**
[Red's POV]
Everything went black the moment after I took damage from Arthur. Looks like I passed out again. Every part of my body hurts like hell. My body felt weird, I couldn't really feel anything. It was like I was just floating in a vast ocean drifting along the waves. So weird.
Suddenly bright lights start to shine across my face which starts blinding my face. I struggle to block it with my hands, but my bloody body wouldn't move. As I continue trying to avoid the light before I knew it. The image of a roof appeared. Lying on my body was a white snake curled up sleeping. It was White.
I tilt my head around checking my surroundings. I was in a room that was filled with antiques and expensive furniture.
In the corner of the room was King Darius sleeping with a book covering his face, while his feet were placed on the table. Damn master was resting comfortably.
"Yyyoukkkkhh__!!!" I choked as my throat was extremely dry and sore. Touching my throat and rubbing it to ease the pain
After coughing for a while hard, the King woke up from his nap and saw that I was awoken.
"Well well well. If it was my dumb disciple. How are you feeling after sleeping for 3 days?"
"Painful."
My entire body was covered and wrapped around with bandages, you might as well call me a mummy at this rate. The cuts and bruised have generally healed. My body was not getting used to damage in my body stacking on top of each other causing every muscle to scream in pain whenever I tried to move.
I looked at King Darius while he remain silent looking out into the sky.
"So what happened?"
"Well as expected, you don't remember huh?" King Darius replied looking in my direction.
[Thou was possessed again. I have no idea who or what was it.]
"What's the damage? Did I kill anyone?" I asked bracing my heart for the bad news while teaching my fist along with the bed sheet.
"Surprisingly no one got hurt. The moment you smacked Arthur, both of you collapsed on the ground." He then points to the mask saying, "This also went back to normal."
The 3 of us remained silent as the atmosphere around us turns awkward.
King Darius was the first to break the tension by giving me an update on what happened these 3 days: "Anywho now that you're ok, here is some news for you. Firstly, the competition ended up a draw in the finals."
"Huh? Didn't I faint before that? Shouldn't that count as lost?"
"Well, the rest of the world doesn't know something was possessing you because you were wearing your mask. So technically no one could see that you fainted, they deemed it as you were just persistent and stubborn."
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"No one questioned my weird behaviour?" I asked curiously.
"You were already weird the moment you wore the mask."
[All thanks to me.]
King Darius was about to add more comments when he refrained.
"AHEM. Anyways, back to the topic. Well, the King of Frostguard wanted to award both of you for such a good match in years. However, the prize he picked up this year was very special and only one person could get it. He wanted to offer both you and Arthur at the same time when you two recovered. But since you took too long to wake up, so he offered it to Arthur."
"I see. Well, better luck ne___"
King Darius smacked in the head, "I'm not done, boy."
I grabbed my head, with minor tears almost coming out looked at the old king.
"Arthur rejected the prize."
"Huh? Why? Is it something troublesome?"
"See for yourself."
King Darius's hand revealed an egg that was the same size as the Imoogi egg.
"Oh, nononono____"
"Oh yes yes yes." The King replied, giving a very devious and evil smile. "This here is a very important gift bestowed by the King of this nation. Rejecting it would be disrespectful and you might be executed for humiliating the King."
"... that's so unfair."
"GAHAHAHAHA, with that in mind, rest up and see you. There banquet held for you." After uttering those words, the King left the room in a hurry to avoid hearing me whine.
Before he closed the door. He peeked in, looked at me and said: "Hey, I'm glad to have you as my disciple." before smiling and leaving.
[Me too.]
I smiled and muttered softly, making sure no one could hear me.
"Thank you both for helping me this far," Before keeping my mouth shut.
**
[King Darius's POV]
As soon as Arthur rejected the prize, immediately I suggest to Albert that Red should have the egg. Seeing that snake and its size, even I can tell that a special requirement is needed to hatch the egg. And he managed to do it.
Now, all we have to do is to see what kind of creature is going to emerge from it.
Still...Maybe I should have praised him more for working so hard in this competition. Oh well. I'll tell him when I see him later.
**
[Red's POV]
After observing the egg for at least 30 minutes. The egg was a different creature from White. The size might be the same but the shapes and patterns were completely different.
"Damn another egg to hatch huh," I stared, looking at the enormous egg.
[Well at least White has someone to play with.]
"You're not wrong," I said, stroking gently at White's scale. I picked up the mask and wore it. Prepared to check on the different stats in my body when the notification spams across the entire mask like a computer that was infected with virus.
[*You have mail from Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto*]
[*You have mail from Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto*]
[*You have mail from Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto*]
Immediately I selected it to see what the hell happened.
From: Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto
Subject: Earth needs your help!!!
Hi Red,
I would like to chit-chat and ask where the heaven have you been but I need your help. My champions are not going to last any longer. The entirety of Japan has been thrown into chaos. Lee Jeong-Hun is fighting with Sasaki Kaguya and Abe Kazue currently. People are getting injured and dying. I implore you, please help us out. If not, the world would end up getting destroyed at this rate.
I'll even reward you handsomely. I only managed to get a hold of you because you finally hold the weapon I lend you. Anyways, just come quickly, please.
XOXO,
Uzume
Looking at the message, there were several other messages which were spam from God's asking where was I. There were even some from Inari Okami-Sama.
"Ryong, can we head back now?"
[Yes.]
"Then let's not waste time." I grabbed my clothes and wore them before inspecting some of my gears and Item as I proceed to an empty space to summon the portal. Before leaving, I grabbed a pen and paper to write a note for King Darius.
"I need to go, my world's in danger. I'll be back soon."
Ryong managed to successfully create the portal that was waiting for me in the empty alleyway. I took one last look at the city before jumping into the portal.