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Uncountable clusters of stars embedded the sky. The entire crew, besides a chipper creature and a disheartened reporter, was bathed in dim moonlight blue and a soft green glow. The sounds of the wild came frequently to Jack's ear and each time it sent a chill through his body. He was accustomed to being outside now, but they always took a marked path and camped for the night. Using a road that is known not to have much wildlife threats while being stationery at night with a fire for safety. This time they were moving in a dark land, famous for beasts.

"Hey Stella," Jack said while putting his hand on her shoulder. The respondent jumped. "Ha, you are scared like me."

"I'm not scared. You just startled me. I just have to be on extra alert because it is dark."

"The young ones are right, Ace. Even I am not comfortable with being in these lands in the night-time while having to protect such a large crowd."

"I definitely get that vibe too. It is creepy, but me and Tenny are around. I promise that nothing will happen to anyone tonight."

"I saw your movement against the red haired one. I admit you are strong, might be as strong as me, so I trust you, but what do you need my help with."

"Your expertise on animals, and your ability to teach teamwork. I don't have access to wisps anymore, so it is a bit hard for me to guide them in controlling formed mimics. I have faith in my tactics and teachings, but it is always good to have the input of a skilled warrior too, especially when dealing with animals. My expertise fits more with battles between people."

"I see your logic. What is in it for me?"

"What do you mean? I thought Trebles care about filling their curiosity. Aren't you curious to see what the future holds for my pupils?"

Lyon couldn't hold back his chuckle. "You are indeed an interesting one, but while I have seen the potential of your skills, I am not sure how grand you really are. I will make my decision when I am blown away."

"You will see soon then."

"I understand, but we run into the other issue that I cannot avoid my friend. What are you going to do with the wolf? You know the precepts we follow."

"I can answer that. Ace is adamant about not killing. Even animals, for food, while we are camping. He only gets animals that have been killed by someone else. His morals don't always make sense, but he sticks by them. We are going to capture the wolf." Jack's eyes diverted. His eyes unfocused while staring at Luna holding her sister's hand. Stella caught the falling sight.

"Jack, I know Luna's past, but she has proven so far that she is holding back. If you have something you want to address, you should get it out of the way before we head into something dangerous." Stella's tone stung enough to make the entire team stop walking.

"No, it isn't that. I am sorry. It's just that...I still am not processing the idea of killing something properly. I understand Ace's words, and I believe in them. I also understand that sometimes we are in situations where killing is for survival. Then there are times where I think, 'If that person wasn't alive anymore then we could be saving a lot of people. Shouldn't they just die?', but then that thought stings in my head. I want to stick to the morals because it feels like the best thing and the safest route, but I can't stop feeling stupid for trying to take Luna's life once." Jack's eyes glued to his feet. His fist tightened. "What would have happened if Ace didn't stop me. I have learned that I don't want to be the judge of life. I've tried to forget it, but I hold that regret with me. I couldn't even bring myself to say sorry properly. Luna...I...I am really sorry."

The silver haired girl released her sister's hand. Everyone was speechless at the matter until the young girl walked straight into his chest and wrapped her arms around him.

"Luna...I really really am...s..."

"Y...you...c...could...couldn't...if you tried. It's o...okay."

"Jack. Why has Luna never hugged me? Why is she hugging someone who just said they tried to kill her? Jack I am going to kill you!" Ace holding the older sister back. Luna released Jack and jumped on Ace's back. A red orb began to form in Stella's hand while she looked at her mentor.

Lyon laughed loudly. "It seems it ended well. I understand your sentiments. Forgive me for questioning your value towards life. I'll help you as long as your word stays true." Lyon places his hands on the twin's shoulders. They yawned instead of taking in the lesson of a struggling warrior. Tenny appeared on Jack's shoulder.

"How do you always arrive after an emotional moment?" The moustache questioned his partner.

"I have a gift for avoiding the boring stuff. I exist just to kick ass."

"What did you find?" Ace cut to the chase.

"The wolf is about 2 and a half miles southeast. Ace, I'm sleepy. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine. There is a lot of people around. You did good, get some rest."

"Ugh we already passed that direction. I told you we should have waited at the gate until Tenny finished searching. You just wanted to walk," Stella reminded her mentor.

"I told you we should have waited at the gate." Ace didn't finish mocking the warrior before she stomped hard on his toes.

***

A small grassy hill blocked their vision. Each footstep took them to the unexpected sight. The massive shadow slowly treads across the field. Massive was an understatement. The black wolf was as big as the hill they stood on. It would take Jack and Ace stacked on each other to touch the creature's belly. Its fur was thick and probably weighed close to a ton. Its eyes were bright yellow, and its snout was a marvel by itself. Jack was sure one of its teeth would cut him in half. This was a terrible idea.

"Ace, that is no ordinary wolf," Lyon stated.

"Yea, I can tell. It can't be a Zodiac. It shouldn't be a Mystical." Ace stopped crouching with his comrades and began stretching. "It is like a hybrid. Is that possible?"

"It shouldn't be. I think we should avoid the situation completely. I am not sure I can even hurt something like that. I will need a few more experienced Trebles."

"Well, the truth is that it still might attack the town. It is awake now. Use this opportunity to study its movements and we can figure out what to do from there."

"Mr. Ace! You are going to fight it?" List seemed worried. His instincts were sharp.

"Be very careful Mr. Ace," Lynn followed up.

"Thank you. I will be extremely careful. I want you to pay attention too and keep an eye on my friends okay. There shouldn't be any other animals around but can't be too careful."

"Yes, sir."

"Ace, I am not kidding. What if it gets—"

"Too late my friend." The moustache vanished from sight.

"He will be okay Sir," Stella said.

"Maybe. I didn't realise how fast he moves when I saw from the crowd. Now that he disappeared in front of me. It is frightening." Lyon looked ahead with nervous vision. Jack was already focused on the movements. He hadn't moved his eyes from the monster since he got there. Paying attention is his strong suit. He has to be useful. He can do this. Ace believed in him.

The appearance of Ace directly in front of the beast surprised the creature the most. All of its teeth appeared to warn the warrior. Its claws sunk into the ground. Hind legs loaded its weight. The grumble emanating from the wolf caused the air inside Jack's lungs to shift in rhythm. What is the first attack? What would it use to kill its threat quickly? The wolf raised its front paws. Its jaws stretched. Chomp.

The warrior was out of the way as expected. What caught Jack by surprise was the large black spike emanating from the tail of the wolf, that was heading for the reappearing Ace. Ace caught the spike without taking a step backwards. The wolf was in panic mode. It quickly turned its body to the left. They continued their dance. Ace kept dodging and blocking every advancement by the wolf. The beast was fast. Some movements were invisible. Every use of dark magic tore into the ground. Ace seemed to keep moving behind it, and it would always turn quickly to the left. It was afraid. Each attack getting more and more desperate.

"What?" Lyon exclaimed when Ace first caught the tail shadow. His gruff voice at the volume was enough to wake a sleeping Tenny. "Is Ace a berserker? Why can't he use any wisps? He has to be a berserker. He is the strongest I have ever seen."

"He isn't a berserker. That is what he told us." Stella's words introduced more confusion in Lyon's face. The twins couldn't help but laugh at their dad's bulging eyes. Jack was still locked onto the battle while their conversation was going on, so he missed a couple words in between.

"The way he uses mana throughout his entire body is at high levels. It doesn't seem normal." Lyon's eyes widened even more. He must have figured something out. "Is he a Mystical Magic User? Is that why he can hold back the shadow?"

"No way! He would have told us. He doesn't have any mana." Stella was sure that wasn't the case. Tenny had his magic still, so no way Ace can be a Mystical Magic user.

"He isn't right now," Tenny mentioned right before a large yawn.

"What?" Stella and Lyon were in sync. Tenny decided to hop onto Lynn's shoulder before explaining himself.

"What do you all know about Mystical Magic users?" the creature first inquired.

"I know that the mana of a Mystical Creature is transferred to a human, and the creature loses their elements, and the person cannot use Mimics anymore. They are instead able to use the element of the creature," Stella defined.

"The human's lifespan is also tied to that of the creature. This means that they live a great deal longer than normal humans, but both die if one dies," Lyon added.

"You are both correct, but there is a bit more to both of your statements, but that is good enough. I learned about the spell from The Three. Do you know why they created it?" Tenny questioned.

"It was for the God Killer," Lyon said.

"Exactly. Since you know about it. I'll ask Stella. How do you kill a phoenix?"

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

The girl only pondered for a second before the idea struck her. "You take away their powers."

"Exactly, but more than that, you take away its mana. A phoenix that revived every time it perished with its own memories, became obsessed with the creatures that died. It began to experiment and take lives. A legendary black dragon named Ater tried to stop him but failed. Ater did find out that the phoenix thought answers would come with the death of one of The Three. The Guides have the power to do almost anything, but they try not to act on bias. The world knew this and had to figure out a way to remove mana from a creature.

"A large enough council met with The Three and asked for Ater to become a master of all elements besides light and a larger pool of mana. They also asked for mystical creatures to be able to pass their mana onto a human. Once a human becomes a Mystical Magic user, then it has the ability to draw the mana from any mystical creature once they are within a certain range. It becomes extremely dangerous, because the caster of the spell is very vulnerable, so it is easy to stop the spell although whatever mana leaves their body has to be built back up over time."

"Why are you explaining that Tenny? What does it have to do with Ace?" Stella questioned.

"There is a small flaw in the spell. I am not sure if it was by design or overlooked. Mana leaving a body does not appear to its target. It has to flow into the body of the receiver. If someone forces the mana from a creature and another creature gets in its way, then the Mana will flow to the first creature it finds. Ace is a by-product of this, even though he doesn't have mana right now. I told you all this, but that isn't fully the reason he is strong right now."

"Awww, Tenny. You told them a useless story," Lynn chimed in.

"That is really funny," List added.

"No, kids. I already knew that Tennebrae was special, but this crew is truly frightening. I am sorry I even suggested fighting him." There was a trembling smile on Lyon's face. Stella thought about the duo again. It seems like invoking terror might have brought more people on their side. Is this what Ace meant when he said he leads with fear?

"Does that mean Ace can beat Virgo, dad?" Lynn asked. The dad stared at Tenny for answers.

"I want to say yes because I am biased. Ace is my best friend, and he makes me think he can do anything." The little creature's eyes turned soft. "But Virgo might be the strongest human to ever exist. There has only been a few Mystical Magic Users in history."

"Yea the original four, Princess Anne of Astrona, and now Virgo. I guess Ace might have come before Virgo," Lyon answered.

"Yea, but Virgo is the only one to have a pact with multiple creatures."

Jack and Luna were still zoned into the dance of their friend. Jack couldn't call it a fight anymore. It had simply become the moustache man playing with the giant wolf. It seemed the battle was finishing up. The wolf went from vicious to friendly tussling with the warrior. Ace's hand petting the beast belly, and then the top of its head.

"Did you guys also notice—" Jack saw the three of them still locked in a conversation. Jack think's they were hypothetically placing Ace against Virgo to see who would win.

Luna grabbed onto Jack's shirt and nodded her head while gripping her left arm. Jack smiled at the young one and nodded his head too. His chest filled with warmth that he was able to analyse it well. The beast looked around before walking away. It wasn't until Ace appeared beside them that he realised the wolf was looking for its new friend.

"What do you guys think? It is really strong," Ace said with a twirl of his moustache.

"I wasn't focused on the wolf too much, but I think I saw enough. We are in a bit over our heads," Lyon answered.

"Mr. Ace, you can beat the wolf if you wanted to. Why not fight it yourself?" Lynn was genuinely curious as Tenny left her shoulder for Ace's.

"Thank you, Miss Lynn. Unfortunately, I am not a fighter anymore. Normally I would have let them observe the wolf naturally but according to my blond-haired reporter, we don't have much time."

"Ace, I think we can do it, but we need more information," Jack said.

"I like the sound of that. Let me escort these kid's home with their dad and discuss a few things. Tomorrow we will meet up at the tavern for breakfast and discuss it." There was no reply, just acknowledgement. They crew talked about Mystical Magic while Ace danced around all their claims. Once back at the village the Moustache and Trebles made their way.

"What do you think Stella?" Jack inquired. The crew walked forward.

"I think this is a big step up. I know I am often confident, but we lost to the twins, and their father that trained them doubts the goal." Luna nodded in agreement.

"I think so too, but I am pretty sure Ace was trying to show us something. It was in the way he moved and controlled the wolf to move. There is more to this story." Jack caught the attention of his comrades.

Stella took a deep breath. "I trust you, Jack. We will discuss the plan tomorrow. Today was a long day."

"Yea I am beat. All my saving the day made me tired. Also, don't worry. I am sure Ace tested the wolf to know if you all could handle it. You all are still playing with training swords," Tenny jested.

Why was that wolf so big? There are large wolves in nature, but that one was massive. There has to be story to this. They have to do something before the hunters attack it. Throughout the rest of the night, Jack had his mind replaying the fight over and over. He had to visit the library tomorrow. It could work. It had to work. He replayed it a couple more times before drifting asleep.

***

The smell in the tavern was wonderful. Eggs hitting the lightly oiled pan. Fat melting away on the stove. The fragrance of fresh fruits nearby danced exceptionally well to the tune of growling stomachs. The sounds that followed the moving stomachs was surprising to the crew. The tavern was full for this hour. The crew figured they would eat at a later hour since most would have to work. That rule didn't seem to apply to Evergreen village as bands of hunters lined the seats. Each table loud and rowdy.

"I am not sure this was the best place to hold a meeting," Stella stated.

"It seems so, but the food smells wonderful!" Ace tapped his foot while waiting for a server to finish taking their order. "So, what do you guys think?"

"I can't believe you guys actually went and found the wolf last night. Couldn't you deal with it then?" William scratched his eyes.

"I don't want to hear anything from the reporter who abandoned us last night, but you should have seen that wolf. It was massive. I understand why the bounty is so big." Ace dramatically mimicked last night.

"Yea, I can imagine. The village is trying to become a Kingdom, so offering to the captors the ability to be the main militant force is large. If their plans do come through, then that crew would be set for life."

"Do they even have that power? Cartina struggled to keep their military independent and eventually had to split up the responsibility. This didn't sit well at first but over the generations, it seems to be accepted," Stella jumped in.

"I think they would, otherwise the prize would be worthless. The government officials wouldn't be able to keep a reward like that secret and the empire would have shut them down already. What are you guys going to do? Can they take it down Ace?" William answered.

"They have to tell me."

"Jack, you were saying something last night," Stella said.

"I don't think we have to take it down. I definitely don't want to kill it, and if we capture it and bring it back then the city will kill it here." Jack stared deep into the eyes of his mentor. Ace seemed to be holding back a smile, but a small grin peeked through.

"What do you think then?"

"There is more to the story. Me and Luna noticed that the wolf had an injury on its front left paw. What if we get that herb that Doctor Hocho used to help Billy sleep? If we can make it stronger, and get it to the wolf, then we will be able to hopefully take it away."

"We can definitely do that!" Stella felt the excitement. "The important thing is to stay safe and disorient it. It will accelerate blood flow."

"Yea! I think we need to figure out how best to get our defensive spells. The biggest problem will be that first attack. If we don't catch it off guard, then it might be impossible," Jack continued.

"You are right. Lyon might have some techniques. Is that why Ace approached them in the first place?" The ashen-haired turned to their mentor.

"I like the enthusiasm, but I am here as your tactician. I agree with your methods so far. I just think you might be leaving something out."

"Yea I get that feeling too. There is more to this story, and I need to know." Jack was in a zone. "William, what do you know about the wolf?"

"All I really know is, it attacked the village, and a strong hunter was injured. The new lead hunter of the village wants to organise the hunt by the weekend. He has gathered quite a lot of fighters so I don't think they will postpone. That gives you guys 4 days."

A remarkable aroma took hold of their noses. "I am sorry it took so long. I really wanted it to come out well." Tana brought a few of the plates to the table. Her hair tied back with a few loose strands falling over her face. Her eyes locked with Ace's who gave her a large smile. Her eyes then shifted to meet a blond reporter and her cheeks puffed and eyebrows met.

"Thank you, Miss Tana. This looks extremely wonderful," Ace started while putting aside for Tenny.

"Thank you very much Tana. I can't wait," Stella said. Luna didn't wait for formalities as she dove into her plate. Stella took out two ledgers and Ace took out his.

"It's my treat," the server mumbled.

"I didn't quite get that," William prodded.

"I said it's my treat!" Tana released a big sigh. "I am sorry, it's just his face gets to me. William let me try your food yesterday. I understand you are the better cook. I will put these meals on my ledger as an apology."

"Thank you, Miss Tana. Can I ask you why you cook?" Ace locked eyes with her. Her gaze shifted. Her eyes first started on the floor and climbed higher with each thought.

"I guess, it is because I like to make people happy by cooking for them."

"Then your cooking did that better than mine. Your meal was delicious, and everyone was truly grateful for it. Your cooking made them happier than mine could and that is why you won."

"Mhm." The server shyly gulped and went back toward the kitchen.

"That was horrendous," William said before taking a piece of bacon from Ace's plate. Ace reached over and flicked him.

"Why would you give her the burger."

"I wanted her to see I wasn't lying."

"You are petty."

"He is, but what was that mister romantic. 'Your meal was delicious.' Ha. Did you hear how lame you sounded." Stella couldn't stop laughing.

"You really were dramatic. I am not even sure it really made sense," Jack tacked on.

"It made sense to her. That is all that matters." Ace pouted until his entire expression changed. "Ha. You shouldn't be laughing miss 'I can probably take on a bear' then gets beat by kids." Luna laughed at that one. Her sister's involvement was the factor that brought the vein to her forehead.

"You will pay for that, moustache."

"The rest of the orders are here. Enjoy!" Tana placed the plates with extreme focus.

"Tana. Tell us about the wolf that attacked the village," William demanded before starting to eat.

"Oh yea. Please, Miss Tana. Anything you know." Jack turned quickly to face her. It caught her off guard.

"O-oh sure. It happened roughly a week and a half ago. The town has been turned around a bit with the attack. The strongest hunter at the time was Nodens. He is the leader of the Wolves Blood guild that provided the venison for the cooking battle. He defended the town with his guild, but the wolf was too much. No one was hurt besides Nod. They successfully defended the town and damaged the wolf. It limped away, but we didn't have the manpower to go after it anymore." Stella questioned why the hero needed to have a terrible guild name. Jack knew the hero of the town had to have the coolest guild name.

"Thank you, Tana." Jack smiled but it wasn't what he looked for.

"No problemo, but if you are joining that raid with Wolf's Venom this weekend, I don't think you should. They are shady."

"Why do yo—" Jack started.

"Wolf's Venom? That one doesn't even make sense. Is this town fixated on wolves? Why are all these names terrible?" Stella interrupted.

"Sorry, Tana. Why do you think they are shady?" Jack finished.

"For quite some time this town has been a focus for hunters, way before I got here, so I can't say how it has always been. The hunters rule this town, and the strongest guild is always the ones with the power. The government has always supported the hunters. It is because of them that the village doesn't have a military and it allows us to have a bit more control of the resources. The hunting guilds are sent around the other kingdoms as well, although the military normally handles cases. This entire structure and the recent decision to try and become a kingdom really extended more power to the strongest hunter. It was often really prideful folks that made the town miserable, until Nod took over. He really looked after the townsfolk."

"He sounds really strong and kind," Jack cut in.

"He definitely was! Not just him but the top members of his guild. I don't think he would have lost if he wasn't injured."

"Lost?" Stella questioned.

"Yea, that's what I was getting to. Lok is the leader of Wolf's Venom. He arrived in the town the day after the wolf attack. He claimed to take over as the new head, and how he would take care of the wolf so no one will get hurt again. He was arrogant and started taking what he wanted. All the other troublemakers like Saber, who was quiet for some time, started being loud. Nod tried to stop Lok but with his injury he was beaten." Tana looked to the ground. "If he does capture the wolf, then this place might really be in trouble."

"Miss Tana—" Jack began.

"I am so sorry. It got carried away. You all are adventurers rising in fame. I am sure your stop in this village is not long lived. Please enjoy your meals." Tana bowed before spinning around.

"Miss Tana, do you know Nod well?" Jack stopped her in her tracks.

"Well enough. He came by the tavern often. Why do you ask?"

"Can you help us meet him?" The rest of the crew was a bit confused about Jack's actions, but it did seem like he was set on finding out about the wolf.

"Yea sure. I think I can arrange the sorts. I'll let you know when I do."

"Miss Tana. I will try my best to not let them take over this town." Jack words were sharp. There was no tremble in his voice. The calm honesty took the server by surprised. She took a while before she could mutter a soft response.

"Yea. I believe you."

She turned and took her leave while the rest of the team had a wicked smiles painted across their face. Luna was still just digging into her plate and then attacked William's. He stopped smiling to fend off her attacks but was no match for the Mystical Creature attacking from her shoulder. Ace slowly began eating while chuckling. He would make eye contact with Stella before both shared a loud bursting laugh.

"The Hummingbird hero wants to save this town. Isn't that right Mr. Ace?" Stella grabbed her eggs with her fork.

"It seems to be so Miss Stella. I wonder if he has a plan before promising to stop the bad guys. What do you think Miss Stella?"

"I think—"

"I can't do anything in front of you guys." Jack's cheeks matched the colour of the tomato he just picked up. "Ace. Stella. I really want to save this town. Will you help me?"

"Sounds like what we were already planning," Stella answered.

"Lead the way Jackie boy," Ace responded.