Starting from a walk, now Devery had started to run. He had seen the shadow of the man hovering above. With labored breathing and aching knee joints, he ran as fast as he could. Of course, it wasn't enough. He heard a whistling sound, and then he felt a hand holding the back of his tunic, lifting him up in the air.

"AAAAAAAAA"

"Stop shouting, man! I ain't going to kill you. Just here to give you a gift," said the man holding him afloat.

"There's no need, lord. I have everything I need in this village itself," said Devery.

"Nonsense! If I say that I want to give you a gift, I'll give you a gift."

Devery's teeth were chattering. He was scared that the man would drop him, and there would just be a bloody spat of him left on the ground. He kept silent.

"Now I am going to put you down on the ground. No running business from you, or else."

Devery quickly nodded. He slowly felt himself being lowered, and his feet touched the ground. His knees buckled, and he kneeled.

"Now, my good man. What is your mighty good name?"

"D... Devery Ottaway, sire!"

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"Hmm, a strong name. A name for the ages to remember," said the man looking him over.

"I see that those bastard guardians destroyed your fields, eh?"

Devery quickly shook his head to decline. He didn't want to be caught badmouthing guardians. They pulled your tendons and spine for that.

"No worries, Devery! Today is the day you become a dragon from a carp. I am going to gift you with the secrets of Gods. Don't ask me why! It's a divine secret."

"Yes! A divine secret," said a voice out of nowhere.

"Shut up, Porky!" said the man. Devery was unnerved. Where did the voice come from? Was it a ghost?

"Now, let's be quick about it." He, with unnatural speed, pierced his fingers towards his own sternum. He brought out a shining sphere the size of a fingernail and pushed it inside Devery's mouth, holding his hand on Devery's mouth until he swallowed it in.

"Lest I forget, I will tell you the situation quickly. First thing is that you are now a Versam and you can never die."

Devery kept kneeling, and it still felt to him as if it was all a dream.

"Second is that unless you kill a guardian within one solar cycle from today, you will be stuck in this age forever with all your infirmities and pains which will keep increasing."

"Third is that as you kill more guardians, you will be able to start absorbing their power."

No sooner had he completed his speech than he jumped and flew up in the air with unnatural speed.

Devery kept shouting for him to explain what was done to him, but the man never looked back.

He sat kneeling on the ground for a while until the pain in his knees became unbearable, He slowly got up and tried to make sense of things.

"Was he playing a joke on me?" thought Devery.

He started to wonder whether he should tell Graciana about it. She would worry too much. He didn't want to give her more worries.

"I should tell Seleph" thought Devery and he started walking back towards his home.