'A sentient scourgekin… with a body made out of immortal elixir.’

Liu Feng, the sect master of the Divine Seal Sect, had just tasted defeat for the first time in one hundred and fifty-seven years. He had forgotten what it felt like to lose so badly, what it felt like to be so helpless in the face of overwhelming might. Today, he was reminded of the bitter taste in the most horrifying way possible.

With tentacles.

He felt impure. This day would leave an everlasting demon in his heart. Every time he closed his eyes, he could still feel the feeling if being trapped in green mango jam. His dao heart had been overwhelmed, his path to the future filled will slippery uncertainty. This vexed Feng even more.

His path now filled with new obstacles, even as he had the heavy responsibility of reviving an ancient sect.

Among the leaders of the Council of Grand Immortals, he was the youngest. He was the one with the most potential. The council head even prophesized, that he would break through to the immortal realm, transcending mortality, in the next decade at the latest. So slimy tentacle demons in his dao heart was definitely a big no-no.

Liu Feng’s achievements till now had been nothing but glorious.

Being the youngest and the one with most potential, meant that his strength was acknowledged by people who had lived many centuries longer than he had.

He had slain scourgekins that had leveled cities in the past. He was the most recent genius to step into transcendence. A one in ten-thousand-year talent, they all called him.

Liu Feng stared up at the dome, his thoughts drifting to many past events. The town around him was so peaceful. They didn’t even know what horrors this tiny little corner hid.

Even him, one of the prophesized children of dao, was utterly helpless against that scourgekin named Zoe.

‘Was she… even a scourgekin? No! That feeling of chaos. It is unmistakable.’

At first Liu Feng thought she was just mimicking a human being. Scourgekin often did that. Like a really advanced neural network. Zoe was different though. The more Feng talked to her, and the more he watched to her react to the mortal man called Arthur, the more he came to realize a horrifying fact. She actually comprehended language and emotions!

Scourgekins couldn’t do that.

Then a type scourgekin he had never heard of, perhaps?

‘No. Not unless…’ Liu Feng’s remembered reading about certain beings in his sect archives. Records that stretched back tens of thousands of years. His face grew paler by the minute, his fist curled up tightly.

Then with a sigh, he released all the tension.

Zoe, she had the space around the house completely locked down, both spiritually and magically. No foreign magic other than tier one or two could be used. This was a very unorthodox, and lost way of using space-locks.

Truly a monster. Liu Feng wondered if even the Council head stood a chance against her. The Lord of Trial, the oldest immortal in the middle kingdoms.

‘No, I’ve heard the lord of trial had a particular phobia of squids and octopuses. He would have been extra disadvantaged.’

Feng didn’t even know if he should ask the council for help regarding the seal placed on his soul. What a joke, the sect master of the Divine Seal Sect, can’t undo a seal.

That wasn’t the most vexing matter at the moment, however. Feng looked down at his feet, and he didn’t see any shoes.

Truthfully, it was getting a bit hard for him to ignore the stares of the pedestrian any longer.

“I don’t have any spare clothes.” Liu Feng made a sign with his hands, a signal for all but one of his subordinates to retreat from around the Tullett residence. He had no choice; supernatural means were not an option yet. It would take ten more minutes or so for his power to recover from that strange space lock.

He was currently making his way back to the hotel. He was walking back of course. Barefooted, in tattered robes, looking like a beggar. He couldn’t blame really anyone for staring.

“S-Sect Master! What happened? Was it an ambush? Was it those unorthodox sect bastards? Did they finally make a diabolical strategy to target all the bad choices in life you made?” The remaining subordinate was a chattering young girl. No older than two centuries, and already at the 9th peak of power. Her eyes were a bright gold just like her hair.

She was wearing a strange garb covering her whole body. Her legwear was warped in tight fishnet stockings, but they weren’t the sexy feminine kind. More of the lethal ‘full of hidden weapons’ kind. The attire was an eye-catching white and gold. There was a cloth mask covering the lower half of her face. Random areas of her body were also tightly wrapped in bandages. Most importantly though, all these articles had frills. Specifically, ribbons and very cute butterfly frills.

Yup! She was wearing a frilly ninja outfit.

Liu Huaban, the unreliable kunoichi, was way more eye-catching than even Feng who looked like a beat-up beggar.

“What nonsense are you spouting, Petal. It was just a false positive. Also, did I not tell you to call me brother when we’re alone?” Liu Feng shuffled the girl’s hair much to her annoyance. It was not that he didn’t want to tell her, his own blood sister. Just that the geas prevented him from even attempting.

For a while now, he had been trying to say out loud what happened back there. Intentionally, or by self-hypnotization, and even via a chatbot that could translate sign language to text. But no matter what he tried; his mouth refused to comply with his wishes, his fingers cramped when he used sign language, and he almost hypnotized himself into accepting that the geas was natural part of him.

There wasn’t even any punishment for trying to game the geas. It was purely divine.

Petal, the girl now trying to swat at her brother’s hand, strongly shook her head, “No, we can’t do that. We’re on official business here. Also, if it was a false positive, who did that to your robe?”

“I… uhh, slipped fell into a pool of acid.” Liu Feng said.

“… … Sect master, if you want to lie then at least come up with a believable one. I’m not that stupid!” Petal wasn’t believing it. Even though it was the partially the truth. “I don’t know what happened, but if you are embarrassed to say it, then so be it! No need to come up with silly nonsense, humph! So… are you planning on walking around like that?”

“I have made a vow of ascetism. I must abide by my own rules.” Liu Feng answered her with a solemn expression.

“You had hamburger and grape juice for breakfast. And since when is being a minimalist ascetism?” Petal quirked an eyebrow.

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“What about you then, dear sister? You do know that ninjas are supposed to be inconspicuous. Not...all of this.” Liu Feng said. pointing at Petal’s frilly ninja dress.

In this regard, the siblings were really similar. Every few years both of them would find new weird hobbies to waste time on. Currently, Feng was trying out the minimalist lifestyle. His sister on the other hand, apparently wanted to be a kunoichi after watching a 21st century Japanimation.

“Umm, it’s from the sponsors…” Petal blushed, aware that she was drawing attention.

“Right… You were still doing that livestreaming thing…” Liu Feng recalled that his sister and a bunch of her female sect mates made a rather successful lifestyle stream online. They did nonsensical stuff like going into deep space for picnics. Their ancestors would be shocked if they found out how their sects’ mantras were being misused.

Petal quickly changed the subject, “Rather! Than! That! I’ve gotten some reports from the guys outside. Good news is they’ve found the location of the fragment. Bad news, so did everyone else.”

Liu Feng, at the moment, very much wanted to get Arthur and Zoe out of his mind. This friendly banter with his little sister was doing a good job cheering him up, and that was probably her intention in the first place. She was sharp like that.

So even though he was tired and burnt out right now, after the subtle encouragement from Petal, he decided to prioritize his sect mission.

“How?” He asked.

“Umm, it’s big and pink.” Petal said, her voice unsure.

“… What?” Liu Feng inquired.

“Just outside the 33rd moontown of Jaggerty, a portion of the moon turned pink. The rocks, sand, everything. Like a weird drawing painted by some little girl with a princess complex. Then there’s this giant, floating, translucent pink crystal. It should be the fragment judging by the spiritual waves it is sending out? We’ve been working with the local government and some sanctioned forces to keep a lid on things, so the civilians haven’t noticed.” Petal gave her report.

‘Are you telling or asking?’ Liu Feng thought.

First there was a sapient lake of eldritch blue green slime. Then a part of the moon turns pink. What next?

“Do you know the exact location?” Liu Feng asked.

“Yes. We have some guys keeping an eye on the area. Also…” Petal continued reporting all their findings. It took a few minutes to complete, and by that time they had already reached the hotel. Liu Feng didn’t stay there for long however.

From Petal’s report, he learnt that some third-rate organizations had already started fighting over the spoils. Most importantly, they weren’t even being subtle about it.

“Petal, tell everyone in the area to rendezvous back at the western airlock.” Liu Feng decided, there was no need to waste time brooding. Above all though, he was in pain.

The pain was not from being defeated, and it was not from the geas. This pain, was an urge to beat someone up. His fists didn’t feel so good punching gelatinous slime. Like a sneeze that refused to happen, that was the most unsatisfying fight he ever had.

Yup! Feng finally convinced himself that he wasn’t being a sore loser.

So, who was he to refuse when some people were offering themselves up as punching bags?

***

“First of all. That monk got one major detail wrong.” Zoe said as she sipped her melon tea. They were back in the living room, with their legs under the warm kotatsu. There was an assortment of snacks on the table. Arthur didn’t even know where the housekeeper found them. He was absolutely sure the pantry didn’t have KitKat and skittles.

Arthur wasn’t really the patient type. As soon as Liu Feng left, he had wanted Zoe to fully explain her situation. Zoe though, insisted that Arthur tidied up first whilst she prepared some nibbles.

The recently fired bachelor was covered in soot and moon dust. Half his clothes had tears here and there, and his head was full of cat dust and fur. Hardly a state to have the most important conversation in his life.

Arthur gave in and took a nice long bath. It helped him calm down too. It also gave him some time to organize his messy thoughts.

First thing he took note of after coming out of the bath was the eldritch maiden. She changed into an olive-green sundress. Her skin was also back to normal, no longer a leather armor thing.

The dress was one of his mother’s. After realizing that Zoe didn’t have any spare clothes, he was reluctant to let her walk around being technically naked. So, he told her to go use his mother’s wardrobe.

Zoe looked stunning in it. Besides, it was a waste to let these perfectly good articles gather dust when the owner was missing.

Next, he noticed the cat. It was purring in pure bliss with half its body under the kotatsu. Arthur sat down next to it, hoping for some sneaky pats. The cat, however, opened one of its eyes and stared at him. A few scritches under the ear later, it mewed out in comfort, letting the human do its thing. Arthur was glad the cat no longer seemed traumatized.

‘Cat in a kotatsu. Never thought I’d see this scene in my life.’ Arthur let out a chuckle.

And thus, he, Zoe, and the cat were now relaxing in the living room. Arthur waited patiently for the eldritch maiden to start her account. She didn’t disappoint.

“I’m not a scourgekin.” Zoe said.

“Aha! I knew you could never be something that sounds so ominous.” Arthur nodded. Arthur had no trouble refuting Feng’s absurd claims.

“No, that’s not it.” She shook her head, continuing, “I’m a scourge, not a scourgekin. Was. I mean, I was one. Well, I think I technically still am?” Zoe looked unsure, but she still corrected Arthur’s misunderstanding.

“….. Umm. That’s better, right?” Arthur asked the self-proclaimed scourge, but his eyes were looking at the cat. He nervously tapped the edge of the table with his fingers.

“I’m stronger, if that’s what you mean. But no, if you consider the level of ominousness, scourgekins can’t compare.” Zoe gave a self-deprecating smile.

“… Sorry.” Arthur apologized.

“You don’t have to apologize. I’m sure there are a lot of people, and supernaturals out there who think I am very ominous.” Zoe gave Arthur’s back a few cheerful pats. The cat mewed out, seemingly jealous at being left out. It got out of the kotatsu and settled down on Zoe’s lap after a few stretches.

This brought a small smile to the hominid duo’s face, instantly evaporating the awkward moment.

“Scourgekin are, unlike their names suggest, part of scourges. They are of course the kin of scourge, like an offspring. The correct term for that however, should be scourgeling. Scourgekin, a single scourgekin can never be counted as a complete scourge, no matter how powerful they are. A scourge is the whole. Just like how you can’t call one human being ‘Humankind’.” Zoe tried to explain. Though she knew she lost Arthur from his confused face. She tried again,

“Umm, there is this scourge that was eliminated a few years before your parents went missing by the Holy Chakra located in the Indian region. They called it The Jhakh. It was basically an unending swarm of chaotic demon locusts that killed and consumed anything in their path. Each of the locusts, even if it was the locust queen, was a scourgekin. The Jhakh itself, was the scourge. Do you get it?” Zoe asked, unsure if she was getting through.

‘Were you there, when it happened?’ Arthur didn’t voice out that question. Instead he enquired, “So, a scourge is like an organization, and scourgekin are members or employees of said organization?”

“Not exactly but close!” Zoe beamed. Then she added with a bit of hesitancy, “And… I am a scourge because my scourgekin are actually, well, my cells. Your dad called me a ‘Universal Cell Amalgam’. The others all have different names for me though. I don’t really remember much of that. Anyways, each of my cells is a scourgekin. They have the complete genetic information of every lifeform I have ever consumed. And I can combine, mold, even mutate them into anything as long as I have that genetic information. Like those tentacles, the talon, and leathery skin for example.”

"So basically, your ... superpower? is something like transformation, metamophesis, or mutation?"

"... Something like that, yeah."

Zoe paused a bit, taking a few seconds to organize her thoughts. Arthur poured some more melon tea , trying to organize all that information he just heard.

“If your cells are each a different scourgekin... How do you, you know, function?” He wasn’t sure if that was the right way to ask it.

“Umm, Okay. That’s why I said I was a scourge, I think. Scourgekin, and scourges for that matter, are not intelligent. It doesn’t matter how long they live, how strong they get, or how much they evolve, they are just mindless clumps of utter chaos. They have no sentience, not to mention sapience. They are the embodiment of suffering, and their target is all life that exists. That’s why the name, scourge. It’s as if they abhor order. They can only mindlessly consume or destroy.

Even if you come across a scourge that acts in an organized manner, it is probably something intrinsic to that specific scourge. Like a chaotic artificial neural network with a messed up but still somehow functioning algorithm.

And… that’s why I am the odd one out. I don’t exactly remember what happened back then. I’m guessing it was roughly two million years ago? All my cells suddenly… started to work together like a multicellular being’s would. Like humanoids or other animals. I kind of gained sentience then. Like, one moment I was a mindless horde of shapeshifting scourgekin, the next I wasn’t. I started to actually… think.

You have no idea how freaked out I was! I was in the middle of eating a tribe of homo habilis, then suddenly it occurred to me, why was I eating? I had just stood still there thinking for half a century before I reached the conclusion, I was hungry!”

Arthur gulped.

Oh, Arthur had so many questions. Even though he decided not to interrupt her before she finished, one thing he just had to say, “Ehh, you don’t look a day over 10,000.”