandem. But ever since she reached Rank Two, they had started vaguely clashing. That''s when the IA notified her that she should completely switch to Beast Aura which is the specialized energy for her class. Mana was only a temporary fix, allowing her to survive as a Rank One while learning how to use Beast Aura, which is a lot harder to control when so weak. Hell, she couldn''t even access it initially.


    So while the others improved their mana control. She has to slowly replace the mana in her core with Beast Aura, which had been circling in her body, avoiding the core until then. She was currently at 1%, which was basically the same as Hope. Since she didn''t have to improve her mana control, just had to abandon it.


    As for Elsa, she was still unranked, with a kill count of nine. She had managed to kill the ninth just before the Crow attacked. Since they couldn''t find any unranked beasts close by, she was stuck for a while. They couldn''t even return to the place they went last time since the mice had been wiped out during the chaos.


    Emily was even worried that they wouldn''t be able to find more unranked beasts anytime soon. This was understandable since such beasts were at the bottom of the food chain and were everyone''s easy prey. Even weak humans targeted them with greedy eyes after realising that they''d likely not leave long if they remained weak.


    "Give me your hand" Muku added after she came close enough. Although still confused, Emily did as told, she was already faintly blushing, wondering why he''d want to hold her hand soon after waking up.


    "Ahh!, what are you doing!?" Emily screamed as she jumped back, her left hand on top of her right one, trying to ease the sudden pain. She glared at Muku with teary eyes full of grievances. Although it was acceptable that he didn''t do what she thought he''d do, but why would he pinch her hand of all things!?.


    "Oh, so I''m really not dreaming!?" Muku exclaimed in shock.


    "What do you mean?, and even if you wanted to check that, shouldn''t I be the one pinching you!? When did you become so unreasonable?" Emily complained, feeling even more wronged. Since when did the person who thought they were dreaming become the one to pinch others!?


    "Ah, right, sorry, I guess I am not thinking properly yet", Muku replied with an embarrassed expression on his face. That''s when he felt the weight on him lighten, then completely disappear, along with a certain softness. It was Hope who had gotten up. She had been startled by Emily''s cry of pain. Hearing what they were talking about, she realised that Muku must have been shocked to see Emily alive. And like a reasonable sister, she unwillingly got up to leave the room and give them privacy for a bit.


    After Hope left Muku slowly got up from the bed. Although he felt a bit weak, he could still move, which was likely a perk of having mana that normal humans don''t have. He slowly walked to Emily who hadn''t dared get close to him after being pinched on her hand. As he got closer, she''d step back. He wasn''t discouraged and kept on walking forward until Emily''s back was pressed against the wall, and she couldn''t step back any further.


    He stopped advancing after there was less than thirty centimetres between them. He was taller than Emily, so he looked down, while she had to look up to meet his gaze. But she was also looking down which meant all he couldn''t see was her golden hair.


    "Will you not look at me? he spoke softly. Emily shivered a bit but didn''t say anything; she didn''t even know what to say. And still didn''t dare meet his gaze; her legs felt weak, like she could fall over at any moment. She wanted to run away but didn''t trust her legs to take her even one step forward, so she was stuck. She closed her eyes in the spot hoping he''d go away. She felt so nervous that she suspected that she might faint if things continued like this.


    That''s when she felt a hand touch her chin and then push her face up. She couldn''t help but open her golden eyes a bit. She was immediately met by his grey ones that still looked at her intensely, with a lot of hidden emotions behind them. She forced her face down again, her heart racing, and he didn''t prevent her.


    He took her in his arms. Instead, he gave her a tight hug. Though not tight enough to hurt her. She even felt like he was treating her like a fragile flower.


    "I...I''m sorry that I failed you" Muku said with a croaked voice. Although he didn''t know how she was still alive. He was happy nonetheless; this way, he could make up for his failure to keep her safe.

 Chapter 95 Worth the wait

    Hearing his emotional voice, Emily''s eyes couldn''t help but tear up. Although she knew he cared already, it was only now she got a sense of how much he did. And it was a lot. It really warmed her heart.


    "N...no, it wasn''t your fault. It was just bad luck on our part. And we all made it, so it''s fine" Emily said in a gentle voice while rubbing his back. She was secretly on cloud nine having discovered his fragile side, especially since she was the reason he was showing it.


    "Tsk, I''m calling the FBI, just woke up and you''re already assaulting little girls" Before Muku replied, Jade''s voice sounded from the door. She had opened it without knocking, and behind her everyone was poking their heads from the sides with shock in their eyes.


    "Oh my! What a scandalous scene!" Audrey exclaimed while covering her mouth. Although she and the others could guess what was really going on, it wouldn''t stop them from teasing the two who were in each other''s embrace.


    After all, right then, Muku was shirtless while hugging Emily. As for why he didn''t have one on?. That''s because Audrey is a bit of a pervert. She liked seeing his toned upper body so much that she hadn''t been putting one on him throughout the whole week. She just covered his body with a blanket to hide it from the others. There was no way they''d uncovered it right?


    "Ahh!" Having realised their situation, Emily screamed in embarrassment. Her face burning red, she pushed Muku away, jumped on the bed and covered her whole body with the blanket. She would have preferred to run out of the room, but the door was blocked. Seeing her reaction, the others were quite amused, she was just too cute. Elsa, though, felt really embarrassed for her older sister, who just lost all her face in front of the team.


    "Arg!" Before Muku could say anything to defend both his and Emily''s honour and reputation. Another person was already in his arms, their face buried in his chest. Judging from the force of the hug and the green hair, it was pretty obvious who it was. To think it was the same person that was talking about calling the FBI just a few moments before. That''s right, it was Jade. She had moved before anyone else could react.@@@@


    "Don''t scare me like that again, please" Jade spoke in an uncharacteristically soft voice. It was only then that the others realised despite her having appeared to be as loud as ever, she was probably one of the most worried people in the group. She just didn''t like showing her weakness, which honestly is something they''d expect from Jade. But it seems she couldn''t hold her act any longer after seeing Muku.


    Without waiting for Muku to respond, she calmly left his arms. She proceeded to walk to the door with a serious face. The others created a path for her and she left. The others might think she was calm and collected if not for her red face having betrayed her from the start.


    After Jade left the others just looked at Muku from a distance, not advancing or retreating. Seeing the desire for a hug in all their eyes Muku could only open his arms wide. As if a dam wall had been broken, Layla and Chloe ran forth into his arms. Audrey, being a mature lady, refused to act like the girls. Hope, having gotten first dibs, was standing by the side, waiting for everyone to get their own before jumping in for a second round.


    Elsa wasn''t as close to Muku as the others so although she was happy he was up, she wasn''t too overly moved. If anything she cast a slightly suspicious and wary gaze at Muku. Was he one of those "passionate" guys who won''t be satisfied by just one girl she saw in anime?. Wouldn''t she also be in danger after a few years then, if he was?


    "It''s fine now, no need to cry" Muku spoke in a soft voice.


    "W... who''s crying!?" Layla exclaimed as she jumped out of his embrace while wiping away the tears that were coming out of her eyes.


    .....


    "Will you heat this for me please?" Muku asked Emily for help while holding a plate full of cold meat. Emily didn''t respond for a few seconds. Then she scooched closer, still covering herself with the blanket. Her little hand then slowly came out, she tossed a little flame that enveloped the meat for a bit before going out, leaving the meat properly heated. This is what she could do with just 3% improved mana control, one can only imagine what 100% could do.


    "Woah, what great control!" Muku exclaimed, truly impressed by her feat. One has to remember that when she first tried to roast meat, she turned it into charcoal. So this really was a great improvement, especially in such little time.


    "Mmm," Emily accepted the compliment with a little sound while smiling under the blankets. It is to be expected that she really likes being praised by him.


    "Care to tell me about your experience after I blacked out?" Muku spoke just when Emily was about to scooch back to her initial spot.


    "Oh, okay" Emily replied, still hidden under the blanket. Then immediately started telling him everything that happened. From how her class required her body to die to how coincidentally everything she needed was present and everything in between. Despite having already heard everything, Audrey and Hope also listened in intently. They still found the story interesting, after all, it was a story about how someone they knew died and came back to life. The story was interesting enough that no one even minded how Emily was still under a blanket as she said it.


    "Wow, to think there''d be so many coincidences; author-san really pushed it with that one", Muku commented after Emily finished speaking. The others nodded in agreement, they felt it was a bit unbelievable, but that was their new life.


    "I''m sure you want to take time to think for a bit. We''ll go downstairs and wait for you there" After everything had been discussed. Audrey spoke up, preparing to leave; she then went to the bed, picked up Emily along with her blanket and took her away. Hope wanted to stay but felt that maybe her brother really did want some time to himself, so she followed the others. That''s when Muku stopped her, saying that he had something to talk to her about.


    ...


    "Come sit beside me" Muku said to Hope while sitting on the edge of the bed. To which Hope happily obliged. As soon as she sat, Muku made her put her head on his lap, which she happily did again. She was always willing to be close to her brother. Muku then started talking to her about random things casually. Which went on for a bit until Hope fell asleep. He proceeded to carry her onto the bed and then lay her down.


    "Thank you, little sister, rest for now", Muku said while sitting on the edge of the bed again with a gentle look in his eyes. Audrey had told him how Hope did everything in her power to heal him. How she would come to heal him every time, her mana completely regenerated, even in the middle of the night. How she didn''t rest until his body was completely restored.


    It really touched his heart how caring she was. He never had a family before, but he felt Hope was worth the wait. Such a good little sister. He had long noticed how tired she looked despite the happiness she was showing, so he immediately devised a plan to get her to sleep and rest. Which he immediately carried out, everything else could wait.


    "I hope I''m never injured like that again. I don''t want you to have to suffer like that again," He said softly while caressing her hair.


    "And for that, I have to get stronger, a lot stronger. Then my bloodline will be a strength instead of a hidden danger," Muku spoke to himself resolutely, then got up and left the room, leaving Hope to rest...

 Chapter 96 Poorly hidden jealousy

    In the lounge...


    Everyone but Hope was already waiting. Most were feeling a bit awkward but they sucked it up. Since Muku was up, they''d be addressing their next step, and nobody wanted to miss it.


    "Hello everyone, I''m glad you all decided to show up" Muku spoke while walking down the stairs, a smile plastered on his face. He seemed a lot better already, just that he seemed to be having trouble with his eyes.


    "What''s wrong with your eyes?" Jade asked, she had long calmed herself down after leaving the room. Her expression right then made everyone think this wasn''t the same Jade who left the room due to embarrassment. She looked so natural. But they couldn''t help but admire how she could easily get a hold of herself while they were still having trouble.


    "Oh that, that''s part of one of the things I''d like to address, actually", Muku replied with a little smile as he took a seat on a lone sofa.


    "But first, let me congratulate you all for reaching Rank Two and leaving me in the dust. Truly, the student always surpasses the master," Muku spoke emotionally while wiping away some fake tears. Which made Jade roll her eyes and then smile smugly while the others either giggled a bit or broke into a little smile.


    "I always knew one day I''d be stronger than you, now kowtow three times and maybe I''ll take you under my wing as an attendant despite your weak strength" Jade is someone you should never give an inch or she''ll take a mile, immediately spoke some words that made Muku''s hand itch.


    "Are you sure?" Muku spoke with a little smile on his face while looking in Jade''s direction. His eyes glowed with a grey light.


    Jade wanted to arrogantly reply, but then she noticed his eyes; she immediately felt a crisis in her life stronger than anything she had felt before. That''s when she noticed that Muku wasn''t looking directly at her but beside her. She subconsciously also looked where he was looking and was immediately appalled. A cup of water she had placed on a little table beside her was disappearing before her eyes!


    Only a third of it was left. The water she hadn''t drank yet was disappearing along with the cup. It didn''t spill over the table despite a large part of the cup already having gone, like there was an invisible barrier stopping it, or laws had been twisted into making it seem like it only made sense that the water wouldn''t spill.


    She immediately remembered the Crow, it was also like this. She wasn''t the only one looking at the cup at this point. The others were also looking on, speechless and a bit unsettled, what kind of power is this!?. Unlike last time, there wasn''t even a pressure to notify them that something was going on. Within five seconds, the cup and its water were gone, completely erased from existence, and returned to nothingness.


    "Cough cough", Jade fake coughed from the side, which startled Chloe and made her realise what she was doing. She immediately ran back to her seat and covered her face with a pillow in embarrassment.


    "What an absurd bloodline of such an ability only takes up 0.01% of it, and 1% almost killed you", Completely ignoring what just happened, Emily commented. Well, it would seem like she ignored it if one of her eyes wasn''t twitching and the smile on her face looked forced. She also wanted head pats!


    "Cough, yeah. I guess it can be said I was both lucky and unlucky, huh?" Muku replied with an awkward smile on his face, trying to ignore Emily''s poorly hidden jealousy. To think his head pats would cause such a thing. He''d even noticed that Jade''s expression had gotten a bit dark while Layla seemed a bit colder. But since it was already done, he could only ignore it all.


    "I think that''s enough about my bloodline for now. The immediate issue we need to deal with is looking for an unranked beast for little Elsa, along with some Rank Two beasts to kill and get stronger. It should be relatively safe now with so many Rank Twos, unlike when it was just Audrey" Not wanting to linger on the topic any longer, Muku quickly moved on to the next matter to be addressed. He just wanted to quickly end the awkward atmosphere.


    Unbeknownst to him, Elsa''s impression of him improved a little bit when he put her on the agenda. Before this, she just thought of him as her sister''s strong, perverted teacher. Now she thought of him as her sister''s strong and considerate pervert teacher. Which is a major improvement really...well it''s better than nothing.


    "That''s nice and all, but what about you? You haven''t reached Rank Two yet. Not to mention I can sense that you haven''t fully recovered," Jade spoke, unknowingly to her; she was indirectly rejecting the plan that seemingly leaves Muku out of the mix. Though already aware of her tsundere personality, no one was surprised.


    "Aww, little Jade is worried about me being left behind, so cute! Come here so I can pinch your little cheeks" As always, Muku won''t miss a chance to tease Jade. Hearing his words Jade''s face reddened in anger. How dare he call her little!?


    "Keep talking and I''ll fight you to death" After calming herself a bit, she managed to squeeze those words out of her mouth while giving Muku a threatening look. She even displayed her canine teeth, seemingly ready to bite as well if it got to a fight.


    "Fine, fine I''ll stop. But seriously, you don''t need to be worried. I should be fully recovered in a few more days and will reach Rank Two within that time as well" Muku stopped teasing Jade and spoke with confidence about breaking through in a few days.


    "How are you so sure?" Jade asked, curious about why he seemed so certain when he had been stuck for so long, and wasn''t even at the true peak of the Half-step R2 stage.


    "Just a hunch" Muku replied with the same confidence from before. As he said, he really felt like he''d break through. After all, he had Author-san on his side, and they''d make it work somehow...

 Chapter 97 Peak Half-Step!

    The next morning...


    Since Hope was in his room, Muku had slept in Hope''s room. Could have used an empty room but... Hope''s seemed a lot better. Not for any perverted reason or anything like that, just that the unoccupied rooms weren''t cleaned by anyone. Or at least that''s what Muku assumed since Audrey didn''t think it was important enough to tell him when she did.


    Anyway, due to the constant supply of corrupted beast guards Audrey provided, the group no longer needed to have lookouts. They could all sleep at night, comfortably too. On top of that, Muku was still recovering, which made him fall into a deep sleep that night. Which shouldn''t have been a problem until he found someone sleeping next to him when he woke up.


    "Umm, what are you doing here?" He asked while he and the person looked into each other''s eyes. Like the monk he was, he was completely unmoved...at least on the surface.


    "This is my room", the person said with her purple eyes, looking back at Muku innocently. A sly look appeared on her face for a split second before disappearing.


    "I know it''s your room, but you were supposed to be sleeping in my room", Muku continued, speaking seriously like the monk he was.


    "Oh right, I walk about in the middle of the night for a bit. Drank some water and came here subconsciously. I immediately fell asleep after lying on the bed. I didn''t even notice there was anyone here" The person continued with her story, whether true or not, only she knew.


    "How did you end up hugging me then?" Monk King Muku continued with his questioning.


    "It must have happened subconsciously while I was asleep; I used to sleep while hugging giant teddy bears" " the person continued, her purple eyes showing nothing but purity and innocence.


    "Okay, why are you still hugging me now?" Muku pressed on.


    "Oh, I didn''t even notice, my mistake. I''ll go fetch some water and bathe. See you in a bit Big Brother" The person quickly made her getaway after running out of answers.


    "Tsk, that brat, does she think I''m so gullible?. Luckily, I was too lazy to take off my clothes before sleeping last time," Muku spoke to himself after Hope ran out; the little girl had snuck into his embrace in the middle of the night! Didn''t she have even a single vigilant bone in her body or did she just think so lowly of him? Fortunately, she didn''t notice his morning tent, or he might have had to hunt down the FBI in the apocalypse and then offer them his own head. The embarrassment would have required at least that even if the tent had nothing to do with Hope.


    "Oh right, Chloe mentioned some video; I''ll watch it while I calm down", Muku spoke to himself before reaching out for a mobile phone by the bedside on a little table stand.


    .....


    A few minutes later...


    {What an insightful video, to think she thought about how I can realise my potential so much. With this, I''m even more certain that I can reach Rank Two within two days tops!} Muku thought to himself with a little smile on his face. The video content was Chloe expressing her thoughts on how Muku could possibly realise more of his potential.


    ....


    Upstairs.....


    "Well, this isn''t what I expected, but it''s better than nothing, I guess", Muku spoke to himself while trying to regain control of his aura that was getting suppressed by Audrey.


    "Oh, and sorry about that, Audrey; I didn''t know there was anyone here" He then apologised to Audrey.


    He had managed to realise more of his potential and managed to increase it to 80%, which was as intense as the girls at their peak. So they had mistaken it for him having reached the peak. His meditation yielded one attack, but a very significant one since it could actually wound a Rank Two, even if it was only just a little bit. He leant the spell, "Mind Impact" which targeted the opponent''s mind instead of their physical body.


    Although it was a strong attack spell, Muku felt disappointed. He wanted Telepathy instead, his reasoning being that it and Telekinesis were on the opposite of the same coin so he should be able to get both. The latter dealt in the physical while the former was in the metaphysical. But sadly, it didn''t seem to work that way; just getting "Mind Impact" was already good enough.


    "It''s okay, master; it didn''t do that much damage. Of course, that''s only because of our different ranks," Audrey said while the blood that was coming out of her eyes and nose returned back into her body and continued on its usual path. She had been hit by a wave of "Mind Impact" unprepared. She felt a headache and some dizziness for a second before everything returned to normal, other than the blood of course. Though she took care of that easily enough.


    "Thank you for understanding", Muku said with a smile, then returned to a meditative state. He might have been done with his telekinesis but his metal still had some improvements. After which, he''s likely to rank up, two days before the estimated time.


    Audrey continued looking on, ready to intervene if anything went wrong. Although she got a minor injury, she still didn''t mind, she even felt proud of having such an outstanding master.


    As he sat there, a silver armour completely enveloped Muku. This was completely new to Audrey; he only ever created weapons and some random stuff like pots and buckets. Never before an armour, and she had to say, it looked quite cool on him. Then, right before her eyes, the armour slowly started changing colour. It was quite a magical scene; in less than a minute, the whole armour turned golden.


    Audrey could tell that it was really made out of gold, not just coloured like it. As soon as it all turned golden, Muku''s aura increased again. But this time the aura didn''t leak out since she was prepared. The armour started to change colour again and turned to copper, then platinum, then tin, then iron.


    Audrey couldn''t help but have a thought as she looked on. {So this is what being a metal warlock means huh?}


    The process kept on going like that, and every time, Muku''s aura would increase. By the time he finished all the metals, his aura was no longer increasing. He was stuck at the peak of Half-step R2, the metals were likely not enough for him to break through. It was at this that Muku opened his eyes. His aura is no longer in chaos.


    "Have you ever heard of mithril?" He asked Audrey with a little smile on his face. The armour was slowly melting away from his body as he spoke starting from his head going down.


    "No, I don''t think I have" Audrey, who hadn''t been exposed to a lot of fantasy stuff before the apocalypse, had no idea what mithril was.


    "We might have to go outside for this one" Muku said while getting up and walking out of the room. His steps were confident; he was certain that he was going to break through soon. Audrey quickly ran after him after getting out of her daze...

 Chapter 98 Using a Mithril Sword to Slice into Rank Two!

    Downstairs.....


    "What''s wrong? Where are you going? How is your aura so strong without even reaching Rank Two yet!?" Jade asked one question after the other after seeing Muku walk downstairs with Audrey behind him.


    "Follow me, and you''ll see" Muku said that one statement and continued walking to the front door. Not needing any more convincing, Jade got up and followed along, the rest did the same as well. They felt something significant was about to happen and wanted to be around when it did.


    .....


    "Is this necessary?" Jade couldn''t help but ask after they walked close to a kilometre away from the mansion.


    "Who knows, but I''m getting more and more interested in what requires us to walk this far away" Emily spoke beside her, seemingly unfazed by walking so far.


    "This should be far enough right?" Muku asked Audrey, which surprised the others. They didn''t know that Audrey was the one who advised Muku to go a distance away from the mansion if he wanted to break through as they walked downstairs. She had a hunch that his breakthrough wasn''t going to be a quiet affair.


    "Okay, I''ll do it here then," Muku said after receiving her confirmation. He then closed his eyes while holding his hands together in front of him. The others just looked on curiously wondering what he was doing.


    That''s when his aura exploded, not because of breaking through, but because he had intentionally let it loose. Of everyone they''d ever met, only Jade''s Beast Aura was visible. And now Muku seemed to have joined that small list, though with mana instead of aura.


    His mana was slowly becoming visible in front of everyone, it looked like a grey mass of energy swirling around him. It was so dense and intense that Emily had to protect Elsa with her mana or she might have been killed on the spot by just Muku''s act of releasing his mana. Although it wasn''t as strong as a Rank Two it was off by just a little bit, which showed how much of a monster he was.


    He then started to slowly open his hands. There seemingly was a suction force between them. As his mana was getting pulled in nonstop. It got to a point where all the mana that surrounded him before was in between his arms that had been pulled back as far as he could, creating a chaotic scene. The power radiating from the condensing mana had long reached Low Rank Two strength and hadn''t stopped yet. That''s when Muku''s right hand made a grabbing motion.


    BOOM!


    His aura immediately exploded and he successfully broke through to rank two. Audrey hurriedly tried to suppress his aura so as not to attract attention. Surprisingly, she failed to do so, her strength was not enough, far from it. Immediately Chloe, Hope and Layla joined in. Emily had to use everything she had to protect Elsa, she was even backing away from Muku while holding Elsa''s hand to reduce the pressure on herself. Jade''s control was in total disarray at the moment, so she couldn''t help.


    Luckily, Audrey and the other three were just enough to suppress Muku''s aura. Though it wasn''t just his aura, it was combined with the aura of whatever he had created and was holding in his hand. Muku happened to open his eyes in the moment and noticed his group in an unfavourable condition. In panic, he swang whatever he was holding before it completely formed to the side.


    Whoosh! BOOM!


    A concentrated energy wave flew off in that direction, creating a long ditch on the ground that stretched a distance away. Then it exploded with intensity greater than Chloe''s concentrated lighting attack. Which scared away any beasts that were close by, even the few Rank Twos. At this point, Muku''s hand was no longer holding anything, and the pressure on the girls had reduced by half, which was manageable. Soon after Muku gained control of his aura and calmed it down.


    .....


    "Oh, what a strong sword", Hope complimented while looking at the one-metre wide and two-metre deep ditch that stretched for at least fifty metres created by the sword. She, along with the others, couldn''t help but wonder what the finished product would be like. Especially now that he had more power at his disposal.


    "You know it''s really not fair that you keep on getting one power-up after the other. While we have the same old moves" Jade immediately complained. She completely forgets about how her Beast Aura can basically do anything under the right conditions.


    "Tsk, whatever, let''s go back" Muku was in too good a mood to argue with her, so they just shrugged her off. Now all the old members of the team were Rank Two!, how could he not be happy?. They were a lot safer than most people now. He was also certain that they were the strongest team in the apocalypse right then. As for why he wasn''t completely sure, it''s because you can never be too sure of anything in the world.


    .....


    Back at the mansion.....


    "Now that we''re all Rank Two, it''s time to hunt" Muku spoke as they gathered in the dining room. It had been a while since they specifically hunted for beasts so he was rather excited.


    "But don''t you have to recover first?" Hope asked in a worried tone.


    "Oh, that! Don''t worry, it seems ranking up fixed me right up. I feel good as new, if not better than that" Muku replied to her and even flexed his muscles to show her how fine he was. To which Hope giggled thinking of how childish he was, but she wasn''t worried anymore.


    "Any idea on where we can go for unranked beasts?" Emily asked, still worried about Elsa''s situation.


    "I''ve got just the place actually!" Muku immediately replied.


    "You all remember how the beasts got stronger the deeper into the city we got, right? If the situation hasn''t changed much, then the further out we go, we should find some. We can go back in the direction of a familiar place" Before anyone could ask, he had already continued speaking.


    "You don''t mean..." Emily was about to name a familiar place before she was interrupted.


    "Yup. The stadium?. We can even check on how the people there are doing at the same time." Muku reviewed the place he meant, not even waiting for Emily to finish.


    "What about today...what the hell!?" Since it was still early in the day, Jade wanted to ask what they''d be doing with the rest of the day. Since they usually started long journeys early in the morning, they wouldn''t go that day. But as she was speaking, it started raining outside. The reason why she was surprised was because it was Spring and the sky had been clear when they went out before.


    "Seems we can only stay inside and meditate" Muku said while looking toward the window. He was also surprised by the sudden rain, as was everyone else.


    "So the seasons are also messed up now?" Chloe spoke in a low voice but everyone heard her and thought the same.


    Even more surprising was how the rain went on to rain for the rest of the day. Then continued into the night nonstop. Even when everyone went to sleep it was still raining...@@@@

 Chapter 99 Water Fairy Embryo

    Five days later...


    "Okay, this is bull! how is it that not only is it raining in Spring, but it hasn''t stopped raining for five days!?" Muku grumbled while sitting on the couch. Jade was sitting on another couch nodding in agreement. The others also agreed to a certain extent; they had all gotten used to going outside every day and beating up a few beasts. So being confined for five days straight was rather unbearable.


    "Maybe it''s a sign of treasure! why don''t we go look around?" Chloe, a failed otaku who also developed a weird interest in the outdoors, spoke. She just made up a reason to go outside. With Muku''s telekinesis, the rain shouldn''t be a problem, so they might as well go look around, right?


    "Not to mention we''re about to run out of meat", Layla, who also wanted to go outside, spoke. She had finally managed to catch up to Emily and Chloe in her mana control after working twice as hard so she felt it was time for a break. The three were. Now all at 6%, Audrey at 10%, and Hope at 5%, she was catching up quickly. Jade was at 5% conversion from mana to Beast Aura, so somewhat the same as the rest.


    Muku, for reasons unknown, was already at 30%; of course, he told the others he was still at 2%, or he suspected it might not have ended well for him. At least Jade and Layla wouldn''t have taken the news too well. He suspected that his bloodline somehow played a part. It was a lot easier for him to improve his mana control than the others. He got to 30% without even being serious about meditation or he probably would have reached at least 50% already.@@@@


    The trace of bloodline in Audrey might also have played a part in her being 4% higher than the others. Even though she ranked up way before the others, she hadn''t meditated much during that time. So, her being so far ahead is a bit unusual, but it was still acceptable to the ground, unlike Muku''s case.


    "Those sound like good enough reasons to me! Let''s go!" Muku exclaimed while getting up. The others followed after him. Although they no longer had a guard since Audrey hadn''t been able to go out and hunt for new ones. They weren''t too worried about leaving the mansion unattended since it was raining rather heavily. So what beast would go out of its way to come to break the mansion down in the rain? And so, soon after leaving the mansion, the group could be seen whooshing away on a silver board with a telekinetic forcefield keeping them safe from the rain.


    Like that, the bored group went around in the rain randomly killing any beast they could find. There were only three in number; apparently, beasts didn''t like going around in the rain either.


    ....


    "Hey, I sense something in that direction" Jade spoke while pointing in a certain direction. Muku and the others who didn''t have a reason to doubt her immediately got curious. And so, he steered in the said direction.


    "Woah!, what''s that!?" Hope exclaimed while looking in front of her.


    "No wonder it was raining without any wind, thunder or lightning" Chloe spoke beside her.


    They were all looking at a weird clear orb that was floating in the air in front of them. It somewhat looked like a large water drop about the size of an orange. It was raining all around it, yet there was no rain within a one-metre radius of it.


    "Elsa!" Emily called out as she ran toward her sister. The others followed behind her. They were all a bit worried since it was their first time seeing such a thing. Even if they felt it wasn''t anything bad, they still couldn''t help but worry for the little girl.


    Soon Emily reached Elsa and hugged her, yet Elsa didn''t react or even open her eyes. This worried Emily even more, but she scanned Elsa with her mana but didn''t feel anything wrong with her.


    Hope, who was more sensitive to the state of people''s bodies due to her class, also gave it a go. She also felt that there was nothing wrong with Elsa''s body, but sensed that there was some intense mind activity going on. However, even that didn''t seem to be affecting her negatively. So they just stood there waiting for Elsa to snap out of it, as she didn''t seem to be unconscious.


    ...


    In Elsa''s mind...


    [Water Fairy embryo acquired. Class changing in progress....]


    [Error!]


    [No class detected!]


    [Individual has been identified to not have reached Rank One yet]


    [Embryo will remain dormant until individual meets the minimum requirements to awaken it]


    ...


    As soon as the multiple prompts that Elsa barely understood were all stated. She immediately opened her eyes, which glowed blue for a second before going back to normal. Then, a blue water drop-like marking appeared on her forehead. It looked rather mystical how it etched itself there in front of everyone''s eyes.


    Emily immediately wanted Elsa to explain on the spot. But the others persuaded her to wait until they returned home. And so Muku sped home with the others, they all couldn''t wait to hear what had happened.


    As they speedily flew back, they didn''t notice what was happening to the city ground. Once it had been covered by tar and buildings, now, vegetation was quickly reclaiming it. It was growing at a rather alarming rate too.

 Chapter 100 Rounds of Punishment!

    Back at the mansion....


    Elsa felt quite tense. How could she not?. There were seven intense gazes focused on her after all. It was an understatement to say they wanted to know everything that had happened. And so, she quickly spilled the beans and told them everything. She didn''t like being the centre of attention like that.


    ....


    "So you''re saying you got some kind of Fairy Embryo thing that will only awaken once you reach rank one?" Emily summarised what her sister said while seeking confirmation. To which Elsa nodded in agreement.


    "I guess now we have one more reason to get you to Rank One. I can''t wait to see what happens" Muku chimed in. Like many people, he quite liked seeing new and interesting things.


    "Should we set off immediately then?" Emily suggested she couldn''t wait anymore, wanting her sister to rank up.


    "No need to rush, we''ve already spent most of the day, so we might as well set off tomorrow morning. For now, we have to go say goodbye to our neighbours" Muku refused her suggestion.


    "Do we have to?. We''re not even that close to them, though," Jade chimed in before Emily could reply. She didn''t mind waiting for another day, but she found it quite troublesome to deal with the university people.


    "Yes, we have to; it''s the polite thing to do", Audrey replied before Muku could. She didn''t want the girls to lose their human manners just because it was the apocalypse.


    "Fine" Jade unwillingly agreed. If it was Muku, she would have argued a bit, but she respected Audrey too much to do that.


    "Great!, now that has been decided, everyone go prepare. We''ll go see them in an hour and get it over with," Muku spoke; he also didn''t particularly like doing it but felt he had to. That''s how the world of adults worked after all. Who knows if they''ll need Jack''s group''s help in the future?. So bridges had to be kept intact, even if they were super thin and flimsy.


    .....


    An hour later, at the university....


    "So your group will be leaving tomorrow morning, huh?" Jack spoke, the light in his eyes dimming a bit.


    Although they don''t interact much, having good strong neighbours is never a bad thing. Like if a Rank Two beast suddenly sets its eyes on the university for whatever reason, his group wouldn''t need to worry about being trapped inside because it would get killed off soon enough by their neighbours for food. Although that''s unlikely to happen, stranger things have happened. And it can even be a rank two human enemy who shows up, with Muku''s group around, they wouldn''t need to worry. But now, the sense of security they subconsciously got from having Muku''s group around was about to fly away with them and their mansion.


    "Ahh!" She suddenly screamed in surprise as Jack suddenly pulled her onto his lap.


    "You think you can just do that and apologise and it will be over??. Get ready to face your punishment!" Jack said with an evil grin on his face. Sarah gulped down some saliva with a look of fear in her eyes.


    Soon, lewd sounds could be heard from the room as Jack gave Sarah several rounds of punishment until she begged for mercy. Even then he didn''t stop until they were both powerless and breathing heavily on the floor.


    "You meanie! You didn''t stop even when I begged you to", Sarah spoke after catching her breath with a little smile on her rosy face.


    "Sorry, you''re just so irresistible I couldn''t stop" Jack replied while kissing her forehead.


    "Hmph!" Sarah responded still pouting cutely.


    "This is your fault" Jack suddenly spoke in a rough voice.


    "Huh, what do you m...Ahh!" Sarah was confused until she noticed that Jack had gotten into the mood again. Before she could react Jack was already back on top of her.


    And the sounds resounded in the room again...


    .....


    "Has anyone else noticed the grass on the ground?" Layla suddenly spoke as they walked back to the mansion. Muku felt that they''d get too lazy if they used the "Silver Surfer''s" board to go everywhere, especially when it was closed. So he had the group walk to the university and back.


    "Hhm, what do you mean?" Audrey, who was walking beside her, asked.


    "It seems to be growing too quickly", Layla replied; she had looked at the grass for a bit as they came to the university. Yet now, as they returned to the mansion, the same grass from less than an hour before seemed to have already grown in size.


    "Really? I think you''re thinking too much; maybe you just didn''t look at it properly before", Jade chimed in; the grass looked the same to her. Everyone else other than Layla hadn''t paid attention to it before, so they also thought that Layla might have seen it wrongly before.


    "Maybe" Layla replied with one word, also doubting herself. Maybe she had really not taken a proper look before making it seem different.


    With that, the issue of the grass was dropped. It was only on the next day that they realised that Layla had not seen things incorrectly.

 Chapter 101 Giant Boars!

    The next morning.....


    "What the hell!?" Muku exclaimed while looking at the area outside the mansion.


    The others who were doing their own thing in the yard heard him and came over to look. They were also surprised after looking outside the gate. The same place they had passed through the previous day was now practically unrecognisable. There was long grass everywhere. The grass that was barely there the previous day was already long enough to reach their knees.


    "So Layla was right yesterday?" Emily asked, though everyone already knew the answer.


    "It seems nature is reclaiming the land" Layla spoke in a low voice.


    "If things continue like this, maybe in a few months, we''ll all be submerged in the grass with towering trees all around", Jade spoke.


    "Why do you sound so excited!?" Emily couldn''t help but ask while looking at Jade, only to be met by a foolish grin on her face.


    "Really? I didn''t even notice" Jade was surprised by Emily''s words; she didn''t know how excited she was at the moment.


    "Maybe it''s because of her class?" Audrey spoke from the side. She was speaking from experience. Ever since she got her class, the sight of blood excites her. Of course, she tries her best not to show it. Seeing Jade like this, sort of made her feel a bit better about herself. At least she wasn''t the only one who got a weird quirk from her class.


    "Well, whatever the case, it''s a story for another day; for now, we have other matters to deal with", Muku spoke while walking back to the mansion. He was a bit interested in finding out how much easier moving the mansion would be now that he had ranked up.


    Soon, Muku was back in the mansion, getting ready to set off. The others were already in their positions on the wall getting ready to defend the mansion from any possible dangers. The mansion started shaking as Muku''s telekinesis took hold of it; it had been on the spot for so long that it had somewhat merged with the ground of the area. So when it got off the ground it left a pretty noticeable spot. Which became even more noticeable because the area around it was surrounded by long grass.


    "Wow, it''s a lot higher than before!" Jade exclaimed as the mansion reached seven metres into the sky. It was a sizable difference from the two metres from before. Which also showcased the difference between a R1 and a R2 evolver. Even the way it floated forward seemed a lot more stable compared to before. Like that, the mansion majestically flew away, its speed also a lot faster than before.


    ...


    "And there they go,", Jack said from a distance while holding Sarah in his arms.


    "Don''t worry; I''m sure we''ll meet again someday", Sarah consoled him softly.


    "Yeah" Jack replied, his gaze still focused on the disappearing mansion in the distance. Internally he swore to himself that the next time they meet, he must be at least a Rank Two like them no matter what.


    From that day on, Jack became a training maniac who fought outside more than he managed the base. At first, Sarah wanted to stop him, but after seeing how he was getting stronger a lot quicker than before, she let him be.


    Although she wasn''t as strong as she would have been in her catgirl form. She was still strong enough to deal with a LR1 boar even if it would take a while. And like that, Jade, with her fast speed and hard blows, kept punching the slow boar around. Sadly, she could barely wound the thick-skinned boar with such attacks. Of course, she could try her spikes or another attack, but she enjoyed the challenge.


    ....


    Crackle! Boom!


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Bang!...


    Unlike Jade, Chloe didn''t mess around, she immediately got into serious mode. In less than ten seconds, she had already punched her LR1 boar almost fifty times on the head with her lightning-charged fist. Although she wasn''t using any of her stronger attacks, the moves she was using were quite effective. By the time a minute was over, the boar was dead, its brain had been fried with numerous dents on its head.


    The others who saw the scene couldn''t help but gulp down some saliva. What a hardcore girl! They thought.


    [Killed LR2 beast. Kill Points now at 0.5%]


    "Tsk, it''s only worth a quarter of an MR2 bird", Chloe exclaimed disappointedly after only getting an increase of 0.25% KP from the boar.


    "But then again, it''s super weak so it''s understandable" She consoled herself with how easily she had killed it, not even breaking a sweat. What she didn''t know was that the very same boar would be a boss fight for people with normal classes.


    .....


    "Oooooiiink!" The remaining boar oinked angrily after seeing one of its mates getting killed while the other one was being played with. It had tried to help the one that was killed by Chloe but by the time it got close enough, it had already been killed.


    And so, it set its sight on the killer and was about to charge at her. When an ice wall appeared in front of it blocking its way.


    "We are your opponents" Layla''s calm voice sounded from the side.


    The boar looked at the source of the voice. There, a black-haired girl and a grey-haired one stood. Its eyes got redder with anger. These ants dared get in its way? It will crush them first, then!


    And so, the boar didn''t waste time and immediately charged at them. Marking the beginning of the final battle.

 Chapter 102 Blood Red Armour and Cold Black Ice

    Whoosh!


    Slash! Splash!


    "What a tough hide!" Audrey spoke with some amazement. She hadn''t waited for the boar to reach them, opting to meet it midway. She proceeded to try and cut it with her long nails, but she couldn''t even break through the skin.


    "Well, it''s a stage higher than us, so it''s understandable that you can''t easily break through its skin. Not to mention, it doesn''t seem to have any elements, so its body should be stronger than most," Layla spoke after analysing the approaching boar.


    "Can you hold it for a bit, I want to go get something?" Audrey asked Layla.


    "Sure", they agreed without asking anything.


    "Ice hammer!" Bang!@@@@


    She immediately summoned a giant hammer that smashed into the side of the boar, throwing it to the side. Her Shadow Charged Ice needed time to prepare so she couldn''t use it on the spot. Even after ranking up, nothing changed about that, maybe it was the world''s way of balancing things out. So she could only use her normal ice which couldn''t pierce into the boar but was enough to keep it occupied.


    "Frozen ground!" Just as the boar was about to get back to its feet she froze the ground around it, making it slippery. And so the boar kept on slipping and falling unable to get up.


    "Frozen meteor!" A giant ice ball appeared in the sky above the boar. Just because she couldn''t break the skin didn''t mean she wouldn''t try her best. Not to mention, there''s a chance she could kill the boar just from internal injuries without wounding its tough skin.


    Booom!


    The giant ice ball that was around the same size as the boar fell right on top of it with a loud bang!. Even if it wasn''t enough to kill it, it definitely did significant damage to the boar.


    "Ice Cage!" Layla didn''t let up, she immediately cast her next spell. The boar was completely sealed in ice.


    "Well, this might actually wor.."


    Boom!


    Bang!


    But Audrey wasn''t Layla, and she could see the boar fine. While it seemed unbelievably fast to a mage-type like Layla, it was nothing special to Audrey who was also a physical type, though also good at magic. Her class falls in the "Battle-Mage" category.


    And so, Audrey and the boar began their class. Or it better to say, Audrey began punching it around like a ragdoll. It seems her blood armour not only provided defence but increased her strength by a large margin. But even that wasn''t enough to break through the boar''s defence. Of course, if she kept on punching it, causing internal injuries, along with the ones Layla caused before, the boar would die eventually, but that would take a long time.


    "Layla, prepare your attack!" Audrey called out to Layla, who had become a spectator at this point, to prepare her Shadow Charged attack. Though this was after a while, after she calmed down a bit from pinching the boar all over the place she remembered that Layla could help.


    Layla didn''t say anything, but Audrey knew she was heard from the reducing temperature and darkening sky radiating malevolence.


    Bang! Boom!


    The boar took the split-second chance that Audrey''s concentration decreased while talking to Layla to attack. It slammed her away with its head. Before she could get off the ground, it was already on her, its mouth wide open, about to bite down.


    That''s when two large Blood Hands came out of Audrey''s armour and grabbed the boar''s open mouth. One grabbed the top, the other the bottom and forced closed its mouth. Then the blood under her feet springboarded her into the sky, dodging the boar then slammed into the ground head first. It kind of looked like the blood armour had a brain of its own, like Venom; of course, that wasn''t the case; it was all Audrey''s doing.


    The others who were looking on couldn''t help but feel that Audrey was super cool and really knew how to use her abilities. Hey, Jade was burning with jealousy. Her Beast Aura could do a lot of things, but it couldn''t do that! She started to wonder if she''d be able to find a beast that had such an ability one day. But thinking about how even if she did find such a beast, it was guaranteed that it would have a beast core. Her facial expression immediately turned dark, but her eyes never left the battle despite her random thoughts. It was just too exciting to look away.


    On the other hand, little Elsa had a pout on her face. While the battle was now slow enough for everyone else to see, it was mostly still too fast for her to see much. The most she saw most of the time were shadows accompanied by punching sounds. Though it''s understandable, she wasn''t even a rank yet, after all. Now she was even more motivated to rank up.


    .....


    "Shadow Charged! Frozen Shadow Lance!"


    It was at the same moment Audrey created some distance from the boar that Layla''s voice sounded. She was finally done with her spell. The familiar black ice lance that the others never get bored of seeing descended.


    The boar immediately felt dread, all its senses screaming for it to run away. But because boars, like the pigs they are, can''t look up into the sky, they couldn''t see where the danger was coming from. And so it was confused about where it should run to. Maybe because of the shadow element involved in its creation, but the black ice was completely undetectable.


    The boar only realised the danger was coming from the sky after the Lance''s tip came into contact with its mana. But it was already too late at that point, it was already locked in place and couldn''t move. Despite being at a higher stage than Layla, the boar still couldn''t break free. It was like all its strength was disbursed or locked away. It just couldn''t feel it. Maybe it was smothered by the shadow element.


    "Squuuiii!" The boar cried out in pain as the one-metre-thick lance first made contact with its head. Then, it was killed instantly the moment its brain was broken through by the lance, which continued to descend until it reached the ground. Though by that point the boar was already dead.

 Chapter 103 Dangerously delicious

    [Killed MR2 Beast. Kill Points now at 0.75%]


    Layla immediately got the prompt after the boar''s death. The 1% seemed to have been divided into two equal parts.


    [Killed MR2 Beast. Kill Points now at 0.5%]


    Audrey got her first rank two kill points from the boar. To think she hadn''t killed a Rank Two beast yet despite having ranked up a long time ago. Seeing the meagre KP even when she already knew about it, was really disheartening as well. Such a tough creature to only give so little. It immediately hit her, how hard getting to the peak of Rank Two would be. They might even reach 100% mana control needed for domain creation before reaching the peak.


    "No, this won''t do; we''ll have to work harder after little Elsa reaches rank one", Audrey spoke to herself while walking to the beast''s corpse. She was interested to see if it had a Beast Core. The other two didn''t, so it was their only hope. The others came closer as well. Except for Layla who couldn''t even move after using all her remaining mana in her last attack.


    .....


    "Yey!, it has a core!" Jade exclaimed happily while digging her hand into the boar''s chest, which had softened after its death. The others felt that it was really convenient to have her around. Otherwise, they''d have to dig into every beast they killed''s chest while not knowing whether there was anything there or not.


    "It''s an elementless core? Well, it''s expected, I guess", Audrey spoke after Jade handed it to her. Although it radiated a stronger aura than rank one cores, it was still the same size. Which made them suspect that all cores are the same size despite their different energy levels.


    "Although it can''t help with improving anyone''s mana control or something like that. At least it can be used to recover our mana" Audrey spoke. She then walked over to Layla so she could use it to recover her mana. In fact, elementless mana cores were the best for mana recovery since some energy won''t be wasted while separating the energy from the elemental particles.


    Layla didn''t refuse, she immediately started drawing in the mana from the core. In ten minutes, she was already fully recovered, which would have taken at least the whole day if she had done it naturally. After she was done, half of the energy still remained, which showed just how different an LR2 evolver was from an MR2 beast in terms of energy.


    She then gave it to Audrey who had also expended at least half of her energy in the battle to use. But Audrey refused to use it, offering it to Muku instead, saying that he needed it more. Who didn''t refuse, knowing Audrey''s personality and how she wouldn''t let him go until he accepted? But he only agreed on the condition that they share it half to half, which Audrey unwillingly agreed to after seeing his unwillingness to compromise further gaze.


    And so, with their pork...cough, boar bodies in toll. They excitedly returned to the mansion looking forward to that day''s dinner. Luckily, they''d be finishing the rank one meat they had that afternoon, so they wouldn''t have to wait long to start on the R2 meat, which they''d be eating for the first time.


    As Muku drove?...the mansion, the others were more focused on preparing the boar meat than keeping watch. They were laughing so loudly that Muku ended up stopping the mansion sooner than expected and went to join them. Why must he work while they are having fun?


    And so, the journey was paused for the rest of the day. As for where they got the confidence to stop in the middle of nowhere? Only they know.


    After a while, the meat was cut into smaller pieces and put on ice. While they took some of it and had a barbecue.


    ....


    "45...so like our theory from before, the point increase depends on how strong you were initially. Though it''s quite surprising that everyone got so many this time," Muku spoke; they weren''t particularly shocked about the attributes points since they already knew; what shocked them was the amount. One has to know that Emily only got 1 point the first time she ate beast meat, and it was from a Half-step R2.


    "Yeah, that boar must have been quite outstanding in the strength department" Audrey replied, also impressed by it.


    "Ha!, I''m stronger than you!" Jade suddenly exclaimed happily after realising that Muku got a hunger increase in the strength attribute than her, meaning her strength was slightly higher than his.


    "Well, duh! I''m both a physical type and a magic type, with my magic being stronger than my physic. So wouldn''t it have been embarrassing for you if I was actually stronger than you physically?" Muku replied while rolling his eyes.


    "Hmph! Whatever, let me have my meat in peace" Seeing that she might not win the battle, Jade immediately opted out.


    "Before you do that, I think you should look at your stomach,", Muku said while getting up and walking away.


    "Hmh? Ahh!" Jade, who was about to bite into a chunk of meat, looked down at her stomach confusedly and immediately screamed. Her ever-flat stomach was now bulging out significantly, clearly full of food. Interestingly, it was only at that moment she realised she was full. She immediately threw the meat back on the plate with some fear in her eyes.


    "Ahh!" ¡Á4 Four cries of surprise sounded out soon after Jade. The others who had also looked at Jade''s stomach after Muku mentioned it, screamed after seeing that theirs were the same.


    "This meat is dangerously delicious" Audrey spoke with some fear in her eyes. She was wondering when they would have stopped if Elsa''s little incident hadn''t snapped them out of it.


    At the same time, she couldn''t help but wonder if Muku was also like them and so ran away before the others could see.


    ....


    Upstairs in Emily and Elsa''s room...


    "I''m sorry, Elsa, I''ll never do it again, okay? I''ll give up eating for the rest of today even though I want to if you forgive me" Emily''s soft voice sounded out as she tried to coax her little sister.


    "Look at your stomach" Elsa spoke without even looking at Emily as she continued laying on the bed playing a game on her phone.


    "Hhm? Ahh!"


    Emily''s cry rang out in the room. The others who heard it didn''t run over as they all knew what it was about.

 Chapter 104 Theres something wrong with the stadium?

    Three days later....


    The journey had taken longer than they''d expected. Every kilometre or so they''d come across R2s. Each battle took a sizable amount of time since there were MR2s in every group of beasts they met.


    Some groups even have two or more MR2s. Muku had to get involved in some of the battles to speed things up. Not wanting to drag out the battles too long and draw even more trouble. Which, of course, used a decent amount of his mana, meaning he couldn''t move the mansion for as long as they would have liked.


    Of course, it wasn''t all bad. As after all the battles. Muku''s KP reached 2.5%, Audrey''s 3.5%, Jade''s 3%, and Layla''s 3.5%. Chloe 4%. Emily at 3%, and Hope also at 3%. Although they hadn''t managed to reach even 5%, it took a lot of killing for them to even reach their current numbers. They couldn''t help but feel a bit disheartened remembering the number of beasts they killed compared to the Kill points they got. Reaching PR2 seemed like a faraway task at that point.


    Unfortunately, they still couldn''t find even a single unranked beast. Though it made sense considering how numerous R2s were in the area. Any unranked beast that cared about its life would definitely run as far away from the area as it could. Or live as deep into the ground as it could.


    "Finally!, The stadium!" Jade exclaimed while looking into the distance.


    They had finally made it after the longer-than-expected journey. Although they wanted to get stronger, fighting so many beasts in such a short time after a long "drought period" was a bit overwhelming for them.


    Soon, they reached two kilometres away from the base and stopped there. This time they wanted to get closer but they could sense that something was wrong. Not the fact that there was no grass around the area since it seemed the grass only grew in the area covered by the rain from before. What seemed out of place was that there were now a couple of guards in front of the stadium, at the edge of the barrier.


    On top of that, unlike last time. No people were loitering around the place. They would have thought that the place was deserted if not for the guards. These things were enough for the group to be vigilant since there was no way so many people would want to stay inside the stadium all day. They''d at least move around the barrier since there were a few metres to move around outside the stadium but within the barrier. Which they had been doing before.


    Also, the guards didn''t look like good fellows. Although their appearance didn''t scream "we''re bad guys" like the punk gang, they still gave off the feeling. Just like how you can just look at a person once and feel like they are nothing good. Jade was the first to notice something weird then notified the others and Muku.


    "So, what are we gonna do?" Emily asked Muku. The others also looked at him waiting for him to decide.


    "Hmm, Since we don''t know what''s happening, why don''t we do this. Me and Audrey will go look around first while the rest stay here?" Muku suggested.


    "What, no fair! I want to go too!" Jade immediately objected to the plan; she wanted to go, too. What if something was interesting going on like last time?


    "Brother!, I want to go as well!" Hope spoke resolutely. She also didn''t want to stay behind. The others gave Muku a look that suggested that they wanted to go too.


    ....


    "Which are you and what''s your business here?" Guard 1 asked seriously as soon as Muku''s group reached them. But his lecherous gaze would scan at the girls from time to time.


    "We''re...what are we?...oh right!, we''re okay I can''t think of anything, do you have any ideas? I feel saying that were random survivors who came to seek shelter would be too easily seen through as a lie" Muku, who had never had to be sneaky before, couldn''t think of anything. And with how clean they looked and how rosy their faces were, it would be easily found out that they were lying if they said they were struggling survivors who came to seek shelter.


    He could also see the look in the guards'' eyes that they wouldn''t believe it either if they said such a thing. Along with their twitching lips from annoyance. They were thinking, how could he so easily say such things in front of them? To think he didn''t even think them worthy of even a flimsy little lie. They''d have beaten him up and thrown him away if the boss hadn''t instructed them to let anyone who came in if they didn''t seem too strong. There''s no way this kid could possibly be strong with such brain problems?


    "Umm, why not just tell them the truth then?" Audrey replied that she and the others also couldn''t think of anything believable on the spot. Hell, they were already suspicious looking at how she was carrying a blood-red suitcase and covering her face with a black veil.


    "Ah, good idea! We don''t need to be sneaky anyway. You see, two sirs, we''re old friends of Tom and Dom; we came for a visit" Muku, who couldn''t think of a lie, chose to use connections instead. Of course, they could also use force since the two guards weren''t too strong, radiating auras around semi-MR1. But the situation hadn''t gotten to that point yet, and they weren''t brutes after all.


    They might be wrong about something being wrong in the base, only to find out that it was just a change of rules. Of course, the words of the guards from before suggested that something was wrong, but who knows? There might be a misunderstanding somewhere somehow.


    "Oh, you''re friends with leader Tom and his brother!? Why didn''t you say before? Anyway, you''re free to go in, I''m sure they would be glad to see you again. Especially in the apocalypse where when people separate even for a few hours, it''s not guaranteed that they''d meet again" Hearing Muku mention Tom, Guard 2 immediately interjected. He had been trying to find a way to get them to enter inside without raising suspicion.


    After all, from their interaction so far, no guard would let in such sketchy people. So if he and his friend easily let them in, it would raise suspicions and might even scare them away.


    "You''re right, you''re right. Thank you for not finding trouble with us; I''ll definitely say a few good words to Tom about you two," Muku replied enthusiastically, seemingly completely fooled by the two guards. And so, he and his group went into the stadium.


    "Hehe, what naive idiots, to willingly enter a lion''s den with smiles on their faces" Guard 1 spoke after Muku''s group were a bit of distance away from them.


    "Shh, they might still be able to hear you, you idiot", Guard 2 rebuked his dumb friend, who didn''t know when to remain shut.


    "Don''t worry, they are too far to hear me. In a bit, we''ll likely start hearing the girls screaming" Guard 1 ignored the warning and continued talking.


    "Tsk, whatever, I''m not talking to you anymore", Guard 2 replied with some exasperation; he felt that he''d lose some of his brain cells if he kept on talking to this idiot.


    As they spoke, Muku''s group made their way into the arena. They were immediately greeted by a scene out of every woman''s nightmare as soon as they got in.

 Chapter 105 "Im Death"

    At least a hundred naked women were lying naked on the field. Suspicious stains all over their bodies. Their eyes were vacant, as if, despite their bodies being alive, their souls were already dead.


    Luckily, Muku and Audrey were walking in front so they saw the horrendous scene first. They immediately barred the two young girls from walking any further and also saw it. Audrey even got to the point of grabbing their hands and taking them back outside. The girls felt that there was something wrong so they didn''t resist.


    "Hey!, where are you going!?" Guard 1 shouted out as he saw them coming back. He was sure they hadn''t met their boss yet or they wouldn''t have had a chance to leave. Remembering the scene in the field, he immediately realised that they likely spotted it from afar and immediately turned back. The man must be stopping anyone who saw them from pursuing.


    "Girls, can you close your eyes for me?" Audrey spoke to the girls softly, not bothering to answer the guard. Despite her tone being gentle, the girls felt like it was something they couldn''t go against so they immediately closed their eyes.


    "Hey, didn''t you hear me"? Guard 1 spoke as he walked closer to them.


    Again, Audrey didn''t respond; her grey eyes just emotionlessly looked at the approaching guard. The rest of her face is hidden behind her veil.


    "Die" she finally spoke. But she spoke so softly that only Chloe heard her due to her enhanced senses, while Elsa, who was as close as Chloe to Audrey, didn''t hear anything. Chloe was a bit startled since this was the first time Audrey had ever said such a thing, and to a human no less.


    Boom! Boom!@@@@


    "Don''t open your eyes"


    Just as Chloe and Elsa were about to open their eyes after hearing two minor explosions. Audrey''s voice stopped them. While Elsa was completely confused, Chloe could somewhat guess what the source of the explosions was. Although she was super shocked by her guess, she wasn''t scared, after all, for Audrey to do such a thing, there must be a good reason. She then found herself curious about what Audrey and Muku saw to warrant such a reaction.


    As Chloe wondered, Audrey''s grey eyes reflected a weird scene. The area in front of them was all covered by a bloody mist. The two guards were nowhere to be seen. That''s right, Audrey had killed them by igniting their blood with her mana. While it would be quite hard to do to Rank Twos, it was easy to do these Rank One scum.


    The force was so strong that their tattered clothes remained. Everything else, bones included, was destroyed. They died before they even knew that they had been attacked.


    Then an even weirder scene happened. The bloody mist started gathering back together until it was liquid blood again. It then swallowed up the tattered clothes and flew into the distance outside the barrier. All that was left of what had happened were the two shallow holes in the ground from the explosions.


    "You can open your eyes now," Audrey said to the girls.


    Bang!


    Just as the dude was about to apologise. He was cut off, along with his life. As he spoke, he suddenly fell to the ground...dead. A multicoloured orb then flew from his body to Muku''s side.


    "So that''s what happens when all the metals in a human body are completely stripped away at once huh?" Muku spoke emotionlessly as he started walking closer to the field. If anyone heard his words, they''d probably feel a chill so strong that ice would form on their bodies.


    At this point, no one else had noticed what had happened. Apparently, all the males that weren''t part of the gang had either run away or were sent outside to hunt, which was basically sending them to their deaths. Those who were around were gang members who were "preoccupied" and didn''t care about their surroundings.


    As for the women, those who weren''t in the field getting defiled were either "reserved" inside the stadium, dead, or had also run away. The current population base was at most in the two hundred from the initial thousands. Most of the population were also unranked women used for venting by the gang members, with a few dying each day.


    "Hey!, who are you?" A random dude who had looked up while indulging asked after spotting Muku.


    Who had managed to reach the barricade of the field without being noticed despite not trying to be sneaky? He could have gone closer, but the smell from the arena was just too sickening for him to approach. Of course, he could isolate himself with his telekinesis from the smell, but it wasn''t necessary; he was close enough as he wanted to be. Even without the smell, the scene just looked way too disgusting.


    "I''m Death" Muku replied.


    "Oh, is that so? Hahahaha" The man who wasn''t around last time when Muku was, laughed maniacally. He just happened to be the boss''s right-hand man, and no one had ever dared to talk back to him, especially in such a way. So he was so pissed off he went crazy. What he didn''t notice was that the "local" gang members all started shivering in fear the moment they saw Muku. But before they could say anything, they''d drop dead, familiar orbs coming out of their bodies and heading towards Muku.


    By the time the right-hand man, who had his personal women but still liked visiting outside, finished laughing, every other man in the field was dead. Unlike him, the ladies had long noticed this, but they didn''t react, either not wanting to expose Muku, or nothing could move them anymore.


    "Men!, get this idiot! I want to break his bones one by one as soon as I''m done here" He ordered before continuing what he was doing. After a few seconds and seeing no movement, he stopped.


    "Hey, you fools! didn''t you..huh!?" He exploded out while looking around him, only to cut his statement short after seeing that all his men were lying on the ground motionlessly. There wasn''t even the faintest hint of life coming off any of them. Which meant they were all dead, which meant they all died without even being able to make a sound. A cold chill immediately went down his spine. His little fellow immediately lost strength, shrinking back from its peak two inches to less than an inch.


    "Y..you, wh..who are y..you?" He asked while stuttering from fear.


    "I told you, I''m Death" Muku replied again, quoting Author-san''s favourite villain...


    (A/N....Who really wasn''t a villain, just a bad*ss Bounty Hunter who only lost because he wasn''t the main character...Hmph!)

 Chapter 106 The Werewolf and The Maiden

    "Argh!" The soon-to-be-dead right-hand man who won''t get a name screamed in pain as an invisible force grabbed him tightly. It was so tight his bones felt like they would break at any moment. The force then flew him in Muku''s direction.


    "If I heard correctly, you said you wanted to break every bone in my body, right? One by one even... Well, I''ll add to that a bit. While you wanted to break...I''ll cut them off... starting with your fingers," Muku spoke calmly, not minding the man''s nakedness...well, it would seem so if he hadn''t closed his eyes. But at Rank Two his mana sense could already perceive things close to him with good enough accuracy, so he didn''t have to dirty his eyes.


    "I''ll start with your fingers....one at a time" He continued speaking, not waiting for the man to respond, though he wasn''t in any state to respond anyway.


    Whoosh!


    Slash!


    "Ahhhhh!"


    The moment Muku stopped speaking, a small blade formed in front of him and then flew at the right-hand man. Which was immediately followed by a piercing scream from the man. The scream was so loud that Muku had to open his eyes.


    "Oh...oh! Sorry about that, It''s my mistake; I didn''t mean to cut off three at once. My mana sense is not very accurate huh? Oh well, let''s try this again, this time on the other hand" Muku spoke nonchalantly as if he was talking about some minor act and not cutting off someone''s fingers.


    The man looked at him with such intense hatred while screaming in pain to the point that if gazes could kill, Muku would have died a thousand times over. Even the women lying powerlessly on the ground couldn''t help but feel a bit unsettled by what they were seeing.


    Of course, they enjoyed seeing this scum of a man getting tortured, which he deserved, but the one who was torturing him, though. He seemed like a madman instead of a hero; they weren''t sure if they would be next on the chopping block after the man. Although most of them didn''t mind dying at that point, while some even wished for it, none wanted to die so horribly.


    Luckily for them, Muku wasn''t the kind of madman they thought he was... probably. The way he was in the moment, even his group would find it hard to recognise him. He seemed calm, and yet one couldn''t bear to look at him for long without feeling fear. It was rather unsettling for the women.


    Whoosh!@@@@


    Slash!


    "AHHHHHH!!" The right-hand man let out an even louder scream. This time Muku had cut off his whole hand from the wrist. His eyes, which were full of fury and hatred before, were now filled with nothing but fear. Fear of the madman in front of him, fear that he could really die at any moment.


    "Okay, this is getting boring; plus, I can sense the strongest aura here coming here. So I guess you''re free to die now," Muku spoke while looking in a certain direction, not even bothering to look at the werewolf that couldn''t even wiggle from his grasp.


    "I summon...The Iron Maiden! Haha, I always wanted to say that," Muku spoke to himself as the legendary iron maiden appeared behind the werewolf. A crazy smiling expression on its face. Then it did what it does best, generously opening up and taking in a lucky person into itself.


    "Roooo...Ahhhh!" The lucky werewolf roared in pain, which ended up as a human scream at the end, likely after the transformation had been undone. Blood started flowing out from beneath the iron maiden. The maiden then opened up again and released the corpse of the right-hand man. His whole body why riddled with numerous holes. Only his head was untouched. Purposefully left untouched to allow him to scream in his last moment, though even that has a broken jaw.


    "That was quite satisfying... though it did seem like too much of an overkill" Muku spoke to himself while looking in a specific direction.


    "What''s up with all this noise from out here?? Didn''t I tell you all to keep it down while I take a nap? Do you all want to die?!" A voice boomed within the arena as heavy footsteps could be heard approaching the field from within the arena. The voice''s owner, who was the boss, didn''t know that there was an intruder since Muku hadn''t released his aura since the beginning. No one had been worthy enough for him to even try in the "battle".


    The boss thought it was one of the gang''s usual antics. It was common for them to get loud over petty issues. Just that it was the first time they had done so after he had already told them to stay quiet. He was already thinking of what punishment to give them so they don''t do it again. Completely unaware of the dangerous situation he was walking into.


    Hearing the voice, the women who had started to regain the light in their eyes immediately started shaking. They were overcome by fear so deep that they found it hard to breathe. If the right-hand man was a demon. Then the approaching figure was the devil himself. All of them, with no exception, had passed through his evil hands before being "made public".


    After less than a minute, the boss reached the field. It was a large man around 7 feet tall with hulking muscles walking forward with all the confidence in the world.


    His confident stride suddenly paused. How could it not? After all, in front of his eyes, there was nothing but the motionless bodies of his gang members. Which was more pronounced with the absence of the women who had gathered in a corner. Even worse, his right-hand man was also dead with numerous large holes all over his body. And a broken jaw on top of it. Anyone could easily tell that he did not have a painless death.


    "Wtf is this!?" The boss exclaimed.


    "Oh hello! You must be their boss! Welcome to the party," Muku spoke cheerfully in the opposite direction from the boss.


    Hearing his words made the women speechless. Was he really a clueless idiot who thought he could beat anyone?. Couldn''t he see he was out of his league this time? Sure he could defeat the others with his weird tricks, but the boss was a whole different story. A wise man would have long run away.


    "Hmm?" It was only after Muku spoke that the boss noticed him. After all, he was still making sense of what he was looking at.


    "It...it''s you!!" The boss exclaimed the moment his gaze landed on Muku. His eyes widened immediately as if he had seen the most shocking thing ever.

 Chapter 107 Supreme Monarch Ares?

    "Hmm?" Muku made a confused sound while intently looking at the gang boss.


    Which made the gang boss subconsciously take a step back. As if realising that he was embarrassed himself, he then took two steps forward in defiance. Even the women could see that he lacked confidence, which not only confused them but Muku as well since he didn''t remember ever meeting such a person before.


    "I''m sorry, but do I know you?" Muku asked, still trying to pinpoint where he could have possibly met such a large man. And he still couldn''t think of anything no matter how much he thought; after all, such a large fellow would leave a significant impression, right?


    "WHAT!?, AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO ME YOU DON''T EVEN HAVE THE DECENCY TO REMEMBER ME?? SO I WAS THAT MUCH OF A BUG IN YOUR EYES HUH?" The gang boss'' boomed loudly in anger as if Muku had insulted his mother or something. It seems not being remembered really got to him.


    "Again, I''m really sorry; a lot has been happening lately, so I hope you can understand. Plus I really don''t remember ever meeting such a large fellow like you before... Are you sure it was me you met?" Muku tried to reason with the man. So what if he was scum he was going to kill in a bit, he wanted the clear up the situation before that, just for his own curiosity.


    "Hehehe, oh right, I almost forgot. Last time we met, I didn''t look like this. I guess I really was a little bug unworthy of you remembering me. Hmm, in fact, I might have to thank you because if you didn''t do what you did and those assholes abandoned me afterwards, I wouldn''t be here," the gang boss spoke, this time calmer, understanding that his appearance did change a lot.


    Though even after his explanation, Muku still didn''t know who he was. It was like one of those awkward moments you meet a random dude who seems to be super familiar with you but... You don''t know who TF they are. To think it would persist into the apocalypse for Muku, how truly unlucky.


    P.s...If you''ve never had such an encounter, then chances are, you were the encounter.


    "Oh, you still don''t remember me?. Well, whatever, I''m Mest; I used to be a highly regarded captain in this here safe zone at the beginning. Then you came along, and just because I wanted to do my duty by privately interrogating that grey-haired girl you brought for security reasons... You beat me up and left me with just an inch of my life. After that, not only did Tom, that bastard and the rest of the traitors help me, but they even tossed my half-dead self out of the safe zone to be eaten by beasts" As if sensing that Muku still didn''t remember him, the gang boss...or Mest rather, patiently explained.


    The more he talked the more confidence he gained. He was internally hyping himself up in the process. Telling himself that things were different now and Muku was likely only as strong as him at this point if not weaker. With such thoughts, how could he not regain some confidence? He was a bona fide 99% Half-step R2 Ape King Berserker after all. A rare class aeons ahead of his initial class in terms of strength.


    If he knew, he might have left right then and there. He was fighting for them and they dare think him crazy!?. So what if his brain was feeling kinda quirky that day? Good damsels would never think of him negatively no matter what he does okay!?


    "ROOAR!" Mest finally collected himself and continued with his attack. He jumped up in the air with his hands held up high. His end goal is obviously to squash Muku into meat-paste.


    Sadly, things seldomly go the way we want them to...


    "Okay, I''ll play with you" Muku spoke with a little smile on his face as a silver armour with blue plate-like spikes sticking out the back of them. A helmet that was shaped like a lizard''s head and an unnecessary tail to boot. The same plate-like spikes on the helmet and tail. Clearly, trying to mock Mest, which succeeds as the anger in Mest''s eyes intensifies. How could it not? The bastard was wearing armour somewhat reminiscent of Godzilla!


    Bang!


    Boom!


    Although it might seem to have taken some time for Muku to put on the armour. It actually only happened within two seconds. Which not only left him with enough time to react to Mest''s attack but to even take the initiative.


    Which he did as he lunged toward and punched Mest in the chest sending the large ape crushing into the terrace.


    "Hehe, we all know how this battle ended don''t we?" Muku taunted while floating in the air, going toward Mest, who was trying to get up. Of course, Muku could fly using his telekinesis; he just never had the reason to. Even now, he was mostly doing it for fun.


    As Mest tried getting up, there was nothing but shock in his eyes. The previous anger was long gone. How was this bastard Muku so still so strong compared to him!? And was the taunt about knowing how the battle ends necessary? Also, if he''s gonna dress up like Godzilla to mock him can he at least not freaking fly!! How''s that fair?? When did Godzilla learn how to fly??

 Chapter 108 Do you want power?

    A bit over a month ago, on the very day, Mest was left for dead outside the safe zone...


    {Those bastards! What happened to their speeches if saying that we''re forever comrades who will always stand together. So what if I made a mistake, wouldn''t real comrades try to stand up for me? Even if they couldn''t, they could have at least helped me address my wounds} Mest thought to himself angrily as he felt his life slowly drain from his body.


    Despite having been left a distance away from the safe zone, no beasts came to put him out of his misery. It was as if they were mocking him. Like he wasn''t good enough for them to make the littlest bit of effort of just sniffing him out and killing him. After all, he was bloodied all over. On top of the thoughts about the supposed betrayal by Tom and the others. These thoughts also haunted him, making him feel even worse about himself.


    {It''s all his fault! Everything that happened to me. Before he came, everything was okay. Just because I said a few things he didn''t like he did this to me. He didn''t even have the decency to finish me off. I wish I had the strength to kill him. I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! Hate HATE! HATE! HATE! HATE! HATE! HATE! HATE! HATE! HATE! HATE! HAAAAATE!} Mest thought to himself while quickly losing his mind. The anger and hatred he had toward Muku got more and more intense each second that passed by.


    ***Do you want power?***


    A familiar, super sketchy line known by many was heard by Mest.


    {!!!?}


    All of Mest''s thoughts halted when a deep manly voice that demanded respect sounded in his head. Just that one sentence from whatever was being said was enough to drag back the mind he was about to lose to its initial state.


    {W-what was that!?} Mest thought to himself in a fearful tone. Even if he was already dying, humans will always have an innate fear of the unknown after all. He would have screamed out loud asking who had spoken if he could still speak. Sadly, Muku''s attack not only made him immobile, but he also couldn''t speak.


    ***Not what, it''s whom. Listen up, mortal, I, The Supreme Monarch Ares, will ask this only one more time. Do you want power? I can grant you enough power to make you strong enough to be at the top of your weak race. All you have to do is swear your loyalty to me and offer sacrifices. You don''t have to speak, just think and I will hear it. Decide quickly mortal, for you don''t have much time left***


    {I accept! Please Supreme Monarch Ares, please grant me power so that I can crush all my enemies. Power so that I can get my revenge} Like the corrupted person he was, Mest didn''t even think twice before accepting.


    Then again he had nothing to lose since he was about to die anyway. Although he thought that there was a chance someone was playing a prank on him, he didn''t care. And the fact that the being could read his thoughts gave him some confidence that it wasn''t some kind of sick joke on a dying man.


    ***Good, I am very pleased mortal. I like decisive individuals the most*** The voice sounded in Mest''s head again.


    It was only after calming down that he realised that the being had been talking inside his mind from the start. Such a mystic ability. It made him even more certain he made the right decision.


    ***Hehe, the experiment worked. Although this mortal is too weak and lacking potential. I''ll keep him for now***


    The majestic voice sounded again in Mest''s chaotic mind, but his consciousness had already faded to black so he didn''t hear it. Though even if he did, there was nothing he could do about it. He was already within the being known as Ares'' grasp now.


    Outside Mest''s mind, his body, which had previously been bruised and battered all over with most of its bones broken, was now completely different. It had gone from its initial 5.9ft to 7ft tall. His previously lanky build was completely replaced by a super muscular one instead. His muscles pressed against his clothes so much they looked like they would tear the second he made even the slightest of movements. Other than his face, he hadn''t changed too much; he seemed like a completely different person.


    The red mist had already mostly dissipated as if it was never there, leaving the unconscious Mest lying there completely unguarded. However, if any beast went to the area at the moment and sensed the remnant energy from the mist. It would flee without turning back, whether it be an unranked beast, Rank One, or even a Rank Ten. That''s just how monstrous the owner of the aura was.


    Mest didn''t know it, but he had luckily managed to cling onto the thigh of one of the supreme rulers of beasts. He was definitely on his way to the top...if he can survive Muku that is...


    .....


    It was only two days later that Mest managed to wake up. The moment he woke up, he was hit by a wave of hunger so strong he wanted to tear his own stomach out of his body.


    By some coincidence, two MR1 lizards happened to pass by. Seeing them, he was overwhelmed by fear. His strength from before didn''t even allow him to fight a LR1 lizard alone, let alone two MR1s. Surprisingly, unlike his mind, his body wasn''t afraid, it was charging toward the lizards before he knew what was happening. By the time he reached the lizards, his body, which felt foreign, felt even more foreign when it turned into a huge four-metre-tall large ape.


    The ape then tore the two lizards into many pieces and started consuming them. It was only after the body had feasted and gotten completely full that Mest regained back his control.


    He looked at his naked body covered by blood from the lizards and felt the little meat chunks in his mouth. Mest didn''t feel disgusted. Instead, he smiled before starting to laugh maniacally. So what if he had turned into a monster no other human would accept if they had witnessed what he had done. He had finally gotten the power he wanted. He could now get his revenge!. That''s all that mattered!


    His nakedness was caused by his clothes getting completely torn off when he turned into an ape. Who cared about public indecency in the apocalypse anyway? However, he couldn''t help but wonder why his trousers didn''t stubbornly remain on his person like the Hulk... Well, whatever, he could always look for something else to wear.


    Mest then spent the next few days learning how to use his abilities. Then he set out looking for Muku to get his revenge. Which he was unsuccessful in. So he started roaming around doing whatever he wanted; before he knew it, he already had a few subordinates around him. And they were just as corrupt as himself, which he liked a lot.


    Then, after a while, evolution came, and almost everything was destroyed. That''s when he thought it was time to go get his revenge on Tom''s group of weaklings. He hadn''t gone sooner since he felt like they wouldn''t be fun to kill due to their weak strength. And he was right, he took his men and easily got his revenge without even breaking a sweat. Tom''s team of weak classes wasn''t a challenge for him.


    Ares had already taught him how to carry out sacrifices. Which he did with Tom''s group. However, a few, like Adam from that group, managed to flee. He then took over the safe zone, leading to a great change where most of the people fled or got killed by him. In his point of view, it has been a good life for quite a while...


    That is until this bastard who he was looking at floating in front of him in a Godzilla-inspired armour came back. His eyes immediately reddened in anger, he was ready to go all out and end it...

 Chapter 109 Im just better than you

    "Rooooar!!"


    Whoosh!


    Boom!


    Bang!


    BANG!@@@@


    Along with his angry, monstrous roar, Mest released a reddish breath attack. It almost caught Muku off guard but he managed to dodge. Though honestly it probably wouldn''t have been able to penetrate his armour anyway. But still, he had to keep the game a little bit interesting, right?


    As soon as he saw the breath attack miss, Mest, who had finally gotten up, jumped up into the air again. He jumped with so much strength a booming sound was heard and the solid cement terrace was left with many cracks all over. But sadly, again, he was punched away by Muku. This time with even more force.


    His large body was thrown out of the area by the punch. He landed outside of the barrier with a big bang. It startled Audrey and the two girls who saw a large body fly over them and slamming onto the ground just outside of the barrier.


    Miraculously though, the creature didn''t take long to get up. Although it seemed to have felt a significant amount of pain, its body didn''t seem too wounded from the ordeal. Before they could react, they saw Muku float out of the stadium through the top wearing weird-looking armour.


    It didn''t surprise them much that he could fly since he''d do it from time to time inside the mansion when he felt too lazy to walk. And he could literally move a large mansion, so even if they hadn''t seen him fly before, they wouldn''t have been surprised.


    What surprised them, though, was the weird-looking armour. Only Chloe figured it out after looking at him and the ape a few times. She couldn''t help but think that he was rather childish but she didn''t expose him to the other two, who didn''t know what was going on.


    "What''s up with his armour" Little Elsa couldn''t help but ask. Audrey didn''t know how to reply since she was also thinking the same.


    "Umm, I think maybe it makes fighting the ape easier", Chloe replied, trying to defend Muku''s reputation to the best of her abilities.


    "Oh, okay" Elsa easily believed it. To her, whether it be Muku or the ape, they were godly beings in terms of strength. And since Muku wasn''t releasing his aura that much, she thought they might be equally matched. So, his wearing such weird armour to give him an edge in the battle made sense. After all, other than that, what else could be the reason?


    Audrey, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes at Chloe with some suspicion in them. To which Chloe reacted by guiltily looking away, swearing to herself internally not to say anything no matter what. Seeing how Chloe was lying and would likely not tell her the truth, Audrey gave up; after all, no harm was done.


    ...


    "You!, what are you!?. How are you so strong. How are you still so much stronger than me when I sold my soul??. Tell me damn it!! WHY MUST I ALWAYS BE AT YOUR MERCY!!"? The giant ape Mest could surprisingly still talk, though in a beastly and hoarse voice. He started screaming out random questions, he was again starting to lose his mind.


    Although he hadn''t been significantly injured yet, it seemed like he could still fight. He could tell that he was no match for Muku and would have likely already died if Muku was serious. Knowing that made him even more angry.


    As soon as Ares'' words fell, red energy exploded out of Mest''s body. It covered around four metres around him and went around seven metres into the sky.


    Boom!


    Bang!


    "Argh!"


    Without waiting for Muku to respond, Ares charged at him at a speed way above Half-step R2. Muku was caught off-guard and got punched in the gut by the large ape. The force was so strong his armour was broken off and he was thrown away as blood flew out of his mouth. For the first time ever, Muku was significantly injured in a battle. And it was done with just one punch!


    Boom!


    Whoosh!


    Chloe and Audrey, who were looking on from inside the barrier, immediately reacted. They both rushed toward Muku at their highest speeds, then caught him mid-air before he could crash into something.


    As if they had discussed it before, they quickly took Muku back into the barrier. Neither tried to hold off Ares, they could tell that such a task wasn''t something either of them could do alone. Even if they were angry, they had fought enough battles to know that they shouldn''t let their anger control them.


    "Oh, you think you can hide in there from me?" Ares spoke while slowly walking toward the barrier.


    Bang!


    "Hmm? Why can''t I get through?" Ares was confused; technically speaking, his body was that of a human at the time, so shouldn''t he be able to enter the barrier as well?


    While he was confused, Chloe and Audrey couldn''t help but sigh in relief, luckily the monster really couldn''t get in. They had taken a gamble after all. Then again it was their only option, not like they could outrun him for long if they chose to flee.


    "Argh! That really hurt; what a rare feeling" Muku, who had appeared to have fainted before, got up from the ground.


    His shirt had been ripped off by the punch so he was shirtless. His chest area looked bloodied. But soon it was covered by a silver layer of metal. In fact, internally he was also gravely injured. Most of his ribs had been broken. Yet they had all been put back in place and were getting held there by some metal.


    Although it really hurt, Muku knew that it wasn''t the time to listen to his pain. It was time to get rid of the monster in front of them.


    "Let''s go for a round two shall we?"


    Boom!


    Muku spoke with a slightly crazy smile on his face. His aura was fully released after a long time showing how grave the battle was. However, this time, it was controlled, so Elsa wasn''t impacted, nor was anyone else in the barrier.

 Chapter 110 Union Spell

    Crackle! Boom!


    Chloe, who had long been covered in lightning, sent a bolt into the sky, which exploded out loudly. It was a signal for backup their team had come up with. She wasn''t sure they could deal with this one with just the three of them. Muku and Audrey, who also thought the same, didn''t say anything. They even internally praised her decisiveness.


    "Hmm? summoning your little friends, I see...well, whatever, I''ll take care of them just as I''m about to take care of you when they arrive. To dare deny my offer?" Ares spoke after seeing the lightning bolt, not looking bothered by it, even by a little bit.


    BANG!!!


    "Hmm?....This trash.." Ares punched the barrier with his fist but the barrier was completely unmoved. However, his hand was completely broken to the point that the bones were sticking out. He couldn''t help but complain about how weak Mest''s body was while looking at the injury which was healing quickly due to the red energy coming from the body.


    Internally he was beating himself up for choosing such trash in the first place. Then again, he had tried it a few times before Mest unsuccessfully with the people dying during the process. So it really wasn''t his fault. He was just unlucky. But remembering how "she" got a great messenger, he couldn''t help but hate Mest for being such trash.


    "Are you going to stay hidden in there like rats instead of coming to face me?" Ares spoke in a mocking voice. Though secretly he was trying to taunt them into coming out, after all, he couldn''t stay in Mest''s body forever. In fact, as they spoke, while Mest''s body looked okay on the outside, it was actually falling apart from within.


    Ares'' power was just too much for it to bair, even just the meagre amount not even worth mentioning that he transferred over. So he wanted to quickly kill the ants that dared defy him before the body completely collapsed.


    Who cared if he was being unreasonable to want to kill someone just because he didn''t want to serve him. He had the power to do it, and so he would. And who wouldn''t feel offended if an ant refused to serve them?? Isn''t that basically the ant saying, you aren''t worthy of being my master. So infuriating!@@@@


    "Yeah, sorry, but we aren''t so easily angered like some third-rate villains", Muku replied calmly while the others nodded in agreement.


    "Really!? You''d be surprised by how many times that worked in the past, actually", Ares replied with a slightly surprised tone.


    Hearing his tone that didn''t seem angry at all, Muku couldn''t help but feel the thick irony. Just a while back, he was the one using that very tone against Mest. It''s the tone of someone who knows everything is within their grasp and they would end up winning no matter what.


    And looking at the situation, they really might lose. The aura Ares in Mest''s body was giving off was above MR2, likely at PR2. Which was a stage they had no confidence in facing.


    "Seems your little friends are getting..."


    Bang!


    It was a miracle that he could scream so loudly with just one lung and didn''t seem to be in pain at all. Then again, he had only taken control of the body, not completely moved into it.


    "I should have known that you would resort to trickery; that''s how lowly mortals are, after all", Ares spoke with anger burning in his eyes. Conveniently forgetting that he had tried to trick the other side a few times but failed.


    "Hehe, there are a few ways we can refute that statement, but you know what? We won''t. Let''s end this!" Muku replied while getting ready for battle.


    He could see that Mest''s body was already starting to heal under Ares'' control. So there''s no way he was going to continue their battle of words when their side finally managed to create an opening. Even if it was likely through something he had forbade someone from doing, but still... At least it worked out.


    .....


    A few kilometres away, a few minutes ago...


    Jade, who had been observing the stadium from time to time, noticed Chloe''s signal. It was something they had created long ago for situations like this when they were far from each other. They had also created a few different ones, the one Chloe used made Jade''s expression turn grave. For it was the one that signified the highest level of danger.


    And so, she quickly notified the others. Their first thought was to quickly go over and offer help. But Layla had a different plan. Something she and Muku had only discussed a few times but never tried due to the fear that it might go horribly wrong. But, desperate times call for desperate measures.


    And so, she told the other girls about her plan. They were a bit sceptical at first but knew full well that their current strength might not be able to help much even if they went to help. So they agreed.


    What Layla suggested was called "Union". A spell where multiple elements are joined together and fired off as one. Such a thing would definitely be deadly to the enemy. But it could also be equally deadly to the casters if they are unlucky. This was why Muku had forbidden Layla from telling the others about it, especially Jade, for obvious reasons.


    The theory behind it was that even though their mana had different affinities and would manifest differently. At the core of it, it was all just energy mimicking the element it had an affinity with. So, theoretically, it should be possible to mix that energy together for a single, stronger attack, as long as the mana hasn''t taken its final form of turning into an element. Although it would be chaotic since they would still have different properties. It was still doable, as long as you''re fast enough.


    Fortunately for the girls, luck was on their side. Their first Union Spell was successful. Maybe it was because of the situation that didn''t allow for them to fail. After Chloe''s signal, Jade had gotten closer to investigate, which was when Ares spoke about them coming. She also noticed how easily he blocked Muku''s attack along with the other two. They were really fighting a monster.


    Jade had the feeling that the energy the monster was using was somewhat familiar. She couldn''t remember where she recognised it from, so she gave up.


    Anyway, the information she brought back played a large part in their decision to try out a union spell. Unlike other spells that could be mystic-looking as much as you want, if you imagine it well enough. The union spell only had one state, and that was a beam of chaotic energy getting shot out while you hoped that it wouldn''t explode anywhere near you.


    And so, after struggling to keep it under control they held hands while gathering energy. The girls finally fired the attack at Ares''. Just that one attack took away all their energy, only leaving them with barely enough to stay awake.


    They weren''t surprised when it hit the target, for they knew it was just that strong. As they barely managed to stay standing, they internally prayed that Muku and the others would end the battle.

 Chapter 111 Total Annihilation!

    Back on the battlefield...@@@@


    "Lightning Tribulation!" Chloe didn''t waste time as she immediately cast her strongest spell. The sky above them was covered in dark clouds. Lightning crackling within menacingly. She didn''t attack immediately wanting to wait for the right opportunity.


    "Well, now, this lightning reminds me of a distant memory...well, it''s colour anyway. The puny strength is rather insulting.." Ares spoke while looking at the threatening dark clouds. He couldn''t do anything to them at the moment since he had to focus all his energy on keeping Mest''s mangled body alive while healing it.


    Boom!


    "Hmm?... impossible!!" Ares screamed hysterically while looking at Muku. Unlike unranked to R3 beasts who couldn''t sense anything that was within the safe zone barrier. He could sense it clearly, so when Muku''s aura exploded out. He immediately found out. Just as he found out about the impressive aura for a LR2 Evolver, he also found out about the silverish-grey mass forming in between Muku''s hands.


    "Oh, so you noticed it huh? Well, I''d like to congratulate you on being the first one to receive this attack. You wouldn''t run away now, would you?" Muku, who had his eyes closed, knew from the iconic "Hmm?" That Ares had noticed what he was doing. He wasn''t sure if he''d run away, so he taunted him.


    "Mortal, stop what you''re doing, and we can still be friends", Ares spoke calmly, but internally, he was very anxious. What Muku was creating happened to be the only thing that could harm him... Mithril, the Deity Slaying Metal that hasn''t appeared for billions of years ever since "The Holocaust Of The Titans", a war he and a few barely survived due to sheer luck. Anyway, that''s also a story for another day.


    What mattered most at the moment was that Ares couldn''t take back the wisp of consciousness that was controlling Mest''s body. At least not fast enough. At the same time, he couldn''t yet move Mest''s body due to the injury, he was practically a sitting duck. He wasn''t sure if what Muku was creating would be able to do something or not since he was still too weak. But if possible, he didn''t want to take the chance but sadly, he had no choice in the matter.


    "Master, I''ve been studying him since he received the attack from earlier. He isn''t as arrogant as before. Which by itself isn''t too surprising after what happened, but I also noticed that he hasn''t moved even an inch, which is weird. Not to mention his words just now. I think he might be in a vulnerable position right now, even more than we thought" Audrey who hadn''t spoken much since the whole ordeal began, made her presence felt.


    She did so by saying something that made Ares want to rip her into pieces in anger. Couldn''t she just stay quiet like before!?. Wouldn''t Muku have seriously considered taking his offer!? Ares thought internally but didn''t let it show on his face. There might still be a chance if he acts well enough...


    "Really? Chloe, why don''t you attack first and we''ll see how he reacts. First try a little attack, if it''s not blocked or dodged, go all out. Audrey you''ll attack right after her and I''ll attack last since I''m still gathering energy"


    Or not.... As Muku immediately gave out his orders loudly. Not even caring about how Ares could clearly hear. The worst part, the bastard still had his eyes closed still gathering power for his attack, showing how he was more focused on that. Couldn''t he at least open his eyes to show respect or something??


    As soon as the lightning cleared up leaving occasion sparks all over the place. Ares was visible again, he didn''t say anything, seemingly unfazed. But Mest''s body told a different story. After all, its grey fur, along with its skin, was gone. Standing in a deep hole around four metres deep. All Audrey and Chloe could see was his disgusting-looking skinless head. It was as if all the skin had been peeled off leaving all the muscles and tissue exposed. Which was probably why Ares couldn''t speak, how could he speak with such a body?


    Chloe, the artist of the work in front of them couldn''t help but cover her mouth weakly in horror. She felt like vomiting but held it in. With all her knowledge from novels and anime, she knew that such things would likely become common, so she had to get used to it. And so, despite standing weakly after using up most of her mana, a resolute look was present in her eyes.


    "Crimson Lance!" Audrey, who had long prepared her attack, reacted quickly and shot out a five-metre long and one-metre thick blood lance. She could have made it bigger, but she didn''t have enough blood for it.


    Bang! Splash!


    Surprisingly, her spear turned to liquid the moment it touched Mest''s body. To which Ares reacted by giving her a disdainful look. Likely thinking that she had messed up the spell due to being nervous since it was possible.


    Which had happened a lot to many people in the apocalypse, just that it had never happened in Muku''s group. Despite their different personalities, they were all strong-willed underneath, so it was never a problem for them. The first time they found out about it in the future, they were super surprised by it.


    Ares'' disdainful look suddenly turned to confusion when he noticed the little smirk on Audrey''s face. Then it turned to surprise, then horror when he felt the blood penetrate into Mest''s body and quickly start corrupting the blood. If left unchecked, he''d be stuck in a body he can''t even control!


    So he had to spread his energy even thinner just to stay in control. Now he was keeping the body alive, trying to heal it from the injuries that had again increased thanks to Chloe''s attack. And with Audrey''s eery ability he had never come across before, which also needed attention, he couldn''t take anymore.


    {What kind of weird ability is this!? I have come across blood manipulation before, but it was never as absurd as corrupting the body and taking control of it while the individual is still alive! Not to mention this weird energy lurking within that seems familiar somehow. Ah! Why am I so unlucky today!? If only I had run away when I had the chance!} Ares thought to himself while trying to keep Mest''s body from falling apart. Regret is the main theme of all his thoughts.


    "Finally done... Deity Slaying Art! First Form: Glimpse Of The End!" Muku, who had finally finished gathering energy and successfully creating a complete sword for the first time, called out the spell''s name. Which didn''t seem like a spell name at all, more like a technique. And the way he said it, it was as if it was instinctual instead of having been thought of.


    "OH NO! IT''S REAL!" Ares screamed out loudly in fear as he forcefully opened Mest''s ruined mouth. The voice that came out was super raspy and unpleasant to hear, but it still clearly showed the fear Ares felt at the time.


    BOOOOOOOOOOOM! (...B*tch!!!... Sorry, I just had to)

 Chapter 112 Unbelievable Reward!

    Mest was erased out of existence, along with Ares'' soul fragment that was supposed to be immortal... The hole he was standing in was erased along with him. In its place now stood a crater....or a gorge? After all, it was seven meters deep, five meters wide and more than twenty metres long.@@@@


    .....


    A few moments earlier, as Muku was gathering energy...


    [Anomaly detected...]


    [Anomaly identified to be Deity Slaying Art engraved onto Mithril by unknown Law...]


    [Individual doesn''t meet requirements to learn complete Art...]


    [Individual meets criteria to learn First Form...]


    [Acquiring related knowledge...]


    [Knowledge acquired...]


    Prompt after prompt rang out in Muku''s head. He almost lost control of the energy he was gathering while trying to make sense of what was happening. How could he not be a bit distracted when another hidden power pops up? So what if he was the protagonist, shouldn''t there be a limit to the power-ups!? And why is it not categorised as a "Spell" but an "Art" instead? Well, that''s another story for another day, he had something to do...


    The moment Muku put his thoughts aside, happened to be the moment he gathered enough power. The grey energy that obscured what he was creating also cleared up as it was drawn in by the creation.


    Then it became clear to everyone present, including Muku himself who had never seen it. Even the first time he created it, he felt like something was guiding him. This was also the case with the initial idea he got of creating Mithril in the first place.


    It was a grey sword. A sword so beautiful that even a person who hates swords would agree. It was so beautiful that Muku almost couldn''t bear to attack with it. Three meters long, five inches wide with unknown characters engraved on it that Muku couldn''t read them. Something in him told him that he wasn''t yet worthy to know the meaning, his strength was too weak. The seven-inch hilt also had some engravings on it, which he again couldn''t make sense of.


    "Finally done... Deity Slaying Art! First Form: Glimpse Of The End!" Muku, who had finally managed to free himself from the sword''s seduction, screamed out.


    Unlike the usual times were the sword would fly out and hit the enemy. The time, the sword didn''t move, it just floated in front of Muku while pointing in Ares'' direction. The moment he called out the technique''s name, a grey energy was shot out of the blade, and it flew toward Ares at a speed similar to the Union spell. Its strength is the same as well.


    They didn''t even know that such a thing was possible. But it was a welcomed and pleasant surprise. Luckily, all of them participated, or someone might have died from sheer jealousy. After all, it would have taken them ages to reach such a high percentage!


    The greedy Jade couldn''t help but secretly wish that another Progenitor Soul fragment would show up. The reward clouded her mind, completely forgetting how it could have gone badly and someone could have died. Fortunately for her, she didn''t say it out loud, or she might have gotten a beating from the others. After all, in her current state, she couldn''t run away.


    ....


    "What a strong attack" After a while of silence. Chloe finally couldn''t take it and spoke up.


    "Yeah...thanks?" Muku replied, not too sure what to say to such a thing.


    "But why didn''t you use your telekinesis or bloodline power from start to finish? Wouldn''t that have made the battle easier?" Chloe then proceeded to ask a question that had been on her mind for a while.


    "Oh, that... I tried both actually. But for some reason, my Telekinesis would get cancelled out the moment it touched Mest''s body. Likely something to do with Ares'' intense mental power. As for my bloodline ability...the unreliable thing didn''t even activate. I couldn''t even sense it until Ares was killed for some reason," Muku explained with a wry smile, which turned resentful at the end. How could he not be resentful when his trump card failed when he needed it most?


    What he didn''t know, though, was that his bloodline actually saved him from getting into deeper trouble. Using Mithril might have made him Ares'' enemy, but if he had used his bloodline''s power...he would have become the enemy of all the progenitors and they''d hunt him down till his death. After all, the history of the bloodline was just too great. It wasn''t something they were willing to let someone have...not again.


    But that was something he would find out in the future. In the present, he was resentful and that''s all that mattered.


    ....


    In a desolate and unknown area...


    A humongous golden ape that seemed to reach beyond the heavens could be seen with its eyes closed. Energy waves are strong enough to instantly kill even a Rank Ten beast radiating from its body.


    Suddenly its eyes sprang open, exposing golden pupils full of anger. On its lip, a little trail of blood could be seen flowing out. A few drops dropped to the ground below and destroyed it, sinking into the ground until they couldn''t be seen.


    "MORTAL... I WILL MAKE YOU PAY" the large ape spoke in a calm voice. Yet it boomed so loudly it shook the ground all around it. But the voice was familiar to Muku. For it was Ares'' voice. And the body so large it could scare anyone who saw it to death was also Ares'' real body.


    If Muku had seen it before going against Ares, he likely wouldn''t have gone against him. After all, who would dare go against such a thing and claim to be sane?

 Chapter 113 Addressing the Stadium Women

    The next day...


    On the previous day, Muku and the girls returned to the mansion. Any further matters were put off until they had fully recovered. Which ended up taking longer than everyone thought. So they could only return to the stadium on the next day.


    Which was where they were now, early in the morning. In front of them stood more than a hundred women wearing rags with malnutrition bodies. They were the same ones from the day before but unlike the dim look in their eyes the previous day. This time their eyes were filled with hope and reverence.


    Although they had not seen the battle between Muku''s group and Ares. They had seen the aftermath and they were awed. They felt like Muku''s group weren''t humans but demigods who had come to save them. After all, how could humans do such damage? They felt so reverend that they decided to dedicate their lives to Muku''s group and threw away any ideas of suicide they might have had.


    It was definitely a weird turn of events that shocked Muku''s group, but after thinking about what the women had gone through. Maybe viewing their saviours so highly was understandable.


    At first, they just viewed Muku highly, but after he told them that he couldn''t have done it without the others. The women were even happier. Maybe finding out that women like them could also be so strong made them feel better. So their worship of Muku was quickly extended to the rest of the group.


    Even little Elsa was added which made her so embarrassed that she refused to face anyone and stood behind Emily. After all, she knew that she wasn''t that much stronger than the women, so them viewing her so highly just felt too weird to her.


    Jade, on the other hand, was so pleased that she ran back to the mansion and brought back more than fifty kilogrammes of PR1 beast meat. The others couldn''t help but roll their eyes at how it was so easy to please her. Just say a few words and she''ll basically do anything for you. It didn''t even take her long to return since the mansion had been brought closer.


    Since it was already a done deal, the others also sympathised with the women so they didn''t mind Jade helping them. Emily helped in cooking the meat. The others went around giving the women a plate of meat each on plates created by Muku. Who had gone to increase the size of the little well that was dug just outside the barrier? Apparently, the barrier was cut off from the outside world. After digging just two meters into the ground, you''d reach an impenetrable barrier, unlike the one above ground.@@@@


    Again, all of them were willing. The threat of death didn''t scare them anymore. After all, they had been wishing for it for a long time up to that point but it never came. So why be scared of such a thing? And even if they died, who cares? It was better to die while trying to gain strength for self-improvement than under some scummy man. Their blood was already boiling from anticipation for when they would finally get to face beasts and release all their anger.


    With the improvement in their hidden strength attribute from the beast meat. They felt like they could take on anything at the moment.


    "Good, good, very good. We''ll set off in two days in batches of ten so that we can protect all of you" Muku said with a beaming smile. His words made the women want to beat him up. From how he spoke before, it was like he was going to mostly let them fend for themselves out there in their large numbers. Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire


    But now, to find out that their life was guaranteed, how could they not be poser off? Especially the ones that almost backed down, they realised that they almost got tricked into staying trash forever. They couldn''t help but give Muku a resentful look. Such a hateful man!


    "Hhh?...Oh! Had forgotten about that. Well, now this is awkward," Muku, who was standing in front of the women with a grin on his face, suddenly spoke loudly in a slightly embarrassed tone. How could he not be embarrassed when he promised all these ladies enough unranked beasts to reach Rank One? When he couldn''t even find one beast for Elsa.


    He couldn''t help but feel slightly resentful of Audrey who waited for him to finish his speech before reminding him. What was he supposed to do now??


    "Umm, so ladies. Although we''re willing to help you get stronger. We are currently facing a shortage of unranked beasts, so it might take some time for you all to evolve. I''m so sorry about that. But we promise to stay close by until all of you are assisted" Muku spoke after thinking a bit. He had spoken in a way that basically made it the beasts'' fault for not being around.


    And he even used "we" instead of "I" as to throw the girls under the bus with him if the women were angered. The ladies, of course, understood all of this and couldn''t help but glare at him. If they weren''t in a public place and she wasn''t certain that she''d lose, Jade might have attacked him on the spot for being such a snake.


    "Umm, I happen to know a place where there might be more than a thousand unranked beasts". Suddenly before anyone could say anything. A timid voice sounded from within the crowd of women.

 Chapter 114 Live for them.

    "Oh.. everyone please make way, let the person who just spoke come forward," Muku spoke with keen interest while looking in the direction of the voice that just spoke.


    If what the person said is true, then all their problems would be fixed. Little Elsa can finally evolve. While no one mentioned it, they were all curious as to what class she''d awaken after the influence of the Fairy Embryo.


    Soon, an averagely framed and cute-looking young woman stood in front of Muku nervously. She was the one who had spoken out before. Oddly though, unlike most of the women present, while her clothes did look a bit faded, they weren''t ripped in any way. And the light in her eyes also didn''t seem to have dimmed down like the rest. Which made Muku quickly realise that she might have been one of the few "lucky" ones who had been saved for later.


    This would explain why most of the women present didn''t look at her positively. After all, who would like someone who was spared from the torture the rest of them had to face?. Especially when it was something as horrible as being defiled.


    And even if it wasn''t that bad, humans generally don''t like others to be in a more fortunate position than them. If they should suffer, then everyone must suffer with them. If they should prosper, they should prosper alone. Is it unreasonable?...No, it''s just human. At least that''s the defence they would give you if you asked for justification.


    "No need to be afraid, no one will do anything to you. First tell me, what''s your name?. I''m Muku" Muku spoke in a gentle voice to the young woman. But not before glaring at the women who were giving her the stink eye. After his warning look, they took back their gazes and looked to the ground.


    "I..ah, I am F...Freya. I..ah," The girl, named Freya, stuttered all over the place with her low, soft and gentle voice, making it rather hard to understand those around her. Of course, Muku''s team members could make sense of it, but why should they?


    "Please, take your time. We''re in no rush. In fact, why don''t you take a few moments to breathe in and out so that you can calm down." And so, Muku interrupted her.


    Hearing him speak while she was still speaking or stuttering rather, almost made Freya''s soul jump out of her body. She thought that her nervous way of speaking might have angered him, but quickly calmed down after hearing his calming words. Even the pressure she felt from standing in front of such a strong person lessened.


    "R-right, when me and a few of the others we held captive in the stadium. I happened to overhear the bo...the criminal from before mentioned something about an ant colony east of here. He said that there were too many of them, and none of his men had AoE spells, so they couldn''t take care of them without tiring themselves out. Actually, it wasn''t only me who heard this, just that the others were all killed by that monster while "playing with them". It would have been my turn today had..." Freya managed to properly explain after calming down.


    She got so confident that at the end, she was displaying an array of emotions, unlike when she began. Her emotions range from anger, fear and sorrow to relief, then disgust, then guilt. It was quite the show with her easy-to-read facial expressions.


    "Oh, so that''s what happened. And you don''t need to feel guilty. It wasn''t your fault what happened to them. There''s nothing you could have possibly done about it. You all were just unlucky. Also, you shouldn''t feel disgusted with yourself for being glad that it wasn''t you. Who wouldn''t be happy that they managed to survive such a situation? If you still feel bad about it, then live a life they would all be proud of in their stead, live for them." Muku couldn''t help but try to console Freya.


    The poor girl looked like she was about to collapse under her own thoughts let alone the unfriendly gazes she must have been getting for a while. Again he was reminded of the atrocities of the apocalypse. How he and his group were lucky to be strong or who knows where they would be. Or if they would even be alive.


    "Why do you ask?" Muku played along while pretending to be dumb.


    "Oh, no reason. Just asking, you don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to" Jade replied, her voice still calm.


    "You know, I''d believe you a bit more if you... Weren''t grabbing my hand so tightly like you won''t let me go if I don''t answer you?" Muku spoke while prying his hand out of Jade''s vice-like grip. After doing it he even noticed that there was a faint reddish handprint left on the spot she was grabbing. Which showed just how much strength she had used.


    Whoosh!


    "I''m going to scout the area, be back soon. And don''t do anything to her...Ike talking to you Jade!" Muku, who could sense that things were about to take a bad turn for him, quickly made a break for it. He flew away before anyone could say anything, only his words lingered in the air a bit before also disappearing. He felt like he had to mention something about them not hurting Freya or someone(Jade) might really try it. Who knew they could be so scary?.


    Originally he would have taken at least one of them with him... But there was no way he was going to do such a thing in the current situation. What if they killed him there and disposed of the body.


    ..... Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Sooo, Hope, hypothetically...Can your Whisperless Death spell kill a person without leaving any traces behind?" As they looked at Muku''s fading shadow. Jade suddenly asked a weird question.


    "Yeah...I guess so...Why do you ask?" Hope replied confusedly at the beginning. But her eyes widened from realisation before she asked Jade why she asked.


    "...No reason" Seeing Hope''s reaction, as well as the others. Jade immediately backed out from what she wanted to say. To think she was the only one who considered it...


    She immediately felt angry at Muku. It was his fault that she even thought of it. If he hadn''t said anything, she wouldn''t have thought of it either... probably... maybe...okay, at least she wouldn''t carry it out.


    ...


    Somewhere within the stadium, Freya felt a sudden chill like she just avoided a great danger.

 Chapter 115 Mother of the group

    50 kilometres east of the stadium...


    "Well...this is, definitely what we need. But to think there''d be so many," Muku, who was floating in the air, a bit of distance away from the ant colony, spoke to himself in wonder. He''d never seen so many beasts in one place before.


    The ant nest looked like a four-story skyscraper built from mud and rubble. With at least a thousand unranked ants going in and out. On top of that, there were a sizable amount of Rank One beasts going around, too. He could also tell that a few monsters lay down below in hiding, which was why he didn''t dare get closer. Who knew what ability they would have?.


    Even if he was close to the peak of Rank Two. He dared not be arrogant. Especially when he was alone. Plus his body hadn''t fully healed from Ares'' attack even after Hope''s healing. For some reason, although all the injuries, both external and internal, were healed. He still felt some slight discomfort whenever he moved. He suspected that there might be a hidden aspect to Ares'' attack he couldn''t sense.


    "Well, I whatever, with the others here, it should be fine. I''ll go back for now" After looking around a bit more and coming up with a game plan. Muku flew away.


    As he left, a pair of huge black eyes looked in his direction from ten metres below ground. They had been looking at him since he appeared, yet he couldn''t sense them. As for how they could see him through the soil? X-ray vision maybe? Well, whatever the reason, the owner saw Muku and would have attacked if he had come any closer. Which would have likely ended badly for him.


    ...


    A few hours later...


    "Oh, so her information was correct and there are even more ants than initially anticipated. With many Rank Ones and a possibility for multiple Rank Twos as well?...did Christmas come early this year!?" Jade repeated what Muku, who had just arrived, told them, getting more and more excited the more she spoke.


    Her battle spirit was already blazing hot. The girl was becoming more and more like a battle maniac. The others couldn''t help but be reminded of the legendary Amazons whenever she was like that.


    "Yes, and don''t you dare rush deep into the horde when we fight, or you''re off the team", Muku, who had wisely waited a few hours to return despite having finished his work within an hour. As to let the girls cool off a bit replied Jade with a little smile on his face. How could he not tell what she was thinking?...the girl was just that rush.


    Normally he''d let her be. But this time he couldn''t do so since she still couldn''t use all her strength. Heck, she still couldn''t transform yet. So letting her jump into a horde of monsters with a possibility of Rank Two beasts popping up was not an option.


    "What is that a threat!?, you''d kick me out just because of that after all we''ve been through together. After all, you''ve made me do??" Jade exclaimed with a surprised expression on her face which became sad at the end with a bit of shyness beneath.


    "Don''t be stupid; of course, it''s a threat. Why would we want to keep a maniac that''s always causing trouble in the team? And what do you mean by what I''ve made you do?? Can''t you speak properly you brat? And why are you acting shy for no reason? Do you want to ruin my reputation?!" Muku exclaimed in annoyance at how Jade was trying to get back at him for denying her, her fun.


    "Tsk, fine", Jade relented, knowing that she wouldn''t win the argument anyway.@@@@


    And so, they did what they were told. Which was to get onto the large silver platform Muku had created that had seats on it. It was a rather mystical thing for the women. Jade couldn''t help but complain at the side since when it''s them, he never creates seats and makes them stand all the way to their destination.


    His reason is that either they do it his way or they walk. But they all knew that he was just being petty. Not wanting them to completely relax while he expended his mana. Which was rather childish, but they quite enjoyed that side of him as well since it was something only they knew.


    ...


    Behind Audrey...


    "Wow, Layla, was your mother always so cool and confident?" Hope asked Layla in a whispering voice.


    "...I don''t think so...at least I''ve never seen her like this" Layla replied after thinking a bit. Before the apocalypse, the only side of Audrey she had seen was the passive one never willing to take charge. So seeing her taking charge of strangers so easily and confidently was surprising for her as well.


    "Maybe she got her confidence from her strength?" Jade chimed in from beside them.


    "I doubt that that''s true. We all got stronger, but we are basically still the same as we''ve always been. Just that you''ve gotten a bit crazier and rush...but even that''s an increase to what you already had" Emily refuted Jade''s claim.


    "Emily... were you maybe just waiting for a chance to diss me?" Jade replied to Emily with a deadpan expression on her face.


    "Hehe, maybe" Emily replied while giggling mischievously.


    "Tsk, wait until our next match; I''ll show you exactly how crazy I can be", Jade immediately fired back, unwilling to be looked down upon.


    "What if I refuse?" Emily replied mischievously again which made Jade even angrier. And like that, the two girls started arguing until the others got involved.


    What they didn''t know was that Jade was actually right. Audrey had gotten her confidence from her powers. More specifically, the trace of Muku''s bloodline in her body didn''t allow for even its sub-host to be meek in front of others.


    By the time the girls finished arguing. Everyone had already gotten on, and the journey had already begun.


    Muku and Audrey chose to stay out of it since they couldn''t even understand what they were arguing about.


    Even little Elsa felt embarrassed for them. How was she younger than such childish people??. To think even Layla would join just because the issue of who was the strongest among the girls was brought up...

 Chapter 116 She cant go

    A bit over a kilometre away from the ant colony...


    "Woah...it really is like a lake of ants!" Jade, who could see things a lot clearer than the others, couldn''t help but comment in awe. Her hands were already itching for a fight.


    "Don''t you dare! Remember what you promised! Besides, in the first days, we are all just bodyguards while these ladies fight. We wouldn''t want to run out of unranked ants because you got too excited after all" Again, Muku ruthlessly burst Jade''s bubble with his cold words. Her battle intent that was quickly rising deflated back to zero in seconds.


    "Tsk, party pooper", Jade cursed Muku in a whisper, then stood aside in protest.


    "Ladies, the plan here is that I''ll first get each of you an ant to fight alone to get familiar with how they attack. After that since we wouldn''t want to be here for longer than necessary. I''ll increase the number of ants. Don''t worry too much since these unranked beasts, even if they are ants, won''t be too much stronger than you all. After all, you all got your various hidden attributes increased by the beast meat" Muku immediately explained how things were going to work to the girls while completely ignoring Jade. Much to her displeasure, but she didn''t make a scene knowing that it wasn''t the time for such things.


    "Every understand?" Muku asked the women if they understood after finishing his explanation.


    "Yes sir!" The ladies called out in unison. Of course, they weren''t too loud to avoid attracting attention from the ants.


    "Good, now let me go get you the first batch" Muku spoke in a pleased tone before flying off.


    What he was about to do was nothing new. It was practically the same thing he did with Elsa. Just that this time he''d have to bring back more beasts than before and do it a few more times.


    ....


    "Okay, your sixteen rings are prepared. Each of you get into one, and I''ll release the ants" Muku, who had sixteen ants floating behind him, addressed the women along with Elsa.


    The women hesitated a bit, seeing the large scary-looking ants with their legs kicking all over the place. Elsa was different though. She had been itching to get into action for a long time. The little girl was rather pitiful. Seeing everyone else fighting almost every day and being around for big fights and yet being too weak to even tickle the enemy.


    So, while her facial expressions hadn''t changed much, underneath the veil, she was super excited. While she thought she was hiding it well, the others from her group could see it clearly enough. After all, they had been spending every day with her, so they had her all figured out.@@@@


    Seeing her so excited made Layla seem a bit conflicted for some reason. But after a few seconds of thought, a resolute look appeared on her face. Then just as Elsa was about to walk to her ring, she stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder.


    "Hmm?" Elsa made a confused sound while looking back at Layla. Firstly she didn''t understand why she was being stopped. And secondly for it to be the ice queen who basically never talked to her before to be the one to stop her? She was more than confused.


    "Y-yes, I''m ready" Freya gulped down some saliva while looking at the large ant that was standing more than a metre tall in front of her. Its large black head and sickle-like mandibles looked threatening like they were ready to cut her in half and eat her on the spot.


    She then looked at the silver blade she held. Her confidence immediately surged up for some reason. Then she gave a hesitant at first, but confident at the end reply.


    "Good", Muku replied with a smile, then immediately let the ant go. He then went to deal with the other women one by one until everyone''s battle began.


    ...


    Back at Freya''s battle...


    She was visibly tired. Her rather big chest heaved up and down, sweating all over her body. There were even a few bloody scratches on her body. Clearly, she was having an easy time. But her eyes were still resolute, and her grip on her sword was still as strong as ever.


    Opposite her, the ant was in a worse state than her. One of its back legs was cut off. There was a large slash on its forehead and another one on its side. On top of that, many little cuts were all over its body. Its body fluids were leaking all over the place. It could barely stand.


    "Wow, she''s good", Jade, who was overseeing her battle along with those of a few other girls, spoke to herself. At first, she hoped that Freya would fail badly and then ask for her help. That way, any interest in her Muku might have would end, and she wouldn''t be a problem anymore. The outcome was set in stone!...at least in Jade''s head.


    But surprisingly. No matter how much she struggled. How hurt she got. Freya never once asked for help. She kept on fighting until the point where the ant was almost dead, and she still stood strong even in her wounded and tired condition.


    Before she knew it, Jade found herself rooting for Freya. She couldn''t help but be reminded of their weaker days when the battle seemed like a life-and-death crisis. It might as well have been since they really could have been killed then. By the claws and teeth of an unranked dog no less...an idea completely absurd to the current her.


    "Haaa...yah!" Freya shouted as she drew upon her last energy and rushed toward the ant. The ant, not willing to be outdone, also rushed forward. The two warriors, at the end of their strength, met in the middle of the ring for their final clash.


    While it was painfully slow to Jade. It was still quite entertaining to watch. It''s like watching two toddlers slapping each other nonstop. You just won''t be able to look away wanting to see which one will win their little fight.


    The battle was decided when Freya said "yah!" As she had finally managed to come at the ant from the right angle and managed to stab right through its head without being cut by its mandibles.


    Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    [Condition for evolution met. Kill nine more beasts to become a Rank One Evolver and gain specialisation]


    An old and familiar prompt to many rang out in Freya''s head for the first time. Startling the poor girl into jumping up in fright since Muku and his girls had forgotten to mention it. This is understandable since they''ve been in the game for so long that they''ve forgotten the little things about how they got in.

 Chapter 117 Struggle for strength!

    "To think she would be the first one to kill her beast despite her personality" Jade suddenly spoke to no one in particular. There was a hint of disbelief in her tone, but other than that she seemed fine. After all, since none of them chose Freya due to various reasons, not just their bias, no one would be getting anyone''s meat.


    "Yeah, none of us saw it coming", Emily chimed in, feeling a bit salty. She really didn''t want Freya to stand out so much.


    "Oh well, stuff happens I guess" Chloe just shrugged it off. While she also didn''t want Freya to get closer to Muku, she didn''t hold any particular negative feelings for the girl.


    "Well yeah, you''d say that. After all, your choice was the second one to succeed in killing, while mine couldn''t even kill theirs," Hope immediately replied to Chloe with a lot more saltiness in her voice.


    While it was okay to lose. But the fact that her choice couldn''t even complete the task really stung. Especially when everyone else''s choices at least killed theirs.


    That''s right, the girls had gathered up after the fifteen women all finished their battles. Of course, not all of them were successful, like Hope''s choice, who passed out mid-battle. There were actually five of them who didn''t successfully kill their ant opponent.


    And the lucky ants were released back to their nest by Muku under the confusion of the girls. When they asked him about it. His answer was "Since they won their battles, they deserve to live a while longer before the eventual death when we wipe the nest out"


    When they asked him what the difference in dying a little later and dying now. His answer was, " Isn''t it the same with humans and our little lifespan. Are you saying that just because we''re destined to die at any moment, we should just die now?"


    After that, the girls didn''t ask anything more. They felt like he was just displaying his weirdness differently.


    While in reality, although Muku really did want to give them a bit more time to live. His main reason was to see whether whatever was hiding in the ant colony that he could barely sense would be aroused by the injuries on the ants or not. Or whether, more specifically, it cared about the bottom-tier ants that weren''t even Rank One yet.


    If it showed some movements then their plan to get all the women at the stadium to Rank one could be in jeopardy. As there is no way the R1 ants would survive a clash between higher Rank beings like themselves.


    On the other end, if it didn''t care, then at least for a little while they would be safe to carry out their large endeavour. If they are lucky, maybe it will move after they''ve already gotten all the women to rank one.


    So more than anything, releasing the ants was nothing more than a simple probe.


    As for not telling the girls. He felt that he shouldn''t baby them too much. In fact, Jade''s senses should be more than enough to sense the hidden boss, even clearer than him in fact. But he''d noticed that she''d started to depend on him so much she was losing her vigilance which dulled her senses.


    Even the sharpest beast would lose its edge if it lazed around all day. Let alone Jade who was still getting used to her abilities. Especially now when her abilities were weakened with her mana to Beast Aura conversation going on.


    But the unfeeling monsters in Muku''s group who they thought were saints before, but not anymore. Wouldn''t let them go. They wouldn''t let them rest for more than an hour.


    The worst part is that even if they got injured, they wouldn''t let you go since you''d be healed soon after. On top of that, whenever they tried to drag the battle on so that they could expend some of the daylight... A blue lightning bolt that didn''t injure them but hurt like hell would strike them on the spot.


    They were all regretting their decision to get stronger after suffering so much. But since they had already begun, they could only continue while shedding tears of blood hoping that the day would quickly come to an end.


    Their only happiness at that point was knowing that even those who were left behind would also suffer one day. They even promised each other to not mention anything to the others when they got back.


    "Hehe, ladies, I know that some of you can, if not all of you, want to quit right now. But remember, the only path to strength is hard work. Even me and my team went through all this. Look where we are at now. Whenever you''re about to give up, just look at us and say to yourself, "I can do it! I will be as strong as them one day" Muku gave a motivational speech to the resting women.


    "But since this is all new to you, we will stop here for today. You''ve all killed nine ants each anyway. We''ll just take the remaining one each that are needed with us and you can kill them whenever you''re ready" Seeing that even though the women were still willing to continue if he said so, especially after his speech.


    Muku chose to stop the battles for the day. After all, the women all looked like they were close to dying from exhaustion. He wasn''t a complete monster who didn''t know when to stop after all...even if he did push them a bit too much. That was unavoidable since there were a lot of them and while he and his group couldn''t afford to stick around for too long. They also had some growing to do after all.


    ...


    As Muku was addressing the women...


    "Umm, Emily?" Jade whispered to Emily beside her.


    "Yeah?" Emily replied in a similarly low voice. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    "When did we ever struggle like they did?" Jade asked her confusedly.


    "Shhh, shut up! He''s trying to motivate them okay! And the only reason we didn''t suffer was because the dogs didn''t come one after the other nonstop. So stop talking unless someone hears you and they get demotivated," Emily immediately replied in a hushed voice while hurriedly covering Jade''s loose mouth.


    She wasn''t certain whether the women would be demotivated or not after knowing that they hadn''t gone through such a hard time. She thought that it was better to be safe than sorry.


    Seeing Emily''s exaggerated reaction, Jade just shrugged not knowing what she did wrong. But she didn''t say anything else.


    On Muku''s side. He wrapped things up with the women. Then went to grab the needed number of ants, and then they left...

 Chapter 118 Remnants

    On the way back to the stadium...


    "Oh look! People!" Jade suddenly shouted out in surprise when she saw several people dashing away in the distance.


    Her reaction was understandable though. After all, even though they moved quite a lot in the apocalypse, they seldom come across other people. Not that people were completely gone from the outside world. But what sane person would stick around when they see a floating mansion coming their way?


    Because of that and the fact that people generally no longer loitered around because of the many beasts going around. Made it pretty hard for Muku''s group to encounter people. Especially when it''s close to nighttime. Most people who lived in the outside world would have long retreated to their hideouts.


    After all, beasts ruled the night even more than they ruled the day. Not to mention that humans are generally not good at dealing with things in the darkness. Even if a person had night vision, they would still choose to avoid the night if they can.


    Hell, even Muku''s group, who had Jade and Layla, who would still be fine, if not better, at night. Didn''t normally move around during nighttime. It''s like an instinct for most people to avoid the night if they can. The point is, seeing people going around in an area that didn''t seem to have any possible hiding areas close to 6 PM was rather odd. Especially when people were generally hard to spot in the apocalypse world...


    "Ahh!" Suddenly, a surprised and frightened voice rang out from one of the women behind Muku''s group.


    He and the others immediately looked back at the source. It was a young woman who was now shaking in fear while looking in the direction of several people. Even the eyes of the other women were filled with fear as they also looked in the direction. Anyone in the know could easily tell what was going on.


    "So, I think it''s safe to assume that those are the escaped gang members from Mest''s gang" Muku made an educated guess from the information he had and the reactions of the women.


    He had found out the previous evening that some of Mest''s gang members had escaped while he was fighting him. They were in some of the stadium''s rooms when he killed the ones outside. And when Mest came to confront him. Some who recognised him ran away. The wimps from the group that didn''t even know him also ran away.


    He thought that they would have gone far away by that point. So he didn''t bother with trying to look for them. Just attributing their escape to their good luck.


    But to think the idiots would still be close by moving around like headless sheep. It was really bewildering, but then again, it''s understandable that he wouldn''t understand how the minds of such people worked.


    "Can I deal with them?" Jade, who had been bored out of her mind most of the day, offered to help. To her, they showed up at the right time since she had been looking for something to vent her frustrations on. And for some reason, they hadn''t come across any beasts outside of those ants since morning.


    "Sure, just don''t kill anyone. I''ve got a plan for them" Muku agreed to let Jade take down the gang members. He had no reason to refuse and could see that she was about to blow as well. The girl just wasn''t the type to sit still.


    "Great! But I can''t promise that a few of their bones won''t be broken", With that happy but terrifying reply. Jade disappeared from the silver platform.


    ....


    Around a kilometre away from Muku''s group...


    "Hey!, do you also see what I''m seeing?" One man asked his companions with a bewildered look on his face.


    "You brat! We''ll make you eat those words!. You think you are our opponent just because that Muku fellow is strong and you caught us off guard?!" The gang members were instantly angered as they immediately ran toward Jade.


    Their bodies glowed with different lights from their various powers. Honestly, at that moment, they looked quite threatening.


    "Hehe", Jade only gave a small chuckle. Then she disappeared from their sight again. This time they couldn''t even see the blurry green silhouette from before.


    ....


    A little while later....


    "Did you have to break all their limps though?" Emily asked Jade with a deadpan expression on her face.


    Her eyes looked at the twelve gang members who were groaning on the ground. Each and every one of them had both their hands and their legs broken in wired angles. It''s not that she felt pity for the beasts in human skin.


    She felt like Jade was doing something completely unnecessary and troublesome for no reason at all since, later on, the gang members would be punished anyway.


    "Hehe, what do you mean? You know they all attacked me at once right?. Me, a weak and alone young girl. I was just defending myself. What if they had taken advantage of me if I didn''t do this?" Jade replied mischievously, clearly in a good mood. She was also looking at the twelve gang members, enjoying her handwork.


    "Tsk, whatever you psycho" Emily replied while rolling her eyes, not wanting to bother with Jade anymore.


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    "Me, psycho!?. You''re the one who laughed like a crazy person before when you used your powers" Jade retorted and fired back. Refusing to take the insult lying down.


    "Do you want to fight?" Emily replied with a smile as her body was immediately enveloped by a golden flame.


    "Sure" Jade didn''t back down as her Beast Aura started leaking out as she looked at Emily.


    "Okay girls, that''s enough. This isn''t the time or place" Audrey intervened after noticing that things were quickly getting out of hand.


    "Yes ma''am!"¡Á2 Both girls replied at once and dispersed their gathering power. They respected Audrey that much.


    "Okay everyone, let''s get ready to go" Muku who had been watching the show quietly finally spoke up. He was keeping to his words of not overly involving himself in every small issue. Which seemed to be the right decision so far.


    And so, with a bit more baggage. Of the groaning variety, the group continued their journey...

 Chapter 119 Fairy Summoner

    Around thirty minutes later...


    "Finally. We''re back!" Chloe spoke with relief in her voice. Surprisingly, in their group, she was the one who disliked being around a sizable group of people the most. Even more than Layla who would just ignore them and fade to the background.


    "Yeah, but it''s dark though. I guess we''ll have to wait until tomorrow to hold a "trial" for these scum" Jade replied. She felt quite disappointed as she couldn''t wait to see the show.


    "On top of that, Elsa and the others might have to wait until tomorrow to ra(No!)..." Hope chimed in before she was interrupted by a loud protesting voice.


    "I mean... I ah... It won''t take long for me to kill the ant and evolve. So please don''t push it to tomorrow," Elsa, who was the one who had the sudden outburst. Surprising everyone, returned to her normal, soft voice of speech as she explained herself.


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    The girl has waited so long. Her advancement also kept getting postponed at the last step. She just couldn''t take it anymore. Her outburst even surprised Emily who hadn''t realised just how much her little sister wanted to advance yet.


    "Hehe, it seems little Elsa can''t hold herself back anymore", Jade teased, which made Elsa''s little face red with embarrassment. But she still didn''t take her words back, showing just how badly she wanted it.


    "Don''t worry Elsa, it''s just a little dark out. And your sister is here, we can just use her as a torch if we can''t see(Hey!). We won''t postpone your advancement any longer. I''m sure Hope was just joking" Muku finally spoke to address the issue. Some of his word choices prompted a cry of protest from Emily as she felt insulted by how he likened her to a torch, but he ignored her and continued addressing Elsa.


    "O...okay" Hearing Muku''s reassuring words Elsa stuttered a bit as she replied. She still felt embarrassed, but everyone could clearly feel the relief in her voice.


    "While originally I wanted us to eat first before dealing with your advancement. But since you seem unable to wait anymore, we can start with that. Freya and your group, you can stay here and rest for now, I''ll call you all when I need you. It should be in an hour or so" Muku continued with his address.


    He and his group then went out of the barrier leaving everything else behind. The gang members were obviously not a threat anymore with broken limbs and shattered mana cores which Muku and the rest only realised later that Jade also did. The girl was just too ruthless.


    As for the ants. Hope, who had advanced further in her poison control, paralysed the ants. So it wasn''t a problem to leave them behind.


    The girl was quickly turning into a healer with some debuff capabilities as well. Her poison manipulation was becoming more and more versatile. Just like everyone else with their own abilities.


    ....


    Around a kilometre away from the mansion and the stadium...


    "Umm, did we have to come so far?" Jade couldn''t help but ask while rolling her eyes.


    "Who knows, really? This is something new for all of us after all. What if she summons a waterfall the moment she evolves and destroys our mansion before we can react?" Muku replied. And he truly believed his own answer. Like Layla, she was also certain that something amazing was definitely going to happen.


    "Tsk, whatever. Let''s just get this over with" Jade didn''t want to continue the unnecessary argument. Not to mention she could feel Elsa''s burning gaze on her, practically accusing her of wasting time. The little girl was super intense when her interests were on the line it seemed.


    "Okay, let''s get on with it then" Muku spoke as he brought the floating ant to the ground.


    Everyone but Emily looked on with glowing eyes from anticipation. It was understandable that she wouldn''t be as excited as the others. After all, they really did use her as a freaking torch in the end.


    Even though they had real torches at home, the others dared to support each other in saying that she was enough.


    "Shhh!" Sadly for her, Muku and the others weren''t going to entertain her this time. Though honestly they couldn''t help but wonder the same after she mentioned it.


    Booooom!


    "All my god!" Emily screamed in surprise while covering her mouth.


    How could she not be surprised?. A large fifty-metre-tall blue and ethereal avatar of a little fairy had just exploded out of her little sister. They all looked like ants in front of the large avatar.


    On top of that, the air it was radiating was a thousand times stronger than anything they had ever faced before. It definitely was way beyond Rank Three, or maybe even Rank Four.


    Not to mention that the avatar seemed sentient as it kept on looking around it in confusion. It then looked down at them, which made them all feel extremely tense and suffocated even though it wasn''t using its aura to suppress them. Surprisingly, after looking at them it smiled innocently.


    Boooooom!


    Out of nowhere, the avatar exploded. The clear night sky was immediately covered by rain clouds as it started to rain heavily.


    Elsa who still hasn''t opened her eyes since the beginning. Finally, she started to steer before opening her eyes weakly.


    "Sister, I finally did it" She spoke in a low and weak voice as a little and rare smile appeared on her face. Then she closed her eyes again; this time though, it was because she had lost consciousness.


    Muku, the experienced, unconscious-people-catcher jumped into action. He caught her with his telekinesis while at the same time shielding everyone from the heavy rain.


    "Ah yes...the old, faint soon after doing something amazing trope. Thought I''d never see it again" Jade commented while the others silently agreed. After all, most of them had gone through it. So they understood it well; it had been a rather large part of their lives in the earlier days of the apocalypse.


    "What a spectacle... also, did she just awaken to Rank One but already has strength a lot stronger than us? I''m so confused and jealous!" Hope spoke while scratching her head.


    "Let''s return first. This isn''t a place we can discuss at" Muku spoke while creating a familiar platform. He chose to first return before any questions. Which was reasonable since, technically, they were standing in the rain at night.


    "Yeah, we can talk later" Emily supported Muku''s decision while looking at the unconscious Elsa with gentle eyes. She had managed to read Elsa''s lips before she fainted, and the words really warmed her heart.


    And so, the ground quickly returned to their base. As for dealing with Freya and the others?. That will have to be done the following day.


    ...


    During the time that Elsa broke through. The four cardinal rulers of the territory Muku and the others lived clearly sensed it.


    And because of that, none dared appear. After all, the aura they sensed was way beyond their pay grad... cough, their own auras. What idiot would run toward certain death?


    In fact, even though they never ventured out much anyway. They each immediately decided to themselves to avoid that place if they did venture. Not just them too, all the beasts that sensed the aura would avoid that place like the plague.


    It even scared off any humans who were strong enough to sense it. Or those who were close enough to see it. From that day onward, the stadium would likely be a lot safer than the university.


    So, in a way. Elsa made the area around the safe zone just as safe as the safe zone itself. Just that beasts would become even rarer to find close by from then on.

 Chapter 120 Elsa wakes up

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    Back at the stadium...


    It still rained heavily. While Muku or one of the others could oversee Freya''s group''s evolution since it didn''t rain in the barrier. They were all no longer in the mood for such. So, Muku just provided them with the necessary weapons. Then told them to deal with it themselves if they wanted to and left.


    While it did make Freya and the others a bit sad that they were basically ditched for the night. They didn''t hold hard feelings since they had already received too much help from Muku''s group. Not to mention that all of them had seen the giant avatar from before. So, they completely understood why they were being ditched.


    They weren''t sure what the incident was about, but they knew it was related to Muku''s group. After all, it had happened in the direction they had gone, soon after they went. But like the ants they were. They dared not ask questions. They already knew all they needed to know. Which was that Muku''s group was amazing and unbelievably strong.


    So, they quickly got to killing. They didn''t choose to wait for Muku since they knew that soon he wouldn''t be an option to rely on. So it was better not to be too dependent on him from the start. Even Freya was of the same mind. Unfortunately for her, fate had other plans. She had no idea what an odd future awaited her as she stabbed her sword into her last unranked beast kill that mattered, and her evolution began.


    ........


    The next morning...


    "So how is she?" Muku asked the red-eyed Emily just as she came down the stairs to join the others for breakfast.


    "She hasn''t woken up yet, but she seems stable", Emily replied as she tiredly slumped down onto her seat.


    "Even knowing that you still robbed yourself of sleep due to your unnecessary worrying, I bet" Jade immediately mocked her best friend with a look of disdain on her face.


    "Sigh, whatever. I''m not in the mood to play with you right now" Emily, who didn''t know how to argue in her defence since what Jade said was true, chose not to argue at all.


    "Tsk, you think I want to play with you either you worry-wart.? Sorry, but I got better things to do," Jade snapped at Emily, then focused on her food again.


    Emily, who was busy serving herself some food, didn''t bother replying. She really hadn''t slept much. And while in normal cases, with her level of strength,, it wouldn''t have phased her. This time, it was different since she had been worrying about Elsa too much, which had drained her mentally. So while her body and strength were still as strong as ever, they just mimicked what she felt. Which was weak and sluggish.


    "Why didn''t anyone wake me up? I could have heated up the food a lot better than normal fire" Emily asked the others after biting into the meat that was warm on the outside but cold on the inside. Her question was a valid one, too, since normally she was always there when breakfast was prepared. Whether for the initial cooking or heating. After all, her fire really was a lot better when dealing with beast meat than regular fire.


    "Jade tried but you wouldn''t wake up. I suggested trying harder, but she stopped me, saying that we should let y...mph," Hope replied. But before she could finish, her mouth was covered by an embarrassed Jade who had appeared from the other side of the table in less than a second.


    "Ahem, what she meant was that we all unanimously decided to let you sleep...Right, Hope?" Jade immediately spoke after covering Hope''s mouth not letting anyone else speak. She even gave Hope a threatening look as she did so.


    "Y...Yeah. I was mistaken. We all agreed to let you sleep. Forget everything I said before" Hope, who gave in easily whenever threatened, immediately changed her statement to match Jade''s. Though, of course, everyone could clearly see what was going on. Especially with Jade nodding along triumphantly by the side.


    It then grabbed the largest piece of meat from her place before she could react. And then retracted back to Elsa until it was completely gone, leaving the large piece of meat in Elsa''s hand. Surprisingly the piece of meat wasn''t drenched in water despite being grabbed by it.


    "No! My meat!...You little brat! The first thing you do after evolving is steal my food!?" Jade screamed out in horror as she looked at Elsa bite into her meat.


    "Wait...that''s Rank 2 meat! Spit it out! So you want to explode!?" Jade screamed again, this time in real horror. Even though Elsa had evolved to rank one. She was still too weak to consume Rank Two meat. She had to reach at least the peak before that.


    Unfortunately, by the time Jade realised the graveness of the issue, Elsa was already taking the last bite. All that was left in her hands was the bone.


    "Emily!!!" Jade, who couldn''t think of what to do next, did the only thing she could think to do. Which was obviously to call Emily and let her deal with things.


    "What!? What!? You''ve been screaming a lot up here. What''s happeni... Oh no!" Emily complained as she connected the dots at what had happened the moment she saw the bone in Elsa''s hand and her greasy lips.


    The others who came after Emily were also shocked and horrified by what they saw. While Elsa''s body was able to eject the energy before. That was only because the amount wasn''t too much. But this time...


    "...."


    "...."


    "...."


    "Okay! What''s going on here!?" Muku finally couldn''t take the silence.


    They had all been looking at Elsa in horror for close to a minute. Waiting for something bad to happen, but nothing happened. All they got was Elsa blinking back at them quietly. Honestly, by the end of it that kinda seemed like idiots.


    "Umm, thank you all for worrying, but the little fairy took care of the extra energy. It was actually the one that directed me to the meat since it needed the energy" Seeing that they had calmed down, Elsa finally spoke.


    "Why didn''t you say that sooner then!?" Emily speaks as she walks up to Elsa and flicks her forehead.


    "Don''t scare me like that again you understand!?" Emily continued speaking without waiting for Elsa to say anything as she also took her in her embrace and silently wept.


    "I''m sorry sis, I won''t do it again. And I know you all have questions. And I''m ready to answer anything that I can," Elsa consoled her big sister, then addressed the others.


    "Great! Let''s go downstairs and discuss while sitting down then!" Jade, who had already forgotten everything, spoke as she pushed Elsa and Emily toward the stairs.


    "Also, Emily you''re going to have to reimburse me for the meat your sister snatched from me" Or not...Jade will always be Jade it seemed.

 Chapter 121 Fear Women

    Downstairs...


    "So where do I start?" Elsa asked the others since she wasn''t sure what they wanted to know and what they already knew.


    "Well, we can all figure out the general idea. You killed your last beast and evolved; your Fairy Embryo obviously got involved at some point, and then the giant appeared. So I guess all you need to do is fill in the gaps. Like, was that the fairy after hatching, getting birthed or whatever it that it does?... If so, why the hell was it so big and strong? And things like that." Muku immediately gave Elsa some guidelines on where to start.


    The others silently agreed. There really was no need to go through everything. After all, they were already veterans who had been through a lot. So, for the general stuff, they were all quite knowledgeable.


    "Oh, okay, I''ll do that then", Elsa replied while thinking of where to start within the guidelines she had received. Not to mention that it was the first time she would have to talk so much ever since she joined the group. On top of that, she was addressing the whole group, so she didn''t know where to look.


    "Okay...I, ah..." Her mind went blank when she looked around the room and saw so many pairs of eyes fixated on her. As a Rank One, she could now vaguely sense their suppressed strength, which felt slightly heavy to her. She felt like a little human being looked at by giants.


    "Calm down, no need to be nervous. There''s no stranger or any new people here. Not to mention that you cost me some of my food, so you better speak clearly," Emily spoke while trying to ease her sister''s nerves. Her first words didn''t help much but the last one did the trick.


    "Is your food enough to hold a grudge against your own sister?" Elsa retorted while rolling her eyes at her sister who had suddenly become a foodie. Though she could understand, Rank Two meat was just that good.


    "Okay. So where was I"? Elsa asked. After Emily''s intervention, she had visibly gotten a lot more confident. As always, before your spouse, it''s always your siblings who know how to push your buttons the best.


    "You hadn''t said anything yet stupid" Emily didn''t take long to reply.


    "I know. I was just saying" Elsa replied with a vein popping out of her forehead.


    "Okay, so initially I awakened a different class..." Without waiting for Emily to say anything, Elsa continued speaking. She went on to explain everything to the others.


    ...


    A while later...


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    "So you''re saying that you initially awoke a weaker class due to your limited affinity. But then the Fairy Embryo got involved and your class and affinity were both improved?...how wondrous!" Muku repeated what Elsa said after she finished speaking. His voice was full of wonder. How could it not when he discovered that apparently affinity could be raised.


    "Yes," Elsa replied. Her tone was a lot more relaxed. It seemed that the experience might have been just what she needed to get closer to the rest.


    "Wait, does that mean that if I''m lucky I can find something to increase my affinity with and upgrade my class to legendary?" Jade interjected herself into the conversation excitedly. She hadn''t been paying too much attention before.


    "Well, based on this...I guess so. But from this very case, we can at least tell that just because you find the opportunity, it doesn''t mean you''ll get it" Muku found no reason to reject Jade''s hypothesis. But he still made sure she understood that it wouldn''t be guaranteed even if it was like that.


    "Tsk, you just have to pop my bubble huh?... And I understand it seems to rely on what element you have. I''m not an idiot after all" Jade replied to Muku while rolling her eyes. She was starting to wonder if he really thought that she never used her brain.


    "Oh, so you actually used your brain this time. Good for you, keep it up" Apparently Muku really did think that she didn''t use her brain in normal cases from his words. Not to mention that he was even patting her head as he spoke.


    Slap!


    "Hmph!" Jade made an annoyed sound after she slapped Muku''s hand away. She then looked away from him, expressing her stance to not want to talk to him anymore. If it was any other time she would have been happy to get the legendary head pat she and the others had wanted so much. But sadly the reason she was getting it wouldn''t let her enjoy it.


    "Anyway, let''s continue. So you said that it really was the fairy''s form, just magnified? And the reason for its strength was because of the extra energy that had been left over from the time it was an unowned fairy, which it had to get rid of since it was unpure?" Muku continued asking questions to make sure that he understood things correctly. Since Jade was ignoring him, he''d do the same.


    "Yes, and the reason why I was unbearably hungry before was that the fairy needed new energy, which it obtained from my body. My body is like a purifier for the energy. And it''s also why I wasn''t overwhelmed by the energy since most of it went to the fairy," Elsa replied, as well as offered more information for clarification to anything that wasn''t clear.


    "So the fairy is like a symbiote? You give it energy and it improves your strength?" Layla, who hadn''t spoken since the beginning, finally made her thoughts known.


    "Yes, I guess you can put it like that...and when I and it get a little stronger in the future, I can also summon it to fight alongside me", Elsa replied excitedly. After all, what little girl didn''t like fairies? Hell, hearing her words the other girls in the group felt rather jealous. Why didn''t they get fairies!? Totally unfair!


    "Oh, good for you then", Layla replied before getting up with a little jealousy on her face.


    Audrey, who noticed it since she spent a lot of her time looking at her daughter, couldn''t help but smile wryly. She had long noticed that while her daughter wasn''t a bad person by any means. She was also the type of person who didn''t like it when someone had something she liked while she didn''t. Luckily it only ended in a pout.


    "So, what do you want as a present for reaching Rank One"? Muku asked Elsa with a fatherly smile on his face.


    "Hey! Why didn''t we get any presents then!?" Jade, who had decided to ignore Muku for the rest of the day, immediately complained.


    "Well for the others, I simply couldn''t afford to do such a thing then. As for you, even if I was able to, I wouldn''t have. Why would I give a present to such an ungrateful brat like you?" Muku replied with a natural expression as if he was saying the most natural thing in the world. Which honestly he was...


    "Tsk, like I''d want a present from you anyway" Jade, who couldn''t think of any way to refute his words, just replied in the best way she knew how. Which was to shamelessly backtrack from her own words.


    "Good. Then I won''t have to bother getting you anything when I get something for the others in the future right"? Muku teased her a bit more.


    "Try it if you dare!" Jade immediately snapped while glaring at Muku with her glowing green eyes. While she was okay with refusing when it was just talk, she wouldn''t be so quiet to compromise when something tangible was up for grabs.


    "Tsk! Hypocrite!" Emily commented with a slightly disdainful look on her face.


    "Whatever" Jade replied uncaringly. As long as she got the gift. Everything else didn''t matter. Who cared about face? Can it be eaten? Worn maybe? The answer is obviously no!


    "Jade''s hypocrisy aside, what do you want Elsa"? Muku spoke, not forgetting where the whole conversation began before Jade''s interjection.


    "I...can we go back to kill more beasts today?" Elsa asked hesitantly. She wasn''t sure if she was asking too much. After all, the rain had only stopped an hour before and Muku and the others didn''t seem to be in the mood to go out. But she just couldn''t wait to get stronger.


    "Oh, so that''s what you want... I like it, sure! We can go right now even. Since it''s so abrupt, whoever doesn''t want to come can stay behind" Muku replied with a smile on his face. He quite liked it when kids were driven like Elsa appeared to be. He immediately got up, ready to leave. They had already eaten and relaxed for a while after, so there was no reason to wait.


    "Wait, Big Brother!" Hope called out as she ran toward Muku who was already at the door with Elsa excitedly walking behind him. The two kinda seemed like a father and his tomboy daughter about to go on a new adventure.


    "Yes?... Oh, I guess I was a bit too rushed and didn''t give you all a chance to think about what you want to do. Is that it? So you want to come along?" Muku asked Hope after stopping at the door. He was more than willing to take anyone willing to go with him. After all, while he was confident in his strength, it was never a bad thing to have an extra pair of hands.


    "No...well yes. But that''s not the problem right now. I was wondering... When are you planning on giving us the presents?" Hope replied, getting straight to the point.


    "Hhm?...oh, oh! That! I was just playing with Jade there...are no...real... I''ll get you all your presents within a week," Muku, who was about to clarify that he was only playing with Jade before, immediately changed his statement.


    He could feel multiple gazes on him that were getting more and more intense as he spoke. He could subconsciously sense that if he had said that there were no presents, then he might not have lived to see the next day.


    Even Layla, who had left before, had come back at some point and was looking at him intensely along with the rest.


    Seeing their gazes made him realise that he had dug his own grave. And he would have been thrown into it if he hadn''t changed his statement.


    "Oh, okay. Thank you for being so thoughtful brother. But you didn''t have to, though," Hope spoke with a sunny smile on her aura. The complete opposite of what was about to come out of Muku had said the wrong thing. Even the others who hadn''t said anything from start to finish were also smiling merrily for no apparent reason to the untrained eye.


    At that moment, Muku thought of one legendary statement by a wise sage...


    {Fear women}

 Chapter 122 Freyas Class

    A little while later at the stadium...


    "Oh, so you all chose to evolve last night huh?... Good, I like it when people are proactive" Muku spoke soon after the women from the previous day came to receive him.


    As an advanced Rank Two Evolver, he could easily identify lower-ranked Evolvers even without them using their abilities. Not to mention Freya''s group who still couldn''t properly control their mana aura. Which was leaking all over the place.


    After hearing his words the women heaved a sigh of relief internally. They were worried that even though he gave them the option he actually wanted them to wait for him. So, by not waiting, they might have offended him and made him think they had big heads or something like that. Fortunately for them, things didn''t turn out like that.


    "Y...Yes, we felt that we had bothered you enough." Freya, who had somehow become the women''s spokesperson, replied meekly as usual.


    "No, no. I wouldn''t have minded. After all, it was my choice to help you all. So I won''t ever feel bothered by you all... as long as it''s nothing too much. And like I said before, I appreciate people who can take the initiative, so either way, you''re good," Muku responded to Freya''s statement in a way that reassured her group.


    "O-okay, thank you again for helping us" Freya replied, taking the chance to express her group''s gratitude once again.


    Sure, no problem. Why do you seem sad though?" Muku accepted the gratitude and then asked about something that he had noticed since his arrival.


    Freya''s voice was lower than before, and there were bangs under her eyes due to lack of sleep; then there was the bleakness in her eyes that wasn''t there before. She seemed like someone who had their lives sucked out of them and was just living for the sake of others.


    "Oh... ah... It''s nothing. Just a little inconsequential problem of mine. It doesn''t matter" Freya replied in a way that seemed to try and play down whatever was happening.


    "Umm, okay. If you say so. I hope whatever it is gets sorted out soon" Although Muku could tell that something significant was happening with Freya. Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire


    Since the person herself didn''t want to tell him whatever it was. There was nothing he could do about it. He wouldn''t try to dig deeper or force her to tell him since they weren''t that close. In fact, they were just acquaintances at that point, if the relationship was to be labelled.


    "She''s sad because she awakened a useless class!" A loud gloating voice was heard from the group behind Freya.


    When the others searched for the source, it turned out to be an arrogant-looking average in beauty lady. The others in Freya''s group immediately understood what was going on. The lady had been doing things similar to that for the past few days after all.


    What Muku and his group didn''t know was that their interacting with Freya more than the others made the rest jealous. While it was something Muku would have expected from a normal group in a normal setting. He would never expect such a thing from a group that has basically reached rock bottom. Sadly, he was mistaken, humans will always be humans.


    The jealousy especially developed after the hug between Freya and Muku that went unpunished. While the others were rational enough to keep their jealousy tucked away since they knew their situation. Apparently, that one lady felt super insulted for some reason. And she had been targeting Freya every chance she got from then on.


    She just hadn''t done it in front of Muku''s group since she never got a reason to. But after what Freya reviewed to them the previous night. Like a snake that had been waiting to strike, the moment the chance presented itself, she struck!


    "Is that so?... And who are you again miss?" Muku asked two questions curiously.


    Freya just stood by the side, her face blue, feeling betrayed. After all, while the lady had said some hurtful things before, it was when they were among their own people. Which was a lot different from the current situation, where such information could hurt her badly if Muku decided to leave her behind when he took the others to rank up.


    "Yes sir. My name is Lisa. Freya here told us that she awakened some dumb class called House Heart. Like, what kind of class is that, right?" Lisa didn''t answer what she was asked. She even added a little more information to hurt Freya even more.


    "Wow, House Heart huh?... What a weird name indeed. Is it like a random class or something? Truly unfortunate" Muku exaggeratedly replied, seemingly encouraging Lisa to say more.


    Freya''s expression got worse seeing his unfeeling reaction. She felt betrayed for some reason. Which was rather unreasonable since they went so close for him to defend her no matter what. But then again, when was the heart ever logical?.


    "Oh no, she said it''s a Unique Class or something like that. I''ve never heard of it. But I think it makes sense; after all,, it is uniquely trashy" As Freya''s thoughts and feelings were a mess, Lisa continued speaking. The woman really wouldn''t shut up if given a chance to speak.


    "Well now, so it''s a Unique class huh?... And what''s your class?" Muku spoke with a smile on his face. Which Lisa took as motivation to say more. As for Hope, Emily and Elsa, who were standing beside Muku, they knew that things weren''t as they appeared.


    What Lisa and the others didn''t notice was that while he was smiling, his eyes were cold. That was something that only his teammates who knew him personally could tell. He, in fact, despised Lisa''s behaviour; they were just waiting for the moment he blew.


    "My class?...it''s nothing special. Just the Rare class Wind Whisper" Lisa replied to his question with an arrogant look on her face, the opposite of her words that seemed modest.


    "Oh. A rare class huh..." Muku replied and trailed off at the end.


    BOOM!


    Suddenly his aura exploded and smashed down on Lisa. She who had been in the moment before confusedly found herself in hell. Her whole body was enveloped by imaginable pain and she couldn''t move. The worst part, she couldn''t even scream to somewhat ease the pain.


    Emily and Hope, who had long seen it coming, protected everyone when their auras. Which was rather easy since Muku hadn''t lost it, otherwise just the two of them might have had trouble with cancelling out his aura alone.


    Freya and the others from the base looked on with blank minds. They were so shocked and confused that they couldn''t think of anything. Wasn''t he just smiling at her a while before?? Why was she now pressed to the ground and why did he look so mad??


    Freya''s heart rate couldn''t help but quicken when her brain started working again. Is he doing it for me? Does he secretly like me and can''t take her insulting me anymore?


    Such thoughts went through her mind. Despite knowing that she was likely deluding herself. She still couldn''t stop herself from hoping that maybe she really was the reason for his anger. Her cheeks reddened a little bit.


    That''s when she felt danger all of a sudden. Which was an ability every Evolver had to a differing degree. She looked in the direction she sensed the danger from. It was beside Muku. The source, the golden-eyed girl who was looking at her with a smile that didn''t seem like a smile. Her slightly racing heart immediately went cold. Surprisingly, the feeling of being in danger also disappeared at the same time.


    {What was that? Are my senses malfunctioning because of my terrible class?. Well whatever the reason, I think I should stay away from her if possible} Freya thought to herself after the feeling disappeared.


    "YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON A RARE CLASS WITH JUST YOUR RARE CLASS?!! Muku roared angrily at Lisa while walking towards her.


    "Let me educate the ignorant you then. You see if a Random Class is a house cat. A Rare Class a leopard. Then a Unique Class is a freaking Sabertooth Tiger! So next time before calling something or someone trash, better know what you''re talking about" Muku''s voice returned to normal as he slowly walked to Lisa''s side.


    He then grabbed the back of her neck and raised her up. Then he threw her into the sky. The woman was thrown around twenty metres into the sky when Muku wasn''t even trying. She then started plummeting to the ground. Just as she was less than thirty centimetres away from the ground, she stopped.


    While she couldn''t move or make a sound. Her eyes showed all the terror she felt. She even wet herself from terror. Then Muku made her float in the air in front of him to face him. She looked at him with nothing but fear in her eyes which were already filled with tears. Yet Muku wasn''t made.


    "But that''s not even the problem since you aren''t well informed. The problem is trash allies like you who easily sell out their teammates like that just to please strangers. I hate trash like that the most. But since you haven''t done anything too major. I will let you go with a warning this time. Do it again and we''ll have a real problem. Either get in line or leave" Muku continued speaking to Lisa after scaring her a bit more. Such people need such treatment, or they will always be plotting something in the background.


    He then retracted his aura and his powers, making Lisa fall to the ground with a little thud. There was zero gentleman-like behaviour from start to finish.


    Lisa, who fell to the ground and felt significant pain, didn''t scream. Even though she could sense that she was free to do whatever she wanted, she didn''t dare do anything. She was that traumatised by Muku. She was, after all, one of those lucky few like Freya, who didn''t get defiled.


    So she hadn''t gone through anything as traumatic since the beginning of the apocalypse. On top of that, before the apocalypse, she was the pampered daughter of a minister. So to say that she was fragile in every way was an understatement. Of course, some daughters of ministers were strong, but she wasn''t one of them...

 Chapter 123 Battle Maniac Elsa?

    "Ms Freya, can you tell me more about your class?" Muku then turned to Freya. Completely ignoring Lisa, as if the whole incident with her didn''t happen.


    "A...y-yes, my class description says I need to be in a house to use my abilities. And I need something called Beast Cores as well. From what I could gather, it turns me into something like the house''s manager, allowing me to upgrade it as well as fight with it after getting stronger" Freya explained, a little nervous at the start but calmed down soon after. She didn''t want to waste his time by stuttering all over the place.


    "Well, that''s certainly unique...It kinda sounds like you''ll turn the house into a fortress or something" Muku commented, his curiosity peaked by her class.


    "There''s a big problem, though: I don''t have a house. And there are none outside. Yet without one I''m useless" Freya finally mentioned the part that made her feel gloomy.


    She had been quite excited about her class at the beginning thinking that it was super strong even when she couldn''t understand some stuff. But when she realised that she had no house, she immediately fell from heaven right into hell.


    "Oh... Yeah, that does seem to be quite the problem. But for now, I think you should continue ranking up with the rest instead of giving up. Who knows what the future holds right? You might be able to come across a house that''s still standing one of these days" Muku spoke, trying to cheer up Freya.


    Of course, he meant what he said. They had come across a few standing buildings even after the great collapse after the planet''s evolution. So there''s gotta be a standing house for her to occupy somewhere. However, he couldn''t help but feel like he was missing something...


    "Okay... I''ll do that; I can at least make my body stronger for self-defence, even if I can only make it average at best", Freya replied, agreeing to his proposition.


    After seeing what weakness could lead to, she wasn''t willing to give up so easily. Maybe like he said, one day she will find a house and make proper use of her class. Or she could build it herself after getting physically strong enough.


    "Good, that''s the spirit. Now, your group of fifteen will join us today. Newbies can''t join because my other team members aren''t present right now. They didn''t feel like coming. Anyway, you should all know that we won''t be babying you like yesterday. I''ll just throw a certain number of beasts your way and you will have to mostly take care of yourselves after that" Muku explained how the day was going to go if Freya''s group wanted to go along. He wouldn''t continue to baby them.


    "Oh. I''m okay with it. I don''t know about the others... And what about Lisa?" Freya didn''t mind the arrangement, but she also didn''t decide for everyone else.


    She wasn''t sure if Muku was willing to let Lisa join after all that had happened. So she hesitated when she asked. But she felt like she had to. While she didn''t like Lisa''s behaviour and how she sold her out. She didn''t think that it was reason enough to break the girl''s path to a better future. She just wasn''t that type of ruthless person.


    "How nice of you. And like I said, that matter is already done with. She can do whatever she wants now. Whether to come or not is up to her... Wait, I just remembered something..." Muku spoke with a hint of admiration for Freya''s personality.


    It was probably hard to find such people in the apocalypse, with good reason too. After all, the dog-eat-dog world had become even more so. The chance of death from showing mercy had increased as well. But he still liked such stupid people more than any other.


    That''s when he trailed off, having suddenly thought of something. He had remembered the remaining gang members from Mest''s gang. They were so insignificant to him that if not for the random thought, he wouldn''t have remembered them.


    "I take it you''re talking about the captives" Freya immediately guessed what he was talking about.


    "Yeah... Where are they? What have you all decided to do with them?" Muku confirmed her guess.


    "About that... They are dead. We found them all dead this morning. Their throats were sliced open in the middle of the night. We don''t know who did it though. And we''ve already thrown their bodies away," Freya reported with a little bit of hesitation, not knowing what he would do. She dared not predict how he would react to things after what had happened with Lisa.


    "Oh, what a shame. Seems someone couldn''t wait to get their revenge. Oh well, it didn''t have much to do with me anyway, so whatever. I don''t know how Jade is going to take it when she finds out though. She had been looking forward to seeing how they would be punished. Whoever did it might have to watch out for her. The girl is rather petty" Muku replied, not too moved by the news.


    Like he said, they technically hadn''t done anything wrong to him. So there was no reason to be bothered by how they died. As for Jade, however, she was unreasonable enough not to care about such logic.


    "Oh... Okay," Freya replied, not sure what to say to such a thing. But she was relieved to know that he didn''t care. As for Jade going after the killer, it had nothing to do with her. She didn''t do it, nor knew who did, so there really was no reason to care. She was just the group''s representative when talking to Muku, not their leader. She didn''t even want such a position.


    "Okay, we''ve delayed the journey for too long. We should set out now before little Elsa explodes" Muku indirectly ordered everyone to prepare to leave.


    He had happened to look in Elsa''s direction and noticed how the little girl was frowning. The frown was getting worse and worse the more time passed by. The little girl clearly didn''t care much about anything that was happening, all she wanted was to slay some beasts. He wouldn''t be surprised if she didn''t even notice the whole episode with Lisa.


    "Oh, finally, we''re leaving" Elsa finally got out of her little world when she heard her name and setting out being mentioned.


    She had long stopped paying attention to what was happening like Muku thought. Though not out of impatience. She was imagining what she would be like in the future, how strong she would be. Her frown was from when she realised that she might not be able to catch up to her sister anytime soon.


    Emily had long told her about the "Half-step stage" which was in-between ranks. Which could pose a problem for her as unlike her sister and the others. She was pretty much growing up in a safe environment, which made it hard to go all out.


    After all, her sense of danger was basically zero, which was a major driving force in the growth of the others. She wasn''t sure if her hunger to catch up to her sister would be enough to get her through.


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    Soon, everyone was ready, and they set off. Since everyone who was going already knew what to do, it didn''t take long to prepare.


    Surprisingly, Lisa actually joined. She had somewhat managed to gather herself up, with a little help from Freya who she gave a weird look but didn''t say anything. But she still didn''t dare look Muku''s way, she had definitely been scarred for life by him.


    Muku didn''t care that she had become so scared of him, obviously. What he cared about was how she still decided to join everyone after what happened. It actually pleased him quite a bit. He thought that maybe she wasn''t beyond saving, like he had assumed.


    .....


    Back at the ant colony...


    Like before, Muku''s group surveyed the area from a little distance away before finally getting close. He then kidnapped more than thirty Low Rank One ants at the edge of the colony.


    There were so many ants of that rank that it seemed like he had only taken a lake''s worth of water from an ocean. Not to mention the other unranked ants which were even more than that.


    With the group''s reduced firepower, he dared not fight too close to the ant colony. So he took the fight more than two kilometres away. Just to give themselves a headstart to run if things went south.


    Whatever creature was hidden really gave him a faint uneasy feeling. While he had never dealt with a Peak Rank Two beast before. He was certain that whatever was hiding was of that rank at least. Which was the best-case scenario, really.


    ...


    "Okay ladies, I''ve brought your opponents. The only help I''ll give all of you is confining them within half a kilometre. Other than that, you''re all on your own. Now....begin!" Muku addressed the ladies and then released the ants immediately, not giving them a chance to adjust.


    While the women were nervous. Elsa, on the other hand, was different. The little girl was so excited she could blow. Muku and the others had offered her the chance to fight only one ant at a time, but she refused. She also refused a highly guarded match as she joined the stadium women in the free-for-all.


    "I think your little sister might be a developing battle maniac" Hope commented as she watched Elsa excitedly fight off two ants with her silver sword and weak water abilities.


    "Yeah..." Emily could only agree as she didn''t know how to refute it while seeing Elsa''s behaviour.

 Chapter 124 124: Realisation

    A few hours later...


    "Okay, everyone. We''re done for the day. Gather around and get ready to leave" Muku, who had long gotten bored from looking on, called everyone back.


    The women who had been fighting all day were actually not as tired as the previous day despite having fought more and resting less. Which emphasized the difference between an unranked person and a ranked one, even when it was just a Rank One. Of course, part of the reason they could hang on and do so well was because Muku was only letting them fight LR1s.


    The most outstanding was, of course, Elsa, who had been getting guidance from the best even before she killed her first beast. While her water abilities weren''t that strong yet, her water blade, shield and bullets were quite effective on LR1s.


    Surprisingly the one who followed after her was Lisa. The lady might have a rather nasty personality, but she was quite good at fighting. Her Rare Class was called "Black Earth Knight". It boasted super-high defence, even at such a low level. Even the attack power which comprised of Earth Spikes, Shields, Bullets... She had cleverly copied anything from Elsa that she could.


    Which was quickly noticed by Muku and the others, but none minded. They were impressed instead. Such people tend to live longer after all. Lisa became even more ferocious after noticing that Muku''s group didn''t care about what she was doing. Even then, she was not anywhere close to Elsa''s strength level or kill count.


    At first, she had been quite hesitant in her actions, but she bit the bullet after realising that she had no idea what to do. Of course, her fear for Muku still didn''t decrease. She avoided him from start to finish.


    As for Freya, the poor girl with a Unique Class that had terrifying potential was just average in her performance. While others had their abilities to rely on, she could only fight with her blade and pure energy attacks.


    Attacking someone with mana was like hitting someone with a stack of money. Money could be said to be the "currency" people use to "buy" spells, which would be "guns and swords". While there were a few beasts that could attack with their "stacks of money" in a way that was as good as any "bought weapon"


    Sadly that wasn''t an ability any human had. Without spells or some kind of ability that wasn''t attacking with direct mana... You''d basically be screwed.


    So it was understandable that Freya was struggling. It was already good enough that she kept up with those who had uncommon classes who were the majority. It seemed that the women were a rather talented group, considering that during Tom''s "rule", there weren''t any people with uncommon classes. Most were common, like Tom and Dom, or random, like Adam.


    As for the issue with classes. Muku had been researching it on the side. So far, he had found out that there was Random Class, which was the lowest. Followed by Common, then Uncommon, then Rare, and at least two in-between Rare and Pseudo-Legendary Class since the gap in strength was just too great. Then Legendary was the highest he had come across so far.


    As for the Unique Class, it was a special Class equal to Pseudo-Legendary in strength. And from its name, it was easy to guess that there could only be one at a time. So it was debatable whether it should be on the class ranking list. Or it should just be a subclass of Pseudo-Legendary that''s mostly unmentioned since most people will likely not come across even one Unique Class.


    Anyway, back to the matter at hand. After hearing Muku''s words the group gather e together. Other than Elsa, everyone else was okay with calling it a day. They had killed a decent number of beasts and were close to reaching MR1 after all. Lisa had managed to reach MR1.


    The reason Elsa didn''t want to leave yet was because she was already close to the peak. She felt that if she was allowed to fight an hour or two longer she would reach the peak.


    There were enough beasts around, so it was a real possibility, actually. But she overlooked one thing. Her mana was almost depleted. And for some reason, the higher your class level, the slower your natural mana recovery was.


    And she had already used up the only beast core she found, so nothing could be done. Emily was planning on lecturing her when they got back as her reckless behaviour could get her into trouble one day. And as an eventual part of the team, it will implicate the others as well which was something she didn''t want to see.


    Even Jade, despite her numerous personality defects, knew when to stop. The times she acted recklessly were just that, an act. When the situation required it, she was a super dependable teammate.


    Elsa wasn''t; she was just reckless. That made Emily wonder if they had babied her too much. She immediately started thinking of countermeasures on how to set her straight. Which she was planning to discuss with everyone later on.


    With that, the group left with little fanfare. At least it appeared so on the surface. But behind the scenes, something''s anger was increasing by the moment. It had never been so disrespected before. For someone to come and randomly take its children and leave like that. Even if the children weren''t anything important, they were still part of its kingdom.


    Only if it could move at will would it make the little "ants" suffer...


    ....


    Back at the stadium...


    "Okay, so change of plans. Helping all of you will take too long. So we''ll just help the group we''ve helped so far reach the peak then they will help the rest. As you all know, the world is constantly evolving, so we can''t stall out progress for too long," Muku addressed Freya''s group after they arrived at the stadium.


    While his group would be willing to go along with his decision he decided to stay for longer. They were his priority so he wouldn''t make such a decision. Along the way, he had thought of it a bit more and realised that he had been too rushed before.


    Just because they had gotten a large boost from killing Ares'' lesser avatar didn''t mean that they could relax. While they were likely the strongest humans at the time, it didn''t matter since their real enemies were beasts. And he was certain that there were still a lot that were a lot stronger than them in the current world. Not to mention those that will come.


    While making allies was important, he shouldn''t let it blind him. Like Author-san always says, "One shouldn''t lose the fact while stuck on the idea of it"


    His current situation reflected the saying quite well. While trying to increase their protection by getting them allies. He was ignoring their strength. Fortunately, he realised before it was too late. So he slightly changed his plans with the stadium.


    "No sir, don''t worry, it''s fine. We understand. You''ve already done so much for us after all" Freya didn''t even wait for the input of the others before replying.


    She knew for certain that they were of the same mind. After all, without Muku''s group, they wouldn''t have their freedom, let alone Rank One strength. And he was even going to make sure that they reached the peak, so how could they complain?


    "Great that you all understand. See you all tomorrow morning then. Rest well, we have to make sure that you all reach the peak before the day ends. Then the evening after, Audrey will give you all a lecture on potential realisation." Muku gave the women the rundown for how the following day was going to go then leafy with his team.


    .....


    Back at the mansion...


    "You''re finally back! I see it was quite productive" Jade was the first to shout out from the couch the moment Muku and the others entered the inside. Her later comment came after she''d noticed that Elsa had reached the peak.


    "Yeah, if she''s lucky, tomorrow she might realise some of her potential. Emily replied proudly, after all, Elsa was her little sister. So whatever impressive feat she accomplishes would make her proud.


    "No fair! I wish we had strong seniors and an unlimited supply of beasts in one place when we levelled up," Jade complained after remembering all the trouble they had gone through to rank up. Which was something the others could all relate to so no one spoke against her statement.


    "Well, life isn''t fair... Anyway, Audrey, did you have any luck on your hunt?" Muku commented briefly on Jade''s complaint before moving on.


    "Oh that, no luck at all. We only found a few Half-Steps, no Rank Twos at all" Audrey replied. While Muku, Emily, Hope and Elsa went with the stadium women. She and Layla had gone out looking for Rank Two beasts while Jade and Chloe remained at the mansion.


    "Oh, what a bummer. I guess we really have to move on soon. This place really isn''t good for people of our strength level" Muku spoke in a disappointed tone. His plan to leave gets reinforced in his mind.


    "Okay... Anyway, we killed the beasts and brought back the meat. We thought we could give it to the stadium residents if we don''t need it." Audrey replied. She didn''t have much reaction about leaving earlier than expected since she was okay with anything Muku decided. The others agreed, and the area around the stadium was rather boring with zero danger after all.


    "Oh, okay. How nice of you. We''ll call a few of them tomorrow to retrieve it then..." Muku replied.


    After that, they went through their usual nightly activities and then went to sleep. Of course, they mediated for a bit before that...

 Chapter 125 125: The girls turn

    Next day...


    Like he promised, Muku helped the group of fifteen all reach Peak Rank One. His whole team was present, so it was easier. They even got to the point of helping anyone who was struggling. So by the end of the day, all fifteen were at the peak.


    It surprised them how easily they reached the power level they feared just a few days before. Unfortunately, no one realised any of their potential. Not even Elsa managed to realise any.


    Which was understandable since she had progressed way too fast in so little time. To the point that her foundation was unstable. While the others could offer her some helpful tips from their experiences, they chose not to.


    They felt that the situation was actually good for her, it would maybe ground her a little bit. After which, she''ll possibly come out a lot stronger than she would have been had they helped her.


    And so, the little girl had spent the whole morning just fighting PR1 beasts to improve her technique. It also gave her some much-needed experience, which would come in handy in future battles.


    "Okay. Now that you are all done, stand aside. It''s our turn to fight. If your comrades back at the base are lucky, maybe some ants for them to kill will survive." Around twelve in the afternoon, Miku called the rookies back as they had already met their target.


    "Yey, finally it''s our turn!" Jade exclaimed in happiness. While there were a few Rank 2 beasts they sensed deeper in the area, they had been ignoring them.


    After all, such a battle would definitely lead to heavy casualties amongst the ants, especially the unranked ones which were rare in the area. But now that they at least managed to get one group to the peak of Rank One, they had leeway.


    Even if all the beasts in the area died from the aftermath, the PR1 women could just help their companions back at the stadium looking for new prey. Which wasn''t an option before.


    "Yes, it''s our time. But since there are only a few of them, and they don''t give that much KP, I''ll leave this to you all. I''ll guard the rookies while you all fight" Muku spoke with a little smile on his face.


    "O...okay" Jade replied with some suspicion in her voice. While it wasn''t the first time he had stepped back and let them take care of the beasts. She couldn''t help but feel that something was wrong, but since she couldn''t see any problem, she agreed to his words.


    "I''ll join you in watching over the rookies. Like you said, there really are only a few beasts after all," Audrey, not wanting him to stand alone, chose to wait with him. She couldn''t possibly improve her strength while her master stood by.


    "Okay, If that''s what you want" Muku didn''t refuse, still subtly smiling.


    Unlike Audrey, the others didn''t think too deeply. All they thought was that with two fewer people, the more KP they got. While they were nice in every other situation, they were quite selfish when KP came into the picture.


    And so, the five girls jumped into the fray. It was like throwing R2 wolves into a flock of R1 sheep. It was a one-sided massacre. The girls ploughed their way through the ants with no resistance at all.


    Emily was burning them to ash as she proceeded. Layla was freezing them up and then breaking them into tiny junks of frozen flesh. Jade was brutally punching her way through, one fist''s force killing many. Chloe was striking them down as they came, one bolt killing plenty. Hope''s poison turned them into black puddles of goo on the ground.


    To the ants, it likely seemed like the end of days. Which was understandable since the strength difference was just too large. This was why even though the girls were holding back, they were just trying to get further into the nest where the rank twos were. They still killed a lot more ants than they thought they would.


    At the same time, none of them noticed the threatening air around them that thickened the more they killed. It was different from their aura which came from their strength. But it was just as threatening to any enemy. That''s right, the girls were developing killing intent.


    In fact, they all already had it, it just wasn''t that noticeable yet. But with so many ants around and with how many they were killing. It was understandable that their killing intent would improve at a heightened speed.


    "SKRRRR!"


    "SKRRRR!"....


    Suddenly multiple ant screeches sounded from deep within the nest. Before anyone could react, multiple Rank Two giant ants that were around 12 metres tall came out.


    "Well, aren''t they big?" Jade spoke while excitedly cracking her fingers, getting ready for battle. What made her even more excited was how the beasts were all at least MR2.


    There were seven MR2 ants and two PR2s that were a bit larger than the others. The ants all released such a strong aura that the little ants around them were all killed.


    Their black exoskeleton shone in the sun, looking threatening and strong. On top of that, their two sharp mandibles looked like they were sharp and strong enough to cut adamantium into two if it existed.


    "This doesn''t look like it''s going to be easy..." Chloe commented more rationally than Jade as she looked at the beasts that weren''t releasing any elemental aura.


    Such beasts were the type to have bullshitly strong defence and strength like the male boar from before. And unlike that time, there wasn''t just one such creature, but nine, with two of them being even stronger.


    "So what''s our plan?" Emily asked the others after they gathered together while facing the gigantic R2 ants. Their strength might be strong, but they weren''t at the peak yet while the ants had two PR2s. Not to mention the difference in number that almost multiplied them by two.


    "I suggest that two target one at a time while the rest distract the rest. That way, it will be faster and we''ll change our roles after every kill. With so many of them, everyone will get KP worth their while even if it''s a team battle" Layla proposed a plan right away.


    While she would rather fight one on her own. She was certain that getting through their defence wouldn''t be easy. Which would be even more troublesome if she''s constantly interrupted. So she opted for the second-best thing. Which was teaming up with one person for the fight while the rest kept the others at bay.


    "Okay, sounds good. What do you all think?" Emily agreed to the plan and then asked the others what they thought.


    "While I''d rather fight on my own, I am not at my best right now. So yeah, we can do it like that," Jade, who was self-aware of her situation, reluctantly agreed.


    "I also don''t mind doing it like that" Chloe also agreed. Like everyone else, she was sure she could kill an ant on her own. But also like them, she could tell that it wouldn''t be easy or quick, so she agreed to Layla''s plan.


    "I really wanted to fight one alone, but I guess you''re right. We''ll do it your way" Hope also agreed. She had been looking forward to soloing a beast since her poison ability improved, but it seemed luck wasn''t on her side.


    "Only if he had agreed to join the fight along with Mother. They would have kept the extras busy while we took care of one each" Layla lamented, a bit resentfully too.


    "Nuh, this is fine. We get more KP this way" Jade thought in a completely different way from Layla. She knew that things could get tough, but she didn''t mind. It would be more fun then. Plus the bigger reward.


    "Yeah... I guess you''re right. Let''s do it then" Layla spoke her last words before the ants arrived in front of them.


    As the one who suggested the plan. She couldn''t be the first one to kill something as the others might think she used them. So she immediately ran to distract eight ants with Chloe and Emily while Jade and Hope went to kill the first ant.


    For people like Layla, Chloe and Emily, who had wide-range spells as well as the area-of-effect spells. Distracting a few beasts wasn''t hard.


    ...


    "So what''s our battle plan?... It''s always hard to work with you. Even more than Emily and her flames." Jade asked Hope how they were going to fight since Hope was attached from a distance with poison while she fought at close range. So she was afraid of getting poisoned while fighting the ant.


    "Oh that, don''t worry about it. I can manipulate it to avoid you. In fact, I''ll just target its head to get as much poison into its body as possible while you attack the rest of it. I''m sure we''ll be done in little time that way" Hope explained the game plan while also trying to ease her worries. After all, she could understand why she was so worried. Nobody sane would willingly play around with poison.


    "Oh, sounds good. That could work. Though I thought you were going to say something like "I''ll make my poison not harm you" Jade replied, agreeing to the plan. Though with a comment.


    "What!? How could such a thing be possible? Even if it was, I''m nowhere close to such a level of manipulation. Anyway, it''s here, let''s do this!" Hope replied exaggeratedly since the idea sounded absurd in her head.


    Before Jade could reply, the giant ant reached them and their battle began...

 Chapter 126 126: Hope the manipulator?

    "Poison beams!" Hope immediately attacked with one of her strongest attacks. Beams of concentrated poison that worked faster than clouds of poison. Not to mention they travelled at a much faster speed than clouds.


    "Tsk, as expected" Hope spoke in frustration as her beams failed to penetrate the ant''s hard exoskeleton. Which was their weakness, they lacked penetrating strength when the enemy''s defence was relatively strong, not to mention the ant''s hard exoskeleton.


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    "Whatever, explode!" She used an ability she had copied from the old Emily of making her attacks explode on impact. Which she did after the first beam failed to do anything. So the remaining beam, as there were two exploded on impact on the ant''s head. Creating a green poison cloud around the head.


    Which she had targeted for obvious reasons. The gas under her control immediately seeped into its mouth before disappearing into its body. She didn''t use the purple poison as, after a study, she realised that it couldn''t give the enemy an emotion it did not have.


    So the ant which was a soldier ant, wouldn''t have fear to magnify. As for making it angry, that would be a dumb decision. This was because they wanted to finish the battle quickly. While making it go berserk would likely only drag out the battle more.


    "Skrrr!" The ant screeched in pain as it felt its internal organs getting attacked by the poison. Slowly eating away at them. It started to dizzily lash around, completely forgetting about attacking the girls.


    "Woah, that worked better than I thought it would..." Hope spoke to herself. She didn''t think it would be so effective. After all, that was the first time she had fought with her current strength against such a strong opponent. A crazy plan immediately formed in her head...


    "I guess now it''s my turn" Jade spoke as her hands and feet were covered by Beast Aura. The more she converted, the more of her strength she got back. What she got back was even stronger than what she had previously even.


    She then sped toward the ant with a wild smile on her face. She had gotten into her battle state. Even if she couldn''t transform. She still could make the ant feel some pain.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!...


    She then ran around the ant, avoiding its flailing body as she punched it anywhere she could. She was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn''t notice that Hope had sneaked away.


    .....


    On the other battlefield...


    "What are you doing here?...hey!" Chloe asked Hope after she came to them leaving Jade behind. But instead of answering her, Hope seemed to be getting ready to attack.


    "Poison beams!...barrage!" Hope screamed as she threw attacks at all the MR2 ants targeting their heads. And then the attacks exploded then, like the first ant, entered their bodies. Also like the first ant, they were weakened and started flailing all over the place.


    She didn''t do the same for the remaining two. They had some kind of mana barrier that would block off her poison, so she saw no point in it.


    "With this, you can all attack more freely and kill them faster" Hope said before walking to the back. Signalling them to continue what they were doing.


    "What a crafty little girl..." Layla spoke to herself in a low voice. She had realised that while Hope helped them by making the battle easier, she would also get some KP from every ant after it was killed. But it was acceptable as only her poison could attack the ant''s body internally like that.


    As for Layla and the others. If they tried such an approach. Their abilities would damage the mouth at best, if they tried it. That is if they were even strong enough to get through the defence as it wasn''t like the ant would have its mouth widely open, ready to receive their attacks.


    Which was why despite her words. She was actually impressed by Hope. Without further delay, she, along with Emily, immediately attacked the ants intensely.


    "Frost Drill!" Layla created a large ice drill above one ant. The drill spun at high speeds. Yet surprisingly it also couldn''t break through the ant''s defence like her prior attacks.


    "Burning storm!" On the side, Emily targeted another ant. They were both competing for the remaining ants so she used a rather strong spell. Even though they had not discussed it, they knew that whoever killed their target first would definitely get more KP. Which was because they would move to the next target before the other.


    So Emily immediately engulfed the ant''s body. She realised that even if she couldn''t break through its defence in a short time. She should be able to suffocate it right?


    After all, the flames would burn away all the oxygen around the ant... But did the ants even breathe oxygen though? Well, whatever they breathed would be burned away.


    The ant started screeching in even more pain. Now the poison was wrecking its body while the flames were also cooking it alive. It was definitely having the worst time. Yet unlike what Emily expected, it didn''t seem like it was affected by the lack of air at all.


    What she didn''t know was that R1 ants could all go at least a day without breathing. Let alone a MR2. It probably didn''t even notice the absence of breathable air. Its spiracles were closed even before the battle began.


    "Tsk, so selfish. They left me to deal with these two alone!" Chloe complained as she kept running around the two PR2s while distracting them. While it made sense for her to be the one to do it because of her high speed. That didn''t mean that she would like it.


    "Right... Why don''t you all just let me kill the MR2, and you four kill the two PR2s, two on each? That will save time. And I''m sure the rewards would be quite substantial still," Hope spoke from beside Chloe, almost making her jump from being startled.


    She didn''t even sense her approach. Not to mention that she had been running all over the place, so for Hope, who wasn''t that great physically, would appear so suddenly, it was quite surprising indeed.


    "What do you mean?" Chloe asked for clarification. She had a bit of time since she had lured the two PR2s a bit of distance away.


    "Nothing much. Just that I''m sure you can all see that the current plan won''t work out too well. Your abilities are all getting countered by the ants'' hard defence. While you all can bring out the big guns. You can only do it once, which would leave you powerless at the mercy of the other ants," Hope spoke with an innocent look on her face as if she was just trying to help. Her words were so measured that it seemed like they were rehearsed.


    "Hmm... You''re right. But why are you so sure that you can kill them all?" While she could easily tell that Hope was trying to lead her on. Chloe still played along, after all, what she was saying made sense. They didn''t have all day to worst on the ants. So a change of plans was good.


    "Why not let me try and you''ll see. There''s no harm in that right?" Hope replied still looking innocent. Eerily so at that point.


    "I''ll only agree on three conditions. First, the others agree as well. Second, you won''t participate in the next beast battle if there are a few of them and lastly, you will stop acting like that right now. It''s so weird, like I''m talking to a manipulative villain or something" Chloe gave her answer.


    "Okay, done! The others have already agreed and they also mentioned the other two reasons which I agreed to. But is my mastermind mode really that bad?" Hope, who had already talked to the others, agreed to Chloe''s demands. She was just trying the "mastermind Hope" persona for fun. But to receive such negative feedback really hit her hard.


    "Yeah, it''s that bad. I kinda wanted to punch you in the face for a moment there" Chloe replied, not mincing her words.


    "Okay, I get it. I won''t do it again. Now step back" Hope replied annoyedly at how she didn''t even hold back. Then she released all her aura.


    Boom!


    A vague purple energy spread from her covering twenty metres around her. It was still nowhere close to being as visible as Muku''s grey aura or Jade''s Beast Aura, but it was definitely among the best most people could do in the current world.


    "Baneful serpent!" She then cast one of her stronger and more costly spells. A giant dark green serpent made completely from poison appeared in front of her. The poison body then struck at the dizzied ant closest to to Hope.


    A weird scene to the untrained eye then took place. The serpent, which was about the same size as the ant, disappeared into its body through its mouth. The ant immediately fell dead, acidic juices coming out of its mouth.


    The fight ended so quickly that Chloe and the other two, who were looking on from a distance, were surprised. Hell, even Muku and Audrey, who stood far away, were surprised. They never knew that Hope already could one-shot a MR2 beast.


    It would have been quite understandable if it was the others who had explosive abilities, but her? They did not see it coming. It was at that moment they all realised that poison shouldn''t only be feared for its ability to kill one slowly while remaining unnoticed if Hope willed it. But it was also just as deadly as the other elements even in normal settings.


    Not to mention that Hope wasn''t even using her strongest spell. Which was obvious by how she seemed to still have a lot of mana left. Which wouldn''t have been the case if she used the best she had. None of them were sure of what it was.


    Without waiting for the others to react she could see the two PR2s getting closer. She immediately sent out "Baneful serpents" at the other MR2s. Killing them all in less than thirty seconds while the others struggled to even hurt them. This greatly showcased the hidden factor of "natural advantages" which they had not considered before.


    "Hehe...I guess you can all get to work now" Hope spoke with a silly smile on her pale face from expending most of her mana. She was happy because of the significant amount of mana she got from the kills that got her one step closer to the peak of Rank Two.


    "Yeah, it''s our turn now..." Instead of Chloe replying to her. It was Emily from behind them that was walking toward them with Layla. Battle intent blazing in her eyes. Layla also had the same look. They refused to be upstaged by a junior.


    The approaching PR2s paused for a bit feeling like the air around them had changed for some reason...

 Chapter 127 127: Ultimate Spells

    "Okay, girls. Communism is good and all. But I feel that we should try something more interesting instead" As they held off the two Peak Rank ants. Jade started a conversation.


    "Okay, what do you have in mind?" Emily asked trying to figure out where Jade was trying to go with her words. The other two also listened on, waiting for Jade to explain.


    "I can''t be the only one who doesn''t like sharing all the time, right? It''s okay for when it''s opponents like Ares'' avatar. But for little ants like these, it just doesn''t feel good. So why don''t we have a rock-paper-scissors match and the two who win will get these, and the losers will get the next?" Jade explained herself.


    "Of course, the two losers will also have to hold off the two ants while the winners prepare their attacks. What do you all think?" She continued before anyone could respond, then went silent, waiting for their reply.


    "I agree" Layla didn''t even think for a second. She had been having such thoughts for a while. Just that she didn''t know whether the others thought the same way. She hadn''t said anything because she didn''t want to come off as being selfish. But now that someone else was thinking about it, she didn''t have to hold back anymore.


    "Me too... I didn''t know that you were also thinking like that" Chloe also agreed quickly. Like the other two, she had agreed.


    "Really?... Well, if that''s what you all want. I guess we can do it like that," Emily,, unlike the others, didn''t have any problems with their current arrangement. So she was really surprised and saddened by the fact that the others were all thinking like that.


    "Aww, come on Em, it''s not like we''re breaking up and going our separate ways. We''re just giving way for each other. This way, we can improve a lot more" Jade, who already knew that at least Emily wouldn''t agree with her, spoke her prepared answer.


    She measured her words as she knew her friend could get super emotional sometimes. Even over such little things.


    "Okay, okay. I get it. Let''s get it over with" Emily replied while holding out her hand.


    At this point. They were hiding behind an ice wall that Layla had created. The ants couldn''t find them easily as she had created something like a maze in the area.


    On top of that, she was blocking their energy signatures with her shadow element. She really could play the role of a spy on top of being a mage if she wanted to.


    Anyway, the point was that they had all the time they needed for their little match. Which they promptly took care of. And the winners were surprisingly Jade, who had never won before, and Layla, who had also never won before. They were both over the moon. Just that it looked obvious on Jade''s face while it was mostly covered up on Layla''s.


    "Congrats! We''ll hold them off for you as you prepare then," Chloe spoke with no jealousy in her tone. She was going to get her chance soon enough, so there really was no reason to be envious.


    "Yeah..." Emily only gave a one-word answer before going after Chloe. She wasn''t feeling bad that she lost. She was just still stuck on the fact that the others wanted change.


    Knowing that it was something she had to figure out herself. The others didn''t say anything and just let her be. They were thinking about the bigger picture. While it made sense to always fight together when they were weaker.


    It was getting rather redundant as they got stronger. If they kept it up, it would likely hold them back in the future as they would always depend on each other.


    Which was something Emily had yet to realise. Muku and Audrey already knew of the drawbacks, but they didn''t want to decide for the girls. So they let them decide for themselves.


    Which they could afford since it wasn''t an issue yet. Though they would be pleased that the girls came to such a conclusion sooner than expected.


    While he wouldn''t have mentioned it. Since he had to live up to his choice of not making them completely reliant on him. But he would subtly guide them with his actions. Which was partly the reason he stood back from the ant battle.


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    He just didn''t think they would realise the drawback so soon. And he would be even more amazed if he found out that three of them had long thought of it a while back. Or maybe not, he knew that the girls were all rather intelligent after all. Even Emily, just that she usually let her emotions lead her.


    ....


    "Well, Layla can obviously take the ant down... But can Jade do it in her current weakened state?" Chloe asked Emily for clarification as she was closer to Jade.


    "I''m not sure. But Jade is just impulsive and not stupid. So I''m sure she has a plan. We''ll just have to do our part and see what happens" Emily though still sour, defended her friend.


    "Hmm... I guess you''re right" Chloe spoke as she fought back the ant. Targeting its head, especially its eyes, with lightning bolts. While they weren''t doing much damage, they were quite painful to the ant. Which kept it from even looking in Layla and Jade''s direction.


    Emily also used a similar strategy. Just that she used fire arrows instead. It was just as effective, but still couldn''t burn through the eye''s protection. The ants were basically a perfect tank with no obvious outward weakness.


    As the two kept the ants busy, they felt the air behind them change and noticed the sky darken. They immediately knew that Layla was close to done with her art.


    And they felt something else they could vaguely remember. They were sure it was Jade, but they couldn''t spare a second to look at the time. So they could only wait and see the final result.


    And like they predicted. Soon after, a familiar voice casting a familiar spell sounded...


    "Shadow Charged!: Black Ice Dragon!" Layla shouted her spell.


    And surprisingly, it wasn''t the lance Emily as Chloe expected. Before they could react, a large Eastern Dragon made of black ice passed by their heads, heading for one of the ants. It just passing by left a layer of frost on their bodies that they had to get rid of with their abilities.


    The ant was also caught off guard. And before it knew it, it was in the mouth of the monstrous dragon that was even larger than it. The teeth bit down and the PR2 ant was instantly killed. It didn''t even resist for a split second at least.


    The ant''s body, along with its unreasonably strong exoskeleton, was broken apart and spat out. The spell was so strong that even without the defence-ignoring effect, it likely would have still killed the ant.


    Such was the power of Layla''s current all-out attack. Though it was only that strong because it was a combination of two elements, otherwise her ice alone wouldn''t have been able to do it.


    "What th..." Chloe was about to express her shock at the new spell before she was interrupted by a familiar voice.


    "Beast Empress ROOOOOOAR!" Jade cast an unexpected spell no one thought they would see before she completely converted her mana to Beast Aura at the very least.


    But there she was using it, she''s shocking them all. She was even floating in the air above them for an even more majestic scene. Though it seemed quite strenuous. Green veins were popping out of her whole body.


    She seemed to be in great pain, but there was a resolute look in her eyes. She cast the spell till the end. By the time she was done, the ant had been completely erased from existence. There was even a large crater on the ground.


    Then something that hadn''t happened to her for a long time occurred. She fainted, in mid-air too. She likely overtaxed her body by using a spell that only her beast form could completely support.


    Beast Aura just wasn''t something that should be let loose in a normal human body. Even if that body was one of the world''s strongest evolvers.


    "Tsk, I really thought I would never have to do this again. Why couldn''t you just wait until you got your beast form back? Such a troublesome girl," Muku, who appeared out of nowhere, spoke to the unconscious Jade in his arms.


    Of course, he wasn''t expecting her to respond. He was just venting. While he didn''t mind catching her. He didn''t like it when she was so reckless, putting her body on the line.


    "SKKKKKKRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!"


    Before Muku could even float down with Jade and address the others. An angry and loud screech, unlike none they had ever heard before, sounded. Accompanied by the shaking of the earth around the area.


    "Ant so it begins... Too bad this idiot is unconscious" Muku spoke to himself softly while looking at the cracking earth beneath him. At the same time, he grabbed the girls who were standing on the shaking ground with his telekinesis.


    They were all confused about what was going on. After all, they had already taken care of the strongest ants in the area. Even after the monsterous screech they still couldn''t sense anything...


    It was like the planet was evolving again, but just in the area they were in...

 Chapter 128: Muku versus The Ant Queen

    "What''s happening over there?" Audrey asked after he took the girls back to the sidelines where she was.


    The stadium women and Elsa were also there. They didn''t back up more since the area was still stable, unlike the battle site. Which was still shaking and cracking, accompanied by the loud Ant screech.


    "Oh, that?... That''s nothing. Just the ant boss none of you sensed despite coming here so many times. Hell, none of you even considered the fact that ants always have a queen. Even if they are alien ants, it''s something you should have kept in mind" Muku replied to her calmly.


    But they could all see that he was taking the moment to lecture them. None of them could look him in the eye since all of them had overlooked it. They had let their strength cloud their eyes.


    Which was understandable since they had yet to meet any other human who was even close to being as strong as them. That wasn''t on their team. With such realisation, they all felt rather ashamed of themselves.


    Despite knowing that they weren''t really that strong compared to the strongest beasts out there. They still somehow let their guard down. It''s like they just assumed that any strong opponent would appear with an obvious sign. Like a scary aura, easily noticeable aura, or something like that.


    "Umm... So how are going to deal with it" Audrey asked after a little moment of silence. While Ashe felt quite ashamed, she had to suck it up as things weren''t looking too pretty. She could tell that whatever was appearing out of the group wasn''t going to be easy to take care of.


    "You aren''t going to do anything. None of you are. I''ll take care of this myself. Here, take her" Muku replied while handing her the unconscious Jade.


    "Can you do it alone though?" Audrey asked again, this time with some worry in her voice.


    "Hmm...who knows. If I can''t, then you can join me. But if the battle doesn''t seem like something we can handle even if we join hands. We''ll make a break for it" Muku replied before flying away. Not waiting for them to say anything else.


    The girls could only worriedly look at him at that point. They wanted to fight with him but chose not to go against him in the end. After all, he did say they could help him if things became dicey. So they will just do that.


    .....


    "SKRRRR!"


    BOOM!


    Finally with a little screech from whatever was coming out of the earth. The ground exploded and then it emerged.


    Its emergence killed most of the ants that were present in the area. It seemed like the soil around the area had an effect that suppressed its overwhelming aura. The moment it left the ground, the unparalleled aura came crashing down on everything in the area. Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    Only a few PR1 and Half-step R2 ants survived. The others were all wiped out in their thousands under their mad mother''s aura.


    "Oh... So that''s why you didn''t come out. Though I suppose it makes sense you''d have such a weakness when you can create such a large army for yourself. It would have been absurd if you could do whatever you wanted as well" Muku spoke calmly while looking at the huge monstrosity that had just destroyed its kingdom by just appearing.


    His voice might have seemed calm, but he was very nervous inside. The thing he was looking at was at least 25 metres tall after all. Just its aura was enough to shake his mana stability to the point that he couldn''t fly too high.


    With just that. Even without the IA notifying him what rank it was. He could easily tell that the monster in front of him was definitely at the peak of Half-step R3.


    "Strong opponents are fine and all... But did you have to be so strong??. Going by the script, shouldn''t you have only been a little stronger than me??" Muku nervously added as the huge red eyes that were way bigger than him stared at him, radiating anger.


    And he wasn''t the only focus. It was also looking at the girls behind him from time to time. The Ant Queen was really pissed off. It could take them killing her weakest soldiers. But to kill her best as well??


    On top of that. By causing it to appear, they basically wiped out the rest of its colony. Nothing but blood could return the favour. Maybe even that wasn''t enough. Even then, it would at least kill and eat them all to ease its anger a bit.


    "SKRRRR!"


    Whoosh!


    The ant screeched again. This time the screech was accompanied by a beam of white energy that flew out of its mouth. The beam reached Muku before anyone could even blink.


    "Oh shit! I thought they were physical types!?" Muku screamed out with slight fear in his voice as he barely managed to dodge the beam attack.


    Bang!


    Boom!


    While he was still thinking about the beam. The huge ant queen moved at an unreasonable speed. It swiped at him and struck him down. He crushed onto the ground before he knew it.


    The girls who were looking on from a distance screamed in fear and surprise. None of them expected such a thing to happen. Luckily, Muku flew up from the ground again before they did something stupid.


    "Cough, cough! Well damn! I almost died there" Muku spoke to himself while looking at the dented armour that he had managed to cast on himself at the last moment.


    He suspected that the only reason he even survived was because the ant didn''t use all its strength. Which wasn''t because it was holding back. But his positioning in the sky didn''t allow it to. Otherwise, the battle would have been over just like that.


    "Okay, turn now.... Sword Rain!" Muku stopped playing around and focused on the fight. He finally realised that the Ant Queen was every bit as strong as it appeared to be. He couldn''t afford to be playful.


    As soon as he cast the spell. Thousands of swords appeared in the sky above the Ant Queen. They then flew down, targeting its leg joints.


    It was easy to guess that its defence was even stronger than the peak-rank ones. So he decided to target the joints where the defence would be weaker.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!....


    Unfortunately, even they were too strong for his blades to cut through...


    "Tough guy huh?... Okay. King''s Blade!" Muki wasn''t disheartened as he dodged another swipe and transitioned into his next spell. A huge blade that was around ten metres long and five metres thick appeared above the ant. It then stabbed down at its neck.


    Clang!


    And it, too, failed to do anything...


    "Freaking cheater! I''ll show you my greatest skill then!" Muku finally gave up on relying on his blades to fight the Ant Queen. His spells just weren''t strong enough.


    Their difference was just too large. The ant was an inch away from Rank Three while he hadn''t even reached the peak of Rank Two.


    His eyes started glowing silver and the air in the air felt slightly heavier. Everyone could feel it, the little hairs on their bodies stood still. He was finally about to use his bloodline in battle!


    Which would be a lot different from when he was demonstrating it to the girls. As for whether it would be as strong it was the first time it was used. It was yet to be known. The girls all looked on with bated breath.


    Even the Ant Queen felt something was wrong. It suddenly started feeling a little crisis when everything was okay a few seconds before.


    "Die...Hmm?" Muku, who was about to activate his bloodline ability and end it, noticed something at the corner of his eye. He, of course, looked.


    And it turned out to be a little golden ape with red energy coming out of it. There was even a smirk on its mouth as it flew toward him. Which, of course, was rather weird and confusing to him. Prompting the confused sound.


    "No, YOU DIE HUMAN!"


    An unexpected but familiar voice sounded from its mouth. A ball of red energy formed in its hands, which it then fired at Muku.


    Bang!


    It was so fast he couldn''t dodge. It completely hit its target. The force knocked him out of the sky toward the girls who were screaming hysterically.


    Boom!


    "Hehe... You dared go against me, the great Ares, and even kill my soul fragment and expect to live?" That''s right, the little ape was Ares. Another one of his avatars to be accurate. It might not have even been as strong as Mest, but it was perfect for ambushes, which it just proved.


    The Ant Queen looked at the little ape that was weirdly fading then at Muku. It repeated this action a few times before making a break for it.


    While it could take on Muku easily if he didn''t use that weird ability he was about to use. It knew that it definitely couldn''t mess with the little ape despite how weak it seemed. So it immediately fled the scene. It could create a new ant nest somewhere else after all.


    Not to mention that its huge body was energy inefficient, so it needed to find a spot to rest. Which was another reason it wasn''t willing to move. Even when its soldiers were getting killed daily.


    "Listen up human females. I''m not done with you at all. He was just an appetizer. I will end you all one by one!" Ares'' avatar spoke one last statement before completely fading away.


    The little body he hijacked just couldn''t support his soul for long. Even if it was again a tiny little fragment of it. Though this time he didn''t mind much as he had managed to take care of Muku before time ran out.

 Chapter 129 129: Gloomy Mansion

    "Noooo! Big brother!" Hope screamed as she ran towards the place Muku crashed on. The others screamed too and were also running toward him. But her voice was so loud she covered up everyone else''s.


    Her body was already glowing a gentle green as she prepared to heal him instantly. She was so scared she''d be too late that she was finding it hard to breathe. Yet that didn''t affect her spell casting.


    She suddenly felt someone lift her up. Which turned out to be Audrey, who was just as worried as her and felt she wasn''t running fast enough. Which, of course, she wasn''t opposed to. The quicker she reached him the better.


    "Hallowed Ground! Overcharge!" Hope immediately cast her best healing spell with all of her remaining mana. She wasn''t even sure if it would be strong enough since she had already used a significant amount of her mana.


    An overwhelming magic presence exploded out of her. She used every ounce of power she had. She had only taken a glance at Muku''s state and she was horrified.


    His armour was completely gone on his chest. His skin wasn''t spared either. His chest was so injured that his ribs were faintly visible behind the flesh. There was a semi-visible red mist coming out of his chest area, which seemed to be fighting back the healing power of her spell.


    The others just stood around him with worried expressions and tears in their eyes. They felt so powerless and useless for not being able to react in time.


    The emotion that stood out most in all of them was fear. Muku''s breath was faint and it seemed like he could die at any time. His situation seemed to be even worse than the time he suffered a backlash from his bloodline.


    "Ares that bastard! One day I will make him pay..." Layla, who was the last one to arrive on the scene, spoke to herself.


    Her body was still weak from having used her best spell recently. So even if she had managed to see Ares'' avatar before he attacked, she still wouldn''t have been able to do anything. Despite knowing that she still blamed herself just as much as the others.


    "Let''s go. We can''t stay here anymore," Audrey, who was trying to stay calm for the sake of the whole group, spoke.


    She then corrupted a few of the Half-step R2 Ants that had survived. Which became their transport since Muku was out of commission. The ants didn''t even resist. They had long been stunned stiff by all the strong auras around them to the point that they couldn''t move their limps.


    Soon everyone was on the backs of crimson ants heading back. While Muku''s group were afraid for his life. The stadium women were scared for their lives.


    They just realised that even someone as strong as Muku wasn''t safe in the apocalypse. Which pretty much shuttered all the confidence they were slowly building up.


    The ride back to the stadium was a very gloomy one. Completely different from the morning before when they went for the hunt. The few unlucky rank-one beasts they met on the way were killed off in the most horrifying ways.


    One had half of its body burned off and left to die. Another one, which was a LR1, had a bolt strong enough to strike down a peak. Half-step R2 struck it down. Another one had its blood drained out of its body through its pores while still alive.


    The girls were trying to vent their emotions on the poor beasts. Which didn''t even know what was happening. Layla, Hope and Jade would have probably tried something, too, if one wasn''t completely out of mana and the other two were unconscious.


    That''s right, Hope had used all her power to the point that she fainted. The worst part, it didn''t seem to have done anything to improve Muku''s state. The red mist was a lot stronger than they all thought.


    What was surprising was how they couldn''t tell what kind of energy it was. They knew for certain that it was different from their mana or Jade''s Beast Aura. But other than that, nothing.


    All this suggested that Ares was a creature they shouldn''t mess with. But after what he did, they will definitely have their revenge, or die trying.


    ....


    At Ares'' residence...


    "Hmm? It seems that the attack did not kill that human. How commendable. But he will die soon enough. There''s nothing they can do to fight against my power after all. Sadly, I can''t find another suitable host in such a short time, or I would have gone to finish them off" Ares'' main body, which had just taken its focus back from the human world, spoke to itself.


    He had actually been lucky to find the little ape so soon. Beings of his strength level have issues finding compatible hosts for their immense power. Even if it''s only a little of it. Its quality was not something any average body could take.


    While he could adjust humans to his preference in some cases. He couldn''t do the same with beasts. And even the humans he adjusts couldn''t take it for long.


    As for waiting for the world to evolve a bit more, giving him more leeway to do what he wants. That seemed too long for him. Even if time was inconsequential to him, he still wanted to get it done as soon as possible. And what if the humans died before the world evolved enough? Wouldn''t he be left with a lot of regrets then?


    "Maybe I can get someone to help me with their avatar or servants" Ares spoke to himself again. Thinking of who he should ask for the favour from.


    "Damn! I don''t think anyone would be willing. And I would also practically be revealing my failure to deal with those ants myself. Those humans should count themselves lucky to be able to live a little longer. The death of their leader should be enough for now" Ares continued for a while before closing his eyes and returning to his resting state.


    ...


    The next morning at the mansion...


    "How is his condition?" Emily asked Audrey who had been the one taking care of Muku all night.


    "His condition has not changed. Which is more good than bad if you look at the situation. After all, there''s nothing we can do if the situation gets worse," Audrey, who had calmed down more after a whole night, spoke.


    "Oh okay... Can I go see him?" Emily asked Audrey for permission.


    "Sure, no need to ask me. You can go whenever you want. Also, how are the other two?" Audrey replied naturally, not seeing any reason to stop her. She then proceeded to ask about Hope and Jade who also had yet to wake up.


    "Jade''s condition is improving. But very slowly. I don''t know when she will wake up. As for Hope, you will have to ask Chloe" Emily replied, giving Audrey an update on Jade.


    The green veins that had popped out of Jade''s body were still there. Just that they seemed to have receded a little. Making Emily hopeful that she was getting better.


    "Hope is also getting better. Her breathing is less laboured now. But tears come out of her eyes every now and then" Chloe spoke sadly, not waiting to be asked.


    She could, after all, understand the pain Hope was going through. She had lost all her family at once. Finally got a new family. But now it seemed like that family was going to leave her as well. The worst part, her power, which she was so proud of, couldn''t do anything to improve the situation.


    So for her to cry even while unconscious was understandable. Muku situation likely hurt her more than anyone else. Even if they were all hurt terribly.


    "Oh okay. At least the situation isn''t getting any worse" Audrey accepted the situation for what it was. They do say that misfortune comes in groups after all... Or something like that.


    "So what now?" Emily asked, not having an idea of what they should do next.


    "Nothing. For now, we can only wait for Hope and Jade to wake up before deciding on what to do next. And without Muku, we can''t move the mansion, so we''re basically grounded here," Layla replied before Audrey could.


    She had been quieter than usual since they returned. In fact, that was the first time she spoke since the previous evening.


    "Yes, what Layla said makes sense. We''ll do that" Audrey supported her. She was thinking of something along those lines anyway.


    "I guess we can use this time to catch up on our meditation... If we can manage to focus" Chloe spoke, suggesting something they could do while they wait. If they did nothing, they would probably be crushed under the weight of their own thoughts.


    "Yeah, we''ll do that" Emily agreed. And Layla immediately walked away, going toward her room. So it was safe to say she agreed too and was going to do the same.


    And so, the usually jolly mansion suddenly became gloomy and serious.


    Even little Elsa joined in the meditation. Of course, her reason was different. She was doing it to realise some of her potential. Hopefully, it would work...

 Chapter 130 130: Hope wakes up

    Two days later...


    While they had visibly gotten better, neither Hope nor Jade had woken up.


    As for Muku, his condition remained unchanged. If it wasn''t because of his bloodline, he likely would have died long ago. It even could heal him, but it couldn''t for obvious reasons. While Ares couldn''t see what was happening through his energy. He could sense if something strange happened.


    Especially then, when he was in a terrible mood because he could sense that Muku wasn''t dead yet. While his condition, had not gotten better, it had not gotten worse either. So, if the bloodline tried to heal him. Ares would know as he was paying close attention to Muku''s situation.


    The girls who were awake were doing almost nothing else but meditate when they were awake. Their mana control was improving significantly but they were still not happy. Not when three of their members were out of commission.


    ...


    Hope''s room...


    "Mmm" Suddenly, Hope, who was lying unmoving on her bed, made a little sound.


    Chloe, who was meditating on a couch in the room, snapped her eyes open and looked at the bed. Which was just in time to see Hope start to steer. Without any delays, Chloe rushed to the side of the bed.


    "Hope! Are you finally awake? It''s me, Chloe! Are you okay?" Chloe exclaimed while shaking Hope''s shoulders. She knew that she was overreacting, but she just couldn''t stop herself. Her emotions had gotten the better of her.


    "Caaaaan....yoooouuuu....stooop shaaaaking meeee please?!" Hope tried her best to speak clearly after finding herself getting her soul shaken out of her body just after waking up.


    "Oh! Right! Sorry," Chloe embarrassedly apologised as she stopped shaking Hope.


    "Argh, finally. I was close to vomiting my guts out there" Hope spoke while trying to gather herself. She was not only disoriented from having been unconscious for so long. Chloe''s shaking also added to the disorientation.


    "What''s happening? Where am I? Where''s Big Brother?.... Big Brother! Where is he?" Hope started asking random questions while still trying to clear her mind. She soon remembered what happened to Muku.


    Her mind cleared up immediately and she grabbed Chloe''s shoulders as she asked. She was giving off a rather crazy vibe at the moment.


    "Calm down. Nothing bad has happened to him. He is still as you left him" Chloe calmly replied. The moment she said that he hadn''t gotten worse...or worse, she felt Hope''s grip on her ease.


    "Good, I''m going to see him now...hmm? Why do I feel so weak?" Hope spoke while trying to get up. But she quickly realised that she couldn''t support herself on her legs.


    "Well, you''ve been out for a few days. And you had used every ounce of strength before going unconscious. Your mana recovery while unconscious was extremely poor. So your body is pretty empty right now. Let me go get you some food. Then you can go see him" Chloe spoke while getting up.


    "No wait! Why don''t you help me get to him first, then you can get the food?" Hope called out to Chloe, who was about to leave the room.


    ".....Fine" Chloe wanted to refuse the absurd request since it wouldn''t take long to get some food. But seeing the pleading and resolute look in Hope''s eyes, she just couldn''t say no.


    She was almost certain that the moment she left. Hope would try to crawl into Muku''s room. It was at that moment she realised just how much Hope loved her Big Brother.


    Initially, she thought that they were all about equal. With Hope maybe being a little bit above them. But in that moment, she realised that their love for him paled in comparison to hers by a long shot. Hope was one of those people who loved completely once they chose to love.


    At the same time, she couldn''t help but feel fortunate that Hope wasn''t a yandere or something. Otherwise, with such a strong love, the rest of them might have had to watch out. Or they would get poisoned in their sleep.


    As she thought of this, she had already grabbed Hope''s shoulder. As she helped her get to Muku''s room. Which was thankfully beside Hope''s room they were in.


    ....


    Muku''s room...


    "Is there anything wr.... Oh! Hope you''re awake,," Audre,y, who was lost in thought while sitting beside Muku''s bed, spoke. She thought someone had something to tell her until she saw Hope who was getting supported into the room by Chloe.


    "Yeah... How is he?" Hope replied to Audrey, but her eyes were focused on Muku, who lay on the bed unmoving. Tears immediately gathered in her eyes before they started falling out.


    "Go and get her something to eat" Audrey said to Chloe while taking Hope from her and supporting her to Muku''s side. Chloe didn''t delay and immediately did what she was told.


    "I''m useless" Hope spoke to herself in a voice that was close to crying as she touched Muku''s cheek. It really broke her that she couldn''t do anything to help him even when she was a so-called Pseudo-Legendary Class Healer.


    "No Honey, don''t blame yourself. The situation was just beyond all our capabilities. And he will be fine soon enough. Just have faith okay? If you break down like this, what will he think? Would you want him to see such a sorry sight if he were to wake up now?" Audrey immediately rebuked Hope softly.


    The child''s love for her master overwhelmed even her. She didn''t think it was so strong. She definitely couldn''t compete with her bloodline-induced feelings. At times she even felt like everything about her was fake when it came to him. She felt like her strong emotions for him were all fake.


    Well, that was a story for another day. What mattered to her in the moment was to keep Hope from breaking down.


    "Ye-yeah, you''re right. I shouldn''t dwell on the past. I should work hard to get stronger and heal him" Hope was swayed by Audrey''s words.


    A resolute look to gain more strength appeared in her eyes. She would do everything in her power to gain the power she needed. She immediately started thinking of what she could do to gain that power. Unknowingly, an eery air appeared around her as she was stuck in her thoughts.


    "Hope?" Audrey called out to her while tapping her shoulder.


    "Hmm?" Hope snapped out of her thoughts and the sinister air around her immediately disappeared. It was as if it was never there.


    Audrey, who had clearly sensed it, was even questioning if she had sensed it properly. But she was certain that she had sensed something. She would have to notify Muku when he gets up. It seemed like an issue that could lead to problems later on if left infixed.


    "I''ve brought the food!" Thankfully, Chloe''s crisp voice disrupted the awkward silence.


    "Here, Hope, have some", Chloe continued speaking as soon as she got to Hope''s side.


    Hope wanted to refuse since she didn''t feel like eating. But realising that she really needed to eat to be able to function properly. She accepted the food. And so began her long and tasteless meal under the urging gazes of Chloe and Audrey. Who were soon joined by the others who had been notified by Chloe?


    Soon the room was a little noisy. While it wasn''t the same as when everyone was okay. It was definitely an improvement from the gloomy atmosphere in the last few days. They could vaguely sense that things were changing for the better.


    Soon Hope had finished her meal and her body had also regained some of its strength. Which was the best part about beast meat. It worked almost immediately and the change was visible to the naked eye.


    Unfortunately, it had been the last of their beast meat. So when Muku and Jade wake up. They won''t have any. Unless the team went to hunt for more. Which was easier said than done with their rarity in the area.


    .....


    The next day...


    Hope had spent most of the previous day recovering in Muku''s room. She even slept there. No one objected that time around for obvious reasons. Plus she might or might not have threatened to poison them into a state of fear for a whole week if they denied her.


    "I think I should see Jade. While I can''t help Big Brother. Maybe I can help her. Her state is even naturally improving after all" Hope spoke to the others after they had gathered for breakfast.


    After a night she was finally willing to leave Muku''s side. Though not for too long. But it was an improvement nonetheless.


    "Good idea!" Emily, being Jade''s best friend, immediately agreed to the idea. She had even wanted to bring it up. But wasn''t sure because of the condition Hope was in.


    "Great, let''s go do it now then. I have to get back to Big Brother soon," Hope spoke, the last part of her sentence making the others smile wryly.


    The girl really only had her big brother in her mind. Which wasn''t too obvious when Muku was fine. But when he wasn''t, it was a glaring fact.


    And so, they quietly agreed to what she said and they all headed for Jade''s rooms.

 Chapter 131 131: Beast Aura

    In Jade''s room...


    "Hallowed Ground!" Hope didn''t waste any time.


    She immediately cast the spell as soon as she got beside Jade''s bed. Both because she wanted to get back to Muku quickly and she genuinely didn''t want to see Jade suffering like she was. Even though she was no longer confident in her healing abilities. She still gave it her all.


    A gentle green light enveloped Jade''s bed. Especially focused on her body. The healing power because a lot more potent since it was focused on a smaller area than usual. The green veins on Jade''s body didn''t even take a second before they started receding. The speed at which they receded was fast as well.


    Seeing this, everyone behind Hope, who had her eyes closed, smiled. They were glad that, unlike Muku''s condition, Jade''s was still treatable. With that, their worries were decreased by a significant margin. Now, all that was left was to find a way to heal Muku, and everything would be okay again.


    "Mmm," Jade let out a small sound from her mouth as she came to. Which was a sign that her mouth''s break from being used too much daily was about to end.


    "Jade!" Emily exclaimed while jumping on top of Jade. Giving her a tight hug while she sobbed softly. She had never spent so long without talking to Jade ever since they met. So she felt her absence a lot more than the others. After all, Jade was like her second sister. Her twin sister even.


    They were that close, even if they fought for little to no reason most of the time. That was just their way of showing love. Which wasn''t unlike most siblings.


    "Are you trying to squeeze me to death?" Jade spoke in a slightly laboured and annoyed voice. She had just woken up only to find herself getting the air squeezed out of her by Emily. How could she not be annoyed? She wasn''t much of a hugger either.


    "Tsk, can''t you be nice to me just this once" Emily clicked her tongue in annoyance as she wiped away her tears after letting go of Jade.


    The way Jade had replied had completely destroyed the mood for her. The others just looked on with wry smiles. They were used to how the two interacted.


    "If you''ll excuse me, I have to go back to Big Brother now" A weakened Hope spoke as she prepared to leave after seeing that Jade was now fine.


    "Hhm? What do you mean? Where is he anyway? Am I not important enough for him to be around when I wake up?" Jade asked about Muku with a hurt look.


    It was only then that they all remembered that she was already unconscious when Muku was ambushed. The room suddenly went quiet.


    "What happened? What''s wrong? Where is he?" Jade asked worriedly. She could sense that the atmosphere in the room changed when she mentioned Muku.


    Her negative feelings towards his absence immediately vanished. She had realised that there was no way he wouldn''t be around when she woke up if everything was okay. Not that he treated her differently, but because that''s what kind of person he was.


    He valued them all a lot, which they could tell. So there definitely must be something going on for him to be absent. With his strength, she normally wouldn''t have thought that it was something bad that was keeping him away. But the gloomy expressions of the others brought her to that conclusion.


    She started feeling a sudden sinking feeling she never felt before. Her heart raced anxiously. Her already weak body started feeling weaker. All she could think of at the moment was wanting to see him.


    "Calm down Jade. The situation with him might not be good. But it''s not bad either. Here eat this. And we''ll take you to see him," Emily spoke while grabbing Jade''s shoulders softly. Which snapped the green-haired girl out of her darkening thoughts.


    She then presented her with the food that Elsa was holding. They were aware that it would be necessary from Hope''s case so they prepared it in advance.


    Also like Hope, she wanted to reject the food and immediately go. But her body just wouldn''t move due to lack of strength. So she had to eat first. But the Half-step R2 meat no longer tasted that good after they had R2 meat. Not to mention her negative emotions at the moment. So she took quite a while to finish.


    .....


    Muku''s room...


    "...." Jade silently looked at Muku. Her expression was unreadable.


    Nothing but his pale face was reflected in her eyes. Hope, who was by his side and had come earlier than the others, was completely ignored.


    "To think that even you could look so weak" Jade said one sentence softly.


    Which made the others look at her with slight anger in their eyes. Hope was full-on glaring at her. How could she say such a thing in such a situation?


    Jade ignored them all as she slowly walked toward Muku. She soon reached beside his bed and instinctively held out her hand. Hope wanted to slap it away but then she noticed the tears that had gathered in Jade''s eyes.


    That''s when she realised that Jade was also hurt by his current situation. As much as any of them at least. She just didn''t know how to delicately out her words.


    And so, Jade put her hand on Muku''s cheek. She started tracing it all over his face. Then she noticed his injuries that were barely visible under the blanket. They were bandaged up, but she could tell the severity of them. She subconsciously reached out.


    "Hhm?" The moment she touched the edge of the bandage, she sensed something. Prompting her to make a confused sound.


    "What is it?" Hope, who had been monitoring her like a hawk, asked.


    "I think I can sense Beast Aura on his injury. But it seemed a bit different from mine. Other than the different colours. It also seems stronger and a lot purer. It''s like a refined version of mine, though with some bloodlust added to it" Jade explained herself.


    "Wait what? Beast Aura? How''s that possible. Isn''t it Ares'' power?" Hope spoke confusedly.


    "Unless maybe it''s really an upgraded version of what Jade has. Normal people like us cannot identify, but she can due to their shared source" Layla immediately cracked the code on what might be happening. Which was accurate.


    Jade''s Beast Aura was something that normally, only the most superior beasts had. Not superior in strength, but bloodline.


    "If so, can she do something about it?" Chloe asked the critical question that the others were likely also thinking along with her.


    They had long figured out that the energy, now identified to be Ares'' Beast Aura. Was the reason Muku''s injuries were not healing. So if Jade could do something about it, that would be really great. It would basically fix everything.


    As soon as Chloe finished asking the question. Everyone immediately looked at Jade with hopeful eyes. A positive reply from her at that moment would mean the world to them.


    "I...I''m not sure. But I can try. I will have to properly rest first" Jade replied hesitantly.


    She didn''t want to let them down, but also didn''t want to give them false hope. So she said it exactly as she felt it.


    "Oh okay, you should go rest then. You can try when you get back into shape" Chloe spoke, not pressurising her.


    They weren''t unreasonable to think that Jade could definitely do something about the situation. Just because she had the same source as Ares'' power. For them, her not outright giving them a negative answer was a good thing. At least that way, they had hope. Even if it was fragile, it was there.


    ...


    The next morning...


    While Jade had completely recovered by the previous evening. They wanted to make sure that she was in perfect mental condition, too. So to Hope''s dismay and unwillingness, they postponed the task to the next day.


    "Are you ready child?" Audrey asked Jade softly.


    While she also hoped that Jade could heal Muku. She didn''t want to put too much pressure on her. Doing that might even cause her to fail when she could have succeeded.


    Which was why she had specifically told the others to not say anything that could shake Jade''s mental state. Warning Hope especially, the girl had been acting a bit crazy recently. So she wasn''t sure what she would do.


    "Yes, I''m ready. Let''s get started" Jade replied confidently. Clearly, her mental state has improved a lot from the previous day. Which was good news for them all.


    Jade then proceeded to place her hands directly above Muku''s chest. Not touching his body. But very close to touching it.


    She could clearly sense Ares'' tyrannical Beast Aura. She then released hers. Her whole body was covered in it as she began channelling it toward her hands.


    The moment it came into contact with Ares'' Beast Aura. They both went berserk as if they met an enemy they had to defeat no matter what...


    And so, the battle to decide Muku''s immediate fate began...

 Chapter 132 132: Mind encounter?

    As Jade''s output increased, the resistance from Ares'' Beast Aura increased. Both energies were trying to consume the other.


    Slowly but surely, Jade was winning. Not because she was stronger. Which was a title Ares'' energy occupied in the situation. She was winning because her energy was more abundant.


    She was defeating quality with quantity. Even that only worked because she was battling against a weakened, second-hand Beast Aura from Ares. If it was the purest form, from the source. She would need to be at least Rank Ten to even stand a chance against the same amount.


    That''s the kind of strength difference they had. Which, luckily for them, wasn''t at play. So Jade was able to slowly convert Ares'' Beast Aura into hers. By this point, the whole room was covered in green and red energy.


    The others had long left the room. While what was happening likely wouldn''t affect them. They didn''t want to take the chance.


    They also noticed something while observing the spectacle. The density of Jade''s Beast Aura was increasing the more she converted Ares'' Beast Aura. It was easy to see that she was getting quite a significant benefit from the ordeal.


    Another thing they noticed was Muku''s improving skin colour. I had become pale from the day he was injured. Now it was slowly returning to its rosy tone.


    ...


    Ares'' dimension...


    As Jade expelled Ares'' Beast Aura from Muku''s body. Ares quickly sensed it.


    "Hhmm, who dares go against me by assisting that human?!" Ares'' spoke to himself furiously.


    While he could sense what was happening with his Beast Aura. He couldn''t sense the situation clearly. All he could tell was that whoever was going against him was using Beast Aura.


    And since the weaker beasts that could use it wouldn''t do such a thing. He assumed that it was one of the other Monarchs. As for the thought that it may get to be a human... It never crossed his mind.


    He hadn''t paid attention to Jade both times they encountered each other. The first time, she was too far. On the second, she had already fallen unconscious when he showed up. So he had no idea that a human who could use Beast Aura had appeared.


    With his thought that it was one of the Monarchs. He didn''t dare prove further. Afraid that whoever the person was could use the chance to attack him.


    After all, he was the least liked among all the Monarchs. So some of them wouldn''t mind taking a stab at him if there was a chance. Which he assumed was the reason whoever was interfering with his prey was even doing so.


    Unknowingly, his paranoia kept Jade''s existence hidden from him a little longer. Which should have been impossible since that bloodline was supposed to have been wiped out.


    "Whoever you are comrade. I will get back at you one day" Ares spoke hatefully before closing his eyes again. Returning to his previous dormant state, though this time his aura was significantly more agitated.


    ...


    In Muku''s mind?...


    While outside he was inanimate. In his mind, he was very much active. From the time he was attacked by Ares, he had found himself wandering in endless smoke.


    He knew it wasn''t the real world, but he couldn''t leave. All he could do was keep walking forward or stop. And something told him that if he kept on walking forward. He will find something that would be worth it.


    And so, he kept walking for an unknown time to him. It felt like years, but he still kept on walking. At some point, the grey smoke started turning darker and darker until it was pitch black.


    He felt like he was walking on a moonless and starless night. Completely dark, with nothing in sight. But he still kept walking. Thinking that he had come so far, so he might as well continue. If he stopped then, he would have failed himself.


    As his sanity was starting to crack from the ordeal. He saw something move in the darkness. Two large glowing orbs were beaming from the sky. Although they looked to be as big as the moon at least, he felt like they were eyes. Eyes that were looking right at him.


    And honestly, he felt scared. What was such a thing doing in his mind? Was it going to kill him? Could it really kill him? Such thoughts plagued his consciousness as he froze on the spot. Unable to move from fear.


    He had long realised that he was unable to use his abilities. So he was no different from a normal human standing against such a thing.


    "What? Are you not going to say anything?" An unknown voice that sounded familiar to him for whatever reason sounded in his mind.


    Hearing the voice, he somehow immediately knew that whatever Being the voice belonged to wouldn''t hurt him. Which was definitely weird, but he just knew.


    "Who are you" Muku asked after gathering all his courage.


    "Good, at least you can speak. Otherwise, I would have been really disappointed" The voice didn''t reply to his question.


    It spoke words that would have definitely pissed him off had it been someone else who said it. After all, it was not only ignoring his question but also saying such a thing. But for some reason, he was happy that he didn''t disappoint the being.


    "What are you doing in my mind?" Muku asked his next question.


    "I''m not in your mind" Surprisingly, the being answered his question.


    "Am I also not in my mind then? Did you kidnap my consciousness?" Muku asked another question, this time a bit guarded.


    If he really had been mind-kidnapped, he had no idea what he would do. Or what he could do.


    "No, you''re still in your mind, as you put it" The being replied patiently.


    "Then are you projecting yourself into my mind?" Muku asked another question.


    "No. Let me put it like this. Space, or Laws, to be more specific, don''t affect me. I am nowhere and everywhere at the same time, among other things" The being tried to clarify the situation. But it just confused Muku even more.


    Then he was filled with horror. What kind of being had he encountered? Wasn''t such an ability a God-level power? He was certain that even Ares couldn''t do such a thing. He was probably not even close to being able to do it.


    To him, this information translated to, "Don''t do anything to offend the being or you are definitely dead. Maybe without a chance of reincarnation even"


    "Do you not have anything else to ask?" The Being asked curiously. While it could easily read his thoughts. It chose not to. Such things made conversation pointless.


    "R-right. What do you want with me?" Muku asked, slightly more nervous this time. As even if the being wanted him to commit suicide. He wasn''t sure if he could refuse. Which made him feel quite hopeless.


    Why did he keep on encountering such beings he couldn''t resist? Most people were probably still dealing with Rank One beasts as their strongest encounters.


    But here he was facing a being that was beyond the authority of the Laws of Existence. And it was all caused by an encounter with another being he could not fathom.


    On the bright side, this being didn''t seem to be as antagonistic as Ares. So he might be able to make it out alive.


    "Good question. And I don''t want anything from you. I just wanted to say hello" The Being replied. The reply made Muku feel speechless. Where all Bigshots so bored these days? Like who does that? And after such an appearance too.


    "Umm, really? That''s it?" Muku asked after calming down.


    "Yes. Should there be more?" The being said another thing that made him speechless.


    Why was it asking him that? He wasn''t the one that appeared in front of the other. How was he supposed to know??


    "Oh right! I almost forgot. I have a warning for you" Before Muku could lose it. The Being said something that grabbed his attention. A warning from such a being must be something really important right?


    "Yes please tell me. What is it?" Muku spoke respectfully.


    "Don''t wait too long, or you might lose them" " The Being spoke seriously after pausing for a bit.


    The content made Muku almost curse out loudly. What the hell?! That was the warning?! What was that serious atmosphere for then? But after thinking about it for a bit... Maybe it was good advice after all. Wait! What was he even thinking about?


    "It seems our time is up. May we meet again sometime soon?" As Muku was thinking up a storm, The Being suddenly said something unexpected.


    Before he could react, he felt himself get ejected from the mindscape. He couldn''t even say anything before he was gone. He still hadn''t found out who or what the being was. Or its name, at least. But it seemed that he could only wait until the next time they met. If it even happened that is.


    .....


    "You couldn''t say anything in the end, huh?" As soon as Muku disappeared. A disgruntled feminine voice sounded in the darkness.


    "It''s not yet time" The masculine voice that had been talking to Muku before replied.


    "You always say that" The feminine voice spoke. But the masculine voice didn''t reply. And everything returned to silence...

 Chapter 133 133: Muku wakes up

    Muku''s room...


    "Haaaah!" Jade screamed to hype herself up as she tried to uproot and convert the last of Ares'' Beast Aura.


    Which was a lot harder than when she started the procedure. This was because she had to invade Muku''s body with her own Beast Aura without hurting him. And the fact that Beast Aura was generally a violent energy unsuitable for such tasks made it even harder. Not to mention that Ares'' Beast Aura was fighting back.


    So she had to use maximum effort as one wrong step could lead to a disastrous situation. Fortunately for everyone, she succeeded, and the last of Ares'' Beast Aura was removed from Muku''s body.


    "That was exhausting... Oh no!"


    Bang!


    Jade was expressing her relief that she was down when she changed her statement in alarm. Signifying that something was wrong. But before the others could ask, she had already jumped out of the window.


    The others quickly ran to look at what was happening. They saw that she was already out through the gate.


    Boom!


    Green aura then exploded just outside the gate. Clearly Jade''s doing. Luckily, she had done so. Outside it, the mansion might have been broken down. Which was when they understood her actions.


    They immediately ran downstairs and went to see what was going on with her. What they saw surprised them greatly. Jade, who couldn''t enter her most mundane cat from before, was now in her berserk form. Or, more appropriately, the Beast Aura form that had zero input from mana.


    They could no longer sense the previous mana signature that she released along with her Beast Aura signature. Now it was just pure Beast Aura.


    Without asking they immediately realised that she had definitely finished switching over. She no longer had mana in her body. Just Beast Aura. This meant that the moment she killed enough beasts, she would immediately be upgraded to Rank Three.


    Honestly, they were all envious. They were all still around 50-60% of their mana strengthening and control. While that was already an impressive feat, it wasn''t good enough.


    To them, if they didn''t have around the same strength as their peers, no matter how strong they were. It just wasn''t good enough. Even if the peer came across a great opportunity as Jade did, they still wouldn''t accept it.


    Layla, who was the most competitive in the team, was hit the hardest. She immediately felt like going to meditate to improve herself. But she wanted to see how Muku''s situation would turn out before she left. So she was momentarily stuck. She hated it, but there was nothing that could be done.


    And so, they looked on as Jade tried to get her aura under control. Even the stadium women, whom they had not seen for a while, made their appearance. Of course, they stood far away within the barrier as they looked on.


    The relationship between the two groups had gotten quite awkward since the day Muku got injured. While Muku''s group could go to the stadium anytime they wanted. The stadium women couldn''t go to the mansion in the same fashion.


    Even Freya, who was worried about Muku, refused to go when the others wanted her to. She felt wary of the girls when Muku wasn''t around. As she could tell they didn''t like her very much. While they didn''t hate her, they definitely didn''t like her either. So there was no way she would put herself in such a situation.


    And none of the other women dared go either. Because of that, not knowing what the girls were planning on doing next. Or whether they would be blamed since the whole issue began with assisting them. The stadium women felt tense.


    Which was honestly a one-sided issue since no one from Muku''s group even thought about them once. They were all too busy to think about such insignificant people.


    As for blaming them for what happened. That was also impossible. After all, the real reason they bothered to help the stadium women was because of Elsa. Without Elsa, they might not have even approached the stadium in the first place.


    And there was no way they would blame Elsa. So the stadium women were just thinking too much.


    Soon after, Jade managed to control her Beast Aura. She then returned to her normal state, before walking back. A little smile on her face. Getting stronger was always a good feeling.


    ...


    "Congratulations," Emily said as soon as Jade joined them. She was truly happy for her friend.


    "Thanks, let''s go see what his condition is like now" Jade accepted the thanks without gloating or anything. She knew that it wasn''t the time for such things.


    And so the girls returned to Muku''s room. There they saw Hope busy healing Muku while Audrey stood by. That''s when they noticed that the two hadn''t gone out with them.


    Which was understandable for Hope really. Audrey''s case only surprised them a bit before they remembered that she was technically Muku''s loyal servant.


    It wasn''t that they didn''t care about him enough to go after Jade when they did. It was just a logical choice. Muku wasn''t going anywhere while Jade seemed to be having some issues. So their decision to leave didn''t mean that they cared too little.


    "Finally..." Chloe whispered as she noticed Muku''s injuries start to heal under Hope''s healing glow. It was clearly visible as Hope or Audrey had removed the bandages.


    Soon all the wounds were gone. And they could see Muku''s fingers as well as his eyelids move slightly. Which was a sign that he was about to wake. Which made them all overjoyed. They could finally start putting the whole ordeal behind them.


    Under their eager gazes, Muku slowly opened his eyes. The grey eyes they hadn''t seen for a few days were again in their full view.


    Bang!


    "Ouch!" "Ahh!" "Why?!"


    Three cries of pain sounded as Emily, Jade, and Chloe hit face-first on solid blood barriers. Which had suddenly appeared in front of them when they tried to jump on Muku all at once.


    Layla was only spared from the experience because she had happened to notice when Audrey cast the spell. Otherwise, she would have also been crying about her nose. Hope got a free pass since she was already on the bed with Muku. Elsa was just standing by.


    Fortunately for Muku, Audrey had seen it coming. Otherwise, he would have found himself beneath a mountain of girls. As for whether he would have liked it or not, that was none of Audrey''s concern. As long as she protects his life, her duty is done.


    "Big brother, you''re finally awake", Hope spoke softly, tears streaming down her pale cheeks as she hugged Muku.


    "I''m sorry; I didn''t mean to worry you again", Muku replied emotionally. The situation gave him a sense of deja vu so he promptly agreed.


    He already knew that whenever something like this happened to him. The one who suffers the most is Hope. Which made him unwilling to get badly injured again. Sadly, fortune wasn''t on his side. As it happened again.


    So he could only apologise. As he hugged her closely. He looked around the room. Seeing the girls, I gave them all a little smile. Which they were all happy to see again.


    After the initial heightened emotion from seeing him wake up. The girls definitely couldn''t jump on him again. So they could just happily stand at the sides. Envious of Hope''s position, of how she could just hug him whenever she wanted, without a care in the world.


    Unfortunately, they couldn''t do the same unless they chose to be his sister. Which obviously none of them wanted. They wanted something else, which, sadly, they could tell that Muku wasn''t willing to have with them yet.


    So they could only look on for the time being.


    ...


    Later on in the lounge...


    Muku had already had some food and the whole group had a chance to talk to him personally. It was time to get back to business. At least the planning part of it.


    "So, did anything noteworthy happen while I was unconscious?" Muku began the discussion.


    "We, there''s this" Jad was the first to speak, and she transformed as she did so.


    "Is this worthy of note?" She asked smugly. Now that Muku was up, she was quickly getting back to her usual personality.


    "Well... congratulations. When did this happen?" Muku was truly impressed.


    From his estimate from before Jade was supposed to be one of the last to reach Rank Three. Due to her troublesome Beast Aura conversion. But somehow, it seemed like she was going to be the first.


    "Thanks, and it happened just a little while before you woke up. I think I have to thank you for it too" Jade responded clearly and was even humble for a change. It was likely caused by Muku''s non-provocative answer, which was also a rarity when talking to her.


    "Is that so? We''ll have to circle back to this and you''ll tell me more" Muku continued speaking properly, confusing her and the others a bit.


    It almost seemed like he no longer saw her as just a troublesome brat. But as a girl, he still thought she was troublesome, but there was a significant improvement. Jade was so confused she didn''t know what to say so she remained quiet.


    "Okay, anything else?" Seeing that Jade seemed to be done. He asked if there was another thing that happened.


    "No, it has been a rather peaceful few days" Audrey replied.


    "Okay. So what''s the situation with the stadium? Any relevant improvements on their side?" Muku asked a question that made everyone go quiet. After all, they had basically ignored the stadium since they returned.


    "Umm, about that..." Audrey tried to reply but didn''t know how to continue. So she just stalled mid-sentence.


    {Sigh, I knew it} Muku thought to himself thinking of how he should continue...

 Chapter 134 134: New recruit!

    "I suspected this. It doesn''t matter. Let''s get it over with and move on with our lives. Would someone go call a few of them over? We can address them for the last time here as well as give them some meat since I''m certain you all didn''t give them any" Muku spoke. Not minding how the girls had basically abandoned the stadium women.


    "I''ll go" Chloe stepped up. Not because she wanted to but because she had noticed that Audrey was about to volunteer. And there was no way she would let her go while she was around.


    Layla likely would have taken Audrey''s place in the end. But everyone knew that Layla''s communication with strangers was nonexistent. Which was why Chloe stepped up.


    She then promptly left for the stadium. And soon returned with Freya and a few other women from the base. While she wanted to leave Freya behind for obvious reasons, she refused to let her pettiness get in the way of business.


    "Hello, sir. It''s nice to see you in good health" Freya was unable to control herself when she saw that Muku was okay. She immediately blurted out what she thought. She had been extremely worried every day since the day she saw him last. It even affected her sleep.


    So now, finally seeing him. Looking okay on top of that. She just couldn''t control herself. She immediately regretted her words as she felt the air around her get heavier. She again found herself the target of multiple unfriendly gazes.


    It felt so unbearable that she stumbled backwards. She then stumbled on her own foot and fell to the ground. Like any normal person when they fall. She reached out with her hands to touch the group and soften the impact.


    [Functional House Detected!]


    [Do you wish to bind?]


    [Caution: Once bound. Can only be unbound by the destruction of the house]


    As soon as her hands made contact with the mansion floor. She got several unfamiliar prompts. But she immediately knew that they were linked to her class. Which left her dazed as she didn''t know what to do next.


    "Hmm?... Well, that''s certainly an interesting development," Muku spoke with a little smile. He and the other Rank Twos had just sensed something weird.


    The moment Freya''s hands touched the mansion floor. They sensed her mana travel through every last part of it before returning to her body. Which was something even they couldn''t do.


    While they could sense almost anything in the mansion. It was because of their heightened senses. While Freya basically merged her mana with the mansion. Which was something that shouldn''t have been possible for someone as weak as her since even they couldn''t do it. But it all made sense as soon as they remembered her unique class.


    Interestingly, he could vaguely sense that the mansion had gotten a bit stronger after her mana passed through its walls. A crazy idea immediately formed in his mind.


    "So this is what I missed last time, huh? Our mansion is still a house after all. Hey Ms Freya, before we move on to other things. Mind having a little chat with me?" Muku spoke aloud his thoughts and then addressed Freya at the end while helping her up.


    The girls were giving him a look that said "Don''t you dare!" But of course, being himself. He ignored them. He would do anything that would improve their safety, even if they were initially against it.


    In this case, if Freya really developed like he thought she would with their help. Then there was no way they would keep on disliking her. Especially when there was really no reason to dislike her... At least not yet there wasn''t.


    "Sure" Freya, who was still a bit dazed, agreed to sit down and talk to Muku.


    "Great. Audrey, why don''t you go show the other ladies what they need to take?" Muku delegated the task of dealing with the stadium women so that he could speak to Freya without exposing everything about her to them.


    After all, who knew whether they could be trusted or not. As for his girls, he trusted them. And if they wanted to do something to her. Whether they knew something private or not, it didn''t matter. The strength difference was just that great.


    Another reason was he wanted the two sides to quickly get used to each other. His crazy plan wouldn''t work if they clashed constantly. So, he was going to try and use the situation as the foundation for the future.


    "Sure" Audrey agreed to carry out the task. And so, she directed the women to the kitchen where the meat they were supposed to take was.


    "No, we can speak without worry. If you don''t mind Ms Freya, can you tell me what just happened with your Class just now? In as much detail as possible?" Muku immediately got to the point.


    "Y-yeah, sure", Freya responded, a bit surprised by how he already knew that something had happened that was linked to her Class.


    After all, there were no obvious outward occurrences that had suggested such a thing. But remembering his strength that seemed godlike to her, she accepted it. To her, it made sense that he could tell such things. In her mind, he was an almost unequalled presence.


    "So it happened like this..." After Muku nodded for her to proceed.


    She immediately recounted what had happened. Not leaving anything out. She even cutely tried to imitate the way the IA spoke in her head. Which made Muku and the girls realise that they might have come across one of those airheads they had heard so much about.


    And honestly, they all found her cute at that moment. Some girls even got the urge to go and pat her head. Which would have been weird since she was older than them. She looked to be around 18 or 19 years old.


    "Oh, is that so. How fascinating. Anyway, I have a proposition for you if you don''t mind hearing it" Muku who had somewhat guessed it, wasn''t too surprised.


    All that surprised him was that she had to destroy her previous bonded house to choose another one. But other than that, it was all within his expectations. So he quickly moved on to the next step of his plan.


    Hearing him actually say it. The girls narrowed their eyes but they didn''t say anything. While they could oppose him. They chose not to. They felt that whoever opposed him at that time would be lowering their chance of ending up with him while increasing that of the others. After all, they heard read in a magazine that they came across a while back that men like women who are understanding.


    Whether it was true or not. They didn''t care. It seemed reasonable enough. And no one was willing to test out its truthfulness.


    "Yes, sure, go ahead, please" Freya replied with some confusion.


    Having no idea what he might want to propose to a little character like herself. Hell if he wanted to, he could force her to do whatever he wanted. And she wouldn''t even be able to resist. Would she want to resist though?


    Okay, she was going off track. So she quickly got out of her mind and completely paid attention to Muku. Waiting to hear what he had to say.


    "Umm, what do you think about joining my crew?" Muku again didn''t beat around the bush.


    Hearing his statement, Freya''s heart skipped a beat. She almost had a heart attack. And she had trouble believing what she had just heard. Did he really just say what she heard him say. Was she dreaming? It must be a dream, right?


    "It''s okay if you don''t want to. But just give me a clear answer so that I cannot for certain that I was rejected," Muku spoke up with a slightly downcast expression. He had assumed her dazed silence for rejection.


    Hearing his words the girls all facepalmed. The guy really didn''t know how to read a girl, did he? Everything about Freya''s actions was suggesting that she wanted to join. But the dense fool was seeing the opposite.


    They all soon calmed down. They realised that he was also dense with them, even after all the signs they tossed around daily. So it was to be expected that he wouldn''t understand Freya''s signs either.


    At least that''s what they thought...


    "What? No... NO! I didn''t refuse. I was just surprised that''s all. I didn''t think you''d want a weak person like me in your team. I even thought that I misheard. I want to, I really do! If you are willing to take me. I''m willing to join" Freya immediately explained herself in panic. Thinking that a once-in-a-lifetime chance was about to pass her by.


    "Oh. Is that so? Great then! Welcome to the team" Muku put on a look of understanding as he replied. Internally though, he was smiling triumphantly.


    He was never as dense as the girls thought of course. Just that he acted that way. While the world''s social system had collapsed. He wanted to at least preserve his own sense of morality. So until the girls were 18, he''d continue acting.


    As for Freya. He acted dumb to get her to take the initiative sometimes. If she was going to be their teammate. Then she couldn''t be so passive all the time.


    In their current world, only those who took the initiative could make it far...

 Chapter 135: Time to face it

    "Ladies, would welcome your new teammate?" Muku asked the girls who hadn''t said anything yet.


    "Welcome to the team Ms Freya. Let me reintroduce myself. I''m Hope. Big Brother''s beloved little sister. I hope we get along" Hope, who had the least dislike for Freya, introduced herself first. Which was because she didn''t see her as a threat to her position. She was even smiling as she did so.


    In fact, she never disliked Freya from the start. She was just supporting her friends and pretended to dislike her. But now that Freya was part of the team. There was no reason to pretend. And she didn''t want to isolate her, which would be cruel.


    The others, seeing her, couldn''t help but roll their eyes. It always surprised them how her personality changed so much depending on Muku''s state. Now that Muku was okay, she was back to being the kind girl they all knew. They were certain that if Muku was still injured or unconscious, she wouldn''t even bother to acknowledge Freya''s existence.


    "Welcome to the team, Ms Freya; I''m Chloe" Chloe, who could adapt easily, was the next to welcome Freya.


    "Jade, sup" Jade didn''t say much. Which was to be expected. But it was enough.


    Layla was even worse. She just nodded at Freya without saying anything.


    Emily just looked on silently before turning to leave. Her heart wouldn''t let her welcome more competition. The others she could handle since they somewhat had the same origin and stood on the same ground. Even Audrey, she could accept.


    But Freya made her feel extremely threatened. Nothing was stopping Freya and Muku from doing certain things if they wanted to. While in Muku''s eyes, she and the other girls were still too young. And Audrey was Layla''s mother so it was complicated. All this made her unwilling to accept Freya who seemingly had a clear path to Muku''s heart.


    After Emily left. Elsa nodded in Freya''s direction before quickly running after her sister. While she thought that Emily was being rude. She would still always stand by her sister no matter what. And she could somewhat understand why Emily was unwilling.


    Muku just looked on with a wry expression on his face. He had expected something like that to happen. He was even surprised that it was only Emily who did it. But then again it was also understandable. Emily might be nice in other things, but when it came to him. He had noticed some certain tendencies of wanting to monopolise him.


    Which again was understandable since no one would be willing to share the one they love in normal circumstances. The only thing holding her back was the fact that she and Muku weren''t in a romantic relationship. Otherwise, she might not have just walked away from the situation.


    "Umm, Ms Freya, aren''t you going to reply to what they said?" Muku ignored Emily''s situation for the moment as he spoke to Freya. Trying his best to disburse the awkward atmosphere Emily has created. However, it was already kinda awkward since he invited Freya to join the team.


    "R... right, I''m Freya like you all know. Thank you for welcoming me. You can just call me Freya, there''s no need to say Ms" Freya awkwardly did as Muku asked.


    She could sense the tense atmosphere but chose to ignore it. It was her moment of happiness and she didn''t want to ruin it by thinking of negative things. So what if she wasn''t well-liked? She''d definitely do her best to make sure they like her in the shortest amount of time.


    Her chance of a better future had come and she was willing to fight for it. Fighting spirit burned in her eyes as she thought such things.


    Without knowing it. Her easy-to-read face improved the opinion the girls had of her. They respected any girl who was willing to fight for what she wanted. Especially someone who was originally timid like Freya.


    "Good" Jade couldn''t help but give a little praise before walking away with a little smile on her face.


    The rest followed after her. Leaving only Muku, Hope and Freya in the room. There was no way Hope was going to be okay with leaving his side so soon after he woke up.


    "Oh right, there''s one more member of the team. You know her already but I''ll tell you about her anyway. I''m talking about the lady with grey hair from before. Her name is Audrey. And she''s like the team''s second in command. So if she tells you to do something. Just do it. But don''t worry, she''s a nice lady. So she won''t make you do something unreasonable" Muku introduced Audrey since she was absent.


    "Okay, I''ll do my best to live up to your expectations" Freya replied. Showing her complete willingness to incorporate herself into the team.


    "Good, Hope here will show you around the mansion. I have to go rest for now. We will talk later about your class. And if there''s anything at the stadium you want to take with you. I advise you to get it today since we will be leaving tomorrow morning" Muku suddenly surrendered his job to Hope, who was surprised by how sudden it was.


    She wanted to refuse, but unfortunately for her, she couldn''t deny her brother''s words. So she dejectedly started showing Freya around the mansion.


    Muku had gone back to his room to rest. He still had not completely recovered from the ordeal so he still needed to rest. What Hope didn''t know was that he had set her up on purpose.


    He knew that the girl wouldn''t leave him alone for the next few days. And he couldn''t tell her to leave him alone since he couldn''t bear to see her sad. But he didn''t want her to be there as he tried to rest, looking at him unblinkingly. So he came up with the plan to get her to lead Freya around.


    And he had also briefly gone to the kitchen. Where he told Audrey to delay the girl after she was done with showing Freya around. With all that, even if she came to his room after, he should have long fallen asleep. Thereby avoiding the situation where he can''t sleep because she''s intensely looking at him. Almost like he''d disappear if she looked away.


    While it was sweet that she cared about him so much. It was a rather big distraction when one was trying to sleep.


    And so, Muku went to sleep peacefully. Surprisingly, an hour later, when he woke up, she was still not there. He couldn''t help but wonder how Audrey had delayed her. But that had to be put on hold for the time being.


    He first had to deal with Emily. Which made him feel quite nervous. After all, he knew exactly what she was worried about. But if he admitted to knowing it and said that he didn''t plan on doing it. Even if it got rid of her worries. It would create new problems for him.


    She would immediately realise that he had been playing dumb all this time. Then she will likely tell the others as well. Which would increase the problems even more. So he was at a loss for what to do.


    Just then he vaguely remembered someone telling him that if he kept on delaying. He would lose them all eventually. He couldn''t remember who, but the words still shook his heart.


    And so, he finally made his final decision. It was time he faced it. While he couldn''t completely go against his beliefs. He would at least not ignore it like he had been doing. That was not fair to the girls, and himself since he couldn''t completely let down his guard around them lest he slipped up.


    ...


    Emily and Elsa''s room...


    "I''m such an idiot. Why did I let my emotions take control of me like that? How am I supposed to face him now?! How can I get myself out of this?" Emily spoke to herself like a crazy person while tightly hugging her pillow and sitting on her bed.


    She immediately regretted her actions after walking out. But since she had already done so, she couldn''t turn back. And now she was beating herself up because of it.


    Elsa just looked on. It was a familiar sight to her. From even before the apocalypse in fact. And she had long learned to just sit there quietly when it happens as Emily wouldn''t listen to anything anymore said in such a state. So the best she could do was to be present.


    Knock! Knock!


    Suddenly a knock came from the door. Normally the person inside would then ask who was outside. But they were Evolvers. Evolvers could sense each other''s energy signatures if they weren''t hidden. Muku wasn''t hiding his signature. So even the weak Elsa knew who it was, let alone Emily.


    And so, the room went quiet. Elsa was leaving the decision on what would happen next to Emily. While Emily''s mind had completely shut down.


    "Hey Emily, it''s me. Can I come in? I''d like to talk about something. It won''t take too much of your time, I promise," Muku called out after almost a minute of silence. But even after that, Emily remained quiet and stayed frozen on the bed.


    "Sigh" Elsa sighed from inside the room. She then got up. Went to open the door for Muku.


    "I hope what you want to talk about is something positive". She then spoke before Muku said anything.


    After that, she passed him by, heading downstairs. Not even waiting for a response. She was giving the two some privacy. As well as mildly warning Muku to not hurt her sister.


    The little girl was quite mature when she wanted to be.

 Chapter 136: The Talk

    "So can we talk now?" Muku spoke while standing at the door looking at Emily who was still frozen on the bed.


    She still didn''t budge. She was just looking at him with her golden eyes, unblinking. Her brain had short-circuited. To think Elsa would ditch her just like that.


    She was considering how she could escape. But his standing at the door made it hard to do. It was almost like he knew that she wanted to run. And she couldn''t break through the window since replacing it wasn''t an option anymore.


    "Sigh, I''m not going to ask you why you left like that... Because I already know why" Muku continued speaking after not getting a response from Emily. He didn''t want to drag it on for long so he was going to get it sorted out that day no matter what.


    "Oh, okay... You what?!" Emily replied subconsciously after hearing that he wasn''t going to ask her why she left. But after the second part of his statement was finally decoded in her mind she screamed out in shock and panic.


    What did he mean he knew? Did he really know? Or did he just think that he knew? What would she do if he really knew? But there was no way he''d really know right? Not with his dense brain... Right?


    Emily''s brain went into overdrive. Muku could swear that he saw a little smoke coming out of her ears. That''s how much she was thinking.


    "Anyway, I came to tell you that I won''t play dump anymore. I know about how you and the other girls see me in a special way. And honestly, even the densest person in the world would be able to tell," Muku continued again before stopping without saying everything. He was giving Emily a chance to say something if she wanted to.


    "So you knew all this time"? Emily, who had finally calmed herself down, spoke. She wouldn''t let her nerves cheat her out of having the conversation she had always wanted to have with Muku.


    If she did that, not only would she have let herself down. She would have also let the other girls down. As from his words. He knew about them all. So she brought herself to ask the first question clearly.


    "Ye..." Muku was replying before Emily interrupted him by asking something else.


    "What do you think about us then? Do you see us the same way? Or even one of us?" Emily didn''t care about how rude it was to interrupt him at the moment.


    She just couldn''t hold herself back from asking anymore. What she asked was something that had been plaguing all their minds for the longest time. So when she got the chance to ask, she didn''t care about anything else. She was that desperate to know.


    However, his unknown answer also made her extremely nervous. In her mind, it could go four ways. The first way would be that he liked them all romantically. Which was somewhat good news for her. The second way would be that he only liked her. Which would be great news for her.


    Then came the opposite side. Which was either he didn''t like any of them romantically. Or he liked one of them and it wasn''t her. The first one was acceptable since it was what they had been assuming all this time. And it was something that could be changed with some effort.


    However, if he likes someone else from the team who wasn''t her. She would be devastated. Likely to never love again. After all, she wouldn''t be able to do anything in such a scenario. She couldn''t betray her friend so that she could end up with Muku herself. And even if she tried to sabotage the relationship. There was no guarantee that she would be the one to benefit.


    So, with such thoughts going on inside her pretty little head. It was understandable that she would be nervous about his reply. Especially when she was aware of Murphy''s Law and found truth in it.


    "The answer to that is complicated..." Muku replied before trailing off. Not sure how to continue.


    "Do you, or do you not?" Emily wasn''t going to let up. Even if she was nervous. She was determined to hear the answer no matter what.


    "Fair enough. The truth is I''m not sure. I think I do. But because of your ages and our past relationships, I can''t let myself completely surrender to my emotions. So that makes me uncertain" Muku replied as honestly as he could at the time.


    He really wasn''t sure how he felt about them because of the various mental barriers that he faced. While he was certain that he didn''t want to see any other man with any of them. He wasn''t sure if he wanted to see himself with them when they were still so young.


    The situation reminded him of a traumatic event from his past. When he was still a child, there was a nice, slightly older girl who took care of him at the orphanage. Then some old dude came and took her away at sixteen as a bride after bribing the orphanage administration. Which was a common tale really.


    Obviously, some stuff happened afterwards that harmed her young mind. When he met her five years later she was an apologetic drug addict who didn''t care about anything. From the smart and caring young girl he knew. Which he felt was because she stepped into the adult world earlier than she should have.


    While he knew he wouldn''t do anything bad to the girls. He still felt that even starting a relationship with them wasn''t something that he should do. Not to mention that there was more than one girl. Which was another problem.


    Because of that, among other things. He didn''t want to start anything with them. But his weird encounter and Freya''s incident made it clear that he also couldn''t ignore the situation anymore.


    So his mind was caught up in a mess. Not knowing what he should do. In that moment he couldn''t help but miss the simplicity of the days before the apocalypse. In those days, he wouldn''t have to deal with the situation.


    "So, at the very least, you don''t dislike us, right?" Emily took his reply rather positively. For her, as long as it wasn''t a definite no. It was okay. Now, even if she had to wait two years. She would bear it. It was clear to see that he was going through some mental struggle because of the situation. So she wouldn''t push him too much.


    There was no need to rush. After all, his words had merit. They really were still quite young. For the time being, knowing that there was a chance was good enough.


    "There''s no way I could dislike any of you even if I wanted to" Muku gave her a clearer answer this time to her pleasure.


    "Okay, what about Freya then?" Of course, she didn''t forget about Freya.


    "What about her? I really only brought her into the team because of her abilities, which I think will prove helpful in the future," Muku replied straightforwardly again with a clear conscience. While he had thought a few dirty things involving Freya during the hug. That was it. It had been strictly business after that.


    "So you don''t think she''s pretty?" Emily pressed on.


    "Obviously... I do. Why wouldn''t I think a beautiful girl is beautiful when I can see that she''s beautiful?" Muku replied while rolling his eyes, thinking that Emily''s question was rather stupid.


    "Good point. But, do you want to... You know, with her?. You know what? I''m certain you do. But before that, I want you to promise that you won''t do anything with her before me" Emily then went on to say something that left Muku speechless.


    The girl really didn''t know when to stop. What kind of questions was she asking?? Even her face was red with embarrassment from what she was saying but she still dared to ask such things. Though he wasn''t surprised that she even knew about such things. After all, if a child has a phone from ten years, by the time they reach fourteen, they''d definitely know some things.


    "Fine, whatever. I promise," Muku agreed so that he could get it over with and get out of the awkward situation. His face had long darkened from the moment she spoke.


    "Can you promise not to do anything with the others before me as well?... Fine, I''ll shut up. Forget I said that" Emily, who had been given an inch, wanted to take a mile. But after seeing Muku''s ugly expression she retracted her words. She didn''t know where all the confidence that powered her was coming from.


    "Good. I''ll take my leave now" Muku spoke as he got up from the chair he had sat on preparing to leave.


    "Wait!" Emily called out hurriedly then got off her bed. Ran to Muku. Tiptoed beside him then gave him a little kiss on the cheek. Then ran back to hide under her blankets. Finally, she had something she had wanted to do for the longest time.


    Muku froze for a moment, thinking about what had just happened. He then shook his head a bit before walking out. He felt quite tired from just talking to Emily. Which made him sigh thinking about how he also had to talk to the others.


    It was going to be a hard day for him. He just knew it...

 Chapter 137: The Talk (pt.2)

    Due to the prior nap, by the time Muku was finished speaking with Emily. It was already late in the afternoon and the stadium women were already gone. The girls were all doing their own things somewhere within the mansion.


    With its large size. It would have been rather hard to find where they were quickly by just walking around and searching. So Muku was using his heightened senses to look for them.


    At the same time, he was deciding on who to talk to first. At the very least it wasn''t going to be Jade. He wasn''t sure whether she would say weird things like Emily did or not. However, he was certain that she had the capability to do it. So he would play it safe and talk to the others first, lest she say something that would make him unable to continue with the plan.


    "Oh, Layla is in her room? I''ll talk to her first... This is gonna be a rather awkward conversation to have. Even more than its default was going to be. I just hope she says something at least... Man! I feel so scummy for this" Muku spoke to himself as he hyped himself to talk to Layla.


    He wasn''t even sure where to start. Layla has always been the hardest to talk to among his students... For obvious reasons. Then he had to talk to her about something like that? It was going to be quite a hard day indeed. He didn''t even know what to expect.


    Knock! Knock!


    For the second time in an hour, our Muku found himself nervously knocking on a door.


    "Come in"


    Fortunately, unlike Emily at first. Layla was receptive as her calm voice was heard soon after he knocked. He also didn''t delay as he entered immediately after being allowed to.


    "Is there a special task for me?" Layla asked immediately while looking confusedly at Muku who had just taken a sit beside her bed.


    It was understandable that she was confused since that was the first time he had ever entered her room. Whenever he had to talk to her before she was in her room. He would either call out to her from outside or send someone else to get her.


    "No, there''s no task, but there''s a matter I want to seek out with you. You''re free to not respond if it''s not something you want to talk about by the way" Muku immediately got into it. Not wanting to delay things.


    "Okay, I''m listening" Layla replied as calmly and a bit stiffly as always. She was completely in the dark about what was happening. She could sense the awkward atmosphere Muku had created at all. The girl was sometimes slow to pick up on things despite her high intelligence.


    "Hmm, where to start... This is so much harder than I thought it would be" Muku couldn''t think of what to say. Being stared at by Layla so intently made him forget everything he was planning to say.


    Layla didn''t say anything. She just continued looking at him. Her confusion increasing. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to say anything. But as a person of few words, she didn''t know what she was supposed to say in such a situation. So she just chose silence. Which wasn''t too different from how she usually operated.


    While she was a quiet person who didn''t mind being quiet. That wasn''t always the reason she stayed silent. Sometimes she just won''t know what to say which made her seem even quieter than she was.


    "Okay. I''m just going to say it. I know you have a romantic interest in me. After the incident with Emily, I realised that you girls seem to lack security since I don''t acknowledge your feelings. So I came to make it clear that I will not do anything with any of you until you''re at least eighteen. However, you can rid yourself of any worries of losing out since I will also not get into a relationship with anyone for at least the next two years


    Since she couldn''t think of a way to soften his words and make them less direct. He decided to be as blunt as possible. Which he was sure was also the best way of speaking to Layla with her low communication skills.


    "Oh..." Layla only said one word with a slightly higher-pitched voice.


    If it wasn''t because of her reddened face. Muku might have thought that she wasn''t moved at all. It seemed she just didn''t know how to respond or act in the situation.


    "Who told you?" After a while, Layla managed to barely squeeze out a question after seeing that Muku wasn''t leaving.


    She had considered encasing herself in ice to escape. Which wasn''t something new to her. But even she could tell that it wouldn''t cut it that time. It was something she had no choice but to face.


    "No one. I knew from the start" Muku replied immediately and confidently.


    Hearing him, while thinking that her behaviour along with the other girls was quite obvious. She still couldn''t help but want to dig a hole on the spot and hide forever. She was only so obvious because she thought he wouldn''t understand what she was doing. Which was likely the case for the others.


    Now knowing that he knew all that time... The embarrassment was unbearable. How was she supposed to look at him now? Why can''t a R3 beast attack them right then so she can escape the situation? And where is everyone when you need them? Wasn''t Hope supposed to be sticking to Muku like glue?


    "So how are we supposed to continue now?" She asked another question. With such an elephant in the room, would they be able to continue acting like they did?


    "I wouldn''t mind continuing how we were, but I know that that''s impossible. So I can only hope that we figure it out as we move forward from now." Muku replied with a wry smile. He really had no idea how the team would operate from now.


    While he would have given them some form of security. Was it worth it? He wasn''t sure. But he was going to see it through no matter what. Since he had started it. He had to finish it. Whatever comes, comes!


    "Have you talked to the others?" Layla asked another question. She was getting more and more comfortable as they spoke. Which made her wonder whether she was the first or not.


    "I''ve talked to Emily before you for obvious reasons. She''s the reason this all started, after all,," Muku replied truthfully. While she would have likely been happier if he said she was the first. He chose the truth since lies always end up getting exposed at some point.


    "Oh, makes sense. So which one of us has the highest chance?" Like Emily before her, Layla started getting more and more daring. At least hers weren''t too over the top though.


    "That... I don''t know" Muku didn''t know what to say. If he said that he saw them all as equals then it would seem fake. As for liking one more than the others, he wasn''t certain so he couldn''t say that either.


    "It''s fine. It doesn''t matter. I''ll make sure to be the one you like the most by the time it matters" Layla then dropped a bomb on him.


    He didn''t know that her competitiveness would extend to even this. The girl literally radiated battle aura as she spoke. In that moment he knew for certain that things were definitely not going to go back to how they were before.


    "Umm, okay?. I''ll be taking my leave now if you don''t mind" Muku didn''t know what to say anymore. Who knew what she would say next. So he tried to make his getaway.


    "What about Freya?" Layla ignored his hidden plea to leave and asked one more question.


    "What? About Freya?" Muku asked her to clarify what she meant. He probably knew what she meant. He wanted to see if she would retract her question and end the awkward situation.


    "Is she also on your list?" Layla asked him with narrow eyes. She seemed like a different person at that point. It was like Heaven and Earth from when they began talking.


    "What do you mean list?? She''s just a teammate who will likely become very useful later on like I said. I can just feel that her power is something special. Nothing less, nothing more" Since it couldn''t be avoided. Muku defended himself the best he could.


    He was also getting a premonition that he might get asked that question a few more times that day.


    "Hmm... Okay, if you say so. I have no more questions for now" Layla accepted his answer but sceptically.


    "Okay, good. See you later then" Muku took what he got and ran. Layla barely saw how he moved from the chair to the door. Then he was gone...

 Chapter 138: The Talk (pt 3)

    The kitchen...


    Audrey, Elsa and Chloe were there cutting up some beast meat. Hope, who had been somehow talked into joining by Audrey, was also there.


    The reason Muku went there was because his next target was there. Which was Chloe. While the conversations with Emily and Layla left him feeling rather drained. He had some confidence in Chloe. Out of all the girls in the group she seemed to be the most stable.


    While the others had one problem or the other. He hadn''t noticed anything like that from her. That was, of course, excluding Audrey, the mature lady.


    "Hey, everyone", Muku greeted the group as he entered the kitchen. They all replied with smiles on their faces. Which showed how happy they were that he was up again.


    "Chloe, can I talk to you for a bit outside, please?" As someone who wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. Muku didn''t make any small talk as he immediately asked to speak with Chloe.


    "Yes, sure" Chloe gave a positive reply as she stopped what she was doing. She then washed her hands and followed him out of the room.


    The others were curious about what it was about, but they didn''t follow behind to eavesdrop. Which was definitely because of Audrey''s presence; otherwise, Hope would have definitely tried something. As for Elsa, she was more interested in whether he managed to fix things with Emily.


    While Audrey couldn''t say she wasn''t curious. She was okay with not knowing. To her, if he felt that she needed to know something he would tell her.


    ...


    Muku''s room...


    "Umm, why did we come all the way here?" Chloe couldn''t help but ask feeling a bit nervous. Her mind thinking up some weird scenes.


    "So that we aren''t interrupted by someone "passing by" or something like that", Muku replied honestly. He knew Hope''s personality. She was definitely capable of using such a reason. So he chose to take the talk to his room to avoid such a situation if Audrey couldn''t stop her.


    "Oh, okay" Chloe replied. Her weird thoughts were immediately shattered. She wasn''t sure why she even had such thoughts in the first place. The dense guy would never do something like that, hell he would never even speak about anything that was related to romance...


    "What am I in your eyes?" Muku asked a question that stunned Chloe out of nowhere. Just when the girl was thinking about how he would never have those kinds of thoughts too.


    "Umm, what? Can you repeat that? I don''t think I heard you correctly" Chloe finally managed to speak.


    While she was certain of what she heard, she was hoping that Muku would change his statement. Then she wouldn''t have to reply to the sudden question. Or maybe she really did hear wrongly and Muku would clear things up. Just the one question had overwhelmed her.


    "No, you heard correctly. Don''t worry though, you don''t have to give an answer" Muku replied in a way that made her feel both panicked and relieved.


    Panicked before it meant that he was on to something. Relieved because she didn''t have to reply. His next words, however, made her heart skip a beat and her whole body freeze.


    "You don''t have to reply because I already know the answer" Muku spoke confidently.


    Chloe suddenly felt cold for some reason. Her mind was plagued with one thought...


    {OMG! He knows!}


    She didn''t know what to do next. Just like the two before her, she was considering running away. Unfortunately for her, Muku, who expected her to want to do that, was again standing closer to the door than her.


    "Calm down, it''s not like you did something wrong. It''s just a natural occurrence. You just have to listen to what I want to tell you. If you have anything to say after that, you can say it. Understood?" Muku explained himself quickly.


    He was afraid the girl would faint from holding her breath if he delayed. She had been holding her breath since the moment she gasped when he said he knew. Which, honestly, he found to be a rather cute response.


    His words did the job as Chloe calmed down a bit and started breathing again. Though now her face was reddening more and more by the second.


    "I just wanted to tell you that. I will not be pursuing any romantic experiences with anyone for at least the next two years. So you can at least be assured in that time that I won''t be stolen away by someone or something like that. You can also use that time to evaluate your emotions for me. That way, you''ll be completely sure whether what you think you''re feeling is really what you''re feeling..." Muku continued speaking but then Chloe interrupted him suddenly.


    "I''m sure" She only said two words when she cut Muku off, but the conviction and certainty behind the two words was immense.


    Even her blush had disappeared as she looked at Muku with her blue eyes seriously. She wasn''t going to stand there as her feelings got questioned like that, even if it wasn''t intentional or directly.


    She felt that she was always aware of what she felt. So she knew that she liked Muku for real and two years wouldn''t change anything.


    "Umm, okay then, sorry..." Muku replied a bit stiffly. Her sudden strong stance caught him off guard. It seemed the girl didn''t allow anyone to question her convictions even if it was in good faith. So, in a way,, he had found her reverse scale.


    "No, it''s fine" Chloe replied as she calmed down. That''s when she realised that she had basically confessed to him. Her blush that had suddenly disappeared before immediately came back with a vengeance.


    She closed her eyes and hid her face behind her hands as she stood there in embarrassment. When did she become so bold? Will he think she''s weird for admitting that she liked her teacher so openly?


    "Like I said before. No need to be embarrassed or anything. It''s a normal occurrence. Anyway, I''ve already talked to Emily and Layla. If you don''t have any questions, I''ll go and talk to Jade next" Muku, who was getting good at what he was doing, spoke in a way that calmed her down.


    Knowing that she wasn''t the first or the only one he talked to made her feel a lot better. Though she felt slightly bitter that she wasn''t the first. Internally, she promised herself that she would be the ultimate first thought. As she thought that, the blush on her face increased.


    At that point, Muku was starting to worry that she might faint. She was blushing so much, she felt the room temperature increase a little.


    "I don''t have anything to say for now. You can go. I''ll just look for you when I can think properly" Unlike the two before, Chloe didn''t start saying weird things at the end.


    Which Muku appreciated a lot. Just like he thought, Chloe was a lot more stable than the others. Her reaction was the reaction the others, as inexperienced young maidens, should have had. Unfortunately, the two before her were weirdos.


    "Okay. You can look for me at any time," Muku replied, then left the room. Chloe remained there and even sat on the bed as she tried to gather herself after the experience.


    ....


    The mansion''s backyard...


    Jade was there meditating under the only tree inside the mansion walls. For some reason, she found it a lot easier to meditate when she was outside. Which was likely related to her class.


    Her meditation wasn''t to improve her mana efficiency. She didn''t even have mana anymore after all. She meditated to improve her Beast Aura control. While it wouldn''t stop her from advancing after killing enough beasts. She just liked improving it as it made using it smoother in battle.


    As a violent energy, it needed one to have an exceptional control level. Otherwise, they might lose control. It wasn''t a problem for the current her, but she had a feeling that as she got stronger, its violent nature would also increase. So she wanted to be a step ahead.


    "Hey... I can come back later if you''re busy," Muku, who had arrived when Jade was about to get into another round of meditation,n, spoke. Unlike the others, she couldn''t meditate for too long before her mind started wandering. So she took breaks. Which was already known in the group. Fortunately, she was getting better.


    "No, it''s fine. We can talk now. It''s finally my turn to get the talk. I don''t want to delay that. I can''t wait anymore" Jade spoke with a little smile on her face.


    Her words rang like thunder in Muku''s mind. That''s how shocked he was. He wasn''t expecting that at all.


    "What?!" He subconsciously asked.


    "Yup, I heard everything" Jade replied, her smile turning smug. She was enjoying his shocked expression a lot...

 Chapter 139 139: The Talk (final)

    "What do you mean" Muku asked, trying to understand how she knew. While her senses were good. They weren''t that good.


    "I mean this..." Jade replied then trailed off at the end. A look of enjoyment was still on her face. As she did so, two green cat ears appeared on her head. Which was surprising because the rest of her body remained unchanged.


    "Since when were you able to do that?" Muku asked, truly surprised.


    "Since earlier on. About the time you knocked on Emily''s door. I was just playing around with my improved Beast Aura trying to see if I gained any new abilities. Then this happened. What an interesting coincidence right?" Jade explained, her expression really smug. She was having the time of her life having caught Muku completely off guard like that.


    "Oh, congratulations... But still, the distance between here and the house, plus the low voices we spoke with. How were you able to hear all that. Your senses shouldn''t be that good" Muku spoke, still dazed.


    "You''re right, my senses aren''t that good yet. However, when I don''t fully transform it''s just my ears. My hearing ability is improved by an unreasonably high margin. So, I could hear everything clearly" Jade promptly explained. She had been dying to tell it to someone since she got the ability.


    "You''re forbidden to use that ability around the house" While he was happy for her. He immediately shut down its use around the mansion.


    While it wasn''t like anyone was doing anything scandalous. No one would feel comfortable knowing that there was someone always listening to them.


    "Well duh, I''m not a weirdo who likes eavesdropping... It just happened coincidentally before. And I couldn''t stop myself. Anyway, it''s not like I can use the skill all day. It''s like a bottomless pit for my Beast Aura. I didn''t use it for even an hour and yet half of my Beast Aura is gone. The worst part is that Beast Aura takes longer to regenerate compared to Mana. So trust me, I won''t be using it randomly even if you paid me" Jade explained more about the skill.


    Just as she wanted to tell someone about how cool it was. She also wanted to complain to someone about how much of a bottomless pit it was. Muku happened to be at the right place at the right time... In her perceptive at least.


    "Oh, okay. It would have been unreasonable if such an ability had drawbacks" Muku spoke, feeling a bit more relieved. At least now he knew that if he wanted to make sure she didn''t hear something. He just had to wait until she had expended her beast aura in a battle or something.


    "Yeah... Sooo, don''t you have something to say to me?" Jade asked as she looked at Muku expectantly.


    While she basically already knew everything he had to say. She still wanted to hear it as the intended recipient. That way, it would feel more official. She didn''t want to be the only one who didn''t have the talk.


    "Nuh, I''m no longer in the mood. We can do it another time," Muku replied as he turned around, about to leave.


    "If you dare move one step further away from me. I swear I will fight you to death, right here, right now" Jade spoke coldly as her battle intent and Beast Aura went wild.


    It seemed like she really was prepared to fight him to the death. All because he wouldn''t tell her something she already knew. Like always, you can never expect a girl or woman to be reasonable. Especially when she feels like her wants or needs are not being met.


    "Woah Beastie, I''m just joking. Put the Beast Aura and battle intent away" Muku stopped in his tracks and turned back to face Jade as he spoke. He didn''t expect her to react so intensely.


    "What did you call me?"


    Boom!


    Jade''s aura exploded. Apparently, she really didn''t like being called that.


    "Careful", Muku spoke as he also released his aura, and it quickly suppressed Jade''s. The idiot had forgotten where they were. If she was allowed to continue. She might have destroyed the mansion with her aura alone.


    "Oh, right!. Sorry," Jade, who quickly realised her mistake apologised.


    "Just be mindful of your actions from now on... At least don''t do that around here" Muku really wanted to stop after telling her to mind her actions. Unfortunately, he knew her well and so knew that it was impossible. So he had to say more.


    "Fine... But wait, aren''t you supposed to be still in a weakened state?" Jade asked confusedly after realising it. Her sudden anger from before was completely gone, just like how it had appeared.


    "Yeah, I am still weakened. That was just a bluff" Muku replied tiredly. Just using his mana aura to suppress her took a lot out of him. Which made the two realise that he was still a distance away from full recovery. Even if his physical injuries were healed.


    "Sorry" Jade apologized again for making him exert himself like that. She was even internally beating herself up for being so impulsive.


    "It''s okay, I kinda brought this upon myself. And you wouldn''t be Jade if you didn''t cause trouble" Muku let the issue go.


    "While I feel insulted. I''ll let it slide this once," Jade replied, feeling slightly annoyed by his words. Couldn''t he speak as nicely to her as he did the others before? What''s up with the obvious discrimination??


    "Anyway, do you still want me to talk to you officially? Honestly speaking, it feels quite awkward for me to continue at this point so please have some mercy" Muku then brought back the issue that began the whole matter.


    "It''s fine, we don''t need to do it. But you have to make it up to me someway" Jade replied while waving her hand. She no longer cared about having the official talk.


    Muku couldn''t help but be amazed by her fickleness. After all the drama. She let it go just like that?. Then again, it was to be expected from her and her erratic mind.


    "In what way do you want me to make it up to you?" He asked defensively with a suspicious look in his eyes as he looked at her.


    It was important to make things clear. Lest she did something crazy in the future and he won''t be able to do anything about it. As she could say it was how she wanted him to make it up to her.


    "What''s with that look? Do you really think so little of me? I''m not even going to ask you to do something. I''ll leave that to you. You come up with a way to make it up to me. It just has to be something that pleases me. That''s nothing bad right?" Jade spoke while rolling her eyes at Muku''s reaction to what she said before. In his eyes, she really couldn''t be trusted at all, huh?


    "Oh, I guess that doesn''t sound bad at all. I think I can do that. I''ll see what I can do then" Muku replied with a relieved look on his face. Internally he was wondering since when had Jade become reasonable.


    "Yeah... Just have whatever you''re preparing ready by tomorrow. If not, then you''ll have to do whatever one thing I ask you to with no questions asked" As he was celebrating, Jade showed her true colours.


    It seemed her real plan was to entrap him and then get him to do whatever sinister thing she was planning. A gleeful expression even appeared on her face as she spoke. She was clearly already imagining what she was going to make him do and how it was going to play out. Such an evil little girl!


    "Give me two weeks or no deal" Muku wasn''t taking it as he replied with a deadpan expression on his face. He should have known that Jade becoming a good person was impossible.


    "What?! No! That''s too long! The best I can give you is two days!" Jade gave her counteroffer. She knew he wasn''t going to agree to the initial pitch.


    She was willing to be a bit more flexible. After all, she was certain there was nothing he could do in two days that would impress her to a high enough extent for it to count.


    "Ten days, take it or leave it" Muku refused her offer and proposed his own. He knew that he needed as much time as he could get to come up with something. Otherwise, he''d definitely fail and fall into Jade''s hands.


    "One week is all I''m willing to offer!" Jade counteroffered again, seeing how he was unwilling to give up much ground.


    "Okay, deal!" Muku didn''t try to negotiate anymore. He felt seven days was more than enough time to come up with something good.


    "Wait! No! I meant 3 days!" Jade was flustered by his willingness to take the deal. She felt that she must have given him too much time. So she tried to backtrack.


    "Too late. The deal has already been made. Now, good day" Muku wasn''t taking it as he replied then promptly left.


    Jade was left there fuming in annoyance. And so, the talk that no longer seemed like it the moment Jade stepped in came to an end...

 Chapter 140 140: Binding

    The rest of the day went by fine for Muku. He was done with what needed to be done. He even felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.


    As for Audrey and Hope. He wasn''t sure how to speak to Audrey. It also didn''t seem necessary since she wasn''t as insecure as the younger girls. While Hope had become like a real sister to him. She might have been a bit clingy but her love wasn''t romantic. He could tell. She was also the one who felt most secure about her permanent position in his heart among all the girls.


    With all that done. He was excited about what was next. Freya was back from the stadium and they could finally begin the binding process.


    Out of everyone in the mansion, he was probably the most excited. Even more than Freya who was the one doing it. He just hoped that her class lived up to his expectations.


    "Okay Freya, you can begin whenever you''re ready." Muku addressed Freya while the other girls looked on from the side.


    The time was around six in the evening. While they could wait until the next day before doing it. Muku didn''t want to wait and Freya didn''t mind. So it was getting done right there and then.


    "Yes, sir" Freya spoke as she got ready to bind herself to the mansion.


    "Good, and you don''t have to call me sir anymore. We''re teammates now. I hope you can feel more at ease around us" Muku mentioned something he felt was important for their future coexistence.


    "Yes, si... I mean sure. I''ll try my best" Freya replied affirmatively. To which Muku smiled with a nod and let her do her thing. With no more distractions, Freya focused on what she needed to do.


    [Functional House Detected!]


    [Do you wish to bind?]


    [Caution: Once bound. Can only be unbound by the destruction of the house]


    As soon as Freya crouched down and touched the floor. The prompts similar to the ones from before rang in her mind. Unlike last time, she wasn''t surprised. She immediately thought "yes" in her mind.


    As soon as she did, she felt all the mana in her body get drained out. It was sucked into the mansion floors and walls. The normal floors and walls of the mansion started to radiate a little mana.


    The signature was so similar to Freya''s that if the group were weaker and weren''t looking at her. They definitely wouldn''t be able to locate her just from her mana signature if she was in the mansion.


    [Binding complete!]


    Fortunately for Freya, before the girls started complaining about sensing her presence everywhere. It started to fade. All that was left was stronger walls that could dampen mana sense from travelling through them.


    Which they all rather appreciated. While it was convenient to easily tell where everyone was through mana sense. It kinda felt like a breach of privacy. So while no one had mentioned it before. No one was too happy about it.


    Now that Freya provided the option for privacy in the mansion. They all couldn''t help but wish she got stronger quicker and completely sealed off mana sense from getting through.


    After all, it was pretty obvious to them that as they got stronger. They will likely be able to "see" what they sense with their mana. Which was only good when you were the one "seeing", not being "seen". It would also keep their enemies from spying on them in the future if they get enemies strong enough to do it.


    Muku touched the walls and put a little strength into his hand as he pushed them. He immediately realised that the walls were at least as strong as the body of a defence-type PR1 beast. Which was great news. He was already starting to get worried whether the mansion would be able to house them for long.


    After all, their strength was constantly growing. So it was safe to say, there would come a point when one of them might randomly sneeze (if it was still possible) and blow the mansion away. Or maybe just casually move their hand and destroy the wall or something. The bottom line was that Freya showed up at the right time.


    "So, the house''s defence is directly proportional to hers? How interesting..." Layla commented, then trailed off at the end.


    "Yeah, but without defence, doesn''t that just make her a tortoise waiting for someone to break through and be feasted on?" Jade commented as well. While her words didn''t sound nice, she had brought up a valid point.


    "Umm, It seems at rank one, I only have a defence. It''s only at rank two that I get offensive abilities... At least that''s what the information that suddenly appeared in my head says" Freya spoke up, defending her class. She also felt that her class was nothing impressive at that moment. She still wouldn''t let anyone look down on it!


    "Oh, is that so? I can''t wait to see that day then. I hope it''s sooner rather than later. So realise your potential already" Jade replied, truly curious about what would come next. To the point of telling Freya to do something practically impossible.


    After all, the potential realisation wasn''t something that one could do instantly. On top of that, Freya''s potential realisation was related to a freaking mansion. Where was she even going to start?


    Even Elsa hasn''t been able to realise much despite the guidance of everyone. After trying her best, she had only realised 5%. While it might have been linked to the situation that was happening at home. It was still a testament to how hard it was to realise potential.


    "Let''s not be unreasonable now. I''m sure Freya will get there soon enough" Audrey interjected after seeing that Freya didn''t know what to say to Jade''s somewhat unreasonable words.


    "Y-yeah, I''ll do my best!" Freya replied a little nervously. While Audrey was the nicest person she had ever met, and she had also met her at some point during the day. She still couldn''t help but get nervous around her. Audrey was just too beautiful. She was as so beautiful it seemed like she came out of a fantasy novel...


    While she could handle being around her when she was still part of the stadium. It was hard for her to face her alone like that. It was addressed specifically by Audrey. Being looked at by those mesmerising grey eyes. She was even suspecting that she might have a thing for girls or something.


    What she didn''t know was that she was just not used to Audrey''s charm in such close proximity. Even Elsa had gone through the process. Just that the little girl usually remained quiet and kept a straight face. So she didn''t seem to have been as affected as Freya.


    "Well, whatever the case. I think it''s already evident that Freya will be an important part of the team in the future right?" Muku spoke in support of Freya. He was already seeing promise in her class. Just her ability to strengthen the mansion was great to him. The current mansion could likely survive the previous World Evolution without having to get lifted off the ground.


    If Jade released her aura like before. As long as she wasn''t hell-bent on destroying the mansion with it. It likely wouldn''t be damaged much as well. After she got a bit stronger, they probably wouldn''t have to leave the mansion every time they needed to do something that seemed it could lead to some kind of exaggerated occurrence.


    The girls all nodded to Muku''s words. They were starting to see how she could be really useful to the team. And it wasn''t like they needed any more immediate firepower when they were all basically offensive monsters.


    The main reason they weren''t willing to accept her before had been addressed anyway. Thinking about it, the four couldn''t help but blush a bit whenever they looked at Muku. They would then take a glance at each other. Battle intent to see who would be "the first" sparkling between them every time they locked eyes.


    Audrey could tell that something was going on. Which had begun soon after Muku went around talking to the four. She could guess a few things, especially from how the girls seemed a lot more relaxed. However, whatever she thought would remain as guesses unless someone told her. She was too embarrassed to ask.


    "Hey!, I just remembered something!. Let''s sit down and talk" Muku suddenly exclaimed. Gathering everyone''s attention.


    The group then all returned to their seats since they were already in the lounge. They were curious about what he had to say.


    "What is it, Big Brother?" Hope impatiently asked as soon as she sat down.


    "No need to get so excited. It''s nothing new. It''s something you know even. I just want to know the KP you all got from the ant kills. Especially you after all those kills. I''m also interested in knowing how many points a PR2 ant gives from Layla and Jade" Muku told them what he wanted to know.


    Hearing his words the group realised that they really had forgotten about it. While it was something they did after every battle. It was understandable that they forgot since there was a major crisis happening.


    "Oh, that?. Let me go first" Hope spoke in realisation. Remembering the KP she got, she immediately perked up as she was about to speak. Everyone could tell that she had made some great gains...

 Chapter 141 141: You all lack originality

    "I killed seven MR2 beasts. While I would have gotten 14KP if Jade and Emily hadn''t already wounded two. I only lost two KP. One point to each. So I got 12KP. Making me the strongest member of the team with 82KP out of the hundred needed points" Hope, who couldn''t wait to see the envy in the eyes of the others, didn''t delay to speak.


    She was right to think that they would feel envy. While they could have done the math themselves and roughly come up with the figure. Hearing it from her still surprised them and left them envious. After all, R2 beasts didn''t give much KP. So, getting twelve at once was a milestone.


    Only two people were relatively still fine after hearing her speak. The two were Layla and Jade who had both killed a PR2 beast on that day. So while they didn''t get as much as her, at least they got something. With how scarce R2 beasts were in that area, they were definitely winners to have gotten anything at all.


    "Wow, good for you. You''re definitely the strongest in the team now. Please take care of me in the future" Muku replied exaggeratedly. Playing along with Hope.


    What she said was already within his expected range, so it wasn''t surprising. As for her being the strongest in the team. They all knew who the real strongest one was.


    "Hehe, Big Brother is such a weirdo" Hope spoke while rolling her eyes. She could tell that Muku was just playing along. But she was still happy that he was willing to do that for her. Even when they both knew that he would probably always be the strongest no matter what.


    "No, I mean it. Anyway, what about Jade and Layla? We are all curious to know how many points a PR2 beast gives" Muku spoke. This time there was some real curiosity behind his words. They hadn''t killed a PR2 beast before that. So the information was unknown.


    "Oh, that. It''s nothing impressive really. It only gives 5KP. And I also got 1 from the ant I had beaten up before that. So I''m currently at 76%" Jade spoke nonchalantly. But everyone could tell that she was really happy with what she got.


    "It appears I didn''t do enough damage to the MR2s I fought before the PR2, so I only got its 5KP. Putting me at 75%. Layla spoke calmly.


    She didn''t wait for Jade anyone to reply to what Jade said. They all knew that Jade would go on a bragging streak as soon as someone said something. Which she didn''t want to hear, so she immediately spoke. Everyone other than Jade who was now pouting a little, silently appreciated her action.


    "Five KP, huh? Well, it''s a significant improvement, at least. I''m now curious to know how many the Ant Queen would have given" Muku spoke, his eyes a bit dazed as he thought of the Ant Queen.


    Which, of course, brought his thoughts to something he had been trying not to remember. Which was Ares'' ambush. He was extremely angry about that. Thinking about the emotional pain, it caused his girls, and the KP lost.


    Sadly, that''s all he could do. He didn''t have an idea of where Ares was. Honestly, even if he did. There was nothing he could do to the Monarch. Their power difference was just too large.


    The worst part was knowing that it was going to stay like that for a long time before they stood on an even playing field. That was if Ares didn''t manage to kill him off somewhere along the lines. Which, honestly, he almost accomplished.


    Knowing all that left him feeling weak and frustrated. He then sighed in defeat and let it go. After all, stressing over it wouldn''t change anything. He could only try to do his best from then on so that it didn''t happen again. It was also a lesson to never let his guard down too much in the current world.


    So, while he lost badly as well as lost a significant amount of KP. At least he got a life lesson that might save him later on. One must try their best to focus on the positives after all.


    The girls just looked on as the emotions in his eyes kept on changing every second. They could all tell that he was likely thinking about the Ares incident. It was so obvious that even Freya, who wasn''t too informed and didn''t know him much, could tell.


    "Are you okay?" Hope, who couldn''t take the silence anymore, asked. She could tell that he wasn''t feeling too down at the end. But she still had to ask or she wouldn''t feel at ease.


    "Hhm? Oh. Yeah, I''m okay. Thanks for worrying, though," Muku replied with a smile on his face as he patted the girl''s head.


    "I was worried too! Pat mine!" Out of nowhere, Jade, who was sitting on another couch, came over and lowered her head in Muku''s direction.


    "...." Muku and the others froze for a moment. They never expected that she''d do such a thing. Even though she was always unpredictable, she never crossed a certain line. Yet then, she has crossed it so casually!. What could have possibly changed?


    That''s when it hit Muku and the three girls he had spoken to. The talk with Muku was probably the reason she felt it was okay to do that. While he said he wasn''t going to advance. He never said they couldn''t right?


    With that realisation. While Muku''s expression darkened a bit as he realised that things had already started changing. The eyes of the three girls glowed with excitement. As if on cue, they then got off their seats all at once and joined Jade. Since they were exposed already with him knowing how they felt, they might as well act shameless right?


    "Us too!" They all exclaimed at once. While doing it alone might have been hard. Doing it together was manageable. Though they still blushed a little because of it. None of them were as shameless as Jade after all. They could get a bit crazy sometimes, but they were still mostly normal and rational people.


    "Hey! What are you doing?! Can''t you all do it another time? Why do you all lack originality so much!?" Jade was pissed and she immediately shouted at the others.


    If they had just remained seated as she thought they would. She would have been able to pull ahead. After all, she would have been the only one to get head pats after Hope. Who pretty much didn''t count. So she would be the first. Even if they got head pats later on, on another day, it wouldn''t be as impactful as hers.


    In the current situation, however, they would get them at almost the same time. Which would not break their four-way tie. This, of course, made Jade extremely unhappy.


    If the others knew her thoughts, they would have been surprised at how shrewd she was. Acting like a fool while silently stealing benefits. They, on the other hand, had not thought of it deeply. They just always wanted to get head pats.


    "It''s fine, it''s fine. I''ll pat all your heads" Muku interjected before the situation turned into a fight. He immediately put his right hand on Jade''s head. The girl was about to continue her rant, but the moment his hand touched her head, she cooled down.


    Like a cat, she then closed her eyes, enjoying the head rub. Without her even noticing, she turned into her catgirl form and started purring softly. It was a rather weird scene, especially for Freya the newbie.


    The image of majestic "gods" above mortal turmoils that had formed in her head was quickly breaking. Not slowly, but quickly. She was quickly realising that they were just as human as anyone else, just stronger. Even a bit louder and chaotic as well.


    Surprisingly she didn''t dislike it. With them not being as perfect as she thought they were. She wouldn''t feel too out of place for being normal anymore. The atmosphere they created was like a safe haven away from the apocalypse. It was something she hoped to be part of someday.


    "Okay move over! Your turn is up!" Just as Freya was revelling in her pleasant thoughts. Emily suddenly exclaimed as she pushed away Jade jealously.


    "Hey!" Jade shouted displeasedly.


    "Hey!" But Emily ignored her as she was focused on someone else. That someone else was Layla who had taken the chance Emily was dealing with Jade to step up and be the next one to receive the pats.


    With that, the situation got louder and more chaotic. Muku just wryly patted whoever appeared in front of his hand. Audrey looked on with an awkward smile not knowing what to do. Elsa covered her face, feeling embarrassed for her sister. Freya was again stuck in her thoughts.


    As for Hope, she had long joined the four girls in getting Muku''s head pats. So what if she had been getting them for a long time before the others were in the mix?. Her brother''s head pats were hers and hers alone! With her getting into the mix, the situation got louder.


    This continued until it was time to sleep. While the situation had been loud and chaotic. Everyone was actually having a good time. It was times like that, that made living in the apocalypse bearable. Times when they could just forget all their troubles...

 Chapter 142: Lisa?

    The next morning...


    "Umm, leader, there''s someone from the stadium who wanted to see you before we left", Freya spoke to Muku a bit hesitantly. She still wasn''t sure how to act in front of him or anyone else for that matter.


    "Oh? Who''s it?" Muku replied curiously. He could see that she was nervous.


    A few words from him might have calmed her down a bit, but he preferred to let it happen naturally. At some point, she''ll get used to her new life. There was no need to rush it.


    "It''s Lisa... She found out we''re leaving today after I accidentally let it slip. Which I''m sorry for. After which, she asked me to help her talk to you before we left. I''d really appreciate it if you went to see her" Freya spoke, shrinking back a little when she mentioned how it was her fault that Lisa found out.


    Even then, she forced herself to say what needed to be said. She and Lisa had actually become quite good friends after Lisa apologised. She was even sad to leave her behind, but she knew which was the smarter choice. Not to mention that she would become quite useless if she stayed behind anyway.


    "Is that so?. Okay, I''ll go see her. And there''s no need for you to feel guilty for letting it slip. It''s not like we were trying to keep it a secret that we are leaving. It just slipped everyone''s mind that we hadn''t talked to the stadium women about it. So, if anything, you did a good job," Muku spoke softly to Freya while patting her head. Which he had done subconsciously after the previous day''s events.


    By the time he realised what he was doing, which was only because of the frozen Freya. It was too late. As to not make the situation more awkward or seem like a mistake. He continued doing it for a little longer before taking his hand back. Then he walked away from Freya while heading for the exit.


    "Are you coming or not?" Muku called out from some distance away from Freya. His voice was as natural as ever, seemingly not caring about what had just happened.


    "Y-yes, I''m coming" Freya replied with a stutter while looking around her. She was making sure that no one noticed what had happened. From what she had seen in one night, Muku''s pats meant a lot to the girls in the group.


    So it was safe to assume that she wouldn''t have a good ending if one of them had seen what happened. Luckily for her, she saw no one around. So no one must have seen anything. With a little sigh of relief, she ran after Muku. Joy filled her heart; she had just casually gotten what the others had to wait for a chance to get. So she felt really lucky.


    What she didn''t know was that a pair of grey eyes had noticed everything from start to finish. Fortunately for Freya, the eyes were Audrey''s. Otherwise, if it was someone else, she might have gotten murdered on the spot... Maybe not literally, but she would have definitely faced some pain.


    On the second floor, standing at a hard-to-see corner. Audrey looked on with a neutral face. But her eyes told a different story. There was nothing but yearning in them. Subconsciously she lifted her hand and placed it on her head before taking it back down. She then proceeded with her tasks as if nothing happened.


    However, for some reason. Her heart felt weird. She couldn''t place what the feeling was. However, she was certain that she didn''t like it...


    ...


    Outside the mansion...


    "Speak!" Muku spoke the moment he saw Lisa, who had been waiting outside the gate.


    While he had forgiven her and wouldn''t do anything against her. Her terrible attitude had ruined his impression of her. Which was why he didn''t bother being polite to her. Even if she came to him through Freya who was the victim.


    "I uh... Right, umm," Lisa stumbled on her words, seeing his attitude. She had expected it, but actually facing it was different from just thinking about it. However, the reason why she was so nervous was not what one would expect.


    Muku just looked at her, not saying anything. While he wouldn''t be nice to her. He would do what he agreed to do. Which was to listen to what she wanted to say. Not to mention that he was also curious to know what she wanted to say. After all, the last time he remembers seeing her, she could barely look in his direction.


    "I just wanted to tell you that I was nominated as the stadium''s leader. Of course, if you don''t want me to be the leader, I''ll immediately step down. Though before that I want you to know that I have changed my ways and will do my best to keep the base safe along with the people in it. Also, whenever you need us for anything, I will even move mountains to help" Lisa spoke clearly after collecting herself. She knew that she couldn''t waste his time for too long since he had to leave.


    "Oh? Is that so? Well, congratulations then. Also, I''m sure the people at the base know what''s best for them, so if they chose you then I guess they think you''re good for them. I won''t interfere with that. I like how you first said you''ll protect the base and its people before assisting me. That shows me that you''ve really improved..." Muku spoke calmly, a lot less cold compared to when he arrived.


    "Anyway, with all that said, I will forget what you did before and give you a clean slate. So the next time we meet, you better have lived up to your words. That is, of course, if a significant amount of time has passed from now. Still, as for being helpful to me. I won''t believe it until I see it" Muku continued speaking without waiting for Lisa to say anything.


    As he spoke, Lisa and even Freya could tell that he meant what he was saying. This was because the way he was addressing her had become the same as how he addressed them when they first met. It was neither friendly nor hostile. Which was great news for Lisa. It was even better than she expected.


    "I will definitely do my best. If I do, leave it up to your expectations. I hope you can take us as your knights. That is my greatest wish. To fight alongside you," Lisa, who had for some reason become knight-like responded. She didn''t shy away from expressing her desires as well.


    "Hhmm... Well now, how interesting. To think a person could change so much in such little time. Still, I''ll let you know. Being my knight won''t be easy. However, I will promise you this. If you really can meet the criteria, along with those under you. Then I will take you all as my knights" Muku replied nonchalantly.


    He didn''t mind tossing around a few promises to motivate her to get stronger. After all, there was no way she or the others could meet his expectations... Right? He didn''t even need nor want knights. Wouldn''t he have to become some kind of base leader by then?


    That sounded like work! Unnecessary work too! Look at Jack, the dude couldn''t randomly get up and leave. Everything he did was basically scheduled! Who''d want such a life?


    Of course, such thoughts didn''t stop him from promising her. He was just living in the moment.


    Freya just looked on quietly. She was shocked by what Lisa said. Lisa had only told her about notifying Muku about her new position. The rest was news to her... Just like how it was going to be news to the rest of the stadium women when Lisa tells them about it later on.


    Despite all that, she was happy for Lisa and the others. If they manage to prove themselves and be taken under Muku''s wing. They would basically be guaranteed a better future.


    It was rare to find someone as strong as him, but he was willing to even give them a chance. Hell, it was already a miracle he didn''t take advantage of them like many would have done if they had his abilities.


    "Thank you for giving me... No, for giving us the chance. Also, may I ask what the criteria are?" Lisa responded great fully. She even bowed down on one knee to show gratitude.


    Again Muku was shocked by how she had changed so much. It was like talking to a different person who had taken over Lisa''s body or something...


    "You, the leader, have to reach Mid Rank Two while your subordinates have to reach Low Rank Two. Just ten of them reaching Low-Rank Two is enough. Do that and I will take all of you under my wing. I will likely not return here for at least three months. So you have at least that much time," Muku spoke confidently, as he knew how hard it was to improve after that point.


    With such criteria, she will fail. Then he won''t have to start a random Knight battalion or whatever, which he didn''t want.


    "Understood. I will not disappoint you," Lisa spoke as a weird, determined light flashed in her eyes.


    For a moment Muku sensed melancholy in her tone. However, as someone who wanted to get it over with as soon as possible, he didn''t think too much about it. He just chalked it up to her thinking about the past...which was correct actually, just not in the way one might expect.


    "Sure. Now if you''ll excuse me. I have things to attend to. So until next time" Muku mostly brushed her off before turning to leave.


    Freya gave a quick hug to Lisa, whispering her goodbyes before running after Muku.


    Lisa silently looked at them go. She turned around to return to the stadium the moment they entered through the gate of the mansion.


    "To think that''s the World Ender. He''s so different from the monster to come. I definitely have to change that horrible future" Lisa whispered to herself as she walked away. Pure determination blazing in her eyes. If anyone had heard her at the moment, they would have definitely been confused since what she said made no sense.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!....


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...


    As Lisa walked away, suddenly multiple whooshing sounds were heard behind her. Before she could react, more than a hundred silver swords stabbed the group in front of her. They all radiated with power.


    "For your journey"


    Those were the words written on the biggest sword which had also fallen closest to her. Reading those words she couldn''t help but smile.


    "Yes, I definitely have to change the future now"...

 Chapter 143: New Path...

    "Finally! Everything is done. We can finally leave!" Jade exclaimed excitedly.


    She didn''t like staying in such peaceful areas. Whether it was because of her class, her personality or a combination of both. She didn''t care, all she cared about was getting to fight whenever she wanted.


    "Yeah, but is it okay to set off in a direction we have never been to?" Emily asked worriedly.


    That''s right, they had agreed to go outside the city area for the first time since the apocalypse began. There were still beasts in the city area. However, Muku and the others felt like they no longer had the sense of agency they had at the beginning.


    Which they thought had something to do with them being familiar with their surroundings. Then there was Ares'' issue. Muku had been told about how Ares had likely been tracking them through his Beast Aura. Which had likely been placed in him during their first encounter, long before the ambush that added more into his body.


    Which was probably why he felt that there was something wrong with his body back then. He also learned how it was because of Jade''s help that he was able to recover, alongside Hope''s of course.


    A lot of things had been going on, and it had completely slipped everyone''s mind to mention it. When it was finally mentioned and Muku thanked her for her help. Obviously Jade acted smugly while saying something arrogant until Muku''s budding positive impression of her died again.


    Knowing that she also benefited greatly from the ordeal made him not feel too indebted. At best, he would just give a little more thought to how he was going to make it up to her for the last "favour" he owed her.


    Seeing his not-so-impressed expression. Even after learning about how she had basically saved his life. Jade was obviously offended and she started up a riot like usual. Also, like usual, Muku threatened her with his Telekinesis, and she calmed down. After that, everything continued smoothly.


    With that said, because Ares'' Beast Aura was no longer on Muku''s body. The only way he could locate them was by looking for them in familiar locations.


    So, their leaving wasn''t only to seal better opportunities. It was also to get away from the petty Beast Monarch Ares.


    Even knowing all that, Emily was still uncertain. She was one of those people who didn''t like significant change. Even when whatever they were doing wasn''t working, they''d still stick to what they knew. That''s the kind of person she was. So, at the back of her head, she was hoping that they would reconsider.


    She knew that staying wasn''t a good idea, but she just couldn''t help it. That''s just how she was. She was okay with moving around different parts of the city because they were just that, "different parts of the city area". She was technically still in the area, so she didn''t mind much.


    However, this was different, they were going to a completely different place.


    "Let''s put it to a vote then" Muku chose the democratic but subtly manipulative path to answer her.


    He already knew that most wanted to go. So the vote was decided from the start. He just wanted to show Emily that while she wasn''t certain about leaving. Everyone else was. Knowing that she will not only go along with it now but will do so in the future as well.


    He felt that the "democratic" way of doing things was a lot quicker. If he didn''t do it like that, then he''d have to coax her with a few sweet words and probably have to give out a bribe or two. There was no way he was going to add more work for himself when he already had Jade to deal with.


    "O-okay" Emily replied, hopeful that the others also wanted to stay. Then they could just look for a way to deal with Ares without leaving.


    "Anyone who wants to leave and seek out new adventures and opportunities. Please raise your hands" Muku spoke while raising his hand to show his stance.


    Like he expected. Jade, Layla, Chloe, Hope, Audrey and even Elsa raised their hands. The only ones who didn''t raise their hands were the dumbstruck Emily and Freya.


    Freya actually wanted to raise her hand as well. She supported leaving since that way she would be able to get stronger quicker. However, she was too nice and couldn''t bear to see Emily singled out like that. So she didn''t raise her hand, her one vote wouldn''t change anything anyway. After all, everyone else had voted to leave.


    "Even you too?" Emily spoke in a hurt voice while looking at her little sister.


    "Sigh. Big Sis, I love you. Unfortunately, you have a problem with change. However, I and the others don''t. We want to get stronger. Trust us, this is what''s best for the group. I''m sure you''ll get used to it soon. You just have to be willing to take the first step," Elsa spoke sincerely while looking into her big sister''s eyes.


    She didn''t want to be on opposite sides with Emily, but she knew what needed to be done. Unlike her sister who was a heart of brain-type of person. She was a brain-over-heart type. In her head, logic was supreme.


    Of course, she''d toss logic out of the window if Emily was in danger. But any other time, she would choose logic. She was also hoping that through such experiences, her big sister would become more mature in her way of thinking. Which was a weird thing for a younger sister to think but that''s exactly what she thought.


    "...Huff, fine. We''ll do it your way then" Emily gave in. Since everyone wanted to go. She wouldn''t be unreasonable and insist on staying, even if she wanted to really badly.


    "Great!, I guess it''s decided then. I''ll get us moving" Muku spoke as he wrapped the mansion in his telekinesis and lifted it off the ground. The whole experience was rather mystical to Freya, who had never thought that one day she would ride on a floating mansion.


    The girls immediately took their posts in different areas of the wall. Which they always did during flight to guard against aerial beast attacks.


    "I don''t want to talk to you, right? Hmph!" Emily spoke while glaring at Jade and Elsa, who were walking behind her, heading to their post.


    While she respected their choices to vote against her. That didn''t mean that she wouldn''t feel salty about it. So she wanted some time away from them to cool off.


    She then grabbed Freya''s hand, who seemed lost, before storming off. The only person she wanted around her at the moment was Freya.


    Jade and Elsa didn''t say anything or keep on following her. They both knew her well enough that she''d be fine after a while. So, instead of prolonging her cooling process. They chose to leave her alone and sit on a different spot on the wall.


    ....


    On the mansion wall...


    "Thank you for supporting me", Emily, who had been sitting quietly for a while with the nervous Freya, spoke.


    "W-what do you mean? I was doing it for myself; I also didn''t want to leave," Freya replied with a nervous stutter. She didn''t want Emily to discover which side she truly supported. Unfortunately for her, she was terrible at lying and it was obvious when she did so.


    "It''s okay. You don''t have to lie. I know that you only kept your hand down so that I wouldn''t feel isolated. For that, I thank you," Emily continued speaking, a grateful smile appearing on her face.


    "I... Uh, no... Okay," Freya didn''t know what to say after being exposed so quickly.


    "I''d like to apologise for how I have treated you before. I shouldn''t have done that. I was such a jerk" Unexpectedly, Emily apologised to Freya who wasn''t expecting it at all.


    "N-no, it''s fine. You don''t have to apologize. I had already forgotten about it anyway" Freya spoke while shaking her hands hysterically.


    "... You''re too nice. Luckily nothing bad happened to you before you met us" Emily looked at the flustered Freya for a bit in silence. She then spoke with a larger smile on her face. In her mind, she questioned why she ever found Freya displeasing to the eye.


    " I... Right. I''m really grateful for you all allowing me to join your group despite my weakness" Freya replied. Her words were filled with nothing but honesty and gratitude.


    "It''s fine. You''ll be strong soon enough so it''s not really worth thanking us for it... Hey, can I call you Big Sis? I''ve always wanted a big sister, and you''re exactly what I''d want her to be like. Kind and pure" Emily just wouldn''t stop saying things that shocked Freya.


    How did an apology turn to wanting to be sworn sisters? Was she even qualified to be the elder sister of someone like Emily? Wouldn''t she feel embarrassed every day for having such a strong little sister while she was weak?


    "I don''t think I''m worthy... But if you really want to, I would be honoured to be your sister" Freya wanted to refuse.


    However, after looking at Emily''s eyes, they were glowing with expectation. She just couldn''t bring herself to refuse. So she accepted the request. It''s not like it was anything bad after all. She will just have to work harder and get stronger quickly. That way she won''t embarrass her new sister for being too weak.


    "Yes! You agreed! I''m so happy! Thank you! Thank you! Big Sis!" Emily exclaimed in excitement as she practically threw herself into Freya''s arms. Luckily, she was still self-aware, or they might have fallen off the edge.


    Jade and Elsa looked on at the weird scene from a distance away. They had no clue what the heck had happened or was happening. Jade could have eavesdropped if she wanted, but like she said to Muku before. She respected people''s privacy... In normal cases.


    And so, the rest of the group was unaware of the new sisterhood that had suddenly formed in the group. Which of course, they will soon learn of.

 Chapter 144: Sister, Sister

    Half a day later...


    The group was gathered in the dining room having lunch. They weren''t in a particular rush, so stopping for lunch was reasonable. It wasn''t like they knew where they were going anyway. So there was no need to rush.


    "So... Care to tell us what''s going on?" Jade asked while she and the others all looked at Emily who had pushed her chair to sit as close to Freya as possible.


    They also looked at Freya from time to time. Their eyes alternated between the gleeful Emily and the stiff Freya, who smiled wryly.


    "Isn''t it obvious? Me and Freya have become sworn sisters. She''s now my Big Sister, hehe" Emily replied happily.


    "Why aren''t we sworn sisters then?" Jade asked with a dark expression on her face.


    She didn''t particularly care about Emily and Freya becoming sisters. All she cared about was why she wasn''t Emily''s sworn sister after all they had gone through. She had always wanted a sister after all.


    "Hhm! Why would I want a sister like you who doesn''t support me? Not to mention that you''re a month younger than me and I already have a younger sister. Why would I want another one?" Emily replied with a disdainful tone in her voice.


    Of course, the real reason she didn''t do such a thing with Jade was because she had never thought about it before. However, she wouldn''t admit that; she was still upset about the "betrayal" from Jade and Elsa.


    "So that''s how it is huh? Okay, two can play that game! Elsa, do you want a new and cooler Big Sister?" Jade, who was not one to be passive in situations, immediately thought of a counterattack.


    "No, I don''t want a new sister. Emily is fine," Elsa''s blunt replied, dazed Jade a little. She even felt like crying because of it. Couldn''t the little girl at least save her some face in front of the others? Now she didn''t even know what to say.


    "But I don''t mind another sister... You definitely seem cooler than Emily too. So sure. If you want to be my second big sister, I don''t mind" Fortunately for Jade, Elsa continued speaking after a little silence. Her words brought her back from the brink of embarrassment.


    "Oh... Yeah! You made the right choice. I''m definitely cooler and more fun than that petty flame girl over there. From now on, I, Jade, am your elder sister. Whoever wants to find trouble with you must go through me first. Even if it''s Emily and she does something you don''t like. Tell me and I''ll take her out or even that leader of ours. They are all nothing in front of your big sister here" Jade didn''t waste time and immediately got into her new role excitedly.


    She had always wanted a younger sister or any sort of younger sibling. After all, at her house, she was the youngest of three siblings and the older two were boys. So Elsa agreeing to be her little sister made her really happy. To the point that she even went a little rogue, tossing threats left and right.


    Whether she could really do what she was promising. It would remain unknown since Muku and Emily just brushed her off. They wouldn''t waste their time arguing with a made person like Jade.


    "Wait! Doesn''t that mean I''m the only person without a relative here?" Chloe suddenly exclaimed hysterically.


    While she didn''t mind as much as she made it seem. She wouldn''t mind being someone''s sworn relative like the others.


    "I could be your relative if you want" Muku spoke, with a slightly teasing tone. He wanted to see how she would react when it wasn''t the type of relationship she wanted with him.


    "No!!!... I uh, I mean. I''ve always wanted a sister and not a brother. So it wouldn''t work. In fact, there''s nothing I hate more than having a brother" Chloe immediately rejected his proposition.


    Her clearly false reasons made even her face heat up. She wasn''t used to blatantly lying like that. But there was no way she was going to agree to be Muku''s sister. That would basically be cutting off her own path of advancing forward just when she had found out that it was possible to advance.


    "I could be your sister if you want" Surprisingly, it was Layla who spoke. No one was expecting her to even get evolved in such a matter. Especially not in the way she did.


    "Really?" Chloe replied slightly awkwardly while looking at Layla. She, just like the others except for Muku still felt slightly stiff when talking to Layla. This was mostly due to Layla''s quiet disposition, which made it hard to figure out how she was feeling.


    After all, it''s really hard to talk to someone when their facial expression remains neutral most of the time. Which was because you can''t measure how they feel about talking to you. So Layla wanting to be her sister came as a shock to Chloe.


    "Yeah. I don''t mind. I''ve always wanted a sister" Layla continued speaking calmly. Her eyes were unmoving as she looked at Chloe.


    While she looked like that, inside she was actually very excited and nervous at the same time. She always felt a little out of place in the group. Not because they treated her differently in any way. Just that she felt that she couldn''t match their wavelength. So maybe becoming sworn sisters with one of the girls will help her with that problem.


    "Y-yeah. Sure, I''d be happy to be your sister" Chloe replied with a little awkwardness in her voice. She didn''t know Layla''s inner thoughts so she didn''t know just how much Layla wanted it. She just thought that Layla took pity on her or something. But even then, she was willing to be Layla''s sister.


    Maybe that way, the feeling of being alone in the world that sometimes plagues her heart would go away.


    "Hug to seal the deal?" Layla spoke while opening her hands wide. Clearly wanting to hug Chloe.


    "Sure!" Chloe replied with a happy smile as she hugged Layla. Unexpectedly, she really did feel better after the hug. It was like she had gotten back something she had lost.


    "I guess now I have a new daughter" Audrey spoke from the side with a gentle smile on her face. Before Chloe or Layla could say anything, they found themselves in Audrey''s embrace.


    Freya was confused. At first, the scene with Layla and Chloe seemed beautiful. However, it got weird when Audrey got involved. Like, what did she mean by a second daughter? She barely looked older than Chloe and Layla. So how could they be her daughters?


    "Oh..." Freya spoke one word before trailing off. That was because Emily, who had realised what was happening from seeing her confused expression, had whispered an explanation into her ear.


    Hearing that Audrey was actually 30 shocked her so much that she couldn''t even continue her sentence. How did a 30-year-old lady look no older than her?! How was that fair? Does that mean she looked old for her age or... What did it mean? She was so confused.


    Emily again noticed Freya''s confusion. Along with how her head seemed close to exploding explained again. Mentioning how Muku''s blood not only saved Audrey from a fate worse than death but also made her look so younger.


    What she thought of after that was the very first thing she or the others thought of back then. And that was whether Muku could also make them look younger when they reached 30-40 or even 70. As she thought so, her eyes trailed onto Muku.


    The moment she looked at him, he felt a sudden chill. Like someone was plotting a very sinister plan against him.


    "No fair! I also want Ms Audrey to be my mother!" Again, Jade refused to be involved as she immediately complained.


    "Rooooar!!!"


    "Rooooar!!"


    Before anyone could reply to what Jade said. Two equally beastly roars rang out from a close by. Hearing the roars, everyone became alert.


    They immediately got off the table and ran outside to check out what was happening. They couldn''t afford to stay inside lest their mansion gets randomly destroyed.


    "We aren''t done! We''ll continue this talk as soon as we get back!" Jade screamed as she ran with the group. Hearing her words, everyone rolled their eyes; the girl really didn''t want to take any losses, huh?


    It was the same with the head pats. Then the sisterhood. Maybe they''ll have to consider whether they want Jade to get involved before saying anything in front of her in the future...


    ....


    Three kilometres away from the mansion...


    "Well, this apocalypse just gets better and better doesn''t it?" Muku spoke sarcastically.


    He had taken Hope, Jade and Emily while the others stayed behind. They couldn''t all leave the mansion behind after all. They also couldn''t leave without checking out what was happening, lest they be shot down by whatever it was as they flew by.


    What they saw was definitely something they never thought they''d ever see. They had expected to see two beasts fighting or something like that. However, what they saw were two beasts fighting for their lives as they were getting dragged into the giant mouth of a plant.


    Yes, a plant. A huge a*s plant at that...

 Chapter 145: Living Cloud?

    "Now that I look at it, the vegetation around here is way too lush and big" Jade commented calmly while looking at the fight.


    "How are you so calm about a huge plant about to eat two LR2 beasts?!" Emily exclaimed. Sometimes she really couldn''t understand how Jade''s mind worked. Just when you''d expect her to be excited or something like that, yet there she was, calmly looking on.


    "Why wouldn''t I be calm? I mean, there were already Venus fly traps before this. Animal-type beasts mostly look like beastified versions of animals we already knew, so I already expected that plant-type beasts might appear soon" Jade replied matter-of-factly. She was even surprised as to why Emily was acting so exaggeratedly.


    Hearing her, the others immediately went silent. They didn''t expect such words from her. It was something they would expect from Layla but never Jade. That''s when it struck them, they had forgotten that Jade was also in the school''s best class. The girl usually acted so much like a muscle-head that they forgot that she was actually very smart.


    "Why are you all looking at me like that?" Jade asked seeing the weird looks the others were giving her.


    "No... Nothing. Anyway, I think I''ll take this fight. After all, you and Hope already had your chance. Our leader also had his chance while it did end up badly" Emily quickly changed topics not wanting Jade to discover that they had indirectly questioned her intelligence.


    "Well duh, why did you think I''m standing here and not there punching that plant?" Jade replied while rolling her eyes. Even Muku and Hope related with her reply. They both also wanted to try out fighting a plant-type beast, but sadly they had their chances.


    "Oh... Right. I''ll get to it then" Emily replied. For some reason, she started feeling like she was the one with a questionable intelligence level.


    After that, she immediately ran closer to the three beasts in the long grass. She didn''t try to be quiet because plants don''t have ears so they can''t hear... Right?


    As for the other two beasts, they were busy fighting for their lives. So there was no way they''d care about some random human running toward them. The two beasts were a large buffalo-like creature with canine teeth and claws instead of hooves, its fur a pale grey colour.


    The other one was a large brown cat-like creature, a bit smaller than the weird buffalo; it had spikes on its back that went down from its neck to its tail.


    Both had various cuts on their bodies that didn''t seem to be from the plant. So it was safe to assume they were good at fighting before the planta got involved.


    Whoosh!


    "Oh my!" Emily exclaimed in shock as she froze; a long, thick vibe was quickly heading her way.


    Bang!


    While she had been right in guessing that the plant couldn''t hear her. She didn''t know that it didn''t need to. It was extremely sensitive to anything that came toward it from the ground.


    This is because its roots were spread all over the area below ground. So anything that stepped foot in that area wouldn''t escape its notice. It was also the type to attack first and then ask questions later. Which made its attacks seem random, so Emily didn''t even get a chance to react before the vine was in front of her face.


    Luckily for her, Muku was obviously the fight. He quickly shielded her with his telekinesis and the vine smashed hard into what seemed to be clear space.


    "I thought you''d know better than to judge these creatures based on what we know from earth creatures!" Muku shouted in a slightly rebuking voice from the back. It''s reasons like that why he never liked the girls to go out without him.


    While they were strong and could take care of themselves most of the time. They sometimes made big mistakes, the type of mistakes that could get them killed instantly. So he wanted to always be there to overlook the situation.


    "Sorry! And thank you!" Emily shouted back feeling slightly embarrassed.


    "It''s all fault! Making me seem so reckless! I''ll show you..." Emily angrily addressed the giant Venus fly trap-like beast as it took back its vine.


    The creature didn''t attack again, maybe it had sensed some danger or whatever reason. Its pull on the two beasts had also weakened. It also seemed to be... Sinking into the ground!?


    "Oh no you don''t! Golden Meteorite!" Emily immediately attacked when she noticed it retreating into the ground. A huge golden fireball instantly appeared above the plant beast and fell on top of it.


    Bang! Boom!


    The huge golden fireball hit the beast right on top of its large "head" and exploded on impact. The two beasts were also caught up in the explosion even though they were still a few meters away from the impact point. Again the others were reminded how destructive Emily was.


    The plant-type beast was immediately wiped out of existence. In its place, a large hole that went deeper than they could see was left. Of course, it was completely created by Emily''s attack; it was likely already there, and Emily''s attack just opened it up.


    The two beasts that had survived the plant had miraculously also survived Emily''s attack. Though they were severely injured and couldn''t even get up to run away. They had already given in to their fates at that point. They weren''t even struggling to survive anymore.


    "Hehe, that''s what you get for embarrassing me" Emily spoke as she worked towards the hole. As for the 2KP she got from killing the plant, which turned out to have been an MR2 beast, she didn''t even care. It wasn''t anything impressive compared to what Hope or even the other two got.


    What she was interested in was the large hole she had exposed. As for the two beasts, she would also put them out of their misery. However, she wasn''t too excited about that either since they were just LR2s with minimal KP.


    The others also came to join her. They then walked through the mostly burnt-away grass together towards the hole.


    Caw!


    Suddenly a loud bird cry was heard from the sky. The group all looked at the direction the sound was coming from and all their eyes immediately widened.


    "Metal fortress!" For the first time, Muku didn''t simply use his Telekinesis for group defence. Well, he did use it, but he used his metal element on top of that.


    Which was understandable because what he saw was straight-up frightening. It was a living black cloud that covered at least half a kilometre in length.


    Of course, it wasn''t actually a living cloud. It just looked like one. While, in fact, it was thousands upon thousands of craws that were swarming forward together.


    Astonishingly, they were mostly Half-step R2s with a few lower-ranked R1s. There didn''t seem to be even a single R2. This was why Muku chose to just defend themselves instead of wasting their mana on something that didn''t benefit them at all.


    He wasn''t sure whether it was a good thing that they weren''t R2s or not. That was because if they were R2s, then the benefits would have been immeasurable for the whole team. They would likely even reach the peak in one battle.


    The problem, however,, was whether they would be able to live through such a battle. After all, their mana was very finite, while the crows seemed endless.


    The crows headed directed towards Muku''s group. The area was soon enveloped in black. Everything that got in their path was destroyed. The two unlucky beasts that were still clinging on to life were devoured within seconds. Only their bare bones were left. It was as if they had long been dead to the point that all the flesh rotted away.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!....


    One after another, the crows hit the metal dome under which Muku and the girls were hiding. This continued for almost five minutes before the crows gave up. They had noticed that they weren''t doing much damage to the dorm. They weren''t even able to leave visible marks on it.


    Such was the difference in strength. They were just lucky that Muku''s group chose to be smart rather than waste their mana on them; otherwise,, they would have probably been massacred on the spot.


    Jade was even itching for a battle, but Muku stopped her. Though her battle intent still leaked through the dome. It might have even been the reason why the crows quickly gave up and continued their plundering journey. They had sensed that they shouldn''t mess with whatever was below the dome.


    "Well, that was certainly an interesting experience" Muku spoke after dispelling the dome.


    "It would have been even better if you had used your Telekinesis instead of your metal so that we could see what was happening" Jade spoke in a slightly complaining voice.


    "Yeah, I could have. Unfortunately, that would have been a waste of mental energy that would be more useful in moving the mention," Muku replied calmly. Completely unaffected by Jade''s words.


    He was still looking around the area which had been a mini forest before. It had all been flattened by the crows. Even some of the trees were knocked down by the large crows while most were stripped of their leaves.


    It was only then that he could vaguely see that the area might have been a park before the apocalypse. To think the change was already so great in some areas...


    "Whatever, are we going to check out the hole or what?" Jade moved on to the next matter. The crows were just small fries in her head, after all.


    "We are, but let''s go check on the others first. We''ll move the mansion closer and explore the place together" Muku replied as he lifted everyone with his Telekinesis and flew back toward the mansion...

 Chapter 146: Underground Forest?

    A while later...


    Muku and the girls had gone back to check on the others as well as bring them along. As expected, there was no issue with the crows. The girls were inside the mansion so the crows just passed them by.


    So there was no delay in bringing them along with the mansion closer to the hole. As for why they didn''t just ignore such an ominous-looking thing... Well, they were feeling adventurous. The hole was something new, and they couldn''t sense any threat from it, so...


    "So who''s going in first?" Jade asked. She, who could see in the dark and was practically fearless, didn''t want to go first. The reason being... She couldn''t see the bottom of the hole. It seemed to be getting larger the deeper it went too.


    So, if there was something down there. It would be something amazing. Whether it would be amazing in a good way or a bad way. It was yet to be known. Whichever it was, Jade wasn''t willing to be the lead. Being fearless didn''t mean that she was stupid.


    "To think The Beast Empress is a chicken", Emily, who had been behaving quite pettily with Jade since the "betrayal", mocked.


    "You go first then" Surprisingly Jade wasn''t triggered into making some rush decision. She calmly responded, putting Emily on checkmate.


    "W-what? Do you think I won''t do it? Unlike you, I have the guts. In fact, everyone follow me... Woah!" Emily replied hesitantly, kicking herself in her mind for unnecessarily causing trouble for herself. Only if she has stayed quiet. After all, she already knew that Jade was uncharacteristically calm that day.


    The worst part is that she got so caught up in the moment to the point that she jumped into the hole. If Muku hadn''t caught her with his telekinesis, who knows what would have happened? After all, the idiot couldn''t fly, which she seemed to have forgotten when she jumped.


    "Instead of someone leading... Which I don''t think anyone but me can do for obvious reasons. Why don''t we all go together?" Muku spoke, not even addressing Emily and Jade''s little episode. He created a familiar platform as he did so.


    The girls all got on. It would have been wise to leave a few to watch the mansion, but no one wanted to stay behind, so they could only hope for the best. The area didn''t seem to have humans nearby. Also, beasts wouldn''t randomly attack a building for no reason. So it was probably okay to leave it unattended for a little while.


    And so the group slowly descended into the hole which kept on expanding outward the deeper they went. Emily has cast a fire spell that floated above them for better lighting. However, after a certain point, it couldn''t light up the whole area. It was like the darkness was eating away at the light.


    ...


    An excruciatingly long time later...


    The group had been descending for the better part of an hour. They could have descended quicker, but they had to be cautious. Which dragged the experience a lot more than it would have been without the need for caution.


    "An underground garden?" Hope asked no one in particular as she looked around the place.


    All around them were green plants. Which was surprising since no sunlight would reach that far down. Yet, even so, there they were, looking majestic and beautiful.


    From giant trees to beautiful flowers. It was like they were looking at a piece that was cut from Eden. It was probably only possible due to the existence of the wondrous power known as mana.


    "More of underground forest..." Jade replied while looking at the greenery that extended beyond what her eyes could see. Her eyes could see pretty far, so it was quite a lot.


    Freya just looked on in a dazed state. She was wondering if such sights were normal to the rest of them since while they looked impressed, it didn''t seem like they were moved that much. Which was quite surprising considering how she couldn''t even close her eyes from how beautiful the sight looked.


    "A-are we going to land?" Freya asked after calming down. She couldn''t wait to smell the flowers. Which she was certain smelled great from how beautiful they looked. As someone who had always loved flowers, she felt like she was in a dream.


    "Hhm... What do you all think? Should we?" Instead of replying to what Freya asked. Muku asked the others a question of his own.


    "Well... I want a fight so yeah... Let''s go!" Jade replied excitedly. Seemingly having gone back to her old self. Her battle intent was already surging.


    Her reply, however, confused Freya greatly. She wondered why Jade was talking about fighting when there was nothing but flowers and trees below. Was she going to beat up the defenceless plants or something?


    "I say we should be cautious and test the waters first" Layla gave her own take on the matter. While she also wanted to battle as much as Jade, she still wanted to guarantee her''s and the team''s safety. They were stepping into uncharted territory so caution was best.


    "I support Layla''s idea" Chloe gave her opinion as well. The others followed suit. Unlike Jade, they weren''t mindless when the opportunity for battle arose.


    "Tsk, you all are just killjoys" Jade spoke while rolling her eyes. Her battle intent decreased significantly.


    "Now to your question Freya. You must remember something. The current world is different from the old one. What you see might not be what you think it is. Also, try your best to remember everything the others mention that''s related to beasts okay?" Muku ignored Jade and addressed the confused Freya who became more and more confused the more he spoke.


    Not giving her the chance to say anything. Muku created a large blade and then shot it at a large flower down below. The action made Freya even more confused, but only for a moment more...


    "Rooooar!"


    The so-called giant beautiful flower she wanted to spell roared like a beast as it started frailing around. A huge mouth opened up on the very flower she wanted to get close to.


    Freya''s body immediately went cold. That''s when Muku''s words made sense. When he picked them up before, he had mentioned something about a plant-type beast. However, she didn''t put it in her head, thinking that it was a rare case and wouldn''t happen again. Not to mention, none of the plants they were looking at looked like the one he mentioned.


    So, she a flower lover who easily overlooked their humongous size, didn''t think that they could be monsters. She felt so noob and embarrassed.


    However, the plants didn''t give her more time to think. Soon after the one Muku stabbed roared, the whole forest was aroused. Beastly roars filled the area as countless vines charged towards Muku''s group.


    It seemed the plants had other ways to sense their opponents besides using the ground.


    "Haha. Finally! Beast Form!" Jade laughed as she turned into her beast form, which looked like a large green tiger. She had jumped off the platform before Muku could say anything.


    He could easily bring her back but they couldn''t fight properly gathered together like that. So he let her be. She''ll clean up the initial group for the rest to land and fight from. There was no need to stop free labour right?


    And so, Beast Jade landed on top of a beast tree. She then started slashing left and right all over the place. She didn''t stay in one position for long. Dodging vines and clearing ground.


    However, for some reason, no matter how many plants she killed, she didn''t get any KP. As she was in her battle-crazed state, she didn''t care to think about why that was. The girl kept on clawing at anything that moved. Soon a sizable group had been cleared by her... Well, it was covered by corpses of plant beasts, but it was good enough.


    Muku and the others then landed and joined the battle. It became like a light show in the dark if anyone looked at the scene from afar.


    "Wait, something is wrong! Why aren''t we getting any KP? These things clearly have the strength of LR2s at least" Unlike Jade, Muku and the others were mostly clear-headed even in battle. So they quickly realised that something was wrong.


    "Their mana seems to disappear into the ground after they are killed too. Maybe it has something to do with that," Elsa, who had been watching the battle from the background since she couldn''t participate, commented.


    Freya, who was standing along with Elsa, was surprised since she didn''t notice anything. However, soon she realised that it was likely due to their difference in experience.


    "Really? Then there''s something really fishy going on here. Everyone, keep your guards up and don''t stray too far" Muku immediately gave his order after hearing Elsa''s words.


    The others took heed of his words and fought more cautiously compared to before. Except for one who was still acting as recklessly as before.


    "This brat is going to be the death of me" Muku spoke while massaging his forehead. Feeling a headache coming on because of Jade''s unruly behaviour.


    Unlike before, he grabbed her with his Telekinesis and brought her beside him. It was no longer viable to let her do what she wanted in such an uncertain situation.


    "Hey!...Hhm?" Jade, who has been forced out of her craze by Muku, wanted to complain, but that''s when they all sensed something.


    They all looked in a certain direction. Their expressions are tense. Muku was even ready to make a hasty retreat if it was necessary.


    Whatever was coming wasn''t going to be easy to deal with...

 Chapter 147 147: Emergence

    "What tha?!" Jade exclaimed in surprise as what they sensed from the distance suddenly intensified and spread in every direction. Even the area they were standing on was affected.


    Just then, before anyone could make sense of what was happening. The ground started shaking. The aura they were sensing getting more and more intense.


    Muku didn''t waste any more time as he grabbed the girls and flew up. He only stopped after there was some significant distance between them and the ground.


    At that point, the whole forest was covered by the aura. Surprisingly, it was even more intense than the Spider Queen''s aura. Without anyone having to say it, all of them realised that whatever the source of the aura was. It was definitely a Rank Three.


    This was obvious from how almost all the team members could barely keep standing on the floating platform. Only Muku and Audrey were relatively still fine. Which was likely related to his bloodline that flowed through both their bodies.


    While a surprise that his bloodline gained an ability to shield him from strong auras. It was a welcomed surprise. Especially in their current situation. They would have definitely fallen to the ground had he been affected as well.


    Seeing the deteriorating situation Muku didn''t dare stick around. He immediately took his team and headed up at his fastest speed. The light from Emily''s spell was already out. The girl couldn''t keep casting it under the pressure of the aura.


    So as Muku went up. All he had to rely on was his minor night vision, which was nowhere near as good as Jade''s. Unfortunately, she was of no use at the moment as she was as affected by the dark as the others.


    As he looked around the place, his eyes met two glowing grey eyes that were looking at him. That''s when he realised something he almost always overlooked. Audrey''s class, while it didn''t require her to consume blood after the mutation, was still a vampire-type class. Vampires can see in the dark!


    "Audrey, can you see what''s going on down there?" Muku asked not wasting time on the fact that he almost always overlooks the lady''s abilities. Which wasn''t his fault since, in normal situations, she chooses to stand down and let the enthusiastic girls act.


    "Let me se... Oh my!!" Audrey replied as she shifted her gaze from Muku to the ground below. She exclaimed in surprise and fear as soon as she saw what was down there.


    "What is it?" Muku, who could only see a few metres away from him, asked Audrey hastily. Audrey rarely lost her composure, so whatever she was seeing was something extraordinary.


    "It''s... It wasn''t ground. It''s a monster!" Audrey replied instinctively, still in shock. She had even closed her eyes refusing to look down. Her aura she was using to protect the girls faltered. Which added more work for Muku but he didn''t complain since he was the one who told her to look down.


    In Audrey''s mind, the sight of what she saw kept on replaying. The thing they called a forest rose into the air, and a large mouth with countless teeth was exposed. The mouth was so large that they were as small as an ant to an elephant in front of it.


    That''s just how different the size difference was. It was probably why the creature didn''t act when they first arrived. They weren''t worth the effort. However, when they started attacking it''s body. It had to act lest they did some significant damage after a while... A long while.


    The only reason they managed to survive the ordeal was because of Muku''s bloodline. Otherwise they would have definitely been killed on the spot.


    That wasn''t even the scariest part. The scary part was how the creature was slowly but surely rising higher and higher. It was coming out of the hole. Whether to pursue them or for some other reason. It was unknown to Audrey, but she was certain that she didn''t want to be close by when it finally managed to come out.


    .....


    A little over ten minutes later...


    Muku had finally reached the top. He had to increase the speed even more after Audrey''s episode. Which increased his mana expenditure by quite a bit.


    "Quickly move the mansion away from here please!" Audrey, who had significantly recovered her mental state, exclaimed in a slightly hysterical tone.


    "Okay" While he didn''t completely understand what was happening. He didn''t stand around like an idiot delaying time while asking stupid questions.


    He immediately got into action. The lady said quickly, and that''s what he was going to do. Questions could be reserved for later. He always hated idiots in movies who first asked questions when they were told to move. Thankfully, those idiots usually died first, so he could somewhat stomach it.


    Anyway, as Muku made his way to the mansion. The girls who could freely move again were behind him. They were all smart people, so they knew when to ask questions and when not to.


    Soon, everyone was in the mansion, and it took off. A few minutes later when the mansion was already a significant distance away. The ground around the hole started shaking and cracking. The cracks kept getting bigger and bigger as the shaking increased. The pattern continued until eventually...


    !Wooo Boom!


    The ground gave out as it imploded with a boom. However, the fallen earth didn''t fall as deep as one would expect from what was there. Strangely to those who didn''t know what was happening, the soil started to rise up from within the hole.


    However, it wasn''t rising alone or on its own accord. Something was rising with it. A humongous plant monstrosity, unlike anything anyone had ever seen before.


    It looked like an even more exaggerated version of the plant monster the group killed before. The shape of a Venus Fly Trap, the colour of one as well. However, that''s where the similarities ended.


    The creature had what seemed to be a forest on top of its head. Which was the very forest Muku and his group were standing on before. It''s body was even larger than that of a whale, by a significant margin too.


    "ROOOOOOAR!"


    The beast let out a roar that shook the earth. Even those that were hundreds of kilometres away felt it. Strong winds blew in the direction it roared. Trees and other plants were uprooted and thrown whichever way they went.


    If Muku hadn''t reacted quickly, he and the girls might have had their ears destroyed from the noise. Luckily, he had protected everyone with a telekinetic barrier that blocked sound.


    They were also fortunate that the direction in which the plant monster roared wasn''t the one they were in. Otherwise their mansion that was just starting to get the upgrade it needed would have gotten destroyed on the spot.


    Seeing the behemoth with their own eyes made the others realise why Audrey had been so hysterical. They stood no chance against that thing. Their strongest attacks were not only too small in their biggest states. They probably also could do significant damage to the thing''s defense. Which was guaranteed to be way stronger than the "forest" on its head.


    As for Muku''s erasing gaze? It might be deadly, but he could only use it for a little while before his eyes couldn''t take it. He wasn''t sure how much damage he would be able to do in such little time, so he didn''t even bother trying.


    Sometimes one has to acknowledge that certain feats were beyond their capabilities. It''s not about being weak or giving up without trying. It''s about being reasonable and knowing your limits.


    After all, where there is a will there is a way. In Muku and his group''s case. It would be, where there is life there is a way. They chose to retreat since the battle was beyond them. They can always fight the beast in the future when they get stronger if their paths cross. That time however, they had to go.


    So Muku used his Telekinesis to the best of his abilities and sped up their get away. Luckily for them, the beast didn''t seem to care about them much after getting out.


    Well, it would probably have thrown a few attacks in a normal setting. However it didn''t have the luxury for such as a few "friends" were coming to "greet" it.


    Four overwhelming auras where quickly speeding in the direction of the beast plant. The four happened to be the very four that came out of the portals soon after the World Evolution. As for the fifth, which was the white wolf, it was didn''t make an appearance. Maybe it was occupied with something else.


    Looking on from a distance, though it was more of sensing on since they were too far to see. Muku and the girls could tell that something major was about to occur.


    The right move would obviously to run as far away from the area as they could. However the group was feeling quite adventurous. They wanted to at least be close by to get a better sense of what a Rank Three was.


    They were so crazy that Muku landed the mansion, and he, along with Jade, Layla, Hope, Emily and Chloe, backtracked without it. That''s right, they wanted to be closer to the action.


    Audrey, who didn''t want to be part of it, was left behind to look after their weaker members.


    The reason why Muku and the girls even had the guts to go back it was a decent one actually. One of the Rank Three passed by their floating mansion and didn''t even give it a glance.


    So it was safe to say that for the moment. As long as they don''t provoke the Rank Three beasts. They will most likely be completely ignored because of their weak strength. All they had to worry about was the shockwaves if there was a battle.


    They had enough confidence in themselves to stay out of harm''s way. So they went back to enjoy the show.

 Chapter 148: Clash of Titans

    "So it has begun already huh?" Shockingly to Muku''s group, a feminine voice spoke from the direction of the plant monster.


    If they weren''t mistaken, it was the one that had spoken, and it did so without moving its large mouth. Which made the whole experience even more strange.


    It had never crossed their minds that these creatures could actually speak. Especially not a plant-type. The reality that times had changed hit them all hard again.


    "Earth Guardian, you appeared too early. This isn''t what was agreed upon. For that, you should let us kill you without resisting" Before Muku and the girls could get used to the fact that the plant could speak. One of the beasts that had appeared spoke as well.


    It was a large black tiger that looked to be around 20 metres in height. Also, like the plant, it didn''t move its mouth like humans did when it spoke. For some reason, while they were certain that the language the two beasts spoke wasn''t the same as theirs. They could still understand every word.


    It was a quite mystical experience. However, the information they overheard didn''t let them dwell on it for too long. While it was little, it exposed a lot. The major revelation was that the plant was an Earth Guardian, whatever that was. And also, it wasn''t supposed to appear yet.


    Which pretty much meant that they had likely screwed up really badly by disturbing the plant beast. So, they were all secretly praying that their actions weren''t too significant.


    "Oh please. I never agreed to anything. The leaders did. I was just playing along until now, but since I''m awake now. I might as well continue doing what I want" The plant replied in a dismissive voice. It was clearly not taking the four beasts seriously.


    "I guess we''re going to have to do this the hard way then..." The black tiger replied in a serious tone. Its aura, along with that of the other four, started to rise.


    It, being a dark element beast, was quickly submerged in darkness as it covered itself in its condensed domain. Which was a sign that it was already close to breaking through to Rank Four.


    The other beasts, which comprised a Giant Green Eagle, a Giant Three-Tailed White Fox and a Brown Buffalo-like creature with paws, claws and jaws, also deployed their condensed barriers.


    The Eagle was submerged in a swirling wind. It was also the one that had passed by Muku''s group as it flew to the battlefield. Which made it easy to tell that it had the wind element.


    The Three-Tailed Fox was covered in a purple mist. Muku''s group couldn''t tell which element it was. However, they were certain that they didn''t want to be at the receiving end of it.


    The Feline Buffalo was covered in a brown Earthy energy. Clearly an Earth Elementalist. The energies around the beasts too the same shape as their bodies as they covered them. It was like they were wearing energy armour.


    Though Muku''s group could tell that it was more than just amour. It was also a weapon which was definitely going to be used in the battle to come.


    "Sigh, it seems my weakened state is enough for even little brats like you to think that you stand a chance. However, let me educate you all. No matter how weak I get, you will never stand a chance. For I am out of your league" The plant replied arrogantly.


    For some reason, Muku couldn''t help but imagine it as a lady dressed in green, disdainfully looking at the four beasts like they were worth less than an ant in front of it.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    The four beasts clearly didn''t care about what the plant said as they immediately charged forward. The other three beasts didn''t even bother speaking from start to finish. Clearly, they already knew how it was going to turn out.


    "Fools" The plant had become really chatty since the moment it said its first words.


    As soon as it spoke, vines exploded out from the top of its head and charged in for directions. Each beast was attacked by countless thick vines. The plant monster was around 50 metres tall. An adult Blue Whale is around 30 metres or less. The beasts attacking the plant were between 20 and 15 metres.


    So, the size difference could easily be noticed, along with how absurdly huge the plant was. It was like an adult fighting a toddler. Even if the toddlers were more in number and were technically equal in strength to the adult. The size difference would still play a part.


    If the plant was slow in its reaction, then the four beasts would have the advantage. Unfortunately for the beasts, the plant was way too good at moving its vines around. It did it quickly and accurately in all directions. So it didn''t matter if its actual body was slow. They couldn''t get close enough to attack it.


    They could barely defend themselves against the vines. Their condensed domains were quickly giving in to the lashes. If they didn''t change their tactics, they would likely be defeated soon. All they had been doing since the battle began was jump or fly all over the place trying their best to dodge the vines.


    Clearly, that plan wasn''t working. The plant didn''t even seem to be going all out as it kept on mocking them as they fought. It was a rather frustrating experience for the four beasts. However, it was quite entertaining for Muku''s group. They never knew that there were beasts with such "strong" personalities that could put even the most vulgar humans on notice.


    Soon the beasts gave up on fighting the plant in close combat. They all retreated a distance away and started gathering up power. They were preparing to send out their strongest ranged attacks.


    A humongous pitch-black orb appeared above the tiger. A huge tornado appeared below the eagle. Countless huge rock spears appeared around the feline buffalo.


    Oddly, no visible attacks appeared around the fox. Its aura just got more intense, matching the other beasts. So it was safe to say that it was also preparing some kind of attack.


    "What? Couldn''t get close to me so you thought ranged attacks would be better? Let me show you a bit of my power then" The plant spoke, still as arrogant as ever.


    At this point, even Muku''s group was a bit annoyed by it. Couldn''t it just shut up and focus on the battle like the others? Why did it have to always announce what it was about to do like a third-rate movie villain? Didn''t it know that it was basically setting up death flags for itself?


    However, while they did find it annoying. They hoped it came out on top. While they and it weren''t allies, hearing it being called Earth Guardian and knowing that the other side was invaders was enough for them to support it.


    Anyway, as soon as it spoke. The plant''s body exploded with a green aura. The mana was so strong it blew away everything around it. Raising dust around the area. Its body was completely covered up in the dust.


    The four beasts, however, didn''t wait for the dust to settle. They immediately threw their attacks at it. A tornado, a black orb and countless rock spears flew into the dust.


    What Muku''s group didn''t notice were the hints of purple in all three of the attacks. Which was likely the doing of the Fox. It had the ability to add a buff to the attacks of allies making them stronger. Which was why nothing visible appeared around it when it was preparing to attack. Its power was merging into the attacks of the others.


    BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!....


    One earthshaking boom after another rang out. The attacks were so strong that Muku''s group immediately lost hope in the plant. At the same time, they couldn''t help but feel that it deserved it for not fighting seriously from the start.


    "Hehe... Nice try" When the four beasts were breathing heavily as they looked at the area covered in dust and smoke. A voice that made them feel even weaker than they already did rang out.


    BOOM!


    Another boom immediately rang out. However, it was a different kind of boom. It wasn''t an attack. It was the result of the plant forcefully blowing the dust and smoke away with its aura.


    As soon as the dust cleared, everyone''s eyes widened in surprise. Whether it be the four beasts or Muku''s group. That was because the play they were seeing was no longer the plant from before.


    While the colour was still the same. Everything else was different. Instead of a giant Venus Fly Trap. In its place stood a giant green Humanoid Lady?


    The scene was so bizarre that no one knew what to make of it. They even forgot how to breathe as they looked on.


    "What? Is my true form too beautiful for you?" The plant... Woman spoke teasingly. It was clearly enjoying how surprised everyone looked. Also, unlike before, its mouth moved correspondingly as it spoke.

 Chapter 149: Show of strength!

    "Impossible! The current world''s mana level shouldn''t be able to support your true form!" One of the beasts shouted in shock.


    It was the Fox and not the Tiger that shouted. The Plant Lady''s transformation must have shocked it too much to the point that it couldn''t stay silent anymore.


    How could it not break character when the only reason they dared to fight the Plant was because it shouldn''t have been able to take its true form. So the realisation of the real danger of likely dying they were in made it unable to keep its cool.


    While the Plant Lady had gotten smaller after transformation. With a new height of around 25 metres. Only a little bit taller than the four beasts. They felt a lot more pressure from its new form compared to its previous form.


    In fact, the pressure they felt at that moment had multiplied by at least ten times. Which was about equal to the increase in power the Plant Lady got. They were struggling to fight it before, so one could imagine how much harder the battle would get for them.


    "Hehe. Sorry little fox, but I''m a little bit different from most. Now die," The Plant Lady spoke. As soon as its words fell, the ground beneath all the four beasts exploded. Thicker vines than before came out from beneath the ground.


    The vines were so quick that three of the four beasts were instantly ensnared. Only the green eagle, which had been flying around in the air, managed to briefly get away. However, within seconds, it too was captured.


    Just one move from the Plant Lady clearly displayed the difference in strength between the two sides. The four beasts tried to struggle as their condensed domains protected their bodies. Unfortunately, the defence didn''t last long, as the thick vines soon broke through their domains.


    "You fiend! We''ll show you! We refuse to go down without a fight! ROOOOOOAR!" The tiger shouted as it and the other three released their domains.


    The condensed state wasn''t helping. So they thought they might as well release the basic form. Which was pretty much submerging the surrounding kilometre with their elemental power. The purpose of it was to restrain the opponent''s elemental power while boosting theirs. On top of that, the domain in itself would constantly attack the enemy.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The four released their domains at once. While there would be a clash since they had different elements. They didn''t mind at the moment. All they cared about was doing as much damage to the Plant Lady as possible.


    So, the whole area was covered in a mix of strong winds that cut everything in their path. Followed by a pitch-black smog-like substance that eroded and ate away at anything it touched. On top of that the ground was shaking and cracking, rocks flying all over the place that mixed together with the wind tornados that had formed. Supporting it all was a purple energy that was making everything else stronger and more chaotic.


    Muku''s group could barely see what was going on at that point. They also felt fortunate that they were more than two kilometres away or they would have suffered if they were closer. Luckily they had considered how a kilometre or so wasn''t too much distance for such big creatures, or things really would have gone south for them.


    With such an apocalyptic-like scene happening before their eyes. Changing the landscape, they thought that the Plant Lady was definitely having a hard time, at least. After all, even the ones who deployed the domains. The four beasts were also getting gravely injured by what they ignited. It had long gone out of their control.


    "Honestly..." In the chaos. A calm voice that shocked everyone was heard.


    BOOM!


    A familiar scene of everything being blown away occurred. However, at that time, it was a lot more shocking.


    After all, the difference between the two acts was like slapping an ostrich away. Which was mildly impressive. Compared to slapping away a T-Rex. Which wasn''t just impressive, it was absurd.


    To weak beings like Muku and the girls. What the Plant Lady did was no different to blowing away the apocalypse. After all, there was no way, even with their various abilities. Would they have been able to get out of such a situation? Let alone so easily.


    "I was so planning on keeping you all alive for a little longer so that you could provide me with a little information. Sadly, you all are too eager to die," The Plant Lady spoke in an annoyed voice.


    She had clearly gotten over the pointless struggle of the four beasts. Just like how a human would be annoyed if an ant they casually squashed until it was half-dead still came for round two.


    Green energy replaced the scene from before on the ruined earth. The sight of it made the four beasts fall deeper into the pits of despair. The reason is that it was actually the initial state of a domain. It was literally the thing that those starting out their domain training could summon.


    In other words, the Plant Lady didn''t even need to deploy a full barrier to defeat them. It was also the ultimate humiliation, for them to put everything into that attack to receive such a response. However, they didn''t care about the humiliation at that moment. After all, it was at that moment they realised that they were definitely not going to make it out of the situation alive.


    "Wait! We''re sorry! Please have me... Rooooar!" The tiger immediately changed its tune. Its initial arrogance was completely gone. All that was left was a beast that was willing to do anything to keep its life as it immediately begged.


    Its comrades didn''t look down on it; in fact, it was quite the opposite. They hoped that the Plant Lady listened to its plea so that they would be saved.


    However, their hopes were quickly dashed as the tiger was squashed, strangled and broken into pieces by the vines before it could finish speaking. Clearly, the Plant Lady wasn''t in a forgiving mood.


    The three froze for a second as they watched their comrade get instantly killed like that. While they weren''t the best of friends and pretty much only knew of the others'' existence before that day without any real interaction. At that moment, they really felt for the tiger. The reason was that they knew that they were looking at their immediate future.


    After that momentary freeze, the three immediately started struggling to free themselves from the vines. They were doing it so intensely that one would think that their lives depended on it... Oh, wait.


    "Useless..." The Plant Lady, who had become no different to a death god to everyone present, spoke. As her words fell, the three beasts were all killed at once. Their bodies having been squeezed to pieces like the tiger before them. The ending was so anticlimactic compared to how they were when they made their appearance.


    "Oops! I probably shouldn''t have done that," The Plant Lady, who had started calming down after the battle, spoke to herself in a low voice.


    As if waiting for her to acknowledge her mistake. The sky above her immediately darkened after she spoke. An oppressive aura then descended directly onto her body. Surprisingly, the absurdly strong Plant-Lady that had made quick work of four peak Half-step R4s was easily pushed to the ground by the aura.


    It created a deep imprint on the already ruined earth. Luckily, it has moved away from the hole or it might have fallen back into it.


    "YOU DARE NOT ONLY EMERGE BEFORE IT WAS TIME. YOU ALSO DARED TO KILL FOUR OF THE CURRENT OVERLORDS?" A deep voice full of anger spoke from the sky above.


    The language it used was the same as the plant and the beasts. A language that everyone understood even if they didn''t speak it or even know about for that matter.


    "I... I didn''t wa-ke up on my o-wn. A-as for the wea_klings. It was self-defence" The Plant Lady struggled to speak as it defended its actions to whoever the voice belonged to.


    "SILENCE! THE REASON DOES NOT MATTER! YOU BROKE THE RULES. FOR THAT YOU MUST DIE!" The voice replied in an unmoved tone, still angry. Clearly, the owner didn''t care about the reasons; all it cared about was dishing out punishment.


    "No! I refuse! I never agreed to any rules and by cowards like you!" The Plant Lady spoke in a defiant voice as her eyes looked into the distance. In them, Muku''s group was being reflected.


    However, they didn''t seem to stop there; they were looking even further behind Muku''s group. She was looking at the mansion. More specifically, at Freya who was standing just outside the gate with Audrey and Elsa.


    BOOM!


    Before the voice could reply, her body exploded into green energy that quickly flew into the distance. The energy reached Freya within a split second.


    Before anyone could react, it slammed into her and disappeared into her body. Freya''s body was pushed back by the force and hit the gate behind her with a bang. By the time she fell to the ground, she was already unconscious.


    "AHH!"


    The scene was so bizarre to the point that Elsa let out a shriek in terror.

 Chapter 150: Possession!

    "YOU DARE! I WILL MAKE YOU REGRET THAT ONE DAY YOU ROGUE FAIRY!" The voice boomed, even angrier than before.


    However, for some reason, it didn''t do anything after that. The sky immediately cleared and the otherworldly aura that only affected the Plant Lady also vanished.


    Muku and the girls looked at each other for a moment then they sprinted forward. There was no way they were going to let such good meat go to waste. That''s right, they were targeting the beast meat from the four beasts that were killed by the Plant Lady.


    They didn''t completely catch what had happened with the Plant Lady. All they understood was that she had somehow escaped. Also, the voice owner had left. They didn''t know what had happened with Freya back at the base. So they weren''t in a rush to return.


    At that moment, their priority was to gather up the beast meat and quickly leave the scene. After all, who knows if another Rank Three would show up soon. While they could have just left without touching anything. To minimize the danger against themselves. They refused to let go of such a rare opportunity to get free R3 beast meat.


    As for how they were going to store all of it? They weren''t, they were just going to take as much as Layla''s Shadow Pocket could take. They would also search for search for beast cores.


    Jade''s ability to detect them wasn''t working for some reason. She could tell whether there was anything or not by just glancing at the beast''s corpse before. When there was something, there was a special feeling she would feel. When there wasn''t, there was also a feeling for it. She was getting neither of them when she looked at the corpses.


    The group figured that it might be because the beasts were of a higher rank compared to hers. Or maybe because of all the chaotic energy that had been mixed into the air of the area that was messing with her senses. Maybe it was both. The reason didn''t matter. The fact of the matter was that they had to do it manually for the first time ever.


    As for why they ran forward, it was to quickly get things done. They had seen so much and learned so much in that area to the point that they were tired and a little scared. So they wanted to quickly get over with and leave.


    They immediately began working. For a few minutes, they toiled away. It was really hard for them to cut up the hard bodies of the beasts. Thankfully, their hard work paid off, and they soon filled up Layla''s Shadow Pocket with 500 hundred kilogrammes of meat. Which was the maximum it could take.


    While they did feel sad that they couldn''t take all the meat, the sadness was reduced by the fact that they found four cores. That''s right, all the beasts had cores. It seemed that from Rank Three, most beasts, or maybe all had cores. They weren''t sure yet. They''d have to study the matter further after they rank up.


    After getting all they could they didn''t stick around. They immediately went back to the mansion. Where they were greeted by a weird scene the moment they arrived.


    ....


    Soon after Muku''s group left a new figure arrived at the battle scene. It didn''t just arrive out of nowhere. It first started lightly snowing out of nowhere. Then, the snow got more and more intense until the visibility of the area was almost completely blocked by the heavy snow.


    Oddly though, the snow avoided the bodies of the four beasts. Which made it easy to tell that what was going on wasn''t a natural occurrence. One could argue that it was a sudden snowstorm in spring, so it was easy to tell that it wasn''t natural.


    However, on the contrary, the weather in the apocalypse was all over the place in some areas for various reasons. So a sudden snowstorm wouldn''t be seen as strange by most people. Seasons had been long killed off by the apocalypse. Mother Nature just did what she wanted when she wanted in the apocalypse.


    Anyway, soon a giant wolf around 15 metres appeared. Its blue eyes cautiously look around the place. It was ready to run if anything went wrong. It had noticed the bodies of the four beasts that were stronger than it which were missing some parts and were in pieces. So being extremely cautious was understandable.


    "Sigh... This is why I didn''t join these fools. It''s stupid to challenge a Rank Nine Fairy just because she has been weakened to your level. It seemed something else happened as well... Whatever, not my problem. I''ll gladly accept this free meal and be on my way" The wolf spoke to itself in a young and calm male voice.


    Then without delay, it started gulping down on the meat of the four beasts. As for the missing meat and beast cores? It didn''t care. It couldn''t use the cores, and the meat was free, so why feel angry about some being missing?


    The wolf''s stomach was like a black hole as it kept on eating and eating nonstop. It only stopped after all the meat was gone. All that was left were four piles of bones stripped away of all their meat.


    Its aura was also visibly different from how it was when it first began eating. It had increased by around half of its strength when it arrived. The ability to grow stronger by just eating was something all beasts had. However, beasts like the wolf with stronger bloodlines got a lot more returns than normal beasts when they ate.


    ....


    Back at the mansion...


    While the wolf they narrowly escaped getting eaten by was busy with its meal. Muku''s group was also facing an issue of their own.


    That issue was Freya. Or more specifically the Plant Lady. The thing was that when they arrived, Freya was already up. However, she was no longer herself.


    Her eyes had changed from their usual colour, whichever that was. To a seduction green different from Jade''s fierce green. Even the way she carried herself changed. Before, she always had an air of timidity around her. However, that was gone. She was now releasing nothing but a confident aura.


    That''s right, she had been possessed. The Plant Lady had invaded her body to escape punishment and immediately took over upon arrival.


    By the time Muku and the girls arrived. She was lying lazily on a couch in the house. It was quite amazing how easily she got used to her situation. It was almost like she wasn''t the one who had almost gotten herself killed before and fled after destroying her body.


    "Hello, little boy. You must be the leader of this special group of girls here. Or is it your harem? Fufufu... How bold of you. Only a rank two but already starting a harem. Then again, I do like a man who knows what he wants" The Plant Lady in Freya immediately stood up and walked toward Muku as soon as he entered the room.


    By the time she finished speaking, she was playfully brushing his face with her hand. Muku and the others were so shocked that none reacted. Whether it be Muku''s group that has just arrived or Audrey and Elsa who had been with Freya from the start. None understood what was going on.


    "Audrey... What''s going on?" Muku didn''t bother trying to talk to Freya who seemed to have lost it. He immediately asked his right hand what was happening.


    Audrey, who seemed to have been waiting to be asked what was going on, immediately told him everything. She didn''t skip even the littlest of details. She spoke so quickly that she didn''t even get a chance to breathe until she was done.


    "So that''s what happened..." That''s all Muku managed to say. The expressions on his and the girl behind him''s faces immediately darkened.


    How could they not get what was happening? It was so obvious. The Plant Lady, who they thought had fled into the distance, had actually fled into their teammate!


    What were they supposed to do in such a situation? The memory of how the four beasts were easily bodied by her was still fresh in their minds. So a forceful approach was definitely out of the picture. Trying such a thing would simply be seeking a horrible death. The Plant Lady was definitely not a nice character after all.


    "Greetings, Senior Plant Lady, yes, I am the leader. What do I have to do for you to leave my teammate''s body? I''m willing to let you take over my body instead" Muku didn''t waste time. He acknowledged the Plant Lady''s existence and her words but ignored the harem part, he didn''t want to dive into such murky waters at the moment.


    Without delay, he went to the point. Which was asking what she wanted for her to leave Freya''s body. He couldn''t bear to see Freya be possessed like that. Especially when he had promised the girl safety, so for her to get possessed on her first day was... Well, it was bad and super unlucky for both of them.


    "No!" "No!".....


    Multiple voices protested the moment he offered himself. None of them were willing to let him do that.


    Hearing him and seeing the reaction of the girls. The Plant Lady smiled mischievously. She was clearly enjoying the situation...


    She then opened her mouth about to speak but someone else beat her to it...

 Chapter 151 151: Lady Iris

    "No! Take me! I''m sure my body would be more to your liking than a man" Hope shouted while stepping in front of Muku.


    "No! Me!" Then Chloe stepped in front of her.


    Then Layla in front of her, then Audrey after that. Emily followed after that. She had wanted to step in sooner, even before Muku spoke, but everything happened too quickly for her to keep up.


    The group ended up making a queue of people screaming about why they should be the ones getting possessed over the others. It was a rather comical scene that the Plant Lady couldn''t help but enjoy.


    Suddenly everyone paused and looked in the same direction. There, Jade and Elsa stood while silently looking on. The two showed no sign of stepping up like the others before them.


    "What?" Jade was prompted to speak by the stares.


    "Why didn''t you two step up?" Emily asked in a slightly annoyed voice. The two had "betrayed" her before and now were just looking as if she was campaigning to get possessed.


    "Simple really. I don''t want to get possessed. Not to mention that you all seem very eager to get possessed anyway. So, I wouldn''t want to get in your way" Jade spoke calmly as if she was saying the most logical thing ever.


    Though honestly, she was. What sane person would campaign to get possessed? She was willing to fight it out with the Plant Lady if it came to that, even if it was hopeless. However, she wasn''t willing to get possessed. Being in control of her body was one of her favourite things, so... It was out of her hands, really.


    Jade''s words made everyone speechless. The Plant Lady couldn''t control herself as she started laughing amusedly. She liked the group of brats more and more. They were such an interesting and funny group.


    "Umm, I''m already possessed by a water fairy, so... It wouldn''t make sense for me to get possessed again when you all are free right?" Just when the group was trying to recover from Jade''s words. Elsa said her reason and they were stunned again.


    It was for the same reason they got stunned by Jade''s reasoning. They couldn''t argue against it since it sounded logical. Even if Elsa spoke in a way that made it seem like her having a water fairy instead of them was a great sacrifice.


    Which wasn''t true at all, since it was nothing but beneficial to her. It did make sense for her to say that she couldn''t house another being in her body.


    However, that wasn''t the point. What Emily cared about was whether they''d have her back or not. Which they clearly didn''t. To even give reasonable excuses as to why they''d let her get possessed... The nerve of the two!


    "You two are really determined to go against me in recent history aren''t you?" Emily spoke with a dark expression while looking at her best friend and little sister.


    She was even worried that they''d actively sacrifice her if the situation required it. After all, she couldn''t understand their recent behaviour. Of course, she was just overthinking it. She had gotten used to them being always behind her, supporting her. So the sudden change caught her off guard.


    "Wait... Elsa, what do you mean by fairy?" Muku interrupted Emily''s rant as she was going off-topic. He caught something from Elsa''s statement that piqued his interest.


    He had heard the voice say fairy before, but he thought that he might have heard wrong. After all, the way the Plant Lady looked before the transformation had nothing to do with a fairy. Also how her humanoid form didn''t have fairy wings like Elsa''s Water Fairy made it hard to believe.


    So hearing Elsa say it so confidently, he had to ask. As for what he''d do after gaining the information, he wasn''t sure yet. He just thought it might be useful in some way.


    "Yeah... She''s a fairy. Can''t you all sense it in her aura?" Elsa replied, a little confused as to why he''d ask such an obvious thing. Though she quickly realised that it might have been an exclusive ability to her she gained from her fairy.


    She could tell that it was a fairy that had invaded Freya''s body. Which she realised soon after calming down. It was also part of the reason why she was so calm in the current situation. That was because she knew something about fairies that inhabited people''s bodies. Which gave her the confidence to be calm.


    "Fufufu... While I''d like to know where you''re going to go with your story. I can''t help but feel like you''re all starting to go off course. It''s like I''m getting invisible to you." The Plant Lady interrupted. She couldn''t stay quiet anymore.


    "Anyway, let me get to the point. While I feel honoured that you all are willing to offer yourselves to me. Unfortunately, only this body can house me. The owner''s neutral element barely lets me enter. The ideal host would have been a Plant-type, sadly... The point is, you all have specific elements, so only fairies of such elements can inhabit your bodies" The Plant Lady continued speaking, educating them a bit.


    "Now let me get to the point. From now on, you all are under my command. You do whatever I tell you with no questions asked. That way, we can all be happy and no one has to die. I promise that I won''t treat you too badly. I like how you all are united... Mostly anyway. Oh, and don''t call me Plant Lady, it sounds tacky, Fairy Lady would have been better. However, just call me Lady Iris instead" The Plant Lady... Or Iris rather, quickly moved to her demands.


    She spoke in a tone that didn''t leave room for discussion. In her head, it really wasn''t something that required discussion as little Rank Twos and ones like them should feel honoured to serve someone as great as she was.


    However, the expressions of everyone present darkened as soon as they heard her words. It was the worst-case scenario they didn''t want to occur. What would be the point of living if they had to spend their days as someone else''s slaves?


    "Can''t we discuss it? Such an arrangement seems a bit excessive. I''m sure someone of your status wouldn''t want weak servants like us right? We can barely go outside without getting killed" Muku hardened his face and tried to negotiate.


    If he was alone, he would have immediately fought her with everything he had. Even if he died soon after. He wouldn''t mind. Living as someone''s slave wasn''t something he was willing to do, period.


    However, like always, he had to consider the girls. He didn''t want them to die. They mattered more to him than his pride. His care for them couldn''t be called a drawback though. After all, that''s just how caring for someone worked. Being considerate of them is a must.


    Which was why he asked for an alternative from Iris. Maybe they''d be lucky and there was something she wanted instead of enslaving them.


    "Well, there is one thing..." Iris spoke with her hand on her chin, seemingly in thought. Considering how pretty Freya was, the action looked quite cute. Unfortunately, Muku wasn''t in the mood to enjoy it.


    "Yes! Please! What is it?!" Muku asked, practically shouting. That''s how desperate he was.


    "Woah! No need to be so loud. I''m still speaking... Anyway, if you can get me, let''s say, a hundred Rank Three beast cores or twenty-five Rank Four cores, I''m willing to let you go free" Iris first shut down Muku''s rashness, then told them what she wanted.


    Her request was so absurd for the current them that they were left speechless. They couldn''t even kill a peak Half-step R3 beast yet. So, going after a legit R3 or even a R4 was out of the picture. Hell, they didn''t think that their current world even had R4s yet!


    She was clearly setting them up to fail. They could easily tell that she had no plan to let them go. Besides, with her strength wouldn''t she be able to do that herself if she wanted to?


    "Hehe" Suddenly, out of nowhere Elsa let out a little laugh. It was the laugh one lets out when they try to stop themselves from laughing but fail.


    "What are you laughing at brat?" Iris immediately spoke while looking at Elsa with narrowed eyes. Her aura even suggested that if Elsa said something she didn''t like, she would attack.


    "No! Please, she''s just a little girl who doesn''t know any better. Just ignore her" Emily immediately stepped up in front of Elsa as she tried to defend her sister. Even if they were having some issues recently, that wouldn''t stop her from protecting Elsa.


    As Emily spoke, Jade came beside her. Though, unlike Emily''s submissive attitude, Jade seemed like she was ready to throw hands the moment Iris tried something against Elsa.


    Seeing this, Emily and the others were alarmed and she was immediately dragged back behind the others. The girl really didn''t know the difference between heaven and earth. Was she trying to get herself killed?! While casually bringing them along with her??


    "Okay, I''ll forgive her this once. Make sure it doesn''t happen again" Iris spoke in her superior tone.


    While it wasn''t nice to hear. They all breathed a sigh of relief knowing that she wasn''t going to attack.


    "Thank you!" Emily immediately thanked her.


    "There''s no need for that sis. She isn''t what she seems. It''s just her aura that''s left, otherwise all her strength is basically gone" Elsa dropped a bomb that shocked everyone in the room.


    The tension immediately reached its highest peak. The room was silent as Iris and Muku''s group stared down at each other.


    The next step unknown...

 Chapter 152 152: Little "Chat"

    "Explain" Muku only spoke one word. Which he was directing at Elsa. However, his eyes didn''t stray from Iris.


    "Don''t you dare!" Iris snapped at Elsa before she could respond.


    "A fairy loses all their prior strength when they bond to a human" Elsa who wasn''t scared of Iris, ignored the warning as she spilled the beans.


    "What about Freya?" While he did feel better that they weren''t in a life-threatening situation like they thought. Muku didn''t immediately make a move against Iris.


    Not because he was afraid of her possibly still having her powers. Rather, it was because he was worried that she could still do something to Freya. So even if they were safe, Freya might still be in danger.


    As for why he believed Elsa so easily. It was because they had observed Iris for a while as she battled the beats. He noticed that while she was a chatterbox, she preferred the action of words when it mattered. If she had the strength, she probably would have killed one or two of them to make the rest obey.


    She wouldn''t have let Elsa speak so freely. She wouldn''t have been so forgiving and stopped at verbal warnings. Not to mention that, while Freya''s aura had improved after the possession. It wasn''t by a large margin. At best, she was now stronger than Elsa but still far from Rank Two strength.


    As for why he and the others ignored it earlier. They thought that maybe it was her test for them, to see whether they''d attack. If they did, she would then murder a few to instil fear in the rest.


    However, after Elsa''s words, everything seemed a lot more clear. Not to mention Iris'' confident expression that had already started cracking.


    "She''s fine. Her soul probably just got overwhelmed by the sudden intrusion, which made her pass out. That''s the only reason why Iris here is the one controlling her body. A fairy can''t take over a human''s body. So as soon as Freya comes to... Her body will return to her control, and Iris will be kicked to the back" Elsa explained everything.


    Much to the dismay of Iris. Who didn''t know what she could do to get out of the? Could she even escape from R2s as a R1 that wasn''t even a physical type?


    "Oh! And, she also can''t leave as easily as she came in. For that, Freya has to be willing to let her go. Otherwise, she''s stuck in there forever. At this point, this is actually beneficial to Freya as she will gain plant manipulation from Iris. Of course, since she didn''t originally have a plant element, her manipulation won''t be anywhere as strong as Pseudo-Legendary, but it could reach Rare Level" Elsa continued speaking after a little break.


    She said basically all the information she was getting from the bond with her fairy. Apparently, even newborn fairies like hers had such information in their minds. So her being bonded to the fairy at a soul level gave her access to the information. However, it seemed to only be accessible in certain situations like the current one.


    "Oh... Is that so? Doesn''t that mean she''s been playing us for fools all this time?" Muku commented calmly after Elsa finished speaking. He even had a smile on his face but to Iris, his smile looked like the scariest thing in the world.


    At that moment, only one thing came to her mind. That was one simple word. A word she never thought she''d think of ever again after getting strong enough. That word was, "Run!".


    She didn''t think about anything else after that. She simply followed her thoughts and made a break for it. She basically flew towards the door at her fastest speed. Which was pretty significant considering that Freya was a Peak R1 Evolver. Such beings were a lot better in every way compared to even Olympic athletes. Even if they weren''t physical types, they could easily fold the greatest of athletes.


    So it was understandable that within a second or two, she was already at the door. The door was closed. She didn''t have the time to stop and open it. So she chose the next best thing. She closed her eyes as she ran forward, bracing for impact. She was going to break through it.


    However, for some reason, after closing her eyes. She felt a lot lighter as she ran forward. The impact she was expecting when she came into contact with the door also didn''t come. She was so confused that she immediately opened her eyes.


    She was instantly startled. The reason being that she was floating just slightly above the ground. Her feet hit the ground softly, and she wasn''t going anywhere. At that moment, the door seemed so close and yet so far at the same time. Her hope for escape was crushed on the spot and she sank into the pits of despair.


    She had realised what power was keeping her in place. It was a rare paper she had only come across once before and didn''t want to come across again... Telekinesis.


    The last time she was luckily not the target. So she just observed from a distance as someone she feared was bullied by its user. While she was happy that her enemy was getting brutalized at the time. She hoped to never be at the receiving end of it until her death.


    Unfortunately, it seemed fate had other plans. There she was, ensnared by Telekinesis, and she could not escape. She was powerless to do anything.


    "Hehe, why are you so quick to leave now? Don''t you want us as your servants anymore"? Muku spoke as he slowly walked toward the helpless Iris.


    She had almost brought him to the brink. For that, she had to pay. His brain worked in overdrive just because of her bluff.


    "You can''t do anything to me! I''m in the body of your comrade. So hurting me is no different from hurting her. In fact, I''d say you''d be hurting her more than me since this is her body" Iris immediately started speaking whatever came to her mind as she tried to spare herself from a beating.


    As she was the one in control at the time. The pain Freya''s body felt would be hers to handle. Which wasn''t something she wanted to go through since she wasn''t good at dealing with pain. She had been injured so few times in a significant way to the point that she had long forgotten what real pain felt like. All she could remember was that she didn''t want to go through a painful experience.


    "Umm, since she''s in control of the body right now. All the pain would be felt by her and not Freya''s consciousness" Elsa, who was like the devil to Iris at that point, spoke. Her words got rid of the last hesitation Muku had in dealing with Iris.


    While he wouldn''t do anything that would harm Freya''s body. He had a way of punishing Iris without hurting Freya... Too much. So, he smiled while looking at Iris whom he had turned around to face them.


    Seeing his smile, she felt a chill go down her smile. At the same time, she couldn''t help but wonder if humans were always so scary or if she unluckily provoked a psycho. She would soon get the answer to that question, however...


    "Everyone, if you''ll excuse me. Me and Lady Iris here need to have a private chat" Muku spoke to the girls while cracking his fingers. He then walked upstairs as Iris floated behind him.


    Everyone could tell that he was really pissed off, so none said anything to stop him. Most of them knew what the "chat" was going to be. They felt that Iris deserved at least that for scaring them like that.


    However, Jade, as a pioneer of the "chat", couldn''t help but touch her behind. She could still clearly remember the chats. For that, she was the only one who felt a little pity for Iris. However, she mostly felt pleased to gain a comrade who would also have some "chat" experience.


    ...


    In Muku''s room...


    "Now, let''s have that chat shall we?" Muku spoke after sitting on the bed and setting Iris up for the "chat".


    "No, please don''t! It''s not even my fault that I''m here. You all are the ones that invaded my home and woke me up. Yet now you want to punish me for doing what I did as a result of your actions?" Iris tried to defend herself through logic.


    Honestly, she was making a lot of sense. If it wasn''t because of Muku and the girls who attacked her first. She would still be underground, lying dormant. They basically ruined her life if one thought about it. Their actions almost got her killed.


    Also, it wasn''t like she had done anything significant to them that warranted some deep resentment. So instead of punishing her, shouldn''t they be talking it out instead? Aren''t humans supposed to be reasonable?


    "Hhm... You do have a point. However, I''m the stronger party right now. So what I say goes, and I say take this..." Muku understood where she was coming from. However, that didn''t mean that he would be willing to listen.


    He didn''t delay his punishment anymore as he immediately hit her butt after saying "this".


    Pat!


    "Ah!" You monster! What are you doing?! It hurts so bad!" Iris screamed as she felt her whole body lose all its strength from the pain of the strong hand to the butt.


    However, Muku didn''t stop. He kept on doing it until Iris'' cries filled the room. Everyone would have heard them had Freya''s ability not mostly soundproofed the mansion.


    While punishment was a major part of what was happening. It would be a lie to say that Muku wasn''t getting some personal satisfaction from the experience. After all, what man wouldn''t like... Anyway, soon he was done and Iris felt nothing but numbness in her butt. Which was understandable after ten minutes of getting spanked hard.


    She had never felt such pain and humiliation before. If possible, she wanted to get revenge on him someday. Though remembering her situation, she didn''t hold much hope. She was quite pragmatic after all.


    "You bastard. I''ll make you pay someday..." Iris spoke in a low and hoarse voice from all the shouting and screaming. She then went silent.


    Muku didn''t think much of it until something unexpected happened.


    "Where am I? What''s going on? And why does my Ah!... Huh? Ahhhhh!" Freya suddenly regained her consciousness and control over her body.


    He immediately noticed her weird position, in an unfamiliar room. Then she felt pain from her butt she has never felt before. Just as she moved her hand to touch it, she touched a male hand resting on her butt instead.


    She then looked back, her eyes met Muku''s. She was startled and so she screamed.


    Seeing the situation, Muku couldn''t help but feel a headache come on. How was he going to explain it to her?

 Chapter 153: Hello! Im Freya!

    "Hey! Would you believe me if I said that this was a misunderstanding and there''s a very reasonable explanation for it?" Muku spoke before Freya could say or do anything.


    He didn''t want a situation where she would run out of the room crying while grabbing her butt. So he spoke quickly before it came to all that.


    Surprisingly, as well as fortunately for him. After the initial shock, Freya didn''t seem too shaken by the situation. She even nodded to what he said while looking at him. Which was basically an indirect way of saying, "Go ahead, speak. I''m listening"


    "Wait... You believe me?" Muku couldn''t help but ask. He wasn''t expecting her to be so cooperative.


    After speaking through, he mentally kicked himself. Did he want her to runway instead? Wasn''t this the best result? Why would he ask something so dumb?


    "Well... Why wouldn''t I believe you? I mean, I don''t know how I got here, and there was no reason for me to faint. I also vaguely remember a green shadow smashing into me. You weren''t there when it happened, so you couldn''t have been the perpetrator. Plus I''m certain that you wouldn''t do something improper to me. Even if you did want to do such a thing, there would be no reason to knock me out first. You could easily take me there and t..." Freya who wasn''t able to read that Muku had only asked the question subconsciously, replied.


    Maybe because she was still not completely awake. She was a bit too honest without holding back at all. Muku had to stop her at the end as her words were getting a bit too graphic.


    "Okay! Stop, I get what you mean" Muku exclaimed as he cut off Freya.


    He then proceeded to tell her everything that had happened. Iris'' name appears quite a lot in his explanation. Which was understandable since she was the main character of the situation.


    "Oh... So the bottom line is I now have a hostile and possibly ancient fairy inhabiting my body?" Freya asked. At that point, her mind had completely cleared up. How could it not be, after everything she was told?


    "Yes..." Muku only said one word. He wasn''t sure what to say other than that.


    "It''s not too bad since I get plant manipulation, which I assume will make me a bit more useful in fights now. Also, since she can''t harm me in any way. I practically benefited after putting in zero effort" Freya continued speaking.


    She was even getting a little excited at the end. She had been secretly feeling insecure about her inability to help much in battle. She could tell that while she and Elsa were technically equal in strength, she was nothing in front of the little girl if they had to fight. Now, however, while she probably would still be beaten up, she would at least be able to land a blow or two.


    "Yes, definitely. It''s basically a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" Muku fed her enthusiasm, hoping that she would quickly forget about what she woke up to.


    "Yeah... Can I get up now? Something is poking my stomach..." Out of nowhere, Freya mentioned their awkward position.


    Muku had started explaining before she could get up. After he started she couldn''t find the right time to get up. So she just awkwardly stayed there doing her best to hide the awkwardness.


    While she really wanted to hear what he was saying and she was paying almost all her attention to it. She still couldn''t ignore the constant poking her stomach was facing. It was part of the reason why she sobered up so quickly.


    Wanting to mitigate the awkwardness, she chose a random moment to mention it. Unfortunately, it didn''t work. The awkward atmosphere immediately thickened in the room.


    "S..sure" Muku replied robotically. He didn''t know how to react or what to say. He practically froze up and could barely move his mouth. He couldn''t help but wonder how he always found himself in such situations. Was that really the kind of main character the author wanted him to be?


    "Ummm... Your hand..." Freya hesitantly spoke.


    Her words immediately brought Muku''s attention to his hand. The very hand he had used to spank Iris/Freya with. The hand that was resting on Freya''s butt at the moment. The hand he didn''t remember when he put it there. The hand that was even moving back and forth on Freya''s butt as he looked at it. The hand that had been actively stopping Freya from getting off his legs.


    "Oh shi... I''m sorry about that! I don''t know what''s wrong with me"


    Whoosh!


    "It''s fine!" The moment Muku moved his hand away. Freya got up at her fastest speed and ran for the door. She only spoke after opening it and ran out.


    "Go see Hope and get healed up!" Muku shouted in Freya''s direction as he stood by his door.


    He wanted to go after her. However, his 9-inch pitched tent wouldn''t let him leave the room for a while. So she could only shout and hope that she heard him.


    "Okay!" Luckily, Freya heard him and she responded. She didn''t slow down her speed, however. Even if running hurt like hell for her butt, she didn''t stop.


    After passing everyone by. She ran out of the mansion from the back door. However, she still knew her limits, so she didn''t go outside the gate. She ran to the large tree that stood at the back.


    "Ahhhhh!" Freya shouted to vent her embarrassment. She covered her mouth to muffle the sound. What she didn''t know was that almost all the group members had at least one embarrassing moment with Muku. So, in a way, she was now officially part of the group.


    The girls looked on from a distance. With how Freya was behaving and how Muku let her go. They realised that Freya had woken up and reclaimed control from Iris. With how she was behaving, they could also tell that she woke up at the wrong time.


    A green glow then appeared on Hope''s hand. She then shot a green beam of light toward Freya. Freya wasn''t even able to sense it before she was hit. Which showed just how different their power levels were.


    "Hhm?" Freya only reacted after when she felt the pain disappeared from her bottom. She immediately looked back and saw Hope holding her hand out from a distance. Beside her were the other girls.


    Emily even waved at her with a rather awkward smile on her face. Immediately she realised that they figured out what happened in Muku''s room.


    "Thank you" Like the well-mannered young lady she was. She immediately thanked Hope. Even though her face was as red as it possibly could be as she did so. Hope nodded in reply.


    Freya then covered her face with her hands afterwards. At that moment, she wished for nothing more than for the world to open up and swallow her. Fortunately, the others realised how embarrassed she felt, so they left.


    {They are gone now. So you can stop covering your face. Like, do you have to be so dramatic? You''re not even the one who had to go through the real experience} A salty voice suddenly spoke inside Freya''s head.


    Which gave the girl a jump scare, she almost had a heart attack. In fact, if she wasn''t an Evolver. She definitely would have had a heart attack.


    {Sigh, I really chose a wimp huh? Not only are you weak, but your mentality is weak as well} The voice spoke again. This time it was more dejected than salty.


    Which showed just how unhappy the owner was with Freya''s seemingly easily spooked personality. Though honestly, the only reason the owner thought like that was because they themselves had never had a voice suddenly speak in their head. After all, it was really easy to judge others based on something you have no experience in.


    Obviously, the voice''s owner was Iris, who found herself seeing life through Freya''s eyes. It was like she was watching a TV while in solitary confinement. So while the thought of being stuck there unless Freya let her out wasn''t inspiring. At least she could see and hear whatever Freya did. Not to mention that she could comment whenever she wanted.


    It seemed Freya couldn''t cut her off. Or at least didn''t know how at the time. So for a while at least, she would be able to annoy her as much as she wanted. Immediately a sadistic idea formed in her mind.


    So what if she couldn''t do anything to Muku? She could at least mentally torture his teammate, right?


    "Woah, that scared me. So it''s just you Ms Iris. Hello! I''m Freya! Your host! While we got together through sheer coincidence. I hope that we can get along from now on okay? What do you think? Are you willing to be my friend?" Freya spoke to the motionless Iris standing in front of her.


    "You! How are you here?!" Iris shouted as she pointed at Freya with a shaky hand. She looked really spooked like she had seen a ghost...

 Chapter 154: Mindscape...

    From ancient times. Long before the recorded history known to Muku''s civilisation.


    It was common knowledge that humans could only gain the ability to enter their mindscape after reaching Rank Four. Yet, there Freya was, standing next to Iris with a big smile on her face.


    "Hhm? What do you mean?" Freya was confused by Iris'' question. She also couldn''t understand the exaggerated reaction of the fairy.


    "You aren''t supposed to have access to this place!" Iris screamed, still shaken by what she was witnessing. She even wondered if she was dreaming or having a nightmare.


    "Well... I don''t know how to answer that. I''ve been able to do this even before the apocalypse. I think I was ten when I first found myself in here" Freya replied, while also trying to explain after catching on to what could have been bothering Iris.


    "Lies! There''s no way that''s true!" Iris screamed as she refused to believe it. Even fairies and beasts needed to be at least Rank Three to gain access to their mindscape. Only a rare few beasts with incredibly powerful bloodlines could access their mindscape at Rank Two or even rarer at one.


    From such statistics, Iris'' reaction became a lot more understandable. The fairy started feeling a bit afraid of Freya even. After all, all sentient beings are afraid of the unknown just like humans.


    Freya''s case, if it were true would be one of the biggest anomalies to ever happen. It was such an odd case that it should have been impossible.


    "While I''m not lying to you. I won''t go out of my way to prove it to you. All that matters is that I''m here. Now, do you want to be friends or not?" Freya didn''t want to keep on discussing what she deemed a boring conversation.


    So she tried to get Iris to forget about it. Which was understandable considering the amount of time she could do it. She also didn''t know what Iris knew. Otherwise, she might have also been spooked by her situation.


    However, in all honesty, Freya''s situation didn''t have any hidden cause to it. She was just that one variant in an established system that almost always exists. At best, she was just a lucky child who got a gift she would eventually get, a lot sooner than she should have.


    It''s not like the mindscape was significant to her in any way at that time anyway. So it was practically a fancy toy that didn''t do anything. She rarely entered the scape in recent years since there was no point to it.


    "Tsk, fine. You really don''t know what an amazing feat you have accomplished. And I don''t want to be your friend. If anything, I want to break your soul and take over your body" Iris spoke after collecting herself a bit.


    She was an ancient being from an era long forgotten by time. So she had experienced quite a few things. For that reason, she could recover quickly.


    After which she made her stance clear to Freya. While she could have faked some friendship and stabbed Freya from the back at some point. She chose to be straightforward with it.


    In her mind, only trash hides their intentions from the opponent. She wasn''t trash, she had accomplished way too much to be such.


    "Oh... Too bad. I had thought that us getting along, considering the situation, would be for the best. However, it seems you don''t want to. I guess I can only do this instead" Freya was disappointed by Iris'' reply, but wasn''t too affected.


    She immediately did something that caught Iris by surprise as she was about to finish speaking.


    Out of nowhere, Iris found herself bound to the ground by heavy chains, unable to move. Her mouth was covered by what seemed to be tape, so she couldn''t speak. Not to mention an invisible pressure that was constantly bearing down on her.


    That''s when it struck her, she was in Freya''s mindscape. Freya had access to that mindscape. Which meant one thing... Freya was the almighty in the mindscape. Anything Freya imagined would happen.


    While the ability couldn''t affect reality and was somewhat the same as daydreaming. It had real consequences for Iris. It meant that if she was willing to face the soul backlash of destroying a bonded fairy. Freya could actually kill her right there and then.


    Or she could just torture her. Which wouldn''t affect Freya in any way. Though it would be no different from hell to Iris.


    Fear immediately crept into Iris'' mind. She had been so confident that while she could irritate Freya. Freya wouldn''t be able to retaliate just a while ago. Yet now, there she was, bound and facing a life-or-death situation.


    She couldn''t help but complain about how her life seemed to become one unlucky event after another recently. It all started the moment Muku''s group broke into her habitat. Or rather, the moment they killed her avatar which exposed the hole.


    Her hatred for Muku, especially after remembering the spanking, increased. It was all his fault that she was suffering so much.


    "Mmmm! Mmmm!..." Noticing how Freya was about to heartlessly leave her like that. Iris tried to scream through the tape that covered her mouth.


    Which, fortunately for her, worked as Freya stopped. The tape also disappeared from her mouth.


    "Yes?" Freya signified for Iris to speak with only one word.


    Using her imagination reminded her of the time she didn''t want to remember. A time when she was younger after discovering her mindscape.


    Just like one can imagine in such a situation when you discover a world in which you can do anything you want. A place where anything you imagine becomes true. The young Freya quickly got addicted.


    It got to a point that she wouldn''t eat all day or even move as she revelled in her imagination. She became a disobedient child who didn''t listen to her parents no matter what they said.


    It became so bad that her parents started fighting because of her. Her mother wanted to be harsher with her, while her father wanted to be more lenient since she was just a child.


    Their fighting escalated until they got a divorce. Of course, it wasn''t the only reason, as there were already some cracks in their relationship before her. So the breakup was inevitable.


    However, the young Freya blamed herself for it. Especially when her mother was later found dead from a drug overdose. She again thought that her mother got into drugs because of her.


    This, again, wasn''t true. In fact, it had been part of the reason why her parents separated since her mother couldn''t get over the habit. Which she had started long before Freya was born.


    She only briefly stopped during Freya''s pregnancy and a few years after. Then she started doing drugs again. Which later led to her death in a lonely one-room apartment. Freya was living with her father at the time since her mother had refused to take her.


    After all, that. Little Freya swore to never enter her mindscape for the rest of her life. That''s when she started turning her life around for the better. She even became a model student at school. Completely wiping her reputation clean.


    It was only later on, when she got older, that she found out about her mother''s issues. Then she realised that she might not have been as to blame as she thought.


    She then started entering the mindscape again. Though for some reason, it was no longer as fun as before. Maybe she has hated it for so long she couldn''t love it in the same way she did before.


    So, she rarely entered it. If it wasn''t because of Iris'' presence, she wouldn''t have entered it so randomly.


    Anyway, that was the reason why she seemed eager to leave before Iris'' actions stopped her. She still didn''t like the scape as it reminded her of a painful time.


    "Can we talk this out? Let''s make a deal" Iris spoke in an unwillingly submissive voice. She had realised that she was the weaker party in the matter.


    "Hhm, sure. Go ahead. Be quick about it, though," Freya replied in a slightly bossy tone. The scape affected her personality a bit, making her a lot less friendly and nice than she was.


    It wouldn''t have been a problem if Iris had been nice from the beginning, however. She was just reacting to the situation.


    "R-right, while still don''t want to be your friend... Wait! Wait! Don''t leave! Let me finish first!. Right, instead of being a friend or enemy. I want to be a partner instead. I don''t know if you already knew about this, but without my say-so, you can''t use my plant element," Iris spoke in a calm and slightly passive tone.


    Her previous confident and flirtatious air was gone. She hated every moment of her new situation, but she knew to do what had to be done.


    "Oh... Is that so? I didn''t know. Okay, what do you propose then?... Just so you know, I''m not selling you my soul. Only fools do that," Freya replied; there was a contemplative look on her face. She was wondering what Iris would ask for.


    Before she was planning to reject whatever Iris suggested. However, the new information changed things. To think she couldn''t use plant magic without Iris'' permission. Though it did make sense if one thought about it. Otherwise, she would have way too much power in the bond.


    "Tsk, I''m not a demon... Anyway, my proposition is that in return for using my power. You''ll let me take over your body for at least eight hours every day" Iris rolled her eyes at being likened to a demon, then moved on to her preposition.


    After saying what she wanted to. She went quiet and gave Freya the chance to reply.


    "... I''ll think about" After a little pause, Freya replied while she stepped through a white door that appeared out of nowhere to leave the mindscape.


    Behind her, Iris was bound again. While the pressure was removed. Her eyes and eyes were also covered. So she could no longer see or hear what was going on outside the mindscape.


    What would come after was a complete mystery to her...

 Chapter 155 155: Her search was over...

    A while later in the lounge...


    Freya had gotten over her embarrassment after the conversation with Iris. She told everyone about the conversation after they had their dinner.


    "Hhm... While there''s no way I''m letting you give up eight hours of your time to her. I think it''s only fair that we give her something in return for allowing you to use her powers. However, let''s not discuss it now. It has been a long day that has spanned too many chapters. So we''ll talk about it tomorrow. Too many things have happened today," Muku spoke after Freya told them everything.


    The girls all agreed they had a really long day. So, discussing such an important matter that required a lot of thinking and consideration would be put on hold. They might not have been too tired physically, but mentally, they were spent.


    And so, everyone said their good nights as they headed off to their rooms. The petty Emily ditched Elsa and went to sleep with Freya.


    Her words before leaving with her pillow to Elsa were, "I refuse to sleep with a snake. Why if you bite me in my sleep. Hhmp!". Then she stormed off.


    Elsa, however, easily saw through her. The real reason Emily left was because she, like the rest of them had noticed that Freya seemed a little down. So Emily didn''t want her to be alone at such a time which could make her feel worse.


    Knowing this, Elsa quietly let her sister go. It was one of the things she loved most about her sister after all. Emily, despite her flaws, was a pure and kind soul that cared a lot about everyone. Especially those around her.


    ...


    In Freya''s room...


    "So, you left your room because you don''t want to sleep with Elsa... And you want to stay here with me?" Freya asked for confirmation after Emily told her the reason why she was at her front door in the middle of the night.


    Her tone when speaking to Emily had significantly gotten a lot more relaxed. Which was understandable after how much Emily had stuck close to her. It was only natural for her to quickly get used to her since the golden-eyed teen was quite charismatic when she wanted to be.


    "Yes," Emily replied with a one-word answer while she nodded her head cutely. Even though Freya wasn''t planning on refusing her. She wasn''t sure if she could refuse such a cute face if she wanted to.


    "Okay fine... But tomorrow, you must reconcile with Elsa, okay?" Freya agreed, she saw no reason to refuse the eager girl.


    "Sure... For now, let''s go sleep" Emily replied with a smile on her face as she walked past Freya, heading for the bed. She then jumped onto it like it was her bed. There was zero respect for something that wasn''t her''s in the way she acted.


    Freya just looked at her with a wry expression on her face. Emily reminded her of the funny videos where one person tells their friend to "feel at home", and then the friend really gets into the role. To the point of even selling the house or kicking out the owner.


    Freya didn''t particularly dislike Emily''s behaviour, however. She actually liked it. It showed that Emily trusted her enough to let her guard down like that.


    She felt a warmness in her heart she hadn''t felt for a long time. That was because, like Elsa, she had also noticed that Emily just wanted to keep her company after noticing her mood.


    It reminded her of her father she hadn''t seen since the apocalypse began. She was attending University when the apocalypse began. Her father should have been at work, so his fate was unknown to her.


    Thinking up to that, her eyes got a bit teary. She wiped away the tears and went to join Emily with a smile on her face. It wasn''t time to think about such things.


    Maybe when she got a bit stronger and contributed something significant to the ground, she could ask for their help in looking for her father.


    What she didn''t know, however, was that even in their current situation. Where she was just a noobie who hadn''t done anything yet. The team would still be willing to assist her. In their minds, just being comrades was enough for them to help. Sadly, she didn''t know that yet.


    Soon she and Emily were in bed. Without her noticing it, Emily got her to talk about herself. In an hour or so, Freya had told Emily about all the significant events in her life. It was like she had found the release she had been looking for even before the apocalypse began. She just wouldn''t stop speaking after she started.


    At the end of it, she couldn''t help but start crying. Remembering everything that had happened in her life up to that point. Be it good or bad, made her quite emotional. Especially when she was unaware of her father''s fate.


    She only managed to stop crying another hour later. Which was only because she had fallen asleep. That too in Emily''s embrace.


    Emily really felt sad for this older sister of hers. While she had also gone through some stuff. At least she had Jade and others from the start. She then got Elsa, too, after a while.


    On the other hand, Freya had basically had to navigate through everything alone since she didn''t have friends before the apocalypse. She only became friends with Lisa a while back. So they hadn''t gotten too close to each other. Which likely had something to do with their bad past as well.


    After hearing everything, Emily promised herself to never let Freya feel alone again. She felt that Freya had been alone long enough. It was time for her happy ending. She then hugged Freya tighter as she also fell asleep.


    And so, like that, the day finally ended... For real this time.


    ....


    The next morning...


    "Okay, there are a lot of issues we need to address before we move on. The first is Freya and Iris'' matter. Without dealing with it, another important issue can''t be dealt with" After they had their breakfast Muku immediately addressed the most important matter.


    "Yeah, I also think that we should deal with that first. So what are the possible solutions to it? Has anyone thought of anything yet?" Emily added to what Muku said.


    Hell, she even took over the conversation. After her talk with Freya the night before. She was more than eager to do anything in her power to make Freya''s life easier.


    The others noticed how she seemed way too enthusiastic. Freya blushed embarrassedly. The way Emily behaved made her seem like the older one, while she seemed to be the little sister. It was worse when she saw the teasing looks the others gave her.


    "You seem to have an idea though. Why not tell us your idea first" Jade spoke before anyone else did as she directed her statement towards Emily.


    She had known Emily long enough to know that she wouldn''t be so enthusiastic if she didn''t have something to say. So she thought to speed up the process.


    "How presumptuous of you... However, I guess I do have something..." Emily replied, she apparently still hadn''t gotten over the previous day as she rebuked Jade a little.


    She then went on to tell everyone about Freya''s mindscape which she had been told about the previous night. Of course, she first got Freya''s permission before telling the others.


    The reason she mentioned it was because Freya was able to completely restrain Iris through it. So, maybe they could use that in their favour when negotiating with Iris.


    "Well... Before we get to the important matter. I have to say, what a wondrous ability you have. It''s like the dream ability for anyone trying to escape reality. I''m rather jealous actually" Muku was the first to comment. He was so amazed by Freya''s ability, he had to pause the important stuff.


    "I agree... I''m jealous as well" Jade joined him.


    Soon everyone expressed their jealousy. The whole team were impressed. While they were superhumans who could do some amazing things in real life. They couldn''t do everything. So having a mindscape would be great... It would be like a virtual world in which they would be gods.


    Elsa was the most salty. After all, she also wanted to interact with her fairy "personally" in her head. Just feeling the little fairy''s mood and feelings wasn''t enough for her. If the fairy could talk, it would have been better. Unfortunately, it couldn''t.


    The only positive point was that she could mostly understand what the fairy wanted to say through their soul link even without speech. Even then, entering into the scape and personally interacting with it would have been better.


    As for why she didn''t just summon it... She was still too weak for such a thing. From how things looked, she could only do so at Rank Two. Which was likely part of why Iris wanted to possess Freya''s body. She knew she couldn''t get out with her real body for a while.


    Freya looked at the group oddly. They weren''t the first people she had told about her ability. Others either didn''t believe her or believed her then called her a freak. Interestingly, those who called her a freak were actually jealous and wanted the ability for themselves. However, she didn''t know that so it hurt her when they said that.


    Anyway, the way Muku and the girls reacted was new. Not only did they easily believe her, they were even looking at her with genuine eyes filled with envy. On top of that, they were admitting it to her face.


    She immediately realised that she had joined a crazy group of people. At the same time, for the first time ever since she got her ability she felt at peace and at home. Even more so than at her father''s house. A beautiful smile appeared on her face as happy tears started flowing out of her eyes.


    She had finally found her place in the world. Her search was over...

 Chapter 156: Discussions

    A rowdy while later...


    "Okay, we''ve fooled around long enough. Let''s get back to business" Muku spoke after noticing that they were wasting too much time.


    "I have an idea" Chloe was the first to speak after his statement. She had been waiting for the conversation to get back on track so she could express her thoughts.


    "Oh, okay. Let''s hear it" Muku spoke with some curiosity in his voice. That others were also curious about what she had to say. So everyone quietened down and paid attention to what she wanted to say.


    "Okay, so Freya can do anything in her mindscape, right? Which I think is perfect for my plan. Instead of giving in to Iris'' demand for eight hours... We can propose something else. If she refuses, then Freya will threaten her with an externally burning flame in her mindscape or something," Chloe spoke, and the others just listened on while nodding their heads.


    Seeing them paying attention as they let her cook. Chloe became more confident and continued speaking.


    "Of course, we can''t just force things like that. Like she said, it is partly our fault that she''s even facing all these problems. Even if she has her own faults. Anyway, we can promise her anything she wants in the mindscape if she agrees to the deal. Which I''m sure would be very tempting to her" Chloe spoke a bit more before pausing again. She was trying to organise her words as well as measure the reaction the others had to her plan.


    "With her personality, I''m sure that won''t be enough for her. She has shown a strong desire to be outside in the real world. So without getting that, I don''t think she''ll agree to anything we say. This means that we likely have no choice but to sacrifice some of Freya''s time. However, I don''t know how much Freya is willing to offer and how much Iris is willing to accept. You all can work out the finer details... What do you think?" Chloe concluded by asking for the opinion of the others.


    "I like it... I''m willing to go along with it. Though I don''t think I can give up more than an hour of my time" Freya was the first one to speak.


    Well, she kinda had to speak since everyone was looking at her. After all, it was her life and they didn''t want to dictate it for her. They chose to work around what she wanted instead. It wasn''t easy to willingly give up your body''s control to someone else when it had been yours to control for 19 years.


    "Are you sure?" Emily asked Freya, with some worry in her voice. While an hour a day didn''t seem long. It was quite a significant amount of time if you really thought about it.


    "Yeah... I can just have some fun in my mindscape during that time. I probably won''t even notice it pass by" Freya replied with a sweet smile on her face.


    Whether she meant it or not, only she knew. What was certain to everyone, though, was that Freya really wanted to use Iris'' power. While they didn''t feel like she needed to... They could tell that she felt like she needed to do more to be relevant to the team.


    "... Okay. If you say so," Emily relented, not wanting to make the difficult situation even more difficult for Freya.


    "Let me add my take on it... Why must it be daily? Why not once every three days or so? Iris is in a rather terrible position. So I''m sure she would agree to the deal with the other benefit of having whatever she wanted in Freya''s mindscape. Maybe she just set a high bar to have more negotiation room" Jade nonchalantly chimed in.


    Her words, however, were quite insightful. The others hadn''t thought of it like that. For some reason, they had thought that "daily" was a key part of the deal. However, after Jade''s input, they realised that they might have been overthinking it. Anyone in Iris'' position would probably be willing to take even the worst of deals if they provided some kind of benefit.


    "Hhmm... Good point. Let''s go with what Jade said then. We''ll offer her a luxurious life in the mindscape plus an hour of Freya''s time outside of it every three days. Does anyone disagree or have another better idea?" Muku spoke, ready to finalise the plan.


    However, he did give everyone the chance to speak before he did so. No one said anything though. They all agreed with the plan. All of them had thought of a plan somewhat similar to what Chloe said, which was the obvious plan. So, no one could say they had a better plan.


    "No one? Okay, good! That''s final then. Freya can talk to Iris after the meeting. For now, let''s move on to the next matter. Layla, if you please..." Muku finalized the plan and then immediately moved on to the next matter.


    "Sure..." Layla replied after hearing his words. She then held her hand out. A large ice disk was formed in front of it creating a significantly sized shadow underneath it.


    Before anyone could ask what was happening. Well, it''s not like they would have asked anything anyway since they knew what was happening. Four orbs radiating strength rose from the ice''s shadow.


    That''s right, she had summoned the four R3 beast cores from the Iris battle from her Shadow Pocket. The enviable ability she had, that basically stored whatever she wanted in a different dimension. She could retrieve it whenever she wanted from wherever she wanted to retrieve it from.


    One pitch black, one earthy brown, one light green and one dark purple. Though their colours were different, all four beast cores radiated an astonishing amount of energy. It was so intense that even Muku and his girls'' strength combined couldn''t stand up to one core''s strength. It wouldn''t even be a fourth of it.


    Which showed the difference between them, semi-peak R2s and Half-step R4s. Fortunately, the energy, which was masterless,, lacked inten,t, so it was docile. Otherwise, Muku and the girls wouldn''t even be able to get close to the cores.


    However, Elsa and Freya still found it hard to breathe if they got too close. This made it safe to say that unranked beings likely wouldn''t be able to come close to the cores due to the strength difference alone. With that same logic, legit R4 Cores might be a challenge for the current Muku and the R2 girls.


    "So, these are our spoils. As for how we''re going to use them. I''m only sure about the black core. Sadly, we don''t have anyone with an element like any of the other three," Muku spoke after grabbing the cores with his Telekinesis and making them float in front of him.


    "Wait..." Layla spoke one word not sure how to continue.


    "No need to say anything. Your Shadow Element lets you use Darkness Element cores. So the black one is yours. Don''t say it''s too much since we didn''t particularly do anything to get it, and we''ll be Rank Three soon anyway, so they won''t be that rare as long as we have beasts to hunt," Muku spoke before Layla could come up, with a way to refuse.


    He didn''t discuss it with the others before making a decision. It was one of those things that was a no-brainer. It just made sense to do what he did. This was evident from how no one but Layla seemed to be against it.


    All the others felt was dejection for not aligning with any of the cores. Jade was hit the hardest when she realised that she wasn''t getting the urge to consume any of the cores. Which meant only one thing... She couldn''t consume higher-rank cores and gain their abilities.


    Which meant she''d have to wait until she ranks up. She wasn''t sure how long it would take after the fiasco the previous day. There was no way weaker-rank beasts like R2s didn''t run away after that.


    "Just take it... You know he won''t give up until you do" Audrey chimed in after seeing that Layla was still a bit hesitant.


    She had long noticed that her daughter had an issue taking anything from anyone. Especially when she felt like she didn''t do anything to deserve it. As for why she was like that, she wasn''t sure.


    "Yeah... S-sis, take it. It''s really not a big deal," Chloe added; she was a little awkward in calling Layla sister. She wasn''t used to it yet.


    "If you refuse, I''ll take it. I don''t mind a darkness ability after ranking up" Jade spoke in a salty tone.


    "You wouldn''t dare!" Layla snapped as she snatched the core from the air.


    Everyone was immediately dumbfounded. Only for a little while though. That''s because they immediately realised Layla''s personality defect.


    The girl really didn''t like taking any losses. They just didn''t know that she would even compromise some of her standpoints just because of that.


    She really was a weird girl. Everyone couldn''t help but look at Audrey all at once. They were silently asking her why Layla was like that.


    To which Audrey smiled wryly. She also had no idea why Layla was like that. Maybe there was no reason, and the girl just didn''t like losing at anything. Not everything has to have a deep meaning after all.

 Chapter 157 157: Meat!

    "Okay... With that taken care of. Let''s move on to the next matter" Since Audrey also didn''t know why Layla was so weird, and there was no way Layla would tell them, Muku decided to move on. No one disagreed. The best part was about to come after all.


    "Meat!" Before Layla could even start casting her Shadow Pocket spell to take out the meat. Jade was already excitedly shouting. The girl really loved meat.


    Her excitement at the moment was indescribable. She was thinking of how good R2 meat tasted. So, following the trend, R3 meat would be even better, right? That thought alone was enough to excite her to the max.


    "Don''t you dare snatch some of it when it''s taken out. If you do so, you won''t have any of the rest," Seeing Jade, who was barely controlling herself even before seeing the meat. Muku immediately warned her.


    "Tsk, do you think I''m such a shallow person? I''d never do such a thing. I''m offended that you''d even suspect me of such" Jade immediately defended herself looking very offended. At the back of her mind, however, she was glad that Layla hadn''t gotten the meat out yet when Muku spoke. That''s because she was definitely planning to snatch some.


    "Right... Anyway, Layla" Muku and probably everyone else didn''t buy Jade''s claim of innocence. They knew her well enough not to buy such a thing. Even Freya, the newbie, wouldn''t buy it.


    Layla then proceeded to take out a little bit of the meat. It had some brown fur on it, making it easy to identify which beast it was. It was from the Buffalo-like beast. Most of the meat they took was from it for obvious reasons. After all, it somewhat looked like a cow while the rest were a fox, tiger and an eagle.


    While their bodies could definitely handle the meat from all the beasts, and the beasts would likely be equally tasty. They had gotten used to eating certain kinds of meat as humans, so they had some bias.


    "Firstly... Elsa and Freya, sorry but you won''t be getting a chance to try this. As for the rest, while you''ll get a chance. We''ll first eat just a small bite just in case we can''t handle the energy. Does anyone disagree?" Before they even got to cooking any of the meat, Muku first addressed the girls on how it was going to go.


    Again, none disagreed. Elsa and Freya were also completely fine with it. They were definitely disappointed that they couldn''t have any of the meat. However, they were disappointed in themselves because they knew it was because of their weakness. If they were as strong as the others or at least close to them, maybe they would have had a chance to taste it as well.


    "Well, some no one disagrees. Let''s get on with it. Emily, you''re our MVP for the next part," Muku spoke while looking at Emily, who nodded with a serious expression on her face as if she was getting ordered to go to war or something.


    "I promise I won''t let you all down!" Emily replied dramatically as she got up and walked to the kitchen.


    "I''m sure you won''t ma''am!" Muku decided to play along as he also replied dramatically then followed her with the meat floating behind him.


    The others just looked on and quietly followed behind them. It was one of those "we listen and we don''t judge" moments, just that they were looking instead. Other than Audrey, their whole group was crazy anyway. So, they were quite accommodating of the quirks their teammates had.


    Even Freya, who hadn''t behaved in any crazy way yet, didn''t judge. She actually thought that it was quite cute how they were so open with each other, free of embarrassment.


    Being with them made it easy to forget that they were in the apocalypse and could get attacked at any moment. However, she knew that they were vigilant despite how they behaved. It was like they found the perfect balance between surviving and living. Which was definitely a requirement if one wanted to stay sane in such trying times.


    ....


    Around two hours later...


    "Emily... Are you sure you''re trying your hardest?" Jade spoke with some obvious suspicion and disbelief in her voice.


    Emily had been cooking the meat for two hours straight with her flames and yet it wasn''t properly done. So, Jade''s question was somewhat understandable. However, Emily wasn''t in the mood to hear such a thing at that moment...


    "Why don''t you do it then?" Emily immediately snapped, some annoyance obvious in her voice. She didn''t know that cooking the meat would be so hard. Maybe because the beast was an Earth-type that specialised in defence. Its meat was very resistant to Emily''s flames even after its death.


    Emily had been trying her best without outputting too much power that would ruin it. It was quite strenuous since it required a high level of concentration. So hearing Jade ask her such a thing with obvious suspicion in her tone made her unable to control herself.


    She couldn''t help but feel like Jade was purposefully trying to ruin her reputation in front of Muku. Which only made her even more angry. What she didn''t know, however, was that Muku didn''t mind the moments she was like that at all. To him, all humans had flaws. So when a person exposes their flaws, the more comfortable he is with them.


    It might sound crazy but he dislikes people who seem perfect. People who always have it together. So, in a way, Emily, who was getting more relaxed around him and making more mistakes, was actually improving her chances with him for the future. If she had stayed as she was before when she measured every action she took around him. She likely wouldn''t have had a chance.


    "Sorry. I wasn''t thinking clearly" Jade immediately backed off noticing that Emily really was annoyed.


    Not because she didn''t want to annoy Emily. Rather, she didn''t want Emily to stop cooking the meat. Otherwise, on a normal day, annoying Emily was one of her most favourite things to do.


    "Hhm!" Emily didn''t say anything more. She then continued to do her thing, the others watched on in silence.


    It was only thirty minutes later that Emily managed to properly cook the meat. Immediately after she made it clear that she won''t be involved in cooking it ever again until she reaches R3 first.


    Seeing how spent she looked. The others didn''t try to persuade her. After all, cooking wasn''t supposed to be so troublesome. Not to mention that they probably couldn''t properly eat the R3 meat anyway.


    "So, how are we doing this? Is one person going to eat first while the others look on? Then, based on what happens to that person, the others will decide their next step or all at once?" Layla, who wasn''t too keen on experimenting with her body, spoke.


    While she definitely wanted to have some of the meat. She just didn''t want to eat it without knowing what was going to happen after.


    "I''ll volunteer to go first. My body is probably the strongest here anyway. However, I want a bit more meat for my troubles" Of course, the carnivorous Jade immediately jumped at the chance to get more meat.


    So what if there could be dangers involved? Everything could be discussed as long as there was tasty food.


    "Sounds good to me. Sure, go ahead" Muku immediately agreed. While he wouldn''t have suggested such a thing or nominated anyone for it. He wasn''t against it. After all, the mage-type girls really weren''t anywhere close to Jade when it came to their bodies.


    Jade might look as delicate as the rest of them without any obvious muscle showing on her body. But he knew that she was a beast inside.


    "Great!" Jade expressed her happiness with one word. Then she immediately tossed the little piece of meat into her mouth. There was zero hesitation in her actions.


    "If you want to kill Jade, just add poison to her food. Even if she smells it, she''ll still eat it happily then die" Emily spoke sarcastically as she made fun of how Jade liked food too much.


    "Hmm... Actually, you might have a pint there" Jade replied after swallowing the meat. She didn''t even try to defend herself since she felt that there was a real possibility she would do such a thing.


    "Whatever... So, how is it? How do you feel?" Emily wasn''t moved by how Jade wasn''t triggered. All she cared about at the moment was how Jade felt. So she immediately asked, putting all the pretence aside.


    "I''m not sure... I was so excited I swallowed it without chewing. I don''t feel anything yet tho... Oh!" Jade was replying to Emily when she suddenly felt a chaotic energy explode in her stomach. Without waiting, she ran outside.


    "Roooooar!"


    As soon as she got outside, she looked up at the sky and then released her breath attack. The attack seemed just as strong as her usual ones despite her not having gathered up her energy before the attack.


    The long-range attack even cleared up some clouds above head. If she had fired it off in the mansion, there would definitely have been nothing left of whatever she hit.


    "Woah!" Jade exclaimed while looking at the sky she cleared up...

 Chapter 158: Mansion matters

    A while later...


    "I think it''s fair to assume that we can''t handle R3 meat yet. However, we might as well have the meat we already cooked. Audrey, you can go ahead and divide it equally among us. Give a little of mine to Jade. As for how you all are going to eat yours. I''ll leave that to you" Muku made his decision after seeing the Jade incident where her body immediately ejected the energy it couldn''t handle.


    Her body was so overwhelmed it didn''t even absorb a little bit of the energy. Otherwise, Jade''s hidden attributes might have gotten a second significant boost.


    "Okay, with that. I think it''s about time Freya talks to Iris. We need her cooperation to understand what was happening yesterday and who the owner of that voice was" Muku moved on to the next matter after Audrey finished sharing the meat.


    "I''ll go do it right now" Freya replied as she got up. Her mood had stabilized, so she wasn''t as averse to entering her mindscape as before.


    As for why she didn''t do it in front of the others... Well, she just didn''t want them to look at her practically unconscious body. When she enters her mindscape, her body enters a state similar to an unconscious person.


    It wasn''t that she didn''t trust them with her defenceless body. Just that, like most people, she wasn''t comfortable with having people looking at her when she was in such a state. Like, who would want to be surrounded by people looking at you when you are asleep or unconscious?


    The others didn''t object; they just nodded as she left. Everyone''s EQ was quite high so they could easily tell what was happening.


    "So you want me to come with you?" Emily called out just as Freya was about to go upstairs.


    She knew more about Freya than the others after all. Not to mention that she had promised herself not to let Freya be alone again. She knew that entering her mindscape was the thing that made Freya feel alone the most. So she had to ask.


    "... Sure, if you don''t mind" Freya thought for a bit but agreed to let Emily come along. While the way she saw her mindscape improved. She was still not completely fine. So Emily''s presence would be quite helpful.


    "Don''t be silly. Of course, I don''t mind," Emily replied with a smile on her face as she ran up to Freya. The two then went upstairs.


    "... They''ve gotten really close huh?" Layla spoke with some jealousy in her voice. She then looked at Chloe unblinkingly.


    "...What?" Chloe tried to ignore it at first but she couldn''t ignore it for long with Layla being so obvious.


    "Why aren''t we so close yet?" Layla immediately replied, some obvious confusion in her voice.


    "Well, it''s only been one day, so... It''s quite understandable, actually", Chloe replied, trying to defend how she wasn''t as proactive as Emily.


    "It has only been one day for them as well... Do you perhaps not like me?" Layla didn''t relent. She even looked a little sad at the end.


    "No! That''s not it... I, ah!" Chloe immediately became flustered.


    She really liked the idea of being sisters with Layla and she wanted to get closer as well. Just that she didn''t know how to approach Layla who always emitted an unapproachable air without realising it.


    "I have an idea... Why don''t the two of you go out on a reconnaissance mission together? Just look around our immediate surroundings while talking and getting to know each other better?" Audrey chimed in. She was all for the idea of Layla and Chloe becoming like real sisters for obvious reasons.


    "I like that idea as well. In fact, you can go right now if you want. We''ll tell you about the Iris matter when you get back" Muku immediately supported the idea.


    He had long noticed that to some level, Layla hadn''t been able to properly connect to the rest of the girls. It was like she saw them as allies but barely as friends, if at all.


    However, since he had promised himself to not get too involved in everything they did. He just looked on, hoping that the situation would improve on its own. Since someone else brought it up, he didn''t mind supporting it though.


    "Yes! Let''s do that! Let''s go!" Layla didn''t think twice as she immediately got up, grabbed Chloe''s hand, and dragged her toward the door. Obviously, she liked the idea.


    Poor Chloe''s brain short-circuited as she was dragged. She didn''t even know what was happening anymore. So she was easily dragged away by Layla.


    "Remember not to go too far!" Muku couldn''t help but remind them with a shout.


    Like always, he didn''t like them being away from him. However, he knew that they could keep themselves safe. So he unwillingly let them go. It was necessary for their growth as well.


    "Yes!" Layla shouted back, then they disappeared into the distance.


    "Are you really okay with letting them go?" Audrey came beside Muku and asked.


    "Of course not! And why are you asking that when you''re the one who suggested it?!" Muku replied annoyedly to Audrey''s open taunt of a question.


    "Hehe. Sorry for asking" Audrey replied with a little laugh. Clearly enjoying his plite.


    She had noticed that the closer she got to him, the more the "shackles" that were imposed on her by his bloodline loosened. Now she didn''t even need to call him master and could joke around with him like she was doing.


    It seemed while he couldn''t control his bloodline much yet, he still played a part in the way it dealt with her. The day she realised that, was one of the happiest days of her life. Knowing that he saw her more than the mother of one of his students made her very happy.


    She wasn''t certain why that was. However, she did have a sneaking suspicion. She dared not dive deeper into that thought for the time being though. The situation was way too messed up to allow her to think of such things.


    "Tsk, enjoy it while you can. I''ll get my revenge!" Muku spoke while exaggeratedly raising his fist with a serious expression on his face.


    "Hehe," Audrey laughed again, her hand covering her mouth. Even with that, her beauty captivated everyone present.


    "Should we give the two of you a room?" Suddenly a jealous voice sounded from beside Muku.


    The first person Muku assumed to be the speaker was Jade. Then he remembered that a different person was sitting beside him. The voice also belonged to someone else who wasn''t Jade.


    That''s right, it was Hope who spoke. The girl''s face had turned green with envy. Not because of the romantic atmosphere Muku and Audrey were creating, but because he wasn''t paying attention to her. All she cared about was being the one he paid most of his attention to when he wasn''t talking about business matters.


    "Aw, little Hope is jealous. Fufu, don''t worry, your Big Brother still cares about you the most. So there''s no reason to get a room" Audrey was the first to speak before Muku could.


    While she seemed to be unbothered by what Hope said. She got a faint blush on her face when she said, "Get a room", which betrayed her inner feelings.


    "Come on, Hope, you know I care about you the most, right?" Muku spoke while pinching Hope''s nose and then patting her on the head. Immediately Hope was appeased, a happy smile appearing on her face.


    "Hehe, yeah", Hope replied, then jumped into his embrace. Her clingy side coming out again.


    ...


    Upstairs in Freya''s room...


    Freya, who had been in her mindscape for around ten minutes, finally opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Emily who was holding her hand with worry written all over her face.


    A warm feeling washed over her heart, it was what she had always wanted. To have someone look at her with such pure eyes full of worry. Even her father couldn''t manage it. There was a slight judgemental look that would appear in his eyes from time to time.


    That look told her that while he said that he believed her. He actually had his doubts and sometimes they would get the better of him. For that reason, she couldn''t get too close to him despite his care and support.


    "So, how was it?" Emily immediately asked for the outcome of the deal with Iris.


    "Well..." Freya only spoke one word and then trailed off.


    Before Emily could say anything else. Freya held out her hand and a small green plant appeared out of nowhere in her palm. The little plant grew at an amazing speed visible to the naked eye.


    In less than five seconds, it was already a long vine that wrapped around Freya''s whole arm.


    "What do you think?" Freya spoke with a big smile while looking at Emily.


    Obviously, it was a rhetorical question. For Freya to use the plant element, Iris must have agreed to the deal.


    With that, Freya became an honorary double-element Evolver.

 Chapter 159 159: Odd occurrence?

    "Wow, congratulations!" Emily congratulated Freya excitedly.


    "Thanks, hopefully now I can get stronger faster and be more useful in battle" Freya replied with a smile on her face.


    "Well, as long as you''re happy. Was she difficult to talk to?" Emily didn''t try to remind Freya that she was already enough as she was since Freya wanted to be more. Instead, she asked about how the deal with Iris went.


    "Umm, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be actually. She seemed more than willing to take it. The reason I took more time to come out was for another reason. I was asking her about what the leader mentioned before" Freya told Emily why she took a little more time than expected.


    "Oh... So, what did she say?" Emily asked curiously. Like the others, she was also eager to know the finer details of what took place the previous day.


    "Let''s go down first. I''m sure everyone is waiting for us. I''ll tell you then, along with them" Freya replied. She didn''t want to keep the others waiting any longer.


    "Ah! Right! I had completely forgotten, let''s go" Emily spoke with a jerk as Freya reminded her about the others.


    She then grabbed Freya''s hand and dragged her downstairs. Which was not too different from how Layla had dragged Chloe away before. Freya didn''t mind as she just let herself be dragged forward. She was well aware of Emily''s sometimes hyper personality.


    .....


    Downstairs...


    "Finally..." Jade spoke as her ears twitched a bit.


    Before anyone could ask what she meant. They noticed Emily and Freya come down the stairs. Everything became clear. While the feat wasn''t anything too crazy, it was still impressive since Emily and Freya weren''t making any noise as they walked forward. Which was a tendency most people in the apocalypse had subconsciously developed.


    Soon the two girls reached the others and took their seats. No one said anything, after all, Freya already knew why they were gathered there. So there was no need for anyone to say anything for her to speak.


    "Where are Chloe and Layla"? Emily asked before Freya could speak. I''m such a small group where everyone was close, it was easy to notice someone''s absence. So both Emily and Freya had noticed the missing people from the moment they laid their eyes on the group.


    Emily, who should have been able to sense them around the mansion if they were around, couldn''t. Freya, who had a connection to the mansion, which allowed her to sense everyone''s position if she wanted to, also couldn''t find them. So Emily couldn''t help but ask. After all, they rarely separate.


    "They went on a recon, slash bonding mission. They should be back soon enough" Muku replied.


    The way he spoke in a somewhat uneasy tone made it easy to guess that he didn''t particularly like the idea of them going out alone. It was already a good thing that he wasn''t secretly stalking them actually. When it came to the girls, he was no different from an overprotective papa-bear.


    "Oh... Okay. Anyway, I''ll let Freya speak now. I''m sure we''re all dying to know" Emily replied.


    She was a little surprised by Chloe and Layla''s sudden departure, but she had a lot of trust in their abilities, so she wasn''t too worried. She didn''t delay anymore as she made way for Freya to speak.


    "Umm, so Iris said that she''s only allowed to review that the owner of the voice we heard was someone with high authority. The being won''t do anything to us since we''re too weak. Oh, and this isn''t the first time our world has gone through an apocalypse. Other than that, she can''t say anymore. Literally, she tried speaking, but it was censored, like in a video or something. It was honestly quite off-putting" Freya didn''t waste any time as she immediately told the others what Iris told her.


    There were even goosebumps on her arms as she spoke. Which showed just how creeped out she was by what she had witnessed.


    The information wasn''t a lot, but it was better than nothing. At the very least, if they were to trust Iris'' words, they wouldn''t have to worry about being attacked by such a being. While Ares seemed to be way stronger, he couldn''t randomly appear in the sky above them. Which made the Authority a lot more dangerous in the short run.


    So knowing that they were safe was reassuring. As for it not being the first time the world faced an apocalypse, they didn''t care. After all, that was then, which has nothing to do with them. All they cared about was surviving their current apocalypse. So there will be no quest of "seeking the truth". None of them particularly cared about history.


    "Is that so?... Oh well, as long as we''re safe. So, are you going to show us your new power or what?" Muku replied, clearly not too bothered by the lack of deeper information.


    While he was curious to know, he wasn''t willing to go out of his way to attain it. I''m fact, he kinda didn''t want to know. The information sounded like the type that would get you into trouble for just knowing it. The Ares problem was enough for him.


    Though if by some twist of fate the information falls on his lap in the future. He won''t mind taking a look. After all, even a cat with nine lives died because of its curiosity. Meaning, that even after multiple deaths, it still came back for more. What''s a human who hasn''t died even once compared to that? Of course, the human would give in to their curiosity.


    Anyway, that wasn''t too important. This was shown by how Muku showed more interest in Freya''s ability display.


    "Please don''t laugh since I''m still getting used to it... This is all I can do for now" Freya spoke a bit shyly. She was a lot more self-conscious when dealing with a larger group compared to when it was just Emily. After all, it wasn''t just any random group of people. It was likely the strongest group of humans in the apocalypse.


    So her shyness was understandable. However, she still showed them what she could do to the best of her abilities. Like before, vines sprouted out from inside her palm and wrapped around her whole arm. If one looked closely, however, they would notice that the vines weren''t actually coming out of her arm. They were forming from mana just a few millimetres above her skin.


    Not wanting to only do what she did last time. She then tried her best to straighten the vine. Which she managed to do. So it turned into what seemed like a pointy green stick that was protruding out of her hand.


    "Interesting... Can you shoot it?" Jad was the first to comment, and she also paused a question that made Freya wonder. It wasn''t out of malice but she was actually helping Freya open her mind more.


    Something her Beast Aura had taught her was how to be versatile and open-minded. She noticed that the current Freya seemed to lack. It was obvious that the idea hadn''t even appeared in Freya''s mind.


    Of course, Freya might have thought of it on her own eventually, but Jade didn''t want to wait. Besides, wasn''t helping each other out the point of being allies anyway?


    "Hhm, I don''t know. Let me see..." Freya replied, then trailed off at the end while trying to digest what Jade asked. She really hadn''t thought about it. Which was understandable since she had only had the ability for a few minutes.


    In the moment of trying to figure it out. Freya ended up closing her eyes without noticing it. It was like she entered into a trance. The others just looked on quietly. They were curious to see if she could do it. They could tell that a "borrowed" element was harder to use than an "inborn" since they knew how to use theirs from the start. While Freya seemed to be struggling a little.


    It was like an "inborn" element user already has the instincts to use their ability from the start. Even if it''s to a minor degree. However, a "borrowed" element user needed to start from scratch and develop those instincts themselves. So if Freya actually manages to do what Jade asked, she would be quite the genius.


    Soon, thirty seconds passed by. Then a minute. Then two, but no one said anything or moved. They could sense that Freya was close to archiving something. They were barely blinking, not wanting to miss anything.


    It was then that Freya, who still had her eyes closed, raised her hand and did the "Ironman" firing pose. She held her hand in front of her. The one-metre-long vine with a pointy end then shot forward before at an astonishing speed. The speed could easily penetrate the body of a MR1 beast. Even a PR1 would be killed if caught off guard by the attack.


    Unluckily for Jade, she just happened to sit directly opposite Freya. So the attack flew directly at her face. She was completely off guard, not expecting the attack. Her eyes widened as the arrow-like vine approached...


    ....


    Three kilometres away from the mansion...


    "I think we should go back and tell the others" Chloe spoke in a serious tone while looking forward.


    "I second that; let''s go", Layla replied. It was quite surprising how she didn''t just say something like "agreed" and then go quiet. She really was trying her best to get closer to Chloe it seemed.


    The two girls then nodded at each other before turning back. Their destination being the mansion. They had come across quite an odd occurrence which had to be reported as soon as possible...

 Chapter 160: Beast Gathering

    Back at the mansion...


    "Honestly... That was a bit too close for comfort" Jade spoke lazily as she held the vine-arrow between two fingers, just an inch away from her eye.


    From how relaxed she seemed, however, it was easy to tell that she wasn''t in any real danger. The event didn''t rouse even a little bit of her excitement.


    "Hhm?... AHH!" It was only after hearing Jade speak that Freya opened her eyes. She immediately noticed the vine that Jade had stopped, a scream escaping her mother instantly.


    "I''m so sorry! I don''t know what happened to me. I was stuck in a trance. I didn''t mean to do it. Please forgive me!" Freya spoke one word after the other hysterically.


    Tears flowed nonstop from her eyes. She was regretting even trying such a thing indoors, especially when there were people around her. She didn''t think she''d be able to do anything dangerous so soon after gaining the ability.


    "Calm down. There''s nothing to forgive. I''m the one who asked you to try it. So it''s partly my fault that we ended up like this. Besides, you''re crazy if you think you could have possibly injured me in your current state. I only let it get so close for a more dramatic scene. I had a line I''ve always wanted to say so. Even if I couldn''t stop it, that guy I''ve there would have been able to take care of it no problem" Jade immediately interjected before Freya could continue rumbling on.


    She immediately explained to the girl that there was no real danger. On a normal day, she would have teased the girl a bit. However, Freya just seemed too innocent and soft for her to try such a thing. So she immediately got to the point.


    "Yeah, while Jade did put it a bit too bluntly. She''s right. The current you really has no way of hurting her unless she lets you," Muku added to what Jade said for emphasis.


    While it was kinda cute seeing how she was so hysterical thinking that she could have hurt Jade. He was of the same mind as Jade. Freya was really just too innocent to bully. It seemed her loner lifestyle from before the apocalypse spared her from all the filth of humanity.


    While the filth did make people wiser. It still wasn''t anything to be proud of. If a person is to be wise. It shouldn''t be brought up by their terrible environment. Which is rather sad actually. It should be brought up by positive things like reading books, enlightenment and such.


    So Freya''s pure personality that took things based on their surface view wasn''t bad. It was the world that was bad. Muku and the others didn''t mind it.


    "Really"? Freya asked for confirmation as she tried to calm herself down.


    Inside she was feeling a bit embarrassed for how she acted. She couldn''t help but look back at all your recent actions. Especially how she had exposed her fragility a lot in just two days. It was almost like she was the youngest in the group, with even Elsa being older than her. Yet only two members of the team were older than her.


    "Yes... I suggest you learn to first observe and think before reacting when the situation allows it" Muku replied, even giving her a little advice while at it.


    "Y-yes, I''ll try my best" Freya replied while nodding her head furiously, maybe trying to shake off the embarrassment.


    "Congratulations on your first long-range attack. With it, you''ve officially stepped on the path to greater strength that you want," Audrey spoke with a smile.


    Being the oldest member of the group at thirty, she was always happy to see the girls improve. Like a mother watching her kids grow. Though with her looks, it would be more believable to strangers if they said she was a slightly older sister instead.


    "T-thank, I will do my best to get stronger from now on" Freya replied, still feeling a bit embarrassed. The excitement in her voice was extremely evident though. While she hoped the incident with Jade didn''t happen, she was happy to have archived such a feat on her first try.


    "... They are back. In a rush too. I smell a juicy story" Jade suddenly spoke. Everyone immediately realised what she was talking about though. Only two people were missing among them after all.


    Soon everyone could hear the rapid steps as Layla and Chloe approached closer. From the way they budged through the door, it was easy to guess that there was a problem.


    "So, what''s up?" Muku asked as soon as the girls arrived in front of them.


    "Beast gathering", Layla, who was out of breath, replied with only two words. She wanted to say more. However, her mage body was spent after running so much.


    "What she means is that we saw a lot of beasts gathering toward a specific place a few kilometres away from her. The reason we rushed back was that they were all Rank Twos. We thought that this could be the opportunity our group needs to reach the peak. If the situation isn''t serious. If it''s something serious, we can quickly prepare for the worst and escape if necessary," Chloe, who wasn''t anywhere near as tired as Layla, explained a bit more.


    It was understandable that she wasn''t too tired considering that her lightning boosts her body. If she had better control over it, she would have carried Layla over. However, she wasn''t there yet. So if she tried it, Layla would have been cooked by the time they arrived. All she could manage at the moment was to not ruin her clothes.


    Anyway, that wasn''t the main point. The main point was that while they were patrolling around. They suddenly noticed beasts coming from all over. Some beats even spotted them, but didn''t attack. Which was super odd since beasts usually attack humans on site.


    After observing a whole longer, they noticed how all the beasts were gathering toward one area. While they were curious to know what was there. They chose to run back and notify the others.


    For some reason, they were certain that something significant was happening in the place where the beasts were gathering. Like good teammates, they wanted to share it with everyone if it was something good. Also, like good teammates, they wanted to share it, if it was something bad. The meaning of "teammates in whatever situation" was something they understood well.


    "Well, what are we waiting for then?" Everyone get on! I doubt any beast will attack the mansion for no reason. I also doubt that there are people around here" Muku immediately sprang into action. A familiar silver platform appeared as he spoke.


    While he wasn''t completely sure about leaving the mansion unattended. He could clearly see that everyone was eager to go and see what Chloe and Layla were talking about. For that reason, he couldn''t leave anymore behind. He would rather choose to take a chance with the mansion than make some of his teammates feel left out.


    After all, the mansion was just an object. While it was rare in the apocalypse after the great collapse brought by the World Evolution. It still was nowhere near as important as the feelings of his teammates in his head.


    "Are you sure about all of us going? I couldn''t stay behind and look after the mans...Oh my!" Audrey, being the response adult she was spoke while thinking about the greater picture.


    She could tell that leaving the mansion unattended was risky. However, as she was still making her point, standing beside the platform, she found herself getting lifted up by an invisible force. Then she was placed on the platform with the rest. Which obviously surprised her.


    "We don''t have time for this. We''ll talk after we''re back!" That''s all Muku said then he flew the platform forward. Since it had been created indoors, it was narrow so that it could pass through the door. With people standing in a line-like formation.


    He changed it to the usual one after they were outside and they flew away. Chloe guiding the way. Somewhere along the line, Audrey tried to bring up the mansion matter, but Muku ignored her again.


    He was even thinking that he should take her with her whenever he went out. She was getting too used to staying behind. Which might not be good for her development in the long run.


    Soon, everyone set their sites forward, toward the great mystery that was causing the beasts to gather. They could already spot a few beasts as they got closer to the place.


    The closer they got, the more beasts they discovered. Soon, there were more than a hundred different kinds of beasts around them. Yet they hadn''t even arrived yet.


    This made them more curious about what was to come. Hopefully, Author-san figures out wtf that was before they arrive. In the next chapter...

 Chapter 161 161: Bloodline Awakening Ritual?

    "Woah... There''s has to be at least one thousand beasts here" Jade spoke while looking down below.


    The group had arrived at the source of the disturbance. Unfortunately, it wasn''t some sort of treasure like they hoped it would be. What they saw, however, was even more surprising.


    "That''s your concern? You''re seeing what we''re seeing right? Probably even better than all of us yet that''s what you thought to mention?" Emily spoke with bewilderment in her voice.


    Jade had always been rather eccentric. Even before the apocalypse she was just different from the rest in how she did things. However, Emily never thought that she would be built different to such an extent.


    "What do you mean? Is there anything around here more significant than the tone of beasts that are pretty much our key to Rank 3?" Jade replied, clearly as bewildered as Emily, though for the opposite reason.


    "What do you mean by what do I mean?!. There''s literally a dragon there! They are all gathered around a real Eastern Dragon and all you are ignoring it?!" Emily exploded with her reply. She almost felt like beating Jade up, especially after seeing her genuinely bewildered expression.


    That''s right, the beasts that had come from all over the place were gathered around a dragon. Well, at least it looked like a dragon, and with the fanfare, it had to be one right?


    Dragon head, antlers, obsidian body, pure white fur running down from its neck to its tail, and long sharp claws, among other draconic features. It also stood at a height of about 10 metres tall. It''s yellow eyes looking around the place intelligently. Seemingly unmoved by the many beasts.


    "So what if it''s a dragon? Haven''t we been seeing weird creatures since day one? What''s so special about it?" Jade, who didn''t quite grasp the majesty of a real dragon being before them, replied nonchalantly. In her mind, it was just another source of KP if she could kill it.


    "You know what, I''m done with you. If I keep talking to you, I''ll probably develop PB problems while still a teenager," Emily replied in a disengaging tone. She no longer wanted to deal with the crazy girl called Jade.


    "Tsk, whatever" Jade replied nonchalantly again. She still didn''t understand what Emily was on about nor was she trying to understand.


    "Can I go down and start killing now"? She asked then proceeded to ask Muku a question while cracking her knuckles.


    "Let''s wait and see what going on first. We can''t just rush into a situation like this or we might not come out alive. Many of those creatures down there are as strong as the Spider Queen after all. Not to mention that we don''t know what''s happening with that dragon," Muku, who, unlike Jade, first thought before acting, spoke. He obviously stopped her from doing such a reckless thing.


    "Aww, come on! I''m sure we can avoid the stronger ones while taking apart the weaker ones. I''m so close to reaching R3, just a few kills away. You''re rank-blocking me!" Jade exclaimed in a complaining voice.


    While it was somewhat understandable that she found it hard to control herself when her breakthrough was before her eyes. Muku still stood firm, the risk was too large. It was never a good idea to be the one to set off the fuse in such settings. Not to mention that he still couldn''t understand how a dragon was there.


    While they had seen quite several different beasts since the apocalypse began. They had yet to see any "mythical" beasts. So the dragon''s appearance so suddenly was more than unexpected.


    "Has anyone spotted anything worthy of note"? Muku asked the others, completely ignoring Jade. Sometimes the best way to deal with her was to just ignore her. Especially when there were more pressing matters to deal with.


    "Umm, I noticed that the mana around the dragon isn''t too stable. It''s almost like It''s trying to break through something" Audrey was the first to express her observation. She had been quiet since she was ignored before. She was slightly annoyed with Muku for it but she knew when to be petty and when to cooperate.


    "And the beasts, no matter which side they are or what strength they have seem to not be able to go beyond a certain point. Maybe there''s something they can send or sense that we can''t" Layla was the next to speak, immediately after Audrey.


    "I don''t know if I''m correct or not, but I think I can see both greed and reverence in their eyes. They also seem to be waiting for something" Hope spoke after Layla. She''s had activated her best skill to the max. Which was the legendary observation ability she had which she has displayed a few times before. Due to how reliable it was, the others were keen to believe her.


    "Well... I was actually just randomly asking. I didn''t know there were so many observations. Anyway, thank you all. From your statements, I think the best option, for now, is to lurk in the background and see what happens," Muku spoke; he was half joking and half serious when he said he didn''t expect them to actually have something to say. After all, they had practically just arrived,


    However, that didn''t stop him from believing them and making a decision based on what they said. He trusted them completely.


    And so, the group practically joined the beasts in waiting. Albeit, they were the only ones floating conspicuously in mid-air. Even the beasts that could fly hand landed on the ground as they looked on.


    ....


    A few minutes...


    Just when Jade was about to complain, the sky darkened. A majestic and oppressive aura completely different from the one in Iris'' case descended. They could only describe the aura with one word and that was "heavenly". It just felt divine. Like it didn''t belong in the world of mortals like them.


    Muku and his girls, along with the beyond one thousand beasts all bowed subconsciously. They couldn''t stop themselves, it just felt so natural to them. It was like what they were doing was the most natural thing in the world.


    However, there was one exception to the trend. That exception was the dragon. The creature was defiantly looking at the sky. There was zero respect in it''s eyes. All that blazed in them was a determination to overcome. As for what it wanted to overcome? Only it knew.


    The darkened sky immediately got darker until it was pitch black. Then strong winds started raging all over the place. If all the beasts that were present weren''t R2s, then many would have been blown away. The phenomenon didn''t stop there, purple lightning started to spackle in the clouds. It was like nature was expressing its dissatisfaction with the actions of the dragon.


    "ROOOOOOOAR", as if the blatant disrespect in its actions wasn''t enough. The dragon even had the nerve to roar at the sky.


    "Hhm?" Freya suddenly made a sound while her head was still lowered like the rest.


    "What is it?" Muku asked. While they couldn''t raise their heads for whatever reason. They could still talk and do other things. They were still in control of every other action they did. So asking a question was pretty easy.


    "Oh, uh... Iris just told me that we have stumbled upon a bloodline awakening ritual. If it fails then we might have a chance at gaining some major benefits, though the situation would become very chaotic since that''s why those beasts are gathered here" Freya proceeded to tell the others about what Iris said to her.


    "Oh, is that so... But what is a bloodline awakening ritual?" Muku replied then asked Freya a question clearly directed at Iris.


    "Umm, she said, and I quote, "Hmph! Why would I help you after what you did to me? All you got from me was all you''re getting. One day I will have my revenge?" End quote" Freya replied with her best Iris impression. Which was pretty decent since the last time Iris spoke to them, she was using Freya''s body. So Freya already had the voice on point without trying.


    "Oh... How petty of her" Muku spoke with an annoyed tone.


    "Honestly, I understand where she''s coming from", Freya, who ended up feeling some of the pain meant for Iris, couldn''t help but defend her a bit.


    "Well, whatever. At least she gave us something to work with. Now we know that this is some kind of ritual that either awakens a beast''s bloodline or strengthens it. Also, that there is a chance it might fail. Which should be what all these beasts are hoping for so that they can reap some benefits that will likely improve their bloodlines that probably wouldn''t have a chance at improving otherwise" Muku who had been mostly taking a backbencher approach in thinking recently to allow the girls to think for themselves exposed a little of his power.


    Iris, who was hearing everything from Freya''s mindscape, couldn''t help but feel a chill go down her spine. How could she not when everything he said was spot on? It was so correct that she felt creeped out.


    "From the little yelp, Iris let out after you finished speaking, I think you might be correct", Freya, who hadn''t completely forgotten who her real teammates were, told Muku about Iris'' reaction.


    "Oh? While that is good news. I''m sure there''s some significant information that can''t be deduced so easily. Tell you what, why don''t you tell Iris that I have a proposition for her... Though I''m sure she''s listening on right now," Muku, who didn''t want to leave things to chance based on his guesses, set a plan into motion.


    He had thought of a deal Iris definitely couldn''t refuse...

 Chapter 162: Monarchs bloodline?

    "You can go ahead and say it. Like you said, she''s listening on. If she has something to say, I''ll tell you" Freya replied cooperatively.


    "That''s great, I''ll just say it like this then. To you, Iris, who''s looking on and listening to what I''m saying. If you tell us something significant to this moment that can help us gain extra benefits. We wouldn''t have figured out ourselves. I Muku, will owe you a favour. Of course, you can only ask for something reasonable" Muku didn''t delay as he immediately laid out his proposition for Iris.


    "I agree. However, I don''t know if the right situation is going to appear or not. So, as a way of keeping it fair. The deal will only be effective if the situation presents itself, and I won''t say anything before then" Surprisingly, Freya just let Iris take over her body to directly speak to Muku after thinking about it for a bit.


    She wasn''t as aversed to it as she thought she would be. Maybe because she had finally grasped how much power she had over Iris. In a way, Iris was like an autopilot function she got for free with some benefits. With such a train of thought, she didn''t mind letting Iris take over for a bit.


    "Well... Wasn''t expecting you to come out in person, but okay. I accept your deal. It''s actually the most reasonable thing I''ve heard you say so far" Muku was slightly taken aback by Iris'' appearance and willingness to cooperate. Her previous arrogance was gone.


    He couldn''t help but feel a bit suspicious that she might be planning something sinister. As someone who wanted her help, he could only put aside his suspicions.


    "Great. As a show of good faith, let me tell you a bit more about what a bloodline awakening ritual is beyond the obvious information you can get from the name. That is if you''re willing to hear it, you might not understand it..." Iris then offered more information which again surprised Muku and the girls.


    She seemed unreal at the moment. She was basically rewriting the impression they had of her with just a few statements. Even though there was still a little sarcasm, she was definitely a lot better than before.


    "Sure, we''re willing to hear anything you want to tell us", Muku replied with a smile on his face, ignoring the slight sarcasm.


    She held the higher ground at the moment, so they, as the lesser party, could only fold with a smile. He had noticed that she had an "I''m superior" complex. So, playing along with her would make her happy. Which would then make her even more willing to speak and say more.


    "As you should. Anyway, the ritual is something that only descendants of the most ancient beasts, the Monarchs, can partake in. As for who the Monarchs are, you don''t need to know. You won''t ever meet them. Just think of them as the gods of beasts or something like that..." Iris paused for a bit, either trying to organise her words or letting her words sink into the heads of her audience.


    "Anyway, a long, long time ago, the Monarchs gave a bit of their blood essence to a few of their best subordinates. After which, the subordinates gained the capability to potentially reach Monarch level themselves one day. Which is practically impossible for every other beast. However, there was a tradeoff. The lineage would forever have to go through continuous tests to slowly awaken their bloodline from Rank Two onwards..." Iris paused again, definitely trying to catch her breath this time.


    "Another thing is that the ritual has a high mortality rate. Also, the corpses of the failed beasts would become a great elixir that could possibly give the rest of the beasts a chance to rise higher in rank than they were supposed to. In fact, it guarantees at least one more rank increase to what the beast''s, potential was before consuming the meat. Wipe away that greedy look green-haired girl, it doesn''t work the same on humans. At best, it would test better and have a few more benefits, and that''s it" Iris rested again. Otherwise, a continuous paragraph longer than that wouldn''t be fun to read.


    She happened to notice the drooling Jade who she called out. To which Jade snapped out of her thoughts and wiped away her drool with an embarrassed look on her face.


    "What you should be hoping for is that it survives the ritual. That''s where the real profit is. I''ll tell you the rest after it''s about to start... Look", Iris only spoke a little before pointing in the direction of the dragon.


    Everyone who had been lost in her words immediately snapped awake again. They then looked where she was pointing. The sky had gotten even darker without them noticing. Ominous purple sparks of lightning flashed furiously in the clouds. All of them could tell that something significant was definitely about to occur.


    CRACKLE! BOOM! BOOM!...


    Without further warning thick lighting bolts at least two times thicker than Chloe''s best attack struck. The target being the dragon on the ground.


    The lightning struck continuously nonstop. Even Muku couldn''t help but feel a chill go down his spine looking on. He could tell that with his best defence and all his mana, he would probably only be able to take three to five of the attacks before being killed off. Yet there the dragon was, having taken more than a hundred in less than a minute. It looked completely fine on top of that.


    "How strong is that thing?! I thought it was just a Half-step R3. How''s it able to take such strong attacks so easily?!!" Jade exclaimed in shock.


    "You didn''t sense wrong. That is its power level. Just that beasts with Monarch bloodline are monsters in the same rank. It probably has the strength to kill PR3 beasts right now, and it will have a lot more if it survives," Iris replied with a little smile on her face. She quite liked seeing the group realise that while they were strong in their rank. They were far from being the strongest.


    "Impossible! There''s no way such a creature exists!" Jade exclaimed again in disbelief. The others, Muku included were just as shocked. Muku even felt like pride got hurt a little. He couldn''t even beat a normal Half-step R3 beast like Spider Queen yet that dragon bastard!...


    "Hehe... Little girl, you have no idea what''s possible. Why do you think all these beasts don''t dare attack it despite their large numbers? In fact, the reason you all can move around so freely is because you''re in the outskirts, otherwise... Hehehe" Iris replied in a schadenfreudian tone. She was having the best time of her life breaking down their walls.


    Nothing was better than the expression frogs make when they realise that they are at the bottom of the well. Especially when the frogs were more than certain that they were aware of the whole world.


    "Can you stop for now? We''ll talk about that some other time. Let''s focus on the task at hand for now," Muku, who had somewhat recovered from the sudden bomb Iris dropped, intervened.


    He didn''t want the team''s mental state to take such a strong hit before the chaotic event they were about to experience.


    "Sure" Iris didn''t argue as she immediately agreed. She had already gotten her fun. There was no need to push anymore.


    "Now ladies, focus on the matter at hand. Remember, this is our chance to get stronger. Don''t let the possibility of what could have been getting to you. We''re here now, doing fine. That''s all that matters" Muku ended up having to give the girls a little pep talk.


    While it was rare, there were moments like this. It was also at such times he was reminded that they were all still little girls who could stumble and fall and needed someone else to pick them up. While Audrey could definitely handle such situations a lot easier than the rest. Her mind would become blank on what to do. So he had to step in.


    Even if he said he would step back. It would be unreasonable to completely detach himself. It wasn''t like he was planning to leave them one day or about to die after all.


    "Look, the first round of the Tribulation is over. Two more left and it would be home free," Iris'' voice was heard again.


    While it did help Muku in snapping the girls out of their disbelief. It was a double-edged sword at the same time.


    After all, any smart person would realise something obvious from the words. Which all the members of Muku''s group thought.


    {There''s more?!} Everyone thought, their eyes widening to the max. The first wave was already way above their abilities, and yet there was more. Wouldn''t those be even stronger too??


    "Shut up!" Muku couldn''t help but snap at Iris.


    He could tell that she didn''t intend the hidden meaning of her words. She must not have thought about it too deeply. But still, the damage was done.


    "Hhm?... Oh, sorry! I didn''t mean it like that!" Iris was confused for a bit before realising why Muku snapped. She immediately apologized. She was trying her best to change their opinion of her. So she had been doing her best not to go overboard, but the slip might throw her efforts down the drain.

 Chapter 163 163: Soul Link?

    The group ignored Iris'' matter for the most part. There were more pressing matters that had to be dealt with. Which was the dragon about to face the second round of attacks.


    The lightning bolts had seized. While the dragon seemed mostly unharmed. They could tell that it might not have been as easy as it appeared to them. Its aura had decreased in intensity by a slight margin. While it wasn''t much. It at least confirmed that the lightning has an effect on it.


    Just when they were starting to wonder when the next attack would occur. The purple lightning that was flashing in the clouds started to gather together.


    Before, it would just strike as it formed. Now it was gathering together at the center. The aura getting more and more intense. The group couldn''t help but hold their breath as they looked on. Even the beasts on the ground to some steps back.


    Jade''s danger sense was ringing like crazy as she looked at the clouds. She knew instantly that if such an attack was aimed at her, she would definitely die on the spot. There would be no resistance, just straight-up instant death. That''s all one can do when faced with absolute power.


    Even Muku agreed. Even before the first attack struck, he was certain he couldn''t survive it.


    The dragon looked up at the clouds unmoving. Its posture was still as strong as it was during the first round. However, if one looked closer at its eyes, to be more specific. They would notice that their arrogance and confidence had reduced by a large amount.


    It wasn''t too worried about the coming attack. What would come after that was what worried it. Unlike normal beasts, it, like all beasts with Monarch bloodlines, is completely self-aware from the start. Their intelligence rivalled that of adult humans from as early as Rank One. So, anything that humans like Muku can think of. It can as well.


    It was even wondering if it had rushed to get the ritual done. The only thing that gave it a little assurance was the plan B it had prepared. While it wasn''t perfect, at least it was better than the alternative.


    WHOOSH!


    BOOOOOOM!!!!!


    Just as it was stuck in thought. The first attack of the second round descended. The lightning had changed forms and colour. It took on the form of a black-coloured sphere that was around half the size of the dragon.


    That''s right, it had turned into a huge ball of distractive ball of lightning. The ground was devastated on impact and the dragon''s body was charred. Its tough skin showed visible damage for the first time. Its back fur was burned off. Even the shine on its black scales decreased by a lot. It seemed the attack had gotten really close to breaking through them.


    Some unlucky LR2 beasts that were standing in the front were hit by the crossfire. Just the energy wave from the attack killed some and injured the rest. Even the MR2s were somewhat affected. It was only the PR2s and the Half-step R3s that were fine. Though even they were mentally stunned by the attack.


    Their being there wasn''t because they had witnessed something like that before or they heard it somewhere. It was because that''s how the heavens made it. Whenever a bloodline awakening ritual was held, beasts below a certain rank would gather.


    It was part of the trial set by the other heavens. The Monarch bloodlines were so strong that the heavens didn''t want to see any beasts successfully awaken them. So, while the ritual was survivable. Only one out of a thousand would survive it. There were various reasons as to why that was, but all that mattered was the final result.


    BOOOOOM!


    BOOOOOM!


    BOOOOOM!


    BOOOOOM!.....


    Before anyone could recover from the initial attack. One after the other came. It went on until ten equally devastating attacks hit square on the dragon''s body.


    At the end of it. The formerly majestic dragon that stood tall was now panting. It could barely stand. Its body was almost unrecognisable. There were cracks all over its scales. It no longer had fur or horns. The lightning had destroyed everything.


    However, it wasn''t the only beast affected. The continuous attacks had incredible the intensity of the shockwaves. This time, it wasn''t only the LR2s that were affected. Even the MR2s and the PR2s were affected. All the beasts from LR2 to MR2 that were dumb enough to still stand too close were killed. The PR2s were seriously injured.


    The situation had gotten so distractive that more than a kilometre of land was levelled. Yet the beasts didn''t run away. At best, they stepped back even more. It was clear to see that there was a force acting upon them. Otherwise, most would have split long ago or not even turned up.


    "Well... I''m glad I''m not a beast" Jade couldn''t help but speak in relief while looking in from the distance.


    Even they had distanced themselves after things started getting real. They had done it before the beasts even. After all, their actions were completely under their control, unlike the beasts.


    "Hehe" Iris let out a little ominous laugh after Jade spoke.


    "Don''t you dare..." Muku immediately intervened before she dumped even more information they didn''t want to know on them.


    "What? I wasn''t going to say anything" Iris replied with a slightly smug look on her face. Clearly enjoying being in the know while they weren''t.


    "Right... Whatever" Muku felt really annoyed by her. He even wanted to randomly tell her how they actually knew one Monarch and were enemies with him. It would definitely shock her into silence for a while.


    However, he thought that it wasn''t the time to be petty. That can be saved for later. Letting her enjoy her fun for then was okay.


    "It''s beginning already?... What''s that?!!!" Just as Muku was thinking about how he would make Iris regret it. Chloe exclaimed, stealing his attention. He immediately looked toward the clouds above the weakened dragon again.


    That''s when he saw it. The lightning had changed colour again and taken a new form. This time he was certain that it was going to be just a single attack.


    The attack was silent, stable and descended slowly. It didn''t seem like lightning at all. For it was a humongous white palm even bigger than the dragon. It was twice as large as the dragon.


    The beasts that were under the control of the heavens got so scared that they froze. All of them froze. From LR2s to Half-step R3s. None could move, they could barely breathe.


    "Oh my! This one must be really something special... I don''t know if it''s going to survive, though," Iris spoke in an impressed tone, which turned disappointed soon after.


    "What do you mean?" Muku asked what Iris meant but his eyes didn''t stray away from the palm. After all, it wasn''t every day one saw a humongous white palm made of lightning slowly descend on a dragon.


    "Hmm, let me put it like this. The third-round attack during a bloodline awakening ritual is like a mirror of the beast''s potential. The stronger the attack, the more potential the beast has. If we had to scale this one from 1 to 10. Od say it''s a 12. That''s why I said the beast is special but it won''t survive. It''s about to be crushed by its own potential. How poetic don''t you think?" Iris explained; at the end, it kinda seemed like she was gloating a little.


    "Oh, is that so? Can you tell me the information you were going to use in the deal now? While from your words I can sense that it''s likely useless now. I''m still willing to do you a small favour for it" Muku expressed his interest in knowing the information Iris had.


    He felt that it was a shame for such an amazing creature to die even if it was from the opposite camp. Which reminded him about the deal maybe there was a way to help the beast and gain some benefits.


    "Well... While I think there''s nothing you can do now since even a LR4 wouldn''t be able to help with that attack. I''ll tell you since I''m not one to turn down a free favour. The information I wanted to use for the deal was Soul Link" Iris spoke a little before pausing. She really liked being dramatic after all.


    "Soul Link?" Muku repeated what she said as a way of telling her to continue.


    "Yes, Soul Link. You see, during these rituals. When a beast going through the ritual cannot take it alone. It will seek out a Soul Link with any human willing to assist it. Which will be shown by a glow on its chest. Whoever can manage to touch that glow will immediately linked to the beast.


    "Then they will have to do everything in their power to help the beast since from then on they would be partners for life..."


    "The drawback is that if one of them dies before they reach Rank Nine, the one left alive will lose half their strength forever and won''t be able to continue improving from then"


    Iris didn''t delay anymore as she explained everything. Muku and the girls all went silent thinking about what she said.


    "Oh look! It''s finally about to fight back. I thought it was going to arrogantly tank everything and die. It seems it was saving its strength for the last attack. What a smart beastie!" Iris exclaimed, and again, all eyes focused on the dragon.

 Chapter 164 164: It shouldnt exist

    "ROOOOOOOOOOOAR!"


    Just as the group looked at the dragon. They saw a scene that can only be described as magical.


    The dragon let out a terrifying breath attack as big as it. How it did such a thing was the amazing part.


    A huge black magic circle formed just above its head. It then targeted its black breath attack at the circle. The circle took the attack and was undamaged. Then it released it from the other side in an amplified state. Both in power and size. The attack then charged at the giant palm that was descending slowly on the dragon.


    The scene kind of seemed like a divine being trying to strike down a devil. The devil resisting with all its might. Even if it wasn''t as strong as the divine being. It still resisted with everything it had.


    "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    An earth-shaking explosion, even more intense than the one involving Iris and the four beasts, went off. Anything and everything within two kilometres of the explosion was wiped out of existence. No matter what rank the beasts that were around were. They were killed off. Nothing survived.


    It seemed the heavens had underestimated the might of the dragon. It might have been even more special than Iris thought.


    "It can use magic circles?? What kind of monster is this?!" For the first time since the beginning of the event, Iris completely lost her composure.


    How could she not lose her composure when she, at her peak strength, still couldn''t use magic circles? Hell, she wasn''t even close to being able to do it. It was an ability for legit Monarchs after all. Just having the Monarch bloodline didn''t qualify someone to be able to use them. At least that''s what she thought until she came across the dragon.


    "What? What''s wrong? Is it not supposed to do that?" Muku asked. His eyes still didn''t move from the dragon, though. He was wondering how a creature that was supposed to only be Half-step R3 could do that.


    "No, it''s not! I was mistaken when I called it a 12 out of 10. That thing is at least a 100 out of 10. An anomaly! No wonder the heavens want it gone. Such creatures shouldn''t exist in the current world. The world can''t handle them." Iris spoke hysterically. There was even a crazy look in her eyes. It was almost like she wanted to attack the dragon as well and help the heavens get rid of it.


    The only thing stopping her was the fact that her host was too weak. She probably wouldn''t even survive the lingering chaotic energy in the area.


    "Well... I don''t know anything about whether it should exist or not, but I will be taking it home with me today. No matter what..." Muku replied to the hysterical Iris, his eyes still glued onto the battle scene that was starting to clear up.


    "What?!" Iris was taken aback by his words. How could he say such a thing after seeing all that?!


    BOOOOM!


    Before she could say anything else, Muku''s aura exploded. Then he flew off into the distance. They were three kilometres away from the dragon for obvious reasons. So, while there was a little distance between them and it to normal people. To Evolvers that distance was nothing.


    So, within a few seconds, Muku was already beneath the large dragon. He did it so quickly that none of the girls managed to say anything to stop him. Maybe he knew that they would try something, so as he flew away, he made the platform descend to the ground simultaneously.


    So, the girls had to focus on their balance as the platform descended quickly. By the time they looked up again from their feet, Muku was gone.


    Of course, some wanted to go after him. That''s when Muku''s second-in-command stepped in. She stopped them from following. While Audrey never liked any of his crazy plans, she would do everything in her power to support him in them. Which she did. With the authority, she held in the group that was second to Muku only. She could easily stop the girls from following him, which she did.


    "Is he really going to take the chance?" Jade asked a rhetorical question while pointing forward. They were standing in a place that allowed them to see the dragon''s chest. So she, with her better than most eyesight, immediately noticed the dragon''s chest light up in a golden light. Which signified that it was seeking a Soul Link.


    Which was understandable; after all, it had used all it had clearly used all its strength in the last attack. Yet it had only managed to disburse around 70% of the palm''s power. It had no other option but to seek out a Soul Link or it would just watch as it died.


    Oddly enough, its eyes had been on Muku from start to finish. From when he was with the rest to how he came to it. Almost like it was expecting him there.


    However, in the chaotic moment, no one noticed it. There was so much happening that even the observant Hope and the knowledge Iris missed it.


    "HEY! I''M HERE TO HELP, WILL YOU LET ME?" Muku took a chance and crazily flew in front of the dragon then shouted his intentions.


    The dragon looked at him oddly for a bit. A look of amusement appeared in its eyes soon after. As expected of the human it chose. So crazy. It didn''t delay anymore as it nodded to Muku then gestured at its glowing chest with its head.


    "GREAT! WE''LL BE PARTNERS FROM NOW ON!" Muku said then flew to its chest. He then placed his hand on its chest. His chest exploded out in a light of its own instantly.


    The light from their chest then gathered together forming what seemed to be a thread made out of light. The dragon''s thread and Muku''s grey thread then came together and linked with each other.


    A blinding light followed after before quickly disappearing into the nothingness of space. Luckily, the link didn''t take too long, or the palm that was around 500 hundred meters above them would have hit them before it formed. It seemed the dragon''s attack had slowed it even more, giving them more time.


    {What now?} Just as Muku was trying to get used to the unfamiliar new connection he felt after the link. A youthful female voice rang out in his head.


    {Well, that''s obvious. I save you and we get out of here} Unlike many who would have been spooked by the sudden voice in their head. Muku immediately knew who it was. The soul link might have played a part in that, too, though.


    {O...Kay, how?} The voice asked curiously. However, from how it sounded. Muku couldn''t help but wonder why it seemed so confident that he would be able to help.


    He couldn''t help but look at the dragon before him. The sight of it was rather sad. Most of its scales were gone. It was bleeding all over. Wounds everywhere, some of its bones were even visible from the deeper wounds. Smoke was coming off of its charred body. It was breathing heavily, almost like it was about to breathe its last. Honestly, the dragon looked really pathetic at the moment.


    If Muku failed to assist, then it would be doomed to die on that day. Yet, it seemed so nonchalantly. Almost like it couldn''t feel the pain from its horrific wounds. Muku couldn''t help but think that it was quite the bad*ss.


    {Just look and you''ll see} Muku replied in his mind. Like the legit one he was. He then took advantage of the dragon''s damage to the beasts all around.


    He then summoned Mithril middles. They were a lot easier to create than a sword. Obviously, their power would be practically nothing if compared to the sword. However, they were enough to finish off half-dead beasts.


    Which was exactly what Muku was planning to use them for. He targeted any injured beast that was close enough to him with them. Since all the beasts were R2s. He''d get something from every kill. He randomly killed for ten seconds.


    Killing from LR2s to Half-step R3s. His KP quickly reached the required amount. The dragon just looked on quietly. It was letting him cook.


    "Hehe," As soon as he killed enough, he let out a little laugh. It was time for the girls to realise something they didn''t know.


    BOOOOOOOOOOM!


    His already significantly strong aura spiked up in an instant. The eyes of the girls who were looking at it and could sense it immediately widened.


    However, could they not when he had directly stepped into Rank Three instead of the Half-step R3 they were expecting? It was understandable since the last time Muku told them about his mana control level, it was around 50%. Which wasn''t too long ago. The rest were still around 60%. How has he already reached 100%?!


    Jade, who thought she would be the first one to step into R3, felt the hit the most. There was also Layla, who was secretly happy about receiving the R3 core, which would help her get to 80% at least. Then she''d be ahead of everyone that wasn''t Jade. Her hopes of being in the top two were dashed along with Jade''s of being number one.


    The rest were mostly just surprised. They didn''t have much hope of being the first or second so...


    What bothered them was how Muku didn''t say anything. Which he would definitely have to explain after everything was over.


    ....


    Back at Muku''s side...


    "Okay, Mr Giant Palm in the sky. Let''s talk..." Muku spoke excitedly while feeling his R3 strength. It honestly felt like he went from earth to heaven. That''s how strong he felt at that moment.


    "I guess I can try that now..." He spoke to himself as he thought of a crazy idea...

 Chapter 165 165: Silver Giant

    "Mithril Giant!" Muku shouted the name of his spell.


    That''s right. He was going to use the same Mithril that even Ares'' avatar couldn''t fight back before.


    Of course, it won''t be pure Mithril. It would, at best, be 5-10% Mithril due to the time constraints. However, it would still be a lot stronger than a giant completely made out of normal metal.


    As soon as he spoke. Liquid metal started appearing out of nowhere. Circling his whole body all over. Soon his body was completely covered up by silver metal that had a faint grey in it from the Mithril mixed in.


    The shape of an eight-metre-tall giant was already forming. As for why it wasn''t bigger than that? Well, he was still new to R3 and going beyond that would have made the giant unstable.


    "He can make metal giants?!... Why didn''t he do that before?" Jade exclaimed.


    "I really want to say that what he''s doing is impossible... But I''ve already met my shocked quota for the day. So I''ll just say it''s impressive" Iris commented apathetically.


    She couldn''t find it in herself to express emotion anymore. She had realised that Muku''s group were weird. Always finding themselves in situations they shouldn''t be, doing what they shouldn''t be doing.


    Which in retrospect, should have considered earlier. From how they woke her up and stayed for the battle when normal people would have run away. Then Freya, who was aware of her mindscape when she shouldn''t have been. Not to mention Muku''s Telekinesis which never appeared on random people.


    Well, whatever. What mattered was that she learned her lesson. Otherwise, she might have become the first being to have a heart attack in someone else''s body and kill them with it.


    "What do you mean?" Emily, who was standing beside her, asked. While Emily knew that Freya could take back control whenever she wanted. She just couldn''t trust Iris with Freya''s body. That''s why she had been standing close to her from the start, in case Iris thought of running or something like that.


    "Oh, nothing... Just that newly ascended R3s shouldn''t be able to use their domain immediately. Even if it''s just an embryo of it. In fact, this is the first time I''ve seen or even heard of such a case. The field that metal is circling in is his domain. Which allows him to do basically whatever he wants with the metal. Controlling it in a more precise way" Iris responded as nonchalantly as she could.


    The light in her eyes had long dimmed. From the dragon to Muku, they had both made her realise how blissfully ignorant she was. The reputation she once had as a young fairy of being a genius who didn''t need to bond with anyone was bull. She and those who praised her were frogs at the bottom of the well.


    Maybe it wasn''t that bleak and times had just changed. As they say, "The new generation always surpasses the old". So, maybe it was just the standards that had increased and not that she had gotten an undeserved reputation.


    Which made sense. However, even that thought didn''t make her feel any better. She, who has always been young, was now the grandma she always looked down on. Depression hit her hard. It would have been worse if the fairies aged like humans.


    Who gets to the point where you can tell they are old by just looking at them? She, however, looking like a lady in her late twenties, was as old as she was going to look until she died. Her mood got better again.


    "...Well, he wouldn''t be my Big Brother if he stuck to the norm now would he?" Hope was the one to respond. She hesitated at first after seeing Iris'' constantly changing expression showing mental turmoil.


    Her pride in her brother got the better of her, however, so she couldn''t help but say something. She was feeling a lot better about his new strength. She was so happy she no longer cared about the blood chains Audrey had used to tie her down in place.


    While in normal cases, she would listen to Audrey every time. She was untrustworthy when it came to Muku. So with the approval of everyone. Hope locked Hope in place. Blood chains that linked them were deployed. They were long and light enough to not impede Hope''s movements... But short enough that she couldn''t go anywhere close to Muku.


    She had tried to fight them off at first. That''s when Audrey threatened her with a full-body suit and reported her to Muku. So she begrudgingly stopped fighting. Now, however, all that was forgotten after seeing Muku''s strong and cool display.


    "This brat... So, what you''re saying is that he''s only able to create the giant because he now has a domain?" Jade rolled her eyes at Hope''s fangirl disposition whenever Muku did anything. Then she asked Iris something, trying to understand more. She also had some ideas she wanted to try in the future that she had failed to do in the past. So maybe a domain is what was missing.


    "Yeah... Can we talk about this another time? I''m sure the readers want to go back to Muku''s side..." Iris replied lazily. Saying something stuff Jade couldn''t properly grasp for some reason.


    "Oh, okay. We''ll talk later then" Jade replied. She couldn''t completely understand what Iris was talking about, but she understood the key point.


    That also happened to be the time Muku''s giant was almost fully formed. So she also wanted to watch what was about to happen...


    ...


    Muku''s side...


    "Finally! Luckily, the palm is super slow. Otherwise, this slow-as-hell attack might have gotten me killed!" Muku spoke to himself.


    However, his body was already out of sight. All that could be seen was an eight-metre-tall silver giant with grey linings all over its body. Two glowing silver eyes, with no other facial features. Long silver hair flowing down to its knees.


    The body was toned and detailed like that of a human. If one looked closely they would notice that, except for the long hair, it resembled Muku''s real body, eerily so even. Either he was a narcissist or he was a narcissist. After all, everyone knew he was a narcissist.


    It was not as big as the dragon, let alone the lightning palm. But the aura coming off of the giant was really up there. Maybe not as strong as the dragon or even close. However, it was above half of the dragon''s aura. Which should be enough for the situation, since most of the palm''s energy had already been expended


    "Sky Splitting Blade!" Muku''s voice was heard clearly within the chaos.


    As the voice rang out. The giant made a grasping action. As soon as it did, a large sword, even larger than the giant itself, appeared. The blade was around Sixteen metres tall.


    After it completely formed, the giant flew up and slashed at the white lightning palm, which was less than two hundred meters away from the five hundred of a few moments before.


    The move seemed quite reckless. Considering that the palm was still a force to be reckoned with. So there was no way Muku''s attack could do too much damage to it right?


    Wrong! Only Iris thought that. The dragon and the girls knew something that Iris didn''t. Which was the existence of Muku''s bloodline.


    There was no way he wouldn''t play such an important card in such a situation after all. It was actually the base for everything.


    While it was OP, it was slow to act. He didn''t have time. So, he came up with an idea to make it work.


    He created a giant for defence when he gets closer to the palm, which would obviously make the area around it unbearable for humans despite its calm appearance. Then, create a sword that will have his erasing effect applied to it. Which was something he had recently discovered he could do.


    So, while Iris saw a huge blade with an ominously glowing grey edge that wasn''t going to do anything, the dragon, which was in the know for some reason, along with the girls, saw something else.


    They saw an attack that was sure to end things with zero resistance from the palm.


    "Haaaaaaa.....!" Muku screamed as soon as the blade came into contact with the palm. He then cleanly split it in half, like everyone but one expected.


    "IMPOSSIBLE!" Iris, who thought she was over getting shocked, found herself getting shocked again.


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    Another earth-shaking explosion ensued. Muku''s attack had destabilised the palm leading to an explosion.


    Fortunately, due to the reduced power of the palm by the first attack. Along with the fact that it was only the palm''s power that was exploding without any additions from Muku. The explosion wasn''t as destructive as the first one. Which was also in part due to it occurring in the sky.


    However, Muku and the dragon went as lucky as everyone else who went unscathed. The two were too close to the explosion. So obviously they had to pay for it.


    Fortunately, Muku hadn''t stuck around after slicing it in two. He had instantly flown down to the dragon. Where he created the thickest dome he could with all the mana he had left.


    While that didn''t manage to tank all of the energy wave''s force. It tanked most of it.


    Muku''s giant tanked the rest for him and the dragon with a little help from his Telekinesis.


    After it was all said and done. The silver giant was left blackened, and a red-skinned Muku came out of it.


    "Why did I think encasing myself in metal while facing something hot was a good idea? And you! Stop drooling! You''re the reason I got cooked!" Muku came out of the giant with a belly full of complaints he had to express.


    Especially when the dragon he did it all for, was looking at him like it wanted to eat him...

 Chapter 166: Might of the Beast Empress!

    "Hehe. Sorry, and thank you for stepping in" The dragon''s jovial voice rang in his head again. He could tell that it wasn''t anywhere near as sorry as it was saying.


    What was amazing was how it could still be so happy when it''s battered and bruised. Its scales are mostly gone, drained of all its power. If it was only that, one could maybe still understand that it was happy about the victory, but...


    "Why the hell are you happy when the beasts that survived are slowly approaching us?!" Muku exclaimed hysterically. He couldn''t help but wonder if its brain had been turned to mush by all the attacks it took.


    {Oh, that''s simple actually...} The dragon replied, then trailed off at the end.


    What happened after made Muku almost curse out loud. The dragon''s humongous body turned into a black light, and before he could react, it had drilled into his forehead.


    The scene was eerily similar to when Iris drilled into Freya''s head. The only difference was that Iris didn''t need to first bond with Freya before gaining access while the dragon did. Then again, the act of entering someone''s mindscape for a fairy is also their way of bonding so the situation really wasn''t too different.


    "OMG! You snake! Was this the real reason you wanted to form a Soul Link with me?! How sinister! I want out! I want out I say!" Muku immediately shouted out complaints while wishing he could recover as quickly as possible.


    His mana was almost completely drained from the ordeal. He couldn''t even float. He had consciously left a little bit of mana to support his body function. Otherwise, he would have been paralysed on the ground at that moment.


    {Hehe. No, no, no. I''m not being a snake as you put it. I''m just letting you handle it like you wanted to. Now if you''ll excuse me. I have to rest now. Please survive this. If you die now I''ll also die. Which I''d rather not...} The dragon''s voice sounded in Muku''s head.


    While it still sounded as jovial as before. He could tell that it was very tired and drowsy. It trailed off at the end, likely having fallen into a deep sleep to recover.


    "Sigh, me and my big mouth" Muku complained to himself. Unlike Freya, he didn''t have access to his mindscape. So he couldn''t go bother the dragon even if he wanted to. Though he wouldn''t have done so even if he could. He had seen what it went through and could sense how tired it was. So, while it was a pain, he really had to deal with the situation without it.


    "Here" A voice suddenly popped up beside Muku.


    "Ah! Oh. Don''t just randomly appear next to people like that. Also, what do you mean "here"... Layla, I love you!" Muku was obviously spooked by the sudden voice in such a tense situation.


    He had long forgotten that Layla could travel through shadows since she seldom did it. The current situation where dark clouds covered the sky turned out to be the best situation for her. She could easily bypass the beasts that were inching closer and get to Muku''s side.


    As for why Muku suddenly confessed while giving her a hug? No, it wasn''t because he suddenly realised his love for her. It was because she had come to give him what he needed most at that time. A beast core he could use to recover his mana. She gave him the purple beast core from the Three-tailed fox.


    "O...oh" Layla only managed to say that as she stood frozen in place. Her face was red from embarrassment. She was not expecting the sudden confession.


    Her mind was instantly overloaded with all kinds of thoughts. When they will have their wedding. Who will be her maid of honour? Where they will have their honeymoon and how many children they will have. Along with the names of the children and a lot more. Her face getting hotter and hotter the more she thought.


    BOOOOM!


    "WHAT?!" Jade, who had been eavesdropping, instantly lost it, and her aura exploded out. She wasn''t expecting the sudden confession either.


    "Rooooooar!" And so, like the Beast Empress, she was. She unleashed her anger through violence.


    She immediately launched her breath attack at the unsuspecting beasts that were still focused on Muku.


    Unfortunately for the beasts. The stronger ones were the ones in front, while the weaker ones were in the back. So, taking Jade''s beyond PR2 attack(even though she wasn''t PR2 yet) as a LR2, MR2 or PR2 from the back wasn''t easy.


    "BOOOOOOM!


    The breath attack exploded out on impact. More than twenty unsuspecting beasts were killed, most being MR2s since most LR2s had already been killed off in the carnage. There were a few PR2s that died as well.


    BOOOM!


    Another explosion ensued. This time, it wasn''t an attack, though. It was Jade breaking through into Rank Three!


    All the beasts immediately froze. The Wolf that had been observing from a distance about to strike immediately turned tail and ran. Its whole body shook in fear. Horror practically oozing out of its eyes. One thought in its mind: "Impossible!".


    "What are you all waiting for? Kill them, they won''t dare fight back. If they do, I will kill them myself," Jade, who seemed to have lost it, suddenly spoke.


    That''s when the confused bunch who didn''t know what was wrong with her finally moved. Their confusion was understandable since they didn''t hear what she did. All they saw was Jade randomly exploding out in a fit of rage.


    However, an opportunity for easy kills had presented itself. There was no way they would let it go. Everyone immediately jumped into action.


    Even Layla put her chaotic thoughts aside and started a mad slaughter. However, she didn''t go too far away from Muku, who seemed to have entered a trance. It was clear to see that something more than recovering mana was happening. Which was obvious from the dragon aura he was emitting.


    Comically enough, even Freya, who had gotten her body back, and Elsa had gotten into the mix. They were targeting the gravely injured beasts that were close to dying already.


    Of course, it wasn''t for fun. Well, at first it was. Until they both got a prompt that said that the kill points would be saved and come into effect when they reached R2. So, if anything they were reducing the work they will have to do in the future. Even if it was only by a little bit...


    Interestingly enough, true to Jade''s words. None of the beasts fought back as they were getting killed. They would show savagery and anger in their eyes but wouldn''t dare move.


    Such was the capabilities of the Beast Empress. She was finally starting to bud after ditching mana. Gaining the ability to completely suppress lower-ranked beasts. Her passive ability even had an effect on same-ranked beasts. It weakened them by a lot of their bloodline wasn''t strong enough. Which was the reason the wolf ran away despite being technically a lot stronger than Jade.


    She had turned into the name of all beasts. A legend feared by beasts everywhere in the days of old.


    Soon all the beasts in the area were killed off. Jade had to weaken the defences of the stronger ones, but she didn''t personally kill any.


    Some rebelled, choosing to fight for their lives. However, their rebellion was short-lived, as Jade''s mere gaze drained them of all their strength. If the beast still showed signs of rebellion after that, she would break all its legs and beat it up. Only leaving it a little bit of its life, which would be snuffed out by one of the others.


    Seeing how pointless the struggle was. The rest gave up on trying. Hoping that they get killed off as quickly as possible without having to suffer as much as their comrades...


    "So, what are we going to do with all this meat? And I have to say, this whole thing was quite a letdown after the dragon event. I thought we were in for an epic battle or something" Jade immediately asked about what she cared about most...meat. Then expressed her disappointment in how things ended.


    "Shut up! You''re literally the one who sucked all the fun out of it. Why are you complaining?!" Emily snapped at Jade.


    She really wished she could beat Jade up in the moment. However, she wouldn''t seek her own demise by attacking a R3 while only being a Peak R2. That''s right, she and the other girls still had some distance to go before breaking through. Their mana purity was still in the 60s-70s.


    "And I can''t store any of the meat in my Shadow Pocket. It''s already full. We can, however, take some of it back, and I''ll put it on ice. R2 beast meat doesn''t rot quickly anyway. So it should be fine for three months or so, even without my ice" Layla spoke after Emily.


    She was trying to keep her mind off of certain things by interacting with the others.


    "...Okay", Jade replied after a moment of silence, still thinking about Muku''s confession every time she looked at Layla. Her eyes immediately trailed off in his direction to express her discontent, however she was puzzled as soon as she looked at him.


    "Hhm? What''s wrong with him?" Jade exclaimed.


    The others instantly looked at Muku. They were shocked to see his body getting thinner and thinner in front of their eyes.


    "Give him another core!" Audrey shouted hysterically.

 Chapter 167: Hidden Desire...

    "Okay," Layla immediately did what she was told. She took out the earth-brown core and handed it to Muku, who grabbed it without opening his eyes.


    The purple core hand long turned into dust after being sucked dry. The moment he grabbed the earth''s-brown core. It''s energy started to visibly get sucked into Muku''s body. Oddly enough, none of it was getting wasted. Which should have only been possible if Muku had the earth element. Which he didn''t. So the correct guess would be that it was linked to the dragon in some way.


    "Freya, can you ask Iris if she knows what''s going on?" Audrey spoke to Freya


    While she had been quick to act and Muku''s body was already recovering because of it. It wasn''t because she was informed of what was going on. She was just able to quickly realise that he was going through an energy deficiency from a past experience.


    The experience was when she turned into a Lesser Vampire who was always hungry. Her body at that time lacked proper methods of retaining energy so she was always seeking it out from blood unconsciously. Which was something she figured out when she got the memory from the incident later on.


    So, while her case wasn''t as severe as Muku''s. She was able to recognise it quickly and act. However, he still didn''t know the specific reason why it was going on. They could all guess that the dragon likely had something to do with it, but they didn''t know the "how and why". Which was where the knowledgeable Iris came in.


    "She said that the dormant dragon must have sensed the beast core. So it unconsciously started sucking in the mana to recover itself. Which couldn''t facilitate the recovery of both of them. So he received a backlash of losing his mana to it. With the second core, the situation should stabilise soon," Freya told the others what Iris told her.


    "Wait, so what if we didn''t have enough cores? Would he have died?" Hope asked a question that everyone was thinking about. The hate in her voice toward the dragon was clear as day. Which was understandable considering how important Muku was to her.


    "...She said no. While it would have left him in a terrible state. It wouldn''t kill him and he''d recover after a while. After a certain threshold, the dragon would be forced to wake up and stop the process. After all, its own life is linked to his. All this was a mistake. It wouldn''t have happened in a normal situation. Just bad luck" Freya replied after a moment of silence when Iris was answering the question.


    "Oh, but still. How can it be so careless? Big Brother saved it and this is how it repays him?" Hope was still not happy. Even if she clearly understood everything. Facts didn''t matter when her brother was hurt. To her, that was the biggest fact of all.


    The others didn''t say anything against her. After all, they agreed. The dragon was a new element in their lives while Muku was practically their world, so there was clearly no comparison between the two.


    "Where are the beast?!" It was at that tense moment that Muku''s confused voice rang out.


    To him, he had only closed his eyes for a few seconds to recover. Yet when he woke up. He was met with dead bodies everywhere. Reasonably, he had to ask what was up.


    "Big Brother! You''re okay!" Hope instantly turned to Muku and practically buried herself in his chest. Luckily, Muku had recovered somewhat from the energy the dragon didn''t take after having its fill. Otherwise, he would have been knocked to the ground by the enthusiastic girl.


    "Yeah... What did I miss?" Muku instantly realised that something significant he wasn''t aware of had happened. It seemed he was so entranced before that he didn''t even feel his body getting sucked dry.


    "You don''t know? Okay. It went like this..." Audrey told him after noticing that Hope, who was the primary receiver of his question, was so lost in his hug that she might not have heard him.


    "Oh, so that''s what happened. Well, as long as it all worked out in the end, I guess," Muku replied neutrally. While it surprised him a bit after being told about what had happened.


    He took it for granted for obvious reasons. He the one who went through it, didn''t feel anything. And he was okay when he came to. So, to him, it practically didn''t happen. There was no reason to think too deeply about something like that.


    "So... Do you feel any changes on you?" Chloe suddenly chimed in. Her gaze focused on Muku like she was seeing something fascinating. Which wasn''t too different from how the others were looking at him.


    "Hhm, I''m not sure. I hadn''t gotten used to my increase in strength yet, so I''m not sure if there''s an increase in that from what I got after reaching R3. I do feel a lot lighter, though, which I definitely didn''t feel after ranking up" Muku ignored their odd gazes, thinking that it was likely due to him being shirtless. His shirt had long been burnt off by the heat from the event before.


    As for his pants?. Obviously, like any good story, that makes perfect sense. They were still there, a bit tattered and torn here and there. However, they were still covering everything that mattered well.


    "Really? Is there nothing else?" Chloe pressed on.


    "You know, this would all go a lot faster if you just pointed out what you mean to me", Muku, who had instantly realised that there was something else she was trying to bring his attention to, chose the quickest way to get it done. Which was to get her to tell him whatever she was talking about.


    "Can''t you just go by the script like any normal person would? Shouldn''t you start observing yourself closely until you realise what she''s talking about?" Jade interjected while rolling her eyes.


    It always rubbed her the wrong way when Muku did something like that. They''d be expecting a certain kind of show, only for him to change the script.


    "Geez, you''re the ones that are bothered by whatever you''re talking about. So why are you getting angry when you aren''t going straight to the point?! Does that seem reasonable to you?" Muku snapped back.


    "They are talking about your long hair, increased height and bigger muscles. You probably got a little more handsome as well" Before the situation between Muku and Jade could develop into a fight, Jade would definitely regret it soon after. Hope intervened without unsticking herself from Muku.


    Like a little pervert, she was even sniffing his body ever so slightly. She thought she was being discreet about it and no one would notice. However, she had overlooked the fact that she was surrounded by superhumans. So her subtle actions were quite loud to their enhanced senses.


    They just chose to not embarrass her by saying anything. Well, Jade wanted to, but Emily stopped her. Freya was so embarrassed by what Hope was doing that one might even think that she was the one doing it.


    "What do you all...Oh! When did this happen?!" Muku replied while creating a silver mirror in front of him. While he couldn''t create glass, he could create a metal shiny enough to mimic it. He was shocked by what he saw.


    While it still looked like him for the most part. His height had increased by at least twenty centimetres. He was no longer as lean as before, having gained a significant amount of muscle. Then there was his once short hair he had been grooming every chance he got.


    The girls had been hounding him about it every time it got a little longer to cut it. Saying that their leader shouldn''t look unkempt or something like that.


    Now, however, it had gotten so long that it could reach his back. With his refined facial features. The hair just made sense. Audrey was even drooling slightly while looking at him. Desire radiating out of her eyes.


    She even felt a little dampness in between her legs. Luckily for her, the others were focused on other things, or she would have been in for a rather embarrassing time. Also, the smell of smoke, blood and whatnot covered the whole area. Jade wasn''t able to pick up the special scent she was releasing.


    She wasn''t sure what was going on with her. While Muku has always looked great to her, she had never been so crazy about him. She could vaguely tell that if she was alone with Muku at that moment. She would have definitely pounced on him.


    Maybe the ocean of sexual desires she had been ignoring for thirty years was finally getting to her. She wasn''t sure how long she could hold on. Especially when the one she desired most was always in her line of sight. Smiling at her from the bottom of the heart. Almost like he was inviting her to do something.


    "We only noticed it after you woke up. So it''s safe to assume that it happened during the time we weren''t looking. As for the reason..." Chloe replied to him while still blatantly checking him out. Which again, most of the others were doing as well. She trailed off at the end as she shifted her focus from Muku to Freya.


    Her meaning is obvious. She was pretty much asking Iris to tell them what was going on.


    "She said, "I''m not your Ghoogle!" Freya replied with a statement from Iris that left everyone dumbstruck.

 Chapter 168: Lady of Culture!

    "Wait... How does she know about Ghoogle?!" Chloe exclaimed in surprise. The others were also shocked. She was an ancient fairy from a time before the recorded history they knew. So, how tf did she know about Ghoogle?!


    "Hhm? Oh, that. I let her take a peek into a few of my most common memories as one of our deal sweeteners. While she mostly looks at the Kdramas ones among others of that nature. She sometimes goes through the general life ones that include our world''s general knowledge. So, her knowledge of the times before the apocalypse is equal to that of an old grandma who knows a few things. She''ll probably become more knowledgeable as she looks into more memories" Freya explained.


    She almost laughed at the funny expressions the others had when she told them what Iris said. While she could understand why that was, that didn''t keep it from being funny.


    "Oh... I didn''t know that was possible. Well, at least it explains everything" Chloe replied mechanically while still trying to wrap her head around it. As were the others.


    They couldn''t help but feel like the one edge in information they had over Iris was slowly disappearing. Even if it was mostly useless information. People generally wanted to be in a similar position to the other party if not a better one. So, losing the little information they could brag about, didn''t feel too good.


    "Oh right! I forgive to mention that everything I see it learn is automatically captured and stored in my mindscape. So, I can technically remember everything that has happened to me, or that I''ve seen since the first day I learned of my ability. I just have to retrieve the disc from the shelf... Which, of course, looks like that because I made it so" Freya explained why Iris could say what she was saying.


    There was even a slight touch of pride in how she was speaking. Clearly, she was finally starting to get used to the rest of the gang. So, she was getting more and more casual. Which the others noticed, and they weren''t against it. They even silently supported it. That way, their team can be a lot closer.


    "O...oh, is that so?. I kinda feel even more jealous than before now..." Chloe replied with obvious jealousy written on her face. There were some things about her past she cherished but couldn''t remember properly. So, it would have been great if she could just look for the disk or file of it and watch it. Then maybe, she would be able to clearly remember the face of her mother she didn''t even have a photo of. Which was the work of her father who had destroyed them all trying to forget.


    For reasons of their own. The others also felt as jealous as her. Muku was one of the most jealous. He couldn''t remember anything that happened before he came to the orphanage at eight years old.


    While he didn''t particularly want to know things he shouldn''t. Like Ares'' origins, or the being that wanted to kill Iris''s origin. He definitely wanted to know about his own origin. If it was simple and he just suffered from memory loss that is. If it was troublesome... His personality- type would definitely opt not to know.


    "I''ll owe her another favour..." After a moment of silence when everyone was stuck in their own thoughts.


    Muku offered another favour. He was one of those people who didn''t like owing anyone anything. However, the moment they owed one, they wouldn''t mind owing a little more. A classic case of the "If you''re already dead and buried. What''s a little more dirt?" mentality.


    "Deal, and don''t worry. I know the drill. It can''t be anything too outrageous. Just know that you now owe me two favours. The reason your appearance changed like that is because of the dragon as you all guessed. The phenomenon is called synchronization. It''s when the compatibility between you and the Soul-linked beast is perfected. So both of you will go through some changes to suit the others. It''s a fifty-fifty type of thing. So the dragon will also go through some changes. It will be more apparent on it than you though. You''ll definitely be surprised the next time you see it. And there should be a little gift for you at that time as well" Iris, who had been given control by Freya, instantly agreed to the deal and gave Muku all the information he wanted.


    "Oh, so that''s why?" Muku only replied with a brief rhetorical question.


    "Yeah. That''s why you feel lighter. It improved your physic in more than just appearance. You''re probably as strong as this little lady here now" Even though she knew he wasn''t actually expecting an answer. She answered him anyway. She was in a good mood after obtaining another favour so she didn''t mind. To her, the more favours she squeezed out of Muku, who clearly had a bright future alongside his whole group, the better.


    Her saying that Muku was now as strong as Jade, who had gotten a lot stronger after ditching Mana, was quite surprising. After all, the new Jade was now at least two times as strong as Audrey physically. Which was quite a fit since the delicate-looking Audrey was quite a physical beast behind that ultra-feminine body.


    So for Muku to be as strong as Jade? That seemed highly unlikely...


    BOOOOOOOM!


    However, they all unwillingly accepted it after Jade tried to punch Muku with her best physical attack. Which he blocked without using mana. The attack was so close it created a minor shock wave that made the others protect themselves with their mana while holding down their skirts. Which was more out of instinct since the mana barriers blocked both the wind and force.


    "No fair!... Why do you keep getting one absurd power-up after the other? When will it be my turn?!" Jade exclaimed in grievance while taking her hand back as if she didn''t just try to sneak attack Muku with her strongest physical attack.


    "Well, I''m the main character so... You either accept it or die!" Muku replied jokingly.


    "Tsk, we''ll see when I get my spinoff" Jade replied semi-jokingly.


    "Can you two stop pretending like this is a novel written by a super busy virgin author? We''ve got things to do!" Emily chimed in while rolling her eyes. Her eyes were darkly looking around the place.


    Everyone immediately realised what she was trying to hint at. Which was the hundreds of beast corpses that surrounded them. While they had Jade to tell which corpse had a core and which didn''t. It would still be a mammoth task to look through everything. A boring one at that.


    The gains would probably help some reach Rank Three if they find cores that are in line with their elements to consume. It was a thing of the future. A seemingly too-distant future at that moment.


    "Wait! Before we get into this. Can I ask one thing?" Elsa suddenly spoke as everyone was about to grumpily get to work.


    "No, there will be no synchronization process between you and your fairy. Fairies aren''t beasts after all," Iris, who could tell from the start what the starry-eyed little girl, Elsa, wanted to ask, immediately replied.


    "Oh..." Elsa''s enthusiasm immediately deflated. While she could tell that she was giving herself false hope from how nothing had happened up to that point. She still couldn''t help but ask. Like any normal kid, the idea of going through what Muku went through seemed cool to her. So she wanted it for herself.


    "Don''t be so down. When there will be nothing of that sought. You will get something you will like later on. Much later on, though," Iris tried to raise Elsa''s spirit by telling her about something that would happen in the future without selling too much information.


    "Really? What will happen?!" Elsa immediately got excited and acted out of character as she went up to grab Iris as she spoke.


    "It''s a secret. I don''t want to spoil it for you. It will ruin the fun. Just wait for it while increasing your power. When it happens is completely up to your talent" Iris refused to give too much information.


    From Freya''s memories, she has learned about the concept of spoilers. Which was something she refused to do. Spoilers were the worst. Hints were fine but spoilers were pure evil!


    She, a lady of culture. Refused to do such a thing. That''s right, she had gotten into anime as well.


    "Fine..." Elsa didn''t push anymore. She was mature enough to understand where Iris was coming from. She also appreciated the way Iris said it. It added to her motivation to get stronger without actually spoiling it for her.


    "Okay, with that taken care of. Let''s get to business. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish. I don''t want to do this either" Muku brought the group''s attention to what they were trying to ignore.


    And so, with bleak expressions, they got to work. As for when they would finish, it was unknown.


    One certain thing, though, was their profit. Despite the undesirable task they were faced with. That day, was one of their most profitable days in the apocalypse.


    Their team''s strength would increase by more than double due to that single day...

 Chapter 169 169: Id die for you

    An excruciating few hours later...


    "Finally, we''re done! I thought it would never end!" Jade spoke in a relieved tone. It was already dark out.


    They had to work nonstop until they finished. The reason was that there were already beasts lurking in the surroundings, waiting for a chance to steal some benefits.


    It was okay in the first hour or so since the battle''s chaotic energy kept them away. However, the smell of meat was too enticing for them to resist for too long.


    While the group didn''t mind the tye beasts getting some meat. They did mind them possibly getting some beast cores along with that meat. Which they didn''t want to happen. Beast cores were a very valuable and quite uncommon resource in normal settings.


    So, they did two things. Scare the beasts away while gathering cores. At first, Jade''s Empress Aura worked perfectly. However, since she had no real intent behind it. It wasn''t as effective as it could have been.


    When asked why she wasn''t displaying it to its full effect. Her reply was, "I can''t bring myself to show my best to weaker opponents like these. Even if I want to, I just can''t".


    While it did increase their work. They understood. After all, what adult would bring out their all while facing a toddler? It''s just how things work. Without a certain level of feeling threatened or pressured in some way. Most normal people can''t go all out.


    "Yeah, we can finally go rest. I will definitely have nothing but good dreams tonight. That''s how happy I am about our profit" Emily responded while looking at the 300+ beast cores that were filling up a large silver metal box that was floating behind them.


    While most of the beasts didn''t have cores. Which was to be expected. Having more than three hundred cores was beyond great news. Especially with the fact that the cores were mostly from PR2s and Half-step R3s. So were of a higher quality. It really seemed like the higher the level of a beast, the higher the chance it had to have a core.


    As for what mechanisms or laws that worked behind that. They didn''t care. As long as they got what they wanted. Everything else didn''t matter.


    "I refuse to rest before reaching Rank Three", Layla, who was probably one of the happiest ones at that moment, spoke.


    She felt quite disappointed when she got the R3 beast core. Not because it was bad and she didn''t want it, but because it made something apparent.


    It alone wouldn''t help her breakthrough. It would have gotten her to the threshold for her shadow element. However, her ice would remain unmoved. So, while she would have gotten ahead of the others briefly. They would still have a chance to catch up. Making everything pointless, in her head.


    After the dragon''s bloodline ritual, though, everything had changed. While ice cores were rare like lightning and poison. There were still a few of each that they found. So she now had Everything she needed.


    Which meant that as long as she took some time to absorb the energy to refine hers. With the already filled KP count. She would break through within a few hours.


    Of course, Hope, Chloe and Emily were in the same situation. However, the difference between them and her was that she wanted to do it instantly and they wanted to rest. They weren''t as obsessed with being at the top as she was.


    Which wasn''t a bad thing. Different people just had different ways of leading their lives. This was why the group didn''t judge her harshly for her tendency to be overly competitive at times.


    "You can do that if you want. However, your fighting choices will be greatly reduced tomorrow," Muku spoke. His words confused Layla as well as everyone else. They didn''t know what he was talking about.


    "What do you mean?" Layla, being someone who wasn''t afraid to ask questions, sought clarification immediately.


    "Oh, seems you all have forgotten... Then again, the situation is a bit different from before. I''ll explain after we''re done with dinner" Muku replied in a way that didn''t clear the confusion.


    They had been talking while flying back to the mansion. Muku''s statement happened to be right when they arrived. So he went inside with the cores without waiting for the girls to say anything.


    "Tsk, always playing tricks", Jade complained, but she didn''t run after him to make him talk. She had better things to do at that moment. Also, she knew that he wouldn''t speak no matter what she tried to do anyway. Which made the other option even more enticing...


    "...Why are you looking at me like that?" Layla couldn''t help but ask feeling a little weirded out.


    How could she not when Jade was looking at her with a hungry look in her eyes. The same one she has when she looks at meat. Given their difference in strength at the moment. Where she probably wouldn''t even be able to defend herself. She felt even more unsettled by the stare.


    "Oh, sorry. I got lost in thought for a second there. Anyway, can you give me some R3 beast meat? I''m R3 now, so you can''t expect me to eat R2 meat with the rest of you right?" Jade, who had gotten lost in her fantasies, replied after being pulled back by Layla''s question.


    "Oh... Here. You know you''ll need Emily''s assistance to cook it right?"Layla replied with a sigh of relief after realising that Jade really was thinking about meat. She didn''t delay giving it to her. Jade was now qualified to eat it, them not being able to wasn''t a reason to stop her.


    She then brought Jade''s attention to a matter she had overlooked. Hearing the statement. Jade''s expression instantly darkened as she looked at Emily. Emily gave her the brightest smile she was capable of. Which made Jade feel even worse.


    She could instantly tell from that smile that Emily wasn''t going to help. She was going to be petty and take the situation as a chance for revenge.


    "Emily..." Jade being the seasoned soldier she was, still jumped into head first into the mission impossible.


    "Yes?" Emily replied sweetly, her smile unchanging.


    "You''re my best friend right?" Jade continued, keeping her words as neutral as she could.


    "Yes, definitely!. I''d even die for you" Emily replied with exaggerated conviction. However, the others could tell that she was being truthful. Emily and Jade were really the best of friends in the group despite everything.


    "Great! I''d die for you too!" Jade replied with excitement. She felt like she was close to winning.


    "Thank you. It''s good to know we feel the same", Emily replied. Still smiling innocently like before.


    "Totally... So you''ll help me cook this meat right?" Jade finally got to the point. She felt like she had built the situation up enough.


    "No" Emily gave a simple one-word answer, her expression unchanged.


    "Come on! I thought you said you''d even die for me!" Jade immediately broke down in complaints.


    "Yeah, I would. This is a completely different situation, and you know how petty I am" Emily replied. Her expression was still unchanged.


    "God! Why did you give me such a petty friend! Fine! I''ll get you back for this one!" Jade exclaimed in frustration before running upstairs.


    "Hehe" Emily''s fake expression finally fell. Showing how she was enjoying the situation.


    "Are you really not going to help her?" Audrey couldn''t help but ask worriedly. While she didn''t mind the girls bickering here and there. She didn''t want them to go too far.


    "I will help her. I''m just going to do it after we''re done preparing everyone else''s dinner. If I had agreed instantly. She would have hounded me until I prepared hers first. Which wouldn''t be too good since it takes longer to prepare. Honestly. If it wasn''t because I''m not a 60% Half-step R3. I wouldn''t have agreed to prepare it at all. My past strength was just not enough" Emily gave an explanation, making everything clear to everyone.


    "Oh, if that''s the case. That''s good" Audrey replied with a relieved smile.


    The girls immediately went their different ways, to do their tasks. Other than Emily, for obvious reasons. The others all took turns in the kitchen. It happened to be Audrey''s turn that day. So, she and Emily made their way to the kitchen.


    ...


    Upstairs...


    "Oh, so that''s your plan huh? Well, you''ll be in for a surprise this time. I''ll show you. Thinking you''re so great because you''re the only one who can cook my meat for me!" Jade, who had been secretly eavesdropping after running away, spoke to herself.


    Her eyes then trailed onto Muku''s door before heading there with nervousness and expectation written on her face. She wasn''t sure if he would agree. However, as someone who likes trying something out first before deeming it impossible. She soldiered on.


    Knock! Knock!


    "Come in!" Muku''s voice was heard from inside the room.


    "He didn''t ask who it was. Firstly he already knew from the energy signature. Plus, it didn''t particularly matter who it was since no one other than their little group could go there. And he was fine with it being any of them.


    "Okay," Jade replied in an unnaturally submissive voice. Which even made Muku raise his eyebrow a bit wondering what she could possibly want.


    Jade first looked around to see if anyone saw her then went inside before closing the door softly...

 Chapter 170 170: All for naught...

    Around an hour later...


    Knock! Knock!


    "Jade! It''s me, I can help you with your meat now. Hurry up before I change my mind," Emily spoke after knocking on Jade''s door. She was done with everyone else''s meat. So could finally help Jade out.


    "Really? Thank you! Let''s go to the kitchen then" Jade opened the door excitedly and immediately dragged Emily down the stairs to the kitchen. Meat in hand, in a pot Muku had made for her at some point in the past.


    Emily, who expected such a reaction, just let Jade drag her along. What she failed to notice was the slyness that was flashing in Jade''s eyes. Which signified that she was up to something.


    .....


    In the kitchen...


    "So, how well do you want it done?" Emily asked Jade before getting into it.


    "The usual, but before that. I want to show you something" Jade replied with a little smile on her face.


    "... Sure, but if you do something to upset me. I won''t help you anymore." Emily looked at Jade for a moment with suspicion in her eyes. She finally noticed that there was something up with Jade. So, she made her stance known before Jade did something dumb.


    "What does that mean? Do you have such little trust in me? Don''t worry, it''s nothing bad. Here, watch..." Jade defended herself showing a fake, hurt expression. She knew her reputation so the others lacking faith in her in certain cases was something she understood. Not wanting to waste time, she moved on to what she wanted to show Emily.


    Audrey, who was putting the last touches on everyone''s meals, couldn''t help but get curious. So, she paused what she was doing and looked at Jade. Waiting to see what she wanted to show Emily.


    "Flames!" Jade cast her new and unexpected spell.


    Green flame immediately appeared and covered both her hands. They burned fiercely, a lot hotter than Emily''s too. Which was probably because of her higher rank. Otherwise, if they were the same rank, Jade wouldn''t be in the same class as Emily.


    The eyes of both Emily and Audrey widened in surprise. It wasn''t because they thought it was impossible. Since they knew about Jade''s ability to do such things. What was surprising was how sudden and unexpected it was.


    Since they hadn''t seen Jade consume a beast core to gain the ability. It naturally surprised them. To their knowledge, no one should have access to the cores yet. Unless...


    "Wow! You can use fire now! Good for you" Emily exclaimed. Genuinely happy for her friend.


    "Huh? Yeah... Thanks..." Jade was caught off guard by Emily''s response. She was expecting saltiness from Emily or something like that. So she wasn''t sure how to respond.


    That''s when she remembered how Emily was a goody-two-shoes at her core. So it should have been obvious how she''d react. The reason why she was thrown off was because of Emily''s recent petty actions.


    Unfortunately, for her. It seemed Emily''s pettiness didn''t run too deep. Leaving her feeling empty. Like she expected a cake only to get a muffin or something. It really didn''t feel good. Especially after what she did to get the flame ability.


    "Now you can help me with cooking. I can also have off days. I never thought this day would come despite knowing your ability. It just never came to mind. However, you, my best friend, thought of it"


    "You just couldn''t take seeing me doing all the work, could you? Thank you, thank you! I''m sorry about my pettiness from before. I hope we can get back to how we were before all that. I''m so happy. I have to go tell the others the good news. I''ll let you get to preparing your meat then" Emily spoke nonstop while hugging Jade.


    After she was done she immediately went out of the room. Skipping in happiness. Leaving the stunned Jade and the amused Audrey behind.


    As she left, Audrey noticed a little cunning smile on Emily''s face. Which likely signified how she knew all about Jade''s real intention. She just refused to acknowledge the news in the way Jade wanted her to.


    Being an onlooker to the whole thing. Audrey almost couldn''t hold back her laughter. The girls were just so funny and cute. Moments like that were the ones she enjoyed most. She would forget all the struggles in the outside world during such times.


    "This isn''t how it was supposed to go... My favour!" Jade exclaimed in pain while squatting down and grabbing her head.


    "What do you mean?" Audrey asked just to tease Jade a bit more.


    She had pretty much already guessed what had happened. Muku tells her almost everything that happens between him and the girls. So she was basically always in the know.


    "It''s like this..." Jade, who was looking for a way to vent didn''t mind telling Audrey everything.


    So, she told Audrey everything. How she had gone to see Muku after Emily refused to help her. Her purpose was to secretly get a fire element core for obvious reasons. However, while Muku didn''t refuse to help her. He only agreed to do so if she traded it for the favour he owed her.


    His reason was that he was sticking out his neck for her by giving her the core behind everyone''s back. So she had to trade it for something of equal value. While it was a struggle to decide. Her vengeful spirit obviously won in the end. Muku gave her the core with the happiest smile she had ever seen on his face. Which she didn''t understand.


    Audrey understood why he was so happy though. He had been racking his brain for ideas on what he could give her or do for her to settle the favour. However, nothing was coming up. He had even asked her for help in thinking of something, but Audrey refused.


    She was still feeling a bit petty about the time she saw him patting Freya. She also wanted his pats but never got any. So why would she help him?


    Not to mention the talk he had with the girls but didn''t have with her. While she understood everything well. She wouldn''t get paid for being so reasonable. So why would she be so?


    Anyway, that was why he was happy when Jade came to ask for his help. He was starting to fear that he might really end up being her servant or something. With that, one of the two greatest headaches he was facing at that time was dealt with.


    "Oh, is that so. I''m really sorry to hear that. However, isn''t Emily''s happiness as valuable as her saltiness to you.?If not even more precious? If you look at it like that, you didn''t get short-changed for anything. You traded in an uncertain favour, for the happiness of your best friend" Audrey still tried to cheer Jade up despite how she found the situation funny.


    Which was why her reasoning was a bit flawed. Jade would have likely gotten the fire element within a day or two. So, Emily would have ended up as happy as she was anyway. As for Jade, she lost a very valuable favour and didn''t get the one thing she wanted on top of that.


    So the situation wasn''t as positive as Audrey made it seem. Which she knew very well. She was just hoping that the emotional Jade wouldn''t notice.


    "Yeah, you''re right. I think I''m going to lie down for a bit. I''ll prepare this meat tomorrow. You can serve some R2 meat for me as well. I''ll come down soon" Jade replied.. Feeling a bit better after Audrey''s words. Which was good news for Audrey who hoped such an outcome.


    "Yeah, sure. You go rest. I''ll serve you some and cover it. You can get it after resting. Don''t take too long though. As you know Muku has something to tell us after the meal." Audrey replied with a smile.


    Her gentle motherly voice really put the girls at ease. Even the rowdy Jade would always get tamed by it easily.


    "Okay, I will be present", Jade replied, then left the room.


    "It''s never a dull moment with them running around..." Audrey spoke to herself softly after Jade left. She then returned to her task.


    Soon, everything was ready, and everyone was called down for the meal. Other than Jade the others came and enjoyed their hearty meal.


    Muku was all smiles from start to finish. Seeing him, Audrey couldn''t help but roll her eyes. Did he really enjoy tricking Jade that much? Yes, he tricked her, because there were no stakes in him giving her the core at all.


    The girls wouldn''t really care that he gave Jade a core sooner than he should have. So, Jade practically exchanged her favour for nothing at all. Which was another loss. It was a literal "all for nought" situation.


    Audrey couldn''t help but wonder how Jade would react after she calmed down and realised what happened. That would definitely be a show to see. She kinda couldn''t wait...


    ...


    After the meal...


    "Is Jade really coming down?" Muku, who wanted to start their business talk, asked. Audrey had told them about how Jade wanted to lie down for a bit, so they had ignored her absence until then.


    "I''m here, you can start" Before Audrey could respond. Jade appeared and spoke for herself while coming down the stairs.


    "Okay. So the thing is..." Muku immediately got into it. Not minding that Jade was still a bit of distance away. After all, her ears were good enough.


    His revelation left all of the girls excited. It was something that had slipped all their minds, but they liked it very much...


    (TUNE IN NEXT TIME, FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER OF DRAGON BALL APOCALYPSE!... I couldn''t help it, okay)

 Chapter 171: Battle Roster!

    "So, after hearing that. What''s your choice, Layla? Do you want to Rank up immediately or not?" Muku asked Layla.


    "It''s obvious. I''m going to wait" Layla replied instantly. There was zero hesitation in her words.


    The subject matter was the long-awaited in-team duels. While Muku could have waited for everyone to reach Rank Three. It would have taken quite some time, since Audrey, unlike the others. Didn''t get any beast cores.


    It seemed blood element beasts were super rare if they existed at all. So, while the girls could rank up within a few days. Audrey would be left behind. Which was something he promised himself to never allow to happen again.


    Which led to the compromise. Those like him who had already reached R3 would battle each other. While those who hadn''t would do the same.


    Layla had already fought Muku. So she wasn''t too interested in fighting him. As for fighting Jade. She was developing a strategy for her that wasn''t ready. So, she didn''t want to fight her yet. Especially when her power would be a bit unstable as a new R3.


    Not to mention that there was someone she had always wanted to fight. Someone who could be called her direct opposite. That''s right, she wanted to fight Emily. The stronger one between them had to be decided or she wouldn''t feel right. Which was why she didn''t hesitate to pause her rank up.


    "Good. I knew you''d make the right decision" Muku smiled with an excited expression.


    He had seen the side glance Layla gave Emily. Which almost made it certain that he was going to finally see one of the dream matches in his team.


    He was a normal dude after all. Normal dude would, at some point, wonder who would win in a fight between an Ice user and a Fire user if they knew the two.


    Based on common sense, it could be said that Elsa was Emily''s real rival due to her water element. However, Muku felt that the real opposite of raging heat wasn''t the calm water but freezing cold ice.


    "Wait! Does that mean..." Jade suddenly exclaimed with a shudder as she looked in Muku''s direction.


    She didn''t even finish what she wanted to say. But it was obvious. She had just realised that she was stuck with Muku and his Telekinesis this time. She could already see herself getting rag-dolled all over that place until she quits.


    It would hurt too, because for some reason. When it came to her, Muku seemed to forget that she was a girl in how he treated her. Or he was always fully aware and was just a petty dude settling scores. Yeah, that''s probably it. He was just super petty with her.


    Anyway, we have to organise the other matches too. So, ladies... Who''s fighting who?" Muku ignored the bleak-faced Jade and addressed the other girls.


    "I vote for Ms Audrey versus Chloe. I''m just a defenceless healer who only knows healing and a little poison magic. So, my fight with anyone wouldn''t be fun anyway. Not to mention that their match would be quite physical and interesting to watch" Hope immediately jumped at the chance to snake her way out of fighting after realising that there weren''t enough people.


    It''s not like she didn''t have a point. Her poison was the type that would allow for an almost instant win under the right conditions. However, when fighting her teammates, who knew pretty much everything about her. She was definitely at a disadvantage.


    She was one of the weakest fighters in the team physically. While Audrey and Chloe were high up there when it came to physicality and magic. So she''d probably be one-shotted before she realised what was happening. Which she didn''t want to do.


    "Hhm, that sounds fine with me. Just know that you''re not off the hook yet. I''ll think of something for you to do after the battles. So you better be ready" Muku didn''t refuse Hope''s preposition, but that didn''t mean she''d get a free pass. He was sure to make her go through something as intense as the others.


    "S-sure, I''ll be waiting then... Big Brother wouldn''t do anything to hurt me right?" Hope replied, feeling a bit nervous. She was wondering if she had made a mistake by backing out. Maybe she had dodged a bullet only to be hit by a rocket.


    "Hehe... Anyway, are you two okay with the plan?" Muku only gave an ominous laugh as a reply to Hope''s question. He ignored her from then while she shook him trying to get his attention. He had already moved on to addressing Audrey and Chloe.


    "I''m okay with it..." Audrey replied as gently as always.


    While the idea of fighting one of her cherished girls didn''t seem appealing to her. She understood that it was for the greater good. With their strength, they couldn''t easily find other people to match them. So, they could only get human combat experience from fighting each other.


    "Do I have to? Can''t I just fight Hope?" Chloe asked. The idea of fighting Audrey, who was the closest person she had to a mother, was just too awkward for her. It just felt wrong.


    "What?! No!" We''ve already decided that I won''t be fighting!" Hope, who was still shaking Muku, paused a bit before shouting in protest.


    There was no way she''d fight Chloe after the last incident between them. While she still liked Chloe as much as she always has. Battle-mode Chloe scared her quite a bit. Whenever Chloe incases herself in lightning when she fights. It always gives Hope chills. It reminds her of the time the berserk Chloe always knocked her head off...


    While she knew that such a thing wouldn''t have happened without her input. She still refused to fight Chloe again. Chloe had traumatized her a bit it seemed.


    "I really wish I could agree to your request. Sadly, you can see how traumatized this one is. She probably would just freeze up if she was standing opposite you in a battle. Also, I feel like you''re overthinking the fight. Don''t think of it as a fight, but a spar instead. In fact, that''s exactly what it is. Don''t you want to show Audrey your improvement?" Muku interjected before Hope ran away from fear.


    Hope''s trauma was something that definitely had to be dealt with. She would have to face it one day, but it wasn''t that day. He''d think of something they could try after the battles. For then, Chloe has to face Audrey. Of course, if she really didn''t want to, he wouldn''t force her.


    "Well... If you put it that way. Fine, I''ll do it" Chloe instantly folded. Making everyone raise their eyebrows. It seemed the girl''s soft spot was proving herself to her mother(figure). Which was obvious from how her eyes glowed right after Muku mentioned it.


    "Let''s do our best tomorrow okay?" Audrey chimed in while lovingly rubbing Chloe''s head.


    "If that''s what you want, I''ll give it my all" Chloe replied with her eyes closed. Showing a gleeful expression on her face, clearly enjoying Audrey''s touch. She was like a cute little kitten that likes being rubbed.


    "Me too! I''ll do my best!" Layla chimed in. Before anyone could react, she was already placing Audrey''s hand on her head.


    "Fufu, okay" Audrey replied while rubbing both girls'' heads. She was radiating so much motherly love at that moment that it was almost blinding. The others could tell that she was enjoying the situation as much as the two girls.


    It was a bit odd with how young-looking and gorgeous she was, but she made it work. It ended up looking like a very caring older sister though.


    "Okay, with that done with. It''s time to address our opening act. Elsa and Freya, our two fairy maidens. That honour belongs to the two of you if you''re willing to accept it" Muku then addressed the two Half-step R2s of his team.


    He looked at them with kin interest. While their fight wouldn''t be too explosive because of their limited strength. It would still be quite entertaining to see two people with the assistance of fairies fight.


    Their fight would definitely become a sight to see one day when they get stronger. However, who wanted to wait so long? The prelude to what was to come will have to do for the moment.


    "I''m willing!" Elsa instantly agreed. The little girl had shown signs of being a battle junky, so it was obvious that she''d be game.


    The real problem was with Freya. The peaceful lady. Honestly, everyone wouldn''t be surprised if she refused to fight. The girl just didn''t seem like someone who would want to fight unless it was a last resort.


    "I''m willing as well!" Freya exclaimed with a fire burning in her eyes. It startled everyone. While they felt she would agree, they didn''t think it would be so easy.


    It seemed they had misjudged Freya''s determination to improve. She was willing to go the distance even when she didn''t want to.


    "Well... Okay. You''re all dismissed for now. If there''s anything else. We can arrange it tomorrow. For now, go get some sleep, we''ve all had a long day. You can even allow yourselves to sleep deeply since Audrey graciously made five Half-step corrupt beasts for us. Goodnight to you all..." Muku then ended the discussion.


    He didn''t know about the others, but he was definitely tired. So he didn''t prolong the meeting.


    Without waiting for the girls to respond. He flew upstairs. He clearly couldn''t wait to be in the embrace of his bed and sheets.


    The girls just gave each other understanding looks before wishing each other good night. Then everyone went to their own rooms.

 Chapter 172: Elsa versus Freya!

    The next morning...


    Everyone was excited about what was to come so they all woke up early. They did everything they had to do and gathered outside.


    Unlike last time. It was Muku who created the barrier instead of Audrey. Its functions were basically the same as Audrey''s, though. Which were, being soundproof and could contain the energy so as not to attract attention from any beasts that could be close by.


    Just that instead of Mana, he used his Telekinesis. Which was a lot more practical than mana. As mentioned before, mana, in its pure form, can somewhat work like elements. It is still quite wasteful to use it like that. They just didn''t have any other option last time, so they let it be.


    Anyway, the participants and the spectators were already in their positions. Muku, who was feeling quite wasteful, literally created a freaking stadium with his metal. While it wasn''t as detailed as a real stadium behind the scenes. It looked quite identical to a real stadium from where they sat.


    Audrey couldn''t help but sigh in helplessness seeing how wasteful he was and how the girls were happy he did it. She suddenly realised that she might be completely surrounded by kids. To think even the usually steady and dependable Muku could be so childish.


    Then again he was a man, and men never lose their inner child. It just hides away most of the time. After thinking about it, maybe it was a good thing that he liked using his powers in such a way. After all, if he had a dark personality. With his current abilities that could allow him to destroy a pre-apocalypse big city with one attack, he would have been a nightmare to the world.


    "Combatants! Are you ready!" Muku screamed out seriously while standing in between Freya and Elsa.


    The two girls who were serious about the battle were taken aback. Their seriousness immediately crumbled.


    "Haha," Freya let out a little laugh. She always enjoyed the moments when Muku shamelessly displayed his childishness to everyone.


    It was like he didn''t consider his current position as their leader at all when he acted. Who would feel safe with such a goofy leader leading them?! Well, that would have been the case if they were in the army or some other organisation like that.


    However, they were just a small group. A group that was as close as they could be. So, Muku was the best leader they could ever wish for. To them, he was okay the way he was.


    "Yes sir! Combatant Elsa is ready sir!" Elsa, who had been getting closer to Muku, recently played along. Which was a rare thing for the quiet little girl.


    "Hahaha... Sorry, sorry. I''m ready too" Freya just couldn''t hold herself back anymore as she laughed out loud before apologizing.


    "No need to be sorry. This isn''t some kind of serious affair. We''re here to learn from each other. So there''s no need to get too serious. Just try to do your best, learn what you can and be a good sport. Winning isn''t the main thing here. Now, I''m going to throw this coin I made into the sky. The moment it reaches the ground. Your duel starts," Muku, who had intentionally done what he did, spoke.


    He had noticed how the newbies were taking it too seriously. So, he had to remind them. Doing it like that might create unnecessary tension in the team, which he didn''t want to see.


    With that said, he threw the coin that narcissistically had his face on it into the sky. He was already sitting with the others before it even reached its highest point in the air. So, only Elsa and Freya were left in the ring.


    It was sure going to be an interesting match. Elsa, the water element prodigy. Who was arguably the most talented member of their team. She just sucked up everything she was taught with seemingly zero effort. Then there was Freya, the gentle girl who was under the tutelage of an ancient plant fairy. Both housing fairies.


    Pak!


    The coin that had been the focus of everyone since it was tossed up finally hit the ground.


    "Water arrows!" Elsa was the first one to attack. Throwing one of her oldest and most adept spells. While it wasn''t too strong, it certainly packed a punch and could win her the match instantly if Freya was slow to react.


    "Bramble shield!" Fortunately for Freya, her reaction time was good enough as she created a shield in time.


    It wasn''t something she just naturally possessed. She had been training with Iris in her mindscale whenever she had time. The fee for the lessons being... more of her memories. It also seemed like Iris had developed a real interest in Freya as well.


    She might have been influenced by the memories of a tough life Freya had. Well, whatever the reason, Freya was gaining significant benefits from the relationship.


    As for the "Bramble shield" it was part of a new spell set she had gotten from Iris less than a few hours earlier. Iris had evolved her plant magic to combat most of the other elements. She developed the "bramble" series to combat water spells in particular.


    The defining characteristic of the spells was their ability to almost instantaneously absorb water based on its power level or quantity. Which was a rather annoying attribute that Elsa quickly realised.


    The attack she was anticipating to set the battle''s tempo in her favour was instantly neutralised. Freya''s shield almost instantaneously sucked up all the arrows. It even buffed up the shield a bit.


    "What?!" Elsa exclaimed in surprise while stepping back. She wasn''t the only one who was surprised though. The others were the same. After all, Freya had never used her plant element I''m front of them ever since the Jade incident.


    Honestly, with the little time Freya had spent with Iris. They didn''t expect much plant magic from her. They expected her to use the sword Muku had made for her more. Yet there she was competing against Elsa in magic.


    The battle didn''t pause there, though, as Elsa was a decently seasoned warrior at that time. So one unexpected occurrence wouldn''t leave her frozen. So she proceeded to throw different minor spells at Freya, trying to see the limits of her shield.


    Interestingly enough, the shield kept on sucking more and more water and getting larger. It got to the point where Freya was completely hidden behind a giant shield about five metres tall. Made out of thick intertwining thorny vines.


    Elsa could''ve stopped sooner but she wanted to make sure of something. It took a bit longer than she thought but she was finally done.


    "Bramble surge!" Unfortunately for Elsa, Freya was done as well. She let out another unexpected move as her second move.


    It was at a time when Elsa and the others were starting to think she only knew one defensive plant spell too.


    The shield came apart and the hundreds of thick vines all surged at Elsa. The situation seemed rather familiar to when Iris fought or... beat up the four beasts rather.


    Emily couldn''t help but get nervous despite knowing Elsa''s capabilities. Fortunately for her, Elsa lived up to her battle-genius reputation and got away.


    How she did it, however, was quite surprising. For an unknown amount of time since the battle began. She had been covering the ground with water. For some reason, however, the water wasn''t sinking into the ground. Likely because of Elsa''s actions.


    Just when the thorny vines were about to hit her. She slid away. It was more of, the water on the ground grabbed her feet and moved her out of the way. Everyone was instantly stunned by the ingenious way of using her element. No one among them had ever thought of such a thing.


    Then again, maybe it was because of her element that she had such a thought. Or her young age that allowed her to think of such crazy things. Well, whatever the reason, they were impressed. They were certain from that act alone that Elsa was going to be a nightmare to all her enemies in the future.


    "Water Cleaver!" Elsa instantly capitalised on her unexpected move and used an unexpected move of her own.


    The others had only seen her use the waterblade before. Which would be a metre or so long, with a width of around five to ten centimetres. However, there she was releasing a blade of water close to ten metres tall with a width of around a metre.


    She had slid to Freya''s side. So when the blade struck, it sliced the vines in two from the source. Just to show that it was an intentional miss. The bald cut the vines just ten centimetres away from Freya.


    Seeing that, Freya froze on the spot. All her power exited her body along with her will to fight. She had been outmatched and she knew it. While it was the Apocalypse. Where age no longer equalled strength. It still stung to be defeated by such a young girl who still had baby fat on her face.


    "... I lose. You win" Freya spoke after recovering a little. She had already done the best he current self could anyway. So it was fine.


    "Mmh", Elsa acknowledged Freya''s words, then walked off the stage calmly. Which showed just how grounded she was.


    That''s what everyone but Emily thought anyone. She knew her sister well. The little girl was probably jumping all over the place in her head. She just didn''t want anyone to see her as someone childish for some reason.


    Which was rather ironic since everyone saw her as a child anyway...

 Chapter 173: Audrey versus Chloe! (Pt 1)

    "Well, that was certainly insightful" Muku commented from the sides.


    "Yeah, their clash would have been a lot more interesting and intense if Freya had more time to prepare though. Elsa didn''t even use half of her strength in it" Layla, who had been laser-focused on the battle from the start, expressed her own thoughts.


    The others agreed. They could see that Freya was struggling to keep it together from the start despite the cool display. For that reason, Elsa had basically sealed most of her abilities for the battle to even seem like it, or Freya might have lost instantly if Elsa had gone all out.


    Their power levels might have been similar, but Elsa''s control and battle awareness were aeons ahead of Freya''s at that time. So she stood no chance from the start.


    "I like how Freya didn''t let the loss devast her despite their age differences. With such a mentality, I''m certain she''ll be a threat to Elsa sooner than we might think," Audrey chimed in while looking at Freya with an approving gaze.


    Soon enough, everyone congratulated Elsa and gave Freya words of encouragement. It was time to move on to the next fight.


    Audrey versus Chloe. It was definitely going to be a hard-hitting battle everyone was looking forward to. Blood versus lightning, who would emerge victorious?...


    .....


    A while later in the arena...


    Everything had been smoothed out after the last battle. The stadium was even buffed up a bit more by Muku. He had been too lazy to make it super strong from the start. Not to mention that it would have just been a waste of mana.


    "Okay, so I''m feeling too lazy to come there again. So I''m just gonna toss the coin from here okay!" Muku shouted out to Audrey and Chloe who were already standing in position waiting for him.


    His words made everyone roll their eyes. How can someone be feeling too lazy to fly? Wasn''t that beyond laziness instead??


    "Are you ready?" Audrey asked Chloe a gentle smile on her face.


    "Y...yeah, just a little nervous" Chloe replied. They chose to ignore Muku for the most part. Listening to him would just ruin their concentration.


    "Good that you''re ready because I''m not holding back. Show me everything you have" Audrey replied as her body was completely encased in a crimson suit.


    The same as the one she has fought a troublesome opponent with before. The opponent cannot be named because the author forgot which one it was. Also, has no idea which chapters to search.


    Anyway, the moment Audrey''s whole body was covered up, leaving only her silver eyes exposed. The air around her changed. Before, Chloe felt like she was being looked at by the most gentle person in the world. Now, she felt like she was being looked at by a hungry apex predator. She felt like a little deer getting eyed by a lioness in the wild.


    Pak!


    Her whole body screamed danger and she jumped back.


    Bang!


    Audrey had attacked the very second the coin reached the group. It happened so quickly that Elsa and Freya saw neither Audrey nor Chloe''s silhouettes when they moved. It was like they teleported.


    The scene froze with Chloe standing three metres away with slight surprise in her eyes. Audrey crouched down in the place Chloe was before. Her hand was sinking into the ground. If the attack had landed, Chloe would have felt a world of pain.


    Chloe didn''t expect Audrey to be so resolute despite being warned. It was then she realised that if she messed around. She would get beaten up without getting a chance to do anything.


    That thought lit a fire in her. The little sparks of lightning around her body intensified. She was finally in the mood for it.


    "I guess now we can truly start..." Audrey spoke in a somewhat eery voice through the face mask that had no mouth. It was somewhat like the one Muku created. Only the eyes were present with no other facial features.


    Boom!


    Crack!


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Whoosh!


    Bang!


    The two parties started clashing all over the arena. Muku and Jade could see everything clearly. Layla, Emily and Hope could somewhat follow everything. However, Elsa and Freya could only hear loud sounds. That''s how fast Audrey and Chloe were.


    Even more absurd was how they were still not going all out. The group was already damaged a lot more than it was by the previous battle just from the shockwaves.


    "Lightning explosion!" Chloe cast the first advanced spell of the fight.


    Lightning exploded out from her body going in every direction. No matter how fast Audrey was. There was no way she could dodge lightning that had almost instantly covered up the whole ring right?


    Boom! Bang!


    Yes, she really couldn''t dodge such an attack. As a result, she was hit by it hard and got thrown into the steel walls of the arena. However, she didn''t seem too injured as she got up almost immediately before Chloe could throw her next attack.


    While she did seem unfazed by it. The observant eyes of Jade and Muku noticed that little cracks had formed in her armour. They were soon closed up as if they were never there before, but it was still proof of Chloe''s successful attack.


    "Bloody maw!" Audrey cast her own advantage spell. Some of the blood from her condensed blood from her armour lashed out in the form of a bloody mouth at Chloe. She waited for when they were in close contact since it was a close combat skill.


    Chloe''s eyes widened. She had never seen Audrey use such an attack before. She couldn''t react in time, and she was gulped up by the three-metre-tall mouth, whole.


    "You l..."


    BOOOM!


    Crackle!


    Just as Audrey was about to declare the match her win. Chloe broke through out of the maw by blasting it open with her lightning. She had to increase her output to do so. Which was now beyond Audrey''s. So it couldn''t be said that she escaped due to her strength. She just got more serious than Audrey and broke out.


    "I can take it into a higher gear too! Blood Bath!" Audrey explained. The condensed blood she was using as amour returned to its original form.


    An unknown amount of liquid beast blood drenched the whole ring. While it could have gone beyond the arena. It didn''t, due to Audrey''s control. Otherwise, even the group in the spectator stand would have been implicated.


    Everyone was surprised by the appearance of so much blood. After all, Audrey was able to compress into all into a slightly large in size suitcase. It was like seeing a dam of water appear out of a one-meter square cube of ice. Such a thing should be impossible. Yet Audrey was essentially doing exactly that.


    "Execution Ground!" Without pausing after casting the first spell. Audrey cast another spell that made the blood stab two metres into the air in the form of solid blood spears.


    There was no pattern to it as it happened randomly all over the arena. The only safe places were the ones Chloe was standing on as well as the ones Audrey was standing on.


    Chloe knew that she was only safe because Audrey willed it. If Audrey wanted to, she would have bombarded her with an unknown number of spears at once.


    "Do you want to continue it or give up?" Audrey''s eery voice sounded again. She didn''t call it her win because she knew that Chloe still had the power to protect herself from the spears for a while.


    Chloe could just lash out and break apart all the blood around her and be safe. The problem, however, was that Audrey could reform the blood that wasn''t disintegrated.


    So, Chloe would have to keep on fighting it off while doing other things until the battle ended. Which would be more work for her. Her chance of winning would also be reduced by a lot since she''d have to split her attention.


    As for using some of her strongest attacks? Well, it was an unspoken rule that if you couldn''t ensure the safety of your opponent. You shouldn''t use such attacks. Which Chloe or anyone but Emily could ensure in their group.


    Also, such attacks took time to prepare. Time which Audrey wouldn''t let her have. So the attacks might as well not exist during their in-team duels.


    "I want to continue a little more... Let''s see if my suit can keep up with yours for a bit", Chloe replied, refusing to give up.


    She had never been in such a situation before. Her lightning has pretty much always done the job exactly how she wanted it ever since she got it. So, Audrey putting her in check despite all her efforts was rather new and quite frustrating.


    She refused to give up until the very last moment. Even if she had to use her lightning coat. An ability that, in her earlier days, left her naked. While that was no longer a problem, there was another pressing issue to consider.


    Which was how quickly it drained her mana. It was understandable considering how it needed to be constantly fed mana to exist. While she didn''t mind losing to Audrey, she wanted to know she tried every move she could before that happened. So she dared to put it all on the line.


    "Not giving up easily huh?... Okay, show me what you''ve got then" Audrey replied behind the mask. Her battle aura intensifies.


    The way she spoke, Chloe was almost certain that Audrey was smiling behind the mask. Everything about Audrey screamed that she was enjoying herself at that moment.


    "Sure" Chloe only said one word in response.


    BOOM!


    Her aura exploded out to the max and her body was encased in blue. She almost seems like a being completely made out of lightning at that moment. The lightning cracked furiously, blackening the ground around her.


    The final showdown was about to start...

 Chapter 174 174: Audrey versus Chloe (final)

    "Blitz..."


    Crack!


    BOOOM!


    With one word from Chloe, she was gone. That time her speed was so fast that only Muku and Jade could clearly see her. The rest were completely blinded.


    All they saw was a flash of blue light. Even that wasn''t Chloe. It was just the remnants of her actions as she had long passed that area by the time they saw the light. The girl had proved without a doubt that at the same level. She was definitely the fastest in their team. Jade and Audrey were also super quick with the addition of Muku to that level after his recent upgrade.


    However, Chloe''s speed was just something else. They got goosebumps thinking of how fast she would be by the time she reached Rank Five, Rank Seven, Rank Ten and possibly beyond.


    BANG!


    Surprisingly, Chloe missed Audrey, who had also lost track of her. She, being unaccustomed to such high speeds slammed into the arena wall hard.


    "Oof! That''s gotta hurt" Jade commented. Her eyes glowed from excitement. She was so enthralled by the battle that she was close to jumping in to join.


    "What happened?! How did mom dodge that?" Layla asked in a surprised tone. While she had complete trust in Audrey''s abilities. She was certain that Audrey shouldn''t have been able to dodge that move.


    "Oh, that. It was nothing short of genius actually. Audrey''s danger sense is just as sensitive as Jade''s at the same level. Through that, she could sense her end from Chloe''s move. So, like any battle-seasoned warrior. She made the right call. Which was to retreat..." Muku paused for a bit in awe.


    "She moved out of the way before Chloe could even make her move. The blood on the arena ground must have helped with that too. Chloe''s lightning tends to move before she does. Which Audrey used as a signal of Chloe''s attack when it struck the blood beforehand. Which was basically asking to be dodged since Audrey can sense her surroundings with it," Muku explained what happened, clearly the confusion in everyone''s minds.


    "Is Chloe okay though?" Hope asked worriedly. While she had become quite the bro-con recently. She still cared about the others. Especially Chloe, who was like her first-ever friend in the group.


    "Yeah. Don''t worry. Chloe must have been prepared for it... Look" Muku gave a halfway reply before pointing towards the ring.


    "How is she completely fine?!" Hope asked in surprise as she watched Chloe get off the ground looking completely fine after the heavy impact.


    "Momentum neutralisation..." Layla was the one to reply. It was the reason why she hadn''t shown any concern for Chloe. She judged from the exaggerated sound that Chloe must have done something.


    "What she means is that Chloe sped up the impact''s occurrence but took herself out of it for the most part. What she did was attack the ring with a strong lightning attack before she hit it. The action created a force wave that acted against her momentum. Which cancelled out most of it. That''s what caused the loud bang sound. So, while she did hit the wall in the end. It wasn''t a strong impact. It was within something her Evolver body could take easily" Muku explained after seeing that Layla wasn''t going to say anymore.


    It seemed Layla wasn''t in the mood to improve her communication with the group at that moment. She had long refocused on the arena again after replying to Hope. She probably didn''t even hear Hope''s second question. The others didn''t mind, though; it was understandable that she''d be so enthralled considering who the two fighters were.


    "Oh. So that''s what happened. They''re both really smart, huh?" Hope commented while seemingly lost in thought. She was patting herself on the back of her head for refusing to fight either of them. She felt that she would have been beaten up before she could even blink once. The two were just too intense for her liking.


    "Are you okay?" Audrey asked Chloe with worry in her voice. Even the mask on her face had been removed.


    She didn''t have Layla''s calculative mind to figure everything out instantly. Or Muku and Jade''s high rank to see everything. So she was really worried about Chloe. She was even thinking that maybe she shouldn''t have moved out of the way. Only if she had thought of what would happen if she dodged.


    "Don''t worry, I''m fine. We can continue..." Chloe replied in a gentle voice. She really liked it when Audrey showed worry for her. Her battle intent melted away, which was obvious from how the lightning surrounding her had been deemed a lot. Along with not being as furious as before.


    "No, let''s stop here. I don''t want to do this anymore" Audrey''s motherly heart got the better of her and she refused to continue.


    As she spoke, the blood all over the place was gathering into the form of a suitcase beside her. Which was a clear sign that she was giving up. It was clear that even her battle intent was gone. Though for a different reason.


    While Chloe was KOed by Audrey''s care. Audrey was KOed by not wanting to see Chloe getting injured. Especially because of her.


    "Okay..." Chloe didn''t argue. She was just a bit hesitant thinking that she had let the others who wanted to see a clear winner down. Well, whatever; a situational draw wasn''t too bad, either. They can also pick up from where they left off or someday, maybe.


    Hopefully, the author doesn''t get chewed up because of the ending. He''s just a slave to the personalities of the characters he created okay...


    ...


    "Well... That was anticlimactic. I should have expected it though. Audrey is a terrible choice for these things. She emotionally defeats both herself and the opponent. Next time, I''ll just have to look for someone who isn''t any of the girls to fight her," Muku spoke while rubbing his forehead in a wry tone.


    The ending made him want to flip a table or something. Why didn''t he think of it before finalizing it!! It would have been better to watch Hope get beat up instead!


    "Don''t worry, the next battle will definitely have a winner..." Layla spoke from her seat. She was already radiating battle aura. Ready to put it all on the line.


    She wasn''t too bothered about how the Audrey and Chloe battle ended. Honestly, she had suspected that something like that would happen. Her mother was just that kind of person. When she cared, she really cared. Even if her care got in the way of other things. She didn''t care. Such was Audrey''s personality, which would likely always be like that.


    "R-right" Emily supported Layla''s words. However, she had a wry expression on her face. She felt that it was ironic for the quiet Ice Element Evolver to be the hot-blooded one between them.


    She was nowhere near as enthusiastic as Layla. The worst part, she was certain that if she held back, Layla would make her pay for it.


    However, she was curious to see who would win between them. A heavenly flame versus a hellish ice. It was certainly going to be an interesting fight. Before she knew it. Emily was also excited about what was to come.


    "Can we start now?" Layla asked getting ready to get up.


    "Woah! Little Frost! Let me fix the ring first. Why the rush, we have all day. We can even continue tomorrow if that''s not enough time" Muku stopped her with a nickname he had kept in his mind until that day.


    Hearing the odd nickname, Layla''s impatience was instantly diffused. She then raised her brow at Muku. Silently asking him about the nickname.


    "Aha! I knew I wasn''t the only one with a weird nickname. It''s just I was the only one who gave you reasons to use it!... Wait, am I so problematic to you?!" Jade chimed in before reasoning herself to anger.


    "Shut up! That''s definitely not it. I''d never give each and every one of you a nickname just because I got bored one day" Muku defended himself. However, his shifting eyes and unconfident tone weren''t helping his case


    "So, Big Brother. What''s my nickname? Is it something cute" Hope didn''t even try to act like she believed him as she immediately asked what her nickname was.


    "What?! I told you. There''s nothing like that. Do you believe Jade over me your brother?! I''m so hurt, I don''t even want to talk to you anymore!" Muku refused to relent. As he chose to acknowledge it no matter what.


    "Okay, if you say so. Can you give one for fun then?" Hope also refused to relent. She chose a way that would give both of them what they wanted. She would get to hear the nickname and Muku will get to play it off as if it didn''t already exist in his mind.


    "Well, I guess I could come up with something. Just for fun of course. I''ll call you Baby Koala" Muku replied enthusiastically as if he had gotten the justification he needed.


    "...Okay, thanks" Hope replied dully. Her enthusiasm was completely gone. She had deflated like a balloon. After all, he had just indirectly called her clingy. The other girls trying to stop themselves from laughing didn''t help either.


    They also wanted to hear their nicknames. However, that thought was instantly scrapped after hearing Hope''s name.


    "Why do you seem so down. Don''t you like it? I''ll have you know, baby Koala Bears are my favourite animal. So cute and loveable, and they never leave their parent''s side," Muku spoke to Hope while giving her a little background information.


    "R-really?" Hope asked with happiness in her eyes. She was happy to know that even if he thought that she was clingy, he liked it. That''s all that mattered.


    "Yeah. Anyway, I''m done with the repairs. You can go now Layla and Emily" Muku addressed Hope briefly before moving back to the event.


    His saying it just before the other girls asked about their nicknames was rather sus. Whether it was planned or not. Only he knew.


    Well, whatever the case. Layla versus Emily was next and it was definitely going to be epic...

 Chapter 175: Layla versus Emily (pt 1)

    "You both know the drill, the moment the coin hits the ground. The battle starts" Muku shouted from the stands again.


    The atmosphere in the arena was already tense. Emily was laser-focused on the coin that was spinning in the air under Muku''s control. She was ready to attack the moment it dropped.


    Layla, on the other hand,, was focused on Emily. A chilling air radiated from her body. It was clear to see that she was barely holding herself back.


    Without further delay Muku let the coin drop. With their strength, the speed at which it dropped was no different from slow motion. They could all see it clearly as it fell. Until it hit the battered ground with little to no sound.


    "Creeping Ice Spikes!"


    "Firestorm!"


    BOOM!


    Both girls instantly made their moves. Layla attacked with ice spikes that stretched from where she stood, spreading to where Emily stood. Emily attacked with raging flames coming out of her outstretched hands.


    The attacks collided midway and cancelled each other out with a boom. The obvious result of the clash was steam, and there was a lot of it. White steam covered up the whole arena for a little bit before fading into nothingness.


    "Firestorm! Maximum!"


    "Raging Blizzard!"


    Without missing a beat. The girls cast their next spells that were stronger than the first ones.


    Emily''s attack was an even bigger firestorm than before. It was so large the whole arena would have been quickly covered up in golden flames if Layla hadn''t done something.


    Layla used the spell she had created to battle such types of Emily''s spells. The whole sky was covered in snow that fell to the ground furiously. Just as Layla expected, the spell stopped the advance of Emily''s attack.


    The deadlock, with no one gaining the upper ground, went on for a while. They both decided to stop their spells at once since it seemed pointless.


    "Flame boost! Flame punch!" Emily then did the unexpected. Something she rarely ever did. Which was to get close to the opponent.


    With a boost of her flames, she was almost instantly in front of Layla. Her right hand was enveloped by flames as punched forward. It was something she had copied from Chloe. However, unfortunately for her, flames could only burst forward but couldn''t sustain that speed. Which was why she rarely used the move.


    She only resorted to it because she had realised that her normal fighting style might not work. Layla seemed to have studied her a lot. Which was obvious from the way she had an answer for all her mid-rank spells. It was quite weird that Layla did that, but it was the truth. So, Emily had to try different means of fighting her.


    "Ice shield!" Layla didn''t panic as she immediately cast a shield of ice in front of herself.


    BOOM!


    Emily''s punch hit the ice shield hard and destroyed it. However, Layla had already retreated a distance away.


    "Hail storm!" Layla took that moment to cast her next spell. If Emily didn''t act in time. She would be taken out by it since Layla''s ice would hurt a lot more than real ice. This was because it fell at a much higher speed and was bigger and harder as well.


    "Exploding shield!" Fortunately for Emily, she was quick enough for her own sake.


    She might not have studied Layla as much as Layla studied her, but she did think of some things. One of those things was what she would do if Layla used ice attacks that were too fast for her flames to burn away before she was reached? The answer was simple. She would use force to repel them.


    What that meant was that she would use her exploding flames. The flames would explode upon contact. After that, the generated force would either throw the attack off course or slow it down enough for her to react.


    Her idea worked perfectly on the blocks of ice. They were mostly thrown off course giving her enough time to move away before the next wave came.


    "Smart..." Layla couldn''t help but compliment her. She actually thought that she would be able to hurt Emily a little before she figured out a way to get herself out of the situation. Yet Emily dealt with it instantly.


    The two girls then kept on going back and forth without anyone gaining the upper hand. They seemed evenly matched for the most path. Their abilities cancelled each other out so much that the visibility in the ring was almost always low. There was steam everywhere.


    "Okay, this isn''t working. Why don''t we try stronger attacks?" Layla paused and spoke to Emily.


    "What do you have in mind?" Emily asked curiously. She also didn''t want to continue with the deadlock.


    "Well, nothing too serious. So the ultimate attacks are out. But anything just below that is fine... We''ll have thirty seconds to gather mana," Layla replied.


    "Okay, let''s do it" Emily agreed to the idea.


    The two girls then started gathering their mana for stronger attacks. They had quite a few attacks that met the qualifications. So they both closed their eyes trying to focus and choose the one they wanted to use.


    Emily quickly decided what she wanted to do. Which was obvious from how an attack was already forming above her.


    Layla seemed to be channelling her mana into the sky yet nothing was happening. However, from the little smile that appeared on her face. It was clear to see that she was up to something. The girl rarely smiled after all.


    Soon the time was up. They both opened their eyes at the same time. The first thing they did was make eye contact and then look at what the other one created.


    Layla''s eyes widened when she saw what Emily created. Which Emily noticed and felt happy about. She then looked around Layla but saw nothing. She could sense that something was up from Layla''s mana that had saturated the whole place. However, nothing was obvious.


    "Oh well... World Ending Flame Meteorite!" Instead of figuring out what would she would find out soon anyway. Emily chose the Jade route. Which was to attack first and ask questions later.


    So, she released her attack that was supposed to not be as strong as an ultimate attack. Layla looked at its approach with suspicion in her eyes. How was such a thing not counted as an ultimate attack by Emily??


    It was a freaking huge sphere made out of flames for God''s sake! The diameter was probably radius was around probably around seven metres. Which meant the whole thing was absolutely humongous.


    Layla wondered if Emily didn''t consider it as an ultimate attack because she had never used it before. Or maybe her ultimate attacks had gotten a lot stronger and it didn''t qualify. Well, whatever the reason. Layla was screwed if she didn''t have a good game plan.


    "Well... This messes up the initial plan a bit, but I think I can make it work..." Layla spoke to herself calmly. However, her heart was racing.


    The spell was slow and still a distance away, yet she could already feel the heat it emitted. She was already sweating a little. Would she be able to get out of it?


    The spectators were at the edge of their seats waiting to see what would happen next. Audrey, who was feeling gloomy for letting everyone down despite how no one took it personally, forgot all about that at the moment.


    She was so worried that she barely managed to stop herself from jumping into the arena and taking Layla away. The only thing stopping her was knowing about the unique attribute Emily''s flames had.


    Emily, who was looking on, noticed how her attack was almost upon Layla, who wasn''t moving. She smiled thinking that her plan had succeeded. She had decided to create such an attack in hopes that it would ruin whatever plans Layla had from its sheer size and force. From the look of things, she might have succeeded in her goal.


    Her expression quickly changed, however. She noticed the little smile that had left Layla''s face slowly return. Her mind started racing. It was clear to see that Layla was up to something.


    She immediately put her guard up to the max. On top of that, she used a little more mana to speed up the flame sphere. She refused to let Layla ruin her perfect plan when she was close to winning. So expending more mana than expected was reasonable.


    Due to Emily''s sudden action, the sphere''s speed suddenly increased. Which likely caught Layla off guard and messed up her timing for whatever she wanted to do. At least that''s what Emily hoped occurred.


    She could no longer see Layla since the sphere had covered up her view. If she was close enough, she might have been able to see through the flame. However, the distance was too much, and she couldn''t do that.


    That didn''t matter too much as the sphere reached the area Layla was in and touched down. Unlike what everyone expected, the sphere didn''t explode on impact. Honestly, if it did explode then it would have had to be considered more than a normal attack from the force of that alone.


    The sphere burnt away the ground and left a huge hole in it that took up an eighth of the ring''s space.


    Muku''s expression darkened as he looked on. How tf was he supposed to fix that?!


    As for why Emily and the others weren''t worried that she might have potentially killed Layla? Well, it was obviously really. Emily can choose what she burned and what she didn''t. So if Layla was caught in the attack, she would still be fine... Maybe naked, but fine.


    That''s where the problem came in. After the flame sphere disappeared. Layla was nowhere to be seen...

 Chapter 176: Layla versus Emily (Final)

    "Where did she go?!" Emily exclaimed to herself. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought of a scary possibility.


    However, she quickly calmed herself down. If by the unlikely chance that Layla was burnt away by her fire. She would definitely have resisted visibly first. Not to mention that Muku wouldn''t have just looked on as it happened. Her attack wasn''t strong enough to kill someone of equal strength like Layla, so there would have been enough time for Muku to act.


    With that realisation, Emily immediately turned around to look behind her. She was expecting Layla to be there by some weird means she employed like in the movies.


    However, she was met with nothing. She then tried looking around the arena and still nothing. Layla was still nowhere to be seen. Emily started getting more and more tense.


    "Flame Dome!" As a last resort, Emily cast a defensive spell that covered her from all angles.


    Whatever trick Layla was employing would be useless that way. Now, all she had to do was wait until Layla made her move. With the dome, she had time to react no matter which direction Layla attacked from. The flames were close enough for her to see through, so she was set.


    "Are you going to keep hiding until we''re kicked out of the arena? I thought you wanted this! Why aren''t you showing yourself now?! You coward!" Emily started shouting out trying to taunt Layla into coming out. She couldn''t take the suspense anymore.


    Her mind wasn''t even working properly anymore. Doubt was starting to creep in about whether she had actually killed Layla by accident. Maybe they both made some weird mistakes that ended in Layla''s death.


    "No, no. That can''t possibly be it. There has to be something I''m missing. Why do my feet feel cold?... Wait...No!"


    Freeze!


    (A/N: I tried to think, I tried to search for it. I just couldn''t find what sound effect represents someone getting instantly frozen -_-)


    Emily was about to break down when she suddenly felt her legs getting colder and colder. She instantly realised what was going on. Layla had somehow hidden in her shadow during the time she attacked her with the flame sphere.


    However, before she could look down to confirm. She was already frozen completely. If she could look down, she would have seen both of Layla''s hands coming out of her own shadow and grabbing her legs.


    It seemed that, while Layla couldn''t attack while completely inside the Shadow Realm. She could attack as long as the body part she''s attacking with is outside and in contact with the target.


    Emily didn''t see it coming. Layla being able to use the Shadow Element had completely slipped her mind. Which was not entirely her fault. She was aware of it when they first started fighting.


    However, as there battle continued, there were many things to think about. Due to this, she forgot about it. Layla was also consciously trying to make her forget about it with how she fought. There were times she could have used it, but chose not to.


    Emily even had the feeling that she was forgetting something important throughout the battle. She just couldn''t remember what it was. Which was something most people have gone through at some point in their lives.


    Especially in situations like her current one, where she had to be constantly on her toes. She didn''t have time to take a step back and properly think.


    Which she paid for, unfortunately. She was locked in ice before she could do anything. On the bright side, she won''t ever forget Layla''s ice ability from that day onwards.


    "Firstly, I''m not a coward. It''s called a strategy. Secondly, it''s because I wanted this that I thought of a winning strategy without going all out. Which is why I won, and you lost," Layla spoke calmly while coming out of Emily''s shadow.


    The flame dome had been dispelled the moment Emily was trapped in ice. From the look of things. It was definitely Layla''s win without a doubt.


    BOOOM!


    "No! You haven''t won! Exploding Flame Spear! Huh?!" Emily, who had thought she had played along well enough to successfully ambush Layla, was surprised.


    Just as her attack was about to strike Layla. The black-haired Ice Element Evolver dissolved in front of Emily''s eyes. She wasn''t too surprised by the visual effects since she had seen how Layla entered the Shadow Realm before. What surprised her was the fact that Layla shouldn''t have been able to do that with the shadows to enter.


    She was even more surprised when she noticed that the whole ground around her was shaded darker due to the shadows on it.


    "Look up..." Layla''s voice sounded in Emily''s right ear from just beside her.


    "Ahh!"


    Which obviously startled her into jumping away. Then she did what Layla asked her to do after taking a defensive position. Which was looking up. The moment she did, all her fighting spirit left her body.


    "How do you like my Sky Stalactite spell?" Layla asked her without moving from her position. There was even a hint of taunting in her voice. She was clearly enjoying the situation.


    "I told you that I''ve won" She continued without waiting for Emily to reply to the obviously rhetorical question.


    "I thought we agreed not to use our best spells?" Emily asked with a defeatedly low voice.


    How could she not be defeated when the sky above her was covered by an unknown number of huge pointy ice cones around half the size of the fire sphere she used before.


    The damn things were covering every inch of space in the arena. No matter where she tried to run to, they would be there. If she tried to mount a defence. It might work for a few of them but she would eventually be overwhelmed and squashed. There was really no way out for her without getting out of the arena. Which would be her loss since that was against the rules.


    Well, she did have another plan. Unfortunately, she was nowhere near as agile as she would need to be to actually carry it out. Only people like Jade, Emily, Audrey and Muku would be able to because of their physical prowess. Not to mention that even they would need some luck to do it.


    The plan was to jump up and meet the attacks midway. Then, use your abilities to jump in between them until they are below you. Which would be really cool if done, but she couldn''t.


    There was also the option to create her strongest-ever defence and ward off the attacks. However, using flames to defend against such large solid objects from above was no different from seeking death. People like Muku and Audrey could maybe do it with their elements that also have solid states, but she couldn''t.


    "That''s not one of my best attacks though. Otherwise, they would have been black instead. I''m sure you know the difference between the two..." Layla defended herself in a relaxed manner.


    It was clear to everyone present that the fight was over even though Emily hadn''t admitted defeat yet. So, talking wasn''t a problem.


    "I know that... But it seems a little excessive don''t you think? It seems to blur the lines a bit if you ask me. Just because you have crazier attacks doesn''t make that any less crazy, you know," Emily persisted in her stance. She was secretly hoping to reason Layla into agreeing that it was a draw since she went too far.


    While she didn''t mind losing too much. Anyone would choose a draw of a loss if there''s a chance for it. She was definitely not being a sore loser...


    "Look behind you hypocrite" Layla didn''t try to argue. She only told Emily to look behind her while pointing at something there after an eye roll.


    "Hhm? Oh... Yeah, I totally deserve that" Emily did as told and she immediately understood what Layla meant.


    At some distance behind her was the huge crater, she had made with her flame sphere. She might have nerfed it by not adding the "explode-upon-impact" attribute. However, it was still devastating and pushing it a bit. Which was obvious from the damage it did.


    "You almost had me there if I wasn''t lucky" Layla decided to add a few words so that Emily really understood the situation and wouldn''t argue about the ending anymore.


    "Fine, I get it. It''s your win. I give up. However, how did you make it from there to my shadow though? I know for certain you had not activated those things in the sky yet" Emily finally admitted defeat which brought an official conclusion to the duel. Of course, she asked the question that had been bothering her since the event happened. How did Layla do what she did?


    "Oh, that, it''s simple, really. Of course, like I said before there was an element of luck involved as well. Just when your sphere was about to hit me. I escaped into the Shadow Realm. I created an ice arrow, which was given a sufficient shadow by your attack''s light. Then shot it towards you as I entered the shadow. It was a risky move since the arrow didn''t survive long under such intense heat. However, it survived long enough for me to jump into your shadow before fading into nothingness" Layla explained how she did what she did since she had already won.


    There was no need to keep such things from her comrades after all. Maybe one day Emily would be faced with such a case while fighting an enemy. The information would be quite useful then, preventing her from suffering any unnecessary losses.


    "What would have happened if it had melted away before you reached me though?!" Emily asked feeling horrified.


    She felt that Layla was way too reckless. Especially for such a petty match...

 Chapter 177: Do I look like a little girl to you?

    Layla looked at Emily silently. She understood where she was coming from. However, she felt that it wasn''t as serious as Emily thought it was.


    "Oh, that; I will admit that in normal cases, it would have been reckless. I don''t even know what could happen if my link to the outside world was cut off like that. However, with him here, do you think anything like that will happen? You might not have noticed, but he''s always primed to intervene at a moment''s notice whenever there''s a fight going on. Whether here or outside. Thank you for the worry, though," Layla spoke after a moment of silence.


    She acknowledged Emily''s worry as a teammate and friend. Which was why she even bothered to explain herself so much. She even spoke in a way that actively sought to calm down Emily. That wasn''t something the past Layla would have done. It showed that she was actively trying to get closer to the others unlike before.


    "Okay... If you say so. How come I didn''t notice that? I mean, I knew he would always assist if something went wrong outside. However, to always be primed to interfere? Isn''t that tiring? It''s like he has a papa-bear personality" Emily responded.


    Layla had calmed her down, she then instantly moved on to her favourite subject to talk about. Which was Muku and anything to do with him. She always liked discovering new things about him.


    Especially in their current setting, where she can say she knew most things about him due to being around him every day. Of course, there would be personal secrets. She didn''t expect to learn those from observing him or hearing it from others. That was something she hopefully would hear from the man himself one day.


    It''s things like what Layla mentioned. Which she had missed that she liked finding out about. After all, different people can notice different things while studying the same topic.


    "Yeah... It honestly rather pisses me off sometimes. It''s like he doesn''t trust our own capabilities" Layla added her own take on the matter.


    There was some real frustration in her voice. It seemed it had been bothering her for some time. While she wasn''t a radical feminist or something like that. She wanted Muku to trust her and the others a bit more.


    Even though he took a somewhat laid-back role a while back. Which was good and she silently appreciated. She could still feel that he was ready to intervene at short notice.


    Which again, wasn''t bad. The bad thing wasn''t actually with Muku even. It was with her. Knowing that he''s always there, ready to help, has made her somewhat reliant on him subconsciously. Which was why she tried something so reckless without a second thought. Maybe if Muku wasn''t so present. She would have come up with an alternative instead.


    While unlikely, considering the time constraints, it was still possible. She first grew up in an orphanage alone. She got adopted by a timid mother who was too scared to get close to her. Developed a rather self-dependent personality. Due to this, Muku''s presence sometimes feels off to her.


    "Well, I don''t think of it like that. I think it''s just his way of showing care. No one would want someone they care about to be injured right? I''m actually happy to know that he is paying more attention than I thought he was. As for you, I think you should get used to it since you''re stuck with him from now on. Don''t reject his presence. Embrace it instead... Anyway, we should go, we''re wasting everyone''s time by standing here. You should probably dispel those. It must be a drain keeping them up there so long" Emily spoke one last time, giving Layla a little advice before walking off towards the others.


    "...I should embrace it?... Maybe I''ll try that..." Layla spoke to herself while dispelling her spell.


    She then followed after Emily. She was congratulated on her win upon arrival. While she played it off as not being important. She was actually happy that inside. The girl really liked winning and being congratulated for it after all.


    ...


    A while later...


    Muku had been standing for more than a minute looking at the beaten and battered arena. The girls had no idea what he was thinking.


    "What''s wrong? When are we fighting? Don''t tell me you''re chickening out now" Jade asked what he was doing with a little taunt. She just didn''t know how to speak normally with Muku.


    "It''s nothing much. Just that... I think it''s better we not battle. If the restrained R2s of our group could do this. Then I don''t know what you will do. Which is a risk we can''t take without anyone of the same rank casting the shield for us. If I do it, I might lose focus, which will lead to problems." Muku didn''t mind Jade''s taunting since he had long gotten used to it.


    He clearly explained what he was thinking without even turning back. He has tried to think of an alternative but couldn''t think of anything.


    "What did you mean me?! Shouldn''t it be "we" since we''d be doing it together? Why am I being singled out"? Jade snapped in defence of herself.


    "Obviously, it''s just you we have to worry about. You, girl, have control issues when you get into a battle. We aren''t certain of what you can do with your current strength yet. So I refuse to experiment when it''s not even stable yet. I don''t know how it skipped my mind before" Muku explained bluntly.


    "You jerk! How can you say such hurtful things to a lady?!" Jade screamed furiously!


    So, what if it was true. Did he have to be so blunt about it? How insensitive can one man be?


    "Firstly, you, like most of the girls where aren''t old enough to be called ladies yet. You''re just an adolescent girl. The only ladies here are Audrey and Freya. Secondly. I didn''t say we wouldn''t have the duel. It just won''t be now. We''ll wait for the others to rank up first. So they can be the ones to create the barrier. It shouldn''t take too long. So in a few days, you''ll get the beating you want," Muku defended himself.


    However, his words not only made Jade angrier but also offended most of the girls in the team. For some reason, when girls are young, they hate being called young, and when they are old, they hate being called old. Muku had just offended all the young ones while talking to one.


    He suddenly felt a chill go down his spine. Looking around, he immediately realised what was wrong. However, like a real man, he wasn''t afraid to die for what he believed in. So, he just stood there bravely not taking his words back.


    Audrey and Freya smiled wryly while looking on. The funny situation even made them feel a lot better about how their battles ended.


    "Don''t call me that! Look at me! Do I look like a little girl to you? What little girl looks like this huh? And I''m turning seventeen in two months!" Jade shouted in anger while spinning around in front of Muku.


    Muku couldn''t help but look. True to Jade''s words, she really didn''t look underage. Her body had developed beyond her age. Which has become a real problem in modern society. Young girls seemed to be growing faster than their age could keep up with.


    She, along with the other three were all like that. Hope follows close behind. It was one of the things that landed many men in prison when they couldn''t control themselves or they were tricked by the girls into believing that they were older than they actually were.


    The girls in his team had especially gotten more mature looking too. It might have been because of their rapidly improving strength as they got stronger. Their looks were also top-notch and improving daily. The only reason no one in their group thought that they were outstanding was because of seeing Audrey every day.


    The lady''s beauty had long gone past the point of mortal beauty. If they were compared to the most beautiful girls in the world instead of her. They would definitely win with no doubt. Muku couldn''t help but gulp down some saliva before getting a grip on himself.


    It was already hard enough to keep a clear mind while surrounded by them every day. So, Jade doing what she was doing suggestively was just torture. Especially when Muku couldn''t even relieve himself. Since there were people in the mansion with good enough hearing to hear what everyone was doing no matter where they were.


    He had never done such a thing before so he didn''t know what would happen after. He was afraid that he wouldn''t be able to stop if he started. So he could only rely on certain dreams he basically had every night to help him.


    "I will admit that you don''t look like a young girl. And are definitely attractive. However, have you heard the term, "jailbait"? That''s what you are right now," Muku admitted that he found her attractive while feeling a bit confused about how they got there. However, he still stuck to his conviction.


    "Argh! How dare you call me that?! I''m outta here!" Jade was angered even more. The other girls silently mirroring her.


    Since she couldn''t find Muku, she chose to leave. She just didn''t want to see him at that time. Her mind wasn''t thinking straight. How dare he call her jailbait?!


    "Wait for me!"¡Á3


    "Hmph!"¡Á3


    Emily, Layla and Chloe called out to Jade. Then ran after her after making a "hmph" sound at Muku to signify their dissatisfaction.


    Muku just watched them leave with a wry smile on his face. He''d just let them cool off on their own. He had already spoken to them about it anyway. It was quite surprising how they appeared to all have selective memory loss.


    "Who are you?!" Jade''s annoyed exclamation sounded from just outside the arena. Muku hadn''t taken it down yet.


    BOOM!


    Without a second thought, Muku flew toward the girls and was there less than a second later.

 Chapter 178: Leader Jeff

    "Who are you"? Muku asked in a threatening voice the moment he landed, startling the group of strangers standing in front of the girls.


    His dangerous aura was leaking out a bit. It was almost like he was indirectly telling them that if he didn''t like their reply, they were going to suffer.


    "Hey! You''re scaring them!" Emily spoke as she hit Muku on the shoulder.


    She hit him as a way of showing the spooked strangers that he wasn''t as unreasonable as he seemed at that moment. Of course, there was a little rebuking involved as well.


    She had noticed long ago that he did particularly like it when males, especially strangers talked to them. While he wouldn''t react like that in normal cases. Jade''s annoyed voice when she called out, made him misunderstand the situation.


    She, in reality, only spoke in such a tone because of their quarrel. However, in the heat of the moment, such a possibility slipped his mind. His prejudice got the better of him.


    Emily understood all that. So she tried to salvage the situation. The other girls, who weren''t too prone to talking to strangers, let her lead. They all especially didn''t feel like talking at that time for obvious reasons.


    "I''m sorry for his rude behaviour. However, we would appreciate it if you told us who you are and what you are doing here" Emily spoke clearly with a kind smile on her face.


    She basically did what Audrey would have done when dealing with new people. She did it better as well, considering that she didn''t have to cover her face. Or so she thought before she noticed that the five men were starstruck by her smile.


    "If you don''t reply, you are going to have to deal with him..." Emily got a bit annoyed by their display that she subtly threatened them with Muku.


    He hadn''t spoken since the question, choosing to let Emily deal with them. However, he was still glaring at them. It was rather fun to quietly intimidate people after all.


    "R... right, I''m Jeff and these four are my teammates who don''t need names right now. We''re a scouting team from New Life Base. We go around searching for new hunting grounds. We were drawn here by the mansion and stadiums that weren''t here the last time we passed by. We just got here too. I swear!" Jeff immediately explained after Muku was mentioned.


    Muku reminded him of his base''s strongest Evolvers. He didn''t want to anger such a character. Especially when he literally flew in, which was something he had never seen before.


    "Oh? Is that so? New Life Base huh? So, some people have embraced the apocalyptic world to that extent huh?... Tell, me, is it a safe zone or just a random building that survived the World''s Evolution?" Muku got interested after hearing Jeff''s explanation. He took over from Emily.


    Another reason he got involved was because letting Emily continue leading would drag things out. Even while explaining, Jeff''s eyes were trying to steal glances at Emily and the other girls.


    As Muku spoke to Jeff he signalled for the girls to continue on their way. Their being there was just distracting. Knowing that he''d notify them later on of the conversation, the girls did as ordered. Their little quarrel wouldn''t stop them from listening to him when it mattered.


    Audrey and the other three came and went with the others. Audrey had long covered her face before appearing in front of Jeff''s group. If they had seen her face, who knows what would have happened...


    "I... it''s a safe zone. It was a mall in X city. Thanks to our amazing leader, I dare say that even if the barrier disappeared right now. We would have nothing to fear. Our ten commanders and leader are strong enough to keep everyone safe from anything" Jeff replied.


    He felt a little more nervous after being left alone with Muku. However, he got rather arrogant at the end when he started talking about the strongest members of his base. He was even giving Muku provocative looks.


    Which, honestly, Muku found funny. Dudes like Jeff are the type that causes more problems for their allies than enemies. Like, there was literally no reason for Muku and those people to fight. Yet, there Jeff was trying to cause trouble.


    "Is that so? Where is this New Life Base of yours?" Muku just dismissed Jeff''s hidden taunt. He wasn''t some third-rate villain who got triggered into doing the dumbest things just because someone said something.


    "I can take you there if you want. Another one of our missions is to find people. Especially strong ones to bring back to join our base. You should barely qualify to join us" Clearly Jeff''s nervousness was long gone. Otherwise, there was no way he would be trying to rope in Muku even though he knew nothing about him.


    Not to mention the little insult when obviously weaker than Muku. Yet, he dared say Muku barely qualifies to join. Jeff''s teammates broke out in cold sweat. They were wondering if their leader was trying to get them killed.


    "You said it''s where X city used to be right? Maybe I will go check it out. There''s no need to take me with you. You can go ahead and continue with your task" While there were still some things he wanted to ask Jeff.


    He felt like if he kept on talking to him, he might end up slapping him to death by mistake. Jeff was just naturally annoying. It was like a gift at that point.


    "Are you sure? What if you get lost? You wouldn''t blame me, right? You don''t seem...Mmmph!" Jeff, who seemed to not see that he was annoying Muku more and more, was about to insult him before his team members got involved.


    They all dog-piled him while covering his mouth. While he had eyes but couldn''t see. They could see pretty clearly, and they saw how Muku''s expression was darkening the more Jeff spoke.


    "We''re sorry for his behaviour sir. He has some mental problems. We''ll continue on our way and get out of your way"¡Á4 The men all apologised at once. Their hands still on the struggling Jeff''s mouth.


    "Smart dudes. I''ll accept your apology this time. A little advice... Choose a new leader before this one gets you all killed" Muku spoke with a smile that didn''t hold the emotions of a smile on his face.


    As he spoke, the group was awed. This was due to the stadium structure behind Muku that faded into nothingness. It was as large as any stadium, just lacking some detail. Yet, it was created by someone''s spell.


    While Jeff was blind. They were not. They could tell that the man in front of them was a beast in human form. Their heaven-defying leader might not be the man''s match.


    By the time they snapped out of their stupor, Muku was gone. They quickly looked behind them and their awe increased. The mansion they saw before had taken off and flown away!


    They couldn''t help but wonder if they were having a shared dream instead of being awake. After all, how can such a thing be possible?!


    "Wait! That direction..." One of the nameless dudes exclaimed before trailing off.


    However, everyone... Not including Jeff understood what he meant. Jeff was even still fuming about their actions. If they weren''t all stronger than him, he would have definitely beaten them up.


    "What about the direction?" Jeff asked annoyedly.


    "They are going in the direction of the base", Someone replied annoyedly. They were fed up with this trash leader of theirs. If he wasn''t the younger brother of one of the generals, they would have beaten him up and left him there.


    "Yeah, so? Isn''t part of our mission to lead people there?" Jeff asked confusedly.


    However, no one replied at that time. No one felt like wasting their time explaining to the idiot that the people they met were too strong. Sending them to the base was a dumb move. Who knows if they will take over after arriving??...


    ...


    In the floating mansion...


    "Why do you look so annoyed?" Audrey asked Muku curiosity.


    It was rare to see him with such an expression after all. Jade even called him creepy one time for always having a smile on his face. However, even she was wondering why he didn''t have that trademark smile at that time.


    "Oh, nothing. Just that I feel like I lost some brain cells by talking to that idiot" Muku replied tiredly.


    After reaching Rank Three. Moving the mansion was as easy as breathing for him. He didn''t need to focus on it nearly as much as before. He also had the vague feeling that it had gotten better due to Freya.


    Speaking about Freya, the girl had been realising her potential almost daily. She could now change the room temperature, get rid of all the dust in every room with just a thought and many more random things like that. She had tried to change the room order at some point. However, she didn''t have enough mana, so she failed.


    She was actually close to reaching Rank 2. Elsa wasn''t lagging behind either. She was actually ahead of Freya by a significant margin. Freya was at 80%, and Elsa, who had developed many moves in secret, was at 98%. She was actually keeping it a secret from everyone. Her goal was to surprise them when she broke through in a few days if she was lucky.


    "Oh, so... What did he say?" Audrey asked what they all wanted to know after acknowledging his reply. Muku then proceeded to tell them everything.


    "Is that our next destination then?" She then asked the question on everyone''s mind after he finished telling them everything.


    "Why not, right?" Muku replied with a short answer as a smile reappeared on his face...

 Chapter 179: New Life Base...

    The next morning...


    So, it turned out X city was quite a distance away even when one flew there.


    Especially when you get attacked by LR3 bird-type beasts every now and then. With Jade holding a grudge and refusing to scare them off with her aura.


    It was already evening by the time they got close to the New Life Base (NL Base). Of course, they wouldn''t get too close with a floating mansion with them. Not before they knew how strong the other side was at least.


    So, the moment Jade could spot a speck that seemed like a building in the distance. Muku immediately stopped the mansion. He even took it back one more kilometre. He has a gut feeling that something was different about that base compared to the two he went to before.


    As someone who always went with his gut feeling. Which had never let him down. He chose to stop there. Even Jade supported him. While she didn''t feel anything life-threatening from the base. She felt uneasy and didn''t want to get close to it.


    Which prompted Muku to put together a scouting team he would lead. The team involved himself, Audrey and Chloe. While Jade didn''t want to go, the others did. However, they understood why Muku chose Audrey and Chloe instead of the others.


    The reason was simple. Audrey and Chloe could handle themselves well whether at range or in close combat. Which was perfect when stepping into an unknown situation.


    Of course, it didn''t mean that the others were useless in close combat. Just that they weren''t as effective as the two Muku chose.


    As for why Muku didn''t mind getting involved with the base when he wanted to avoid Ares and the voice from the sky? Well, simple really, those two were beings he definitely shouldn''t mess with. They also seemed limited in how much they could interact with the world.


    However, whoever ran the base was a human who seemed quite ambitious from Jeff''s information. In the current world, the person probably has a significant chance of doing something big if he has enough power.


    That was the information Muku wanted to know most. He wanted to know if the leader had enough power to be significant or not. From the initial appearance of things. The situation didn''t seem promising for his side.


    He had the feeling that the leader was definitely worthy of note. As for what he would do if that was really the case? He wasn''t sure yet, he would have to meet the man first. It was definitely going to be an interesting encounter if the other party''s capabilities were good enough.


    "So, how long are you going to take before coming back?" Hope asked when holding Muku''s hand. She definitely wouldn''t let go if she didn''t like his answer.


    "Don''t worry, it won''t be that long. It''s just a scouting mission. As soon as we get the information we want, we''ll immediately come back. In fact, the sooner we go, the sooner we come back" Muku replied in his softest voice.


    For obvious reasons, Hope was the one he treated most delicately in the group. For that reason, he didn''t mind her overly clingy personality. He knew that it was because of the emotional wounds she got from losing her family.


    She was affected a lot more than the others. Jade had a strong personality that helped her survive through it, even if she would feel pain every time she thought of them. She could still soldier on.


    Emily had Elsa for support. Layla hasn''t lost anyone since Audrey was found. Chloe''s relationship with her father wasn''t too deep after years of neglect so she wasn''t too affected by his assumed demise.


    Hope, on the other hand, was completely devastated. For that reason, Muku became her everything. Which, he, who had never had anyone who relied on him so much before, really liked. On a psychological level, maybe he should try to get her to recover but... Did he really want to?


    "Okay, If you say so. Hurry on back then..." Hope spoke while reluctantly letting go of Muku''s hand.


    She had sensed that he was treating the mission a little more seriously than those before it. Which was why she couldn''t help but act out like that. While she knew he probably wouldn''t be back as soon as he said he would. She still let go because she didn''t want to be too difficult.


    "Yeah... See you soon, okay? One last hug before I go" Muku replied while giving her a hug and nodding at the others.


    Jade frowned. The way he was acting, it was almost like they weren''t going to see each other ever again or something. Not wanting to ruin the mood, she remained quiet.


    Internally, she couldn''t help but wonder what she''d do if she didn''t ever see him again. A slight red flashed in her eyes before quickly disappearing. The answer to that was so scary she didn''t know what it was...


    Muku and the two girls then flew away under the gazes of the others. The situation seemed uncharacteristically emotional despite them having done it a few times before.


    Was something bad really going to happen?...


    ...


    Less than a kilometre away from NL Base...


    "So, what''s our game plan? Are we breaking in or?" Chloe asked. Unlike before, there was no meeting to discuss how they were going to deal with the base. Which she just realised, so had to ask.


    "Oh, that... There is no game plan. We''re just going through the front door. Which is why I didn''t see the need to discuss it. Oh, and we''re three PR2 siblings who were lucky enough to gain Rare Classes and are barely surviving the apocalypse alone. For that reason, we''re here to seek refuge after meeting Jeff. If they ask for any more background information. Let me speak, okay?" Muku told the two girls everything they needed to know.


    The honest truth was that he believed in his strength so much that he had gotten a bit cocky. For that reason, he felt too lazy to come up with a game plan. However, he couldn''t say that to the girls lest they ditch him and go back. So, he came up with some random bullshit on the spot.


    "Oh, okay... We''ll do that then" Chloe looked at him with slight suspicion but didn''t say anything.


    Her attention has been grabbed by something else. That was the mall. It was actually her father''s mall! He had so many, in many different cities that she couldn''t remember most of them. It was only because of the name "Charlotte" written on the front of it that she remembered.


    Her father had renamed all his malls "Charlotte" which was his wife''s, her mother''s name after her death. He really loved her with all his heart even after her death.


    It was also because of her that Chloe, a rich girl went to an average school. Charlotte didn''t want her daughter to grow up as an entitled snub, so she chose a normal school. Of course, not all rich people were snubs... probably. Charlotte just didn''t want to take the chance.


    Anyways, realising the mall''s origin unsettled her heart. She felt angry that some stranger claimed it as theirs. Even though she knew that such a thing was unreasonable in the apocalypse, she couldn''t help how she felt.


    "Chloe!!!" Muku''s voice sounded in Chloe''s ears. Startling her to the point of almost yelping in surprise.


    "What''s wrong? Why are you shouting?" Chloe asked while rubbing her irritated ears. If she was Jade she would have exploded and asked for a fight to the death. However, she was a reasonable person, so she asked why he did it instead.


    "I had been trying to call you for a while, yet you weren''t responding. It was either that or a pinch from Audrey''s metal nails so... Anyway, we''re here. Look," Muku explained everything to Chloe, then pointed forward.


    That''s when she noticed that they were flying really low, almost at ground level. They could clearly see the guards at the mall entrance, and it was safe to say that the guards could clearly see them as well.


    "I think it''s time we start walking. I want to keep as much hidden as possible from the other party" Muku spoke while completely placing the two girls on the ground as he landed as well.


    The girls didn''t argue. The trio then walked toward the guards normally. They showed neither fear nor arrogance. Just like how normal people with a little strength would behave.


    They would seem like three normal people if Audrey and Emily''s faces weren''t veiled. Not to mention Muku''s rather devilishly handsome looks.


    Just those reasons alone were enough for the guards to put their...guards up. They did nothing else, however. They stood there, waiting for Muku and the girls to arrive.


    As for it only being one gigolo-looking dude and two girls coming their way. They didn''t care, they were already primed for a battle. The two guards understood well that in the apocalypse, looks no longer mattered.


    The trio in front of them could be monsters in strength for all they knew... Which was very true, actually, though they didn''t know that. They were definitely some top-tier guards in vigilance, at least.


    "Hello, I''m M..." Muku wanted to introduce himself to the guards before one raised his hand to stop him from speaking. Which he did, he was fully committed to the role or someone might have gotten their hands broken for being disrespectful.


    "This conversation won''t happen unless they take off their veils..." The guard on the right spoke while the guard on the left nodded his head in agreement.


    Muku could immediately tell that they weren''t going to be as easy to deal with as he thought...

 Chapter 180: Auntie Tilda?!

    In front of New Life Base...


    "Is that necessary? We''ve come in peace. Look, we aren''t even armed" Muku tried to reason with them. Using a reason that wasn''t reasonable anymore.


    The guards just looked at him like he was an idiot. Wtf did he mean that they weren''t armed? Who didn''t know that modern weapons didn''t work anymore? Hell, even if they still worked at that point, many humans would still be a lot more dangerous than the weapons.


    So, for Muku, who had "walked" there with two girls through an unknown number of beasts, to say they weren''t armed. Trying to hint at their harmlessness, was super shameless. Who in their right mind would believe such a thing?


    For that reason, the guards rolled their eyes at him without budging. Their silence says, "They take their veils off, or you aren''t entering".


    On Muku''s side, it couldn''t be helped. Audrey''s looks were just too dangerous. Even the most upright man might lose himself and turn into a beast after seeing her. She had kept on getting better looking after the Mest incident. So, even their old male associate might be starstruck despite having seen her before.


    As for why he brought her on such an important mission? Simple really, he didn''t think anyone would ask for such a thing. Especially when Jeff that bastard!, said the base was actively looking for people.


    Would someone actively looking for people be so guarded? No! Such behaviour might scare off some people who didn''t want to review too much away, which wouldn''t be good for their agenda.


    "If this is how you''re going to treat us, then we''re leaving. I can''t believe I trusted Jeff, that bastard when he said this was the place to go if one sought refuge. I should have known" Muku tried a different approach.


    While it seemed like he was furiously cursing Jeff for being a liar. In truth, he was indirectly mentioning to them that it was Jeff who told them to come.


    As for whether it would work on such vigilant guards or not. He wasn''t certain. However, it was worth a try. Otherwise, they might have to give up or break in... And there was no way he was going to give up after going all the way there.


    "So it was that idiot... Cough... I mean, Leader Jeff, who directed you here? Well, big that''s the case. I guess we can compromise. Only one of them has to take off their veil. We can''t compromise more than that. You must understand that last night, some rebels tried to break in. So, security has to be a bit tight right now" After hearing Jeff''s name, one of the guards finally spoke.


    It wasn''t that he was scared of Jeff or anything. He was afraid of the person behind Jeff. As one might guess, people like Jeff have a tendency to be quite narrow-minded. Jeff happened to be one of the most narrow-minded people in the whole base.


    So, it was almost certain that he would ask about Muku upon his return. If he doesn''t get a clear answer, he definitely will cause problems for the guards. While the person behind Jeff wasn''t bad, they were quite indulgent when it came to Jeff. So, no matter what Jeff did, they would back him even if they didn''t like it. After all, Jeff was their only remaining family member.


    "Fine, I''ll take mine off. Be sure to keep your word though. Otherwise, we''ll go back and complain about you to Jeff" Chloe spoke before Muku.


    She might be really beautiful. However, it was still within a tolerable range, unlike Audrey. So, it was fine for her to take off her veil. The guards didn''t seem like the lecherous type anyway. To make sure that they didn''t try anything after seeing her, she mentioned Jeff again.


    "Sure, we''re just doing our job after all. You do that, and we''re good," The guard from before replied.


    Chloe then proceeded to remove her veil. Seeing the beautiful face behind the veil. The two guards couldn''t help but hold their breath as they appreciated the beauty. However, they didn''t do anything more than that. They didn''t even look at her lustfully.


    Either they were good guys who didn''t lose themselves over beauty. They could tell that she was a minor and weren''t into that. Or they were into rainbows... Well, whatever the reason, it worked in the favour of Muku''s group.


    "Chloe?!" Just before the guards could say anything, a surprised female voice sounded from the side.


    Everyone''s attention immediately shifted as they all looked in that direction. There, a pretty and well-dressed lady in her early thirties stood with her mouth wide open. Her beauty didn''t lose out to Chloe''s. She even looked a bit better due to her mature age.


    "Auntie Tilda?! Ahh! Auntie!" Chloe called out the lady''s name surprise and shock. Then she screamed as she ran toward the lady. She was overflowing with happiness.


    How could she not be happy when the lady was her father''s secretary who had taken care of her for years? While Tilda hadn''t always been present since she had to follow Chloe''s busy father everywhere. She still tried her best to make Chloe not feel alone despite all that.


    Which she did by video calling her every time she had the time in between her busy schedule. She also visited Chloe whenever she had some days off. The lady had been more of a parent to Chloe after her mother''s death than Chloe''s father, who basically disengaged from interacting with Chloe altogether.


    "You girl! Where have you been? Do you know how worried I was? I went to look for you at the school but it was destroyed. Then at the mansion but it was gone!" Tilda wept as she spoke.


    She had been distressed for the longest time after not finding Chloe. Especially after the exaggerated scenes she saw at the places she expected to find Chloe. She didn''t know where the local safe zones were, so she couldn''t go there to check.


    "Why are you still crying? I''m here right now right"? Chloe tried to console her while also crying.


    Muku and Audrey just looked on with slight smiles on their faces. It was always good to come across people you knew in the current world. Especially close ones like Tilda and Chloe.


    The guards on the other hand. Their mouths were wide open with shock. How could they not be when the lady was Wind Goddess. One of their base''s commanders. She was one of the strongest as well. Not to mention being the leader''s trusted right-hand woman.


    Thinking that they were just troubling someone who had such a close tie to her made them break down in cold sweat. What if she decided to slice them up for their actions in anger? While she wasn''t a bad person, who knows what she would do when she was emotional?


    "Let''s go inside and talk. There''s also a surprise for you there. Your friends can come with us" Tilda spoke while wiping her tears away and glancing at Muku and Audrey for a bit.


    Muku felt the slight hostility she had toward him when her eyes passed by him. He didn''t know why, however. So, he just ignored it. Maybe she thought that he must have done something to Chloe at some point after staying with her for so long. Well, whatever, if that was the case. It would be cleared up soon enough anyway.


    With that, the group of four went inside. The two guards and the three ladies that were with Tilda looked on. The guards were sweating even more after Tilda gave them a dirty look as she passed them by. It was certain that, at the very least, they were going to face some kind of punishment for their actions.


    Even though they were just honestly doing their job. It was really unfair, they were not wrong in any way. Their only sin in the matter was signing up for a side character position in the novel...


    .....


    Inside the mall...


    Tilda took the trio to her room for a talk before she showed Chloe the surprise she mentioned before.


    "So, are you going to introduce us?" Tilda asked Chloe to introduce everyone.


    "Oh, right, I almost forgot. This man here is Muku, my former teacher. The same Muku I mentioned to you a few times before the apocalypse. I wouldn''t be here without him. I would have died a long time ago. Now he is my group''s leader. This lady here is Ms Audrey, she is the mother of one of my classmates. She''s an angel we don''t deserve...." Chloe immediately introduced the two parties.


    She finished by introducing Tilda to Muku and Audrey. The three parties then became acquainted.


    "So, tell me, what have you been through since the first day of the apocalypse? I want to know everything" Tilda moved on to the next topic. She had been controlling the tempo of the conversation from the start. A true professional office worker.


    Muku couldn''t help but raise a brow when she looked at him at the end of her question she was obviously asking Chloe. It was clear to see that she didn''t like him very much. Despite knowing that Chloe only survived because of him, she still looked at him with a little hostility in her voice.


    He could tell that it was going to be a rather troublesome conversation...

 Chapter 181: Somebody else?

    "Really? That''s all he did since day one? He didn''t touch you inappropriately? No? Is he into rainbows?" Tilda asked what she really cared about after Chloe told her how she had been doing up to that point.


    It was clear to see that she didn''t care about what Chloe went through as long as she was safe. What she wanted to know was whether if Muku was the scumbag she thought he was. How could he not be with such good looks and have such a naive girl around him?


    Anyone else in his situation might have long since turned into an animal. Especially after Chloe''s evolution-driven glow-up that stunned even Tilda, who was no slouch herself.


    So, finding out that Muku had been a gentleman from start to finish was rather surprising to her. Tilda was someone who was rarely wrong. For that reason, she got really irritated whenever she was wrong. Which led to her no-so-subtle dissing of Muku by accusing him of a certain thing that made his expression go dark.


    Honestly, if she weren''t someone important to Chloe. She would have been regretting her choice of words by that time. Tilda has no idea that she was messing with someone who could literally wipe her out of existence.


    "Aunt, I''d appreciate it if you didn''t unprovokedly curse my leader", Chloe spoke with an icy cold voice, told Tilda for the first time ever.


    Which caught Tilda by surprise. So, she didn''t know how to respond. Even when talking to strangers, Chloe tended to be timid, but never cold. For that reason, Tilda had to reconsider how she viewed and treated Muku from then on. However, firstly...


    "You''re right, I was being unnecessarily childish. I should apologise. I''m really sorry, Mr Muku, for being so unreasonable. My love for my niece blinded me. I''d like to have a spar with you later on if you accept my apologies," Tilda apologised.


    Though it was obvious to Muku that it was a shallow apology. The woman still didn''t think much of him. It seemed her position and 30% Half-step R3 strength had gotten to her head. She no longer put strangers in her eyes as if she were the peak of the world. Only if she knew that even Chloe was significantly stronger than her, even without looking at class power boosts...


    It wasn''t her fault for underestimating them, though. Her group has gone through quite a few major events to reach its power level. Not to mention that Chloe hadn''t been completely truthful with what she said. She might have only spoken the truth, but she left out many things that shouldn''t be known by outsiders.


    While Chloe loved Tilda and trusted her with all her heart. She wouldn''t let her emotions compromise the group. So, she didn''t say anything that she shouldn''t say. Which Muku and Audrey appreciated. It was one of the best qualities of Chloe''s balanced personality. She knew how to moderate.


    With the lack of information and the fact that Muku''s group were super adept at hiding their auras. It was understandable that Tilda, who couldn''t fathom the idea of there being people stronger than her outside their base, was easily misled.


    "Sure..." Muku only replied with the bare minimum. He never liked people like Tilda who were full of themselves, even if they weren''t bad people.


    As a businesswoman. How can she not apply one of the most important attributes to have in the business world in her personal life? That attribute is not letting personal emotions guide your decision-making. Especially when dealing with new people.


    "Great! I''ll notify you later on then. For now, let me go with Chloe and show her something. Someone will come and show you to your room. There are a lot of people here. So, I hope you two are willing to share a room. Sadly, we can''t respect the barriers between men and women in the apocalypse" Tilda then gave the three an outline of what was going to happen next.


    "No, we understand. It''s fine, thank you," Audrey was the one who replied behind her veil. She spoke quickly as if afraid that Muku would say no. Which, luckily for her, no one caught on to.


    "Great!" Tilda replied. While it was just one word. It was a lot warmer than how she spoke to Muku before. She even cast a curious gaze toward Audrey as she spoke. She was really interested in seeing the face of the lady under the veil.


    Audrey wore a rather loose black dress. One could vaguely tell that there was a great body beneath, her voice also being quite pleasing to the ear and gentle. So, without realising, one would expect to see a beautiful face under the veil. Which was the pattern Tilda fell to, even as a fellow woman.


    However, she couldn''t be shameless and impolite by asking Audrey to remove the veil. Especially after the issue with Muku. Chloe would definitely not forgive her a second time if she tried such a thing again.


    "Chloe, can we go now?" Tilda asked Chloe after shifting her attention from Audrey.


    The way she spoke was a bit more measured compared to before. She was no longer certain about how to act around Chloe after the previous episode. Especially with Chloe''s expression still cold even after she apologised.


    She couldn''t help but wonder what Chloe really went through with Muku to stand by him so firmly. She wasn''t dumb enough to believe that Chloe told her everything just because she asked. Especially in the apocalypse, where you can''t be certain if old friends are still friends after a long separation in such a twisted world.


    So, while she was certain that Chloe didn''t tell her everything. She didn''t think there was much that was left out. However, it seemed she might have to reconsider that conclusion.


    "... Sure, however, I''m going to stay with them after everything is said and done", Chloe replied neutrally after looking at Muku, who gave her a nod.


    Tilda was quietly surprised. Her perceived position for Muku in Chloe''s mind was increasing by the moment.


    Even Muku was surprised. Chloe, like the other girls, had never been so dependent on him to make such simple decisions. It seemed like she was trying to make a silent point to Tilda that Muku was above her in position. Which made Muku''s heart feel rather warm.


    However, he did feel rather bad for Tilda, considering how close she seemed to have been with Chloe before. He couldn''t help but wonder whether it''s what parents go through when their kids ditch them for their spouse... Then again, Tilda had been an a**hole to him from the moment they met. So, maybe there was no need to feel bad for her.


    "Sure... Whatever you want," Tilda replied with a wry smile on her face.


    It seemed she had thoroughly ruined Chloe''s perception of her because of one mistake. However, what she didn''t know was that Chloe could tell that her apology before was insincere. On top of that, her "spar" with Muku was clearly a way of trying to humiliate him.


    All that was the reason Chloe''s perception of Tilda took a dive. She could disrespect anyone else but not Muku. He had become Chloe''s bottom line a long time ago.


    With that, Chloe was led away by Tilda wherever the surprise she was talking about was located. Muku and Audrey were soon taken to another room by a lady who came soon after Tilda and Chloe left.


    The room was just a cleared-out stall. The glass front wall and door were covered by curtains. Which was the best they could do, considering that it was a mall instead of a residential building.


    It felt as awkward as the stadium to Muku and Audrey, who were used to their high-class rooms. Again, they were reminded what a great idea it was to save the mansion...


    ...


    On the other side of the mall...


    "So, what''s the surprise you''re talking about?" Chloe asked Tilda. Still lacking the previous warmth in her voice.


    "Don''t worry, we''re almost there", Tilda replied without looking back at Chloe. She was internally sighing in regret for not controlling herself.


    "Okay..." Chloe replied, then went quiet. This made Tilda, who was expecting a few questions on how she had been, feel quite sad.


    Soon, the two were standing in front of a room that had "Manager''s Office" written on it. Immediately, Chloe figured out that the surprise was probably another person she knew.


    A certain blue-haired middle-aged man came to her mind. However, she quickly scrapped that idea since she was supposed to be abroad. Maybe it was one of his associates who took over and had some news from him or something.


    As Chloe was stuck in thought. Tilda proceeded to knock on the door. She did it so carefully that one could see the respect she had for whoever was on the other side. There was no reply for a few seconds then...


    "Come in", a slightly aged, tired-sounding, and magnetic voice sounded from behind the door.


    Chloe''s eyes instantly widened. For the voice was one she would always recognise, no matter how much time passed. After all, it was her father''s voice. However, that shouldn''t be. The man was supposed to be abroad when the apocalypse began. Where he had been for more than a year...


    Maybe it was somebody else. Who just happened to have the same voice as him. It had to be... Right? Her heart was pounding intensely, her mind filled with confusion.


    As if knowing about Chloe''s doubts. Tilda opened the door widely at the moment Chloe was doubting herself.


    And there he was. The man from whom she got her hair and eye colour. Her father, William Galloway...

 Chapter 182: Chaotic reunion

    "Is there something wro... Chloe?!" William, who had been busy with some paperwork, froze in surprise after he looked up mid-speech.


    His tired-looking eyes widened so much that one might think they were going to pop out. It was clear to see that he was caught completely off guard by Chloe''s appearance.


    "Father..." Chloe spoke the word that had almost become foreign to her with some emotion charged behind it.


    There was relief, resignation, love, hate and a bunch of other emotions behind her voice. She was relieved that he was alive and seemingly doing well. She felt hurt that he seemed to have been living his life comfortably without worrying about her. Soon all the emotions were replaced by one...


    "HOW ARE YOU HERE?! WERE YOU NEVER ABROAD ALL THIS TIME? DO YOU HATE ME THAT MUCH? DID YOU EVER LOOK FOR ME?" Chloe suddenly exploded as she angrily asked her father one question after the other.


    Some were questions she had wanted to ask even before the apocalypse, but never had the courage to. Now, everything just exploded out all at once. Her eyes were burning with anger and hatred as she looked at her father.


    Sparks of lightning were subtly crackling on her body as she struggled to control her power. Her aura was vaguely leaking out. Just the traces of it shocked both William and Tilda.


    They couldn''t believe that she was so strong. Tilda was even more shocked than William. She had been close to Chloe to the point of even hugging her at some point. Yet she didn''t sense anything.... Wait, she didn''t sense anything?


    How could she miss such an obvious thing? If she was stronger than Chloe, who was clearly an Evolver from her improved appearance. How was it possible for her to not sense Chloe''s power then?


    She really had been blind from the start. Her thoughts then drifted to Muku and Audrey, whom she also couldn''t sense the auras of. Cold sweat immediately drenched her back. To think she had been playing with death without even knowing it.


    "Calm down, Chloe... Do you want to destroy the whole base on our reunion?!" William hastily called out to his daughter, who was about to go berserk.


    He felt quite helpless. He was completely unprepared for their sudden reunion. Yet, there she was, his daughter he had practically abandoned.


    He couldn''t help but give Tilda a hateful look for not giving him a heads-up. She always spoke to him before making any decisions that involved him in the past. What went wrong?! The idiot really chose the wrong time to exercise her free will.


    Which had led to the current situation. How was he supposed to stop her without making the situation worse? All he could think of at the moment was to use force... That was definitely a big no, no.


    "Chloe..." Suddenly, a young male voice sounded from behind Chloe and Tilda.


    Chloe''s rampage immediately stopped. Her mana and aura started to stabilise until she was completely back to normal. Though she still gave William a hateful look.


    William ignored all that for a second. His attention was on something else. That something was a handsome grey-haired young man standing behind Chloe with a wry smile on his face.


    Of course, the young man was Muku. The reason he smiled wryly was because of how he got there. He had to use the new ability he got from his Telekinesis Domain. That ability was invisibility!


    That''s right, his Telekinesis Domain allowed him to manipulate air particles! He used that to create an air pocket space that absorbed light. This made him invisible when he was inside the domain.


    It was definitely not an ability one would want to show to people they just met. However, it was out of his hands. It was the only way he could quickly get there after sensing Chloe''s impending mana explosion.


    While he was super fast, so fast that the guards in the mall wouldn''t be able to see him. That kind of speed would pretty much destroy everything behind him. The wind force generated from it was just that strong. So, it was out of the question...


    There was no way the guards would have let him through to that special location if he had asked them. So, without hesitation, he bit the bullet.


    Of course, he was only so civil because he sensed that Chloe wasn''t in any danger, otherwise... Anyway, it all made sense to him after seeing William. He immediately knew who it was.


    He had seen William''s face on a picture before Chloe destroyed it in frustration once. So, he was well aware of the complicated feelings she had towards her father.


    "Who are you? What''s your relationship with my daughter?" William asked in a commanding tone.


    His "Father''s Aura" that was missing before exploded out as he looked at Muku. It was obvious from the glare on his face that if Muku''s answer wasn''t to his liking, he would pounce on him.


    Who was the brat that dared to have so much control over his daughter? To dare excise that ability in front of him! Did he even put him in his eyes??


    Such thoughts went through William''s head. He had completely forgotten that if it wasn''t for Muku, the situation might have gone out of control.


    The more he looked at Muku. The more he disliked him. He was regretting leaving Chloe behind, even if it would have been quite troublesome doing what he wanted to do with her around.


    "Why are you being rude? He''s my former teacher. Someone a lot better than you. He didn''t abandon me even under terrible conditions!" Chloe was angered even more by her father''s behaviour.


    He hadn''t explained himself to her. Yet, he dared show his attitude like that? Did he think so little of her?


    "Oh, so he''s your former teacher, huh? That''s all right? He didn''t try anything with you, did he? If he did, I''ll end him right now!" William spoke again. It seemed he only heard what he wanted to hear as she immediately went back, glaring at Muku after learning his identity.


    "Umm, I think I should go back for now. This seems like a family matter I shouldn''t be involved in," Muku spoke awkwardly. Trying to back out of the murky waters he was about to step into.


    "No, you don''t have to leave... You know what, you''re right. Let''s leave. I don''t want to be associated with people who ditch me, then keep on disrespecting the person I owe my life to," Chloe spoke to Muku. She was basically ignoring William and Tilda at that point. She felt that she had given them enough chances to treat Muku better.


    Muku didn''t know what to say, so he just remained quiet as Chloe grabbed his hand and dragged him away. William and Tilda stood starstruck. They didn''t think Chloe would go that far. This prevented them from reacting immediately when Chloe said she was leaving.


    "WAIT!"


    Woosh!


    William called out from the office. In the next moment, he was standing in front of Muku and Chloe.


    While they both clearly saw how he did it. They were still shocked by his strength. He was definitely the strongest person they had ever seen outside of their group. What surprised Muku was how he was actually LR3 like him!


    While his hunch that whoever ran the base was quite different was proven true. However, that wasn''t of any importance at that time. There were other things to deal with at the time...


    "No, please don''t go. I was wrong. I don''t know what came over me. For that, I apologise. Let''s go inside and talk," William spoke after blocking their way.


    Unlike Tilda, he was actually being genuine. Which both Muku and Chloe noticed. However, she was still unwilling to stay. Her emotions were still high.


    "Sure, we accept your apology. It''s understandable for a father to act like that. I''m sure everything will be clear after we talk," Muku spoke before Chloe could refuse again.


    "Thank you for your understanding and forgiveness. I must have been really blind before," William spoke while leading Muku and Chloe back inside.


    He didn''t even try to speak to Chloe, seeing her silence. It was already clear to him that the girl wouldn''t speak to him unless he showed his sincerity to Muku. An apology was not enough for her to forgive him, it seemed.


    "Tilda, you''re excused. Close the door behind you. Also, tell the others not to disturb us," William addressed Tilda after they entered the room.


    "...Yes, Sir!" Tilda replied after a moment of silence. It was obvious to her that he had as holding a grudge because she didn''t notify him about Chloe''s arrival first. It was actually the first time he had practically kicked her out of an important meeting.


    What made it even worse was how Chloe was unshaken. Had her relationship with her really fallen so low due to one man?


    With such thoughts swirling in her head. Tilda left, closing the door behind her. Leaving the three people to their discussion...


    ...


    In another room in the mansion...


    "So, the lost princess has appeared on her own, huh?. I wonder... Is she going to make things a little more fun around here, or will she be as boring as the rest? I guess time will tell..." A white-haired young man spoke to himself after receiving some information from his assistant.


    It was obvious that the strong people in the base would notice Chloe''s little episode from before. The only reason they didn''t make a move was because of the location where it happened.


    After all, their leader was a beast in human skin. There was no problem he couldn''t take care of himself if he wanted to...

 Chapter 183: Reconciliation!

    In William''s office...


    "Firstly, let me apologise to you again for my less-than-ideal behaviour before. I don''t react well when surprised. Secondly... Chloe, my daughter..." William, being the crafty old man he was. He started the conversation by addressing Muku, then switching to Chloe midway.


    While it left a bad taste in his mouth. It was the only way he could lower Chloe''s guard. He even trailed off a bit before really getting into it. This was a way of indirectly telling Chloe that if she didn''t want to talk, she could stop him.


    Fortunately for him, while she was still angry at him. He was her father, who had given her everything he could apart from his presence. So, she still wanted to hear him out. Because of this, she remained silent, signalling him to continue.


    "Right... You see, it''s not that I wanted to leave you behind or not keep in touch," William started speaking with a smile on his face. He was happy she was willing to hear him out.


    The situation back then was such that I couldn''t interact with the outside world that much. Including you, my daughter. Being away from you hurt more than you can imagine. Which is why I ordered Tilda to look after you. I''m not saying she didn''t love you, though," William continued, making Chloe aware of something she never considered.


    This was how Tilda only started showing a lot of affection to her after her father left. Things started to make more sense now. At the beginning, Tilda didn''t seem too thrilled about interacting with her. It was only after a while that she started showing real care for Chloe, which didn''t seem forced.


    "Anyway, while I cannot tell you the details of what I was doing. I can at the very least tell you that it was for both of us. Which you will understand sometime in the future. The matter is close to being done. It could have been done a while back if there weren''t some changes that needed to be made" William made her aware that there was a reason why he had to leave.


    Seeing his sincere expression and truthfulness in his eyes. Chloe believed him. As a reasonable person, she didn''t ask about whatever kept him busy since he said he couldn''t tell her. However...


    "Did you try to look after me after the apocalypse began. Or was it just Tilda who bothered to?" Chloe asked what she cared about most.


    If he says no to the question. Then everything else he said would become pointless. She could understand him staying away during the pre-apocalypse era for whatever reason. Since she was safe. However, if it was still enough to keep him away after the apocalypse, then they would have cut ties right there and then.


    You can''t say that you''re doing something for someone while at the same time ignoring their situation. Caring about someone just didn''t work like that.


    "Of course, I looked for you. I even did it before Tilda. I just didn''t tell her so that she also does it. When I did it. Your school was still standing. There were only two middle-aged men left there. I "nicely" asked them some questions. However, they seemed to have lost their minds, so nothing productive came out of the encounter. Then I went home, but you weren''t there either. After that, I was out of ideas, so I just prayed that you were okay, then came back here since I couldn''t stay out any longer," William clearly explained himself.


    It seemed he met Mr Swindon and the other dude who had no name. What confused Muku and Chloe, however, was how there were only two people there. However, considering the state of mind William had found them in. Anything could have happened to the others.


    Muku''s attention was drawn to something Chloe missed. Which was how William spoke like he was already strong enough at that time. Which couldn''t have been the case... right?


    Well, whatever. There was no point in thinking about it. If he was meant to know, he would know. It wasn''t like it was something he could ask William, especially at that time.


    It was already awkward enough that he was there during such a conversation. Witnessing William lose all his cool, manly aura while apologising to his daughter. Yet, whenever he wanted to say he should leave. Either William or Chloe seemed to sense it and gave him a look that said, "Please stay". The father-daughter pair had become so disconnected that they''d feel awkward if they were left alone.


    "I was surprised when Tilda searched for you after the world evolution and said that she didn''t find the mansion. Not even its rubble. She said that it looked like it had been uprooted. Which I had to go check myself. Oddly enough, it really was uprooted. While it was quite surprising. It gave me hope that my prayers had been answered, and you were okay. Which, by your presence here, was true. I''m so happy right now, I don''t know what to do," William continued after another moment of silence as he gave Chloe time to digest his words.


    "So, what you''re saying is that all this time you cared?" Chloe spoke in a calm voice while trying to maintain the fac?ade that she wasn''t affected by his words. However, the tears falling from her eyes sold her out.


    William, who had also gotten emotional, stood up from his chair and walked over to Chloe. He then opened his arms just a metre away from her.


    "... Dad! I missed you so much," Chloe hesitated a bit. However, with a little nudge from Muku, the girl ran into her father''s arms and burst into tears.


    She cried so much that it was heartbreaking. It was obvious she had been holding onto a lot of emotions from the many years that had passed.


    Which was understandable, really. The day she lost her mother, she practically lost her father as well. He was never the same after that. Barely ever present until he was basically never present at all.


    It was surprising that Chloe grew up to be a normal girl with no mental issues after all that. However, even her stable personality wouldn''t shield her from the pain caused by all that.


    Muku felt so awkward at that moment. So much so that he unconsciously used his domain and made himself invisible and closed his eyes. "Out of sight, out of mind, right?


    .....


    A while later...


    The father-daughter pair had finally stopped hugging each other and were back in their seats. Muku was visible again. The atmosphere in the room was a lot more present compared to before. Both William and Chloe were feeling better after making up.


    Muku was getting more confused, however. After meeting William and interacting with him. The man didn''t seem like a bad guy or give off such a vibe. Yet, the nagging feeling that there was something sinister going on behind the scenes just wouldn''t leave his mind.


    He couldn''t help but wonder if his hut was wrong for the first time ever. It would be surprising, but not too much considering that it was just a gut feeling after all. Or maybe it was because of the slight anomaly he sensed in both William and Tilda''s mana?


    It was the apocalypse where anything could happen, so that wasn''t too surprising to him. Even normal people can have some differences after all. Maybe it was just his mana type rejecting a variant different from it?


    As someone who went with the flow whenever he couldn''t figure things out. He didn''t stress over it. He just left it to fate. Like before, if he was meant to find out, he would eventually.


    "So, Muku... Right? What are your plans with my daughter?" William literally circled back to his initial question after all that. Just that he did it more civilly this time.


    Instead of a glare, he just narrowed his eyes at Muku. Chloe''s reaction was also different from before this time. Instead of getting angry, she blushed furiously while hiding her head behind Muku.


    Seeing her reaction, Muku almost got up and ran on the spot. What the hell was the girl doing?! Was he trying to get him killed? What kinda of easily misunderstood reaction was that?!


    Cold sweat went down Muku''s back. He slowly shifted his gaze from Chloe to William... He was met by William''s smile that didn''t hold even an ounce of the emotions one would associate with a smile.


    He honestly looked like a serial killer who killed his targets with a smile on his face at that time.


    Boom!


    Just when Muku was wrecking his mind for an answer that wouldn''t lead to a beating. An explosion rang out from somewhere within the base. Everyone''s attention was instantly drawn to it.


    "Let''s continue this talk later. It seems someone is causing trouble again. Do you want to go check it out with me?" William''s expression turned serious as he spoke.


    "Sure, let''s go", Muku was quick to agree. Internally, he was even thanking the troublemaker. At least he was spared for the time being. He''d also have time to set Chloe straight. How dare she try to set him up when he thought she was the most upright member in his team?!


    With that, the trio left the office, heading for the explosion site...

 Chapter 184: Sagely John!

    At the explosion site...


    "What happened here? To dare do this when you know I''m around. Do any of you still put me in your eyes?!" William exclaimed in anger the moment he arrived.


    How could he not be angry when the floor and walls in the area were cracked? Which was a lot more troublesome in the apocalypse for obvious reasons. The materials to fix such problems weren''t as easily available as before.


    For that reason, William had set a rule to never get into physical conflict inside the mall. If people had an issue that needed fighting, he wouldn''t stop them. They''ll just have to go outside and settle their matters.


    "It was her Boss, he caused all this, " a muscular-ruffian-looking fellow replied while pointing at a veiled woman.


    "John! It''s you again?! Do you think I won''t kick you out just because you''re one of the base''s strongest? And who the hell is this?! Why is her face covered in front of me?" William''s anger instantly increased.


    It was obvious from his reaction that John was the kind of book you can judge by its cover. He looked like a troublemaker and really was one.


    "That''s the problem, Boss. I heard that there were some new people in the base. As an upstanding citizen, I decided that I should confirm their identities. After all, we had an issue with spies from the Gvt Base before" John was quick to reply before anyone could.


    His reason for showing up probably had no connection to being a good citizen. However, William was willing to hear him out.


    "So, I politely let myself into the room. After seeing that the other party had a veil. I got suspicious, then politely asked her to remove the veil. However, she was unwilling. So, I sagely, with no hidden intent, reached out to remove the veil. As John continued speaking, trying to make himself as innocent and harmless as possible. The listeners found their mouths twitching a bit. They could all tell that the man was definitely lying about his intent or behaviour. However, no one interrupted.


    "Then she pushed me out of the room with so much force I almost crushed into the wall behind me. Of course, I was angered and maybe lost my temper for an instant as I sent out a punch in her direction after she came out. That doesn''t really matter. What matters is that I think she''s definitely a spy. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been able to stop my punch so easily with one hand. It was the generated force from that which caused the noise and damage. Boss, please, you must avenge me!" John finally finished spinni... Cough... Speaking his tale.


    "Right... So that''s what happened, huh? Okay, you''re not going to get any support from the base for a month for your use of force indoors. You had no right to investigate someone''s identity. Not to mention that from your words, you were being disrespectful to her. So it''s understandable she''d behave the way she did. Also, it''s Tilda who gives people rooms here. For this lady to get a high-floor room, it means her identity was confirmed. Yet, you had to come and cause trouble. You even tried to trick me with your words," William spoke continuously. Not allowing John the chance to interrupt.


    "But Boss!" John called out in grievance. However, that''s all he did. He couldn''t think of anything to defend himself with.


    "What? You have nothing to say, do you? Anyway, this is your last warning. If anything like this happens again. I''m kicking you out with no chance of coming back. Now get out of my sight," William spoke while glaring at John.


    Honestly, if John weren''t one of the strongest people in the base. And also very effective in hunts. He would have kicked him out long ago. While those advantages had protected John up to that point. He couldn''t keep on forgiving him, otherwise everyone else would start rebelling, thinking that they''d be forgiven anyway.


    "Understood, Boss. This won''t happen again," John declared passively. However, there was obvious hatred in his eyes. It wasn''t directed at William, though.


    Which was obvious from how He glared at the veiled woman. Who was obviously Audrey, with hatred in his eyes. He was even thinking of lunging at her. However, as soon as that idea appeared in his mind, his body froze.


    He tried to move, but he couldn''t. Only his head could move. He subconsciously turned towards a certain direction. The direction was just behind William. There, his eyes met a grey pair of eyes that were a shade darker than the veiled woman''s.


    The moment the two people''s eyes met. John was overcome with fear. He wanted to scream, but he couldn''t. Cold sweat flowed down his back as he stood frozen.


    It continued like that for a few more seconds until the owner of the grey eyes looked away. Though it was after giving him a little smile which made everything clear. John understood clearly. The message was, "try something with her and you''re dead"


    After the grey eyes, which were Muku''s, of course, looked away from him. John could move, and he immediately ran away from the scene. He ran to his room and closed the door behind him. Then his body lost all strength from fear, and he fell to the ground. The plan of revenge against Audrey he was cooking up was instantly scrapped. He even hoped not to see her again, lest he have that monster as a reason to end him.


    What he didn''t know was that Audrey actually had the capabilities to end him herself. Which was part of the rest, William chose to punish him instead of telling them to go fight outside. He couldn''t lose one of his strongest to a guest after all.


    ...


    Back at the scene...


    William gave Muku a brief look of disbelief before looking away. He was the only one who sensed what Muku had done to John without moving.


    It seemed his daughter was exceptionally lucky to find herself in the same team as such a monster. He had suspected that Muku was R3 from his invisibility display before. However, he wasn''t sure because Muku hadn''t completely activated his domain. Which made it seem like it could have been a spell he was using instead of a domain ability.


    William knew for a fact that no one should have been able to reach R3 so quickly under normal circumstances. So, Muku had to be both extremely talented and lucky. Which were the two things one needed most in the apocalypse?


    He didn''t have those, so he had taken a rather dark shortcut to his strength. Which he hoped was never reviewed to the outside world, otherwise he''d be done for. Yet, Muku was a pure R3. Well, that was a story for another day.


    "Everyone, go back to your business. Don''t bother this lady anymore. She''s a guest here. So, don''t be rude like John, or you know how you''ll end up," William ordered everyone after putting his chaotic thoughts aside.


    Most of the residents did as told. Only six, apart from Tilda, remained. The white haires young man from before was one of those who remained. There was a slightly mischievous smile on his face.


    After all, his plan has worked. He had found out what he needed to. He was the one who had manipulated the muscle-brained and lustful John to find trouble with Audrey through spreading gossip.


    He wanted to see the capabilities of the new arrivals. Chloe''s mana leak wasn''t too pronounced from far away. So, no one outside was able to accurately judge her strength based on it.


    This led to his bold plan. If Audrey was strong, then he''d think of a way to get acquainted with them, since one can never have too many allies. If she were weak, he''d get involved, then use it to improve his relationship with William. So it was a win for him, no matter what.


    He preferred the first outcome, however. After all, the old man, William, was known to not favour people easily, no matter what they did for him. So, it was too much of a gamble. This made the first outcome more appealing. Luckily for him, that''s what happened.


    "Why are you all still here? Didn''t you hear me?" William gave the group that stayed behind a dissatisfied look as he spoke. They were usually obedient, so he couldn''t understand what was wrong that time.


    "Don''t misunderstand us, boss. We''re not trying to rebel or anything like that. We just want to know who our new friends are. Will you not introduce us?" The white-haired young man was the one who responded. His voice was calm and charismatic.


    With his handsome looks, he only seemed like a devil that hand come to steal the souls of young ladies away.


    "Abel, I don''t have time for your games right now. Go back, I''ll call you all when it''s time to introduce you all. Our guests have travelled a long way, and they would like to rest first," William spoke while giving Abel the stink-eye. He didn''t like the white-haired brat who was always plotting behind the scenes.


    Only if he wasn''t his strongest general. He would have gotten rid of him a long time ago. Even before the troublesome John.


    It was better to deal with someone overly dumb than someone overly smart. The dumb one is predictable and easy to read most of the time, while the latter...

 Chapter 185: Mana corruption?

    "Well, you''re the boss", Abel replied while backing down.


    He didn''t want to give a bad impression to his targets. He then smiled at Muku and left with the others. As a patient plotter, he didn''t mind waiting.


    .....


    A while later. Back in William''s office...


    "Hello, Ms, I''m sorry for my subordinate''s poor behaviour. I hope you can forgive him just this once. It won''t happen again," William apologised to Audrey on John''s behalf after he had her join them in his office.


    As for why that was... He had instantly noticed that Audrey was way stronger than John when he arrived on the scene. She had gone easy on him. Otherwise, he would have been seriously injured at the very least if she had taken him seriously.


    He was certain that she wasn''t a spy. Even though Tilda hadn''t told him. Which was because, for whatever reason, her mana signature was similar to Muku''s to an extent. Which wasn''t something he''d ever seen before.


    Everyone''s mana signature was like fingerprints, all unique. So, for two people to have a somewhat similar mana signature. They had to be related in some way. Which wasn''t natural either. He (William) knew a bit about unnatural mana signatures after all...


    Anyway, that wasn''t any of his business. Just as he didn''t want anyone to pry into his secrets. He wouldn''t pry into other people''s secrets as well.


    "It''s fine. Thank you for being objective," Audrey replied while taking off her veil.


    It was easy for her to figure out that he was Chloe''s father. From his looks to all that had happened up to that point. So, she felt that it would be rude not to remove her veil. He seemed like a steady man. There was no way he''d be too affected by beauty... Right?


    "Oh my! No wonder you wear a veil around strangers. Honestly, thank you for doing so. I don''t know what would have happened if you didn''t..." William was completely caught off guard by Audrey''s looks.


    However, he quickly regained control of himself. He then proceeded to compliment Audrey''s looks without actually saying the usual words.


    Audrey just smiled slightly at his indirect compliments. She then gave Muku a sidelong glance. It was like she was silently asking him why he never complimented her.


    Muku noticed her look and understood what it meant. However, as a seasoned gaze-ignorer. He pretended not to see it.


    Of course, Audrey, who had been looking at him, noticed what he did. She rolled her eyes and looked away. She had gotten used to him doing that. While he never complimented her. She would catch him sneaking peeks multiple times every day. Which wasn''t any worse than compliments. So she wasn''t too unhappy about his unwillingness to say anything.


    William noticed the duo''s silent exchange, and he wasn''t sure how he felt about it. He liked the fact that Muku seemed to be more interested in the grey-haired girl than in his daughter. However, didn''t that mean his daughter, who was madly in love with him, was doomed to have a broken heart when the time came?


    As a father, he wanted his daughter to be happy. Which was obviously linked to Muku. However, at the same time, he didn''t want her to be involved with anybody, even when she turns eighteen and older. No man was good enough for his daughter in his eyes after all. Which left him feeling conflicted.


    Luckily, it seemed he had some more time. He could tell Muku was that kind of virgin dude who was confident in everything else but was slow in making moves.


    If it was a certain kind of genre, Muku would have gotten screwed by his own delay. However, fortunately for him, Author-san wasn''t sick. So it was all good...


    ....


    A while later...


    Much to Chloe''s disappointment. William didn''t continue his previous topic. He just spoke about mundane things.


    Which included asking about Chloe''s well-being. How she had been doing since the apocalypse began. If she was missing anything she needed his help with, among other things. Just the general things a father asks about.


    Then he made small talk with Muku and Audrey, trying to get to know them better. He was happy to know that his daughter had been lucky enough to be accompanied by such good people from day one.


    Though he wasn''t completely happy. That was because Chloe and the other two refused to stay for the night. Or even lunch, for that matter.


    They said they had their own place with people waiting for them. So, they couldn''t stay longer. Especially without talking to the others first.


    He did try to talk Chloe into staying, but she gave him a hard no. Which he understood. While they were mending their relationship. I wasn''t there yet.


    Then again, after giving it a second thought. He felt that it might have been for the best...


    So, with mixed feelings. William saw them off. Tilda hadn''t made another appearance. Likely dealing with something else.


    ...


    On the way to the mansion...


    "Did you sense it too?" Muku asked mid-flight.


    "Yeah, they were all like that... Whatever that was", Audrey replied.


    "Even my father... Especially my father," Chloe added.


    The trio then turned silent. No one said anything. However, they all had hardened expressions on their faces. It was clear to see that there was definitely something going on at the New Life Base. Which they had discovered.


    .....


    Back at the mansion...


    The trio was happily received by the others. Hope reattached herself to Muku, and the group had their lunch.


    They then got into the discussion that the ones that had stayed behind had been waiting for...


    "So, what did you find? Why does Chloe look both happy and sad?" Jade asked immediately after lunch.


    She was out of patience after cooking all the meat while Emily looked on. Which was the second day in a row. Emily suddenly came to her and said that it would be easier for the stronger Jade to do it. So she''ll just look on until she ranks up as well.


    This was supported by everyone else. So, Jade couldn''t refuse. The worst part was how it seemed like Emily was holding out on improving her strength just so that Jade had to cook on her own.


    "Well, let''s start with Chloe''s matter first, then..." Muku went to tell the others about how they found Chloe''s father at the base. Then about the other matter...


    "So, what you''re saying is that. Chloe''s father is not only at that eerie place,, but he''s running it? On top of that, every person you met there had corrupted mana caused by whatever reason, with him still being the most corrupted. And you sensed a hyper-concentrated corruption source down below?" Jade summarised what Muku said.


    That''s right, while Muku and the two girls behaved normally throughout. They had been ignoring something very wrong with the base people for the longest time.


    It had not been too pronounced when they arrived or spent a little time there. However, the longer they stayed there, the more pronounced it got.


    It was an eerie energy mixed into the mana of everyone at the base. With a purer version of it radiating from what they assumed to be the basement, down below. They decided to call it corruption energy until they found out what it was.


    On the bright side, while it was eerie and likely very bad. It didn''t seem to be doing anything to the corrupted for the time being.


    Which was obvious from their free will and happy expressions. It maybe it was so good at manipulating them that no one was able to tell.


    "Yeah, and don''t forget that everyone is in the base. No matter how young they seemed to be, they were all at least a MR1 Evolver. Which is rather odd for a group with more than a few thousand people so early in the apocalypse," Muku reminded.


    It seemed the things William thought were well hidden were actually clear to Muku and the girls.


    Honestly, William was just unlucky. Muku and the girls shouldn''t have been able to sense the eerie energy. However, they had been exposed to something which gave them that ability.


    And, on the matter of the unreasonably high-levelled residents. Normal people wouldn''t have travelled in-between bases. So, they wouldn''t know what power level was normal for the average person to have at that time.


    Which obviously Muku''s group had done and knew. It was almost like Muku''s group was created to see through everything William tried to hide.


    "Oh yeah... So, what are we going to do next?" Jade asked Muku. However, she was looking at Chloe.


    Her intent was clear. While she said something else. She was actually asking Chloe what she wanted to do, knowing what situation her father was in.


    "Well... Let''s observe for now. I told him I''d visit in a few days. If anything has changed by then. We''ll think of how to react to it. No one has to go with me if they don''t want to," Chloe spoke. She got Jade''s indirect question.


    "We''ll do it like that then, but... You''re crazy if you think you''re going alone," Muku replied while the others nodded in agreement.


    They had all long agreed to stick with each other no matter what after all. So, that much at least was expected. Even Jade wouldn''t have let Chloe go alone.


    "But... Okay, thank you," Chloe wanted to say that it was her problem and they didn''t need to put themselves in such a troublesome situation. However, after seeing their threatening gazes, they dared her to continue what she wanted to say. She ended up thanking them instead.


    It felt good to know that she had such reliable people to lean on.

 Chapter 186: Helping Audrey (16+)

    "So, are we going to ignore the tail you brought back?" Layla asked calmly.


    "Oh, him... Let him be as long as he doesn''t get too close. Understandably, someone got curious about why the princess didn''t stay at her father''s base," Muku replied with an unbothered expression on his face.


    Only Elsa and Freya, who weren''t strong enough yet, didn''t understand what they were talking about. Everyone else had already sensed the person who followed the trio from the base.


    The person seemed to have some kind of tracking ability. He hadn''t immediately followed them. Which they would have definitely noticed.


    Another reason why Muku wasn''t quick to attack was that he wasn''t certain who sent him. It could have been William. So, attacking the man would be very disrespectful to his future father-in-l... Cough... His teammate''s father.


    "Well, if you say so. Now, if you''ll excuse me. I have something to do. I hope no one disturbs me," Layla replied, then left for her room.


    It was obvious that she was going to focus on ranking up. They probably wouldn''t see her again until she reaches R3...


    "Me too!" Chloe spoke up. She was also going to focus on ranking up. She felt that she needed to be as strong as she could be for whatever mess her father had gotten himself into.


    After her, the other girls also left with the same intent in their minds. Soon, only Muku and Audrey were left there sitting quietly.


    Jade had also left. She was going to stalk the spy. She was curious to see whether he would be able to discover her or not. He had become an interesting new toy in her eyes.


    "... I''m sorry we couldn''t get any blood element cores for you", Muku spoke after a slightly awkward moment of silence.


    "No, it''s fine. There was nothing you could do. However, I think there''s a way to help me rank up if you are interested..." Audrey replied. She sounded a bit hesitant and expectant at the end, which was new to Muku. It had been a while since she had hesitated to say anything to him.


    The hesitation was mixed in with some expectation, no less. It seemed she really hoped that he would agree to help her.


    "Hhm, sure. Anything for you. What do I need to do?" Muku asked curiously.


    He noticed her gaze getting a bit more heated the moment he said sure. However, he was certain that she wouldn''t do anything bad to him... Probably. So, he didn''t backtrack.


    "Let''s go to my room first... No, let''s go to one of the guest rooms. The furthest one from everyone..." Audrey replied. Her voice was getting slightly laboured.


    "O...kay? Let''s go," Muku replied in a slightly confused manner. However, his heart was already racing.


    While Audrey''s sometimes weird way of speaking had caused him to misunderstand her once. It didn''t stop his thoughts from wandering.


    So, he practically pushed Audrey to the furthest guest room. Audrey couldn''t help but wonder when it became him taking her there instead of the other way around. She didn''t complain, though. As long as she got what she wanted...


    ...


    In the secluded room...


    "So, what now?" Muku asked Audrey while standing by the bed.


    "Umm, can you sit on the bed please?" Audrey replied shyly. However, her eyes weren''t in line with her tone. They were looking at him with unmasked desire. The grey eyes had actually turned red!


    Honestly, looking a her at that time made him feel a bit scared. And very hard somewhere, at the same time. His mind and body weren''t in sync at all.


    "Okay..." Muku replied as he did what he was told.


    "Can you close your eyes? I need to take off my dress so it doesn''t get creased," Audrey spoke shyly again.


    "... Sure. As long as it helps you get stronger," Muku spoke to express his agreement.


    He was almost certain that the plot was definitely developing in the direction he thought it was. Otherwise, why would she take off her dress??


    The second sentence he spoke was more for himself than for Audrey. He had promised the four girls that he wouldn''t do anything with anyone until two years later. Yet there he was, less than three weeks later...


    So, saying that it was all to help Audrey rank up was his way out. He very much wished to have stopped her. Saying that they shouldn''t be doing it, but... Audrey was way too gorgeous for any straight man to refuse. It seems he''d just have to come up with a grand way of apologising later on...


    While he thought that she might be using ranking up as a way to attack him. He didn''t stop her. What if she really was doing what she said she was doing, and he was the one who misunderstood?


    Wouldn''t it be more embarrassing than last time if he stopped her then?...


    "Done. Now I''m about to get on top of you. Don''t move or open your eyes, okay. If it hurts you can tell me though and I''ll stop..." Audrey spoke again. Injecting Muku from his messy thoughts.


    "What are you talking about?? I''m a man, there''s no way I''d be hurt by such a thing. I''m actually worried that you''ll be the one to get hurt since you''ve never done this before..." Muku was offended by her words, so he defended his manliness.


    Like, what did she mean that it might hurt him? When did doing that hurt the man?


    "Well, if you say so. And since it''s really my first time. I really don''t know. Let''s find out together then" Audrey replied.


    Then in her sexy underwear, which Muku was unfortunately not seeing. Audrey slowly got onto Muku''s lap. Cowgirl position...


    "I''m not heavy, am I?" Audrey asked softly right beside Muku''s ear. While hugging him. Her chest pressed up against his...


    "N.. No, not at all. Please continue," Muku replied. His voice was shaky. He felt goosebumps all over his body when she spoke.


    "Okay. I''m starting now..." Audrey spoke for the last time, then Muku felt her soft lips on his neck.


    All his strength left him. Even an unranked person could sneak up on him undetected at that time. At the same time, it was taking all his strength not to grab her, throw her on the bed and go crazy.


    His chance would come. So, he let her do what she wanted for the time being. They think he was going to lose his v-card so suddenly like that. It wasn''t unwelcome though...


    That moment when he was in peak mind heaven is when he was suddenly thrown into hell. Audrey, who hadn''t moved away from his neck from the start, suddenly bit into it.


    He felt two painful fangs sink into his neck. It was so painful he almost screamed. However, it was that pain that cleared his mind.


    It was then he remembered that Audrey''s class was actually a freaking vampire. One that could survive without blood in normal cases. However, it seemed there were more exceptions apart from using blood to heal.


    Tears almost came out of his eyes from the pain, and he realised that he had misunderstood her again. To think it would happen again! And so painfully too.


    He silently swore never to assume anything sexual when Audrey spoke to him. Even if she said "let''s have sex", he won''t believe her until it has already been done!


    Audrey kept on sucking his blood while cursed himself. Which went on for thirty seconds, that felt like forever. Her aura was rising quickly. She was already close to a breakthrough in just thirty seconds!


    He had to deploy an isolation barrier lest her aura draw the others over. Then he''d probably be beaten up for something he didn''t even get to do.


    Another thirty seconds later, Muku felt that it was enough. Even though she hasn''t actually sucked that much of his blood she would such a little bit. Process it, then suck more. Which took a few seconds.


    So, other than the pain. Muku hadn''t gone through that big of a loss. It was then, however, that he started feeling good.


    His whole body felt euphoric. His pent-up feelings exploded out of his body. His eyes started glowing as his consciousness got a little blurry.


    With no warning, he grabbed Audrey''s head and then removed it from his neck. When he did so, Audrey''s mind cleared up a bit.


    However, before she could make sense of what was going on. She found herself getting tossed onto the bed, then Muku climbing on top of her.


    She wanted to ask him what he was doing, but before she could. Her lips were blocked by his. That''s right, he kissed her...


    Audrey''s mind instantly went blank. She had imagined it happening so many times. Yet, nothing she could think up came close to the real thing.


    Another one of his actions quickly brought her back to reality. Which was him ripping her bra off and cupping her large breasts with his rough hands.


    "Mmhn", She couldn''t help but moan a little when he squeezed her cherries.


    Everything was moving so quickly. She had gotten overwhelmed, so she was just going to let him do what he wanted.


    "Please, leave... I don''t think I can stop myself for longer!" Muku suddenly spoke in a rough voice. Clearly struggling to control himself.


    Which cleared Audrey''s mind, she had lost again. It was then that her memories of what happened when she bit him came back...

 Chapter 187: Muku and Audrey (18+ish)

    "No, it''s my fault you''re like this. I should have expected that there might be side effects. I''m willing to accept the consequences!" Audrey exclaimed defiantly.


    It was obvious that her biting him had something to do with his situation. So, as someone responsible. She chose to face the consequences for her actions. Her eyes looked directly into his resolutely.


    She seemed rather heroic at the moment. Even to Muku''s blurry state of mind. Though he couldn''t help but think that there was something else hidden in her eyes.


    It kinda looked like anticipation or excitement? Nuh, that couldn''t have been it. He must have seen wrong... That was the last thing he thought of clearly before he completely lost control over his body.


    He could vividly see what he was doing, but he couldn''t control his body. All he could do was watch as his hands travelled all over Audrey''s body. As he kissed her all over. Sucking on her breasts like a starved child.


    Then one of his hands slowly travelled down her stomach. It stopped just above her garden. Then, without delay, he ripped the drenched underwear off.


    Audrey was clearly enjoying every moment of it. She had been moaning loudly from the time he sucked her breasts. Luckily, the barrier he set up also stopped sound.


    He was certain that she had climaxed a few times already. Otherwise, there wouldn''t have been that much liquid flowing out.


    He began to gently rub her garden. From top to bottom, side to side, but never going down. It drove Audrey crazy, she even tried to push his finger inside. However, she couldn''t compete against his strength.


    "P... Please!" Audrey begged angrily. If she weren''t stuck under him, she would have definitely pounced on him long ago.


    Which was obvious from how she had long ripped off his t-shirt. His upper body was scratched all over. With some bite marks here and there, too.


    "Sure..." Muku surprisingly replied while taking off his pants. Audrey didn''t think about it at the moment. There were more important things to deal with.


    She just looked on in anticipation as his "snake" drew closer to her "cave". Soon, the two "players" kissed, and she felt electricity go through her whole body. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head for the fifth time since they began.


    However, it was the first time Muku saw her climax. His snake got even more furious than it was. He almost rammed it right in on the spot. Fortunately for Audrey, he stopped himself.


    He then slowly slid it into her cave.


    "Ahn..." Audrey moaned again. She was still feeling the after effects of the climax. So, she was extra sensitive.


    Muku almost climaxed from both the feeling and her moan. However, his self-respect wouldn''t let him release his load after putting just the head in. He had to take a few seconds to regain control of himself before he could continue.


    Then he continued. Proceeding with caution until he reached a barrier...


    "Are you ready?" He then asked Audrey softly.


    "Mhmn", Audrey moaned as she nodded. Her eyes were closed tight from embarrassment.


    "Ahh!" Audrey screamed in pain, soon after nodding. Muku had broken through immediately after she agreed.


    Knowing that it would soon stop hurting if he continued. Muku didn''t stop. He started to slide in and out rhythmically. He was slow at first. Adjusting based on the sounds Audrey made.


    Soon, Audrey''s painful moans were gone. All that was left were primal moans of pleasure as she hugged Muku tightly, not letting go. Scratching his upper body more and more.


    "Ahn! Ahn! Ahn!..." The whole room was filled with Audrey''s moans of pleasure.


    Her''s and Muku''s lewd juices having drenched most of the bed. Even the scent in the room screamed "lust!". That''s all that was on their minds at the time.


    Muku would switch from kissing her lips to kissing her neck then sucking her cherries. Then they would switch positions. From doggy, cowgirl. Reverse cowgirl and more.


    They kept it for more than an hour. They both climaxed an unknown number of times. Muku who so caught up in the moment that he didn''t know that he had creampied her everytime he cam.


    The chances that he was going to become a father in nine months were pretty big. And it was getting bigger.


    The two were showing no signs of stopping. They had both been pent up for a long time. They had both eyed and desired each other''s bodies for a long time. They both hoped it lasted forever...


    .....


    Three hours later....


    "Umm, so... When did you regain control?" Audrey asked in a low and embarrassed voice.


    They had finally stopped after four hours of doing it. They could have gone for a lot longer, but that would have risked it too much. She was now lying naked on Muku''s chest as he rubbed her back.


    She honestly didn''t know what to do in that moment. She was too embarrassed to even get up and run. Not to mention that she''d have to wear her dress first before she could actually run.


    She only started the conversation as a way to maybe end her embarrassment.


    "I regained control he moment I was certain I wanted to do it..." Muku replied somewhat vaguely.


    He had regained control just a minute or two after they began. Which he''d rather not have her know in detail. Because that would mean they didn''t have to do everything they did since he was back in control.


    "Okay... So, what are we going to do now?" Audrey didn''t ask for details. She had an idea of when he regained control anyway. She moved on to the next question instead.


    "I... I''m not sure," Muku spoke with uncertainty in his voice. It was actually the very thing he was thinking about in that moment.


    In the heat of the moment, he couldn''t control himself. However, now with a clear mind. He realised how much he had messed up. It happened so suddenly that he didn''t even have enough time to react properly.


    If he has been in control throughout the whole experience. He might have been able to stop himself from going too far. However, the moment when he wasn''t in control basically left him in a position where his willpower alone wasn''t enough to stop him.


    "Don''t overthink it. I know you promised something to the girls, which you''ve been trying to stick to. I bet it had something to do with you staying single until they are old enough for you all to decide your next step. I feel rather bad for still doing this while knowing that. However, I had been suppressing myself for a long time. When the tile came, I just couldn''t stop myself. For that, I''m sorry. Sometimes I feel left out, so I guess I rebelled. I''m also a terrible mother," Audrey spoke. Tears were even flowing out of her eyes as the end


    Her words surprised Muku. From how she knew knew more than he thought she did without anyone telling her. To how she felt behind her gentle smile. He never suspected such a thing. He had always tried to include him in everything.


    Maybe it was how he hadn''t been overly casual with her like he was with the girls that got to her...


    "There''s no need to apologise. It''s natural for humans to have desires and be overcome by them sometimes. You''re not a terrible mother. Please don''t cry. While what you said about the girls is true. It''s only half true. I only spoke to them because they were unstable factors. You have always been reliable, so I never thought it necessary to speak to you for the time being. I''m sorry for that. I should have done the same with you, too. I''m the terrible one here. I''m both greedy and inattentive. I don''t deserve you," Muku replied to her softly.


    He genuinely berated himself at the end. He has finally realised his mistake. He knew that Audrey also liked him like the girls, yet didn''t bother to talk to her.


    While the girls had to wait for obvious reasons. Why did she have to? She was already a grown woman. It was obviously unfair to make her wait like that. Yet he had been so blind!


    "No! Don''t be like that. Let''s put it this way. We''re both to blame for the situation. Let''s both aim to do better from now on, okay?" Audrey spoke. She didn''t like seeing Muku beat himself up like that.


    "Okay, let''s do better from now on then..." Muku spoke as he hugged Audrey tightly. He felt lucky to have her. Especially when he was lucky enough to be her first as well.


    "Hehe", Audrey giggled foolishly. She was clearly enjoying the show of affection.


    "We should probably get up soon..." Muku spoke after a moment of silence, just enjoying each other''s company and warmth... While ignoring a certain scent that filled the room.


    "Let''s stay a little longer, please? I also wanted to talk about the girls. What are you planning to do when the time comes? Are you going to take them all?" Audrey held him tightly as she asked another question.


    She wasn''t particularly interested in knowing the answer to such a far-off matter. However, it was the only thing she could think to ask to make him stay...

 Chapter 188: Got away with it?

    "What do you think I should do? I''m open to suggestions..." Muku spoke while settling back down.


    Audrey''s plan has worked. They had sort of spoken about it before. However, they had gotten derailed by rising emotions. So Muku hadn''t given a clear answer... Not that he has one by the look of things.


    "Well, normal mothers and ladies my age will probably hate me for saying this, but... I think you should take them all. They seem fine with the idea anyway. I''d go as far as to say that if you chose one, you won''t get any of them. Not like you don''t want them all anyway. You greedy and lustful man. Just don''t forget about me when the time comes..." Audrey gave her take.


    It was both surprising and expected. Surprising that she''d actually straight up say it. Expected in that she hadn''t shown any disgust while talking about it. She was definitely a messed-up lady for wanting to be in the same harem with her daughter and other girls.


    However, the world as they knew it had ended. So, she was free to do whatever she wanted without any social judgment. And what she wanted was for them to always stay together. While she could probably use her experience with Muku to keep him to herself. That''s not what she wanted...


    "Did you have to call me greedy, though? And have you seen yourself in the mirror lately? Who would ever forget about you? Not to mention that a man''s first will always be special and unforgettable. If anything, I''m worried you''ll forget about me!" Muku indirectly agreed to what Audrey said.


    He really was planning on taking all the girls if it came down to it. He just wasn''t sure if they would be willing to share him. Audrey''s words about their willingness to share put most of his worries to rest.


    Then he moved on to Audrey herself. Just as she joked about being forgotten, with some real insecurities behind it. He also joked in his response. However, she could feel the seriousness in his words. Which made her really happy.


    "Hehe, as long as you treat me well. You''ll always be my one and only... Though I don''t think I can actually fall for anyone other than you, even if I wanted to..." Audrey teased him even more. Then joked about how his bloodline literally made her unable to like anyone else.


    "Well, that''s fortunate for both of us then. I plan to pamper you always and you can''t escape me.... Can we do it one more time? Hugging you while naked was a terrible idea" Muku spoke while his hand slid down Audrey''s back until it landed on her bubbly butt.


    "Well... just one more round is fine, I guess", Audrey replied shyly. In truth, she had gotten into the mood even before Muku. Hell, she never got out. The situation still felt unrealistic to her. Like she was in a dream, she didn''t want to wake up from...


    And it was a dream... Realised into real life. Which made her extremely horny. While her little sister has long gotten sore from the hours of being rammed. She still wanted more. So what if she won''t be able to walk for a while afterwards? As long as she was happy in the present, she was... Happy.


    And so, another round of primal pounding accompanied by lewd moans commenced. What was supposed to be one round turned into multiple rounds. It was only an hour later that they managed to barely separate from each other.


    Muku quickly helped Audrey into her dress. He then created a thin about for himself since Audrey had ripped apart his t-shirt. He then literally destroyed all the evidence in the room with his Erasing Gaze. Who knew one could clean sheets, floors, dresses and bodies with it! Other than missing a few clothes. The two had actually gotten cleaner than before... Talk about misuse of power.


    "Wait! Let''s do something first just to be safe..." Audrey spoke just when Muku was about to leave. Muku turned around, and he was met with Audrey''s red eyes.


    He immediately knew what was coming. It seemed her eyes turned red whenever she wanted blood.


    They had realised that her bite just unshackled his pent-up feelings. So the chance of him going berserk again was practically nil after everything...


    ...


    A little later on...


    The two got out of the room cautiously. They then quietly proceed towards their rooms. It seemed they were in luck, and the others were busy with their advancement. So their absence at dinner time was unnoticed since no one else went for it


    Well, that''s what they thought anyway...


    "Where are you two coming from?" A voice suddenly sounded from a room they passed by.


    The speaker was Jade, who had quietly opened the door. She was nibbling on a piece of meat as she looked at them suspiciously. It almost seemed like she was saying, "Come on, give me your best lie", but with her eyes.


    The hallway was properly lit by Beast Core lights. It was one of the many useful and convenient household abilities Freya had come up with. She''d just take a beast core. Press it into the mansion, and the mansion would create space for it.


    Then the core would start glowing brightly. Slowly using its stored-up mana. Conveniently enough, it would take a few years for a LR2 core to use up all its mana!


    Anyway, with such light. Muku and Audrey could clearly see the look in Jade''s eyes. It would definitely take something extraordinary to convince her that they weren''t doing what it seemed like they were doing.


    "From that room we recently designated as the ''assistance room, '' of course. I guess I forgot to tell you all about it. Anyway, I had to help Audrey rank up. Which was better done in the designated room. As you can see from her R3 aura. It was a success. Do you have any other random questions to ask?" Muku replied seriously and overbearingly.


    It was almost like he was trying to scare Jade into backing off. Or at the very least, trying to put on an act which would prove that they didn''t do anything wrong.


    "Oh, is that so? Well, if that''s the case. I understand. Now, if you''ll excuse me. I have to go check on that spy for a bit..." Jade seemed to have successfully been fooled. As she backed off. She then headed for the stairs, going about her business.


    Maybe it was because of her personality that she didn''t like thinking too much, that she was so easily fooled. Well, whatever the reason was. Muku and Audrey were glad they weren''t caught. It would have caused quite a catastrophic situation in the team if it were to be exposed on the spot. It wasn''t time for that yet...


    Muku gave Audrey an appreciative look for her quick thinking before. If they hadn''t finished her rank-up process. It would have been quite hard to come up with a believable lie.


    The two gave each other a last awkward smile, then entered their individual rooms. The moment they did, Audrey slumped down to the floor just inside her room.


    Muku had actually been helping her walk with his Telekinesis from the start. Her legs were numb from all the activity. Though even if she could feel her legs, it probably would be too painful to do. For some reason, drinking Muku''s blood didn''t heal her wounds. Maybe different blood had different uses.


    Well, whatever. What she was worried about was how she might still not be able to walk the next day. How will she explain the situation to the girls? That''s when she finally realised something...


    "Oh no! What if he got me pregnant?!" Audrey exclaimed to herself, barely stopping herself from screaming.


    Her whole body felt even weaker despite having just reached a higher rank. It only hit her in that moment that Muku had creampied her from start to finish. With how much they did it and how full she felt down there. Didn''t that mean they were definitely screwed??


    What excuse could she give when her stomach starts bulging?? The girls were definitely going to find out a lot sooner than expected now.


    Oddly enough, while she was panicking. She couldn''t help but be a little happy at the back of her head. The idea of having Muku''s baby was rather appealing to her despite the situation.


    With that, Audrey got stuck in her chaotic thoughts while sitting just by the door of her room...


    .....


    On the other side in Muku''s room...


    "Phew! That was close!" Muku exclaimed while cancelling his amour spell.


    He was quite surprised by how Jade didn''t ask about it. However, since everything worked out in his favour. He didn''t dwell too much on it.


    All that mattered was that he was home free, and he scored big time! Just thinking about it made him want to run back to Audrey and do it some more. However, it was too risky. Not to mention that Audrey probably couldn''t take anymore.


    They might have gone too far when it was the lady''s first time. If he could turn back time, he wouldn''t have done it as much... Pfft, bull! He''d still do it as much as he did. That''s just how good it felt.


    "Was it though?" A familiar, yet uncharacteristically calm voice sounded from behind the curtain.


    It sounded just when he was about to lie down on his bed to relax. His body instantly froze as a chill went down his spine. Only one thought dominated his mind.


    Which was "{F*ck! I''m screwed!}"


    He slowly turned in the direction of the curtain. His eyes reflected the voice''s owner coming out from behind the curtain.


    It was Jade, the very same Jade he thought they had successfully fooled!


    It seemed like they were the fools for thinking they would fool her so easily!...

 Chapter 189 189: She knew everything!

    "How did you get in here?!" Muku asked a rather obvious question in panic.


    He was also trying to buy time. Maybe with a few more seconds, he''ll figure out a way to lie himself out of the situation.


    "Well, I''ll admit that Freya''s pseudo R2 burglar bars are pretty steady. However, they can''t really stop a legit R3 from breaking through, don''t you think?" Jade spoke as she walked over.


    Without asking for permission, she took a seat on Muku''s bed. She did it confidently as well. With a little smile on her face. She was clearly very aware of the advantage she held over Muku at the moment. There was no way he could make her get off at that time.


    "True, but it''s rude to destroy someone else''s hard work just because you can. Don''t you think?" Muku asked another time, pushing a question.


    He was even contemplating making a break for it. However, he could tell that Jade was prepared for such a thing. If he did so, it. She''d likely cause a commotion which will involve everyone in the matter.


    With that realisation, Muku out that plan to rest. She had him in check, and they both knew it. The best he could hope for was that she wouldn''t be too demanding in whatever she wanted.


    "She can fix it with just a thought... A d stop trying to lead the conversation away. You know why I am here. Are you going to confess or should I expose you?" Jade replied. Streering the conversation back on course.


    "Umm, I don''t know what you''re talking about..." Muku decided to deny everything first. Maybe it would work, who knows.


    "...." Jade didn''t speak. She just looked at him with the same smile as before.


    He was still standing a bit of a distance away from the bed. The two had their eyes looked onto each other. This was rather controversial, considering that Muku was shirtless and Jade was sitting on his bed. With a suggestive smile on her face. Of course, it was suggesting something else, but it was easy to misunderstand if anyone were to see them.


    "What do you want?" After seeing that she was really serious about knowing some things. He dropped the act and cut to the chase.


    "Hhm, let me think... What do you think I want?" Jade replied. She was basically running circles around Muku at that time.


    She was clearly enjoying the situation. He was quite amazed by how instead of blowing up in anger. She was actually calm and smiling instead.


    The calm Jade always scares him when she appears. He has won thousands of different types of battles against normal Jade. However, he has never won against calm Jade.


    It was almost like the girl usually operates in a semi-detached state. Where she just lets her instincts lead. She only shows her full personality when something significant occurs. And when she does, she never loses.


    "If you don''t tell me, how am I supposed to know? Stop wasting time and tell me already. Just don''t ask for anything absurd," Muku refused to be played around with.


    "Tsk, you''re no fun. However, aren''t you being hypocritical to limit me when you yourself are greedy and want us all?" Jade didn''t immediately say what she wanted.


    She just gave Muku a little information to show him that she really knew everything. Her words had the intended effect as Muku''s heart skipped a beat in shock.


    He thought she just caught some lingering scent or something. However, from her words, it was clear that she was a lot more informed than he thought. Maybe, too informed actually.


    "How do you know about that?!" Muku asked seriously. He had to figure out how much she knew to determine how much to give.


    "Hehe... To think you only made a barrier that blocks off normal R3s. Completely forgetting about me. You must have been in quite the rush..." Jade answered his question indirectly.


    Hearing her answer, Muku''s face turned pale. What Jade''s response meant was that she heard everything from the very beginning. He was definitely screwed! How the hell was he supposed to get out of this one?!


    "...." He couldn''t think of anything to say. So, he remained quiet. Created a chair where he was and set his weakened body down. What Audrey hadn''t managed to do after so many rounds. Jade had accomplished with just a few words.


    "As for what I want... What if I want your "assistance" right here, right now?"Jade spoke while slightly opening her legs.


    She didn''t open them all the way, so her underwear was still hidden. However, with the short shirt she was wearing. That sight alone was quite stimulating. Muku''s little brother immediately stood at attention. Ready for whatever battle thrown his way.


    If he was still as pent-up as before. He really might have lost control and pounced on the daring girl. Did she have no idea of the dangerous situation she was creating for herself?... Actually, from her smile, she seemed well aware of what she was doing.


    Muku was about to open his mouth to refuse her after a little struggle. However, he found himself locked in a kiss before he could react.


    That''s right, Jade had taken advantage of his shaky state of mind and caught him off guard. She then pulled away before he pushed her away.


    "That''s for breaking your promise. As for buying my silence... I''ll tell you when the time comes..." Jade said to the still-stunned Muku and left his room.


    Muku remained frozen on the spot. Even a minute after she left. He still didn''t move. He just couldn''t believe that she actually did that.


    The worst part was how he couldn''t even punish her for it. He was so lost he decided to sleep and think about things on the next day...


    ....


    In Jade''s room...


    "OMG! I actually did that! And he didn''t punish me for it?! Does he really feel that guilty about it? Should I have been a bit bolder then?... No. One has to do things in moderation. That was enough for now," Jade spoke to herself while lying on her bed.


    She would scream into her pillow from time to time as she recalled what she did. Her face was red with embarrassment. She was actually embarrassed from the very start of her conversation with Muku. She was just good at hiding it.


    As for why she wasn''t angry? It''s pretty obvious, really. Her senses allowed her to come into contact with things normal evolvers don''t.


    She could actually sniff out someone''s horniness through their pheromones. Through that, she has quietly known about how heavily pent-up Muku and Audrey were for a long time.


    She was actually surprised that they hadn''t done anything sooner. As for Muku''s promise to wait for them. She felt that it was okay for Audrey to be an exception. After all, Audrey was even more pent up than Muku, by a lot too.


    Which Jade didn''t want to see. So, while it saddened her that she couldn''t be the first anymore. It was acceptable. With the information she has, she can easily blackmail him into doing it with her before the other girls when the time comes. So it was fine.


    "So that''s how a kiss feels? I wish I could have done it a little longer... Maybe I can get some in secret from now on. That much should be acceptable, right?" Jade kept on talking to herself, stuck in her fantasies.


    .....


    Somewhere else in the mansion...


    In Freya''s room, to be exact. Freya was sitting on her bed. Her face was practically blood red.


    {What''s wrong, girl?} Iris, who sensed that there was something wrong with Freya through their link, asked worriedly.


    After all, in her current situation. If something happens to Freya. She would be screwed and would likely die soon after. She wasn''t getting pursued for her sins because she now had a host. So she had to make sure that Freya was okay. For her own well-being.


    "I''m fine, don''t mind me. I just thought of something embarrassing," Freya replied audibly.


    {Oh, okay...} Iris didn''t push for a clearer answer. Even though she knew that Freya wasn''t telling her the truth. She wasn''t such a busybody. If Freya didn''t want to say it. Then it shouldn''t be something serious.


    After Iris backed off, Freya got back to her thoughts. She... had actually seen it all!


    It happened like this... She was busy trying to realise her potential. Then a sudden idea popped up in her mind. She wondered if she could "see" everything within the mansion.


    So, she immediately put it to the test. She first focused on herself. Failed a few times. Then figured it out after a while. The ability was sort of like echolocation. She would make the mana in the walls make inaudible sounds which would bounce around. Then, create a mental image in her mind. The general idea was borrowed from bats.


    The ability was so good that it helped her advance closer to Rank Two.


    She was so happy she wanted to share the news with Muku. She could find him with her mana-signature-location(MSL) ability. However, she felt it was more fun to use her new ability instead.


    It was also because there were times when her MSL didn''t work. Which was when Muku and the girls purposefully hid their mana signatures after sensing her first. It was just a way they played around with her.


    Anyway, the girl excitedly used her ability. Which she instantly regretted doing when she found Muku after a little search...

 Chapter 190 190: Peeping Freya and Emilys eerie calmness

    Apparently, for whatever reason. Her new ability wasn''t blocked by Muku''s barrier.


    Maybe because the barrier only blocked natural sound from passing through. Or maybe being practically the mansion''s admin gave her some undiscovered privileges.


    Well, whatever the reason. What mattered was that she was able to "see" everything. At first, she was shocked, then she quickly cut off the ability.


    However, her disbelief abs curiosity made her look again. She had to be certain that it wasn''t just her ability malfunctioning. Fortunately, yet unfortunately, at the same time, her ability was fine.


    She wanted to cut it off again. However, like any stereotypical girl who found people having sex in manhwa... She just couldn''t look away.


    Fortunately, the images were something only she was seeing in her head. So, Iris was completely in the dark. Her face kept on getting more and more heated the more she watched.


    After a while, she found herself feeling weird all over her body. Then, without noticing, she had subconsciously moved her hand to a certain place. She only realised what she was doing when she touched herself. She instantly blocked off Iris'' perception of what she was doing.


    Which went unnoticed since Iris was watching some series. She was also only interested in seeing what Freya was seeing when something significant was going on. So, most of the time, she would ignore what Freya was doing.


    With that, Freya, the pervert, continued peeping while touching herself slightly. She didn''t do anything too intense. Focusing more on being a spectator. She was afraid she would draw the others'' attention if she let herself go.


    After all, she didn''t possess Muku''s insulation abilities. She was still weak for such things. So, the walls'' soundproofing ability was still easy to bypass for the stronger ones. Which was almost everyone...


    She guiltily watched from the start to the finish. With keen interest at the same time. She''d even have mini-orgasms from time to time.


    Unlike the other members. She, like Elsa, didn''t see Muku romantically. She only saw him as an amazing person who took pity on her. A powerful being beyond her reach.


    However, after seeing what age saw. A seed was planted in her heart. A seed that will likely germinate slowly, then bloom one day. As for what would happen then... Only the Author will tell. Time ain''t got nothing on him...


    Anyway, by the time Muku and Audrey were done. Freya had long run out of mana. So, she couldn''t keep watching while she recovered.


    A while later, she bit the bullet and used one of her Beast Cores. Which were supposed to be used in training, but she couldn''t help it. So she only used a little of the core''s mana to recover.


    Unfortunately, Muku and Audrey were done. She felt quite disappointed, and so, like any addict. She looked for Muku again... Indirectly hoping he was doing it more.


    However, she was disappointed. Muku and Audrey had just separated, both going their separate ways. She saw the funny moment of Audrey falling to the ground, unable to walk.


    Then her attention moved to Muku''s room. She was surprised to see Jade in there, who had broken through the burglar bars. Her ability didn''t transmit sound as well. So, she could only look on in obliviousness of what they were talking about.


    It was Muku''s unsettled expression that kept her from looking on. Along with Jade''s confidence, she clearly taunted him with whatever she was saying. Which she thought she would never see.


    So, she kept on looking curiously despite not hearing anything. That''s when something shocking happened. Jade kissed Muku, then ran out of the room!


    She wanted to follow Jade and see what she would do next. However, something that scared her silly happened. Jade looked up at the roof before entering her room. She looked directly where Freya was "looking" from.


    Freya instantly cut off the ability. She wasn''t certain of Jade actually perceiving her presence or if it was instinct. She hoped it was a false alarm.


    However, she couldn''t help but think of something she didn''t consider before. What if the other two were just too preoccupied to notice her?. Wouldn''t that mean she could have possibly been caught peeping? Would they still keep her after that?


    She felt a cold chill go down her spine. She really hoped that none of the three detected her. That, Jade''s case was just a false alarm. She swore to never use the ability so arbitrarily ever again.


    However, soon enough, she was back to thinking about what she had seen. Which caused some intense activity in her consciousness. Which Iris finally couldn''t ignore anymore...


    ...


    The next morning...


    Only Emily, Elsa and Hope showed up for breakfast. Everyone else was missing. The three could understand Chloe and Layla being missing for obvious reasons. However, the rest confused them.


    Jade and Muku were already R3. Audrey and Freya shouldn''t have been so serious about ranking up like Layla or the situationally motivated Chloe. So, why weren''t they present?


    Hope immediately ran up to Muku''s room to check. He always woke up before her in the past. So she never had to go to his room early in the morning.


    However, when she got there, he was actually still sleeping. He looked so peaceful, she couldn''t bear to wake him up. She felt like there was something different about him, though. She couldn''t put her hand on it, however.


    She then went to Audrey''s room. Again, she found her sleeping. However, Audrey''s case was actually a bit different. She was sleeping on the floor just behind her door instead of her bed. Which was rather weird to Hope.


    After all, there was no way she would think that Muku had hit it so much that the poor lady couldn''t move. Audrey had actually fallen asleep suddenly while stuck in thought. Otherwise, she could have used her abilities to get to the bed.


    While that was rather surprising, it wasn''t that unusual for some people to prefer sleeping on the floor. So, Hope wasn''t too surprised. She was, however, surprised by Andrey''s R3 aura. Which shouldn''t be possible since they didn''t have any Blood Element Cores.


    "Did Big Brother help her somehow?... That has to be it. Maybe that''s why he''s still sleeping. It must have been a tiring method..." Hope spoke to herself while going downstairs.


    She was slightly scared of Jade. So she didn''t go check on her. What if she got beat up for bothering her? She''ll let Emily go. As well as to Freya''s room. She absolutely Freya weren''t too familiar with each other yet...


    .....


    Downstairs...


    "Oh? So the two are sleeping?... Okay. As for the other two. Let''s leave them be. I''m sure they will come when they are ready," Emily replied to Hope while going to the kitchen.


    The other two only nodded in silence. For some reason, they felt that Emily''s aura had somewhat changed after hearing about Muku and Audrey being asleep.


    They were confused. What could be the problem with that? Didn''t she find it offensive that they weren''t there to join them for breakfast or something? She didn''t even acknowledge Audrey''s breakthrough. Which was rather odd for Emily, who seemed to always be the happiest when one of her teammates advanced.


    The two who literally needed Emily to have food didn''t say anything. They just hoped that whatever was bothering her would get fixed.


    Emily then proceeded to prepare breakfast for the two. She said she wasn''t hungry, so she didn''t eat. Which wasn''t weird for beings of their power level. As long as they haven''t used their mana. They could go weeks without food.


    They mostly ate because the food tasted too good to resist. Anyway, she then went to Jade''s room with a plate of food in her hand. Which she never did before.


    While they weren''t certain before, Hope and Elsa immediately realised that something had happened... Their naive brains just couldn''t think of anything that could have been the problem. So, they stopped trying...


    .....


    In front of Jade''s door...


    Knock! Knock!


    "Jade, it''s me... I''ve brought you some food," Emily spoke sweetly after knocking.


    The door was instantly swung open from the inside. Jade sprang out. Grabbed the plate and ran to her bed with it.


    Emily just looked on expressionlessly. Then she went inside after Jade. Closing the door behind her.


    She then sat beside Jade while she ate. Jade didn''t seem to mind. All she cared about at that moment was the food she was eating...


    A while later, Jade had finished eating. She destroyed the oil on her hand from the meat because she was too lazy to go wash her hands.


    She and Chloe just sat there looking into each other''s eyes for a while. At first, Jade was confused. However, the more she looked into Emily''s eyes. And the more she thought about the special treatment. A look of realisation flashed in her eyes. Then, surprise, wondering how it was possible. Then nervousness...


    All this happened while Emily looked on calmly. Her expression was not changing even a bit.


    "Good, you''ve caught on. Now... Tell me everything you know," Emily spoke.


    Her question practically exploded in Jade''s head. Rocking her mind. The little hope she had that it wasn''t the case was dashed!...

 Chapter 191 191: Psychic Emily?

    "W..what are you talking about?" Jade stuttered as she asked nervously.


    Inside her head, she was screaming out in frustration. This was the very reason she stayed away from breakfast. She didn''t know why, or since when... But, for the longest time, Emily had been able to see through her whenever she was hiding something.


    She thought that if she stayed away from Emily for a day or two. Then maybe something else will happen that will take her mind off things. If that happened, she would be able to hide what happened from Emily without seeming suspicious.


    However, her plan failed the very morning she made it. What the hell was wrong with Emily? Did she have some secret psychic ability from even before the apocalypse or something? That shouldn''t be impossible, considering Freya''s mindscape ability.


    "No, I don''t have a psychic ability. I just know you extremely well, so stop thinking about it. Also, don''t play dumb, we''re long past that point," Emily suddenly spoke.


    Her words made Jade feel a strong chill go down her spine. How can Emily say she is not psychic when she''s literally saying what she was thinking?! Should she make a break for it and let Muku deal with her?


    "Don''t even try it, and his turn will come soon enough..." Emily spoke again.


    At this point, Jade was feeling rather creeped out and a little scared. Her body turned weak under Emily''s eerily calm gaze. Emily seemed like an All-seeing demigod sent to interrogate her at that moment.


    If she were in her cat form, she would probably be hissing while slowly getting back. That''s how much Emily was freaking her out.


    "I... I really don''t know what you''re talking about. I swear!" Jade tried to play dumb one more time. Maybe Emily was just bluffing.


    "So... Not only did you know something. You also did something?!" Emily spoke, this time her calm expression cracking a bit.


    Jade broke out in cold sweat. How many incidents involving her did Emily go through?? The girl was practically deciphering everything just from looking at her!


    "Okay, stop! I''ll tell you everything. Just don''t creep me out anymore, please!" Jade exclaimed in defeat.


    She felt like Emily was going to find out everything anyway. So, it was better to just admit it from the start. If she''s to be punished, it wouldn''t be as bad, right?


    She was now regretting the impulsive kiss. If it wasn''t for that incriminating occurrence, she would have been fine with spilling the beans. She''d have done so long ago.


    Which was how Emily caught her. Emily knew that Jade would become extra hesitant to reveal something when she also did something wrong. Otherwise, if it was just someone else''s mistake. She had no problem with throwing that person under the bus after a little push from Emily.


    Of course, it was only like that with Emily. Otherwise, she was pretty good at keeping secrets.


    "Sure... Now, tell me everything you know," Emily replied.


    She had recovered from the unexpected discovery of Jade''s guilt. It still bothered her in her mind, though. She was wondering what it could possibly be that Jade did for her to feel guilty. Jade was a mostly unrepentant girl after all.


    It couldn''t have possibly been "that" right?... No, nothing seemed different about Jade. She didn''t seem to be in discomfort either. And Muku wouldn''t do such a thing. So, maybe it wasn''t as serious as she thought... Maybe.


    "Umm, so... At first I was minding my business, then I heard something. Which turned out to be..." Jade proceeded to tell Emily everything she knew. Of course, it wasn''t anything graphic, but it was detailed enough for Emily to get a clear idea...


    Emily''s expression got darker and darker the more she heard Jade speak. At first, she would slightly bite her lip. Then she would intensely bite it to the point of drawing blood. Then she stopped biting it, tears began falling from her eyes.


    Guessing something and knowing that it''s likely true from the guess is different from it actually being confirmed. The confession visibly hurt Emily a lot. One of her dreams had been shattered just like that, it seemed.


    She had long suspected that something would happen between those two before the two years were up. However, even if it was expected. It still hurt her a lot. She really wanted to be the first. To exchange her first for his.


    "A... are you okay?" Jade asked nervously.


    She didn''t expect Emily to be so hurt by the news. After all, they all quietly knew that Audrey was likely going to be the first, even if Audrey herself was oblivious.


    She wanted to give Emily a hug but didn''t know if she would allow it. After a slight moment of hesitation. She went for it and hugged Emily. As her best friend, she just couldn''t bear to watch while looking on.


    Emily tried to get out of the hug at first, but she couldn''t for obvious reasons. Jade was not someone she could even think of overpowering physically.


    After a while, she stopped struggling and just cried in Jade''s arms. Which went on for some time before she was fine again. It seemed the matter was a really big deal to her.


    "Thank you for that..." Emily spoke after calming down. Being hugged really helped.


    "Sure. That''s what best friends are for," Jade replied with a smile on her face.


    "Yeah... Now tell me what you did after all that," Emily asked. Having returned to her interrogation mode again.


    Just when Jade was feeling relieved about how she had dodged a bullet. Her first thought after hearing the question was to immediately get away.


    However, Emily, who had anticipated it, clung onto her like she was glued on. Jade struggled to get free but couldn''t.


    "If you keep on struggling, I''m going to burn your clothes along with everything in this room", Emily spoke.


    Her words made Jade wonder why people always thought Emily was the nice one between them. She was clearly pure evil! Who would even think of doing such a thing to their best friend?!


    "Fine! Just don''t do anything crazy after I tell you," Jade relented. Finding clothes in the apocalypse had gotten super hard. So, she didn''t want to risk angering Emily and facing her wrath.


    Emily nodded for her to continue. Her grip on Jade is not loosening even a bit. Which made Jade roll her eyes. Why was she still holding her when she had taken her whole room hostage already?


    "Remember, you promised not to do anything crazy after I tell you", Jade spoke. Not saying what Emily wanted to hear.


    "Say it already! Do you want me to burn something to show you my seriousness?" Emily exclaimed annoyedly.


    Jade''s unwillingness was making her feel worse. What could she have done?! Did she really do the unthinkable or something??


    "Okay, okay. Don''t get mad. Umm, so I took advantage of the information I had and.... Then I .... In the heat of the moment, I .... Then I ran out" Jade bit the bullet and told Emily everything.


    She then closed her eyes, waiting for an explosion from Emily. She was even expecting to lose a few things.


    However, even after a minute had passed. She still couldn''t didn''t smell anything burning or anything like that. She could only hear Emily''s unchanged breathing.


    She started wondering if Emily might have fainted while holding her. Or maybe she was so shocked she didn''t know how to react.


    Such thoughts prompted her to slowly open her eyes curiously. Her heart skipped a beat the moment she saw Emily''s face. It was still as calm as before. Which was a lot more scary than her exploding from anger.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t burn your clothes. I understand, you had a chance and you took it. Besides, someone else had kissed him first. So, what''s one more right?" Emily spoke calmly.


    "R... really?, I''m glad you understand. I guess I was worried about bothering. I should have had more faith in you," Jade spoke while letting out a sigh of relief.


    It seemed Emily really wasn''t angry. It was understandable since Audrey and Muku were the real villains in the story. She was just a side character. A minor villain in fact...


    "Yeah... I won''t burn your clothes or anything else. I''ll burn you instead! How dare you take advantage of him like that?!" Emily''s whole demeanour suddenly changed, just when Jade was starting to relax too.


    Before she could do anything, both she and Emily were covered in flames. She could feel that the flames were different from the ones Emily used before, which wouldn''t hurt her.


    "Ahhh! You promised you wouldn''t do anything crazy!" Jade screamed.


    She was really scared. How could she forget that Emily was almost as obsessed with Muku as Hope was! They both found it unacceptable when someone took advantage of him. No matter who it was, apparently.


    To think she''d die like that. Killed by her friend over a man they both weren''t even romantically involved with yet...

 Chapter 192: Muku and Emily

    A while later...


    Bang!


    "What''s going on in here? I heard we heard a scream... Oh my!" Hope exclaimed after budging into Jade''s room with Elsa behind her.


    They were talking about some random stuff in the kitchen when they heard Jade scream. They immediately rushed over. After all, something that could make Jade scream in fear like that had to be extraordinary. So, they rushed to help.


    The sight that met them, however, was more shocking than they could have imagined. Jade was sniffling on her bed while Emily quietly looked on.


    The smell of something burning was prominent in the room. It was also obvious to them what got burned... Which was Jade''s hair. That''s right, Emily had burnt off some of Jade''s hair.


    It wasn''t done in an ugly way. She just burnt away some of its length. Leaving it rather short but looking smart. Nothing else was burnt. It was rather easy for Emily to do. Which didn''t seem too bad, right?... Wrong! That''s one of the worst things she could have done to Jade.


    Jade loved her long hair like she would a sister. She would always groom it any chance she got. The only reason she didn''t brag about it openly was because the others also had great long hair.


    "Sniff, sniff. I... Can''t believe you actually did that!" Jade spoke in between her sobs.


    "I can''t believe you did that either. Now we''re even. I have someone else to deal with..." Emily replied unmoved.


    She then left the room. Hope and Elsa immediately got out of the way. They didn''t want any part of the current Emily. They didn''t even know why she was angry. So it would be unfair to get caught up in something they knew nothing about.


    As for Jade... They knew her well enough to guess that she probably deserved it. Her reaction also proved that she knew she deserved it. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be so easily bullied.


    The two looked at each other while thinking. They wanted to follow Emily, who had just entered Muku''s room without knocking. However, they immediately gave up on that idea after looking at Jade. They headed downstairs instead.


    Layla, Chloe and Freya also heard the commotion. However, unlike Hope and Elsa. They knew that it was probably nothing serious since they couldn''t sense any enemies having entered the mansion. For that reason, they didn''t bother to go check it out.


    Layla and Chloe were focused on improving their strength. Freya was still scared that she might have been discovered before. So, she decided to stay away for a bit.


    If she really was discovered. She was too scared to even face them. Maybe they would forgive her through pity after seeing her meekness, right? Well, she hoped so, at least.


    As for Audrey, she was still out cold. It seemed the intense activity took a lot more out of her than expected.


    .....


    In Muku''s room...


    "I know you''re awake... Get up, I want to talk," Emily spoke in a gentle voice just after entering Muku''s room.


    Her demeanour wasn''t as dark as it was with Jade. Maybe taking care of Jade and the crying session helped.


    Not to mention that what happened wasn''t exactly unacceptable to her. She was just overwhelmed by frustration from losing the chance to be first. So she was mostly okay after venting a little.


    As for giving Jade a fiery haircut? Well... That was mostly her being petty because Jade also beat her to the punch. Only if she had been a bit bolder in the past.


    "... What is it?" Muku spoke in a tired voice. Not even bothering to open his eyes.


    Emily could tell that he was feeling mentally drained. It seemed despite doing what he did with Audrey and not regretting it. It still weighed on his mind.


    "...." Emily looked at him for a moment without saying anything. She then walked over to his bed with a resolute expression on his face.


    Without saying anything, she then got onto his bed. Then into his blanket. She continued to quietly hug him beneath the covers. Her head lay on his chest.


    Muku''s eyes instantly snapped open. His mind got even more chaotic. He was wondering what the hell had gotten over the girls recently. Were they trying to give him a heart attack or something??


    "What are you doing?!" He exclamation while trying to get out of Emily''s hug. However, he would have to hurt her a little to do that. Which he wasn''t willing to do.


    If his mind hadn''t been chaotic and groggy. She definitely wouldn''t have been able to even hug him like that. She was lucky to catch him in that state like Jade did. It was like they could tell when they would be successful in their sudden attacks.


    "I know what you did yesterday..." Emily spoke one sentence calmly.


    She had gotten so comfortable lying next to him that she had closed her eyes. She even sounded a lot more relaxed.


    Hearing her statement. Muku instantly cooled down. He stopped struggling and just stiffly lay there. His mind was blank. Basically, giving up on thinking of anything.


    It seemed he used up all his luck when he bagged Audrey. To the point that he got unlucky afterwards... Which was understandable considering how top tier in everything Audrey was...


    Still, he couldn''t help but curse Jade in his mind. It hadn''t even been twenty-four hours since she promised him her silence. Even stealing some benefits. Yet she had already sold him out to Emily. Why did he trust that idiot anyway??


    As for how he knew it was definitely Jade who sold him out? Well, Emily was the type to immediately look into this type of thing after finding out. And, Jade just let out a scream a while back. So it was pretty obvious what took place.


    He would also bet that Jade''s actions played a big part in Emily''s realisation. Even before she was told anything. Which was completely true. Without Jade''s behaviour, Emily wouldn''t have come to that conclusion just because Muku and Audrey were missing from breakfast.


    However, Jade was a different story. It was basically guaranteed that something was going on if Jade was missing during meal time...


    "What do you mean?" Muku asked, trying to keep calm.


    "You know your heart has already sold you out, right?... Anyway, let''s stay like this for a little longer, then talk," Emily spoke calmly again.


    Muku panicked even more. Did she intentionally lie on his chest to hear his heartbeat? And she said it matter-of-factly. Not giving him a chance to defend himself. How overbearing! Why does it seem like his knowledge of the girls was constantly getting proven wrong?


    Jade was supposed to be too brash to even think of blackmailing him. Yet she had done so twice!. Emily was supposed to be too nice to manipulate someone''s actions with her words. Yet she was doing it!


    Even Chloe practically threw him under the bus with her father before! He couldn''t help but gulp thinking about Layla... What would she do when she finds out?!


    The two stayed like that for close to an hour. Muku was restless throughout the whole process. However, Emily was clearly enjoying it. She even took a short nap to prove it. Though honestly, despite everything. Muku didn''t hate the experience.


    "Okay, now we can talk. I will not hold what you did against you. It was bound to happen. However, you''ll have to make it up to me for breaking your promise," Emily spoke soon after waking up.


    "What do you have in mind?" Muku asked tensely. He was hoping she wouldn''t mess around with him like Jade did.


    "Oh, nothing too serious. Just this... From now on, I can come to sleep here whenever I want. I promise not to do anything else. Of course, you''re free to refuse. I''ll just be disappointed and nothing more. I''ll take it as having loved the wrong man. Someone unwilling to take responsibility for his actions," Emily spoke calmly.


    However, her statements were quite loaded. She spoke her desires. Expressed her love and indirectly left Muku with no other option but to accept. After all, she has questioned his core values. It was hard to even recognise her as the same, extremely kind Emily he knew. The girl lying on his chest seemed way darker.


    It was clear to see that while she said she forgave him. She was still pissed off. So while she was trying to let it go, a little malice still slipped through. It was completely understandable, though. She was the one who liked him first, before everyone else, after all.


    Hell, she fell in love at first sight. So, knowing that those who came after her were advancing further than her. Taking away some important times was rather annoying.


    "Fine... As long as you don''t do anything else. Like you said, I messed up. So, I should take responsibility," Muku replied in a defeated tone.


    Even if he knew what she was doing. He could only give in to her. It wasn''t anything unreasonable anyway. It could cause some problems, but it was something he would deal with when the time came.


    "Good", Emily only said one word. Muku could hear the happiness in her voice, though.


    Which was correct. Emily was smiling brightly away from his sight. The way she looked at the incident changed as well. It no longer seemed so bad in her head.


    After all, without it. Who knows when she would have been able to fulfil this dream of hers...

 Chapter 193: Whos your boss anyway?

    "Can you get up now? I''d like to go out," Muku spoke defeatedly after seeing that Emily was showing no sign of moving.


    "Just a little longer, please?" Emily replied while holding him even more tightly than before.


    "Just five more minutes and that''s it", Muku replied.


    .....


    Five minutes later...


    "H..hey!" Emily exclaimed after Muku suddenly jumped out of bed.


    She had loosened her grasp. So it was easy for him to do. She pouted while looking at him walking out the door. She wondering if he had realised that she wasn''t going to let him go.


    A slightly embarrassed smile then appeared on her face. She had let go of all the negative emotions. So what if she wasn''t the first? She was going to make sure that she was the best when the time came...


    .....


    Bang!


    "Jade, you snake, how could you sell me out so eas... What the hell?! Pfft Hahahaha" Muku, who had gotten some leverage on Jade after the betrayal.


    No longer hesitated to see her. So much so that she was the first person he went to see after escaping from Emily. Just as he was speaking, he noticed her shortened her hair. He immediately burst into loud laughter while pointing at her.


    There was definitely a heavy dose of schadenfreude mixed into his laughter. How could he not be like that after the stress she made him go through?


    "You totally deserved it, you cheeky brat! Hahahaha. I wish she had burned it away instead! Hahahaha. Even I have longer hair than you. Hahaha," Muku kept on adding fuel to the fire while laughing at Jade.


    "GET OUT!" Jade exploded out into an angry shout.


    Bang!


    She then got up from her bed and pushed Muku out of her room. She then slammed the door in his face. She wasn''t in the mood to deal with him at that time. She was still mourning her precious hair.


    Muku didn''t resist. He knew he couldn''t talk to her when she was like that anyway. He also had some other things to do.


    He then went to his next destination. Which was Audrey''s room. He smiled wryly the moment he got into the room. The lady was practically sleeping on the same place he left her on the previous night.


    Of course, he had to move her to the bed. So he gently picked her up. Making sure not to wake her. He then slowly placed himself on the bed, into her blanket.


    He wanted to leave immediately and let her sleep. However, her sleeping face was just so mesmerising he couldn''t help wanting to caress it for a bit. So, he lay next to her, then began caressing her face and hair softly. Taking in her sweet scent.


    A gentle smile automatically appeared on his face. He felt quite blissful and blessed in that moment. Who wouldn''t feel blessed when they knew someone like Audrey gave them their all?


    "Mmm" Audrey suddenly steered with a her voice leaking out a bit.


    Muku was startled and immediately wanted to get away. He didn''t want to wake her up after all. However, Audrey had different plans. Just when he was about to take back his hand. She grabbed it and pulled him back.


    Muku immediately looked at her face to see if she was awake. He was met by her slightly opened eyes that were clearly very sleepy. Then out of nowhere, she pulled his hand on top of her. Then hugged his body that had gotten closer.


    "Good morning, pretty lady", Muku spoke softly. However, he received no response.


    He then looked down and noticed that Audrey had gone back to sleep. It almost seemed like she only woke up to pull him closer. He could only smile wryly again and stay like that.


    It was only thirty minutes later that Audrey woke for real. The lady almost jumped up from her bed after finding herself in someone''s arms. Unfortunately, her body wasn''t feeling up to the test. It felt so heavy she could barely move.


    Muku found it both funny and concerning. They really shouldn''t have been so extreme when they did it. Especially when it was just Audrey''s first time. Though it kinda strocked his ego, the fact that he hit it so hard she couldn''t move.


    Anyway, it was still concerning. How will he explain it to the others who didn''t know? It would be too suspicious to say that she is sick, right? After all, did Evolvers even get sick? Especially R3s?


    "Should I call Hope?" Muku asked. It was better to be awkward than leave Audrey like that.


    "N... no! That''s way too embarrassing!" Audrey instantly refused. Her face turned red from just the thought of it.


    After all, Hope''s healing spells always glow visibly brighter on the injured area. Which would mean... No! Audrey refused to go through that. She''d rather stay as she was!


    "Okay... I have something else we can try. It will take a little more time and effort, though," Muku suggested something else.


    He could understand where she was coming from. Not to mention that even Hope would probably figure things out in such a situation. Even if she was rather naive and pure. She still knew some stuff from school after all.


    Honestly, he didn''t know how she would react. Which he would rather not find out. That little sister of his can be quite unpredictable sometimes. She might go around telling everyone by mistake or something like that.


    "Okay... I''m fine with anything else," Audrey replied. She had an idea of what he was talking about. She wasn''t against it despite not liking it too much. It was a lot better than the embarrassment.


    "Great! Let me go take care of something first," Muku replied, then after a nod from Audrey. He went out.


    ...


    Around a kilometre and a half away from the mansion...


    "Why has no one come out since yesterday?. Should I go and report just that?. No, that ahole boss of mine will probably not accept it. Do these bastards like their mansion that much?... How do they even have a mansion anyway? And how tf did they move it here? It definitely wasn''t around anywhere near here before. Sigh, I want to go rest. I don''t even get paid for this" The spy from the NL Base spoke to himself.


    He had been quiet at the beginning. However, after so much time of just observing a motionless mansion. He was bored, tired, sleepy and hungry. So, he felt like he had to vent or he would lose his mind.


    "Well, actually. I feel you''ve done enough. You''ve been here since yesterday, after all. Your boss can''t be so unreasonable as not to accept that right? Who''s your boss anyway?" Suddenly, a voice spoke from beside the spy.


    "It''s Abel that white-haired a..." The spy replied by mistake, then he realised what was going on. He was supposed to be alone. How was there someone talking to him?!


    A cold chill went down his spine. He was legitimately scared. For someone to come so close to him without being found out. It was either a ghost or a being much worse... A higher ranked Evolver!.


    He was a MR2 evolver with spying abilities, which included camouflage. He could sense up to PR2s and some Pseudo-R3s if they were still not that high up.


    So, for the person to be completely invisible to him. They had to be someone really strong. Someone who could probably kill him without him even noticing it. He was so scared he couldn''t look.


    "It''s rude not to look at someone when they are talking to you. And why are you so scared when I''m just here to give you a reason to return? You should be thanking me instead. I even have a message for you to deliver to your boss. Tell him that I''ll be visiting him sometime soon, okay?" Muku spoke again.


    The man still didn''t move an inch to look. Muku couldn''t help but wonder why such a chicken was doing such work if he was so scared. It seemed that sometimes one would get abilities that weren''t in line with their personality.


    Even more unluckily for the spy. Someone saw the potential in those abilities and likely threatened him to do whatever that person wanted.


    "You really should consider a different line of work, man. Let me help you get on your way," Muku spoke, then picked the spy up by his neck.


    The guy was so scared he actually wet himself. Muku gave him a slightly disgusted look. Then flew away with him at high speeds. His destination was the NL Base. He left the scared-stiff spy less than a kilometre away from the base. Then he left after telling the spy not to forget his message.


    The spy stayed like that for a few minutes. Completely still. It was almost like he thought Muku was still lurking around. Which wasn''t true. Muku had really left. He had a beauty waiting for him after all.


    Only after some time did the spy feel safe enough to move. The strength that had left his legs had also returned. He then ran back to his base. He, without a doubt, would tell Abel everything.


    .....


    Back at the mansion...


    "Is it taken care of?" Audrey asked as soon as Muku entered the room.


    "Yeah, we can get to the important matters now", Muku replied with a gentle smile on his face.


    Audrey smiled back. A slight blush on her face as they looked into each other''s eyes...

 Chapter 194: Inner conflict...

    A while later...


    As some might have guessed, Muku''s plan was to get Audrey some beast blood.


    While she rarely used it, or needed to, because of Hope. Audrey could heal by drinking beast blood. It only worked with beast blood, too, apparently. As was seen from her "fun times" with Muku.


    She also couldn''t use the blood she had "corrupted", which she manipulated. That blood was no different from her own blood in the sense that it had no effect on her when drunk.


    Of course, Hope wanted to come along after noticing them. It took some coaxing from Muku before she agreed to stay back.


    Other than Hope, the only one who saw them go out was Elsa. She didn''t care too much about what they were doing. She only gave them a slightly curious look after greeting them. She then returned to doing her business.


    It was impractical to take her along. After all, they''d have to explain to her why Audrey needed the blood. Which would make the whole endeavour pointless. Not to mention the private talk Muku wanted to have with Audrey...


    "So..." Muku spoke stiffly. He couldn''t even finish what he wanted to say.


    "I''m not aborting! I don''t think that''s even still an option anyway!" Audrey exploded into a fit of protest.


    "Huh?!... Oh, shih!" Muku was confused for a bit by her words. Then he realised what she was talking about. His face went pale in an instant.


    So many things had happened soon after their activities. To the point that he hadn''t even thought about it. He hadn''t thought about such an obvious thing after everything he did so fearlessly.


    What gave him the courage to do such a thing? Over and over, too. Was it so hard to pull out? He didn''t even do so once!


    How was he going to deal with the girls when Audrey''s belly starts growing?! Emily would probably burn him alive!


    Not to mention his strength. Was he even strong enough to raise a family yet? He didn''t think so. The seemed to be getting more and more dangerous. They were discovering one dark secret after another. He couldn''t help but feel a slight headache coming in.


    "It seems I assumed wrong. Anyway, don''t get so stressed about it. It might not even happen. Just know it''s a possibility for now. But... You dislike the idea of it that much?" Audrey spoke softly. His reaction made her feel a little sad.


    She might have been wrong about his awareness of the situation at the start. However, his reaction wasn''t one she wanted to see. She hoped he would be as happy about it as she was.


    She knew that he had some worries that were keeping him from that. However, she still hoped he''d be happy still. Such was the chaotic way of thinking that plagued humans.


    "No... No, I don''t dislike it. I was just caught off guard, that''s all. The idea of having a little me or a little you running around sounds great. I just don''t think I''m strong enough yet..." Muku replied while hugging Audrey, who looked sad.


    "Oh... I guess you''re right. Sorry for jumping the gun. After hearing your words, I also think it''s not the right time yet," Audrey replied while still in his embrace.


    She had realised that she was really overlooking a lot of things. No matter how much she wanted to have a baby, she could raise it from scratch. Which she couldn''t do with Layla. She couldn''t ignore timing...


    "Well, if it happens, it happens, though. We''ll just have to work harder and get stronger quickly. Should we start coming up with names? I was thinking Muku Jr if it''s a boy, and Audrey Jr if it''s a girl. You?" Muku got into a joking mood after seeing that she was no longer feeling sad.


    "Hehe. You''re such a goof. Let''s put that on hold until it''s actually confirmed whether there''s a baby or not. And how terrible is your naming sense for you to think of only that?! Hahaha. I''m definitely not letting you name any of our future children. Hahaha," Audrey spoke in between her laughter.


    She found his words so funny, her eyes even got teary from laughter. She didn''t even notice how she let it slip that she wanted more than one child.


    "What? No fair! Where would I put my face as a father without naming even one of them? Wouldn''t people think I''m henpecked?!" Muku protested exaggeratedly.


    "Hahaha. Fine, I might let you name one if you can think of something good," Audrey replied while still laughing.


    It was clear that she was having the best time. Muku couldn''t help but smile. Seeing her happy also made him happy. The two kept at it as their journey continued. At the end, they quietly held each other, enjoying the others'' company.


    Muku even considered giving up on the plan if the future and just focus on Audrey. However, she seemed to have read his mind.


    And with a smile on her face. She denied the idea before it was spoken. Her reasoning being, he had already travelled too deep onto the path even without the physical element.


    Backing out would shatter the team. Most of the members would probably leave and never return. Likely leaving nothing but destruction in their path. Which she didn''t want to see.


    Even if the others were involved. The two of them would still get their moments. Which was enough for her.


    Hearing her words, Muku almost proposed on the spot. As well as confess his undying love. He managed to save himself by kissing her on the lips instead.


    While it was a bit petty. He didn''t want to be the first one to confess. He seemed to be quickly losing that battle though...


    A few kilometres away from Muku and Audrey. A girl with a pair of glowing green eyes and twitching cat ears looked on. There was a conflicted look in her eyes. She was jealous, annoyed, happy, thankful, with a whole bunch of other emotions.


    The girl was, of course, Jade. She really wanted to hate what was going on with Muku and Audrey. However, she just couldn''t do it. Especially after what Audrey said.


    ... Not the pregnancy thing. She felt like murdering Muku after hearing that one. However, as someone who isn''t even supposed to be there. She held herself back. She did promise to make Muku pay one day, though.


    It was when Audrey dissuaded Muku from focusing only on her. When it was clear he was thinking about it. That Jade managed to calm down.


    She even considered turning back. But after thinking about it. She had already come a long way. She might as well continue, right?


    ....


    Some time later...


    "Look! A LR3 Boar! We can not only get the healing over with, but we can also get the best meat!" Audrey exclaimed excitedly.


    "Careful, you''re starting to drool, you foody. I almost forgot that Jade isn''t the only foody in our group because of her sheer loudness that makes everyone else seem saintly," Muku spoke. He teased Audrey as well as mocked Jade for whatever reason.


    "Hey! How rude! Who says that about a lady in her face? Aren''t you afraid you might die alone due to your mouth?" Audrey replied while pouting.


    She only loves meat because of her class, okay? It was out of her control. Yet, Muku bullies her because of it. So unfair! Whether Layla would agree with Audrey''s thoughts on only liking meat because of her class. That''s unknown.


    "Well... I don''t think I have to worry about dying alone with you here. And don''t even think about getting away from me. In this like and every other. You''ll always be mine! Anyway, let me take care of that so we can get you healed up," Muku spoke jokingly at the start. Then got serious when his gaze fell on the boar.


    He was still a newly ascended R3. The boar seemed to be a fairly seasoned R3, so he wasn''t certain how he would match up against it. Especially after Iris told him about the importance of domains in battles between R3s.


    If the boar''s domain was a lot better than his. His domain would get overpowered, rendering his element unusable.


    "Mmm", Audrey made a slight sound in reply as Muku flew off the platform.


    He didn''t notice how embarrassed she looked. The lady lost her head when he said, "You''ll always be mine" Steam was practically coming out of her head. She didn''t even hear clearly what he said after that.


    A stupidly happy smile had appeared on her face. Which would have frozen Muku in his tracks had he looked.


    Unfortunately for him, he had to face the boar. And Iris'' words had rung true. His domain was instantly defeated by the lone boar''s.


    It seemed his domain only seemed special before because there was no other domain acting upon it. Of course, after he gets stronger and master''s it. He''ll definitely have a domain stronger than most.


    Anyway, his luck was terrible. He met a cautious boar. The beast instantly deployed its domain the moment it saw him.


    The domain covered close to half a kilometre. So, even Audrey was enveloped by it. However, as someone who was at the very edge and wasn''t participating. It didn''t affect her too much.


    As for Muku, he couldn''t form any of his metal element spells. This made the battle a bit more dangerous.


    Luckily, the boar had no element like the ones they encountered before. So, its domain only had the effect of element suppression on its opponents.


    "Okay, big guy. You don''t want me to use my element, it seems. I could still use my telekinesis, which is still usable for whatever reason. However, I want to show off a bit to my girl. So, let''s brawl!" Muku spoke hot-bloodedly to the boar.


    The 15 metre tall creature gazed annoyedly at the little human that was bothering it. The little creature could barely cover the gap in-between its teeth, yet it dared come to bother it?


    The human deserved death!...

 Chapter 195: Fighting the Lone Boar...

    "Oooink!" The pi...boar oinked madly, then charged at Muku.


    It wanted to crush the little human as quickly as possible, then return to its business.


    "This is going to be fun... Hahhh!" Muku spoke, then charged forward as well.


    He wasn''t going to wait for it to arrive. It was a lot more fun to clash in the middle.


    BANG!


    A loud bang sound was heard when the two parties collided. The boar''s large head should have been able to slam Muku into the afterlife.


    Surprisingly, such a scene didn''t occur. A comical scene occurred instead. Muku actually managed to hold back the boar without even being pushed pack.


    It was quite comical since he wasn''t even as large as the boar''s head. He couldn''t even properly reach the creature''s knees. Yet he managed to stop it.


    The scene looked quite dashing to Audrey. She practically had stars in her eyes as she looked on. Muku, who managed to steal a glance at her, was happy. It seemed his plan was working.


    He was almost regretting having to kill the boar. Such a good wingman even when it wasn''t even trying to be. However, it tasted too good and Audrey came first anyway.


    "Haaaah!" Muku pushed himself further. He started screaming as he pushed the boar backwards.


    Which shocked the boar a lot. The creature''s anger had already decreased a lot when he managed to stop it. However, pushing it back was something else.


    If it were one of the rare intelligent R3s, it would have definitely turned around and fled. For it was clearly outmatched.


    Unfortunately for the boar, it wasn''t that smart. After being pushed back a bit. The boar''s anger was reignited.


    "Oooink!" The boar oinked angrily again. Energy began gathering in its mouth.


    "Woah! I thought we were doing it physically only?!" Muku exclaimed while flying up.


    Which he had to do instantly. After all, the boar was about to...


    Booom!


    Release a non-elemental breath attack! He barely made it in time before the attack hit. In normal cases, he could probably tank it.


    However, that''s not something he could do with a domain-charged attack. Especially when he couldn''t use his metal element. His telekinesis alone would be too risky. The attacks of R3s weren''t a joke after all.


    The boar didn''t even charge up the attack for long. Yet it left a hole almost as big as the boar on place the attack hit. Which forced one to think about how deadly a full-power attack would be.


    Muku gulped down some saliva as he looked on from above. He realised that the situation wasn''t as relaxed as he thought it was.


    He needed to be a lot more serious with the boar. Lest he accidentally loses his life to it.


    The moment his state of mind changed. Even the air around him changed. He was trying to fight back against the boar''s domain with his own metal domain.


    Of course, he lost completely. Not even managing to make the boar''s domain ripple. However, his domain improved a little from the experience.


    Which allowed him to deploy it around his arm. It was around a metre and a half long, with a width of around fifteen centimetres.


    Compared to the boar''s half a kilometre. He should be too embarrassed to even show it in front of Audrey. But...


    "This is enough..." Muku spoke to himself softly. As his words fell. A single blade that completely filled up his trash domain appeared on his right hand.


    It might be big in human standards. However, to the boar, it was no better than a toothpick if it knew about those. For that reason, it didn''t take notice of the little blade.


    Unlike normal boars found on the planet. The beast boar could actually look up. So, it had been sending one breath attack after the other toward Muku while he was trying to stabilise his domain.


    If Muku was still a newbie who associated beasts with the creatures they resembled too much. He would have definitely gotten hit.


    Luckily for him, he wasn''t one of those unlucky souls. Many had actually lost their lives because of that very reason of assuming something based on their old knowledge. Like a dude who saw a beast that looked like a giant cow with spikes on its back.


    He assumed that it was safe to pass by it, as long as he didn''t bother it since it didn''t eat meat. However, he was wrong. The creature had actually never eaten plants a day in its life.


    When it opened its mouth as it roared at him. He was met with the sight of a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth that were well acquainted with meat. Like they soon became acquainted with his meat.


    Fortunately, he didn''t die... For no reason. Some of his comrades who survived the spiked cow learned from the experience. "Never use your planet''s common sense on alien beasts!" Hell, even normal cows eat meat sometimes.


    Anyway, after creating the sword, Muku gave up on the idea of brawling it out. After all, the boar wasn''t playing fair at all.


    Where was it getting the mana it was using for breath attacks anyway? Aren''t such moves supposed to be used like once or twice, and that''s it?!


    Muku quickly figured out how it was doing it, though. The boar was getting powered by its domain! To think a domain could be used as a better source!


    Jade, who was looking on from a distance, felt extremely jealous of the boar. After all, she could only use her breath attack three times at best before she ran out of power. Of course, that''s when she uses the stronger versions of it. The weaker versions wouldn''t even be able to tickle an equally ranked opponent after all.


    However, the boar was using the very weak attacks she disdained. And the attacks were as strong AF! How could she not be jealous?


    She had been feeling too lazy to work on her domain seriously. However, after seeing the boar. She was instantly motivated. It would be the first thing she focuses on when she gets back. Maybe with a good domain, she can beat Muku up for a change, instead of always getting beaten up...


    Muku started circling the boar while dodging its attacks. He''d slice at its neck whenever he got the chance. With the size difference between the weapon and the target. It seemed quite pointless.


    The boar didn''t even feel pain or bleed. So it basically ignored the attacks. It continued firing at him nonstop.


    After a while, its domain began fading. Which was the drawback of domains. They drained one''s mental energy. No matter the rank. No one has been able to use them indefinitely, nonstop.


    Which is a good thing because some creatures practically become immortal when they deploy their domain.


    Of course, such creatures are usually bullshitly strong anyway. So, they might not even need to use their domains. Or you won''t be able to last until their domain time runs out, as they have absurd levels of mental energy.


    So, whether burning through mental energy is a drawback or not. It''s subjective. Fortunately for Muku, the boar might have been a beast, but it wasn''t anywhere near being anything like those creatures...


    Muku made his move when the beast''s domain finally faded into nothingness.


    "I''ve let you have your fun while I trained my domain... I guess it''s time we end this..." Muku spoke.


    Snap!


    Then he snapped his fingers like a certain purple legend who shaved with a rake. The moment he did. The boar felt a sudden pain in its neck.


    It tried to roar, but no voice came out. Before it could do anything else. Its giant head fell to the ground. Landing in a giant metal dish, Muku created below it. The boar''s body also had its own dish that it fell into. The blood that was gushing out was also collected by another dish... It was rather a dish-filled sight.


    The battle was a success. Not only did he get some meat and blood for Audrey. He also got to train his domain for a bit. It was no longer as flimsy as before.


    While he could only deploy it a few metres around himself under the boar''s domain suppression. It was already a massive improvement.


    He proceeded to take a small bowl of blood to Audrey. Which felt rather weird and quite cult-like to him. However, it was the apocalypse and his woman was a vampire, so... It was acceptable, right?


    Audrey accepted the bowl with a smile but frowned a bit while looking at it in her hands. She might never get used to finding blood appealing. It was a weird feeling she didn''t like. Unfortunately, it was already a done deal, she closed her eyes and gulped the blood down.


    She didn''t want to taste it, but she wasn''t quick enough. So, she did, and it tasted great. She ignored the taste and focused on the healing process she could clearly feel in her body.


    A worry of hers was put to rest. She was worried that her healing would return her to her virgin state. Which would mean she''d have to constantly feel that pain every time they... Anyway, it wasn''t so. It seemed, once one''s virginity was gone. It was gone for good, no matter what..


    "Thank you for..." Audrey was thanking Muku for being so attentive. When she was interrupted by a voice which made everyone''s hearts almost jump out of their chests...


    [Mana has reached a sufficient level. World Evolution will commence in 24 hours]

 Chapter 196: Detailed ice sculpture?

    "Oh, shih!" Muku cursed out.


    Which was something he rarely did. When he did do it, however, something significant would be happening. The world''s second evolution was definitely worth it.


    They had barely reached rank 3 and now even stronger beasts were going to show up?! They really couldn''t catch a break, could they?


    Fortunately, everyone had a little more time to prepare compared to before. This didn''t change the fact that they were all still screwed though.


    PR3 beasts could pretty much dominate wherever they went in the current world. Humans could not do anything about it. Which had caused a lot of deaths in the past.


    Iris had mentioned how R4s are in a completely different league compared to R3s. The gap in ranks will keep on increasing the higher in rank one goes. So, even miracles might be off the table. A toddler cannot defeat an adult no matter what.


    The happiness Muku felt about the boar instantly faded away. How could he be happy when creatures he couldn''t even resist against, will show up in twenty-four hours?


    It might have initially been the same with R3s and such. However, the feeling never got better no matter how many times he had gone through it. No one likes knowing that they are practically an ant after all.


    "We should hurry back and prepare" Audrey spoke after a moment of silence. She had also been processing the situation.


    For such a thing to occur just when things were starting to look up for them. It felt rather unfair to her... Then again, life was a bih anyway. You either adapt or it will eat you up and only leave bones behind. She chose to adapt like they always do.


    "Yeah, you''re right. Jade, come. We need to return quickly" Muku acknowledged Audrey''s suggestion then called Jade out softly while looking in the direction she was in.


    Jade instantly felt a chill go down her spine. She realised from the way he spoke that he had been aware of her presence for a while at least. As for how long. She didn''t know...


    "If you keep on hiding then we''re leaving you behind" Muku spoke after seeing no movement from Jade.


    "No! I''m coming!" Jade who had stayed still hoping that he was just bluffing called out as she ran forward.


    Of course, she was too far away for Muku to hear her. However, he could see her waving in the long grass as she ran toward them.


    He sighed in fatigue. He was wondering why the girl always lived up to what you''d expect from her while also being unpredictable at the same time. It had to be some kind of gift right?


    "H... How did you know that I was there? I''m certain I hid my presence well. There wasn''t any form of intent as well" Jade asked the moment she reached them.


    "Did you know that even an average person who isn''t even an Evolver can sense when they are being watched?... Anyway, now is not the time for that. Let''s go back home. You can tell me everything there" Muku spoke in a dismissive voice.


    Jade just nodded quietly with a sad expression on her face. The issue of her selling him out to Emily hadn''t yet been dealt with. Yet, there she was creating another issue for herself.


    For those reasons, she didn''t argue. She listened to a did whatever he said in hopes of reducing the punishment. Whether it worked, it was something for the future. There were more pressing issues to take care of.


    The trio then packed the boar up then blitzed back to the base. While they still had close to a day to prepare. Every second counted toward their preparation. So, moving faster was for the best.


    In a little time. The trio had reached the mansion. What met them was the sight of a newly ascended R3 Layla standing in front of a very detailed ice sculpture. She stood outside the gate.


    Which was odd. If she wanted to do something like that as a way of celebrating. Couldn''t she do it in their yard?


    It was only when they got closer that they realised that it wasn''t an ice sculpture. It was actually a human. One who had been frozen ice-white by Layla.


    "What''s going on here?" Muku asked curiously. There was an important issue to discuss but that can come later.


    "Nothing much, this idiot seems to have an ability that messes with one''s mind in some way. He tried to use it on me after coming here. I sensed it instantly. While I didn''t feel any danger from it. I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. So, I froze him" Layla who was a lot more willing to talk in the last few days explained.


    She seemed even more chatty that day though. Which was probably happiness from reaching R3. The girl really didn''t like being left behind after all.


    "Can I try putting that into my Shadow Pocket? The space I have has increased by quite a bit. Maybe it can fit..." Layla continued after explaining.


    It seemed the poor fellow she froze wasn''t worth her talking more about him. Which was rather sad for him.


    "Sure, go ahead and try. And congrats on ranking up." Muku replied while bringing the boar closer to her. He also didn''t care much about the frozen fellow it seemed.


    "Hey! Can we focus on the frozen man first? Is he dead?!" Audrey exclaimed. Ever the voice of reason.


    "Oh, right! Almost forgot about him. Is he really dead?" Muku asked in a nonchalant voice.


    "Close to it, but no. His totem must be a cockroach or something" Layla replied. Subtly making a joke.


    "Hehe, Hey! Where are your manners?! How can you say that in front of me?" Audrey giggled a bit before reprimanding her daughter. One must always have respect for human life afterwards.


    "Right. Sorry for that. I think I''ve been around Jade too much recently" Layla spoke, randomly dragging Jade into the matter.


    "Yeah, you''re right. Jade really does have some issues" Audrey replied while nodding her head in agreement.


    "What did I do?!" Jade exclaimed in surprise. She had just been standing there innocently. Yet, she ended up getting dissed.


    "Hehe, sorry about that. Anyway, can you unfreeze him"? Audrey apologised for the little joke then they moved on to something more serious.


    The joking was to lighten up the mood a bit. Everyone seemed a little gloomy. So, Layla took it upon herself to make them feel a bit better. Which worked wonders for them.


    Layla did as she was and unfroze the man. Soon after, a man shivering like crazy while clutching his body closely stood.


    It was surprisingly Abel! The same Abel from NL Base and the one who sent the spy from before.


    To think he''d actually turn up on his own. Especially when it hadn''t even been that long since Muku took the spy back to the base.


    What was his purpose there?


    "Mr Abel? What are you doing here?!" Muku asked, a surprised look on his face.


    He was also genuinely surprised. Abel gave him the idea that he was a snake that would always lie in the background. Never showing its face as it manipulated the actions of others. So, for the snak... Abel to show up like that. It definitely was a surprise.


    "H... He... He...llo. P...please d...on''t misunderstand me. I''m not here to seek trouble. I came to apologise for overzealous behaviour when I sent a spy to monitor you. Which I accept full responsibility for. I wanted to make friends with you so much that it clouded my mind. I thought it would be easier to do if I had some information on you. Which was wrong. For that reason, I deserved to be frozen. I just hope we can still be friends though." Abel replied.


    His voice was shaky at the beginning as he tried to shake off the cold feeling he felt. Which he managed to do after a little bit of mana circulation. His control and technique when it came to mana impressed everyone present. It also showed that Abel was a strong and skilled individual.


    While his mana intensity was that of a Psuedo-R3, Muku and the girls could tell that there was definitely something underneath. They didn''t know what that was though. It wasn''t really any of their business so they weren''t too interested in what he was hiding. Their reaction to the discovery was to increase their guard a little bit more around him.


    Which Abel sensed. Making him narrow his eyes for a split second before they returned to normal. He thought it was too brief to notice. However, everyone noticed it. They just didn''t care enough to react. They could already tell that he was a snake after all.


    Another thing about Abel was his non-elemental mana. Remembering the words Layla said about him trying out some weird mind-targeting ability on her. The others instantly realised that his power was likely linked to the mine like Muku''s Telekinesis.


    They weren''t too moved, however. After all, they didn''t sense any threat to him and could take him out easily enough if they wanted to.


    "Oh, is that so?" Let''s go inside and talk" Muku replied while gesturing toward the gate behind them.


    "Sure..." Abel spoke while smiling happily.


    It seemed his plan was working out. They''ll probably be calling him "best friend" after he is done with them.

 Chapter 197: Abels ability

    "Well... What a nice home you have here. Though this isn''t what I was expecting when you said, inside" Abel spoke with a strained smile on his face.


    He was fuming inside. The "inside" Muku was talking about turned out to be the freaking backyard! On top of that, he didn''t even offer him a seat. So, he, a visitor had to sit on the freaking lawn!


    The only thing that was holding him back from exploding, was his plan. Speaking of which. It seemed he had to try a bit harder than usual with them.


    Muku''s group had to be pretty capable for them to be able to kill such an imposing-looking beast. Speaking of which, he hadn''t been able to see how they transported it since he was frozen at the time. Which was something he was very curious about.


    Well, everything should work out for him eventually. To that end, he subtly increased his spell output.


    The thing about Abel was that he had one of the most unique and dangerous abilities out there. That was mind control! While the ability didn''t have much growth potential, it was still very deadly. After all, its few capabilities were all one could ever need to dominate the world if the right conditions were met.


    His class was called "The Puppeteer". It was just one level below Pseudo-Legendary classes. Which showed how powerful it was.


    He could almost instantly take control of anyone weaker than him no matter their class. Of course, there were some exceptions like in everything else. He could possibly take control of those stronger than him if he could weaken their mental state first.


    He can program a person''s mind to make them think they are operating on their own free will. When in fact they are completely under his control. As long as he gains control of your mind. It''s almost impossible to escape, no matter how far you go.


    The way he did it was through one spell... Controlling haze. He was a rare existence that only had one spell in their arsenal. However, that spell kept on getting stronger and stronger. So, he didn''t hate it at all. It was the best ability he could ever which for.


    When he activates the spell. Transparent energy is released from his body into the surrounding area. The more one is exposed to it. The higher the chance of being controlled increases.


    It was not something that could be viewed as being harmful. For that reason, almost no one''s danger sense picks it up before it''s too late.


    He had tried it with Layla when he arrived. However, the girl was so in touch with her state of mind that she noticed it instantly. He was frozen before he realised what was going on.


    He was really starting to think that he was going to die there unless he made a move and exposed himself. Which would have ruined the plan. Fortunately for him, Muku arrived before that happened.


    While he had to review himself a bit while he explained. He still felt the situation was still in order. Unlike the mistake with Layla from before. He was a lot more careful not to be discovered this time around.


    Which seemed to be working by how no one had made a move against him. Which was why he could bear the obvious contempt he was facing from Muku''s group.


    It was so obvious it was laughable. How could Muku say he could only create enough seats for four people with his poor control? Which he, Audrey, Layla and Jade occupied. Leaving him to sit on the lawn.


    He was a freaking R3! How the hell wasn''t he able to create one more seat?! He could also create solid objects that didn''t need a constant mana supply from him the moment he reached R2! Even if they weren''t friends or anything like that. They weren''t enemies either, so wtf was up with that treatment.


    The more Abel thought about it. The more he cursed in his mind. He couldn''t wait to gain control of them all and then r*pe the girls while Muku watched. He already had a plan. He would keep Muku''s mind state clear but order him not to move. Then he will ravage the girls while he watches in tears.


    It wouldn''t be the first time he would be doing something like that after all. The thought of it made him feel so excited that he could easily take the horrible treatment.


    "Sorry for that. The mansion is so dirty I''m embarrassed to let anyone inside. Maybe another time. Anyway, what did you want to talk about again"? Muku replied perfunctorily and then moved on to the purpose of their meeting.


    "Right, I can see that you''re eager to deal with other things. So I''ll make it brief. The reason why I''m here is because I want us to be friends, as I stated before. As you know, it''s really hard to survive in the current world without the help of us. For that reason, I''m always looking for anyone strong to become friends with. That way, with each other''s assistance. We can both be a lot more assured of our collective safety. We can start by forming an alliance first then see where that leads... So, what do you think?" Abel spoke the words he had spoken an unknown number of times before.


    A confident smile was on his face. He was certain that they would agree. After all, no one had refused him before. No matter how much they disliked him. His words made a lot of sense after all. The current world does not allow people to live in a carefree manner. So, making alliances and knowing someone had your back was the closest one could get to living a worry-free life in most people''s cases.


    Not to mention that Abel''s ability makes people more willing to agree with him. Even when they have not been taken over yet. Just the exposure was enough for that.


    "Hhm, that sounds quite appealing. It''s definitely worth considering. However, I''ll have to discuss it with my people first. Can you give me a little more time to think? Anyway, I''m sure you have something to run back to like we have things to do here. I''ll show you out. Please greet your leader for me" Muku replied while getting up.


    Which prompted Abel to also get up subconsciously. He hadn''t been able to speak before Muku was already walking with him out of the mansion.


    "Wait, wait! That''s it?! We can talk for a little more time, right? Even if it''s not about the alliance. We can get to know each other a little better" Abel protested when they were already close to the gate.


    That''s when he managed to get a word in. Muku could be really pushy if he wanted to be. Abel couldn''t afford to leave just yet though. He still hadn''t gained control of anyone. He was far from it. The worst part, was that if he left now, the next time he''d have to start from scratch.


    Which would be a lot harder without a credible reason to meet like now. After all, Muku''s group didn''t like him for whatever reason. He was starting to wonder if William said something...


    "The days are long Mr Abel. We''ll talk someday" Muku spoke as he kept on pushing Abel out.


    "Fine... Just know that you have until the day after tomorrow to decide. A situation where you will have to give me a clear answer will appear then" Abel spoke a little more before he was completely pushed out through the gate.


    He also couldn''t take the treatment he was receiving. So, leaving was the only choice at that time, even if it reset his progress. He might explode in anger if he stayed.


    "Yeah, sure. We''ll talk then. Have a safe journey" Muku replied nonchalantly then slammed the gate in Abel''s face.


    Abel turned around and walked away with a strained smile on his face. His patience was really getting tested to the max by Muku''s actions. Especially when he didn''t know why he was being treated like that despite showing his sincerity.


    He was wondering why they didn''t ask about him trying to get into Layla''s head though. Maybe they didn''t think that he was a threat because he couldn''t do it? Could that also be the reason they disliked him?


    Well whatever, if they didn''t join him. They will have to face the consequences when the time comes. No one says no to him and lives!.


    Abel thought to himself as he walked away...


    .....


    In the mansion gate...


    Muku kept track of Abel''s mana signature for a while until Abel was a significant distance away.


    "Phew! That almost got bloody. Now, Jade, what the hell was that? Don''t tell me the idiot''s constantly attempting to invade our minds was enough to piss you off so much? You know that we can''t take the aggressive path without knowing the full story yet right? Not to mention, fighting this close to the mansion is forbidden. Are you so eager to get into more trouble" Muku spoke in relief then began rebuking Jade.


    What Abel who mostly focused on Muku and was constantly getting angered didn''t notice was Jade''s actions. The girl''s eyes hadn''t left his body the moment he arrived.


    It was almost like a switch had been flipped in her head. The way she looked at him was that of a person who had seen their worst enemy they hated with their very soul.


    She had been able to control herself initially. However, toward the end, she actually almost lunged at him. Muku had to suppress her with his Telekinesis Domain. Which was undetectable to most, including Abel.


    He had to lock Jade in place with it. However, she seemed to be getting crazier and crazier the more she looked at Abel. So Muku had to send Abel away quickly. Like he said, it wasn''t time to make enemies with anyone when they weren''t clear of what was going on.


    He didn''t particularly mind being rude to Abel though. After all, the idiot had been trying to invade their minds from the start. Which was really annoying. Who says they want to be friends while trying to get into your mind?


    "Sorry about that. I''m not sure what came over me. The moment I saw him and smelled his foul scent. I just felt like attacking him and ripping him apart" Jade replied with her head lowered. There was also some obvious confusion in her tone.


    There was only one thing to do after hearing that... Go see Iris-pedia!

 Chapter 198 198: I just confessed...?

    Muku and Jade went to see Freya while Layla and Audrey stayed to deal with the boar. It had been left outside the mansion as they had to deal with the Abel matter.


    Something odd happened when Muku and Jade reached Freya''s door. The girl opened the door after hearing a knock. However, she immediately shut it when she noticed that it was Muku and Jade.


    This was of course weird to Muku who couldn''t think of a reason why she would do that. Jade on the other hand narrowed her eyes a little bit.


    She then told Muku to give her a little privacy with Freya before they spoke to her about the Abel issue. Muku felt a little confused but saw no reason to refuse. So, he let Jade call out to Freya through the door.


    She''d say things like "I know, so open up and let''s talk about it". Which Muku didn''t understand. However, he didn''t think about it too much. Maybe it was just girl talk.


    Freya opened the door instantly after Jade said those words. She then pulled the Jade into the room before shutting it back up in Muku''s face. Muku felt that it was rather rude, but didn''t say anything. He just stood by patiently.


    He had to know what was up with Jade. He had a hunch that it might shed a bit more light on what was going on in NL Base.


    .....


    Inside Freya''s room...


    "W... What do you mean you know? I have nothing to hide. So what are you talking about?" Freya asked Jade with a nervous and panicked expression on her face.


    She grabbed Jade very tightly as she did so. If Jade was someone weak, she might have been seriously injured by what Freya was doing.


    "...." Jade just looked at her without saying anything.


    "Come on! Say something!" Freya panicked even more. To the point that she began shaking Jade all over the place.


    "Huh?... I''m making it obvious that I have something to hide?... What do you mean by I must confess to reduce the embarrassment?! Of course, you don''t know about it. Why should you know about everything that goes on in my life?!" Jade silently looked on as Freya spoke to herself like a crazy person.


    Of course, it was because she knew that Freya was talking to Iris. It was also rather funny to see someone looking so guilty and then confessing without even noticing that they were doing so. She found Freya cute at that moment. Maybe that''s why Emily liked her so much.


    "What?... I just confessed without noticing it?! You! It''s your fault! What if she was buying it before you got involved?!... Ahh! It''s you who''s making it worse for me. I don''t have to deal with you right now. Bye!" Freya continued digging her grace deeper until she made the right decision to cut Iris off.


    Unfortunately, it was a little too late. She then looked into Jade''s eyes awkwardly. Her face reddened immediately from embarrassment. She then slowly let go of Jade and looked down with her eyes closed.


    Her cute actions almost made Jade pinch her cheeks. How could an older girl have such childish charm?!


    "...Just to be clear. I wasn''t buying it. I already knew for certain after all. Though, you could have possibly denied it before. However, that''s out of the question now..." Jade finally spoke after a moment of silence.


    Hearing her words, Freya''s blush got more intense. She was cursing Iris in her mind. Only if she didn''t suddenly get involved. She was considering cutting her off from her memories for a week as punishment. She was supposed to be her helpful fairy. Yet she only helped in digging her grave deeper. What kind of fairy was that?!


    "I only watched by mistake I swear! I didn''t even look at them for long! Please don''t tell anyone" Freya immediately blurted out pitifully as she got on the ground begging.


    "Oh? So you not only spied on me and Muku but also on him and Audrey? You''re a lot more daring than I thought huh? Freya?" Jade spoke while feigning surprise. She has already figured out that Freya knew a lot more than she thought from how she reacted to seeing Muku.


    If it was just about seeing the time when Jade stole a kiss. Freya wouldn''t have reacted so intensely to Muku who was a victim in the matter. Her reaction was of someone who saw more... A lot more. She confirmed herself without being asked.


    Hearing Jade''s words Freya''s expression froze. She finally realised that Iris wasn''t needed when it came to digging a grave for herself. She alone was enough...


    "Don''t take it so seriously. I won''t tell anyone. I don''t even want anything in return. Just do something about your weird peeping habit. Also, can you not be so obvious with it? In fact, can you give Iris control for a bit? We have something to talk to her about. You can also avoid Muku for a bit longer as you get yourself together" Jade continued after seeing that Freya was close to a meltdown.


    She didn''t have any interest in blackmailing Freya or anyone else for that matter. She just wasn''t that type of person... Unless it was Muku she had to blackmail. It was his fault for being so dishonest...


    "... Okay. Sure. Thank you for not making it hard on me. And I swear it really was a mistake... At first. Anyway, I promise to never do it again" Freya spoke with renewed life in her eyes.


    She didn''t expect Jade to be so nice. She was ready to face whatever twisted punishment Jade had for her to buy her silence. As for why she thought the worst of Jade? Well, Jade kinda gave off mean-girl vibes, which scared her a little. However, it seemed you really can''t judge a book by its cover... Or its poorly thought of name. Cough, cough.


    Since Jade was so nice, Freya didn''t have any resistance to giving control to Iris. It also helped her avoid Muku like Jade said. As for the topic they wanted to talk about, she''d find out soon anyway. So, without further ado, Freya switched places with Iris.


    "Huh?" Iris made a confused sound. Which was understandable since Freya didn''t speak to her first before the switch. She had also been cut off so she couldn''t see what was happening outside.


    The brat was really taking advantage of the superior position she had in their relationship. She''d just do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. At least she kept to her part of the deal, so, Iris could endure it with gritted teeth.


    "Hey, we have something to talk to you about" Jade spoke the moment she noticed the switch. Along with the air around her, Freya''s eyes would change a little bit when Iris was in charge. Which was pretty significant to Jade''s super senses.


    Without waiting for Iris to respond. Jade went to open the door and called Muku inside.


    ...


    A while later...


    "Hmm... So she felt like attacking him the moment she saw him? She also feels a high level of unwillingness to go to that base?" Iris spoke.


    She didn''t take long to adapt. And like before, she asked for a future favour for her help. Which was credited to Jade this time around. Then she listened to what the duo had to say.


    "Yes... Is there anything you can think of from that?" Muku asked expectantly.


    "Hmm, beast girl, let me see your aura again" Iris didn''t reply to Muku''s question but asked Jade to release a bit of her Beast Aura.


    "O...Kay?" Jade felt a little confused but did as she was told nonetheless.


    Her body was instantly enveloped by her beast aura which had gotten thicker when she got to R3. One could easily feel the animalistic vibe that came from the aura.


    "Hmm... Oh? Who would have thought... This is rather interesting. Very interesting indeed. The plot just keeps on getting thicker and thicker" Iris held her hand out at Jade''s Beast Aura.


    She closed her eyes as she felt it with her hand. She even used some of the vocabulary she got from browsing Freya''s mind. Which seemed rather funny to Jade and Muku.


    Fortunately for Iris, Jade identified her as an ally otherwise Freya''s hand might have been lost. Coming into contact with a much higher rank energy than her own was super reckless. Especially an aggressive energy like Beast Aura.


    After all, the difference between a R3 and a Psuedo-R2 was way too big. Jade could literally kill Freya by just releasing her Beast Aura without even needing to cast a basic spell.


    "So, what''s wrong?" Jade who wasn''t known for her patience asked. It was also quite annoying having to control her beast aura so that it didn''t lash out at Freya.


    "Oh, nothing much. Just that you''re most likely a descendant of a supposedly extinct once extremely powerful warrior tribe. Also, there''s probably a Monarch in that base... So, should I start preparing for our departure now or?" Iris spoke nonchalantly.


    However, it was still very obvious that she wanted no part in the NL Base matters. The fairy was literally packing up Freya''s clothes like she was really going to leave.


    Muku and Jade were speechless. They literally didn''t know what to say. The information Iris dumped on them was way too heavy!...

 Chapter 199: Jades heavy background...

    The room went quiet for a moment. The only sound that could be heard was that of Iris moving around while packing Freya''s clothes. Until...


    "Hey, explain what you said! Do you think scaring us is enough?! What ancient tribe? What did they do?! And what about the Monarch? How did you arrive at that conclusion?! Stop packing and talk to us. Freya won''t let you leave anyway!" Jade exclaimed at Iris while holding herself back from going up to the lady and shaking her until she answered.


    She was starting to think that maybe Freya should ban her from watching series. The once serious and dangerous fairy had turned into someone who was always trying to milk a cliffhanger out of everything!


    "Sigh... You''re right. I guess if I don''t make you all understand how dangerous the situation is. I really will be stuck here and die an unfortunate death..." Iris spoke defeatedly as she stopped packing...


    Not that there was much to pack anyway. Freya only had a few clothes she got from the others after all.


    "Y... Yeah, explain what you mean" Muku who finally managed to get out of his daze supported the notion.


    The news about Jade having some mysterious lineage didn''t shock him that much. After all, he also had a weird bloodline. The way it was presented to him through a "reward" seemed rather fishy. However, that wasn''t of importance at the moment.


    What really shocked him was the possible involvement of a Monarch. They had barely escaped Ares. Now they were in danger of offending another one?! The world must be against them for sure. Most people didn''t even know of a threat greater than R2 and R3 beasts. Yet they had to deal with Monarchs!


    Also, because of the involvement of Chloe''s father, they might not have a choice but to get involved. It was a tricky situation...


    "Yeah, yeah, yeah. On the Beast Girl''s matter. There was once an extremely powerful tribe that followed a certain being in the past. For that reason, they were enemies of most Monarchs. This was because they helped that being kill a lot of Monarchs. They bathed in the blood of Monarchs to the point that the energy they used changed from mana to Beast Aura. Even their descendants were born with Beast Aura..." Iris speedily told them everything. Taking little breaks in between.


    "I suspected such when I saw you at first. However, I never personally came across the tribe''s members, so I wasn''t certain. Some other people managed to mimic Beast Aura with some secret techniques of their own after all. However, such Beast Aura was nowhere near the level of that tribe. It lacked many key functions, with one being, the natural aggression towards Monarchs. No matter how well hidden the Monarch is, or how weak the tribesman is, they would still be able to find them..." Iris kept on spilling more and more information.


    "Your actions before were probably driven by sheer extinct embedded in your genes since you haven''t completely mastered your Beast Aura yet. Oh, right! When I felt your Beast Aura, I found out that it was still in its dormant state. As for how to awaken it, I have no idea... Anyway, your domant Beast Aura, which is already a higher quality than any of the copycats plus your reaction made me conclude that you''re somehow part of that tribe..." Iris paused again so that the paragraph didn''t become too long.


    "Only their tribe would be able to do that. I''m not sure how the hell you exist when they should have been wiped out though... Anyway, from that, there is likely a Monarch there... As for what Monarchs are... I can''t get into detail about them. Just know that they are beings you should never mess with. So, listen to me and let''s go..." Iris came to the end of her explanation.


    She didn''t get too much into the matters of the Monarchs. All the ancient beings had sworn to not talk about certain things with people who didn''t know. So it was really out of her hands. Just mentioning them to the level she did, was all she could do. Along with information on the being and the tribe. She couldn''t tell anyone their names and such...


    "Don''t worry about the Monarch part. We understand. We''re already well acquainted with Ares..." Muku replied while still in thought. He was still trying to make sense of what Iris just said.


    Jade was in a much worse state though. There were times when she felt a little alien when she looked around her. She was wondering if that might have been why. That feeling only went away when she saw Muku for the first time. Suddenly, everything made sense. She hadn''t thought much about it at the time but maybe...


    "What do you mean you know about Monarch... And where the hell did you hear that name from?!" Iris exclaimed in genuine shock.


    She tried to figure out how they might have learned about that information. However, she came up with nothing. It should have. Been impossible for them to know about that being. Yet, there they were, knowing him by name!


    "That''s not the problem right now. Since we already know about Monarchs. Along with the name of one of them. You should be able to tell us more right? Like, how to free someone from their control if they are under it and stuff like that?" Muku asked for something linked to Chloe''s father. He didn''t want a case like Mest''s where his soul would be devoured and his body occupied.


    "Umm, I guess I can tell you more if you already know that much. However, I think you should give up on that idea. Once a Monarch sinks their teeth into someone. That person is done for. They cannot be saved..." Iris who realised that she wouldn''t be told anything no matter how she persisted, replied as truthfully as she could.


    "Tsk... Useless" Muku spoke while looking at her with disdain.


    "Hey! Is that how you treat me after how much I helped you?! You ungrateful and disrespectful brat! Do you know that I''m old enough to be your ancestor?!" Iris instantly lost it.


    Not only did Muku not thank her for what she did. He didn''t answer her question as well. Now he dared insult her as well?! If she wasn''t so weak, she would have fought him to the death. Why was Freya so slow in improving her strength?!


    "You''re right, I''m sorry for that" Muku apologised on the spot.


    "I... Ah... Huh?" Iris was stunned. She didn''t expect him to apologise. Her mind stopped working for a moment.


    "Anyway, we won''t bother you anymore. We are going to digest what you told us. Oh, and thank you for your help..." Muku said more stuff that stunned Iris. He had always been rude to her after all.


    After speaking, he grabbed Jade''s hand and pulled her out of the room. She just let herself get pulled silently. Her mind was still working through the information she got. She was questioning her whole life even...


    "Huh! Wait! You said they were a tribe of such people. Who had their abilities from birth, right?. I got mine from whatever the owner of that voice in our heads is. I can''t be the same as them right?" Jade suddenly asked just when they were about to exit through the door.


    "Oh, darling... I know this must be hard for you. However, you didn''t gain those abilities from Messenger. You already had them in you. In a dormant state. Only those with Random Classes got them from Messenger" Iris replied. She was a lot more calm when talking to Jade. Feeling a lot more in control.


    "Oh... Okay..." Jade accepted the answer. She then held Muku''s hand tighter subconsciously. Her mind had gotten even more chaotic than before.


    Muku felt the stronger grip but didn''t say anything. He was certain that she must be thinking about something very significant. However, be didn''t ask. She would tell him when she was ready if she felt he should know.


    The duo then walked in silence while holding hands until they reached in front of Jade''s room. Muku stooped, but Jade didn''t as she was lost in thought. Which made her get pulled back suddenly.


    "Hhm?" She looked at Muku in confusion and made a questioning sound.


    "We''re at your room... Why don''t you go inside and lie down while you think? You can look for me later if you want to talk. I have to talk to the others about the World Evolution for now" Muku spoke softly while looking into Jade''s eyes.


    She seemed a lot more delicate and a bit lost at the moment. So, he felt the need to be a little more gentle. Which was the right move since Jade really didn''t know what to do.


    "Right... I''ll do that. Thanks..." Jade spoke softly. She then gave Muku a sudden hug before opening her door and going into her room.


    Muku just looked on quietly. He was burning to know what she was thinking about. However, he wouldn''t push her to tell him. She already knew that he was there for her. Which was enough.


    He then closed his eyes a bit to collect himself. Then he went downstairs. He could sense that the others had already gathered there. Including Freya who went down soon after they left her room.


    It was definitely going to be one of their most serious talks. From the World Evolution, NL Base, to Jade''s matter and the reappearance of Monarchs. There was also the "Messenger" issue Iris unknowingly revealed...

 Chapter 200: Audreys plan

    In the lounge...


    "Hello everyone. I''m glad you could make it..." Muku greeted everyone upon arrival.


    "Hello. Umm, where''s Jade?" Emily asked Muku. She had sensed them at the same location before.


    "She won''t be joining us right now. I''ll tell you the reason why as we go on. I am not privy to all the information though" Muku replied while taking a seat.


    "Oh, okay. I''ll go check on her after this..." Emily replied. She felt worried for her friend. However, she had to be around for the important talk. Jade was a strong girl anyway, so, it was okay to delay a little.


    "Yeah... Layla, what''s wrong?" Muku acknowledged Emily''s words and then moved on to Layla.


    The stoic girl had basically been gazing at him intensely from the moment he arrived. Which was odd since she wasn''t like that when they met before. He could sense a hint of anger behind her gaze.


    "Hhm? Oh, it''s nothing serious. We can talk about it after this. You can proceed with the meeting" Layla replied in her usual tone. If Muku hadn''t seen her gaze, he wouldn''t have suspected that something was going on.


    "O... Kay? Anyway, everyone here heard the voice, right? We''ll get to that and decide how we''re going to deal with it. However, for now, I have a few things to say first..." Muku put aside Layla''s issue for the moment.


    He then proceeded to mention the prompt everyone got. Which led to everyone gathering. Chloe had to pause her ranking up process even though she was already close to a breakthrough. The others also stopped what they were doing.


    However, Muku put that aside. He felt that the group needed to be on the same page in everything before making decisions about that. So, he proceeded to tell them about the information he got from Iris.


    He first started by revealing that there was likely a Monarch behind the scenes of NL Base. Then he mentioned how that information was based on Jade''s matter. Which was when he revealed the information on Jade''s mystic background.


    After that, he finished with the hypothesis which everyone might have already considered. Which was how Chloe''s father, William, was probably under the control of the mysterious Monarch. Along with some, if not all of the base''s residence. As for Abel''s matter, it was briefly mentioned somewhere along the lines. No one really cared about it.


    The mood in the room took a dip instantly. While everyone might have realised it. When Muku said it was still very impactful.


    The reason why it was a tricky situation was because of William''s involvement. If he wasn''t there. The choice would have been simple. Pack up and leave. They had enough problems in their lives.


    However, he was involved. If they left, it would be abandoning the only living parent of one of their members. Which was not an easy choice by any means. It would haunt them forever. It would likely create a division between them and Chloe as well. So, they were definitely in a tough spot.


    "It''s okay everyone, there''s no need to stress yourselves thinking about it so much. I''m sure he willingly offered himself up to the Monarch. So, he doesn''t need saving. No one needs to put their lives in danger for someone who decided to put themselves in that kind of situation" Chloe spoke with a reassuring smile on her face.


    They might have bought it if tears weren''t coming out of her eyes as she spoke. It was clear to see that she had resolved herself and made a tough decision. She had decided to give up on her father to keep everyone safe. A truly admirable but very painful decision.


    "Tsk, so what if there''s a Monarch there? I won''t be scared off. I''ve already survived that petty ahole Ares. So what''s one more Monarch? There''s no way they are physically here anyway. I can totally take out an avatar" Muku spoke soon after Chloe went quiet.


    His words made his stance on the matter clear. He didn''t say "we" since he wanted to give everyone the chance to decide for themselves. Though honestly, the fact that he decided to help kinda tied everyone down with him. If they didn''t help they''d seem like shitty teammates.


    It wasn''t necessary to manipulate them like that though. After all, he knew them all well enough.


    "I''ll also join you. I refuse to be bullied by aliens!" Audrey spoke soon after Muku.


    "I wonder if the Monarch can resist my poison" Hope also joined in.


    "Put him in front of me, and I''ll burn him away" Emily confirmed her participation as well.


    "Anything for my little sister" Layla chimed in.


    Elsa then joined in followed by Freya who had to tune out the protesting Iris. Iris felt like she wasted her time when she told them about the Monarchs.


    Instead of demotivating them, they became even more fired up. How crazy was that? Is it what humans mean when they say ignorance is bliss?


    That has to be it. If they knew the terror of Monarchs. There was no way they would have been so eager to get involved.


    "You guys... Thank you. I really appreciate it. However, I refuse to go along with it unless someone comes up with a plan that keeps everyone safe" Chloe spoke emotionally.


    She was moved by their willingness to help despite how dangerous the situation was. Though, she wouldn''t put them in obvious danger just because they were willing.


    "Do you have any ideas then?" Muku asked her. All he could think of was storming in through the front gate.


    He had noticed that the stronger he got. The less willing he was to use his brain. It seemed way easier and quicker to just brute force your way to a desired outcome... Should be considered staying away from Jade for a while? She was probably the one influencing him to be like that.


    "No, but... I''ll stand by my words. No plan no action" Chloe replied. She wasn''t in the right state of mind to make a plan. However, she still wouldn''t change her bottom line.


    "I might have a plan..." Audrey suddenly chimed in.


    If it was the old days, she would have likely kept her thoughts to herself and let the others contribute. Which was because she had a slight inferiority complex at the time.


    However, that changed after her time with Muku. It made her feel sufficient. Which she didn''t feel like before despite hiding it well. So, she was more willing to be heard and contribute.


    Which the others noticed. They also felt like there was something different about her. She also seemed a lot more beautiful as well.


    No one disliked the change though. Just that a slightly sour look flashed on Emily''s face. It was just a lingering emotion that was significant.


    Layla was the happiest of all despite her facial expression not changing. What Audrey didn''t know was that her daughter was constantly observing her. So, she''s always the first to know when there''s something different about Audrey.


    Her lack of experience made her unable to understand most of what was going on with Audrey. However, she could still tell that Audrey seemed a lot better than day compared to how she had ever been before.


    Layla''s eyes then trailed to Muku. She narrowed them a bit before returning back to normal. There was a slightly conflicted look in her eyes.


    "Sure, what is it?" Muku asked expectantly. He had always wanted Audrey to participate more in their meetings. So, seeing her finally doing so, made him happy.


    "Muk... I mean, our leader here has a domain that can make one invisible right? Why don''t we use it to sneak into the base? Blindside Chloe''s father, knock him out and kidnap him? We can keep him unconscious until we figure out a way to free him from the Monarch''s control... It''s not perfect. But it''s all I have" Audrey pitched everyone her plan.


    After she finished speaking. No one said anything. The whole room was deathly quiet as they just stared at her. Which made her feel very self-conscious. She couldn''t help but blush. Maybe her plan was really as dark as she thought it was in her head.


    "... Audrey..." Muku finally spoke after a while. He only said Audrey''s name then stopped.


    "Yes?..." Audrey replied nervously. She didn''t know what he was going to say next. Maybe he hated it so much that he was speechless.


    "Your plan... That''s the best plan I''ve ever heard! Hahaha, I didn''t know you could also think like that. Boy was I wrong about you all this time! Hahaha" Muku started out low then exclaimed out loud. Expressing his agreement with the plan.


    "Hey! What do you mean by that?! Are you indirectly cursing me?!" As Audrey exclaimed in protest. She felt like she lost face in front of everyone for coming up with the plan. Especially with Muku''s exaggerated reaction.


    "No, your plan is not bad. I also like it. I don''t think there''s a safer plan than that. We don''t have to risk much as long as we''re careful" Chloe spoke before Muku could.


    Audrey''s plan was the exact plan she was waiting for. If they executed it perfectly. Then everything would be okay. They wouldn''t even need to fight.


    "Really?" Audrey asked suspiciously. She was wondering if they were just being nice.


    "Definitely!" Chloe replied.


    After that, everyone expressed their agreement. They then moved on to figuring out how it was going to be executed.

 Chapter 201: Talk with Layla...

    "Everyone agrees to the plan, right? I''ll only take Chloe and Audrey with me while the rest hide close by as backup?" Muku asked for confirmation.


    The girls nodded in agreement. It was best to keep the infiltration team as compact as possible. The goal was to do the work without being discovered after all.


    "Wait... What about Tilda?" Audrey suddenly asked Chloe. Tilda was once a very important person in Chloe''s life after all.


    "Umm, let''s make my dad the primary target. If it''s not inconvenient to take her along when the time comes. We''ll do so. We shouldn''t go out of our way to get her out though. It''s not like she''d die if she stays there" Chloe replied in a slightly chilly voice.


    "R... right" Audrey replied in an unsure tone.


    She didn''t know how to react to Chloe''s chilliness toward Tilda. It was rather amazing how much Chloe liked Muku. To the point that she practically disowned her caretaker for being rude to Muku.


    She was again reassured that Muku really couldn''t give up on any of the girls in that life. Who knows what would happen...


    "Anyway, let''s move on. It''s time to discuss something equally important and a lot closer to home. What''s our game plan for the World Evolution?" Muku spoke. It was finally time to talk about the World''s Evolution. He didn''t care about the unrepentantly rude Tilda, so he just ignored her matter.


    "It''s simple really. We''ll do what we''ve always done... Get stronger" Layla was the first one to speak. Her words were undeniable as well.


    That was practically their only choice. They couldn''t reason with beasts after all. Just like how humans couldn''t reason with chickens. Even if beasts had the thinking capacity to reason, which chickens didn''t have. They probably still wouldn''t want to reason with their food.


    So what if the food was smart? Food will forever be food. Especially when it could stab you in the back and eat you instead.


    "Great plan. Let''s start by having those that are R2 reach R3 and those that are R1 reach R2. It should be doable in less than twelve hours if you focus on that alone" Muku agreed with the plan. He proceeded to urge the others to get stronger.


    "Oh, right, before you go. I learned from Iris that the voice we are always hearing is called The Messenger. As for whose messenger and stuff like that. She didn''t say, she kept most of the details hidden like always. However, that''s not what''s important. What matters is that we know how to address it" Muku told them one more thing before some left to rank up.


    As for why he didn''t ask Iris to go deeper and tell them more about this Messenger she was talking about... Well, they had enough problems already. Knowing such things reeked of more problems. Which he didn''t want...


    After he spoke, Chloe, Hope, Emily, Elsa and Freya left to rank up. They were all close to it anyway. So, it shouldn''t take too long.


    "Can we talk for a bit?" Muku was about to go and practice his domain when a voice came from behind him. He felt a light tug on his shirt as well. Prompting him to stop in his tracks.


    It was Layla who had called him from behind. It seemed the girl really had something to talk about based on her actions from earlier.


    "I have to go see Jade" Emily spoke as she left. There was a somewhat gloating look in her eyes as she passed by Muku.


    "I also have something to do" Audrey also excused herself. She practically flew out of the room like she was running away from something.


    Muku found both their actions rather odd but he didn''t think too much about it. After all, Layla was as reliable as Chloe if one didn''t involve her fixation with winning.


    For that reason, he didn''t think too much about what she could want. He just turned back to her and began speaking.


    "So, what do you want to talk about?" He asked curiously.


    "Let''s go talk outside..." Layla replied while walking toward the exit.


    The way she did it, made it seem like Muku could do nothing but follow. She could be really pushy if she wanted to be.


    While Muku felt a little uncomfortable with her actions, he just chalked it up to her weird personality. So, he quietly followed behind her.


    The outside she talked about turned out to be outside the mansion property entirely.


    She didn''t even stop there. She kept walking until they were a whole kilometre away from the mansion.


    "Umm..." Muku made a confused sound. He was completely lost to what was going on. It was kinda making him feel a little uncomfortable.


    Was she planning to take him out to the woods and end him? No, she wouldn''t do that, would she? She wasn''t that type of person, nor did she have any reason to do it.


    "Don''t worry, we''re already here. I brought you here because I want us to have a little spar. It''s just to help me get used to my current abilities a bit more..." Layla finally told Muku what was going on.


    "Oh! That''s all? You scared me for a bit there. Sure, how do you want me to help you?" Muku spoke while sighing in relief in his mind. He was starting to suspect that Layla might have somehow found out about what he did with Audrey.


    "Nothing much, just fight me with your metal element alone while I use my ice alone" Layla replied.


    The moment her words fell, the ground below them started freezing up. Frost spread until half a kilometre was covered by it. Then it went up into the air. It reached a height of around forty meters and then closed off. Such was a simple feat for a Rank 3 like Layla. Even if she was a newly ascended one.


    "Well... This is definitely impressive and quite beautiful. However, doesn''t this tilt the battle too much into your favour?" Muku asked while looking around at the crystal-like dome.


    It was a rather beautiful sight with the reflection of the sun''s light which made it seem surreal. Layla''s ice manipulation capabilities were so good that she could make her ice look like diamonds. Of course, it was still cold as hell.


    "Maybe a little bit. But you have your physical capabilities and you''re more used to this rank than me so..." Layla defended herself.


    "Well, fine..." Muku agreed with her logic.


    Of course, he could argue against it with some very logical points. However, he would rather not argue with a girl. He''d definitely lose the argument whether he''s more logical or not.


    "Thank you for understanding. We''ll begin when this ice reaches the ground" Layla spoke with a little smile on her face. She then tossed the ice she had created into the sky.


    Muku silently agreed and prepared to start fighting. His mana was already swirling around him. Layla was a pretty formidable opponent after after all.


    "What do you think one should do when they feel conflicted between anger and happiness?... I said, vent" Just before the ice reached the ground. Layla took control of it.


    She then asked Muku a question. Which she proceeded to answer before Muku could.


    "What?... AHH!" Muku was about to ask what she was talking about when he was ambushed.


    Not by an unexpected enemy like Ares or something like that. It was actually Layla who ambushed him.


    Just when he began speaking. She stopped the ice to the ground. Encased her fist with ice then disappeared into the shadows. She appeared in front of the unsuspecting Muku within the next second and punched him in the gut as hard as she could.


    If Muku was expecting it, it wouldn''t have hurt too much since he could tense up his muscles. It even put on an armour. However, he was caught completely off guard.


    Layla was also not supposed to use anything else but ice. So, her use of her Shadow Element added to the surprise. Not to mention that he wasn''t expecting it.


    No wonder the brat created a shadowy area. While the ice let light in, it was still a bit dark. Which wasn''t significant to Evolvers like them with their improved senses. For that reason, Muku didn''t suspect anything when he looked at the environment which was perfect for Layla''s Shadow Element.


    He was regretting it a lot. He should have known that something was up. There were so many signs that something bad was good to happen. Yet he ignored everything.


    "What are you Ahh! Ahh!" Just as Muku was trying to ask Layla what she was doing. She attacked him again.


    He was attacked two more times before he flew up to get away.


    Bang! Boom!


    Just when Muku thought that he was safe in the sky. An ice pillar descended from the sky and hit him hard on the back. He instantly plunged to the ground and broke through the ice.


    "Ahhh!!!" His suffering wasn''t over, however. The ice around him started constricting around him. It seemed like Layla was really trying to kill him.


    Which confused him heavily. That''s when he remembered the words she said. "What do you think one should do when they feel conflicted between anger and happiness". There could only be one explanation...


    She had somehow found out about what he did with Audrey. Why tf was he getting caught by everyone in less than 24 hours?!...

 Chapter 202: Disappointed Layla

    "Not only did you break your promise. You decided to hide it from me as well?!" Layla exclaimed.


    Unlike before, or any other time actually. Her face was very expressive, showing a lot of emotion. There was nothing but anger on her face.


    It seemed she really didn''t like people who broke their promises. It was surprising that she managed to hide all that wrath for so long.


    Muku''s mind cleared up after realising why he was getting beat up. He then surrounded himself with his Telekinesis Domain. The ice within the domain''s range which spanned a few metres instantly turned to nothingness.


    He was also just in the when he activated his domain. A few seconds after he activated it, a huge ice sword around seven metres tall and a meter thick descended on him. Which scared him greatly.


    "Are you really trying to kill me?!" Muku exclaimed in shock while standing up.


    He still felt a little dizzy from the impact. His stomach hurt like hell as well. He definitely needed to see Hope after they were done... Damn! She was busy ranking up. It seemed like he''d have to suffer for a bit.


    Wait... Was that why Layla waited until that moment before she acted? How insidious! It seemed that the saying was true... "It''s always the quiet ones..."


    "Why didn''t you notify me of your action" Layla didn''t answer his question. She asked one of her own instead.


    It seemed like she was done with attacking him at least. Which Muku was happy about. Or maybe, she had just realised that attacking him would be pointless without a domain of her own. She couldn''t bypass his domain otherwise.


    Which was one of the reasons why lower ranks were helpless in front of R3s. Well, whatever the reason was. As long as he was no longer getting attacked. That''s all Muku cared about.


    "I was going to tell you... It''s just that so many things came... Cough... Okay, maybe I wasn''t going to say anything. How exactly did you want me to start such a conversation?! Come up to you and say I slept with your mother?" Muku tried to lie his way out of it.


    However, after being glared at by Layla, he decided to tell the truth instead. It was like the girl could tell whether he was telling the truth or not.


    Seeing how she had changed so much. To the point, it seemed like life had been blown into a machine. Muku decided to never ever break any promises he made to her. The girl was way too scary when she was angry.


    Why did all the girls have to be crazy when certain conditions were met? Couldn''t they just be the sweet and uncomplicated girls he taught before?


    "Hmm, makes sense. I''ll give you that. I won''t even hold what you did against you. It''s understandable that you couldn''t resist. It also helped her rank up. So that''s good" Layla spoke.


    She was mostly calm by that point. It seemed her "venting" solution worked. Her emotions were getting back under control.


    "You won''t? Really? Thanks for understanding. I..." Muku was surprised that she was so accepting after all that. However, he was interrupted before he could finish speaking.


    "Don''t get ahead of yourself. If you break any promise you''ve made to me again. I''ll break your legs. Don''t think being stronger than me can keep you safe. I know where and when you sleep" Just when Muku was starting to feel better. Layla said some words that made him feel a chill go down his spine.


    He had been wrong all this time! Jade wasn''t or possibly Emily I''m some cases, weren''t the most unstable factors in the team. Layla was! He knew enough about the others to steer clear of everything that triggered them. However, Layla was different. She mostly kept to herself. He didn''t know how to deal with her.


    It would suck to wake up one day with broken legs and not know why they were broken. He couldn''t help but sweat at the possibility. Should he just ditch the team and start solo ranking?


    "Don''t overthink it. As long as you keep your promises, you won''t ever see this side of me again" Layla spoke. It was almost like she read Muku''s mind. Emily wasn''t the only one with the gift it seemed.


    Either that or Jade and Muku just had super expressive faces. Which was more believable than Emily and Layla being mind readers.


    "With that done. Let''s go back" Layla spoke. The dome crumbled around them as her words fell.


    "Ow! Hey!" Whether by intention or accident, a small ice shard flew over and hit Muku on the head. He had taken down his domain. So, he no longer had protection. Which prompted a scream of pain from him.


    Layla didn''t look back. She continued walking as if she didn''t hear his little cry. Which made it obvious that it wasn''t an accident. She really didn''t miss any chances...


    After that, the two walked back to the mansion. With Muku walking some distance behind Layla. His guard was also up. Lest he got ambushed again.


    "Wait... How did you find out? I mean, Audrey probably acted suspiciously around you. However, she definitely wouldn''t say anything. So, how were you so sure of what happened?" Muku asked a question that suddenly popped up in his mind when they were about to reach the mansion.


    "No comment" Layla replied without looking back. Her walking speed increased a bit as well. It was clear that there was something she didn''t want him to know.


    "No, you aren''t going anywhere until you give me something to work with. A hint at least. You can even tell me a name. The person won''t know anything" Muku activated his Telekinesis Domain. Locking Layla in an invisible dome with him.


    "You should be happy that I let you off so easily. Yet here you are trying to force some information out of me. How much do you want to let me down today?" Layla spoke in a disappointed tone after turning back to look at Muku.


    "... Argh, fine. I''ll find out some other way. Muku took back the domain and flew away. He clearly wouldn''t get anything from Layla.


    "Hehe, it worked like she said it would" Layla spoke to herself after Muku left.


    She even giggled, to show how pleased she was with herself. She had been sceptical when that person told her that it would work. It seemed the person had studied Muku a lot more than her.


    ...


    In Muku''s room...


    "Sigh... I didn''t know I''d go through so much trouble because of that moment of weakness... Luckily, it was worth it. Let''s forget it all for now and improve my domain" Muku spoke to himself as he sat on his bed.


    His body felt rather sore from the beating. But, it could be ignored. He then sat in a meditative position and closed his eyes. A thin layer of mana and mental energy began circling around him.


    He soon entered a state of deep meditation. He had to make his Telekinesis Domain as strong as possible before the infiltration. The stronger his domain was. The better the chance they had at succeeding.


    ...


    At NL Base. In William''s office...


    "So, where are we with our plan Abel?" William asked in a commanding tone while sitting on his desk.


    The air around him was nothing like the one he had when he spoke to Chloe and the others. The William in front of Abel at that moment radiated nothing but coldness. Which was his usual state when Chloe wasn''t around.


    "We''re almost done. We''re just waiting for the final batch which Tilda and the others should arrive with soon. However, we could have been long done by now if..." Abel replied seriously.


    For certain reasons his ability didn''t work on William, so he never tried using it on the man. For that reason, he chose to be as straightforward as he could when interacting with William. Even though both of them knew just how much of a snake Abel was.


    "I don''t need your input. Just your report is enough. I''m the leader here, we do what I want. The Monarch accepted my plan anyway. So, just do what you''re told" William replied in a chilly voice. Even cutting off Abel.


    Chloe would be surprised by his work disposition. She always thought that he was a rather cold person. However, she had no idea that he was actually a lot warmer when he interacted with her. Which would have probably made her feel a little happy. After all, it showed his care for her.


    "Sure, you''re the boss after all. Anyway, as I was saying. We should be done just before the evolution. Which will leave us in the perfect situation" Abel replied while backing off. Though it was clear that he wasn''t too intimidated by William.


    "Good. You''re excused" William spoke then returned to reading the papers on his table. He no longer cared about Abel since he had learnt what he wanted.


    Abel looked at him with a serious expression on his face for a moment. Then he broke out into a smile before getting up and walking out.


    He walked around the base until he eventually reached a huge metal door in the basement. He looked at it for a bit with a little smile on his face. He then walked toward it.


    There were ten guards who surprisingly radiated auras of R3 Evolvers! They ignored Abel as he walked closer to them.


    The moment he arrived in front of the door. They all put their hands on it at the same time. Then they began channelling their mana into it. Which went on for a full minute before they stopped.


    When they did, the door opened up a little bit before Abel walked right through. It immediately closed right after he entered.


    The guards got back into position and continued standing in silence...

 Chapter 203: Rank Two Freya!

    Early morning, the next day...


    There were just a few hours left before the World Evolution commenced. Everyone was gathered in the lounge.


    Even Jade was present. She seemed to be feeling a lot better than the day before. Which was good. Muku wanted to talk with her for a bit. However, it wasn''t the right time. So, he had to put it off for a bit.


    There was something major about to happen. Which they both wanted to be around for. It was probably why Jade even bothered coming out. Maybe with some nagging from Emily. But still...


    Anyway, their plans seemed to be going in the right direction. Almost everyone had successfully ranked up!


    Only Freya was left. She could have done so away from the other but she chose to gather everyone before doing so. She wanted everyone to be around for the event. She had the feeling that it was going to be something special.


    "Okay. Everyone is here. You can go ahead and start now" Muku spoke while looking at Freya with expectation in his eyes.


    As for what happened the previous day with Layla and whatnot? He had decided to forget all about it. Not like he could do much to the snitch anyway. After sitting back and thinking about it. He had pretty much figured out who the snitch was.


    It was likely Emily. That brat''s smug expression when Layla asked to speak with him said it all. She definitely knew what was up. She was so petty that she sold him out even after getting a good deal out of him.


    Anyway, he didn''t mind. It just showed how much it hurt her. She was just venting. All that mattered now was going forward with their plans for the future.


    The first major event on the agenda was Freya''s rank-up. They were all very curious to see how it would change the mansion.


    "Okay" Freya replied then closed her eyes as she sat cross-legged on the mat.


    The moment she did the others could sense her mana quickly leaving her body and getting absorbed into the mansion. Glowing white lines that made patterns that were somewhat similar to those on circuit boards appeared on the walls and floors.


    Every wall and floor in every room of the mansion was covered by the markings. The others just looked on with awe waiting to see what happens.


    "Can you please create for me the strongest metal you can?... Which isn''t Mithril" Freya who had suddenly opened her eyes asked Muku to do something.


    "Sure... How much?" Muku didn''t ask any questions. He was willing to help in any way he could.


    "There... Feed it into that whirlpool. I''ll tell you when to stop. In different colours please" Freya replied while pointing at a weird whirlwind that had appeared on the floor. It looked like the floor had turned to liquid as it was really swirling around like a whirlpool does.


    "O... Kay" Muku was a bit startled by the appearance of the whirlpool. However, he still did as he was told. He then began creating the strongest metal he could and began feeding it into the whirlpool.


    He thought that he''d be done after doing it for a little bit of time. However, even ten minutes later he was still feeding the whirlpool that seemed like a bottomless pit at that point.


    He didn''t stop though. It made him feel even more fired up. He wanted to see how much of his metal could the whirlpool take.


    It was only after thirty minutes that Freya finally told him to stop. She actually managed to make him expend almost half of his mana. Which was something even the strongest R2 wouldn''t be able to do in battle.


    While the circumstances were different from a battle. It still increased the expectations Muku and the girls had for what Freya was about to do... Whatever it was.


    "Everyone... Please close your eyes" Freya gave the others a warning.


    No one was feeling rebellious. So, they all did what they were told. Even though they did as they were told. Their eyes were still affected a bit.


    This was because an intense white light instantly covered the whole mansion the moment they did. It was so bright that their eyelids couldn''t completely block off the light. They all reflexly covered their eyes with their hands after that. Which did a better job.


    The light wasn''t just a quick flash. It persisted for around thirty seconds before finally fading.


    "It''s okay to open them now..." Freya''s tired voice sounded soon after. It was only then that everyone opened their eyes.


    "What was that abo... Woah!" Muku''s sentence was interrupted by the sight in front of him.


    Wherever he looked. He was met by an awe-inspiring site. He knew that it was still the same mansion. However, the way it looked, he suspected that he had been transported somewhere else.


    It looked super luxurious before. However, now it looked not only luxurious by inviting at the same time.


    The walls and floors had been replaced or infused with the metal he created before. The floor was now a mixture of black and silver tiles arranged in a certain order. It was mostly black with streaks of silver going in between the larger black spots.


    The walls were mostly a dark grey with golden linings. Which was the pattern the roof followed. Golden circles were going on around the Beast Core lights. The decorative chandelier was golden as well.


    Even some of the furniture, such as chairs and tables had been affected. They were made a lot more durable and better looking. There were a lot of other things which won''t be mentioned because the author isn''t an interior designer so he doesn''t know what those things are either... He''s also mansionless so...


    That all wasn''t the best part, however. The best part was how, somehow, Freya managed to preserve the R3 properties of the metal. For that reason. The mansion''s physical defensive capabilities could ward off attacks from normal R3s.


    As Muku''s current strongest metal. Despite having created it at LR3. It could actually ward off attacks of up to PR3s as long as the attackers aren''t anything special and they don''t use their domain.


    It was almost impossible for an R3 not to use their domain. However, it was a huge improvement from the initial R1 defence. Now, as long as they ignored the normal objects in the mansion. Elsa and Freya could literally use all their abilities without having to worry about destroying the mansion.


    Hell, even the others could use their abilities inside as long as they were weaker attacks. If Muku had used his Mithril, maybe even the group''s strongest attacks wouldn''t have been able to do anything to the mansion.


    "That''s not all. Let''s go outside. There''s something I want to show you all" Freya spoke before anyone could say anything else.


    She tried to get up on her own but her body felt too weak to do so. Emily went to help her up. With Emily''s help, she led the group outside.


    Soon they were outside and looking back at the mansion. Awe in their eyes. It looked different from the outside as well. However, that wasn''t what Freya wanted to show them.


    "Weapons!" Freya called out. The word she called out made the group open their eyes wide even before something happened. It was pretty obvious what was to come from the word alone.


    The very next moment, large silver guns appeared on the roof of the mansion. There were ten large guns on the roof. Every direction had at least two guns pointing there. They looked really imposing.


    "Fire!" Freya called out again.


    Whoosh!


    BOOOM!


    A fiery yellow energy beam came out of one of the guns and shot into the distance. A large boom sound was heard soon after when it reached the ground.


    The attack was surprisingly as strong as a Psuedo-R3''s!


    Everyone was greatly shocked. Freya had just reached R2. How the hell was her firepower so strong already?! Even with the KP from the dragon incident only got her to MR2. Just like Elsa.


    Elsa was the most impacted by Freya''s display of strength. She had secretly been happy about being stronger than someone. However, now it appeared she was the weakest again. That wasn''t a problem.


    The problem was how she had been surpassed so easily and by such a large margin. She didn''t even get a chance to fight back. Which really sucked. How was that fair?


    "How are you so strong already?!" Elsa couldn''t stay silent in such a situation. So, she asked the question on everyone''s mind.


    "Huh?... Oh! You think that''s my strength? No, no! That''s the power from a beast core. Without beast cores, I wouldn''t even be able to shoot one beam with my current mana. It takes a lot to operate the whole mansion" Freya was first confused by what Elsa was talking about.


    She quickly cleared things up after understanding what she meant. Her class was obviously pretty amazing. However, it was heavily dependent on resources. Which the others might have missed after being blinded by its various functions.


    She on her own was still the weakest in the team. So, she didn''t feel overly happy despite her upgrade...

 Chapter 204: Mana GPS?!

    "Oh... But still, I''m so jealous. Even if there''s the use of outside mediums, it''s still part of your strength. After all, you''re the one manipulating it" Elsa spoke.


    She still didn''t feel any better. No matter what the details were. As long as Freya could use that power. Then it was her''s even if she didn''t acknowledge it.


    "Well... If you put it like that. But still, I can only use it around the mansion otherwise I''m really just average with my second-hand plant magic" Freya compromised in her reply. That way, both their sides would become valid.


    "Oh, by the way... Is that all? I''m not saying that I''m disappointed or anything. I just want to know so that I can prepare my heart if there''s more..." Muku spoke after Elsa returned to her quiet state.


    "Well, there are two more things for now. However, one of them which is a barrier around the mansion needs something called a barrier stone. Which we don''t have. I don''t even know what it looks like. Hopefully, we''ll come across it someday" Freya replied with a slightly disappointed look on her face.


    She also wanted to see what the barrier would look like. She only had the general information that came with her class. So, while she had an idea of how the barrier would look like and had seen barriers in real life. She wanted to see one around their mansion.


    "Oh, it''s like that? Well, such is life. We can only hope then... What about the other thing?" Muku also felt disappointed about not getting the barrier.


    However, he didn''t hang on to the disappointment. There was nothing they could do about it after all. He chose to focus on the other thing. From her words, it seemed that it was on the table. Which was great.


    "Let''s go back inside for this one..." Freya directed everyone back inside. She was really good at holding out on the surprises. Not letting even a single word slip.


    Soon they were back inside. Everyone looked at Freya curiously. They were trying to guess what she was about to do. However, nothing came to mind. Her actions weren''t hinting at anything they could guess.


    She just stood there with her eyes closed. They could sense a thin layer of mana spreading from the mansion to the surroundings. The layer went even further than the limit of their senses. For that reason, they couldn''t figure out what was going on.


    However, no one interrupted her. They just patiently let her do her thing. They were bound to find out soon enough anyway.


    A few later, Freya finally opened her eyes. She was still very tired. Without the beast cores doing all the heavy lifting. She would have definitely fainted a long time ago.


    "Mana GPS" Freya called out. The moment she did. A mini version of the mansion along with the area within five kilometres appeared in front of the group. It looked like a full-colour holographic image. It was a literal recreation of every physical thing in that area.


    The areas with higher mana concentrations were shown by a brighter colour than the surroundings. The brightest area was the mansion for obvious reasons.


    If Freya was stronger and had R3 beast cores. They might have been able to cover another five kilometres and be able to see the NL Base.


    "Luckily I prepared my heart" Muku spoke while looking on in awe. Freya had been reinforcing the correctness of his decision to take her every day. And on that day she definitely got rid of any questions anyone might have had about her usefulness. She did so with a big bang.


    She herself could feel that she had finally done something that only she could do. While it was apparent from the start that such a thing was inevitable. Finally being able to do it, still felt amazing.


    She could finally feel more at ease in the group. Now, even if she didn''t count Iris'' various advantages to the group. She could confidently say that she was enough.


    "What''s that?" Jade spoke suddenly when everyone was still revelling in the hologram.


    The others instantly looked at the area she was pointing to. It took a little effort for some to notice it. This was because there were a lot of details on the 2.5 square metre holographic image.


    What Jade was pointing at were various humanoid shapes. Of course, such a thing wouldn''t be worth noting. However, there weren''t supposed to be humans around that area. Especially inside trees.


    That''s right, there were people hiding inside trees. Obviously spies, likely sent by Abel again. They were only discovered because humans were made to stand out on the holo image no matter what.


    Of course, the effect was weaker on weak people. This was why they had been missed by everyone. Even Audrey who didn''t lose much to Jade''s senses missed them.


    If not for the coincidence, it was a really smart move. They were outside the detection range of everyone at the mansion. On top of that, Jade and Audrey wouldn''t be able to find them even if they looked around for them because their auras were weak and mimicked the trees somehow. Unless maybe the spies looked at them. Which they likely knew not to do.


    The plan worked so well, that Muku''s group didn''t even know how long the spies had been there. A disturbing part of the event was how they kept on discovering more after seeing the first few. It was like a puzzle coming together after figuring out one key step.


    The group had found twenty spies by the time they were done. The spies were suspiciously placed in every direction of the mansion. So, they were actually surrounded.


    The spies were too far away to do any significant spying. So, the major reason they were there was probably to notify whoever sent them the moment Muku''s group left. If they decided to do so.


    The large numbers were likely to ensure that the message was received no matter what. Realising such a thing made the expressions of everyone turn serious.


    It seemed someone cared about them more than they thought. After all, it was so close to the World Evolution(WE) yet someone still felt the need to send out spies instead of concentrating their power in preparation for whatever was to come.


    "What should we do now? They probably saw the mansion''s upgrade as well as the beam attack" Emily was the first one to speak.


    She felt like whoever sent the spies had gone too far. Which was a sentiment everyone likely echoed. Sending so many people was a clear sign of bad intentions.


    "Yeah, you''re right. I bet the message has already been sent back. As for what to do now?... Well, that''s obvious" Muku replied as his aura began rising.


    It was clear to the girls that he was pissed. He had been nice enough to send back the first spy. Yet they still dared send so many? Whether it was Abel or someone else this time. It didn''t matter. He won''t let the blatant disrespect go that time around.


    "Jade, Layla. Let''s take care of them" Muku spoke as he walked out.


    He called out to the two girls in his group he was sure were prepared to end their enemies without lingering emotions. The time for civility was over.


    Especially with his ranked-up team and their superior classes. He was certain that they could already take care of most LR3s with their current strength.


    He wasn''t worried about there being someone stronger than that. After all, rank three beasts were still rarer than diamonds. Not to mention that the one he killed only gave him 0.1% KP. This meant that one would need to kill ten of them for just one percent.


    Which was practically impossible in the current world. Maybe after the WE, stronger people with MR3 strength and above would appear. But, that was a future thing. In the present, LR3s were the peak!


    "I''ve been looking for a way to vent" Jade spoke as she followed behind Muku. She had been looking for a way to completely shake off her current mood. And it seemed she had found it...


    Layla didn''t say anything. She just quietly followed behind the two. Clearly in agreement. The others looked on. They had mixed emotions on the matter.


    They all understood what Muku and the other two were going to do. It was something they were too scared to do. So, seeing their teammates seemingly finding it so easy to make up their minds about it. It felt weird to them.


    However, they didn''t say anything. They all understood that it was something that had to be done. Even Chloe was in support of the plan. Despite the possibility that the spies could have been sent by her father. Her father was under the control of a major enemy so she was okay with going against him.


    The world had changed after all. One could no longer show weakness. There was no law be order to rely on. Only showing your strength could protect your interests.


    Muku and the two girls went their separate ways soon after exiting the mansion gates.


    Muku flew at an ultra-fast speed that broke the sound barrier just from his take-off alone.


    Jade ran in another direction at a speed that also broke through the sound barrier.


    Layla took advantage of the morning shadows cast by the long vegetation in the area. She Melted into the shadows as she also made her way to her targets.


    The spies weren''t paying close attention to the mansion to avoid detection. Which made them take a little time to notice what was going on.


    They only noticed Muku and Jade since Layla was moving through the shadows.


    However, by the time they noticed Muku and Jade. The two were already upon them.


    Their chances of escaping were minimal at best...

 Chapter 205 205: Shadow Domain!

    "Rain of Silver" Muku cast a spell the moment he reached the spies.


    Silver, water-drop-shaped metal appeared in the sky above the spy.


    Before they could react. The metal rained down on them at unimaginable speeds.


    Some were killed off without even being able to react. Some managed to react and put up different defences. However, the power difference was too large and they were also killed off.


    Their defences didn''t slow down the bullets even by a millisecond. Those who were a bit of distance away wanted to run away. However, they were also killed off before they could even break out of their tree disguises.


    By the time Muku was done with his side. It looked like a bunch of trees were bleeding human blood.


    .....


    On Jade''s side...


    She arrived at a slightly slower time than Muku. Which gave some spies the time to ditch their disguises. However, before they could do anything else. She was on them.


    Her method of killing was even more brutal than Muku''s. She went right for the head. She ran around blowing one head after the other with her Beast Aura-covered fists.


    Her speed was so fast that by the time the brain matter spread all over the place. She was already a distance away. The matter that got on her fists from the punches was immediately burnt away by her green flames.


    She was done with her part within a minute. No spy even managed to scream before dying.


    "Huff... I feel a lot better now. Who the hell said that killing humans was different from killing animals? That didn''t feel different at all... Maybe I''m just crazy..." Jade spoke to herself while looking around with an oddly calm expression.


    It seemed the bloody sight didn''t bother her at all. For a human to not be affected by such a thing. Especially when it was their first time doing it. Maybe she really was crazy...


    ...


    On Layla''s side...


    Her group was the smallest with only three spies left. However, they had enough time to react.


    So, they all used the spell that qualified them to be in that job. "Earth Escape!"


    It was a spell that allowed them to literally dive into the ground and swim away. They would become completely undetectable as well. Which would have been great for spying if it didn''t drain their mana like crazy. It was how they all got into position in the first place.


    While the skill couldn''t get them all the way to the NL Base. It could at least give them a better chance of making it.


    So, the three dived into the ground and went in three separate directions. Layla barely missed them. However, she wasn''t worried.


    She had been prepared for something to go wrong anyway. She was actually hoping for it to happen. For it gave her the chance to try out her new trick...


    "Shadow domain" She called out softly.


    The area within two kilometres around her turned pitch black. Forming a black dome if one looked from a distance away.


    Unlike physical element domain. Energy domains didn''t start out small. Which made them perfect for scenarios like the one Layla was in.


    Despite their larger sizes making them less potent than physical domains at the beginning. They were still strong enough for the enemies Layla was facing.


    She knew of their weak strength from the start. So, she was pretty certain that the skill they used wouldn''t take them past two kilometres. She had been weak before so, she was certain of that.


    As she predicted. The three spies reappeared within the barrier. They had managed to get close to one and a half kilometres away. Which was better than she thought. Luckily she had been careful and stretched her domain as far as she could.


    The three spies who had appeared in three different directions looked around them in confusion. They were wondering if they had lost their sight. After all, it was still early in the morning. The sun had just come up. So, there was no way it was already night. A completely black night at that.


    However, they didn''t get a chance to contemplate the situation a little more. All three had their heads instantly sliced off their heads within three seconds after emerging.


    This was because Layla''s Shadow Domain had a broken ability. Which she called "Omnipresence" Within her domain. She was aware of anything and everything. And, she could appear anywhere instantly.


    So, the spies had lost the moment they fell into her domain. Only strong opponents of around the same strength had a slight chance of being able to resist.


    Obviously, stronger ones could dispel her domain. So they were the only ones who were absolutely safe from the devastating ability... until she became as strong as them.


    A horrifying fact about her domain was the fact that it was still just an embryo. It wasn''t a completely formed domain yet. This meant that there was a high chance new capabilities would be included in the future.


    Thinking of such possibilities made Layla wonder what she was thinking in the past. She once looked down on her shadow element. Taking it as a support for her ice. Although it has always been a vital part of her "Shadow Charged" series of spells. Which were definitely her best and strongest.


    Well, that time had passed. She had the feeling that her shadow element would only get more and more outstanding from then on.


    Of course, there were drawbacks. It drained at least three times more energy to use her shadow domain than her ice domain. From that math, she knew that realising her ultimate idea into reality wasn''t going to be easy...


    With the spies taken care of. Muku and the two girls returned to the mansion. There was less than an hour left until the awaited moment...


    .....


    At NL Base...


    "Hhm?! All twenty were killed? It seems my future friends are a lot more capable than I thought. Does this mean war? Maybe it wasn''t a fluke that they managed to resist me before... How interesting..." Abel who had his eyes closed while relaxing in his room spoke to himself.


    He didn''t even bother opening them. He was so relaxed that one might think he didn''t know about the pending WE.


    And as for how he knew about the deaths of his spies without being there? Only he knew such information...


    .....


    A while later, at the mansion...


    "Okay, is everybody ready? We have roughly around ten minutes before the evolution..." Muku asked the girls who were seated around him.


    He had already lifted the mansion into the air in preparation. The WE could begin at any moment after all. A matter worthy of note was how the mansion had gotten a lot easier to carry after Freya''s rank-up.


    As for why that was. He didn''t know. He wasn''t complaining though. He could probably keep the mansion levitating for a month or more with its current negligible mental energy consumption.


    The difference was almost as big as the one between heaven and earth when compared to before. He remembered the first time when his head almost exploded from just lifting it up two meters. Times were really changing...


    "Yeah. We''re ready. We can''t wait to get the matter over with so we can proceed with the NL Base plan and then move on with our lives. I feel like we''ve been here too long despite it only being a few days" Emily was the one who replied first.


    She took the chance to express her dislike of their current location. Which was understandable when there was a Monarch lurking around. The Ares experience was enough for her.


    If it wasn''t for wanting to help Chloe. She would have definitely urged the others to leave the moment the Monarch was mentioned. Though they probably wouldn''t have needed urging...


    "I agree. This place sucks" Surprisingly, it was Chloe who supported her first.


    Although she has reunited with her father because they went there. The bad news that came with it was just way too much. She was even cursing her father in her head for getting into such a mess.


    How dare he ditch her for years, only to turn up in such a situation. Maybe she should team up with everyone after saving him and beat him up. Such venting would be acceptable after such an ordeal right?


    [Time up. World Evolution will begin in 10... 9... 8... 7...]


    Just as the group was getting into the conversation. A familiar voice rang out in their heads. Along with the heads of everyone else all over the world.


    It was time for the world to change again. Which will bring both new opportunities and disasters for everyone involved.Some were excited. Most were scared out of their minds.


    Well, whatever the state of mind people were in. The evolution had come. What their fate would be. Everyone would find out soon...

 Chapter 206: Obsolete R3s

    [... 3... 2... 1...]


    The whole world went silent for a split second when the number "1" was called out. Everyone held their breaths. Then...


    BOOM!


    The first thing which people expected to occur didn''t occur. Everyone expected to be hit by an earthquake like last time. However, that''s not what happened.


    They were hit by a strong gravitational pull first. Many fell to the ground. Luckily mana had strengthened everyone''s bodies. Even those with Brittle Bone Disease had been cured. Otherwise many would have had their bones broken from the sudden increase of the world''s gravity.


    It wasn''t even a 2¡Á increase, but a 4¡Á instead. Which was the limit the normal person in the apocalyptic world could take. However, everyone will have to go through an adjustment period, which will likely get some people killed.


    The gravity change was so sudden the mansion almost fell from the sky. Muku had gotten too comfortable while focusing on the outside. Fortunately, he reacted quickly enough.


    Soon after the gravity fiasco, the much-awaited earthquake came. It was at least five times stronger than the last one. The world increased in size again. Its diameter increased so much that it became one-fifth of Jupiter from the initial one-eleventh.


    Which meant more travelling for everyone. However, that wasn''t really that important at that time. As the World was still shaking, a dense wave of mana flooded the whole planet. Which meant one thing... The portals were at work again.


    The old portals that were numerous in every city had actually all disappeared at some point. Which was why no one had seen them for a while.


    However, that wasn''t as good as one might think. Which was because in their place. Large red-coloured portals that practically reached the skies appeared. Which meant the larger and more dangerous creatures were finally able to come through. No one was prepared for them since they appeared with the evolution.


    Fortunately, the large portals were only a tenth of the smaller portals from before. They were also placed in areas as far away from large human populations as possible.


    Which would give people a little breathing room... Well, that would have been the case if hordes upon hordes of beasts didn''t exit the portals. Despite being way less in number. The portals actually spat out a lot more beats than the smaller portals from before. The world would have long been flooded if it didn''t increase in size.


    The first waves ranged from unranked beasts which came out for the portals running. They were trying their best to run away from the beasts behind them. Most failed and were killed off accidentally or intentionally.


    Those that made it didn''t stop until they were completely out of sight. Which had become easier after the evolution. This was because plants all over the world had been boosted in growth and size.


    Most of the world''s land had become forest. Nature had long wiped out most of the inventions of men. Which, honestly should have been done long before...


    Anyway, after the unranked beasts came rank ones, twos and threes. Surprisingly, they were all doing the same as the unranked beasts did.


    Even the R3s that were the dominators of the world just a few minutes before were running for their lives. Which would have horrified Muku''s group if they were there to see what was going on.


    They had barely stepped into R3. Yet R3s were now practically obsolete. That''s just how unforgiving the apocalyptic world was.


    Following behind the terrified R3s were... Behemoths. That''s the only word fit to be used in the situation. Creatures that had an average height of fifty metres couldn''t be addressed with any other term. Well, they could, but Behemoths was simply perfect.


    The R4s had finally made their appearance. Their aura alone was enough to dispel any domain from R3s without even doing anything.


    The difference between R3s and R4s wasn''t simply one rank. Going from R3 to R4 was like being reborn. The very energy in the bodies of R3s and R4s was different. No matter how strong a R3 was, it could never step up to an R4.


    This was because R4s had what was called Advanced Mana. That''s right, going from R3 to R4 wasn''t just ranking up. It was evolving. The second significant evolution a creature goes through.


    The first one was the subtle evolution one goes through when they are killing unranked beasts. That''s subtle numbness all over the body. Which was actually the body getting primed for the use of mana.


    The evolution to R4, however, wasn''t as subtle or easy. Which many will find out soon enough. The point of the matter was that base mana couldn''t do anything to Advanced Mana. It was like hitting a rock with an egg. There''s no chance the egg will win the exchange by breaking the rock. Even a boiled egg cannot break a real rock.


    Which made the actions of the R3s quite understandable. Anyone with even half a brain would do the same.


    There was a twist in the script, however... Even the R4s looked nervous. What would make such godlike creatures nervous?


    The answer was simple actually. R5s had also come to join the party. Soon after all the R4s in a certain portal had gone through. One R5 walked through.


    The moment it did. The world around it paused. All the beasts that hadn''t been able to flee into the distance stopped in their track. Some were so scared they couldn''t even breathe.


    "So... This is The Blue Planet from Legends, huh? It doesn''t seem very impressive to me" The beast spoke. Muku would have found the language familiar if he had been present.


    It was the same language Iris and the four beasts spoke before. The weird language that everyone understood without having heard anything like it before. He had even tried to ask Iris about it before.


    However, like always she held out on the information. She didn''t even give a reason for not wanting to say. She just stayed silent while looking at him until he gave up.


    Anyway, that didn''t matter at the moment. What mattered was the appearance of the R5. Its literal physical appearance.


    One would think that it would be a creature even bigger than an R4 right?... Wrong!


    It was actually human-sized! It also had two legs and two hands like a human. In fact, it looked exactly like one of the creatures in human mythology. One of the most hated creatures as well.


    Green skin, around four feet in height, an ugly face, a long nose, and an evil and cunning glint in its eyes. That''s right, it was a damn goblin!


    However, unlike in all the stories. It clearly wasn''t a weak creature dominated by everyone. It was the one dominating everyone. It also didn''t seem to be lustful at all...


    Well, then again, it wasn''t really a typical goblin. It was actually the humanoid form of some R5 beast. As for why it looked like that. It was a story for another day...


    "Hhm? Why aren''t you all moving? Don''t you want to go out into the world and explore? Come on, move it along. You''re blocking my sight" The goblin spoke after noticing the frozen beasts.


    However, instead of moving after hearing its words. Despite understanding it perfectly. None of the beasts moved. They started shaking in fear even more intensely than before.


    "What? Are you defying me? I''ll kill all of you where you stand if you don''t move right now!" The goblin spoke threateningly.


    The beasts were thrown even deeper into the pits of fear. One R4 couldn''t take the pressure any more, so it moved. It was a fifty-metre-tall leopard that was definitely the nightmare of many.


    Despite its size. It was super fast. Unlike a normal leopard that would need around 13 minutes to run 100 kilometres if it was fifty meters tall.


    That beast leopard wasn''t normal. It wasn''t just fifty metres tall. It was also a rank four. For that reason, it was infinitely better. Which gave it the ability to run one hundred kilometres within thirty freaking seconds!


    However, that was all nothing in front of the R5 goblin. Before the leopard could even fully raise its leg, it was dead. The head had been long blown off. Within the first millisecond, it was dead.


    That was to say, the goblin was at least one thousand times faster than a second. Which was a horrifying thought.


    Bang!


    The leopard''s headless body hit the ground with a loud sound.


    "Hehe, except for this one," The goblin spoke while sitting on top of the leopard''s giant back. It was holding some brain matter in its hand. Feasting gleefully as it spoke.


    Seeing its actions. Instead of continuing to stay still. The other beasts instantly made a break for it. Which should have been a bad move after the first one to move was killed right?


    Not really, they were just repeating a common event. The goblin had such a thing many times before. So, they were very familiar with it.


    However, it was unpredictable. Sometimes it would spare the first one to move and kill a tenth of those who stayed still. At other times, like then, it would kill the first one to move only.


    Which left the beast not knowing what to do. If it wasn''t because of the predetermined order of going through the portals. The stronger beasts would have definitely been the first ones to go through.


    However, life was a big. Things seldomly went the way you wanted them to. Fortunately for the beasts, they no longer had to deal with the goblin anymore.


    Unless maybe they were unlucky enough to meet it again someday...


    And fortunately for the world, it appeared that only one R5 would appear from a single portal. Otherwise, everyone would have been cooked.


    "How I love this game. Their fear is always very fragrant. I do wonder what the fear from humans smells like though..." The goblin spoke to itself as it looked on while the beasts ran away with their tails in between their legs.


    It couldn''t wait to step into the world and terrorise humans. Only if there weren''t those dumb rules which stopped it from attacking bases or carrying out large massacres...


    If not for that. Oceans of blood would have run free wherever it went...

 Chapter 207: Moved down the food chain?

    Back on Muku''s side of the enlarged world...


    The shaking has just stopped. Everyone was feeling a bit heavier. The mana in the surroundings had gotten a lot denser.


    The trees and other vegetation had skyrocketed in size. Some now reached a hundred metres in height. Of course, they were in the minority. Most were at most a respectable sixty metres or shorter.


    Seeing a normal-sized tree like the one in their mansion had gotten rare. The large tree probably didn''t qualify to be called a tree anymore. It had been demoted to a shrub.


    The world around them had really turned into a jungle within a few minutes. They didn''t know which being was acting behind the scenes of all the events that were going on. However, they couldn''t help but respect it. Anything that could do such a thing definitely deserved respect.


    Emily even had to burn away some trees for them to have a place to land. Which was oddly not easy despite her new R3 strength. The trees were surprisingly very resilient.


    Actually, it wasn''t that surprising. They were apocalyptic world trees. They were huge and drunk on mana. So, of course, they would be tough.


    "I''m not sure how to feel about this... It''s like a completely new world," Freya spoke while looking around.


    No matter where she looked, all she saw were trees. Only the sky was still clearly visible. What made the situation was the comical size of the trees. She felt like an ant standing next to them.


    The world''s relatively balanced proportion system had been completely destroyed. Either that or humans had just been moved further down the food chain. To the level of ants no less.


    In their present world, it was actually possible to be stepped on and killed by mistake. Like, a rank four beast could be passing by and not notice your insignificant self below it. Then... Squash... You''re dead.


    The beast wouldn''t even notice that it killed something. Just like how humans don''t notice when they kill ants below them...


    What a horrible ending that would be... It definitely was not undeserved after all the atrocious acts humans had done. Of course, there would be many innocents who would die, but that''s just life...


    "Yeah. It''s definitely going to require some adjustment time, like with the new gravity..." Emily replied to her while also looking around.


    The feeling of being in an apocalypse sunk even deeper into everyone''s mind. Just when they thought that they had completely assimilated into the new world. Something that made them realise that they were still far from that occurred. Maybe for the hundredth time.


    They felt even more uncertain about their future. They could somewhat hope themselves up before. Since everything still looked relatively the same. Just that, houses and such had been destroyed.


    Then, however, the familiarity had been completely removed. Fortunately, the change had come in stages. If it has all happened at once... Who knows if anyone would have been able to adjust.


    While some had definitely killed themselves because of the apocalypse. Such cases would have definitely been at least a hundred times greater if they had been tossed into a giant jungle in one go.


    "Damn! Even the group is super hard to break!" Jade spoke in amazement.


    She had gotten curious after seeing Emily struggle to burn a few trees. So, she punched the group to see if anything had changed.


    It was a spontaneous idea. s


    So, Jade was really shocked when a relatively strong punch of her''s did little damage. The punch that would have created a huge crater before only created a shallow hole. The hole wasn''t even a tenth of what she was expecting.


    "It seems the WE really lives up to its name. It allows the planet to adjust to the strength of the beings residing on it. I bet we won''t even be able to break the sound barrier with our speed anymore..." Muku spoke while observing the spot Jade punched.


    "So, basically, we can''t be too reliant on the old world''s laws of physics and such right?" Jade asked a rhetorical question. She was just emphasizing the fact so that everyone was on the same page.


    "Yeah, it seems so. We''ll just have to figure things out as we go along. Just like with everything else..." Muku replied.


    "Ye..." Jade was replying when something interrupted her.


    BOOM!


    A large explosion sounded from the distance just as Jade was speaking. Everyone''s attention was instantly drawn in that direction.


    "Did that come from..." Emily spoke. Then trailed off at the end. She didn''t want to say anything she wasn''t certain of.


    "Yes... It came from the NL Base''s direction" Jade, who was more certain, spoke.


    She couldn''t see anything with all the trees blocking the way. Not to mention the extended distance between them. However, her hearing was still top-notch. She was still able to pinpoint the direction.


    "It seems we might have to proceed with our plan a little sooner than expected... Of course, that''s if you''re all willing" Muku while looking in the direction of the base.


    His facial expression looked serious. He could feel that something major had been set into motion. Something he wouldn''t have wanted to be involved with in normal cases.


    "I''m game... However, I think I''ll stick to being the backup. We don''t know what might happen if I go in, after all. Which sucks, I wanted to be part of the fun" Jade was the first one to express her willingness to participate.


    It seemed she was feeling better and better the more time that passed by. That too, despite everything that was going on. Which was pretty amazing.


    Well, it would be amazing if she wasn''t just getting better at hiding how she really felt. It was a matter Muku really had to address soon...


    "I would have liked a little more time to at least get the initial idea for my domain. However, it appears that my father is on a mission to make my life harder..." Chloe was the second one to express her participation. Which was to be expected, really.


    "With me, the three who were going in are all accounted for" Audrey indirectly expressed her participation. Followed by everyone else.


    While they all would have liked some more time to adjust to the new world. They all knew that when such things happen. The more you delay, the graver the situation is likely to get. So, they might as well get it out of the way the moment it began.


    Even if they couldn''t first do a reconnaissance like they would have liked. It couldn''t be helped. The situation just didn''t allow it.


    With that, the group went and carried out their last-minute preparations. Then the mansion took to the skies. It couldn''t be left there, after all.


    The distance between it and the base had gotten too big. So, it had to be reduced again.


    They didn''t know how lucky they were that the portals had appeared far from human settlements. Otherwise, their very mundane activity, by that point, of moving the mansion. Could have gotten them killed.


    What could they have possibly done if a rank-four aerial beast attacked them? Nothing that''s what. They wouldn''t even be able to get away in a normal setting. All they could do was quietly die.


    So, they might have to consider grounding themselves for a while very soon. The skies weren''t their old playground anymore...


    .....


    At the NL Base, just after the explosion...


    "What the hell Abel?! I thought you said everything was stable! What would have happened if I hadn''t acted on time?!" William shouted angrily at Abel.


    "It''s a natural accident, boss. We didn''t know that the change in the world''s laws would be so impactful... We didn''t know they''d change at all. So, please understand. You managed to save the essence anyway. So, it''s fine, right? The Earth Elementalists can quickly rebuild the rest," Abel replied in a passive-aggressive manner.


    "Hmph! Didn''t you say you were always five steps ahead of the game?... It better not happen again" William cooled down a bit after hearing Abel''s reasonable words. However, he still took a jab at Abel for being cocky before.


    "R-ight... I guess I stand corrected in that. I''ll take my leave for now. There''s a lot of work to do." Abel replied with a forced polite expression on his face.


    Even his hands were clenched. He was definitely close to breaking. To avoid that from happening. He quickly left.


    William silently looked at him go. He wasn''t stupid. He could see that Abel was close to breaking.


    However, the was no reason to fear. After all, they had been given distinct roles by the Monarch. Abel had no other option but to obey.


    For their shared goal, Abel would definitely obey. No matter how much his pride is wounded. He was like a defanged snake in William''s hands...


    After Able left, William looked outside his window. His sight focused on the green smog-like substance that had covered the base''s sky.


    While he had acted on time. There were still some slight losses. The smog was one of them. Along with the huge hole in the ground just behind the base...


    Fortunately, his daughter and friends weren''t around. They also wouldn''t be coming over for a while... Right?

 Chapter 208: Infiltration (Pt 1)

    Sometime later...


    "What''s that green stuff in the air?" Audrey asked while pointing forward.


    The pointing was just a reflex. Everyone had noticed the smog already. It was pretty apparent from the wall they were sitting on.


    "Whatever it is, it makes my skin crawl", Jade replied while looking at the goosebumps which had formed on her hands.


    Her instincts were in chaos. She felt both the urge of wanting to attack and wanting to retreat. She felt a hatred from deep within her she couldn''t understand at the same time. It was even more intense than the time with Abel.


    "Hey, are you okay?" Emily asked while putting her hand on Jade''s shoulder. She could sense that Jade was getting worked up. Remembering what they spoke about before. She quickly acted.


    "Y... Yeah. I am now. Thanks for that" Jade replied while calming down. Feeling Emily''s hand on her shoulder grounded her.


    "Should we pause the plan for a bit until you''re good?" Muku asked with concern in his voice. He didn''t know what the problem with Jade was yet. However, that didn''t matter. He''d still pause everything for her.


    "No, I''m fine. We can proceed. I''m just the backup anyway. My state shouldn''t affect too much of the plan anyway" Jade replied while signalling the team to continue with the plan.


    "Okay, it''s decided then. We''re taking a break before going ahead with the plan" Chloe spoke before Muku could.


    The rest of the team agreed with her. Despite Jade''s protests. No one budged. They just quietly looked at her protesting. She soon gave up and focused on getting into peak condition.


    She had realised that they wouldn''t proceed until she was completely fine. So, she decided to focus on that. Which worked, she managed to calm herself down after a little rest.


    The moment she did, the group proceeded on their journey. The mansion stopped at roughly the same distance from the base as before. A distance where it would take some effort for those at the base to spot it. Especially with all the smog.


    They cleared out some ground as quietly as they could. Which required killing a few weak beasts. Then the mansion landed.


    Muku then took Audrey, Chloe, Layla and Emily closer to the base. He''d leave Audrey, Layla and Emily just before the base. Then he''d proceed inside with Chloe.


    The initial plan was to take Audrey with him. However, Jade''s situation required it to be changed a little. He had to leave Hope to watch over her. In case something happened.


    Hope could use her poison element to paralyse Jade if need be. She didn''t act too much or was physically outstanding. However, Hope was definitely one of the most dangerous, if not the most dangerous, members of the team.


    So, leaving her with Jade was the best choice. She could neutralise a distracted Jade easily enough. The others could only use harmful methods in such a situation.


    Anyway, Muku and Chloe should be enough for the mission anyway. So, it was all good.


    ....


    "Okay, you''ll hide here. If anything goes wrong. Chloe will send a signal. It will be very easy to spot, so we don''t need to decide on anything specific" Muku spoke to the girls who were going to be their immediate backup.


    The girls nodded in understanding. After which, Muku and Chloe headed straight for the base. They just flew forward directly since they were concealed completely under his barrier.


    They soon noticed what they assumed to be the source of the explosion and green smog. Which was a hole that was being fixed by a group of Earth Elementalists.


    Oddly enough, the work that should have been easy for just one of them seemed taxing to them all. Even with their combined might, they could only manage to slowly cover up the hole which had been covered up by a tarp just a few meters inside it. So, Muku and Chloe couldn''t see inside it.


    They could guess what could have been going on, however. It was probably something related to the Monarch. For that reason, they didn''t dare get closer. Taking a look from the distance was enough.


    Even if they could sense an intense and eerie energy being emitted from the hole. They still didn''t go take a look. They weren''t the heroes of the world who went around seeking trouble...


    The duo then proceeded with their mission. The front door wasn''t closed because of all the activities that were good on. So, they just walked right through.


    They knew their destination, so they made their way there quickly. They only had to worry about not bumping into anyone. Sound wasn''t an issue in the barrier. They could even sing at the top of their voices if they wanted to.


    "So, what''s our next step after getting him?" Chloe asked as they moved forward.


    "Well, the world has changed way too much. For that reason, I think the best thing would be to stay close to a barrier. We can''t even properly deal with LR3s, after all. So, it''s safe to assume we''d be easily bodied by the newcomers. If possible, I would have liked to stay here. Unfortunately, the Monarch had to pop up. We can only go back to where we came from for now. Better the devil we know, right?" Muku told her what he was thinking.


    While he had his erasing gaze. A broken ability that could instil fear into any creature''s mind. However, it would be useless if he was attacked by something that could kill him before he even saw it.


    He might be arrogant at times. However, he wasn''t stupid. He knew that fighting even when the odds are stacked against you is only admirable in movies or other situations. When it came to dealing with beasts in the apocalypse, caution when you know you''re outmatched was the way to go.


    "That seems logical. Knowing you, we''ll have to reach at least Rank 4 before going anywhere, right? I guess we''re going to be grounded for a while then..." Chloe replied, taking a slight jab at him.


    However, it was clear that she supported the plan. She was just making a joke to lighten up the mood a bit. They were in a pretty dangerous situation after all.


    "You know, you didn''t have to notify me of how much you can see through me" Muku replied with an eye roll.


    It kinda sucked how they could all see through him. Yet, he couldn''t even claim to completely understand any of them. Life was just not fair.


    "Hehe... Hhm? I can''t sense anyone inside the office..." Chloe laughed smugly. Then she noticed how they couldn''t sense anyone in William''s office.


    It was only then they realised something. They didn''t even know if the office was his room. There was a very distinct difference between the two after all.


    If it was just his office. Then finding him there would depend on whether he had work or not. Which shouldn''t have been too often in the current world. Which meant he''d probably spend a lot more time in his room.


    Since they didn''t find him in the office. They''d have to go around the base looking for him through his mana signature. Which they couldn''t do openly for obvious reasons. If they tried searching over a larger distance. Their mana output would increase by a lot. That would pretty much be no different from announcing themselves to the base''s strong members.


    "Well, I guess we can only do this the slow w..." Muku was replying dejectedly when he noticed someone coming their way.


    Chloe noticed the person as well, and a frown immediately appeared on her face. It was the lady Muku disliked the most in the apocalyptic world. The whom Chloe felt complicated emotions for.


    That''s right, it was Tilda. She seemed to be in a rush. Within a few seconds, she had already passed them by. They were so hidden that she couldn''t sense anything, not to mention her rushed state.


    She also wasn''t like Jade who was extremely sensitive to being looked at. Being a mage type kind of made people dependent on their mana. So, their senses were usually average at best. That is when compared to those with more physical classes in the same rank.


    For that reason, Tilda didn''t sense the gazes focused on her. Or maybe her subconscious mind did, but it was ignored.


    "Tsk, why am I the only one who gets sent on these random errands? There''s like nine more people who could be here. Is this what they mean when they say I''m the right-hand woman? This is bull, I''m still just an assistant even after the apocalypse!" Tilda complained to herself while unlocking the door to the office.


    Muku and Chloe just looked on unmoved. It was natural for people to complain like that after all. Especially if her situation was as she was saying. A situation where she was given an empty title.


    Anyway, Tilda entered the office after unlocking it. She came out less than a minute later holding a briefcase.


    It was a weird black briefcase. As for why it was weird... It wasn''t because of its looks, but how the mana in the surrounding area was slowly gathering toward it...


    Tilda continued with her business. She locked the office and then left at the same hurried speed as before.


    Muku and Chloe looked at each other briefly. The next step was obvious to both of them. They immediately followed after Tilda.


    Maybe they''ll find William wherever she was rushing to. The chance of that happening was pretty high actually...

 Chapter 209: Infiltration (Pt 2): Finding William

    A while later...


    "I should''ve known..." Muku spoke with a dark expression on his face.


    They had followed Tilda throughout the base. Until they came in front of a huge metal door. Which just happened to lead in the direction of the hole they avoided before.


    They could already sense the intense energy radiating from behind the door. It seems they couldn''t avoid the area after all.


    "Maybe it won''t be that bad... We can get in, quickly get my father and get out" Chloe spoke.


    She was trying to stay positive. Though internally she was also complaining. Why could things never be simple? It would have been great if they just found William where they thought they''d find him. Do their thing and get out. But noooo, there always had to be twists!


    "Yeah, maybe you''re right... I just hope we don''t get spotted. This is not a fight I want to have" Muku spoke seriously while looking at the ten R3s who were busy opening the door.


    If he added Tilda to the mix, the opposite side would have eleven R3s. His side only had two. While he was very confident in their abilities. It had been a while since he had actually fought against humans. Hell, he had never even fought against enemies with roughly the same power levels.


    The best he had done was sparring with the girls. Which could hardly be called a real fight. For that reason, he wasn''t sure how it would go if he went against someone of the same rank he wasn''t familiar with. Especially eleven of them.


    Even his and Chloe''s op classes might not help. Hell, who knew whether the other side also had similar ranked classes?


    Fortunately, such a situation didn''t occur. Maybe the people were too focused on their task to notice. Or his domain was just that good at concealment. Either way, the situation worked out for him and Chloe.


    The moment Tilda stepped through the door. He and Chloe flew directly above her. So, by the time the door closed. They were already inside.


    However, their journey wasn''t over, apparently. There was only a dark path with stairs that slanted down. So, they had to walk behind Tilda as they headed deeper and deeper into the cave-like structure.


    After a little while of walking, they could finally see some light at the end. It was that eerie green light from before. The energy was pulsating from whatever the source was going every which away.


    They could feel it getting stronger and stronger the closer they got. In all honesty, they wanted to turn back right there and then.


    However, their mission and their own curiosity, they couldn''t turn back. They didn''t know when the thought formed in their minds, but they couldn''t help but desire to see the source of the energy.


    Before they knew it. They had made it to the end of the tunnel. After a brief adjustment period to the sudden change in light intensity, everything became clear to them.


    What was in front of them was actually a beautiful-looking room. It was a rather big room. Its width and length were definitely more than twelve metres.


    It had clean white tiles on the floor. Pure white walls. If not for the roof being missing. They wouldn''t have been able to identify it as the source of the explosion from before.


    However, all that didn''t really matter. What mattered the most was the floating and glowing green human figure at the centre of the room. They couldn''t see any clear human features. Just the general outline of a human.


    The light coming from the figure was too intense. Not to mention the energy waves which made it hard for them to breathe. All they could tell was that it was likely a woman from the shape.


    Being so close to the figure was rather overwhelming. They stepped back a bit just from reflex alone.


    Yet, for some reason, Tilda seemed to not even feel the pressure. She walked deeper into the room. Closer to the figure. She did it so easily as if she was taking a walk in the park.


    There were ten other people in the room. Nine of the people were Abel and the eight commanders. The last person was William. Their mission''s objective. Just like Tilda, the people seemed to be completely fine standing so close to the being.


    Another thing was how all of them had eerie green eyes. Their eyes had changed from their usual colours. They now matched the glowing figure. Even Tilda''s eyes had turned the moment she stepped into the room.


    There was a reverent look in all their eyes. Other than William, Tilda and Abel, the rest were on their knees facing the figure. It almost seemed like they were... Praying?


    The scene creeped the duo out. It was almost like they had accidentally stepped into the headquarters of a cult. Hell, that''s definitely what they had stepped into.


    They were at a loss for what to do. They had found William. However, they couldn''t get any closer to him due to the intense energy.


    Though, honestly, even if they could. Would the ten people with him just look on as they took their leader away?


    The situation was definitely not in their favour. They could only watch as the situation progressed. Maybe they''ll get a chance, and William will move toward them or something.


    As for trying to sabotage what was going on... That was out of the question. How can you sabotage something when you don''t know wtf is going on?


    They could try attacking the figure from a distance and see what happens, of course. However, what if it blows up and kills everyone involved, including them?


    So, watching was the only way to go. Which they quietly did. Muku adjusted to his role so quickly to the point that he created chairs for both of them and then sat down on his.


    Which warranted an eye roll from Chloe. Who tf gets so comfortable behind enemy lines to the point of taking a seat?! She was certain that if he had popcorn, he would have taken it out as well.


    Even though she was internally complaining. She also sat down. The seat was already there, right? So, with the two hidden spectators having sat down, the show proceeded.


    Tilda quietly handed the briefcase to William. Who put it down on the floor immediately before proceeding to open it.


    The moment he did, the mana in the surroundings wavered. The mana that had been moving all over the place all began moving in one direction... Toward the briefcase.


    Fortunately, mana wasn''t getting sucked out of people as well. Otherwise, Muku and Chloe would have been screwed. However, it did make it harder to keep the domain stable.


    If Muku''s mental energy hadn''t been tempered by his constant use of it. His domain would have given out in such a chaotic situation.


    Soon, the situation stabilised. It seemed that whatever was in the briefcase had gotten enough mana. Everyone could feel that the mana in the area had thinned out. Which would probably be fixed soon enough.


    It was still an amazing feat though. Such a thing wasn''t something anything could easily do. It was like sucking the oxygen away from an open area so quickly that it leaves a brief deficiency in the area. That was unheard of!


    "Hahaha... With this charged-up shard from a fallen Monarch''s core, our dreams shall come to fruition!" William laughed out madly as he spoke for the first time since Tilda and the duo arrived.


    "...." Seeing her father''s mad expression made Chloe feel uncomfortable. She didn''t know how to react. It also made her wonder if he could still be saved.


    They could maybe take him away from that place. However, could they save him?


    "What are you thinking about?" Muku suddenly asked her. Bringing her back from her chaotic thoughts.


    "... Nothing" Chloe responded exactly like how you would expect a girl to respond. The obvious untrue "nothing".


    "Okay. Remember, I''m here for you if you want to talk" Muku could only reply in the safest way he could think of.


    "Hehe, wouldn''t it be weird to do that in this situation?" Chloe replied with a little chuckle. She could see that he was trying his best despite his confusion. Which made her feel better.


    "I guess you have a point there... What is doing?" Muku agreed to her words. He then brought her attention back to William.


    He had taken out what he called the shard of a Monarch''s Beast Core out of the briefcase. If what he said was true then... Where tf did he get it?!


    From Iris''s information, the last Monarch died aeons ago. Long before her time even. So, for William to have a shard of one of them in the modern day... How did that come to be?


    As Muku was still trying to make the situation make sense. William proceeded to take the shard toward the glowing figure.


    The shard really looked the part. It was small enough, he could even hold it with one hand if he wanted. It flowed with different colours of light. Probably because of the mixed mana it absorbed. Unlike the figure, it didn''t release any overwhelming aura.


    Soon, William was standing in front of the figure with a shard in hand. He then held it out towards the figure. He pressed it against the figure''s chest.


    Before, the duo could wonder what he was trying to do. The shard actually sank into the figure''s chest.


    The moment it did. The whole world seemed to freeze for a moment...

 Chapter 210: The Deal

    On the opposite side of the planet...


    "Well... That''s a place I''m definitely not going" The R5 goblin spoke to itself. It had been busy eating the arm of a human when it felt a chill down its spine.


    Similarly ranked beasts worldwide sensed it and had the same reaction. They all decided to stay away from that area.


    Which was good news for the humans there... If they survived. Not to mention that R4s and lower only felt a great sense of danger without knowing which direction it was coming from. So, the danger was only reduced slightly.


    .....


    "Tsk... That old thing might really succeed in coming back to life this time. Unfortunately, we can only watch... If only there was someone strong enough to end it before it regains any of its power. Unfortunately..." A deep voice spoke from the void.


    It was actually the voice that confronted Iris before. For such a Being to take notice of the green figure. The situation had to be quite dire. After all, Ares'' possession of Mest or his attempted assassination of Muku didn''t even appear on the Being''s radar.


    Other Beings in the void also took notice of the figure''s emergence. Like the first Being, they also couldn''t do anything about it. It had been completely undetectable before that moment.


    If they had known sooner, they might have been able to send some of their servants to deal with it. However, those servants couldn''t do anything now. It was too late. The world might be doomed.


    .....


    Back at the NL Base...


    "Finally... After so long. I''m back" The green figure''s feminine and calm voice sounded in the room.


    While its words seemed to be those of joy. There was no happiness in the tone at all. It was as if the Being was an emotionless robot which tried to express emotion. However, it was unsuccessful.


    Its features were still hidden behind the green light. The only change was how it was no longer floating in the air. At has landed down as it spoke.


    The moment its feet touched the tiles. Faint cracks appeared on them before slowly recovering. It seemed they weren''t placed there just to beautify the place.


    Very likely, if they weren''t there, the ground would have been corroded away. Just from coming into contact with the figure.


    "Well done my children... Especially you William. I very much appreciate this vessel you provided me..." The figure spoke while caressing William''s cheek.


    "Anything for you My Queen... However, I was wondering when I''ll receive my reward" William replied in a fervent voice. Especially when he mentioned the part about the reward.


    "Right... I did promise to rejoin you with your partner... As did I the rest of you. Bring them to me" The figure spoke calmly.


    Hearing her words, William and the rest of the people present became even more excited.


    One R3 Earth Elementalist in the room snapped his fingers soon after. The moment he did. The wall a distance away opened up widely. It seemed, there was a hidden room in the hidden room.


    Which surprised Muku and Chloe. They hadn''t been able to sense anything different about that wall from the others. The Earth Elementalist must have been a rather skilled one to pull off something like that.


    While Muku was silently praising him as he looked on. Some weird glass-topped coffins rolled out from the room.


    The moment they did. The duo felt a chill go down their spines. The situation had suddenly turned into a horror movie.


    "Mother?!" Chloe suddenly exclaimed in surprise while looking in the direction of the coffins. She hadn''t seen her mother for so long that she could barely remember her face. However, the moment she saw her body in the glass coffin. She knew who she was right away.


    The sight shocked her into a still state. Her mind was instantly bombarded with an overwhelming amount of emotion. She felt faint for a moment. To the point that she almost fainted. That showed just how heavily impacted by the sight she was.


    Muku was trying to make sense of what she just said. So, he couldn''t figure out what to say to her. Was the lady in the coffin really her long-deceased mother? How was she... Not a skeleton in some grave somewhere?!


    As Muku thought about such things. A light bulb went off in his mind. With everything that was going on, and everything that he heard. He might have figured out what William''s motivation for doing what he was doing was.


    It looked so obvious from where he stood. Yet, it also seemed impossible. It couldn''t be possible, right?


    Could William be just a brokenhearted man who had made a deal with the dev... Monarch, to bring his wife back?


    He was so smart, why would he fall for such a thing? Shouldn''t such things be impossible? Everyone knows you can''t bring people back from the dead... Then again, Emily... Well, whatever, he''ll find out what was going on soon enough.


    He couldn''t help but feel respect for William if that really was his motivation. For him to love his wife so much, to the point of doing such a thing. What a real one!


    Who cared about the natural order of things and pretty much selling out humanity?


    Only heroes needed to care about the world. Everyone else only needed to care about themselves!


    As Muku and Chloe were stuck in their chaotic thoughts. The coffins moved forward until they were in front of the resurrected Monarch. William and the others had moved back to give the Monarch and the coffins enough space.


    "I will do as promised, for I always stick to my word. However, before that, William. Can you remind me what our deal was again? The original version..." The Monarch looked at the coffins briefly before asking a question.


    "Umm, sure? The original deal was that we would help you gather human life essence, and in return, you''d restore the souls of our loved ones as well as make their bodies healthy enough to house them. Thereby bringing them back to life" William felt a little confused as to why he was being asked such a thing all of a sudden. However, he still answered it to the best of his abilities.


    "Correct. What about the revised version?" The Monarch asked another seemingly random question.


    "Sure. The revised version. What we agreed upon after the apocalypse began was slightly different from the original. We offered to switch human life essence with beast life essence because humans are now almost an endangered breed. And we''re still grateful for that. You''re truly a benevolent Monarch," William curbed his confusion and replied again.


    He even added a little compliment at the end to please the Monarch. It felt rather odd to everyone present to see such a proud man leak someone''s shoes so much.


    "Exactly. However, there was a little condition I added, right? Can you refresh my mind on that?" The Monarch continued...


    "Oh, yes. You said that since we changed a detail about the initial deal. You could also do the same if you wanted to. However, you said that it won''t affect our reunion with our loved ones. To which we agreed" William replied seriously.


    He was someone who had climbed up from the bottom. So, he knew how to adapt to the situation whenever there was a need for it.


    "Correct again. I really like your clear memory" The Monarch replied. Even throwing a little compliment in William''s way.


    Everyone just silently looked on. Abel had a slight smirk on his mouth which no one noticed. As for why that was, only he would know. The others from the base were just looking on with fervent gazes.


    Chloe, on the other hand, had a dark look on her face. She had noticed a certain detail from William''s words he didn''t seem to care about.


    The detail was how he likely massacred an unknown number for a while just to satisfy his own selfish needs. Though she heard that it was for her mother. She still couldn''t stomach the act.


    His actions disgusted her very much. She was certain that her mother would agree. The humans he sacrificed weren''t his to do so. If it was just criminals it would have been slightly better. However, from the way he spoke. He was probably killing people randomly.


    His actions were definitely beyond redemption. She couldn''t save him from such a thing...


    While Chloe focused on that detail. Muku was focused on another. Which was how William seemed to have come into contact with the Monarch even before the apocalypse.


    His expression darkened immediately. He could already smell the evil secret society made up of sell-out humans lurking in the dark.


    The future would be rather troublesome if his guess was true. They already had enough problems. Yet more kept on popping up.


    "Thank you, My Queen" William replied.


    "Let''s get on with it then. It''s time you all are reunited with your loved ones... In death" The Monarch spoke softly. It seemed to have been done with asking questions.


    William and the others were happy after hearing the first part. However, they were shocked by the second. Before they could ask for clarification, however...


    "Ahhhhh!"¡Á 10.


    All but one screamed out loudly. Their body was suddenly attacked by unimaginable pain. They also felt weak and couldn''t move. They could barely keep their eyes open as they fell to their knees.


    It all started immediately after the Monarch spoke. Light green energy began coming out of their bodies and flew toward the Monarch before disappearing into its body.


    "Don''t look at me like that... This isn''t betrayal. I''m doing exactly what I promised. I''m going to reunite you all with your loved ones on the other side. This is what you get for going against our initial deal... Now, di..." The Monarch stood still as the light green energy, different from its own. Flew into its body.


    The energy was actually the life essence of William and the others. The ten were ageing at a visible and quick rate. If nothing changed they''d probably die soon.


    CRACKLE!


    BOOOOOM!

 Chapter 211: Found out & Emilys domain!

    Everything went silent after the lightning hit.


    A lightning bolt as thick as a tree trunk had suddenly struck. It seemed to have come out of the void, hitting the Monarch right on the head, along with a part of its upper body.


    It was a full-power attack from an angered R3 Evolver. With a Pseudo-Legendary class. So, it was safe to say that it was definitely a deadly attack.


    The shockwaves alone could have destroyed everything in sight if they weren''t made from special materials.


    Everyone went silent for a moment. They were all stuck in disbelief. Even as they were being slowly and painfully killed. The ten Base residents didn''t even think of resisting. The Monarch was that absolute to them. Resistance wasn''t even an option. Maybe their minds had long been corrupted by it...


    So, for someone to actually attack the Monarch. That was inconceivable to them.


    Muku just stood there blankly. One thought stuck in his mind. "We''re f*cked" were the words.


    Chloe had definitely done the right thing to save her father. While she felt disgusted by him, he was still her father after all.


    However, what then? Would they be able to fight the Monarch off and successfully take William away? As he was thinking about that. A scene that disrupted his thoughts occurred.


    "I was wondering when you were going to make your move..." The Monarch''s voice rang out in the room again.


    Smoke had arisen from the impact between Chloe''s attack and the Monarch''s body. Which had hidden the Monarch''s body.


    The smoke cleared as it spoke. Which exposed its clearly uninjured body. The Monarch had tanked Chloe''s attack and didn''t seem to have been bothered by it.


    Even from the way it spoke. One could tell that it really didn''t feel anything from Chloe''s attack.


    Seeing the reaction. A cold chill went down Muku''s spine. The budding hope that was forming in his mind was instantly dashed. There was nothing they could do to that creature.


    And judging by its words. It knew they were there from the start. Was that why it had William repeat the terms of the deal? Was everything just a joke to it?


    "Did you enjoy the show? Quite a bold move to actually take a seat and watch while behind enemy forces" The Monarch spoke as calmly as always while looking in the duo''s direction.


    Muku''s fear skyrocketed through the roof. They really had been found out already!


    Chloe, on the other hand,, was still riding her anger. She wasn''t scared off by the statement. She just hardened her face. Ready to fight it out until the end.


    Seeing her father literally getting the life sucked out of him angered her gravely. The attack before was made from instinct. It seemed her anger wasn''t satisfied or shaken after the attack failed.


    Her eyes started glowing blue... No different from how they got when she went berserk. However, unlike that time. There seemed to be clarity behind the madness. It was a weird sight to see.


    Just above the base. Dark clouds were already forming. They didn''t form as quickly as they would usually. Which was because of the green smog. However, they had formed enough to be visible to the backup.


    Though, even without them. The backup could already tell that there was something wrong. While they were observing from a distance. They noticed a green light escaping from the bodies of some of the base''s residents.


    All the base''s residents they could see, who were mostly Earth Elementalists and guards, suddenly fell to the ground. Then they started screaming in pain while ageing rapidly while greenlight escaped from their bodies. The light then went toward the hole.


    The weaker ones died within a few seconds of the incident occurring. All that was left of them were their dried-up corpses. It seemed like the governing law on who died was, "The weaker you were, the quicker you died". Age was no longer equated to life force...


    If the backup girls didn''t think anything was wrong after that. They would have to consider giving up their brains. Especially after a while before when an unknown chill went down all their spines. They were too weak to identify the source of the chill. However, their guiding light(the dying people) came soon after.


    The forming thunderclouds were just the final nail in the coffin.


    "Well... It seems the initial plan failed. I guess we should attack now" Layla spoke in her usual cold voice.


    Seemingly unmoved by what they just witnessed. The other two were horrified, however. It was only when Layla spoke that they collected themselves a little bit.


    "Y...yeah" Emily replied while trying to recover.


    "Can you try to burn away that smog?" Layla asked Emily while pointing into the sky.


    "Yeah, sure. Let me try my new domain embryo" Emily replied as she closed her eyes.


    "Golden Phoenix zone!" She shouted out her domain''s name. She was still unfamiliar with it. So, shouting out its name helped a lot in visualising it.


    BOOM!


    The moment she shouted. Flames exploded out of her and spread in the surroundings. The flames didn''t stop spreading until the whole base was consumed.


    Unlike Layla''s Shadow Domain which focused on distance. Emily''s domain focused more on height. She was determined to burn away as much of the smog as she could.


    Luckily for her, energy domains were versatile enough for her to literally reach the sky. The abilities of a Rank Three were no joke after all.


    "Whoah!"¡Á2


    Layla and Audrey couldn''t help but make amazed sounds.


    Witnessing a sea of flames spread out all around you as well as reaching the skies, was pretty amazing. Especially when you witnessed it all from within the flames.


    Emily''s ability to only burn whatever she wanted, was shown in full display. The domain made it seem even more mystical.


    "Heavenly Flame: Burning Heavens!... Ultimate!" Emily didn''t just stop after creating her domain. Which would have slowly eaten away at the smog.


    No! She cast a combination of two of her strongest spells. Heavenly Flames, her ultimate spell which could probably burn even Psuedo-R4s if completely unleashed. It was the result of purifying her flames with most of her mana. And Burning Heavens, one of her best-targeting spells


    She would have put more spells into the mix. However, that was all she could manage with her current abilities.


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    Emily''s undisputed strongest and most destructive spell to date went off. And... It was a lot deadlier than everyone expected.


    They all thought that she''d only be able to get rid of at most half of it. Which wasn''t a random guess, but a sound judgement. They had seen how Chloe''s destructive lighting clouds were struggling to


    The smog was literally erased from existence. Only a clear sky was left in the area. The few trees that were caught within the domain had their tops erased as well.


    Despite Emily not targeting the base to get destroyed. The shockwave still took the roof and a few of the top floors off. It was just a normal building after all. The barrier only protected humans from outside attacks created by beasts. So, it did nothing against Emily''s attack.


    While the others were shocked by the destruction. Emily was horrified. Only one thought was stuck in her mind... "Did I just accidentally kill a bunch of people?!" Tears instantly began flowing down her cheeks.


    She had only killed a person once before, after all. And that was by mistake too. When she lost her control of herself when Elsa was about to be defied. However, it was different this time. She was completely conscious of her actions.


    She didn''t expect it to be so destructive. However, that still wouldn''t change the facts. She would still have killed people.


    "Hhm... Interesting, but it seems The Smog is weak to flames... Or maybe holy flames? Hey, what''s wrong? You don''t think you killed people right? I scanned the area before you attacked. Everyone on the top floors was already dead," Layla spoke just when Emily was about to have a complete breakdown mentally.


    She casually spoke words which brought Emily back from the brink. Whether it was intentional or not, only she knew.


    "Really?" Emily asked in an uncertain voice.


    "Yes, you can even ask Mother," Layla replied seriously. She even suggested that Emily ask Audrey if she was speaking the truth or not.


    "Yeah, they were all dead already" Audrey agreed unhesitatingly. Whether she and Layla were telling the truth. Only they knew that for certain.


    Emily''s nerves relaxed a little bit more after hearing Audrey''s affirmation. Her domain immediately crumbled down. Both her mental energy and mana had been exhausted.


    She fell weakly to the ground immediately. Sitting on her legs while trying to recover. Layla took out a beast core and headed it over. Just when Emily was about to thank Layla, something caught their eyes.


    RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!


    Like a beast that had been freed. Chloe''s lightning clouds began steering. And from the loud rumbling. They were definitely going to witness something amazing.


    Chloe didn''t disappoint. The clouds began changing shape. Within a little time, they no longer looked like clouds anymore. They looked like giant black hands hovering in the sky.


    That wasn''t the end of it however, the giant hands began combining as well. Until there was only one even larger hand left.


    Everyone held their breath trying to understand what was going to happen next...

 Chapter 212: Zeus Fury!

    The giant hand made an incomplete fist. As if it was holding something. Before anyone could wonder what it was trying to do. Blue lightning streaks began appearing at the centre of it.


    The trio instantly understood what was going on. A chill went down their spines. Layla instantly created an ice dome on top of herself and the other two. Just in case things went out of hand...


    ...


    A few moments before. In the secret room...


    "Hhm?" Chloe made a confused sound. She was trying to do something with her lightning however, it wasn''t working. She could barely get clouds to form above them.


    "What? Oh... Is it the problem with your lightning? Well, let me tell you a little secret. That smog isn''t something your puny lightning can stand up to" The Monarch mocked Chloe.


    As for why it was so chatty. No one knew. Most just assumed it was just revelling in its dominance over them. It had been dead for a long time after all. Maybe it was just venting the sadistic tendencies it had been holding back for so long.


    Crackle!


    Chloe heard the Monarch''s words. However, she wasn''t demotivated. She gave up on that idea for the time being.


    Lightning began crackling from her body instead. She was ready to close and personal. She activated a mastered version of the spell that left her naked once upon a time...


    She called it Lightning Skin, the advanced version of lightning coat. Her body was basically sealed behind blue lightning. Unlike the lightning coat, there were no gaps in the lightning skin. On top of that, the lightning calmly circled around her body after the initial crackling.


    It was stronger, a lot more stable and didn''t take as much use as much mana as the initial form. The final benefit she cared about most at the moment was... It allowed her to get closer to the Monarch.


    It was an idea she thought of when her attack hit. It was why she didn''t lose hope. Not like losing hope was an option in the situation anyway.


    "No matter how sophisticated..." The Monarch was in the middle of taunting Chloe again when she moved.


    Boom!


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Bang!...


    She ran forward with a booming sound. She was in front of the Monarch within a second. And she didn''t waste the chance. Landing as many blows as she could from different angles.


    By the time the Monarch moved its hand to attack back. She had already given it tens of punches.


    The Monarch effortlessly moved its hand in Chloe''s direction. Yet, she felt like she wouldn''t be able to dodge it. Which she really couldn''t. It came on her at a speed she couldn''t match.


    However, instead of a punch or even a slap. It was actually a grab. The Monarch seemed to want to capture her instead of just killing her off. By the look of things, it was about to succeed.


    Whoosh!


    That''s when Chloe''s body moved back at a weird angle. It was as if she got pulled back by an invisible hand.


    "What took you so long?" Chloe asked after she flew back to Muku''s side.


    "Sorry about that. However, look at this. I think you''ll understand..." Muku replied with a wry smile on his face. He then proceeded to create a sword and fire it at the Monarch.


    The blade looked fine at first. However, it faded into nothingness after going a few metres toward the Monarch.


    "What?!" Chloe was shocked. How was that possible? Her attacks were working fine.


    "Yeah... Apparently, there''s something special about your lightning. I can only use my telekinesis. This is probably because it''s more mental than mana. Just like in domains... Wait, I think the area in front of us is the Monarch''s domain. Yet, you...?" Muku spoke trying to explain things to Chloe.


    However, he also understood things as he spoke. Which shocked him as much as it did Chloe. How tf was she able to freely use her powers in someone else''s domain?


    Sure, her body couldn''t even get closer without being sealed in her lightning. However, that was beside the point. Her being able to use her lightning was what mattered.


    "I..." Chloe was about to speak when...


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    They heard an explosion from above. Which was Emily''s handy work.


    "We''ll talk about it later. The skies have cleared up. Can you protect the Base please?" Chloe spoke to Muku. Before he could reply, she closed her eyes.


    Muku was about to ask what she was talking about. However, he sensed something before he could. He immediately looked up. Unfortunately, the weird tarp still blocked the way. So, he couldn''t see the sky. However, he could sense it...


    His sense had been obscured by the smog. He could only sense the Monarch''s energy in every direction.


    Emily''s attack restored his senses. He wasn''t sure what he was sensing. He could only think of three words..."Pure destruction energy"


    "ZEUS'' FURY!" Chloe suddenly shouted from beside Muku.


    The moment she did. The lightning that was being held by the giant hand in the sky got even rowdier.


    Then the hand moved up. As it did, the lighting in its hand took a complete form. It formed an iconic lightning bolt known to all who knew Zeus.


    The interesting thing about the bolt of lightning was that it was actually Chloe''s domain. She was literally throwing her domain at the enemy! How crazy was that?! It was also kinda cool.


    Her mental capabilities must be very insane to pull off such a thing. Especially when she recently just reached R3.


    It seemed like everyone in Muku''s group was crazy like that. Casually displaying abilities that would shock even those at higher ranks. Maybe that''s what it meant to have a class that had the word "legendary" in its classification. They truly were worthy to be called as such.


    While the attack seemed to have been delayed a lot due to the narration. That wasn''t the case at all. Everything happened almost instantaneously the moment she shouted out.


    The giant hand threw the lightning bolt towards the hole with great force. Then...


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    A thunderous explosion went off soon after. The explosion didn''t go off when the bolt touched the tarp. No! It passed right through, like a hot knife through butter.


    A hole with a radius of around a metre was left in the tarp. The lightning proceeded downward in full force. It was then that the Monarch, who had been looking on, made its move. It raised its hand up and toward the attack.


    Which would have been pointless. Since such a small hand wouldn''t be able to do anything. However, the hand suddenly enlarged and got big enough to fit the whole attack within its palm.


    It was at that moment the two met. Chloe''s weaponized domain hit the Monarch''s palm dead in the middle. The heaven-shaking explosion ensued right after.


    The hole that had been repaired to some extent was fully opened up again. Hell, it was made even larger by Chloe''s attack. The area around it was scotched black just from the radiating energy. The tarp was completely vaporised by the explosion. Part of the base would have been destroyed as well if Muku hadn''t protected it with his Telekinetic Force Field.


    Dust went everywhere. Everything went silent for a moment. As if revelling in the destruction that had just taken place.


    ....


    In the void...


    "Maybe there''s still a chance..." A voice sounded from one of the many observers.


    ....


    Back at the base...


    "Honestly..." The Monarch''s voice suddenly sounded in the silence.


    Boom!


    The moment it spoke. The dust in the area was blown away. Everything became clear to everyone again. A shocking sight met their eyes.


    "This is why I only wanted human life essence. You idiot", The Monarch spoke while facing William''s direction.


    The reason it did so was the same as what shocked everyone. Which was, its hand... Or, its missing hand to be exact...


    That''s right. Chloe''s attack had actually vaporised its hand. The destruction almost reached its elbow.


    While that seemed like significant damage. And it definitely was. Muku and Chloe''s expressions turned grave. Chloe just hit the Monarch with all she had. Yet it was still standing!


    Despite its missing hand. Its aura hadn''t wavered even a bit. It was still as strong as ever. And now, the only one who could do anything to it was out of mana.


    Muku could try fighting it with his Telekinesis however, it wasn''t very destructive. So, the damage would be minimal at best. He was certain he wouldn''t be able to squash it to death with his current abilities...


    "No matter... Bravo little girl. You''ll definitely make a great vessel with all that potential. At this point, your special attribute is just a bonus. Unfortunately, playtime is over. It''s time I get serious" The Monarch spoke as calmly as before.


    The moment its words fell. The air in the room instantly got heavier. Muku and Chloe literally couldn''t move even a muscle.


    They had finally been exposed to the full might of the Monarch. It really had been messing with them all this time.


    The truth also came out. It had actually been targeting Chloe from the start! Was it some kind of body snatcher?!


    ...


    Back in the void...


    "Sigh... I spoke too soon" The voice from before sounded again. Its disappointment evident to all...

 Chapter 213: Sacrifice

    In the void...


    "I''m sorry everyone. I''ll compensate you all somehow" The voice from before spoke apologetically.


    Before anyone could the others could do anything. It pointed its humongous figure forward.


    A clear beam of light flew forward at an inconceivable speed.


    .....


    Back at the base...


    Within less than a billionth of a second. It had broken out of the void and hit Muku on the back. By the time Muku or anyone in the room sensed it. Everything was already over.


    They all felt that something had happened. However, no one knew what exactly happened. Nothing happened to Muku after the beam hit him. He couldn''t feel anything different about his body.


    "Hehe... So, some idiot in the void ignored the rules huh? He''s definitely going to regret doing that. The Heavens aren''t blind after all. And it didn''t even work. In fact, let me kill this brat first to avoid problems" The Monarch spoke as it walked closer to Muku.


    It was so arrogant it announced its every move before doing it. Though, honestly, it had the right to be arrogant. Their strength difference was too large after all.


    It soon stood right in front of Muku. Pulled its remaining hand back while looking at his chest. Its intent was pretty obvious. It was going to stab through his chest or rip his heart out. Either way, Muku was screwed!


    "Bye, now..." The Monarch spoke its final words to Muku and instantly drove its hand forward.


    Whoosh!


    Stab!


    A chest was cleanly stabbed through. The heart was shown on the other side as it beat its last in the Monarch''s hand. It was crushed right after.


    "NOOOOOOOOO!"


    Chloe, who was standing beside Muku, screamed in horror. She couldn''t believe what she just witnessed.


    She just couldn''t take it anymore. She fell unconscious while frozen in place. His goodbye smile was the last thing she remembered before everything went dark.


    In her unconscious mind, their many memories together began replaying. A sad tear slid down her closed eyes...


    ....


    A few moments again in the void...


    The moment the beam reached Muku''s body. All the beings in the voice were cut off from being able to perceive what was going on in the outside world.


    Which was the punishment given out for the interference. Everyone was included in it. Which was why the being from before apologised to everyone. They won''t be able to see what is going on in the outside world for two years. This will definitely give an advantage to the other side.


    "We just hope that your gamble pays off..." Multiple voices spoke in reply to the apology.


    They could no longer see anything. So, they could only hope that everything works out.


    "I hope so too..." The one who made the move spoke in a hopeful voice.


    While they could no longer see what was going on. They could still get reports from their subordinates hidden in the world. So, they should find out the outcome soon enough...


    .....


    Back at the base, in the present...


    "Cough, cough... It seems like this is it for me. Please take care of her. And tell her that I''m sorry" William spoke while looking back at Muku from the corner of his eye.


    His body then went limp. William, Chloe''s father... Was dead.


    That''s right. It wasn''t Muku''s chest which was pierced though. But William''s instead. He had jumped in between the Monarch and Muku in time.


    Which was unexpected by the Monarch. It had been ignoring him and the others since Chloe''s attack.


    Muku just looked at William''s body wide-eyed.


    "Well... This was unexpected. However, it still got the job done. So, I won''t complain" The Monarch spoke. It then pulled its hand back. William''s body fell to the ground immediately.


    The Monarch didn''t look at Muku any further. There was no reason to care about him anymore. Chloe''s mental barrier has already been weakened after seeing her father die.


    It has been trying to do that from the beginning. Which was why it had been leading her and Muku along. Exposing things that didn''t have to be exposed.


    Chloe had held on longer than expected, however. However, she fell in the end. Now, the Monarch could take over her body with little resistance.


    As for Muku, he''d be killed off the moment it stopped restraining its aura. It had to restrain itself before it got closer to the weakened Chloe. Otherwise, she''d have died along with Muku before it even arrived in front of them. Which won''t be a problem after it takes over her body.


    Its current vessel was too imperfect after substituting human life essence with that of beasts. There was a great difference between the two, which William didn''t know about. If he hadn''t suggested switching things, he might still been alive.


    Whether he''d get his dead wife back or not though... That was debatable. The Monarch could only bring the husk back to life. With the memories intact. However, the soul couldn''t be brought back. So, William''s wife would just be a bio-robot.


    Of course, William wasn''t told all that. So, maybe it was better he didn''t get to see such an outcome. That would have definitely broken him beyond repair.


    Anyway, the Monarch slowly reached its hand out to grab Chloe''s head. It was time to move along with its plans. Playtime really was over. It had vented enough...


    Grab!


    "I''m sorry to get in your way, but... I was tasked with the duty of protecting this girl. So, I cannot let you have her..." Just as the Monarch''s hand was about to reach Chloe''s head. Muku grabbed its hand first and spoke in an emotionless voice.


    His aura seemed to be the same. However, his body, eyes and hair were a whole different matter. His whole body was covered by white dragon scales. Two dragon horns had grown on his forehead. His eyes had turned a burning yellow with a vertical slit like that of reptiles at the centre. His hair had turned pitch black and increased in length until it reached his waist.


    "Oh?..." The Monarch only spoke one word then...


    Bang!


    BOOOM!


    Muku punched it in the face. It flew back and hit the wall hard. The wall, which had survived everything that happened before, broke under the force of the Monarch smashing into it.


    The Monarch''s face even caved in a little bit. Its green glow also dimmed.


    Bang!


    Before the Monarch could make sense of what was happening. Muku was already in front of it. Another punch smashed into its head. Which made it dig deeper into the hole it created.


    "Enough!"


    BOOOM


    The Monarch screamed and released its aura entirely. It was so pissed off that it no longer cared about anything. Even if Chloe died as well. It didn''t care.


    Its green glow became brighter and brighter until it was blinding. The old Muku would have definitely been vaporised by the glow. However, he stood there completely fine. Chloe was fine as well. Her body seemed to have gotten isolated from the outside world somehow.


    "You should have ended me when you had the chance. Now it''s my turn. I won''t repeat the mistake you made" Muku disappeared right in front of the Monarch''s eyes. That time it saw everything clearly.


    It wasn''t speed which he was using. He was literally disappearing and appearing somewhere else. He was teleporting!


    "IMPOSSIBLE! That ability shouldn''t be something you have access t..." The Monarch screamed hysterically.


    However, before it could finish. It was again punched in the face. From then on, it received one punch after the other. It tried its best to fight back. Which was really hard to do with one hand. So, it kept on getting beaten back.


    Its whole body began cracking from Muku''s unrelenting attacks. From how things looked. The Monarch would be killed off soon. Which confused all those who were looking on. How did the situation change so much so soon?!


    It was literally about to end things. Why was it getting dominated now?! And what do we up with Muku''s sudden transformation?! Where was the usual exaggerated event which came with transformations?!


    It''s like he just breathed and changed forms! That was completely unfair! It was against the script. The Monarch wanted to sue!


    "Enough! Get back or I''ll end her right now!" Suddenly a snake''s... Cough, Abel''s voice sounded from a distance away.


    He was standing behind Chloe holding a blade to her neck. His legs were shaking up a storm. They started shaking even more the moment Muku looked back at him.


    Looking into those emotionless burning yellow eyes made him almost oee his pants. Unfortunately, he had already chosen his side. He could only stick to it until the end. That''s right, he was the only one who didn''t have his life essence sucked out of him by the Monarch before. Which obviously meant that he had made a secret deal no one knew about.


    So, if the Monarch lost and got killed. He definitely wouldn''t survive either. Helping the Monarch win was his only way out.


    "Go ahead. Try it..." Muku spoke calmly.


    "What? You think I don''t dare do it? I''ll give you a warning shot!" Abel was pissed off by Muku''s response. He then slashed at Chloe''s hand to show his seriousness.


    Bang!


    A second later, a hand fell to the ground. Abel confusedly looked at the group. He was wondering how the hand possibly got cut off. He hadn''t put that much strength into it after all.


    However, what he saw wasn''t Chloe''s hand on the ground. He saw his instead.


    "Hhm? Ahhhhh!" It took him a second to realise what was going on. Then he let out a blood-curdling scream as the realisation and pain finally hit him.


    "Attack!" He called out before falling to the ground.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...


    Ten different element spells were thrown in Muku''s direction.


    It was from Abel''s plan B. He had long taken control of the ten R3 guards from the metal door. He had called them inside while Muku was still focused on the Monarch.


    He felt fortunate for his cautiousness. Otherwise, he would have been killed off by then.


    Muku looked away from Abel for a moment. Of course, with his current abilities, the ten weren''t a problem. He dispatched them in less than ten seconds.


    He then looked at the spot Abel was before. And, Abel was missing. The snake had already slithered away.


    He could probably catch up with him easily if he chose to pursue it. However, the monarch was more important.


    He looked back at the Monarch. It was time to finish it off. The moment he did...


    Bang!


    He was met with a punch to the face. The punch was as strong as his own even.


    "Hehe. Time for round two" The Monarch spoke in an angry tone. Muku had embarrassed it way too much. He had to die!


    Its body was fully restored. Even the missing hand grew back!....

 Chapter 214 214: Tussle with the Monarch

    Muku was confused for a moment.


    Then he noticed that the nine remaining people in the room had been sucked dry and got killed. It had done it silently and quickly. So, he didn''t sense it.


    That wasn''t all, he could no longer sense anyone alive in the base above him. The bastard had sucked all their life force as well. No wonder it had gotten so much stronger.


    "You will regret that" Muku spoke. His voice radiated anger.


    Humans were already dying like flies all over the world. Which he couldn''t do anything about. However, for the Monarch to kill so many of them in front of him. It was like adding more wood to the raging flame of anger in his heart.


    "Bring it on!" The Monarch replied in a similarly angry voice.


    They both stood still for a moment. Just glaring at each other.


    BOOOM! BOOOM!


    At the same time, they ran forward. Muku didn''t even teleport. He wanted to meet the Monarch head-on. And beat it into the ground. He wanted to rip both it and its superiority complex apart.


    BOOOOM!


    A loud explosion went off the moment the two sides met. They both had thrown punches at the other. Their punches met each other in the middle.


    The resulting shockwave left cracks in the walls which spread in every direction. Their power levels were fast approaching levels the special tiles couldn''t handle. After they gave out, everything was sure to come crumbling down.


    Neither Muku nor the Monarch cared about that, however. They only cared about tearing the other party apart.


    Boom! Boom!...


    The two kept on punching each other left and right all over the room. As expected, the tiles soon gave out. Everything came crumbling down.


    They, of course, got out in time. They continued their fight in the air. The barbaric way they fought showed just how much they despised each other.


    Neither had used an attack spell since the beginning. They wanted to hurt the other party as much as possible before finishing it.


    BOOOOM!


    They sent out a punch at each other which pushed them in opposite directions.


    "I''ve had enough of this! ROOOOOAR!" The Monarch took the chance to send a breath attack in Muku''s direction.


    Which looked rather odd since its face was featureless. The breath attack formed just a few centimetres in front of the area where the mouth would be located.


    "Hhm!" Muku made an unconvinced sound. Then he held out his hand.


    Boom!


    A huge metal door flew out from beneath the ground. It was the same door which was used in the secret room.


    Muku could create his own metal to fight with. However, using something that was already around saved mana so...


    Anyway, the huge door then flew in front of Muku and stood like a shield. He could have easily dodged it. However, he chose to block it instead. Who knew where the beam would hit if he avoided it? It could end up killing some innocent people or something.


    BOOOOOOM!


    An explosion went off when the beam and the door met. Muku was taking care of another task as he blocked the attack.


    He had been fighting while protecting Chloe. Which held him back a little. He spotted the other girls a distance away. So, he teleported her to them.


    The girls were startled by Chloe''s sudden appearance in front of them. However, they adjusted quickly enough. They had already seen Muku''s new appearance.


    Which made them accept pretty much anything. He always does something like that. He''d randomly get new abilities whenever there was a need for them. Though his current form and strength were a bit exaggerated. How tf was he so strong?! Even Audrey couldn''t keep up with what was going on. And what was the eerie green thing he was fighting?


    Was that the Monarch? Was he already strong enough to tussle with a Monarch? Didn''t they all recently reach Rank Three?! The strength he was displaying was definitely not R3 strength. It might even be above R4!


    How was that fair?! Were they even using the same rank-up system? The girls felt bitter. They wanted to sue!


    If the Monarch knew what they were thinking. Maybe, it would want to make them its sworn sisters. Then they''d go and sue Muku together. The cheating a**hole!


    "Oh my?!" Audrey exclaimed in shock after seeing William''s body which appeared soon after Chloe did.


    "Poor girl" Audrey continued as she looked between Chloe and the deceased William. Even in an unconscious state. She could tell that Chloe was grieving. Tears were continuously falling from her closed eyes.


    To think things had turned so bad in such a short time. Only if they were strong enough. They might have been able to help. They had tried to jump into the hole to help. However, Muku repelled them back with his Telekinesis. It was just before he and Chloe were immobilised before.


    He knew that the others going in at that time would have just led to more problems. As an understanding group, the trio no longer tried to enter. They even moved a distance away. Which turned out to be for the best.


    "Let''s go" Layla spoke after collecting herself for a bit. She had gotten really close to Chloe. So, she really felt for her.


    She encased William''s body in ice and put it in her Shadow Pocket. Audrey carried Chloe on her back, and the girls moved further away from the battlefield. All their moods had been dumbened by William''s death.


    Just a few hours ago they had been thinking about how they were going to free him from the Monarch''s control. And how Chloe was going to tell him she was striving to be part of a harem. Yet, all that won''t be realised since he was dead.


    They had never had anyone close to them die in front of them like that since the apocalypse began. Of course, that''s when Emily''s death and rebirth were ignored.


    So, William''s death really stung. Despite them not being familiar with him. Like at all. Layla and Emily hadn''t even seen him in person before. Yet, they all found themselves shading tears as they walked away.


    They all swore in their hearts to get stronger so that such losses never happen again.


    .....


    Back to the battle...


    "You disrespectful brat. How dare you use my door against me!" The Monarch complained angrily.


    The door had been specifically crafted to be able to resist its power. So, it was mostly unharmed by its attack. A few more might be able to destroy it. However, it was work the Monarch shouldn''t have had to do!


    "Hmm... I wonder" Muku didn''t reply to the Monarch''s words. He seemed to be stuck in his own thoughts.


    The Monarch was about to lose it again thinking it was being underestimated. That''s when Muku placed his hand on the door.


    Bang!


    It instantly broke apart. Scrap metal flew everywhere...


    "Pfft... Hahaha, that was your only sure way of blocking my attacks. I''ll make you pay for you arroga..." The Monarch thought Muku had arrogantly destroyed the door to show that he didn''t need it.


    However, it couldn''t finish its taunt as the scrap metal gathered together in the air. It then turned into a black liquid. It kinda looked like a black version of mercury.


    "Oh, no you don''t!" The Monarch screamed hysterically and then charged toward Muku at high speeds. It had enough experience to know not to let someone create something during an equally matched battle.


    Such things are always what gets the other side killed.


    The Monarch reached out to grab the blob of metal. The hand enlarged as it got closer to Muku. It was the same move it used before when it blocked Chloe''s lightning.


    Unfortunately for the Monarch Muku had seen it coming from a mile away. So, by the time the hand arrived. He and the blob had teleported to the place behind the Monarch.


    The metal blob then attached itself to his body. He was completely encased in it for a moment.


    Then the blob turned solid as well as took on a specific shape. It turned into a pitch-black armour that covered Muku from top to bottom.


    Even his head was hidden behind a scary-looking helmet. Which looked like a smiling demon of sought. The aura it gave off was different from any of his previous armour.


    The current armour almost seemed to be alive. Even the air Muku himself released was affected by it. It turned darker. Almost evil in fact...


    "Well, this is unexpected... I''ll call this one Nightmare Armour. For it is going to be your nightmare. It''s time we end this..." Muku spoke. His voice sounded raspy and creepy behind the armour.


    The Monarch froze for a moment. It suddenly felt like its death might be guaranteed now...


    It was regretting keeping the mysterious metal it had found randomly all those years ago. The metal was already door in the shape of the door from before.


    It was basically indestructible at that time. However, it had lost most of its strength over countless years of existence. Which was why it directed William''s crew to where it was. Since it wasn''t only resistant to the Monarch''s power. But every other power.


    Which made it perfect for locking things that shouldn''t be seen behind it. It was only through the weird enchantment on it that they were able to use it.


    Now, the Monarch was regretting it. Nothing had happened yet. But it could sense danger from Muku which was at least a thousand times more intense than before. The dangerous feeling kept on increasing as well.


    {No! I refuse to die here! I have died once before already! I have to think of something! I can only think of one thing... Should I do it?} The Monarch thought to itself while looking at Muku intensely.


    It was on guard. Ready to defend the moment he moved. It didn''t even think of attacking anymore.

 Chapter 215: The Monarchs Death

    Whoosh!


    BOOM!


    The moment Muku''s figure got slightly blurry. The Monarch flew away at its highest speed. It was so quick it broke through the sound barrier despite the increased threshold.


    "Huh?!" The Monarch only stopped many metres away. However, it noticed something wrong with its body.


    Its hand was missing again. This time it was from the shoulder. Which was a lot worse than before. It instantly looked back.


    It saw Muku floating in the place it had been before. In his hand was its served hand. It seemed it still couldn''t completely escape despite pushing its speed to the max.


    "It seems I missed... No matter, it won''t happen a second time," Muku spoke, and then he disappeared again.


    The Monarch, who felt even more threatened after losing an arm, made its move. It opted to run away again. This time, it didn''t stop flying.


    Until something forced it to stop. It was Muku standing in front of it. In his hand was a glowing green leg. The Monarch looked down and subconsciously. As expected, one of its legs was missing.


    That''s when it realised that it was no longer a fight anymore. Muku probably didn''t miss the first time. He was doing it on purpose. He wanted to literally rip it apart.


    The realisation angered it greatly. However, there was nothing it could do. All the people marked by its power had already been killed. It couldn''t get any more power within a short period.


    So, as much as it hated it. Escaping was the only option. Though that didn''t seem very probable at the moment...


    Whoosh!


    Rip!


    Rip!


    As if to prove the Monarch''s thoughts true. Muku made his move again. That time, even before it the Monarch could react. Its remaining hand and leg were gone. They had been ripped off its body like the others.


    "Next is your head" Muku whispered into the Monarch''s ear as he floated right beside it.


    "NOOOOO!"


    BOOOOOOM!


    The Monarch was very unwilling. It let out a scream, which released most of the energy in its body. The energy went in every direction. If Muku was caught off guard by the raw energy. He might be the one to get defeated instead.


    Unfortunately, that didn''t happen. Muku''s body didn''t move from the spot. However, it turned ethereal just before the energy reached him. The energy passed right through him as if he wasn''t there. It was almost like he had turned into a ghost.


    Which wasn''t the case. He had just jumped into a different dimension. Which was an advanced technique exclusive to the space element.


    The energy wave the Monarch released didn''t last long. It disappeared into nothingness after going a little distance away from the duo. Its disappearance was also the disappearance of the Monarch''s final chance to turn things around.


    "Go ahead and finish it" The Monarch spoke in a weak voice.


    It had had given up. That move was its trump card. It only had a minuscule amount of energy left. Which couldn''t do anything to Muku.


    So, while it was unwilling to die just after getting resurrected. There was nothing it could do. It could at least die with dignity.


    For Beings like it. If special methods weren''t applied. Then death wasn''t final. Maybe it will have another chance of a comeback in the future.


    If it did get another chance. It will make sure to not be so arrogant. Everyone would be killed the moment it got resurrected. Whether enemy, subordinates or even passersby!


    "Die no... COUGH! ARGH!" Muku held out his hand toward the Monarch''s head. About to finish it off.


    That''s when something unexpected happened. He suddenly coughed out a mouthful of blood. Some of it splashed out through the helmet. He groaned in pain as he took his hand back. He then held it to his chest.


    His powerful aura quickly began decreasing in intensity. Soon it had reached his usual aura level. However, it didn''t stop there. It kept on decreasing until he was as weak as an unranked person!


    The Monarch was shocked by the sudden plot twist. However, being the seasoned opportunist it was. It quickly recovered from the shock.


    It gathered the little bit of energy it had left. Which wouldn''t have been able to do anything to Muku before.


    However, he wasn''t in that state now, was he? It was preparing to kill him off with one final breath attack.


    Even if the breath attack would be rather small. An embarrassment to breath attacks everywhere. It would still be enough to finish the job based on how weak Muku had gotten. He could barely keep himself from falling down.


    "RO.... COUGH. COUGH"


    Another plot twist occurred. Just when the Monarch was about to end Muku. A huge clawed hand made of red Beast Aura stabbed through its chest from the back.


    It came out the front holding something. While it wasn''t a heart, like the situation with William. It was something equally, if not more important to the Monarch. The Monarch core shard from before...


    The Monarch turned back to look at who or what had literally stabbed it in the back. Its fading aura began chaotic for a moment due to the shock of what it saw.


    "Impossible" The Monarch spoke one word before its body went limp. It had died, again...


    ...


    Somewhere else in the forest...


    "Huff! Huff! Argh! That bastard! I''ll make him pay! He dares be arrogant because he has cheats?! I''ll go heal and start an army! That cheat shouldn''t last long! I''ll show him!" Abel, who had run for an unknown distance in a random direction, spoke to himself angrily.


    His prosperous future with the Monarch was already set. Only if that cheater Muku didn''t get involved! Now he was missing a hand with an uncertain future.


    His mind won''t feel at ease until he gets his revenge. No one has ever done such a thing to him and survived!


    Abel had a twisted expression on his face which matched his emotions. His handsome looks, which rivalled Muku''s, were nowhere to be seen. One could argue that his current look was his real look.


    A vile look which reflected his corrupt heart.


    "Umm, you''re Abel right?" A youthful female voice sounded from behind Abel.


    "Yes. What do you wa..." Abel replied instinctually. However, he paused soon after.


    Firstly, he was supposed to be alone. Secondly, if it was someone from the base who had found him, they wouldn''t ask who he was. Lastly, other than the base residents and Muku''s group. No one else was around.


    So... Abel immediately began sweating bullets as he turned around. He started finding it slightly hard to breathe. Which was probably due to exhaustion and nervousness.


    "How rude. Anyway, if you''re really Abel. Then you''re definitely talking about my Big Brother. He''s the only one who can make his enemies feel such intense hatred with his cheat abilities. I kinda feel pity for you... However, sorry to say, but your revenge is not going to happen" The girl who turned out to be Hope continued speaking.


    She spoke innocently with her sweet voice. However, Abel''s expression got increasingly grave the more she spoke.


    At first when he looked at her. She looked like a cute and innocent teen. However, when she mentioned her big brother. Abel felt chills go down his spine.


    Even though her tone didn''t change. Her image changed in front of him. All he could was purple mist with glowing green eyes looking at him.


    He wanted to run but his body wouldn''t move. He wanted to close his eyes or even look away. But his whole body had locked up on him. He could do nothing but stare at the terrifying image with terror in his eyes.


    The thought to mobilise his abilities didn''t even form in his mind...


    On the other hand, Hope just looked at him curiously. In her point of view. Which was the real appearance of things. Abel''s body had turned completely purple. His eyes were looking into blank space with unparalleled terror.


    After a few seconds of that. All signs of life left his body. He was dead... Without even knowing it to.


    He had been poisoned to death while being trapped in a mental illusion. That wasn''t the end of it, however. His body obviously fell to the ground after losing the supporting strength.


    When it hit the ground... It crumbled like a sand sculpture. Hope''s poison was so strong it severed the micro connections in his body. If she has continued to apply power. He might have gotten poisoned out of existence or something.


    "So... That''s what my domain does... Blargh!" Hope spoke to herself while trying to keep calm. However, she couldn''t stop herself from vomiting.


    While she was willing to do anything for her brother. Which included killing a man, apparently... It was still not something she could easily handle.


    She''ll probably have nightmares for days. Though, she still wouldn''t regret it. She was always happy to reduce the things her brother had to worry about. Which Abel had become... A problem Muku would have had to worry about.


    "Argh! I can''t delay anymore. I have to catch up to her!. Why did she have to suddenly go crazy like that?!" Hope spoke as she collected herself.


    She then continued running deeper into the forest. Meeting Abel was just a lucky encounter.


    She had something else to take care of...

 Chapter 216: I love you

    Back at the battle scene...


    "All evil Monarchs must die" A familiar voice spoke just a few metres away from the weakened Muku.


    His version was a bit blurry. However, he was certain that the person didn''t look like that before.


    As he was wondering what was wrong. The voice''s owner grasped its hand tightly. Which crushed the precious shard that powered the Monarch''s resurrection.


    The moment the shard was crushed. The Monarch''s body, which still had a hand going through it, broke apart. It shattered like glass. The shard pieces then dissolved into the surroundings before reaching the ground.


    The moment that happened. A small, dim, ethereal orb was exposed. It wasn''t something normal people could see. For it was the immortal soul of a Monarch. Something that was nearly indestructible. Not even time could erode it.


    Unfortunately, for the Monarch. Both of the individuals present could see it clearly. However, it was confident they couldn''t do anything to it despite that.


    One was Muku, who seemed to be close to dying. The other was the figure enshrouded in red Beast Aura who was nowhere near strong enough to even scratch it. So, its escape was basically guaranteed.


    "You won this time you lucky trash. You better hope you''re already dead by the time I return. Otherwise, I''ll kill you in the most painful way possible" The Monarch''s voice sounded in both Muku''s and the other figure''s ears.


    "There will be no next time!" Muku, who had the motto to never let an enemy get away, spoke.


    He painfully willed himself to look directly at the Monarch''s immortal soul. Internally he was hoping the ability he was depending on wouldn''t fail him again.


    Fortunately, his wishes were realised. His yellow eyes returned to normal behind the helmet. Then a familiar grey glow appeared on them.


    The Monarch instantly felt the danger. The danger it sensed could easily top all it has ever felt combined! One had to know that the Monarch was an ancient creature that originated from a time when danger and death were everywhere. Hell, it even died.


    So, for the danger it felt to top all of that combined. It was easy to understand just how much danger it was in. Then again, it was about to be literally erased out of existence, so it was understandable.


    "Erasing gaze!" Muku weakly called out.


    "Noooooo!" The Monarch, which couldn''t get away quickly enough in its slow soul state, screamed in horror as it perceived itself getting erased.


    Soon, the Monarch was completely erased out of existence. Its last thought was {How is this possible?!}


    Then it was gone forever...


    "COUGH! COUGH! Red suits your personality a lot better" Muku joked with the figure floating in front of him despite his even weaker state.


    His vision had gotten blurry after using his erasing gaze. However, he had already taken a good look at the other party before that.


    Though internally he was cursing that his bloodline had forsaken him earlier when he tried it. He could have used it to scare the Monarch away or something. Then he wouldn''t have had to accept the damned deal that left his body in its current broken state.


    However, it didn''t work at that time. Just like the time with Ares. It was like it would ditch him whenever he needed it most.


    What he didn''t know was that his bloodline always worked in his best interest. It had a Pseudo-consciousness, which could perceive a lot more things than he could. It had perceived the various spectators in the void. Who would have definitely found trouble with him if he had used his erasing gaze.


    For that reason, like the time before, his bloodline ability was locked.


    It was something he would only find out about, way in the future. And he''d be grateful at the time. For, if it wasn''t for that mechanism. He''d have long become public enemy number one. Hunted down by both sides.


    "Tsk. We should get you to Hope" The figure replied.


    As most, if not all, have long guessed. The figure was Jade. Just that she was rocking a new and unexpected look.


    Her once-green hair was now a fiery red. And as evident from her attacks. Her Beast Aura had also changed colour. It was the same colour as her hair. It also seemed a lot more aggressive and deadly.


    This was proven by the fact that she could get close to the Monarch. To the point of stabbing her hand through its chest. While the Monarch had lost pretty much all its power by the time Jade came. The effect of repelling "mortals" was still as strong as ever. That was a natural ability it had which it just happened to be able to control to some extent. It didn''t require any energy input from the Monarch.


    It was like a physical manifestation of its aura. Something higher rank beings have over weaker ones. Even Muku''s group could briefly use that effect when their emotions were high...


    So, for Jade to be able to get through that. Her red Beast Aura must be really special or really strong.


    Anyway, her hair was also restored to its long state. Which Jade definitely appreciated a lot. Though her eyes remained as green as ever.


    "That would be for the best. Especially if you can do it within the next two minutes..." Muku replied. He wasn''t against the idea at all.


    "Of course. I have something to talk to you afterwards" Jade agreed. She wondered why he gave her a two-minute deadline. However, she chose to put that aside for the time being.


    She proceeded to princess carry Muku which made him wish he was dead from embarrassment. After which she flew in the direction she had ditched Hope in.


    "Since when could you fly?!" Although it hurt him a lot to speak. Muku couldn''t contain his curiosity.


    "Anyone can fly in their domain... It''s just that I got a little assistance in knowing that. Look, there she is," Jade replied nonchalantly, then glanced in a certain direction.


    Which was where a clearly tired and out-of-breath Hope could be seen struggling to run forward. The girl really was a mage-type through and through.


    Though it was kind of cute to see her not giving up despite being obviously tired. Jade, who didn''t want to prolong both Muku and Hope''s suffering, descended immediately.


    As for what she said about anyone being able to fly within their domains. It was one hundred percent true. It just needed one to have precise control of their energy and a strong mind. So, it was something the other girls would probably learn how to do soon enough...


    "Stop running. I''m here" Jade spoke just as she reached in front of Hope while hovering slightly above ground.


    "Ah! You scared me you jer... Big Brother?... Big Brother! What happened to him?! Healing Domain! Hallowed Ground!" Hope jumped back after being startled by Jade.


    After realising who it was, she cursed instantly which she stopped after seeing Muku in her hands. Even with the scary-looking armour she had never seen before. She recognised him instantly.


    She also instantly realised something was wrong with him after seeing him in Jade''s arms. Which was confirmed by his weak aura.


    She didn''t waste any time. She instantly deployed her domain and cast her best healing spells in it. Even though the domain alone would have been able to do the work.


    Like always when Muku was injured. It didn''t take long for tears to form and start falling from her eyes. It always seemed to hurt her more than even Muku himself when he was hurt.


    Jade put him gently on the ground and stepped out of the minimised domain. She stood on the side and let Hope do her thing.


    "Why aren''t you taking off your armour?" Hope asked as she traced her hand on the helmet.


    "I can''t... Anyway, listen to me. I have something very important to tell you," Muku, who was feeling a little better already after Hope''s interference spoke.


    He only elaborated a little bit about the armour. He then moved on to another matter.


    "No, don''t say anything for now. Focus on healing. You can tell me later" Hope cut him off. To her, his healing process was the most important thing at that point.


    "No, please listen. I don''t have much time!" Muku didn''t listen to her but continued speaking.


    "W...what do you mean?!" Hope asked hesitantly. She had wanted to cut him off again.


    However, after hearing what he was saying. Her heart skipped a beat. She felt her body getting weaker and weaker by the second. It also felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest from... Fear. What did he mean he didn''t have much time left?!


    The tears that had stopped falling from her eyes began falling again. They fell a lot more intensely than before as well.


    Even Jade, who was hearing everything from a little distance away, felt unsettled by his words. However, unlike Hope, she wanted to let him finish what he wanted to say before jumping to conclusions.


    "Firstly, calm down. I''m not dying... However, I will have to go away from all of you for two years..." Muku cleared Hope''s confusion.


    Which calmed her down for a moment. However, her emotions took another blow from what he said next.


    "What do you mean? Where are you going? Take me with you! No! I''m coming with you!" Hope replied.


    Her reply went from confusion to begging, then ending as an order. She didn''t care where he was going. She was going to go with him. Whether he wanted to or not.


    What did he mean by going away for two years? How could she live that long without him?!


    Even Jade had moved closer. She agreed with Hope... Wherever Muku was planning on going. She was going there as well!


    "Listen to me. No one else can come. Even if they want to. It''s something I have to do alone. I..." Muku was explaining to the two girls when he suddenly stopped.


    He looked in a certain direction. The two girls looked in that direction as well. They all sensed an otherworldly aura there.


    The moment they did. Space split open. Like literally, it first cracked then opened up.


    Before the trio could react. A giant pitch-black hand, which seemed to have a whole galaxy of stars within it, came through. It slowly made its way toward Muku. For some reason, they were all certain that it was there for Muku.


    Hope and Jade immediately wanted to run away with him. However, they realised that they couldn''t move their bodies.


    They could only watch in their frozen states as the hand grabbed the weakened Muku. He hadn''t even fully recovered yet. Then it dragged him back towards the crack in space.


    "NOOOOOO! BROTHER!" Hope, who could only move her eyes and mouth, let out a pained cry.


    Cracks began appearing all over her body as she tried to break free from the force which was holding her in place. Soon her whole body was painted red with her own blood.


    Jade was the same beside her. She was screaming also as she tried to break free.


    The girls tried with all their might. However, they just couldn''t break free, no matter what. They couldn''t do anything other than powerlessly look on as the hand dragged Muku into the crack.


    "Please, stop resisting. For my sake, please. Don''t be disheartened. I told you I would be back in two years. I promise!" Muku spoke hoarsely behind the armour. He was probably also in tears seeing how the girls were struggling for his sake.


    Unfortunately for him, his words fell on deaf ears. They kept on trying to break free. Injuring themselves even more.


    "Here... I promised you gifts before right? Take these necklaces. As long as they are intact. You''ll know that I''m alive and well. Hold on to them until I return with better gifts?..." Muku tried something else.


    He shaped special metal, which he had long created, into eight different coloured necklaces. Which was done with the little mana he had regained.


    He used something he had been secretly working on. Which he called Soul Metal. The details will be saved for another time. What mattered was that the metal was linked to a person''s soul. As long as the person was okay. The metal would be okay as well.


    So, he used it as a form of assurance for the girls. Each necklace had the initial letter of the name of the girl it was intended for. Emily and Elsa''s were different sizes.


    He wasn''t sure whether Elsa would even want it. However, he created one either way. As to not make her feel left out.


    Hope and Jade''s necklaces flew towards them and adorned themselves on their necks. The remaining six were put in front of Jade.


    "Remember Hope. Big Brother loves you. Always and forever. No matter the distance in-between us. Please, continue leaving for me. Until the day we meet again... You too Jade. I love you, as well. Take care of everyone for me. Tell them that I love them as well. We''ll meet again soon. I hope you''re all a lot stronger when I return. Then we can continue our exploration of the apocalyptic world with ease," Muku, who was almost completely gone into the crack, spoke some final words.


    Immediately after, his body was completely sucked in. And the crack closed up again.


    The moment it did. Hope and Jade were freed again. They both used their top speeds to run to the spot Muku was sucked into.


    However, no matter how many times they passed through it. Or even attacked it. Nothing happened. The spot had returned to normal. No different from any other spot.


    "BIG BROTHER!" Hope screamed out again. One could feel the pain and longing in her cry.


    She, who was already physically tired even before everything soon fainted. She was about to fall to the ground when Jade caught her.


    The equally bloody and emotionally hurt Jade cried silently as she held the unconscious Hope. She still couldn''t believe it.


    Just like that. Muku was gone...

 Chapter 217: Clarity from Iris...

    A while later...


    "What happened here?" Emily asked while looking at the bloodied Jade and Hope.


    Jade was silently crying. Hope was unconscious in Jade''s hands. Muku was nowhere to be seen.


    So, Emily already had a bad feeling in her heart as she asked the question. Layla and Audrey, who were behind, also had grave expressions on their faces. Their women''s intuition was going off like crazy. They were certain that something very significant had occurred in that place.


    Audrey even had an idea of what it was without anyone telling her. She had a special connection with Muku after. She always had a general idea of his location.


    However, since a while ago. She couldn''t sense anything. It was almost like Muku was no longer in the same world...


    Fortunately, she was certain that he was alive. Otherwise, who knows what she would have done.


    "Let''s go home. We need to see Iris. Here..." Jade didn''t reply to Emily''s words. She basically gave the others orders. Tossed the six necklaces at Emily and then took off towards the mansion with Hope still in her arms.


    She didn''t even wait for a response. The three girls looked at each other after Jade left. None said anything. Emily picked up the necklaces Jade threw and they silently went after her.


    Chloe was still unconscious on Audrey''s back. She probably wouldn''t wake up anytime soon.


    Seeing the necklaces which were obviously made by Muku. But not receiving them from him made the girls feel so uneasy they almost couldn''t breathe.


    Jade''s actions didn''t help in calming them down either. With the intent of wanting to know what the hell was happening. They quickly ran after Jade.


    Of course, they didn''t manage to catch up. Jade flew while they ran after all. They were wondering since when she could fly or when her Beast Aura changed colours. However, there were more important things to deal with. Not to mention that Jade didn''t seem to be in a talkative mood.


    ...


    A while later. Back at the mansion...


    Though Jade didn''t wait for the others when she returned. She waited for them before speaking to Iris.


    While the others were on the way. She cleaned up herself and Hope. Then banged all of Hope''s wounds. Unlike her body, Hope''s body didn''t have a naturally high healing factor.


    So, while Jade had long stopped bleeding. Hope was still bleeding all over. Fortunately, it wasn''t intense bleeding. So, it wouldn''t be problematic to Hope in a short time.


    However, since Hope couldn''t heal herself while unconscious. Jade had to bandage her up to prevent further blood loss before she woke up.


    By the time the others arrived. She was already done. She had already spoken to Freya about asking Iris something.


    Freya was curious to know what that something was. However, Jade''s new look, which hadn''t returned to normal, intimidated her. She chose to wait until the time came and just listen in.


    While Jade had retracted her body. She still gave off an aggressive and unapproachable air which Freya couldn''t overcome. Which was worse when Jade arrived in a bloodied state with Hope in her arms.


    Both she and Elsa wanted to ask what was wrong. However, neither could muster the courage to ask anything.


    Anyway, Jade, Freya/Iris and Elsa were already sitting in the lounge. Layla and Emily joined them immediately. Audrey had to take Chloe upstairs first. Which she didn''t do quickly and returned to join the others.


    Everyone was eager to hear what Jade had to say after all.


    "Are you going to speak now?" Iris asked with curiosity radiating in her eyes. She was pretty much the only one who was eager to hear what Jade wanted to say purely for entertainment. She didn''t care too much about Muku being missing.


    Hell, his absence might work in her favour. She could try to manipulate the emotionally unstable girls into doing whatever she wanted. Of course, she''d have to proceed with caution lest the plan backfires and they unloaded their negative emotions on her.


    "I will only tell you about what happened to Muku. Nothing about me. So, don''t ask. I promised myself that I would tell him first about that. Anyway, it went like this..." Jade spoke in an emotionless voice.


    She made it clear that they were only going to get information related to Muku from her. Which the others felt was weird. However, they didn''t disagree.


    They could tell that she wasn''t in her usual state of mind. The current Jade almost seemed like she had detached herself emotionally from everyone present. Which hurt those closest to her like Emily. But even she quietly looked on. That could be dealt with later on...


    ...


    A while later...


    "So, he was taken into a crack in space by a weird-looking giant hand? It happened soon after his body broke down during a fight with the Monarch?" Audrey summarized what Jade said. She was making sure that she didn''t hear anything wrong.


    Which she felt she had to do because of the situation Muku was in. If what Jade said was true... Well, to put it simply. He was screwed. Two years? Ha! He might not be able to survive for two minutes in the place he was.


    It all depended on his luck. If he was lucky. Maybe he''d survive a few days. If not, he''d die upon arrival. Especially in the state, he was described to be in.


    "Yes. What do you understand from that information?" Jade confirmed. Her expression was unchanged.


    However, the other girls who had just found out what happened to Muku were distraught. Emily couldn''t take it anymore. She got up and ran out of the room while holding her mouth. Tears had already filled her eyes.


    Audrey silently cried while sitting in place. She wanted to know everything. Which is why she stopped herself from running away like Emily did.


    Layla, on the other hand, didn''t shed even a single tear. However, she grasped her fists to the point that she broke through her skin with her nails. Blood was flowing freely from her hands. Yet she didn''t seem to notice. It was as if she couldn''t feel the pain at all.


    From such actions, it was clear that she was just as affected by the news as the rest. She just had a different way of showing it.


    Freya was also crying in her mindscape while looking on through Iris''/ her eyes. Hell, even Elsa was shedding a few tears.


    Muku had become like an older brother to her after the time he took her out to rank up. So, hearing about his likely very perilous situation. She, of course, felt sad like the rest.


    "Well, firstly. Let''s talk about what got him into that situation. I think it went like this. He couldn''t fight the newly resurrected Monarch. Who would have had at least LR4 strength from the beginning. So, his being dominated makes sense. Anyway, what the Monarch did was something the Higher Guardians wouldn''t let slide. Their servants were probably too far to help like always. While they couldn''t personally interfere... Also, like always. Anyway, the only option left was what they did. Which was to make a deal with a person who was already present and could take their power..." Iris began explaining. Like always. She stopped when the paragraph got too long...


    "Am I feeding you too much information too quickly? Well, that''s your problem. Anyway, your little boyfriend was probably the only one who met the bill. So, they juiced him up until he could beat the Monarch. Their usual method would be to temporarily give him access to the strength he''ll have in the future. Which is done through minor time manipulation. Since he has a soul link with a dragon. He probably got to taste their union form in advance. That should be strong enough to take care of things..." Iris continued.


    "However, I know nothing about the evil-looking black armour you''re talking about. However, I''m sure it helped in improving his strength. Since the upgrade from guardians alone wouldn''t have made him so much stronger than the Monarch after it drained all the life essence from the Base residents. Well, whatever. I''m not all-knowing, so, whatever," Iris continued speaking nonchalantly.


    She was secretly feeling quite prideful. She always liked times like that when everyone would sit quietly and listen to what she had to say. It made her feel like a sage.


    It seemed snooping around in places she wasn''t supposed to, had finally paid off. Her nicknames from that time, "The Serial Gossiper" and "The Snooper" were well deserved.


    "Anyway, let''s move on to what you all want to know most. What that had was and where he was taken to. Let me begin by telling you this... Borrowing the power of Guardians always has a price to pay for both sides. The Guardians will probably be barred from peeking into the world for a while. He, well as the beast girl saw, was dragged off somewhere..." Iris continued speaking.


    She stopped just before saying the place''s name. She was trying to let emotions build a bit more before revealing the information. It was like an emotional drumroll.


    Bang!


    "Where!" Jade couldn''t take Iris'' nonchalant antics anymore. She smashed the table beside her and then asked aggressively.


    The way she was glaring at Iris. It was clear to see that she''d probably attack if Iris kept on playing around.


    "Woah! Beastie! I speak! No need to get angry" Iris spoke in a still unbothered mood. She even said something only Muku would say to Jade.


    It was almost like she was asking for a beating. And from Jade''s rising aura and darkening expression. She was about to get just that.


    "He was sent to the Beast World" Just before Jade attacked. Iris finally spoke.


    The whole room went silent after her words fell. Not even the low sound of someone breathing could be heard...

 Chapter 218: Distant Emotions

    The Beast World. A place no one had ever mentioned before. But they all knew it existed. After all, the portals that brought the beasts to their planet must have gotten them from somewhere else, right?


    Despite having figured all that out. No one had ever really cared about it. They had better things to do than think about that. All they cared to think about was how they would survive the next day.


    Who cared about a world they had no access to? Hell, they didn''t want access to it either. That''s where all the creatures that were terrorising them were coming from after all. Like they said, "out of sight, out of mind"


    That''s how the girls thought before Iris'' words fell. With a few words, Iris made them obsessed with the world.


    "How do I get there?" Jade asked the craziest but most natural question to ask.


    "Pfft... Hahahaha you want to go to The Beast World?! Hahahaha. That''s the funniest thing I''ve ever heard. Is this what you humans call true love? Hahahaha and look at the rest of you. Do you want to know, too? Hahahaha" Iris laughed out loud at Jade''s question.


    She''d briefly speak in between her laughter. However, what she said only made the girls angry at her.


    Seeing how the others had been waiting to hear how to get there as well. Made her laugh even harder. To the point that she had to hold her aching stomach. She found the situation so funny that tears began coming out of her eyes.


    While the girls were angered by her reaction. They didn''t do anything to her. They still needed her to tell them some stuff after all. Not to mention how her laughter seemed to be purely out of finding the situation funny. There wasn''t even a hint of ridicule in it.


    Which they figured was because she knew something which caused her to be like that.


    "Argh, why did you have to make me laugh so hard? Now my stomach hurts... Then again, this will not be my problem for long, so I guess it''s fine. Anyway, let''s get back on track. Let me tell you a little bit about The Beast World(BW). You guys are R2s and R3s, right? Well, the BW has countless of those, then R4s, R5s, R6s, R7s, R8s, and so on. Until eventually you reach The Monarchs. Like, legit Monarchs in their peak forms" Iris finally got back on track after laughing for a while.


    "And before you say anything, let me tell you something. Even if you all had Half-step R4 strength. You still wouldn''t be able to scratch a LR4 beast. Let alone a higher rank. I won''t even mention the issue you''ll have with R7s and so on. I will, however, tell you something about Monarchs. You all might think they aren''t that strong because you''ve survived a few encounters. However, you couldn''t be more wrong. In that world, just saying a Monarch''s name without being sufficiently strong enough to say it will make you explode and die. And that''s just one of the many absurd things about those creatures" Iris continued to shed a little more light on why she laughed so hard.


    There was genuine fear in her words. Her revelations showed just how perilous the situation Muku was in truly was. It was worse than anything anyone could have ever imagined.


    "Also, before you disgust me with your hot-bloodedness by saying you''re aware of the danger. And you still want to go. Let me make this clear. I don''t know how to get there. Such information is only known by Higher Guardians. I am... Or I was, rather, just an Apprentice Guardian" Iris shut down the next question Jade was to ask even before she could think about it.


    "Honestly, your best option right now is to pray and hope that he was sent to the outskirts of the world. His chances of survival would at least exist then..." Iris heartlessly laid the facts on them.


    After all, the so-called outskirts were filled to the bream with R4s and R5s.


    "Now, if you''ll excuse me. I have some laughing I should get back to," Iris said her goodbyes as she switched places with Freya.


    Freya immediately muted her as Iris really did continue laughing after returning to the mindscape. She really found the situation very funny.


    "Fine," Jade said one word to acknowledge her understanding of the situation. She then got up and began walking out of the mansion.


    "Where are you going?" Emily, who was just returning, asked Jade.


    "Out" Jade only said one word again and flew away.


    Emily''s heart took another hit. Jade had never behaved like that with her no matter how bad her mood had gotten. So, for her to start acting like that, especially with how things were going. It really hurt a lot more than it usually had.


    "Iris said to let her be for now. She''s like that because of her new power. It got awakened prematurely. It''s also not completely awakened. Which makes her emotions unstable" Freya told the others what she had been told by Iris.


    "Oh, okay" Emily replied to Freya''s words. She felt a bit better knowing that Jade wasn''t completely in control.


    "If you''ll excuse me. I have to go do something" Layla suddenly spoke while getting up.


    Without waiting for any replies, she walked out the door just like Jade before her. Her whole body was emitting a chilly aura. It was clear that she was probably going to vent.


    She hadn''t cried like the others. So, everything was still bottled up inside her. She had to release it somehow. Knowing that, the others quietly let her go.


    They all knew that Layla wasn''t the type to cry something out. Especially in the apocalypse. Her way of venting almost always involved fighting.


    They even felt slightly sorry for whatever beast she was going to encounter...


    As for the rest. They looked at each other quietly for a while before going their different ways. Some also went outside. Others returned to their rooms.


    They were not in a very chatty mood for obvious reasons. They each felt like having some time to themselves. They didn''t feel better together like they normally could.


    It was like Muku was the glue that held the whole group together. Without him, they all felt a bit distant from each other.


    Maybe it was just a momentary feeling driven by the situation. However, that''s what they felt. So, they chose to give each other the space they wanted.


    The usually bright mansion, no matter how difficult the situation got, suddenly went dark. It suddenly felt cold and empty...


    ...


    In the "Assistance Room"...


    Audrey lay on the bed silently crying. It was the place she felt closest to Muku. She would have gone to his room. However, that''s where Jade had placed Hope.


    Which was a good move. Since it was only after being placed on Muku''s bed did tears stop coming out of her closed eyes. It was almost like she could sense his presence in the room or something.


    Anyway, while the "Assistance Room" had been wiped clean of all evidence that anyone was in there. It was still a very special room to Audrey.


    It was the place where she shared an unforgettable experience with Muku. So, being in it, made her feel closer to him.


    That''s why she chose to cry there rather than in her own room. She hadn''t completely let herself go in front of the others. She had been trying to stay strong in front of the younger generation.


    As the unofficial vice leader of the group. As well as the oldest member. She couldn''t break down in front of the others. She had to be their pillar of support in these troublesome times.


    In Muku''s absence, it became her job to look after the group. Which she honestly didn''t want to be. But, it had to be done.


    "No! I won''t cry anymore. I have to stay strong. Crying only means that I have no faith in him. I should focus on getting stronger and keeping the group together instead. That''s what he would want. That way when he gets back. I can proudly look into his eyes with an improved group behind me" Audrey suddenly stopped crying and began hyping herself up instead.


    She didn''t want to be a useless woman who couldn''t function without Muku. Instead of being his weakness, she''d rather be his strength.


    She also wanted to get a lot stronger. That way Muku won''t have to do something like that again. If they were all strong enough. They would still be together with Muku at that moment. Maybe even Chloe''s father wouldn''t have died.


    So, with the necklace Muku made her around her neck. She got up from the bed. Wiped her tears away. And walked out of the room.


    She had a determined expression on her face. Determined to win. Determined to get stronger. Determined to make Muku proud when he returns.


    Just like her, Emily, Layla, Jade, Freya and even little Elsa were also determined to improve. Their methods would somewhat vary, however, the goal was the same


    Muku should be blown away by their improvement when he returns. As for him possibly dying there? That was impossible!


    He was Muku, an anomaly with cheats left a right! The only Legendary Class owner they knew of. The Divine Warlock...


    He will definitely survive and make it back to them. And they were certain he would blow their minds away with his improvement.


    For that reason, they will strive to blow his mind away at the same time...

 Chapter 219: Beast World

    In the Beast World...


    "Ahhhh!" A sudden panicked yell was heard then...


    Thud!


    With a not-too-loud thud. The yelling stopped. A slightly audible pained groan is what replaced it.


    "Argh. Couldn''t it drop me closer to the ground? I mean, come on! That hurt!" Muku complained as he lay on the ground.


    He didn''t know how long it had been since he was dragged into the crack in space. It felt like forever ago. And just when he was starting to get used to the new environment. He was tossed out. Falling from a few metres above ground.


    Which would have been nothing worth mentioning in normal cases. However, his body was still heavily injured. He was taken away before Hope could finish healing him.


    {Hey! Stop yelling! Do you want to get us killed?!} A slightly panicked voice sounded in Muku''s head.


    "Don''t tell me what to do! It''s your fault that we''re even here in the first place!" Muku snapped at the voice. However, he did it in a low voice.


    Signifying that he had taken heed of the warning despite his outward protest. He painfully willed himself up as he spoke. He was already missing Hope. Being in pain for an extended period was not something he was used to.


    {What?! Are you seriously blaming me for saving your life?! Do you think I wanted to come here after barely making it out??} The voice sounded again. It sounded very annoyed by his words.


    Muku could tell that the owner wanted to throw down with him. Maybe he should first learn more about where they were before making random comments.


    As for who he was talking to. It was the dragon he made a soul link with of course.


    Unlike what Iris assumed. It wasn''t Muku who made the deal with the Higher Guardian. Nor was he the one the Guardian sought out.


    The Guardian sought out the dragon from the start. It had sensed it resting in Muku''s mindscape. And from its lineage, as well as the soul link with Muku. It knew that the dragon wasn''t on the side of the beasts. If it was, it wouldn''t have formed a soul link with a human. Even if it''s troublesome lineage was ignored.


    For that reason. The Guardian offered it a deal. Which made more sense than offering it to Muku.


    First of all. Muku knew nothing of Higher Guardians. He also knew nothing of such deals. So, it would be reasonable to assume that if a random voice appeared in a person from The Blue Planet''s head. Offering power. They''d immediately think... "F*ck! I''m being tempted by the devil!"


    Even if they don''t think it''s the devil. They''d still not trust a random voice offering power when they need it most. Especially cautious people like Muku.


    So, the wise Guardian chose to approach the dragon instead. And, fortunately, everything went according to plan.


    After being awakened and made aware of what was happening. The dragon decisively agreed to the deal. Of course, it consulted Muku first.


    Who thought about it for a bit. He was hesitant, but after remembering how he was linked to the dragon. He agreed. After all, if things ended up badly for him, they''d end badly for the dragon as well.


    So, with that. Muku agreed to the deal that gave him the power he needed. And since it wasn''t a traditional power-up. There wasn''t the usual burst of "Rising Qi" or whatever. It was done in a way, the power seemed to have been there from the start.


    Which was why the Monarch was caught off guard and beaten up. Anyway, it wasn''t just Muku who felt the backlash in his body.


    The dragon was equally affected. Both of them had their power boosted to the limits of their current bodies. Then, they were merged through a soul link skill.


    Which gave them the combined power of PR4. That allowed Muku to comfortably battle the Monarch. His power was actually already failing when he brought the door into the mix. He was trying to conserve it at that time.


    After seeing how the door could block the Monarch''s attacks. He thought it would make good armour. Which would save him the mana he''d have to use for defence. So, in the heat of the moment, he turned it into armour.


    However, things went beyond what he was expecting when he did. The weird thing actually boosted his power to MR5!


    And that wasn''t all. He felt it trying to alter, or more appropriately, to corrupt his personality. Fortunately, his willpower was strong enough to resist.


    And since it was helpful in his fight, he kept it on and continued with the fight. The amour really proved useful. Even though he felt like he wasn''t using its power properly...


    Everything seemed to be going well after that. To the point that he forgot that he had little time left. So, like a kid who had gotten a new toy. He began playing around with it, unaware of the time. And, just when he was finally about to finish it. His time was up and he would been the one to get killed if Jade hadn''t shown up.


    It would have been the most embarrassing death ever... Well, second most embarrassing death ever. Kazuma will forever be number one1.


    Speaking of which. More often than not. Even in their early days. It has mostly always been Jade who bailed him out of troublesome situations. Maybe he should consider treating her better... Nuh! The brat totally deserved everything she got!


    What was also worth mentioning was the teleportation ability. Which even the Monarch was surprised by. It was as uncommon as the Monarch made it out to be. At least for beings below R10. Almost none could use it. And all those who could. They would always shake the world in their later years.


    That information was unknown to Muku though. If he did, he''d be smiling from ear to ear for lucking out when he made the soul link with the dragon. He thought its abilities were just a little bit more special than the rest.


    Which was understandable when his team had someone who could come back from the dead. Someone who could ignore defence. Someone who could poison your mind. Someone who could pretty much use every element available if they had the core for it. Someone who could upgrade a house like it was a game. Two people who could summon fairies. Someone who could corrupt you by scratching your skin. Someone who could freely use their element under a Monarch''s domain without any specific buffs.


    Then their leader! Muku himself, someone who could gaze you out of existence. So, yeah... Maybe teleportation wasn''t too special after all.


    "Okay, I''m sorry for saying that. Thank you for accepting the deal. Anyway, you''re more familiar with this place. What should we do next?" Muku apologised to the dragon. He then asked what their next step should be.


    While he had taken the leader position from the beginning of this whole apocalypse thing. He wasn''t against stepping back when there was someone else more qualified to present.


    And in the unfamiliar Beast World, the dragon was the more qualified individual. So, he immediately gave the reins to it.


    {Umm, firstly we should determine how far deep into the forest we are. Then, based on that information. We''ll determine how hard we need to try to hide. Everything else we''ll figure out after that. Insuring our weak lives takes priority} The dragon laid out the plan.


    Muku, who preferred being cautious while in an unfamiliar environment, was on board with the plan.


    He was thinking that his and the dragon''s meeting was truly fate. They were both cautious to a fault when the situation was uncertain. Though for the majestic and all-powerful dragon from lore to be so cautious. It was kinda disappointing...


    Then again, it was just a Rank Three for the time being. So, it''s not so majestic behaviour could be ignored.


    "Hhm, I like that plan... How are we going to do that though?" Muku expressed his agreement and then asked the next question.


    "Well... Unlike your world. The gravity here isn''t uniform. There''s also the mana density. However, that''s not as absolute as the gravity. Anyway, the stronger the gravity. The deeper in were are into the forest. Just use your word''s current gravity level as a gauge. Its gravity, after reaching level 2, should barely be equal to the outermost areas of the forest. So, if you feel anything beyond that. We''re deeper than we''d hope to be..." The dragon clearly explained things to Muku again.


    He was starting to like it more and more. Having a partner who gave off such a reliable aura was always a good thing.


    "Oh okay. Good plan. Just one problem though. I don''t think I feel any gravity pull at all. Like, I feel very light. Even lighter than I would feel on the Blue Planet. Is that weird? Well, it''s obviously weird, but how weird?" Muku asked.


    It was actually something he had noticed a while back. At that time, he just thought that it was how the Beast World works. However, it seemed to not be the case from the dragon''s words.


    {Hhm? That''s weird it shouldn''t be like that. Let me come out and see}... Ah!"


    Bang!


    The dragon replied. Then in front of Muku''s shocked eyes. A white light came out of his body and turned into a mini dragon.


    Before he could make sense of what was happening. The mini dragon screamed and fell on his chest hard...

 Chapter 220: Ghost Forest?

    The dragon immediately turned into a white light and returned into his body.


    "Umm... What was that?" Muku asked in a bewildered voice.


    {What do you mean by that?! I should be asking you! You said you couldn''t feel any pull from gravity! Then what was that?! I almost got smashed to death! Are you secretly plotting against me?? You want me dead, don''t you?!} The dragon spat out words rapidly.


    While it didn''t curse. Muku was clear that the intent was there. It probably was just too proud to actually voice it.


    In one small incident, the dragon''s reliable air instantly disappeared. Maybe it had been pretending to be calm before. It was probably just as uneasy about their current situation as he was. No wonder it immediately chose to hide as the priority.


    "Calm down... Firstly, your dying would halve my power for who knows how long. And look at my current state. Wouldn''t I straight up die if I lost any more power? Secondly, I really don''t feel any gravitational pull. There''s no reason to lie about that. Unfortunately, we don''t have Iris-pedia here. She''d probably know what''s going on" Muku spoke calmly. He was trying to calm the dragon down. It was his only source of information after all.


    {Oh... I guess that makes sense. Sorry for overreacting. There should be some reasonable explanation for what''s going on} The dragon apologised after realising that it had been too rushed.


    "Nuh, it''s cool. I''m sure you''re just spooked by the situation. Anyway, what''s your name? I can''t keep calling you "you" or dragon right?" Muku asked for something that would help the dragon calm down a bit more.


    It was also something he wanted to know. They hadn''t had a chance to talk outside of a troublesome situation. So, he never got the chance to ask.


    Well, their current situation was definitely troublesome as well. However, they had the time to speak idly, so it was okay to ask.


    {My name?... I don''t have one} The dragon replied while trying to think of what could be the problem with the gravity. It also couldn''t figure out how deep in the forest they were with its weakened body.


    "Really? Do beasts not have names? I guess that makes sense," Muku replied while thinking about how the savage creatures bite first, then ask questions later. So, it was reasonable that they wouldn''t need names.


    {What? No. We do have names. Just that only those from top lineages have names from the start. The rest of us must wait until we''re at least R5 before naming ourselves. It''s only after reaching R5 that you''re slightly acknowledged in the forest. Before that, you''re just food} The dragon spoke nonchalantly. As if it didn''t just expose how bleak the lives of weaker beasts are.


    "Oh... But wait, aren''t you also from a top lineage?. Isn''t that what being a Monarch''s descendant means?" Muku asked curiously.


    He has pretty much put aside any thoughts on their current situation. He''d let the dragon figure things out. Having someone else to lead you was always a treat... When the leader isn''t a politician, that is.


    {I am a Monarch''s descendant. However, I''m a fallen Monarch''s descendant. So, my lineage doesn''t matter anymore. If anything, it has always made me a target. Oh, that reminds me. Never say a Monarch''s name while in this world. It will immediately know where the person who said it is. If the Monarch isn''t in a good mood, or you''re too weak like we are. We''ll most likely get killed off} The dragon replied nonchalantly again. It seemed like it had long gotten used to its bleak existence.


    It took the chance to warn Muku about one of the top taboos in the Beast World. Which he appreciated a lot. Who knows if he was going to randomly mention Ares'' name at some point.


    Which would have definitely been a death sentence for him. Or maybe a date worse than death with how much Ares'' hated him.


    As for the dragon being from a broken lineage. He didn''t ask for the time being. That sounded like something that required Monarch-level strength before sticking your nose into it.


    "Noted... However, that couldn''t possibly stop you from giving yourself a name right? Why don''t we put it this way? What''s the name you want to use when the time comes? I''m a human, so it would be weird for me to talk to someone without a name. But, if you really don''t want to say, I won''t force you." Muku asked.


    {You''re right. If I wanted to give myself a name. I could still do it anytime I wanted. However, I never had a reason to give myself one. So, I haven''t really thought about it. Plus the local names here suck. They are usually just random sounds turned into names like Roh, Splat, Ban and such. And I''d rather not have a name if it''s going to be something like that} The dragon replied.


    "Hhm... Makes sense. Do you want me to help you with it? I''m sure you''ll like my world''s names a lot more" Muku offered to help the dragon choose a name.


    {Do whatever you want. Just do it after we find a safe to hide. While I can''t figure out where we are through the gravity. I think it''s safe to say we''re in quite deep. And if we judge based on the mana density. We should be in the midlands} The dragon dismissed Muku''s idle talk for the moment. What it cared about was "not dying".


    "Oh... That doesn''t sound too bad" Muku optimistically spoke. He was still a newbie to terms like outermost/outskirts, Midlands and such. From the knowledge, he heard from his world. The Midlands should be slightly difficult but manageable, right?


    {Hehe. How naive of you. If we make it out of here I''ll take time to educate you} the dragon replied scornfully. It didn''t bother to explain to him how wrong he was.


    "Okay, so what''s our next move?" Muku asked. He had rested for long enough. He felt okay enough to fly by that point. Though, it won''t be anywhere as good as his usual flying.


    His mental energy was still low. He even had a vague headache which signified the fact. However, he was willing to push through.


    {Well, for now, pick a direction where the mana is spreading to. Then slowly and quietly make your way toward that way. Remember, where it''s spreading to... Not spreading from. In normal cases, mana moves from the deeper parts to the outskirts} The dragon gave him directions on what to do.


    Muku stood up painfully from where he was. Then he followed the mana current like he was instructed to.


    That''s when he began looking around. He noticed how the world was a lot different from his own. No matter where he looked... He could only see stupidly big tree trunks. All the trees went up into the clouds.


    The only "trees" he could see all of were shoots. And even they were as big as the biggest trees in his world. And he was certain that he wasn''t walking on actual ground. It was too smooth and polished. It was probably a huge leaf he had been walking on top of for close to ten minutes.


    Walking in the forest made him feel like an ant. Will his world look like that one day?! Will humans still have a place in the world at that point?! Should he consider looking for a way to increase his size???


    He chose walking because flying would possibly expose him to danger. He was also saving the little mental energy he had for emergencies. On the bright side, he could feel his mana recovering faster than it would have back home.


    Unfortunately, his body''s condition didn''t seem to be improving at all. He still felt like he had been run through by a train.


    Even if all his mana recovered. He''d probably not even stand a chance against creatures like the boar he easily defeated before...


    "Hey, is your whole world like this? Are all the trees here unreasonably huge? And why is it so silent?" Muku asked the dragon while continuing the journey.


    The surroundings were so silent it was unnerving. So, he felt like he had to try and make conversation. Not to mention that he pretty much always had someone to talk to before. Hope would never miss a chance to talk to him. Which he had gotten used to. He was already missing her and the others.


    {No, not really. Areas like this are usually where you''d find the rulers of the area. There are areas with smaller trees for the rest of us. As for the silence, I''m also having trouble figuring out why that is. The forest is never silent. Not to mention that you''ve been walking for quite a while but you still haven''t been attacked. To be honest, this place creeps me out. I''m not even sure if we''re even in the forest despite it looking like it} The dragon replied.


    The more Muku walked. The more confused it got. It almost felt like they were the only two beings in the place. Which made no sense. After all, the forest, like it said is always noisy from beasts killing each other. Whether day or night. There''d always be chaos everywhere.


    Maybe they weren''t in the Beast Forest after all. This raised the question... Where tf were they then?!...

 Chapter 221: Restricted zone

    Around an hour later...


    Muku still hadn''t met even a single beast despite walking that long. And he was starting to get scared. Which was rather weird. You''d think that he''d be happy not to meet beasts when he was weak. Yet there he was hoping to get attacked.


    Then again, anyone would be spooked out when they don''t see any beasts in a literal Beast World...


    "Umm, gave you figures out what the problem might be? Why are we alone?" Muku asked the dragon.


    {Hhm... I think I know where we are. We might be in a restricted zone... Yeah, that''s the only explanation that makes sense here. The Guardian was clear when he said we''d be sent to The Beast World. So, we''re definitely there} The dragon replied. However, its tone was uncertain. Probably not sure about what it was saying.


    "Okay, so what''s a redistricted zone? And why do you sound so unsure of your words?" Muku asked.


    (Restricted zones are various places located in random places all over the Beast World. They are surrounded by a white mist no one can pass through. It''s said that not even the Monarchs can get through. I''ve only heard about them. I have never seen one myself. So, I''m unsure. And also because no one has managed to get inside them before from what I know. I can''t say if that''s where we are right now} The dragon explained.


    "Oh, okay. After hearing that. I think that''s probably where we are. At the very least, that thought calms me down a little. It''s a lot better than wandering around not knowing anything. Now, we just have to find the exit point. Or the edge. Whichever comes first." Muku spoke. His voice sounded a lot calmer than before.


    Having a goal was always better than walking around aimlessly. The duo then continued making their way through the suspected secret zone.


    It was all fine and good until they realised something. They didn''t seem to be making any progress. No matter how far they walked, the sites in the distance didn''t seem to be getting closer.


    It was something neither had paid attention to before. They were preoccupied with other thoughts. And there was a sizable piece of land they were walking through. So, they subconsciously thought they were making progress and the trees just looked similar.


    With such a weird thing occurring. It was only natural that they decided to stop for a moment. It was time to rethink their game plan.


    "I say we go toward the higher concentration of mana instead of away from it. It''s not like we have any other choices right now. It''s either that or we keep on wandering around in the same place. And I''m too hurt to do something so pointless" Muku put forth his suggestion.


    {Hhm... Why not try flying first?} The dragon was still unwilling to go toward the denser mana. Having been born in the Beast World. It had become an instinct to avoid doing such a thing.


    "Sigh. Fine. However, I''m pretty sure it''s going to be the same. And we''re doing what I said if this fails" Muku agreed to try it. He had recovered enough mental energy to waste a bit.


    Since there didn''t seem to be any other living creatures in the place. There was no need to save it either. So, he might as well try it. Though, he didn''t have much faith in it working out.


    And so, to satisfy the dragon''s request. He took off in flight. It looked painfully slow compared to his usual flight speed. He''d probably need to sleep for a while to get back into peak mental state.


    However, that didn''t stop him. He still flew his hardest in the direction he was walking toward before. And yet, no matter how fast or how long he flew forward. When he looked down, he was still moving through the same stretch of space as before.


    He even tried flying up. And like with the group, he couldn''t go past a certain point. So, he chose to land. He might as well let himself recover more than waste the little Mental Energy (ME) he had recovered.


    The experience had been worse than he expected. He didn''t expect even going up to be restricted. He had actually been planning on checking the treetops out of the plan he suggested failed as well.


    Now, however, it seemed they were doomed if it failed as well. It was their only option left. Hopefully, it works out.


    Maybe such weird spacial laws were the reason even Monarchs were rumoured to be unable to get in. From his perspective, the formation or whatever it was. It was inconceivable. He didn''t even feel like he was being restricted in any way. Despite the restriction, everything still seemed to be okay.


    He couldn''t sense any mysterious power affecting the surroundings or his mind. For some reason, he couldn''t help but be reminded of his own ability. The "erasing gaze" He had erased half of a R1 beast''s body before. Yet, it didn''t die or bleed. Its life was as strong as ever despite missing half of its body.


    It was almost as if the laws of the world themselves were forced to accept the beast''s new state as its natural form.


    He was certain that they were definitely in a restricted zone by that point. At the same time, he was also certain that the laws of the area had been tampered with.


    As for how it was done, he wasn''t sure. It was definitely not something he could do with his Erasing Gaze. It was nowhere near as almighty as whatever ability was used to create the restricted zones.


    Well, whatever, that had nothing to do with him. All he cared about and needed to care about was getting out of the zone. After that, he''ll figure out how to spend his days until the time to return home comes.


    "Can we try my thing now?" Muku asked as he flew back down.


    {Fine... Just don''t get us killed} The dragon relented.


    "What about Raya?" Muku asked a question out of nowhere.


    {What?} The dragon was confused.


    "For your name. How does Raya sound?" Muku clarified.


    {What?! You''re still on that. With our current situation?? You know what? Fine. You can call me Raya from now on. I officially accept it as my name} The dra... Raya was surprised and annoyed by his fixation with giving her a name. So, she just accepted it to get it over with.


    "Great! I''ll call you Raya from now on!" Muku spoke in a happy mood. Ignoring Raya''s grumpy mood. His OCD had been satisfied. So, he was happy even with the poor reception.


    With that taken care of. He began walking toward the denser mana. Soon enough he noticed a difference.


    He was finally able to make it out of the little stretch of land from before. Tears of joy almost left his eyes.


    However, he didn''t stop to look back. In fact, he began walking faster. Eventually, he took off. What if the zone changed its mind a chose to restrict him again?!


    While that was unlikely, he''d rather not take the chance. So, he flew forward as quickly as he could. In less than an hour, he could almost see the mana in the surroundings. That''s how dense it had gotten.


    After a little while longer. He could barely see more than a few metres in front of his eyes. The mana had gotten dense to the point that it had turned into a mist-like state. It was a multicoloured mist which slowly swirled in the area. Going in random directions.


    He could barely see a silhouette of what seemed to be a building deeper in the mana most. Well, it was either that or a cut-down tree that just happened to look like a building from afar. Either way, he''d find out soon enough.


    At that point, his mana had long filled up to maximum capacity. He could even feel it slowly getting refined in his core. Which was odd since he didn''t know that it could do that.


    Which was understandable since his and his group''s mana had always been of a high quality. For that reason, their world''s trash mana density couldn''t even dream of refining it. The mana density couldn''t even refine epic classes.


    Hell, it could barely work for the lower classes. And the results would be pretty negligible. Maybe after one more evolution or so, people will start seeing a change...


    Interestingly enough, it was actually one of the two major steps that needed to be passed through to reach R4. Which would have been especially hard for Muku to do on the Blue Planet.


    Yet there he was, going through it without even knowing what was going on. It was only much later that he''d realise what a great fortune he had encountered. It was something only the highest order of privileged beasts could enjoy in the outside world.


    Even Raya was unaware of the fact. She was just as oblivious as Muku.


    Fortunately for her, the link she had with Muku provided her with mana when she was in the mindscape. So, she was recovering alongside him.


    Both of their bodies were still beaten up. However, with a "full tank" they could augment themselves with their mana. Making it easier for them to move.


    In normal cases, such a method would be a waste of mana, which would drain them after a while. However, in their current environment. They''d regain the mana as soon as they lost it. So, it was okay to use it.


    Raya soon left the mindscape. She shielded herself from the gravity with her mana. It was all so that she could get the same benefits as Muku.


    He had told her about the mana refinement she hadn''t been getting in the mindscape. While not sure of the benefits yet. She still chose to partake. It didn''t seem to be bad in any way, after all...

 Chapter 222: Open door!

    A few minutes later...


    Muku and the little dragon on his shoulder finally made it in front of the "building"


    The dense mana circled around the structure for whatever reason. However, that was to his advantage. It made everything clear...


    Both of his guesses about the silhouette turned out to be correct. It was both a tree and a building. As for why it was like that. Well, someone seemed to have cut a huge tree down. Then carved the stump to look somewhat like a building.


    It even had a large door which Muku didn''t know how to open. He didn''t try to blast it open or something like that. He was certain that it wouldn''t do anything.


    Though the door looked like it was made out of wood. He doubted he could damage it.


    It was already agreed upon that the place was definitely created by an almighty being. So, what could his little strength do?


    Besides, what if he angers the owner or some cliche hidden guards by attacking? Wouldn''t he have to quietly let himself get killed by that point?


    Since he couldn''t see a huge doorknob anywhere on the door. It was safe to assume that it wasn''t opened like that. Maybe it worked like the door he turned into mana...


    With that thought, he tried to channel his mana into the door after placing his armour-covered hand on it. And that didn''t work.


    Speaking up the armour. He thought that he was too spent to remove it when he initially tried. However, he tried again after regaining all his mana. Yet, it wouldn''t barge even a little bit.


    It was pretty embarrassing actually. A legendary class Divine Metal Warlock being unable to control metal. Not just metal, but metal he had personally manipulated onto his body.


    He should probably just give up on the divine part of his class''s name. He clearly didn''t deserve it if he had such performance issues.


    Fortunately for him, no one was around to see his failure. And, the armour wasn''t negatively affecting him in any way. The only problem he had with it was how it was subtly attacking his mental state again.


    The attacks were easily manageable since they were nowhere near as powerful as before. However, it was still quite annoying.


    Not to mention how the strength of the attacks seemed to be directly proportional to how much mana he had. Which was probably why they were a lot stronger before when he had more mana.


    It was almost like... The bastard armour was using his energy to attack him! What the hell was that?! No wonder, he felt a weird expenditure that wasn''t there before.


    Even though his mana recovery was a lot better than before. He still felt a slight drag. Like something was holding it back from its maximum capabilities.


    It had to be the damned armour! Was he having a "The Mask" moment? Like, the armour had been useful. However, it had drawbacks. Now, it was refusing to come off.


    The worst part, daylight didn''t do anything to it. At least Jim Carrey was safe during the day!


    Muku didn''t stop his complaints about the armour stop him from snooping around the door. He tried everything he could think of.


    From all the secret door passwords he has heard in movies... "I see dead people" and "open sesame!" coming up at some point. Which got him a weird gaze from Raya.


    However, that didn''t stop him. He then moved on to secret knocks. Which also did work. At that point, Raya just quietly looked on. Not even reacting. She had already gotten used to his craziness.


    "Umm... Why not try saying *Open door!*"? Raya spoke in a chibi voice while sitting on his shoulder. Her little dragon form looked rather cute.


    All the ferociousness from her true form had been stripped away. Leaving behind a cute little white dragon with black fur running down the middle of her back. Not to forget her cute, big yellow eyes, which shone with innocence. She was about the size of a little kitten. All the above qualities made her pretty much look like the perfect doll any child would want.


    "No, why would I try something so simple? This was obviously made by a being beyond the understanding of mere mortals such as ourselves" Muku immediately denied the chibi Raya''s suggestion.


    It was already hard enough to take her seriously in her current state. Yet she had to go and say such an unreliable thing. Had her little size affected her thinking capabilities or something?


    "Try it. It''s not like you have anything to lose" Raya stuck to her suggestion just for the sake of it. She also didn''t think it would be that easy. However, she refused to be looked down on and ignored.


    "Fine, but we''re just wasting our time. There''s no way the door is opened by saying "Open door!" That''s way too sim..." Muku tried the suggestion just to get it over with.


    However, before he could finish discrediting it. The huge door began shaking. The next moment it began rising up like a garage door. Which was different from how he thought it would open.


    However, that didn''t really matter. What mattered was that it was really opening up. And from the looks of things, it was all because of the suggestion he was putting down.


    "...." (Muku)


    "...." (Raya)


    The two stood silently for a moment as the door opened up. Muku suddenly noticed Raya fidgeting on his shoulder when he gave her a side glance.


    It was clear to see that she was holding herself back from laughing. His face reddened a little behind the armour. He had lost quite a bit of face in that little time span.


    The door just had to open when he was confidently stating that it wouldn''t open. It was clearly sabotage!


    "Don''t you dare la..." Muku was trying to warn Raya against laughing. However, before he could...


    "Pfft. Hahahaha" Raya exploded into a feat of laughter. And it wasn''t brief either. She laughed as hard as she could for as long as she could.


    By the time she was done, Muku felt like there was a whole layer of skin missing from his face. She really showed him no mercy when she laughed.


    What made it worse was that he knew it wasn''t forced from their soul link. She really saw him as a clown. The disrespectful brat!


    "Are you done?" Muku asked neutrally. Doing his best to hide the anger and shame he felt.


    Which was pointless since she could peek into his emotions if she wanted to. Maybe she already peeked. That could be why she found the situation so funny.


    "Huff, huff... Yeah, I''m done. We can go in now. We shouldn''t keep the being beyond our comprehension waiting now" Raya took in a couple of big breaths to calm herself down.


    She then expressed her readiness to proceed. She took a little dig at Muku just because she could.


    It was amazing how much her personality had changed in just a few hours. The reliable partner Muku thought he had gotten was long gone.


    He had gotten another headache instead. Was he doomed to always judge those around him incorrectly until the end?


    Anyway, Muku ignored the obvious dig she took at him as he quietly proceeded forward. He''d just note down the grievance and settle it in the future.


    It wasn''t being petty. No!. It was just being fair. He can''t be the only one to lose a layer of skin right?


    Bang!


    Just as Muku was stuck in his thoughts. Plotting his revenge. A loud bang sound was heard behind him. Then he found himself standing in pitch-black darkness.


    That''s right. He had been caught up in an old cliche?. The door shut behind him soon after he stepped into the room.


    The obvious next move would be to panic and hit the door pointlessly, right? Well, yeah. That totally made sense in a panicked situation. Muku was even thinking about it.


    However, before he could do that. A blue light appeared in front of him. It was a little distance away from him. It came from the centre of the large empty room.


    After taking a closer look. He realised that it looked like a door. Or more precisely, a portal shaped like a door. Even the blue light was a shade lighter than the blue from the portals from his planet.


    Which probably signified that it didn''t lead to the same place. Though just the shape and aura were enough for him to tell that it was different. Unlike the beast portals, the portal in front of him radiated with an inviting aura instead of a threatening one.


    "What do you thi." Muku was about to ask Raya what she thought they should do.


    However, before he could finish, she turned into a white like and returned to his body. Which stopped him from continuing.


    {Argh Finally! I can breathe. Please tell me. What''s your secret? How can you handle such strong gravity so easily?!} Raya spoke in his mindscape before Muku could ask what was going on.


    "Hhm? What do you mean?" Muku asked confusedly.


    {Wait... Don''t tell me you don''t feel any gravity here as well?! It''s like ten times worse than outside, though?!... You know what, I can sense that you''re confused as well. Let''s forget it for now. Just go through the door. It''s not like we can go back} Raya replied. However, she dismissed the topic since they were both confused.


    "Okay...?" Muku replied still confused. He then proceeded to walk toward the portal...


    Soon, he was standing in front of it. After some hesitation due to the recent event of being dragged into a crack. He jumped right in.


    Like Raya said. It''s not like they could go back...

 Chapter 223: Im your mother!

    "Woah!"


    Bang!


    Muku who wasn''t used to travelling through portals... Stumbled and fell to the ground when he reached the other side.


    He expected to travel through some extended space corridor like before. However, it wasn''t like that. The moment he got into the portal was pretty much the same one he got out through the other side.


    Which caught him off guard. This, of course, warranted a snicker from Raya. She was probably too tired to laugh anymore.


    That didn''t faze him, however. He had already lost all his face in front of her after all. His head pretty much only had the skeleton left. All the skin was long gone.


    "Fortunately, there''s no one worthy of note who witnessed that" Muku spoke while getting up.


    {Hey! Are you saying I''m not worth noting?! Besides, look up} Raya complained from the mindscape. She then directed his focus to something she had taken notice of the instant he arrived.


    "Hhm? What do you m..." Muku, who hadn''t had the chance to look around him, spoke while doing so.


    He couldn''t finish his statement though. That was because he saw a lady standing a few metres away from him. She just quietly stood there staring at him unblinkingly. While he was certain that he had never seen her. She seemed familiar to him for some reason.


    She was a middle-aged lady who seemed to be in her mid-forties. She had long silverish-grey hair, much like his own. However, her eyes were different. They weren''t grey, instead they were black. The darkest shade of black he had ever seen. And various colours would flash in them from time to time. It was almost like she had a whole galaxy in her eyes.


    Then there was her very presence. He couldn''t place it at all. It was almost like he was looking at an otherworldly being. Even though she was an outstandingly beautiful middle-aged lady. Her grace and presence were what stood out the most about her. They would always make her the centre of attention wherever she went even before her beauty was seen.


    Even though her body didn''t radiate any mana or any kind of oppressive force. It took everything in him not to bow down and pledge his undying loyalty.


    "Wow... What amazing mental strength for one so weak" The lady spoke in a pleased tone.


    It was clear she wasn''t making fun of Muku despite the ambiguous choice of words which could be taken negatively.


    The otherworldly aura she gave off went away the moment she opened her mouth.


    Muku could finally breathe properly. That''s right, just being in her presence made it hard to breathe. And she wasn''t even doing anything!


    "W... Who are you?" Muku asked while trying to calm himself down. Most of his regained mental energy was depleted by just that little stare-down. It would have taken him at least a few hours of flight to exhaust that much!


    "I''m your mother" The lady spoke with a natural expression on her face.


    "What?!" Muku exclaimed in shock.


    He didn''t know what to think. His mind completely shut down on him. He just stood there like an idiot. That was the last thing he was expecting to hear.


    "Pfft. Just kidding. I just felt like saying that since our hair looks the same. You''re really gullible to believe that so easily, huh? You should see your fave right now. Hahaha," The lady spoke again in an amused tone. Even laughing at the end.


    "It must be really funny to make fun of an orphan to you, huh?" Muku spoke grumpily. He was so pissed off that he missed how her words suggested that she could see his face even through the armour.


    Though even if he took notice of it. He probably wouldn''t care too much. After all, there were too many mystical abilities out there. Plus he was certain that she was some kind of expert. So, anything should be possible for her.


    "Yeah, you''re right. That was my bad. I know how to make it up to you. Since you don''t have a mother and I don''t have a son. Why don''t we just accept each other as mother and son? That sounds like a great idea. So, from now on. You''ll call me mom and I''ll call you son!" The lady apologised then went on and on. Getting more excited the more she spoke.


    By the time she finished speaking. All the reverence Muku still had for her from the initial encounter was long gone. The old lady moved way too quickly! They had just met, and they were already related. He couldn''t keep up at all!


    "Hey! Hey! Slow down a little, lady! I don''t even know you! Who said I wanted to be your son?!" Muku spoke while holding his hand in front of his body to show his refusal.


    "Too late son. I never go back on my words. Here is a little gift for the happy occasion. This fruit will heal you and your little dragon friend" The lady spoke while casually taking out a glowing green apple from out of nowhere. Like, she just reached out and pulled the fruit out of the empty space in front of her.


    Muku was stunned a bit by the act. However, he recovered quickly enough. Layla had something like that as well. Just not is mystical-looking. But, the same nonetheless.


    {You better accept that fruit. It''s exactly what we need and more!} Raya''s anxious voice sounded in his head before he could refuse. Any reasonable person wouldn''t accept food from strangers after all.


    However, Raya didn''t care about all that. Her experience gained from living in the beast forest told her that the fruit was definitely something they couldn''t pass by. Besides, she was now Muku''s mother. So, it was totally okay to accept the gift.


    "Listen to your little friend. And are you so doubtful of my character? I''m your mother, though! It really hurts my poor old heart to know that my son doesn''t trust me at all!" The lady casually did another mystical thing again.


    Which was hearing Raya''s speak even though she was in Muku''s mindscape. Then she began overreacting again. She even shamelessly sprayed something in her eyes in front of Muku so that tears came out.


    "If I take it. Will you shut up and tell me what''s going on here?" Muku spoke in a defeated tone.


    He was certain that the fruit wasn''t anything bad, after all. From the few things he had seen her do. It was safe to assume that she could kill him as easily as it was for her to blink. So, there was no need to go through all the trouble if she was planning on killing him.


    "Yes. I was going to tell you anyway. I just want you to be healed up before that" The lady spoke seriously while wiping away the fake tears from her face.


    Muku rolled his eyes as he took the fruit from her hand. As for when she had gotten so close to him. He wasn''t certain. He also didn''t notice how she had managed to get him to drop his guard around her.


    Sure, keeping his guard up would be useless against her. However, that still wouldn''t have made him drop it in normal cases. The lady was definitely a special case.


    Maybe she''d have wormed her way into his heart before he realised what was going on...


    Crunch!


    Muku bit into the fruit just like he would a normal fruit. However, unlike what would happen next after biting a normal fruit. Which was to chew and swallow. The part he bit melted into his mouth and was instantly absorbed into his body.


    As for the taste... He didn''t know how to describe it. It tasted so good it was beyond anything he had ever tasted before. Even without getting to chew it and such. He experienced all of the fruit''s taste. He completely devoured it within seconds.


    He was even considering asking for another one shamelessly. After all, she had been shameless a few times already. He could do it once, right?


    However, before he could do that. He felt his whole body start to warm up. The heat kept on increasing until his body turned red from the heat behind the armour.


    Interestingly enough, Raya was going through the same thing inside his mindscape.


    Neither of them panicked though. They were legit R3s, after all. They could take that little amount of pain from the heat. One normally doesn''t get R3 without going through quite a bit of pain. Which they both had gone through.


    They even ignored the pain. What they focused on was the healing effect hidden behind the pain. They quickly realised that they weren''t just healing. Their bodies were actually being improved at the same time.


    It wasn''t a small improvement either. Their durability was being made at least two times better.


    Which was unthinkable to them. One had to know that Raya was a legit dragon. Her body was basically as strong as a body at her rank could get. Yet it was getting improved even more.


    Then there was Muku. His body had long caught up to the durability and strength of Jade and Audrey after his soul link with Raya. Which was amazing enough since those two had outstanding bodies due to their classes.


    Yet there he was improving even more. He''ll be at least twice as strong as Jade and Audrey by the time he was done.


    Jade is definitely going to be pissed off when she finds out...