Abandoned Island off the Serian South Coast.
7:32 am. 23 rd Banem 1092.
31 Days to World’s End.
A few miles off Serisis’ Southern borders sat a lonely island. The ruins of an abandoned fort told the tale of a time when this fort was necessary to protect Serisis from the dangers of the sea. Fortunately for Serisis, the border had been safe for several decades. Unfortunately for the fort, this meant the soldiers were relocated elsewhere. Right now, only a skeleton crew of about ten sailors stood watch for the improbable event of an attack.
Usually, these sailors spent their time playing cards, drinking, or exploring the depths of the ocean. This morning, however, was different. The sailors sat on the beach, debating as they watched a strange sight.
“How lon’ you reckon he’s gonna last this time?”
“Give it thirty minutes?”
“Fuck! Thirty minutes? You think that’s possible!?”
“Twenty wasn’t.”
“Ugh.”
The sailors’ argument froze as a daeben shot up from the depths of the ocean, escorted by massive water columns. Pwoosh! Eight purple limbs shot up after the daeben, hot on his tail.
Kashi instinctively reached for his bow. Grip! The daeben frowned as his fingers tightened around the bow shaft. “ Useless. ” Kashi frowned as he recalled Razznik’s glare. ‘No. Don’t chicken out.’ Having firmed his resolve, he loosened his grip. He then stretched out his hands toward the ocean. “Let’s try this again.”
Veins popped on Kashi’s forehead as he willed the ocean’s waters to move. “Come on!” Kashi pushed and pushed, but no matter how much he gave, the ocean refused to respond. Suddenly, Kashi sensed immense danger. The daeben’s eyes turned grim as he spotted a tentacle diving straight at him.
Kashi moved to dodge, but a quick scan revealed he had been surrounded. This was the sky, after all. Even with the Sky Walk skill, his range of movement was too small compared to the ground. The Giant Octopus took advantage of this to surround Kashi with its limbs. There was nowhere to run.
Kashi quickly appraised the situation. This was bad. At this rate, he would get smacked hard into the ocean. The daeben kicked the air, shifting his position by a few meters. Thwack! Kashi coughed blood as a tentacle smashed against his back with the force of a semi-truck. Luckily, because of his positioning, the smash sent him hurtling to the island.
The sailors watching the fight paled. Kashi was coming straight at them! At the daeben’s current speed, the sailors would be lucky to find anything left of their bodies if he crashed into them.
‘Shit,’ Kashi recognized the crisis. Against his better judgment, he forced himself to spin and then kicked the air. Crack! Kashi stifled a groan as several bones in his right leg shattered at once. Thankfully, The opposing force significantly slowed his crashing speed. Unfortunately, one of the sailors learned how to run away from the Prometheus Institution. Rather than veer off to the side, he continued running in a straight line, which meant Kashi would definitely hit him after tumbling forward.
Kashi was once against forced into desperate straits. With his right leg out of commission, he struck the ground with his left immediately, he landed. Crack! The left leg shared its brother’s fate. Thankfully, its sacrifice was not in vain.
Whoosh! A stone wall shot up from the ground in front of Kashi. BAM! Kashi crumbled to the ground after smashing against the wall, clutching his broken nose. The daeben groaned and cursed as he sat up. He looked to the shores and saw Drixlia fending off the octopus with several lightning strikes.
Although the Giant Octopus was infuriated, it did not dare leave the ocean. So, after blustering a little while longer, it turned around and dove deep, temporarily satisfied with giving the daeben a good slap. With that body, the daeben should be bedridden for a week at the very least.
This was true. Unless a mage was present, broken bones took absurdly long to heal, even for Summoned. Unfortunately, this was not an average person but Kashi. Yggdrasil’s healing aura flooded his legs before he could even begin to process what it meant to have two broken legs.
While his legs healed, Kahshi frowned. He looked at his hand, wondering where he went wrong. Water control. Should it be this difficult? This was just level. 1? If this first level was so difficult, how would the rest be?
“Hey, kid! You alright?”
Kashi looked up at the sailor, who ran back to check on him. This was the man who learned to flee from the Prometheus Institute. “I’m fine. Thanks. Next time, try to run away from the danger.”
The sailor scratched his head, eyes looking down with embarrassment. “Me ma always said I was stupid. She says if I fix me brain, I’d be the King of the Seas.” Ambition and Desire sparked in the sailors’ eyes. “King of the Seas... Ain’t that grand.”
“Perhaps.” Kashi did not know how to get rid of the sailor. Did people become chatty after experiencing a near-death experience?
“Anyway, daeben-dono. What kind of magic was that?” The sailor’s eyes shone as he pointed at the wall. “That wall. I’ve never seen anything like it!”
“That? That’s just plain old magi ―”
“No, no, no. Nothing bout that’s plain. I know cuz I’ve seen lotsa mages.” The sailor patted his chest, a deliberate proud grin on his face. “No magic circles, no chanting. Never seen someone control earth either without either of those. It’s almost like you’re―”
“Innate!” Kashi’s eyes sparked with shock. “Innate! That’s it!”
“Huh? What?”
“It’s innate!” Kashi shouted once again and then shot to his feet. The daeben ignored the stinging pain and rushed to the shores. Once his feet touched the water, he stopped and then stomped on the floor. Boom! A stone wall rose shot up from the ground. Kashi’s eyes narrowed. “This is it. This feeling.” The daeben shut his eyes. He needed to memorize it. The path his mana followed when activating [Wall]. “Wall.” Boom!
And so, the sailors and Drixlia were treated to a strange sight. Kashi, with his eyes closed, repeatedly summoned pillars of stone, as if creating a dam in front of the beach. The daeben went on for hours until he grew weak with hunger. At which point, he dove into the ocean and returned with a fish twice his size.
Kashi roasted the fish and then shared it with the sailors. Once he was done eating, he returned to his training, continually summoning [Wall] .
Day turned into night and back to day, but the daeben did not pause except to eat.
Kashi continued to use [Wall] , and the sailors would have called him mad had something strange not happened. It had just been for a brief moment, but one of the walls Kashi called was smaller than the rest. A few iterations later, a larger one appeared. Soon after, a misshapen wall appeared, with strange indentations. By nightfall, Kashi’s eyes shone as he gazed upon a stone ball rolling across the beach.
Yes, this was it! The way to manipulate elements innately. You inject your mana into the object. And through careful control, alter the nature of that object. The basic principle was easy to understand but extremely tough to put in practice. Mana in fully realized objects and elements were closely bonded together. Tearing them apart to manipulate the object was far too difficult for regular mana.
Mages used magic to achieve this effect. But there were a few animals that could also do the same, but without magic. They were able to accomplish this because their mana was innately attuned with certain elements. An Earth Dragon innately controlled earth while a Kamaitachi controlled wind.
Kashi never realized it because [Wall] came as a skill, but he could innately control the earth. This innate ability, of course, originated from Yggdrassil. The tree was the only pure earth attribute he had. But the damn system never mentioned it!
As if summoned by his rage, Kashi received a timely prompt.
Congratulations! You Have Unlocked Innate Ability: Earth-Control [Lv. 1]
Earth-Control [Lv.1]: The earth is yours to command. With enough practice, you might one day give birth to a new legend.
P.S: Took you long enough. Know that there are areas the system will not aid you. Learn to think for yourself!
Kashi glared at the prompt. He wanted to strangle this blasted system, but there was no place to direct that frustration. Instead, he closed the tab and then looked at the ocean. Kashi walked into the ocean until he was waist-deep and then sunk his hands into the flowing waters.
‘Remember the feeling.’ Kashi shut his eyes and focused on the mana flowing through his body. Slowly, he leaked mana from his hands into the ocean’s water. Little by little, his mana trickled out, and like a hidden poison, diffused through the ocean. ‘Hear me out.’ Kashi passed his wheel through his mana to the ones scattered within the ocean. At first, the connection was weak. Earth was different from water. Earth required a strong, sturdy type gotten from practicing one skill for ages.
Water, on the other hand, was soft and gentle but equally strong and tyrannical. Its nature largely depended on its mood. Bonding with the temperamental water element proved to be a much harder time than earth. As time passed, Kashi eventually decided to switch tactics.
Kashi walked into the ocean until he was completely submerged. The rolling waves lapped softly against his skin - sometimes, gently brushing, and other times harshly pulling or pushing. Kashi did not fight the waves. With a small jump, he surrendered himself to the ocean.
The second Kashi stopped fighting, the ocean grabbed him like a long-lost friend. A heavy undercurrent dragged him underwater. It took Kashi past several lifeforms, some friendly, others not so much. Despite faced with the increasing danger, Kashi made no move to defend himself.
Time lost its meaning as Kashi surrender to the current. The daeben’s mind emptied, and for a brief moment, he forgot everything. Razznik, Suzuki, Lunette, the Maggots, Rosendun. Finally, he allowed himself to drop it all for a moment.
Kashi slept.
Who knows how long Kashi slept for. When he awoke from his slumber, he found himself in front of a familiar underwater lair. Before he could question how he arrived there, a giant octopus, whose limbs could stretch out to about 100 meters, burst out of the cave.
The octopus roared with rage as it glared at the daeben. Kashi had stolen thousands of eggs from its nest! Those were its babies that it was using the last of its life to raise. To think this bastard had come for more.
Kashi observed the octopus with a gentle gaze. He could understand her anger. No species appreciated a cradle-robber. However, Kashi needed to set up a functioning aquatic ecosystem fast. Hydras were hungry creatures. They required a self-sustaining system that provided them with food. Aside from training his water-control skill, feeding the Hydras had been his secondary motivation for coming all the way to the ocean.
“Forgive me.” Kashi bowed his head. When he raised his head, his eyes had turned cold.
The Giant Octopus was having none of it! It roared and then launched its tentacles at Kashi.
“I do not know how to control this yet.”
It was at this point that the Giant Octopus realized the flow of water was weird. It hastily looked above Kashi’s head to see a 30 m maelstrom contained within something loosely resembling a ball.
Kashi’s eyes lowered. He flicked his finger forward. The maelstrom zipped toward the Octopus, which quickly wrapped itself with its tentacles. BOOM! Squish! Its efforts proved useless. The maelstrom crashed into the octopus, enveloping it in sharp, merciless watery blades.
Kashi watched as the maelstrom ground the octopus into a sea of red paste. Only when he was confident it was dead did he drop the facade. *Cough* Kashi doubled over and coughed up blood. Not daring to underestimate the Giant Octopus, Kashi had overdrawn his mana, ki, and blood. Only that kind of attack, with his life on the line, could get rid of the Octopus in one blow.
The maelstrom dispersed moments later, scattering the blood across the ocean.
Kashi winced. He did not have much time. The daeben quickly descended into the cave, where he found tens of thousands of orange-sized eggs. The daeben did not stand on ceremony. He once again risked severe blood loss as he opened massive portals at either side.
A greedy suction force rapidly sucked in all the eggs within a few seconds.
BOOM!
Kashi’s expression turned ugly as a tremendous force crashed against the roof of the underworld cavern. The daeben closed the portals and then swiftly swam for the exit. However, his heart leaped into his throat as he looked into an eye three times his size blocking the exit.
“Fuck!”
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Kashi took out an arrow from his quiver, and flung it with all his might.
Clang!
The arrow harmlessly bounced off the eye as if it struck metal. Kashi despaired. There was no way he could handle something on that level!
Roooar!
At this juncture of death, a deadly roar tore through the ocean, its owner clearly pissed off about something. The ‘being’ that watched Kashi reacted to this roar. It retreated from the cave and swam to confront the new challenger.
Kashi did not dare waste this opportunity. The daeben took a ‘breath’, and then burst through the exit - to meet total carnage. Kashi’s bloodbath had attracted thousands of aquatic lifeforms from across the ocean. These monsters, big and small, which usually minded their own territories, savagely fought over the Giant Octopus’ corpse.
Kashi stealthily swam through the blood fog. His heart froze in his throat as he knew that the littlest mistake would have the fish on him. Lady Luck did seem to be on his side this time. However, due to the frenzied chaos, none of the fish paid attention to the lifeform leaving the battle.
But, as they say. Disaster strikes at the 11 th hour.
Kashi had just about cut through the blood when a curious fish stared at him. The fish sniffed, feeling something weird. Two more sniffs, though, and it knew what was strange. This thing smelled like eggs!
Octopus eggs, to be exact!
The crazy fish screamed to its friends, who immediately joined it in chasing after Kashi. That school’s strange action attracted attention. Several fish now noticed the black two-legged creature scurrying away. They also smelled the eggs on him. Most of these fish were too small to contend for the Giant Octopus’ corpse anyway, so with red eyes, they joined the chase.
“FUCK!” Kashi swore for the third time. The daeben torpedoed through the ocean with everything he had, but the fish quickly gained pace. At this rate, they would catch up in a few minutes. Some of the smarter fish sent signals to their friends ahead of Kashi, and soon the daeben found himself in a closed, rapidly closing net.
As a result, Kashi gritted his teeth and rapidly changed course, choosing instead to swim directly upward.
Unfortunately, the underwater cavern was hundreds of meters deep. Kashi winced as he commanded the ocean to propel him upward. This kind of push did not require precise control. In fact, Kashi’s bones began to creak from the counteracting forces.
ROOAR!
Kashi fearfully looked down. The chasing fish scattered as a colossal black mass sliced through the ocean like a missile. Kashi could not make out any discerning features, nor estimate its size. All he knew was this: He would certainly die if that thing reached him. Casting his fortunes to the wind, Kashi summoned every last bit of mana and channeled it into the ocean.
BOOOM!
Like a missile ejected from a submarine, Kashi burst upwards, cutting several meters in a second. But, the monster below was even faster. Despite his speed, Kashi could feel it closing in. He could feel himself losing control of the ocean as the monster’s mana eroded his and seized control.
“AHHH!!!” Letting out a defiant roar, Kashi sacrificed even more of his blood! The daeben’s complexion paled, and his sight turned blurry. But Kashi kept going. He pushed on, gaze fixed on the faint light shining through the surface. But, as fate would have it, just as Kashi’s fingertips broke the surface, the ocean around him went still.
The ocean’s water locked Kashi in place, preventing him from moving an inch as the monster opened a mouth that stretched out for tens of meters.
Kashi stared into the approaching abyss with a wry smile on his lips. ‘So, this is how it ends.’ Due to his vapid bloodloss, Kashi’s eyes slowly lost focus as he lost consciousness. But, just before the world went black― KRRRAKUM! ―the world was illuminated, only briefly, by a flash of blue and gold.
Abandoned Island off the Serian South Coast.
8:58 am. 23 rd Banem 1092.
29 Days to World’s End.
“Ugh.”
Kashi awoke with a groan to the chirping of birds. He felt like his veins were on fire, and his head pounded like a beating drum. Kashi winced and then slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in an unfamiliar room. Cracked walls and extremely sparse furniture gave off an air of desolation and poverty.
Kashi groaned as he sat up. A frown formed between his brows as he checked the date on the system clock. He had been out for two days? What the hell? That was two days of practice wasted! Kashi cursed as he stood up. He walked to the door and then pushed it open.
Kashi walked out onto a familiar beachside. He spotted five sailors rowing onto shore on a skiff, having finished their fishing for the day. Two sailors waited on the coast to help with mooring the boat, but the remaining three were not in sight.
Hnnng!
Startled by a grunt, Kashi looked to his right, where he saw a sailor snoring as he rested against the wall. As if sensing the daeben’s gaze, the sailor woke with a start. The old midi smiled as he gave Kashi a once-over.
“So yer awake, kid? Was thinking ye’d be down fer a few weeks. How’s ye feeling?”
“Hurts like hell. But I’ll live.”
The midi grinned, amused by Kashi’s answer. “All we can ask fer, really.” His gaze then dimmed. “Don’t know if yer ride’s gonna make it, though. He’s in a bad way.”
Kashi frowned. “Drix? What happened? No.” Kashi grabbed the sailor and then tossed him over his shoulder. “Point the way. Tell me what happened as we go.”
The midi pointed with its feet. “That way, kid.” Kashi took off like a jet, but the midi’s gaze remained calm, surprisingly unperturbed. “When yer disappeared, Drix ya call him? Yeah, Drix went looking fer ye. The kid charged across the Forever Sea nonstop for two days looking for ye. Luckily, he managed to find ye, but ―”
“Drix!” Kashi shouted as he broke through the trees to a small clearing. The remaining sailors were crouched over a heavily panting Drix. The grass around was charred brown by electric sparks that shot out of the kirin’s body. The sailors, a masonian man, and a female kafu fed Drixlia some ground herbs, seemingly immune to the sparks.
Kashi frowned. The hell? Drixlia’s electricity wasn’t something you could just stand in. Who were these people, really? Bzzt! Kashi shook his head. This was not the time to consider that problem. Drixlia really did seem to be in bad shape. Kashi dropped the midi and then rushed over to the kirin’s side.
Drixlia looked terrible. Horrible injuries ran along its abdomen and legs as if something had nearly torn it in half. The kirin’s eyes were glazed over, evidently unable to recognize its surroundings. Its breathing was labored and slow. Despite its brave struggle, it was nearing the end of its life.
As he examined Drixlia’s injuries, Kashi finally recalled the last moments before he passed out. When he broke out of the ocean, Drixlia descended from the sky in a flash of blue lightning. But then, the monster chasing him caught up and attempted to swallow them whole.
In that moment of desperation, Drixlia jumped four tiers to forcefully utilize Tier 5 Gold Lightning. That overdraft alone was enough to break the kirin in pieces, but then, Drixlia got scratched by the monster’s teeth as it escaped the beast’s mouth. That scratch very nearly tore it clean in half.
That was the moment Kashi blacked out. Barely a second passed from the moment Kashi broke out of the ocean to Drixlia escaping the monster. That was how tight the margin of error Drixlia was forced to work with. By all accounts, it was a miracle either of them survived that encounter.
The midi placed a hand on Kashi’s shoulder. ”Ye must be a great owner. He only had one thought in mind. Getting ye to safety. Alas, the best we can do is slow his passing and reduce the pain.”
“Thank you.” Kashi looked at the pair of alchemists. “I will make sure to repay this favor.” He then placed his hands on Drixlia and said with a half-smile. “Sorry, Drix. I never agreed to a leave. We’ve still got way too much work to be done.”
Whoosh!
“Oh my.” The midi and alchemists exclaimed in shock as they watched green aura pour out of the daeben’s hands until Drixlia was shrouded in the green mist.
Kashi’s brows furrowed. Perhaps because of Drixlia’s high-level anatomy, it was taking longer than expected to heal its injuries. The daeben gritted his teeth. Damn it! This only happened because he was weak! He had to get stronger. Strong enough that he did not need to rely on anyone for help. Only
Fifteen minutes later, Kashi’s hands shook, and sweat pooled on his brows, but thankfully, Drixlia’s condition had stabilized. The kirin’s breathing was steady, if a bit low, and most of its injuries had healed. Some rest should take care of the rest.
Kashi waited for his mana to refill and then transported Drixlia to Orez to recuperate under Yggdrasil’s branches. The daeben then looked at the silent but stunned sailors. He rose to his feet and bowed. “Thank you. Drix would not have made it without your help. I will certainly repay this debt.”
The midi waved off Kashi’s gratitude with a nonchalant smile. “What’s yer name, kid? That was something special, you just did.”
“Kashi of the Hopeful Maggots.”
“Kashi? Hopeful Maggots? What’s that - Some sorta guild?”
Kashi stared at the midi with shock in his eyes. Not to brag, but was there a soul who had not heard of the Hopeful Maggots? Especially in Serisis, Rosendun, and Merriheim? “Yes. It’s a guild. My guild.”
The midi clapped his hands, praise in his gaze. “Oh? Yer a guildmaster, are ye? No wonder yer all peculiar-like. So, what brings you here? Seemed like ye were training?”
Kashi nodded. “Something like that.” The daeben warily observed the smiling midi and the other sailors. Previously, he had been too panicked to notice, but there was more to these sailors than met the eye. For one, he could not sense how strong they were. Which meant they were either stronger than him or had outstanding concealment techniques. The daeben’s eyes narrowed. “If you do not mind, may I request your identities?”
The midi shrugged. “Well, it ain’t any grand secret. The name’s Fang Ling.” He pointed at the alchemists. “He’s Jang Guk, and she’s Chen Moon. We, along with the seven on the shore, are what remain of the Queen’s Guard.”
“Queen’s guard?” Kashi’s brow shot up. “The Serian Queen?”
“Yeah.”
“But she’s―”
“Dead?” Fang Ling snorted. “Can’t be proven without a body. We believe the queen is still alive, somewhere out in the Forever Sea. We search for her every day.”
Kashi stared at the midi. What level of devotion was this? The queen had been pronounced dead over twenty years ago. These guys did not give up that whole time? Kashi was not sure if this was loyalty or stupidity.
As if reading the youth’s thoughts, Fang Ling said, “Often, the difference between loyalty or stupidity lies solely in the result.” He then pointed to the shores. “C’mon kid, ye should meet the others. I’ll tell ye everything as we walk.”
Kashi thought about it, then followed the midi. Interestingly, pure-blood midis did not ‘walk’ but hopped like the rabbits they evolved from. Of course, you’d only have yourself to blame if you dared to underestimate them because of this.
Fang Ling exposed the truth as he walked. The Serian Queen Xu Yao often went on expeditions across the Forever Sea in search of not only adventure but items that could boost Serisis’ economy. Most of the few plants that could survive in Serisis’ harsh soil were found during such excursions.
During one expedition, Queen Xu Yao stumbled upon a great treasure that granted her nigh command of the sea. She hoped that she could turn Serisis into a great fishing city by driving away the much stronger beasts that killed local fishermen.
Unfortunately, the treasure’s power attracted the King of the Sea, Kudrick of the Void. Kudrick was a giant leviathan that was over sixty meters in length, twice the size of the average blue whale. The giant leviathan usually spent its time at the lowest depths of the ocean, thousands of meters deep.
On that day, however, Kudrick was offended by the tug of an item that dared to control its territory. It thus launched a devastating attack on Queen Xu Yao’s ships. Hundreds perished in an instant. Queen Xu Yao, realizing the battle’s severity, immediately ordered the sea to swallow up and then transport the survivors to a safe location.
The last Fang Ling saw of his queen was her proud back as she faced off against the mountain that shot up from the sea.
“That fish did not kill Her Highness.” Fang Ling said to Kashi as they walked up to the seven sailors who were inspecting the skiff for any damages. “I feel it in me bones. Her Highness is out there, waiting for us to rescue her.” He frowned. “We would have found her by now were it not fer that bastard, Kudrick. Ever since that battle, he lurks close to the surface and chases us if we dare enter his territory.”
“Kudrick.” Kashi’s gaze turned cold. “He’s the one who wounded Drix?”
“Most likely. Those bite marks were too deep. Only Kudrick could have caught yer beast at that speed.” Fang Ling paused when they reached the skiff. The sailors stopped their work to inspect the daeben with curious gazes. “Lads, meet Kashi. Kashi meet the lads.” Without pause, he jabbed a thumb at Kashi. “Kashi, here’s a guildmaster, alright? Treat him with some respect.”
The sailors glanced at Fang Ling, then at Kashi. After a short pause, they smiled. “Nice ta meetcha, Kashi.” An old masonian in his fifties greeted. “Let us know if ya need any help.”
Fang Ling nodded, pleased with their reaction. He then turned to more pressing matters. “No luck this time too?”
“None.” The masonian groaned and shook his head. “We’ve checked everywhere else. It’s time to accept it. If the Queen’s alive, she’s definitely within Kudrick’s territory.”
Fang Ling frowned. His eyes turned grave as he gritted his teeth. “So, in the end, we must battle Kudrick. Hehe, what a bad joke.” The sailors’ gazes grew heavy, but not one looked down. They had resolved to rescue their queen, and they would do so, even if it cost them their lives.
“Sorry to say this, but if Kudrick’s what I saw, then you do not stand a chance.” The sailors glared at Kashi’s rude remark, but the daeben continued with a cold gaze. “It’s not a matter of strength. Its command over water is absolute. You’re dead if you hit the sea.”
Fang Ling glared at Kashi. “With all due respect, kid, this ain’t none of yer business.”
“On the contrary, it is certainly my business,” countered Kashi. “Kudrick almost killed Drix. I owe him.” Kashi was pissed. Royally pissed. Both at himself and this Kudrick bastard. “It’ll take few months, but I do have a way to remove its control over the ocean. I only ask that you wait for a while.”
Fang Ling’s gaze narrowed. “What method is this?”
“A hydra.” Kashi did not attempt to hide the truth. He needed to show some sincerity to gain their trust. “A hydra is probably the only sea creature capable of seizing control of the ocean from a leviathan.”
“Yer saying ye have access to a hydra?”
“Yes. An infant Hydra, newly hatched.” There was no need to reveal he had two. “It will take a few months for her to reach maturity. So, please, be patient for a while longer.”
Fang Ling observed the daeben’s tone and expression. It did not seem Kashi was lying, but he found the prospect too outlandish to believe. So, with raised brows, he asked, “Ye own a hydra? Ye?”
Kashi nodded. “Yeah.” He raised his hand and summoned a large portal. Water flooded from the portal, accompanied by a man-sized Hydra. The black beast’s feelers inspected the unfamiliar area, but then upon sensing Kashi, it ran back and nudged the daeben with its heads.
“That...” Fang Ling opened his mouth and then closed it multiple times. He was at a complete loss, disbelief, and shock in his eyes. Fang Ling examined Kashi once more. What the hell was this kid!? How could he nonchalantly summon a Hydra?
Kashi smiled and then returned Dee to Orez. “That should be enough, right?”
“Uh... uh, yeah?” Fang Ling looked at Kashi like the daeben was an alien. “How’d ye get yer hands on a Hydra? And it looks like she likes ye, even?”
“Secret.” Kashi decided to keep a small air of mystery. “I just need time for her to grow. Then we can go hunt Kudrick together. How does that sound?”
Fang Ling observed the daeben. “What’s yer angle?” The old guard was no fool. No one risked their lives for others without some ulterior motive.
“I want to kill Kudrick,” Kashi answered honestly. “Also, I am interested in this treasure your queen found. If we must kill Kudrick to find her, then I’m all for it.”
Strangely, Fang Ling’s expression relaxed upon hearing Kashi’s greedy answer. “Alright. We’ll wait for ye. But there ain’t no guarantees on the queen’s treasure. Only she can decide on its fate.”
Kashi smiled. “You do not need to worry about that. I can be persuasive.”
Fang Ling thought about it, then sighed. “Alright, kid. Deal’s on.” The midi’s eyes shone. “So, what’re you gonna do now? Back to practice?”
“Yeah. Got a big battle coming up. I need to be ready.”
“Ready, huh.” Fang Ling cracked his fingers as he gave the daeben a once-over. “Can’t work with a weakling and can’t work with a dead man.” His lips curled in a grin. “Fer that Hydra’s sake, let’s have a little spar.”
The daeben grinned as Ferulic’s Bow appeared in his hand. “Don’t die, old man.”