"Hmm, Kiana, are you here?" Aurianna called out, waving her hand in front of Kiana's face, noticing her dazed expression.

"Of course I am!" Kiana snapped back to reality.

"OMG, you sweeties are here!" Carol exclaimed as she flew towards them, embracing Aurianna and Leila.

"Carol!" Aurianna and Leila greeted in unison.

"Where's Eva? I could've sworn I sensed her," Carol said, looking around. Eva had vanished.

"Seems she’s gone back to void space," Leila speculated.

"Tch," Carol clicked her tongue and crossed her arms, visibly annoyed. "Neil wants to see you two."

"Finally!" they both declared excitedly.

"You guys just want food!" Carol grumbled, shaking her head.

"I need some real food, you know?" Aurianna said, patting her stomach, drooling at the thought of Neil's cooking.

"Same! You know my cooking skills aren't great," Leila added, trying to contain her excitement, making Carol roll her eyes.

"Whatever. And who's the new girl?" Carol asked, glancing at Boara.

"Yes, she’s my new familiar!" Aurianna declared proudly.

"Oh, she's strong, but Hadina is stronger. Do you really need her?" Carol asked, standing next to Boara and grabbing her arm.

‘When did she get so close? I couldn't sense her at all!’ Boara thought nervously.

"Yes, I need a lot of people, of course," Aurianna replied.

"Whatever. I don't know how I'll carry them all," Carol sighed, letting go of Boara.

"Hmm, Eva, can you teleport us?" Aurianna asked.

"Alright," Eva answered, and they disappeared, reappearing before a large mansion.

"You're here!" Neil beamed, rushing out of the mansion to hug Aurianna and Leila, playfully pinching their cheeks. "You two have grown taller since I last saw you," he said, measuring their height with his hand. "5'8. Impressive! You'll soon reach 6 feet."

"Yes, we've been training a lot," Aurianna said, giving a thumbs up.

"I'm guessing you're all hungry. Come, sit and eat," Neil invited them in. Inside, a large table was laden with delicious food, causing everyone but Carol to drool as the mouth-watering scent filled the air.

"Oh, now you have a house?" Leila asked, already seated and helping herself to some meat.

"I thought it’d be better to make one with all the food I prepared," Neil replied, sitting at the end of the table, with Aurianna and Leila on either side of him.

‘This man feels suffocating,’ Kiana thought, keeping a cautious eye on Neil. Yet, as Aurianna eagerly devoured her pastries, Kiana couldn’t help but reach out, grabbing a pastry and placing it into her mouth. Her eyes lit up as she chewed. ‘This is amazing!’

"So yummy," Aurianna cried happily, a piece of cake resting on her fork.

"I see you have a few more friends and have made some contracts as well," Neil observed, his calm gray eyes settling on Boara and Kiana.

"Yep," Aurianna and Leila nodded.

"Yes, Eva has told me a lot," Neil said.

"Leila, do you really not want any more contracts? I can get a lot more for you and Aurianna," Neil asked curiously.

"Fighting with summons isn't my style. It suits Aurianna better," Leila replied calmly.

"That's true. Despite being on the same level, your stats are entirely different. Aurianna has more MP and agility, while you have more physical strength and defense," Carol added before taking another sip of her drink.

"But what I'm really curious about is that Dragon, Iphranx," Neil said, pointing at Boara. "I haven't seen one in a very long time. How did you make a contract with her?"

"I was in a ruin until I met my master, Aurianna," Boara answered, helping herself to some candy. ‘This is surprisingly delicious,’ she thought.

"I see. Then Eva and Aurianna, be careful. If a being like her exists in your world, there'll definitely be a Regal nearby," Neil warned, his tone cold.

"A Regal?" Aurianna mumbled, frowning.

"Are you sure?" Eva asked, appearing in miniature form before Neil.

"I am. You both even have a Shining Star. All the rank 1s will soon realize that two Shining Stars are missing," Neil replied.

"However, the pace at which you two are growing is good. Maybe by the time you're detected, you'll be able to fight off the Regals," he added.

"Detected? What do you mean, Neil?" Eva asked, clearly confused.

"Eva, you know that Regals can sense Gemaris, right?" Neil asked, raising an eyebrow.

"But I haven't felt the presence of one," Eva answered, biting her lip.

"But you have a tingly feeling, right?" Neil pressed.

"Yes," Eva admitted.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Neil, what do you mean? I don't want to be left out of this conversation!" Carol demanded loudly.

"Well, in most cases, it's easy for a large horde of Regals and other races to detect the Gemaris race. However, if you haven't encountered any for such a long time, it either means someone else is hiding your presence or someone else is keeping them at bay," Neil answered coldly.

____________

In space, Castorite stood on a pile of dead bodies on a destroyed planet, his crystal skin glinting under the distant stars. His innocent white eyes betrayed a nervous expression, as always.

"Seriously, they don't end. I just want to find my master already," he sighed, gripping his long gun.

"Well, it was expected. We are lucky to have managed to kill this many and survive," White Topaz replied calmly. Her white crystal skin glimmered, and her long, wavy hair flowed beneath her blue armor as she held a large hammer.

"They are just getting stronger and stronger. It's infuriating," Natrolite gnashed her teeth. Tall and fierce, with a bob cut and piercing eyes, her frustration was palpable.

"White Howlite, Moonstone, and Ulexite are probably near our master in Universe Five," White Topaz mused. "And Antarcticite is protecting the home world. So far, nothing bad has happened there."

"Three gems eagerly defending the universe in this dimension, so the rumors are true," a voice suddenly interrupted. The three turned to see a little girl floating before them, her rainbow-colored eyes bearing the number rank 6.

"A rank 6, be careful!" White Topaz warned.

"Heheheheehehehehe," the Regal giggled, her expression twisted with madness.

"I expected rank ones to appear since they heard this news," Castorite snorted.

"We have more important things to deal with than you," the Regal replied coldly, her gaze shifting to him.

"More important things than us?" Natrolite asked, confused.

"Of course. You're nothing compared to that walking monster," the Regal blurted out, a hint of fear in her voice.

"Walking monster?" White Topaz thought, deciding to pry further. "What monster exactly?"

"The Black Gemaris," the Regal trembled, gripping her shoulders. "I will eat you three and gain the strength to kill that bitch! How dare she revive! How dare that monster! I need to find the new generation quickly, or I'll die!"

'She's so afraid of the new Black Gemaris,' Castorite thought, noticing the Regal's trembling eyes. 'How terrifying is she, to even make Regals who don't fear death act so cowardly?' Natrolite wondered as well.

"No use worrying now! Let's fight!" the Regal declared fiercely.

"Be prepared," White Topaz warned, and they all readied themselves.

"She's quite small, though," Castorite blurted out.

"Don't underestimate her," White Topaz warned, her eyes never leaving the Regal. "Too much has changed while we were hiding. Mere rank tens made us struggle, and she's rank 6. It's clear from her aura and those spikes in her shoulders. Only rank 6 have those."

"Don't worry. I'll make this as painful as possible," the Regal stated coldly. The entire universe lit up with rainbow colors, her eyes shining brightly. Spikes formed all around them, launching toward the three crystals, destroying the remnants of the planets they stood on within seconds.

"Hey, where are you running to?" the Regal child taunted, appearing before Natrolite with a cold gaze. Her hands turned into claws and stabbed Natrolite in the gut.

Natrolite seized the opportunity to grab the Regal’s head and twist it before distancing herself and swinging her sword at the Regal, slashing at her.

"That's annoying," the Regal grumbled, grabbing Natrolite’s sword.

‘Barely any injuries. My slashes could easily kill off lower-tier Regals. She's different, a mutation?’ Natrolite wondered.

"If more like her truly come here, it will be trouble for us," White Topaz added, her voice grim.

"Agreed," Castorite nodded, tightening his grip on his gun. "We need a plan."

_________

"Well, we should just be glad, I guess," Aurianna sighed, shrugging.

"This is a serious matter that needs to be discussed. If the Regals get any of you, it would be pretty bad," Neil voiced with concern.

"Are they that dangerous?" Leila asked.

"They are, especially for the new generation. But for the Black Gemaris, she's more of a walking threat to them," Eva explained.

"Iris," Aurianna and Leila blurted out in unison.

"Too many things to worry about!" Aurianna whined, scratching her head.

"Better to prepare for the future than die when you least expect it," Leila said wisely.

"True, I guess," Aurianna sighed, agreeing with Leila's words.

"So, any progress for either of you in the real world?" Carol asked.

"Well, I'm trapped in a ruin with these two," Aurianna answered, pointing at Kiana and Boara.

"I'm still in the middle of a war, but luckily we aren't losing," Leila admitted.

"Oh, what war?" Carol asked curiously.

"Basically, humans versus non-humans. Not all humans are cruel, but some have only hatred in their hearts and seek to profit from war and death," Leila answered coldly.

"If you lose, I'll beat you up, big sis!" Aurianna huffed, which immediately cheered Leila up.

‘I’m just eating my food in peace,’ Kiana thought.

"Also, Neil, can you tell me more about Boara's race?" Aurianna asked.

"There isn't a limit to her race in terms of growth. She's merely a young baby bird, as are you two," Neil replied.

"The Dragon Iphranx I used to see were really annoying threats, but they are something I could kill," Neil said confidently.

"With your powers restrained, I wonder what your actual powers are like if you managed to take those chains off?" Carol mused, staring at the rainbow chains attached to Neil's joints.

"They're really pesky chains. Even time isn't enough to wear them out," Neil sighed, raising his chains as they sparkled.

"They are very strange," Leila said.

"Yes, they were made by Regals," Eva confirmed with a nod.

"Let me see," Aurianna said, moving close to Neil and grabbing one of the chains. She brought it close to her teeth and bit down, but the chains repelled the attack, causing her teeth to shatter.

"Aiya, my teeth! It hurts!" Aurianna cried, rolling on the ground as a new set of teeth grew.

"Did you think merely biting it would remove it?!" Eva asked, annoyed.

"No, but it was worth a shot. Me and Leila are half-Regals, after all," Aurianna answered with a thumbs up.

"Well, that's true," Neil acknowledged.

"Hmm, let me try as well," Leila said, getting up from her seat and walking to Neil's side. She picked up the chains and examined them closely.

"I honestly don't understand how these chains work at all, but I know they're extremely powerful," Leila said, her brow furrowed. "Seeing them up close, I doubt I can remove them with my current strength."

"Then better try again in a few years. I'm immortal, so I don't worry about how much time passes," Neil said calmly.

"Hmmm, Neil, can Leila and I have a four-year supply of food? I need to put it in my space. I can't stand the thought of not eating some good food while I'm in that ruin!" Aurianna asked eagerly.

"I'd be happy to cook for you both!" Neil agreed happily. Aurianna's eyes sparkled, and she danced around with Neil.

"Fatties!" Carol snorted.

"Carol! You know how good his food is!" Aurianna retorted, placing her hands on her hips.

"You eat too much!" Carol berated.

"Well, with the energy we expend, sometimes the food isn't enough to fill my belly, so I need a lot!" Leila added passionately.

"Also, Neil, is there a way for Boara to train to get stronger?" Aurianna wondered.

"I doubt there's a need," Boara said.

"Can the hero Jade kill you?" Aurianna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes..." Boara said nervously.

"Do I need more words?" Aurianna asked.

"No, master..." Boara said, her face flushed.

"Hmm, well, she can train with Carol. They're both beast-type fighters, after all," Neil suggested.

"The dragon girl? Do I look like a dragon to you? She might as well go to Anubis," Carol suggested.

"Anubis?" Aurianna and Leila asked, confused.

"Domain Ruler, rank 5," Eva answered.

"Oh yeah, there was a top ten, and Carol, you were number 10," Aurianna pointed out, causing Carol to flinch, clearly not liking that number.

"Tch, my rank will rise soon!" Carol said fiercely.

"Hmm, so who are really the top ten?" Leila wondered.

"Well, I'm number 1," Neil said, raising his hand.

"Number two is Vivian the Regal," Neil listed, raising his fingers. "Number 3 is Solomon the Oni, Number 4 is Nonabugana the Angel, Number 5 is Anubis the Silver Dragon, Number 6 is Canella the Fairy Knight, Number 7 is Gumura the Slime, Number 8 is Elizabeth the Vampire, Number 9 is Kleizorn the Hex Weaver, and Number 10 is Carol the Harpy."