Chapter 229 - Mastery in Nutcracking Art
Issac Piers was an infamous criminal whose reputation preceded him. Just his name was enough to frighten man and woman alike. He was the epitome of fear in the masses.
Yet, this dangerous criminal was currently rolling on the ground. Tears streamed down his purple face while his hands continue to clutch his crotch. He wanted to scream and cry but the burning pain made it difficult for him to breathe much less shout.
His condition was such that even his worst haters would feel sorry for him. If the police and his victims were told that his current state was thanks to a kick, none of them would believe this.
How is it possible for a mutant close to Level V defeated by a kick?
Maybe others won't believe but the spectators on the stone floor would more than believe this for they knew where the kick landed. No matter how strong a man was, his weakest spot was definitely his crotch.
A man would even feel terrible pain from even a flick of a finger on his balls. So it wasn't hard to imagine the type of torment one would feel after getting a vicious kick backed by a terrifying momentum.
What's more, Ashlyn was clad in a black suit from neck to toes. The suit was formed from special materials which were not only durable and resilient but also as strong as a metal. Thus, it wasn't impossible to fathom the agony Issac was suffering from.
Maybe from a certain point of view, Ashlyn's method was evil and despicable. But in a fight, the result mattered more than the means.
If it was a few days ago, Ashlyn would never even think of using such a method. But after meeting Kiba and learning from his shameless schemes, she learned one has to do smart work instead of hard work.
Why go through exhaustion by stretching a fight for minutes when you can win in just seconds?
"I'm the one who gave her this idea?" Kiba felt his heart skip a beat.
He was only joking around when he chided her for following the herd mentality. How could he ever imagine she would take his words seriously and start thinking of such terrifying methods?
Roy, Shane, Ronnie, and others also heard what Ashlyn said. They locked their eyes on Kiba with deep hatred.
How can a fellow man impart a woman with such vile trick against men?! This was truly shameless and despicable.
"Cough," Kiba made a coughing sound and scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Ashlyn once again focused on her task. She took the bag which has fallen from Issac when he collapsed on the ground.
She then opened the bag and her eyes were filled with genuine surprise. If Roy was rich with the resources he found then Issac was super rich.
Five chunks of adamantine, two pieces of vajra, a bar of indestructible world-mending stone, and a jar of spatial golden sand!
Ashlyn was 100% sure no one has ever found such quantity of resources in the underground cave before. She looked at him with faint respect.
What she didn't know was that Issac has carried out a killing spree to steal the items from others in the cave. Alas, he never imagined he would be robbed after he left the cave.
"Thank you," Ashlyn said in a cold voice. "Your cooperation is appreciated."
Ashlyn offered her thanks after recalling how Kiba expressed his gratitude to those from whom he stole, and she believed it was the right thing to do. After all, without Issac's help, she would not find what she needed so soon.
Issac was whimpering in pain when he heard her words of gratitude. He opened his mouth but no words came out. If he could speak then he would curse and say: "What cooperation bitch! I was not at all cooperating for a kick in my balls!"
"......" Kiba and others were stunned into silence.
Evil Demoness, no one needs a "thank you" after having their nuts cracked!
Obviously, Ashlyn remained oblivious to their feelings and thought her actions were appropriate. She closed the bag and returned to Kiba.
"S-should we leave?" Kiba asked. He was afraid she would master this nutcracking art if they stayed here and faced more victims.
Ashlyn shook her head, making her intentions clear. There were around 40 minutes for the sunset and the cave to close. She wanted to wait and acquire more items now that she had such a God-sent opportunity.
"... As you wish," Kiba muttered a silent prayer for those who were going to join Issac soon.
***
Fifteen minutes later.
Five men lay on the floor, their faces deadly pale. Every single one of them was holding their crotch as if to ensure their family jewels remained safe.
They tilted their heads and looked at Ashlyn with plain horror.
A minute ago, she arrived in front of them when they left the cave. They initially wanted to flirt with her, so they spoke some sexist and rude remarks, but then without any warning, she started kicking.
No, to be precise, she only landed a single kick on every man. Her movements were fluid and her agility was unbelievable. After kicking one man, she spun around and kicked another man before they could even blink their eyes.
In less than ten seconds, she moved like a bolt of lightning and kicked every one of them with utmost accuracy. Her precision was such that even the cracking sound from their crotches was the same. It was like she was trying her best to maintain impartiality by imparting equal pain.
"Thank you," Ashlyn made a slight bow before looting them clean.
On the boulder, Kiba's cheeks were twitching. He rubbed the bridge of his nose in embarrassment. He now felt Ashlyn has more talent than him when it comes to stealing with a straight face.
Swoosh.
Just then, a beam of light shot out of the entrance and landed in the middle of Kiba and Ashlyn.
Ashlyn's eyes glittered as she observed the beam of light, eagerly waiting for her new loot.
The beam converged into a girl of about eighteen years old. The girl has a pale skin tone, long black hair, and blue misty eyes.
When Roy and Shane saw her face, they muttered, "Fiend!"
The girl felt their gazes and she looked at them with slight confusion.
"Why are you charred black?" The girl asked in a sweet voice that was filled with young innocence.
Yet both Roy and Shane felt she was anything but innocent!
The girl then noticed Ashlyn before she turned around as she felt another presence. When her vision landed on Kiba, her pupils dilated and her face flushed red.
"Shameless villain!" The girl leaped high in the air and transformed into a series of afterimages as she rushed at him.
"Pervert?" Kiba was equally startled by her sudden appearance. He didn't expect to meet her this soon after dealing with her in the lake.
This girl was obviously none other than Sophia Neville!
Sophia has clutched her hand into a tight fist when she heard Kiba's choice of word for her. Her eyes flared up in anger and she lost her balance due to a moment of instability. She twisted her body in mid-air and landed on the floor without any injuries.
"I'm not a pervert!" Sophia declared.
"Really?" Kiba asked with an amused expression. "I seem to recall the judge of this is your mom and not you."
"Don't mutter a single word, you evil scoundrel!" Sophia was incensed by his reminder.
It has been days but she clearly remembered every single moment of her meeting with him in the lake and the battle that followed. What truly infuriated her was the recording bead he sent to her after teleporting away.
Some distance away, Roy and Shane were shocked by the sudden turn of events.
"The fiend and the shameless thief know each other?"
"Seems so...But how is this possible?"
"No idea."
"Did he actually called her a pervert?"
"I think so."
Sophia's ears were sensitive and she caught the conversation between the two young scions.
"Shut up," Sophia turned towards them and said. "Unless you want to die."
"N-no," Roy and Shane instantly closed their mouths. They didn't dare retort back, afraid she would truly kill them.
"You are truly as fierce as ever," Kiba praised her with genuine admiration. He has to use brute strength to make those two shut their traps, and yet she achieved this with plain words.
Sophia ignored his praise and said, "This time I'm going to catch you!"
Chapter 230 - World-mending Stone
Roy and Shane were startled by the conversation between Kiba and Sophia.
"She is trying to catch him?" Roy thought, confused.
Near the entrance, Ashlyn was also surprised by the sudden confrontation between Kiba and Sophia. She remained silent and looked at them, unsure whether she should interfere or not.
"Catch me? Why?" Kiba asked with a bewildered expression. "Could it be for telling truth?"
Sophia's brows creased and she gripped her fist tightly. A chilling aura emitted out of her as light raindrops appeared around her hand.
Behind her, the air twisted and two contrasting energies appeared like an illusory image.
"I'm catching you for lying!" Sophia replied. She hated being called a pervert for no fault of hers.
She was bathing naked but she believed there was nothing wrong about that. How was she supposed to know he would appear in the lake during her bath?
She could handle this but not how he passed her a recording bead filled with selective moments which showed her in a bad light. He asked her to show it to her mother to judge if she was a pervert or not.
This obviously offended her. After all, by showing selective moments she obviously came out as a pervert despite being completely innocent.
She respected her mom the most in the world. It was her mom who warned her about men like Kiba, and yet, he was calling her pervert by saying even her mom would agree with his assessment.
How could she let such a shameless and despicable man run free?
Kiba observed the streams of energy behind her as they concentrated from illusory to corporeal. Soon, a black and a white fish appeared, dancing in the air.
"Are you sure you want to rely on Life & Death Gate?" Kiba enquired with a teasing smile.
"..." Sophia didn't reply for didn't know the answer herself. She obviously recalled how she was defeated in the last confrontation due to her own exhaustion.
"Life & Death Gate...mobilize the dead by sacrificing the living!" Shane was terrified.
He has only heard about this innate ability of those from Neville Family. From what he knew, the summoner of this gate could rally anyone who has died in the area no matter the time gap.
There was a great cost though. The summoner needed to gather a strong life force to transfer to the dead in order to materialize them in the world of the living. The only way to meet the energy demand was by sucking the vitality of living beings in the region.
"Sophia, please don't!" Roy begged.
He was scared of her but he mustered the courage to speak. He was truly afraid she would sacrifice them to face Kiba.
Maybe others would be terrified of killing those from aristocrat families but she won't. After all, there existed a strong hierarchy among the nine families. And even among a particular family, there were multiple factions separated by bloodline and lineage.
Roy and Shane were from weaker factions within their families. For the masses, they were royalty but for their families, they were just slightly more important than servants. This was why they came to the forest so that they could elevate their status in the families.
Sophia, on the other hand, was from the main lineage of the Neville Family. Her bloodline directly stemmed from the sovereign of Neville. Within the nine families, Neville was ranked second, just after Hestia. Even if she killed Shane and Roy, at most she would be chided and barred from leaving her home for a few days.
Conversely, if Shane and Roy killed her through luck, they would be executed on the spot and their families would pay a heavy price.
This was the difference in status and background!
"You are making those two shit in their pants," Kiba was amused by their expressions.
"I don't care about them," Sophia freed her grip and the fish behind her disappeared. "But I know I'm not ready to use that power yet."
"Ah!" Kiba was surprised by her actions. He believed she would let anger get the best out of her and become reckless.
"I can catch you without Life & Death Gate!" Sophia's body flickered and she turned illusory. Like a thunderbolt, she appeared right in front of him, her right foot rushing at his face.
Just as her foot was about to land on his face, he took a step behind, missing by a hairbreadth. He shot his hand at her retracing leg to grasp it, and but then, her body dissolved into droplets of rain.
He only caught a few drops of rain in his hand and his eyes flickered.
"Well?" Kiba threw the droplets, and just as they left his palm, they flashed with explosive might.
BOOM
An explosive force surged out. The limestone floor within an area of hundred meters blasted into pieces while the air was filled with powerful flames.
Behind, Ashlyn was startled by the sudden explosive force. She leaped back as the flames of explosions swept towards her and others.
Some distance away, Issac has just gained some relief from pain. As he rose to his feet, he hard a sound of an explosion. He turned around, and all he could see was blinding flames catching up to him.
"Fuck! First that bitch and now this new one!" Issac cursed as his skin morphed into diamond shards. "Today is my unlucky day!"
High in the air, a layer of misty fog appeared. Soon, the fog converged into Sophia. Her body was a mix of corporeal and incorporeal as he floated among the clouds.
"This should teach him a lesson," Sophia murmured with her lips curled up.
She was sure he couldn't have expected her this attack. Earlier, when she was in the midst of summoning Life & Death Gate, she has used the energy disturbance in the air to create a doppelganger without anyone realizing it. In fact, she never planned to use Life & Death Gate. All along, she wanted to catch the shameless man off-guard.
"Teach whom?" A familiar sound came from behind her.
"What?!" Sophia quickly swirled around.
Kiba was standing behind her, standing in the air. There was no sign of any injuries on his body.
"You cheated by teleporting!" Sophia complained. Last time he similarly disappeared when she was about to catch him.
"You cheated first by using such an underhanded attack," Kiba was entertained by her response.
This was the only reason he enjoyed teasing her so much. She was young and naive without being affected by the cynicism of the society, and yet, she had a certain fierceness in her.
"Then again you are a pervert so I shouldn't expect anything else," Kiba backed off as he saw her fist crashing at him. "Your mom wouldn't like this."
"Shut up!" Sophia rushed forward. "And face me without using your cheat ability!"
"Only if you confess to your mom about being a pervert!" Kiba said as he transformed into a stream of light and shot at the ground.
He landed on his feet right beside Ashlyn.
"Need help?" Ashlyn asked as she felt Sophia rushing towards him from the sky.
"Nope, she is a friend," Kiba said with a smile as he placed a hand over her shoulder. "Let's leave."
Ashlyn nodded her head in agreement. She has already acquired more fortune than she wanted from here, and now that females have started showing up, she felt her nutcracking art would no longer be effective. Why stay here and fight when there was no need?
"Goodbye, miss pervert," Kiba said as he and Ashlyn were enveloped by a column of white light. "Till next time."
"Shameless rascal! Stop!"
Sophia jumped in the column of white light, but sadly, she was not teleported with Kiba and Ashlyn. She somersaulted through the air and tapped on the ground.
"Scoundrel!" Sophia punched out a fist on the ground, sending powerful energy ripples throughout the area.
RUMBLE
The limestone floor smashed to pieces. The others who have survived the explosion started running away as they saw her removing her anger.
"The fiend is angry!" Roy started trembling in fear.
"We are dead!" Shion thought as tears streamed down his face.
***
Some thirty miles away.
Kiba and Ashlyn landed on a branch of an old tree. They leaped down and sat on the grass after ensuring no human presence in the area.
Ashlyn placed her left hand on the ground. Streams of blue light shot out of her fingers and transformed into the loot they have robbed from others.
Ashlyn took chunks of adamantine and the jars filled with spatial golden sand. She then signaled him to take the rest.
"Sure," Kiba obviously didn't refuse.
In the present, he was in no need of the stones and metals but who could say about the future?
He grasped the bar of indestructible world-mending stone in his hand. A flash of white light appeared on his palm, enveloping the bar.
Just then, Kiba's pupils dilated in shock. He threw the bar with all his might and placed his other hand on Ashlyn.
Even before she could inquire about his strange behavior, they teleported away. The chunks of adamantine, jars of spatial golden sand, and other items of loot were left behind.
The moment they teleported out, the stone bar which was rolling through the air cracked apart. This stone often existed at the boundaries of planets as protection since it was indestructible.
At least, that was the belief among geologists and researchers.
Now, the stone bar ripped apart into small fragments. As the fragment touched the ground, they erupted into surging radiance.
BOOOM
A deafening sound reverberated in an area of twenty sq.miles. Humans and beasts alike in the region didn't even get time to scream much less escape as a terrifying radiance, filled with scorching heat, engulfed them. The ground caved into a giant crater while the flora and fauna blasted to fine dust.
In less than a minute, the entire region turned deadly silent...
Some fifty kilometers away, Kiba and Ashlyn crashed on the ground.
Ashlyn could still feel terrifying shockwaves despite the distance from the blast site. The explosion created by Sophia was fireworks compared to the eruption of the radiance just now.
Ashlyn recalled she got the stone bar from Issac but she was sure he played no trick. Even if he could, there was no way he has the power to create destruction on such an epic scale.
She then thought about how the bar only detonated after coming in contact with Kiba. It showed no such reaction in her hands.
"What happened?" Ashlyn asked.
"No idea," Kiba answered with an audible sigh. "I just sensed---"
Kiba trailed off in the middle, and he quickly waved his hand. Streams of golden light surged out and transformed into a protective barrier.
Chapter 231 - You Are Not One Of Us
The sky was filled with a shade of orange as sunset arrived. Suddenly, the beautiful sky was engulfed with smoke and dust as an explosion spanning for two sq.miles occurred without any warning.
Far away, on the limestone floor, the people who survived the expedition in the underground cave were greatly alarmed as the shockwaves of the explosion swept over them. The stone floor cracked apart while stalagmites-like rocks shattered to dust particles.
Most of the adventurists were sent flying as the ripples struck them like hammers. Every one of them felt an intense sense of dread welling up within their hearts.
Sophia narrowed her eyes and gazed in the direction of the explosion.
"This aura of destruction...it is similar to what was inside the cave!"
---
In another place, far away from the site of the explosion.
Between long trees, Kiba and Ashlyn stood on the ground. A transparent golden barrier surrounded them.
Kiba raised his head and looked towards the sky as he sensed something.
"Get ready," Kiba said in a serious tone. "It is coming."
Ashlyn took the discs in her hands before following his line of sight. A colossal mass of energy was shooting down like a broken star, engulfed in flame.
The mass of energy crashed on the ground with an ear-numbing sound. Powerful ripples swept out and the trees collapsed before turning into fine particles.
A giant crater was created, filling the area with dust clouds. A gale of cold air rushed out from the center of the crater, sweeping the dust away.
Slowly an enormous serpent came in sight. Its body was like a leviathan with dark scales, golden slit pupils and pointed fangs. Venom dripped from its fangs as it hissed and released a "chi chi" sound.
The cold pupils of the serpent locked on Ashlyn and Kiba. Ashlyn's face fell and her heart pounded with fear. She felt as if she was thrown into a pit of ice, sending a cold chill down her spine.
The serpent continuously hissed as if speaking. Neither Kiba or Ashlyn understood whatever it wanted to convey.
The serpent stopped after some time and stared at Kiba, waiting for him to reply.
"Do you know English?" Kiba asked in an amicable tone.
"...." Ashlyn's lips quivered. She was sure this was definitely not the reply the serpent was waiting for.
The serpent observed Kiba for a few moments and the look in its pupils changed. If before its bearing was neutral, now it was aggressive.
"I take that as a no," Kiba said with a pondering expression.
"You are not one of us," The serpent suddenly spoke in a language known to men.
Ashlyn was startled and confused, not by the serpent's ability to speak a human language but by the words it spoke.
Obviously, as a human, Kiba was not of serpent's race. So why would it speak such words after learning the human language?
She turned towards Kiba and was surprised. His expression has turned grave while his brows creased up.
He closed his eyes and locked his senses on the serpent. The fluctuations of energy that emanated from its body were different from any other living creature he has met on Earth. The only time he has felt such energy fluctuations was four years when he -as Zed - was seeking Cosmic Spark inside the meteorite at Delta City!
"Yet your entire existence bears our aura," The serpent continued in a hoarse voice. "What are you?"
"Not sure, I'm still discovering myself," Kiba said as he opened his eyes. "Most likely a human with aspirations of grandeur."
Chapter 232 - The Serpent
"Most likely a human with aspirations of grandeur," Kiba answered as his expression changed to normal.
He now has pretty a good guess on where this enormous existence came from.
"Human?" The serpent's hoarse voice was filled with surprise. "If you are a human, how can you have such similarity with us?"
"Please don't associate with me a serpent," Kiba raised a finger in a warning sign. "Otherwise I would have no choice but to file a defamation case against you in a human court of justice."
"?" The serpent looked at him in confusion.
It has learned the human language by studying mind fluctuations of the humans who died in the explosion a few minutes ago. It took some time for its vocal glands to adapt and thus it initially didn't use human language. While it was versed in the language, it didn't understand what Kiba was trying to convey. After all, knowing a language didn't equate to understanding.
"Never mind, humor is ineffective on serpents," Kiba shook his head in disappointment and said. "If you don't have anything more to ask, we would be taking our leave."
Kiba obviously knew the serpent was not associating them by race but rather by their aura of existence. Their very cells shared one similarity - they were emanating the power of Cosmic!
Kiba has no intention of stating the answer the serpent wanted to know.
"Human, you might not wish to admit but I know for sure we have much in common," The serpent eyed him with its cold pupils. "And truthfully speaking, if not for you, I would still be in my hibernation. So you have my gratitude for allowing me to see the sun and feel the air."
"?!" Ashlyn was startled and she observed Kiba's face for a reaction.
"I have no idea how I helped you," Kiba said, his tone filled with confusion. "But if you are feeling gratitude, well, good for you. We shall leave and allow you to enjoy your awakening."
"You can't leave," The serpent's eyes were filled with sinisterness. "You are going to help me further by becoming my food."
As the serpent said this, the entire area was suddenly filled with an intensely oppressive feeling. Its aura was shockingly at level VII - a lower rank Alpha!
"Oh?" Kiba raised his eyebrows.
"For centuries, I have not consumed any energy source which can provide me with vitality," The serpent's tongue flicked as it eyed its new prey. "But when you used your power to transfer that stone, I knew for sure you could give me the vitality I desperately need."
Ashlyn's eyes glinted with some understanding.
Some ten minutes ago, she has retrieved the world-mending stone she has stolen and gave it to Kiba. He has enveloped the stone with his power to transfer it to his storage dimension. Just then, the stone started showing a strange reaction, and Kiba threw the stone away before it exploded and killed countless lives.
"You used my energy to break free?" Kiba felt it was too much of a coincidence that the stone they looted has such a being inside it.
"I felt your existence in that cave but you showed no sign of entering," The serpent explained. "And then I felt your energy fluctuations when you fought those weaklings. I realized what you were doing, and so I allowed myself to be transferred outside. My decision was correct, you provided me energy, and I was able to awaken properly."
The serpent has no energy left. Its body was like a lake which has turned into a desert due to lack of rain from centuries. While Kiba used negligible power, for the serpent, it was like an oasis. The energy helped it shatter the world-mending stone and awaken.
"Wow, so when I show no interest in the cave, the reverend existence in the cave came out to greet me?" Kiba's lips curved up in a mocking smile. "This makes me feel so proud and vain that I want to murder you."
Swoosh.
The air around him flickered and streams of golden energy shot out of his body in an explosive manner. The oppressive pressure from the serpent ripped apart and disappeared into thin air.
Ashlyn was surprised by the intensity of his aura. The ground below her feet cracked into cobwebs while stone and dust flew in the air.
"Leave," Kiba said as he tapped his right foot on the ground. "This fight is none of your business."
Without waiting for her response, he shot straight at the serpent in an explosive speed. The serpent's body flickered and it pounced at Kiba.
As they crashed into each other, a destructive force surged out like tidal waves. The ground completely split apart while the trees exploded in a chain reaction.
A deafening sound ringed throughout the area, shattering the silence in the region. The beasts and humans were alarmed and afraid as they fleed for cover, afraid of becoming casualties.
The serpent and Kiba backed off from each other as the first clash ended.
"I have never felt such pure existence," The serpent eyed him with more ferocity.
"Oh please," Kiba waved his hand and energy spikes shot out of the ground. "I'm definitely not pure as long as we are considering the same meaning of pure I have in mind."
"What do you mean?" The serpent twisted its body and evaded the spikes.
It was obviously referring to his cosmic power when it said his existence was pure. The serpent felt Kiba's energy source was like a crystalline lake in an inhabited world, free from contamination.
"You won't understand," Kiba leaped high in the air as the serpent's tail whipped towards him, carrying a vicious force. "Anyways, just so that we are clear, I have no interest in spending the rest of my life in your stomach."
The serpent was enormous with its tail as thick as two tree trunks. Yet its speed was so fast that it left a trail of afterimages as it swept past.
In just a moment, the tail fiercely smashed into Kiba.
BANG
Kiba was sent flying before he forcefully stopped in midair. He raised his hand and wiped his lips. A drop of blood was visible on the back of his hand.
"You are really getting on my nerves," Kiba's eyes narrowed and his aura turned stronger.
He gripped his hand into a fist and vanished from the sight.
"Teleportation?" The serpent was startled. It quickly turned around as the air behind twisted and churned.
But as the serpent turned, its eyes flickered with surprise as there was nothing but plain air. Behind its back, a terrifying tide of energy surged out and landed on its head.
The dark scales ripped apart to expose green flesh. The serpent was alarmed and it backed away, looking at Kiba in amazement.
"You are hiding your true powers?" The serpent asked in disbelief.
Just now when his fist landed on its head, the serpent felt as if the energy inside his body was like an ocean with indefinite depth. Even in its glorious days, the serpent has never sensed such an infinite and yet pure source of power.
Now, it was just a remnant of past, its life barely hanging in existence after the loss of strength over the centuries.
"No! There is no way this feeling can be true!" The serpent shook its head. "If you had such power, there is no way you would desire those resources from that cave!"
The scales on its back regenerated in no time and it once again pounced at him.
Kiba raised his hand high in the air before lowering it in a slashing movement. The wind concentrated and turned into an invisible blade that swept right at the serpent with terrifying momentum.
"Human, what happened just now was a fluke," The serpent rolled its tail at the wind blade, destroying it like a piece of glass. "Don't expect such luck now."
The serpent opened its mouth and spat an arrow of dark venom. The air buzzed with an acidic sound as the arrow shot out.
Shua.
The arrow rushed forward with explosive speed, but just as it was about to touch Kiba, he evaded by taking a step to the right.
The arrow continued to travel ahead and it struck a giant bird a few miles away. The bird was a Level V existence, but it wasn't even able to feel the existence of the poisonous arrow till the final moment.
Its body started melting like heated wax and it crashed on the ground into a pool of its own blood.
"You sure have a killer breath," Kiba brought his eyes on the serpent and said in an amused tone. "How does your female partner survive while copulating with you?"
"Human, you have a sharp tongue," The serpent didn't dare get offended at such a crucial moment. It was sure the human was trying to provoke through words and make it commit a mistake.
"Ah well, that's a necessity in my line of business," Kiba said as he transformed into a stream of light and shot at the serpent.
"Which business requires that?" The serpent swung its tail viciously towards the incoming beam of light.
"Taste tester," Kiba answered while dodging its tail. "I have to check the taste of sweet delicacies from various regions."
The serpent was confused by the answer.
What type of business required only tasting "sweet" delicacies? And even if such business exists, why does it need such a witty tongue?
Obviously, the serpent once again failed to understand the double meaning in Kiba's words. Very few people knew that he often used innuendo.
The serpent burst out and increased its speed as it charged straight at the beam of light.
Kiba was startled by the explosive increase in speed. Before he could dodge, the serpent coiled its tail on his feet like rattan vines.
Kiba lowered his hand and streams of golden energy concentrated on his palm. But just then, the eyes of the serpent locked on him.
The slit pupils swirled like a whirlpool and Kiba's body entered in a state of paralysis. The energy on his palm faded and disappeared into thin air.
As the serpent continued to stare in his eyes, he felt as if he was thrown into a never-ending abyss. His body became deadly cold while his eyelids turned heavy with sleep.
The serpent race was renowned for its hypnosis and mental attacks. Such attacks were hard to evade or expect, and most often, the victims don't even realize how they died.
"Fufu, human, be proud that you are going to be my food," The serpent opened its mouth and exposed its sharp fangs as it proceeded to swallow him.
"Oh really?" Kiba opened his eyes fiercely.
Golden specks of light concentrated on his pupils to transform into a protective layer, and the sense of drowsiness faded.
"Impossible!" The serpent stared at him in disbelief.
How could this human break free from hypnosis like it was nothing?!
Just how?!
"There are only a handful of things in my hate list," Kiba's eyes radiated golden light as he raised his head towards the sky. "And psychic attack tops that list."
RUMBLEEEEEE
Dark clouds appeared in the sky, emitting a terrifying and oppressive pressure. Bone-chilling winds swept past, rooting trees and stones alike.
"What?!" The serpent was terrified. Its eyes observed Kiba with utmost dread as the half-blue in his pupils was slowly replaced by a glint of gold.
The serpent didn't dare wait to know what was happening, and it thrust the sharp end of its tail like a divine spear.
Just then, something happened which startled both Kiba and the serpent.
As the tail was about to impale Kiba in his heart, a loud screeching sound reverberated in the air, followed by the rustling of the wind.
"This..." Kiba closed his eyes and broke his connection with his new powers in the sky, while his lips curved up in a smirk.
Two short blue discs came in sight, which rapidly expanded as they moved towards the serpent.
Blue ripples fluctuated from the edges of the discs that quickly expanded out, shredding the air and producing sparks.
In less than a second, the discs were as large as wheels and they arrived in front of the serpent.
"What's going on?" The serpent has lived for long, and it sensed an intense sense of crisis from the discs.
Without thinking much, the serpent backed off and retraced its tail from Kiba. Alas, for the serpent, it was far too late despite its unbelievable speed.
The discs chopped right through its enormous tail and severed it in half. Green blood splattered in the air...
Chapter 233 - Eat?!
(A/N: An extra long chapter of 3.2K+ words!)
High in the air, the serpent was greatly alarmed as the discs sliced through its tail. A ripping sound ensued as if the discs were tearing through a sheet of paper and not some powerful being.
Two large portions of the tail slumped down on the ground along with a rain of green blood. Poisonous mist rushed out from the blood, filling the air with waves of a life-threatening toxin.
The discs, in the meantime, swept past the remaining body of the serpent, leaving two trails of blue blaze. Before, the serpent spanned over a hundred meters but now less than fifty.
The serpent grunted in pain and its eyes were filled with hatred and malice. Centuries ago, in its prime, such powerful attack would not even produce a scratch. Now it was only a fragment of its past glorious self, at best with a fraction of its true strength and no energy to use its innate abilities.
It wanted to swallow Kiba and recover a portion of its strength, but now it has actually lost more than it could afford.
The long slumber has drained its vitality and it no longer had the power to regenerate its missing tail. It turned around and looked towards the ground with deep resentment.
In the middle of a crater, Ashlyn was standing, her eyes focused in the sky. The black suit clad on her body was engulfed in streams of energy currents. The discs returned to her hands after turning into their original size. She clad them back on her wrists like bracelets.
Ashlyn's body suddenly trembled and she spat out a mouthful of blood. She raised her hand and wiped the blood from her lips.
As she lowered her hand, blood started dripping from her eyes and ears. Her senses burned with a piercing pain but she didn't let out a single grunt.
She opened her left palm and focused at its center. Seven colorful runic seals were visible, and currently, three seals - blue, indigo, and violet- were filled with heavy cracks.
"Haah," Ashlyn closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh as she felt her knees buckling from weakness and exhaustion.
As she slumped down, a hand wrapped around her shoulders and provided her support. She opened her eyes and looked at the familiar presence from her blurry vision.
"Thanks," Kiba said with a smile.
Ashlyn didn't reply but nodded before focusing at the serpent who was rushing down. A monstrous aura filled with heavy killing intent surged out of its body as it shot forward.
The serpent hard turned insane from anger, and all it wanted to do was chump these humans.
"Girl, I'm going to eat you!" The serpent's voice was filled with sinisterness.
"Stop daydreaming, idiot," Kiba said as he opened a teleportation portal. "I have wanted to eat her from the first time I saw her, but so far it has just been a pipe dream."
Ashlyn blinked and looked at him in confusion. The snake was angry but this remark made it equally bewildered. It stopped in its track, trying to understand the intention of this human male.
Obviously, neither of them understood Kiba's meaning of "eat".
Ashlyn wanted to ask what he meant, but then the sucking force from the teleportation engulfed them, and they disappeared in a blinding flash of light.
"That human tricked me!" The serpent hissed in fury while sweeping its body around, creating giant holes.
"Oh please, give me a break and stop being so full of yourself," A familiar voice came from behind, filled with mocking laughter.
The serpent turned around and noticed Kiba floating in the air.
"You sure are in a mess," Kiba pointed at its missing portion of the body. "How would you copulate and spread your killer breath to the next generation?"
Earlier, if not for Ashlyn's interference, he would have summoned his full powers. Now, he didn't need to, or to be precise he didn't want to.
After all, when he uses his true powers, every living being within a radius of 200 kilometers turns into nothingness. The pressure from the golden lightning - as it tries to enter Earth - was not something he could stop.
While he held no special regard for humans or other living beings here, he didn't want to kill them for no fault of theirs. He would not even have planned to use his true powers against the serpent if not for it using psychic attack and reminding him of Akshobhya.
"Human, stop being so rude," The serpent scuttled out and pounced straight on Kiba. Its mouth releasing waves of poisonous energy that rushed at Kiba.
Kiba laughed and disappeared from his spot, leaving behind an afterimage. The poisonous energy swept through the afterimage like water through the air.
The serpent twisted its body in midair and whipped out its body like a hammer towards the sky. Kiba who was charging at the serpent stopped in slight amazement. He moved his hand forward and formed a transparent shield.
The serpent's body viciously slammed against the shield. Cracks appeared on the shield, but they were filled just as they appeared.
"I can be anything but not rude," Kiba said as he raised his other hand.
A golden energy beam boomed out of his palm in an explosive manner. The serpent coiled its body and darted to a side to avoid the beam.
The energy beam crashed on the ground, creating a loud blast.
"You humans owe me and yet you are so ungrateful," The serpent soared into the sky with its mouth wide open.
"Owe?" Kiba was surprised.
"I'm an Immortal Devourer Serpent," The serpent answered with deep hatred. "The resources you humans extracted from that cave originated from me!"
The Immortal Devourer Serpents could reincarnate from themselves when they sloughed their skins. This way they could continue their existence for such a long time that they were considered immortal.
In their prime ages, they would swallow entire continents to satisfy their hunger. As such, they would absorb various treasured items.
A long time ago, due to various reasons when the meteorites crashed on Earth, the serpent was locked in a world-mending stone while the space debris created the cave with the stone as its core.
Every few years, the serpent would slough its dead skin to continue its existence. And from this skin, the resources it has once consumed would come out. Thanks to the mutation from the space debris, the resources would appear throughout the cave almost as rewards.
For the serpent, those resources were negligible but for humans, they were a considerable amount. This cycle of sloughing has continued for centuries, and with time, the serpent weakened and its body reduced to the current condition.
"Ah!" Kiba nodded in understanding and asked, "So you were basically a garbage disposal box where people discarded metals and stones?"
The pupils of the serpent dilated in fury.
It was an Immortal Devourer Serpent and not some garbage box! How could the human associate such crude words to its existence?!
The serpent arrived above him and crunched down on him, its fangs glinting with sharpness. At the final moment, Kiba turned into mist and escaped from its clutches.
"You sure are weak for an alien species," Kiba said as he appeared a few hundred meters away.
"You know about my origin?" The serpent was startled.
"Isn't that rather obvious after the nonsense you have sprouted about yourself?" Kiba asked in a mocking tone.
"Mind your tongue, human!" The serpent's body flickered and it flew towards him again, emanating a murderous aura. "I'm suggesting to you for the final time!"
"In this world, there are only four people who have the right to advise or suggest to me," Kiba said as streams of golden energy began concentrating on his right palm.
The air around him started vibrating with a buzzing sound while the very space began shaking. The winds turned heavy and icicles appeared in the air.
"And a subject of Scarlet Leila De Rose is not one of those four," Kiba snapped his hand tightly into a fist.
"WHAT?!" The serpent looked at Kiba with utter shock and disbelief. Its mind was filled with a deep sense of dreadness and awe as it heard the esteemed name it hasn't heard from centuries.
The shock was so high that for a moment it forgot the powerful attack Kiba was launching. The serpent stood there in midair with astonished expression.
Kiba's lips rose up in a smirk and he rushed at the serpent like a bolt of lightning.
Suddenly, an intense sense of crisis rose in the serpent's heart, and it regained clarity. It was stunned and afraid as Kiba's fist came crashing down, giving it no time to evade.
In normal times, its speed was so fast that even Kiba would have trouble up coping, but now there was no opportunity to dodge much less flee.
"This time I actually used a trick, Immortal Garbage Disposal," Kiba said as his punch viciously smashed on its head. "So feel free to complain in the afterlife."
"No!" The serpent cried as powerful vibrations transferred from Kiba's fist to its head. The vibrations were filled with an explosive energy that made its blood transmute at a terrifying speed.
It was like a formless burst of energy was suddenly powering its blood cells, creating utmost chaos in its body organs. Its veins ripped apart under the might of the powerful force in blood.
The explosive energy rampaged throughout its body before strucking on its flesh.
Sss
The dark scales on its outer body cracked apart like cobwebs, and from the cracks, a flash of golden light swept out.
The air exploded in multiple blinding flashes of light, encapsulating the serpent and everything within its vicinity. Kiba opened a teleportation portal and disappeared just as the light exploded in destructive waves.
BOOOM
A powerful explosion spanning for miles burst out, erasing everything in its path. Terrifying ripples swept past and an ear-piercing sound reverberated in the forest.
From many corners of the forest, almost everyone felt heavy rumblings in the land as the shockwaves spread through ground and air. All they could see was a golden mushroom cloud with a shade of corrosive green.
A few miles away from the explosion site, the humans and beasts - who have run for cover - were terrified as the shockwaves from the impact of the blast send them flying. Some crashed on trees whole others sprawled over ground.
"A blast created by a Level VII mutant!" A middle-aged man shouted after checking a reading on his watch.
"Are you kidding?!" Another man asked. Initially, they were enemies but under the horrifying energy clash, they let go of their enmity and fleed.
"Yes," the man answered, his face drenched in cold sweat.
If such powerful beings were fighting in this area of the forest then what would happen in the core region?!
"He has to be right! Only this could explain such destructive force!" A woman joined in and said.
"Two explosions of such epic scales in less than an hour!"
"Fuck! We shouldn't have come to the forest!"
"I'm leaving this land of death!"
A few minutes later, on the blast site, the smoke and dust settled down, revealing a giant crater.
Far above, Kiba looked at the crater without any emotions. Suddenly, his eyes were filled with shock as he noticed the familiar presence.
"It survived!?" Kiba thought as he teleported away.
The serpent's head was shattered, exposing scorched flesh and blood. The rest of its body was in a similar state, and yet, it was alive.
"Are you sure you are an Immortal Devourer Serpent and not Undying Cockroach?" Kiba asked as he arrived in front of the serpent.
The serpent turned its broken head towards him. Its pupils covered with green blood, and a portion of its eyes was charred black.
"Human... you are truly vicious," The serpent muttered, its voice shaking.
"Says a serpent who wants to swallow me," Kiba waved a hand and a boulder shot out of the crater. The boulder landed behind him and he took a seat on it.
"This isn't..." The serpent trailed off.
"What isn't?" Kiba looked at him with slight interest.
"Over!" The serpent opened its mouth and a finger-long incorporeal snake shot out.
"Hmm?" Kiba raised his hand to catch it but then his eyes flickered with shock. The snake abruptly changed its direction and transformed into a blurry line as it left the crater.
The serpent's body shook and its aura turned weaker.
"Don't tell me?!" Kiba jumped back on his feet and teleported away.
"No use of struggle," the serpent said as its eyes closed. "It might not work on you but there are others who don't use our powers..."
The serpent trailed off in the middle as its final bit of lifeforce extinguished.
Fifteen miles away.
Ashlyn was sitting on the ground with her back against a tree. She retrieved a bottle of pills and took out five round pills.
Each pill was crystalline yellow with a thin silver coating and a black dot in the center, emitting a strange but strong medical aroma.
Suddenly, the sound of wind rustling reverberated in the area.
She looked at her side and saw a snake shooting towards her. Before she could even blink, the snake bit on her cheek.
The snake's eyes were filled with sinisterness as it impaled its fangs in her skin.
"Your genes would give me a new life-----"
The look in the snake's eyes quickly changed and it swallowed its words. Its eyes were now filled with panic and disbelief.
"This is impossible! How is it possible for you to have such strength with such genetic essence?! You neither have the power of Cosmic nor the Divine---No! You are a curse---"
The snake trailed in between as it whispered and thought of multiple possibilities, and just then it felt a terrifying pressure engulfing its body. It turned around and saw Kiba.
"Wait! We can still discuss!" The snake tried to buy time now that it failed on whatever it has in mind.
"Sure," Kiba said as he shot an energy beam. "Discussion over."
"AHH!" The snake screamed before fading from existence like water vapor.
Ashlyn brought the back of her hand to rub the bite mark. She remained oblivious to Kiba's arrival.
"Are you alright?" Kiba didn't wait for her to reply as he proceeded to put a hand on her forehead to check her condition.
Ashlyn was startled and she sent a palm crashing on him. The black fabric on her palm glinted as a blue energy ripple burst out and struck Kiba in his chest. Caught off-guard, Kiba was sent flying in the air before he struck his feet forcefully in the ground to stop.
Ashlyn lowered her hand as she realized what she has done. She closed her eyes before saying, "I'm sorry, it was a reflex."
Kiba observed her for a moment, and said, "Are you feeling well?"
Ashlyn nodded before consuming the pills she has retrieved. The snake mark on her cheek was negligible in size but it was striking on her creamy-white skin.
"Can I?" Kiba asked as he crouched down.
Ashlyn shook her head as she gulped down water from a bottle.
"...Ok," Kiba stood up with slight embarrassment. He was planning to use his healing powers but since she didn't want him to, he could only give up.
Slowly, the bite mark on her skin faded.
Kiba wasn't surprised and his eyes unconsciously moved away from her to the pill bottle. He looked at them and his pupils dilated. He enveloped his senses on the pills to confirm his guess, and as he did, his heart swelled in shock.
"They are..." Kiba stopped as he felt her gaze locked on him.
"None of your business," Ashlyn coldly said before taking away the bottle. Energy currents enveloped the bottle and it disappeared in specks of light.
Kiba turned around and sighed. He has some guesses in his mind but he really didn't want to think about them now. It was just like she said, it was none of his business.
"I'm bringing back our loot," Kiba said as he teleported away.
Ashlyn didn't reply and she closed her eyes.
***
A few hours later.
Hundreds of jars were placed on the ground, filled with Spatial Golden Sand. The sand particles glittered like the granular particles of the galaxy, making one feel awe, leaving behind a profound impression.
Then there were other equally treasured items such as Bolognium, Adamantine, Vajra, Magnetic Silverion, Mystic Gold, and a dozen more items.
Every single item would cost at least a few millions and some of them could not even be purchased with money. Now though there were hundreds of every item. Even Ashlyn was startled as she observed the loot in front of her eyes.
She now felt the adventurists from whom they earlier stole were actually beggars. She turned towards Kiba and said, "How?"
"What we stole earlier was lost in that explosion," Kiba answered as he sat alongside her. "These items are from that serpent's body."
It has taken him hours to retrieve the treasured metals and precious stones from the serpent's corpse.
Ashlyn also has a slight understanding based on what she contemplated from the words the serpent spoke in her presence.
In fact, perhaps the most precious part of the serpent was actually its body. Its gallbladder and every other organ were worth hundreds of millions since they had strong use for research and genetic purpose. Sadly, Kiba has destroyed those organs pretty badly when he launched the final attack. Even then, they were perhaps the richest adventurists as long as only the resources from the forest were counted.
"50-50?" Kiba asked.
Ashlyn nodded in agreement.
"Good," Kiba smiled before adding, "Can I suggest something?"
Ashlyn turned towards him, waiting for him to speak.
"Could we stop owing each other favor?"
He was pretty sure she helped him against the serpent in order to return the 'favors' she believed she owed him for the robbing scheme. Her earlier actions made him believe of this conjecture.
Ashlyn observed him and then shook her head in disagreement.
"...Ok," Kiba scratched the back of his head. "Let me prepare dinner."
If she doesn't want to agree, how can he force her to agree on such a matter?
...
An hour later.
A juicy and tempting aroma emitted from a large utensil placed over burning logs. Kiba took two bowls and filled them with soup and meat pieces. He then passed a bowl to his companion who was sitting on a stone.
Ashlyn was impressed after she smelled the fragrance from the soup. She took a sip and was genuinely astonished by the taste. The soup was not only tasty but it was also healthy and nourishing. As the soup coursed towards her belly, she felt streams of energy flowing out, making her feel rejuvenated.
Kiba has prepared the soup through various herbs and spices along with meat from a level IV beast. So it was nothing surprising for the soup to have strong medicinal properties.
Kiba sat beside her and started devouring the soup. As a mutant, his appetite was strong and he needed lots of energy.
Ashlyn chewed a meat piece, and as she did, she recalled something.
"What did you mean when you said you wish to eat me?" Ashlyn asked in her usual cold voice.
Kiba has just taken a meat piece in his mouth, and when he heard her words, he choked up. The meat piece struck in his throat while sweat began dripping from his forehead...
Chapter 234 - Cursed Ones
The entire forest was deadly silent as the night took over. The sky was filled with glittering stars under whose watch savage beasts silently roamed to find new preys.
Some miles away from an enormous crater, an advanced camping house was visible. The development of technology made it possible to carry portable houses providing both safety and the comfort of home. The camping house was one such portable device though a very costly one, something which only people from super-rich background could afford.
Outside the house, on a big stone, a male and a female were sitting. They each had a bowl in their hands, filled with delicious soup and nourishing meat. The soup has a creamy texture while the meat was charred and emitting a smoky fragrance.
The female was chewing a meat piece and enjoying the taste as she observed her male companion in confusion. His face was soaked wet and he was continuously coughing up.
The two were none other than Ashlyn and Kiba.
Ashlyn was surprised by his state. She just asked him a simple question about what he meant when he said he has wished to "eat" her. She was expecting an answer, but instead, what she got was coughing sound as he choked up on the meat he prepared with so many efforts.
Kiba was completely caught off guard when she asked him the question and the shock made him gulp a slice of meat which ultimately got stuck in his throat.
He has planned to enjoy the dinner and regain his energy while in the process, elevate Ashlyn's mood through this soup and meat. But even in his worst nightmares, he never thought elevating her mood would ruin his.
How was he supposed to answer her question?! By answering honestly?!
Obviously no!
He could tell anything but the truth! That was his decision!
As Kiba thought of this, his mind didn't forget to remind him of the scenes that took place some 4-5 hours ago.
Ashlyn swiftly raising her leg and with utmost precision, kicking Issac in his treasured jewels. The sight of Issac helplessly rolling on the ground made him shudder.
He chided himself for losing in the heat of the moment and retorting the serpent with this eating remark.
"Here," Ashlyn handed him a water bottle.
Kiba grasped the bottle and took a big sip. The water freed his throat from the meat and he took a long breath. He then took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his face.
"The meat was too spicy," Kiba tried to explain the sweating.
"It wasn't," Ashlyn disagreed. "We had far more spicy food with Amir."
"...." Kiba wanted to weep but no matter how he tried, he couldn't shed a single tear.
"You didn't answer my question," Ashlyn reminded coldly.
Kiba looked at her gorgeous face, and as his eyes stared in her beautiful emerald eyes, he forgot her coldness.
He forcefully closed his eyes and recalled the nutcracking episode to find the motivation to not to stare at her. She was the first woman who could make him enter into a trance just by her face.
He took another sip of water before saying, "I wanted to confuse the serpent."
Ashlyn's eyes continued to focus on him.
"So I made a retort statement that would bewilder the serpent and give us time to teleport," Kiba concluded in a plain voice. "And you saw the result when that serpent stopped in its path."
Initially, he was caught off guard but now that he has regained clarity, his acting skills came in use.
As a reputed owner of the various popular franchise in Delta City, lying with a straight face came naturally to him. Otherwise, how could he fare in his line of business where everyone was his enemy?
The success of reputed companies like Wife Pleasuring Service Ltd, Maiden's Love Circle, Mistress' Massage Centre, and Naughty Bunny Corporation was proof of his skills.
"Hmm..." Ashlyn did recall the scene of the serpent stopping in bewilderment after hearing his words. She nodded her head after which she resumed her dinner.
"That was close, "Kiba sighed in his heart. "She is definitely a grade 6 or higher in difficulty of seducing."
As long as living beings have desires, they could be seduced, regardless of gender. The art of seduction solely relied on identifying the desires which the seducer could exploit for own benefit.
Just like any art or business, the success depended on efforts, time, and talent. Sadly, Kiba lacked time, and that was especially true when he deduced she was a high-grade target who would take at least a year of efforts for him to have some success.
This was why he didn't focus on trying to win her or get in her pants. Nor did he made any efforts in that direction.
Strangely enough, Kiba didn't felt unhappy. On the contrary, he felt good and refreshed now that he could enjoy Ashlyn's company without any expectations.
"Felicity did say there is a first time for everything," Kiba mused while humming a tune. "Well, this should be a first for me."
The two completed their dinner and then stepped in their respective rooms. Kiba lay down on the bed and closed his eyes... waiting for a new day.
***
The next day.
Around 10 am.
Kiba was standing outside the camping house. In front of him, there was a table upon which various breakfast dishes were placed.
He has brought food supplies for months when he arrived here. The only items he needed to seek was fresh vegetables, fruits and meat, otherwise, he had everything. He even has food capsules which could provide him the required energy dose without eating any food. Obviously, as of now, he didn't have to rely on them.
Creak.
Kiba turned out as he heard a creaking sound. Ashlyn stepped out of the door and was surprised when her eyes moved on the lavish breakfast.
"Good morning," Kiba greeted after taking a seat. Ashlyn nodded and sat across him.
"Are you feeling better?" Kiba asked.
Ashlyn nodded and started eating. Her appetite was just as strong as Kiba and in just minutes, they completed every single dish, leaving behind clean plates and empty glasses.
"I don't know how to prepare food," Ashlyn suddenly said after finishing the breakfast.
"Oh," Kiba was surprised that she spoke such words all of a sudden. But then again, perhaps she felt bad that he was the only one who has to cook everything.
"I don't really mind cooking," Kiba decided to relieve her of embarrassment. "So you don't have to worry."
"Thanks," Ashlyn expressed her gratitude.
She then filled a glass with water before retrieving a glass bottle from her storage space. She opened the lid and took out a soft-shelled capsule.
The capsule was transparent and gel-like, made from a vermillion substance. She stuffed the capsule in her mouth along with water.
In the meantime, Kiba took the empty plates and cleaned the table.
"The side effects must be severe," Kiba recalled how exhausted and weakened she was after she sliced the serpent's tail.
Then again, if others saw her state, they would feel it wasn't anything surprising. While the serpent was weak due to the passage of the time, it was still a Level VII beast in its weakened state.
For a person to not only survive against a low-rank Alpha but also land such a fatal injury, that itself was enough to shock the world.
...
A few minutes later.
The portable house was now in Kiba's hand in the form of a metallic cube. He transferred it to his storage space.
Ashlyn stood beside him. Kiba turned towards her and said, "There are few herbs and fruits I want to find."
"?"
"Iceblood Flower, Vermilion Moon Fruit, Seven-petal Golden Rose, and Level V Three-headed Cobra's gall," Kiba mentioned the items in his list.
"Ok," Ashlyn agreed and they once again resumed the travel. They leaped through trees and occasionally landed on the ground as they continued.
As they tapped on a branch of a tree and jumped forward, a cheetah scuttled out of bushes and pounced on Kiba. The cheetah has its sharp claws aimed at his neck, its eyes filled with viciousness.
It has been looking for preys and after the explosions yesterday, the population in this part of the forest has reduced significantly. Many beasts have died while others fleed, and thus seriously affecting the food cycle.
The cheetah was obviously excited when it saw two human preys. The cheetah opened its mouth and let out a terrifying roar.
"Haah," Kiba sighed in disappointment. He didn't really want to kill this soon in the morning but if someone wants to die, who was he to say no?
Without wasting any more time, he flicked a finger in midair.
The cheetah felt an intense crisis as it saw the finger expanding in its eyes.
BANG
The finger tapped on its head, and with a loud sound, the cheetah struck on a tree. Its head exploded in a fountain of blood.
Ashlyn and Kiba looked at its corpse from a branch. The cheetah was just a level II beast and for them, its corpse was pretty useless.
Kiba thought of something as they were about to leave. He snapped his fingers and a crimson capsule conjured in thin air, floating above his hand.
He waved a finger and the capsule flew towards Ashlyn. Surprised, she took the capsule and observed it.
The capsule was hard-shelled and it was impossible to see the powdered ingredients or miniature pellets inside it. The capsule neither emitted any fragrance nor any aura.
"This should relieve you of the pain and exhaustion," Kiba answered her unasked question.
Before, if any beast crossed them, it was always Ashlyn who took the action. She would be on guards and ready to use her discs. Now, while she looked fine from the outside and she showed no sign of weakness, he noticed neither her speed or senses were on the same scale.
Ashlyn studied the pill and shook her head.
"There would be no side effects," Kiba explained further. "The pill is only useful for those who exhausted their essence and vitality."
Ashlyn flinched and she turned towards him.
"Don't misunderstand," Kiba understood her worry so he quickly added. "I have them because someone close to me needs them for emergencies."
The pill was actually for himself, or to be precise, for Zed. It was prepared in case Zed has to use cosmic power without relying on Kiba.
As Zed, his body couldn't handle cosmic power, and as a side effect, his body would turn into a heavy mess. An example of this would be when he helped Jessica awaken back in the academy.
Claudia manufactured those pills in the lab after Jessica episode. So far he didn't need them, and he prayed, it would remain the same in the future.
"..." Ashlyn didn't say anything.
"In terms of grade, that pill is at least 6," Kiba further added. "And it would have no effect on your genes."
If he didn't feel he owed her, he wouldn't have given her this pill. Even for him, such types of pills were very costly. Only he and Claudia knew how many resources they have to "borrow" to prepare this.
Ashlyn was alarmed by the mention of the grade. She thought - as long as he wasn't lying - the pill has to be manufactured in an advanced laboratory under the observation of a high-ranking genetic scientist.
"Thank you very much," Ashlyn said with a rare smile.
Kiba entered into a trance as soon as the smile registered in his eyes. The smile was faint but it was far more beautiful than the blooming of a flower or the warm sky.
"I truly appreciate the gesture but this won't work on me," Ashlyn's eyes were filled with self-ridicule. "I'm what those blessed by evolution calls as cursed one."
Kiba's expression changed drastically and his heart shook. As her words set in his mind, he recalled how the serpent reacted when it couldn't use her as per its plans, and then the crystalline yellow pills she consumed.
Kiba couldn't even think of how to respond. He stared at her as she moved forward and put the pill on his palm.
Without waiting for another moment, she leaped from the tree and proceeded ahead, leaving Kiba behind.
"Cursed one..."
Chapter 235 - Fools
Kiba silently looked on as Ashlyn jumped from one tree to another as she proceeded ahead. In his heart, there was only pity.
"Cursed ones... the ones whom the era of evolution didn't deem worthy enough."
He now understood why she suffered such severe side effects and have to consume those pills after the recent battle.
Tapping a foot on the branch, he leaped in the air. He transformed a series of afterimages and caught up with Ashlyn.
"Ashlyn, do you know the coordinates of ice blood flower?" Kiba asked. He acted as if the conversation just now never happened.
Ashley nodded and conjured a digital tablet in her hand. A few seconds later, she showed him a map marked with a red dot. The distance from their present location was about fifty miles, and in between, there were various strategic points targetted by human hunters. Neither of them has any interest in those spots so they were not expecting any trouble for the time being.
A few hours later.
Kiba and Ashlyn were rushing forward when they felt energy ripples in the air. They looked towards their right, and some distance away, two teams were in the middle of a battle. Each team has about four to five members, and they were going against each other with full force.
One of them noticed the new arrivals and signaled the others. In less than a minute, the deadly battle stopped as if both teams have found a common enemy.
In the forest, there was no lack of people who would take advantage of a conflict between two parties. Such people would wait for the conflict to end and attack the winner who was weakened and exhausted.
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind," The leader of one of the teams said.
The leader of the other group also thought the same. They both reasoned the newly arrived duo was playing the role of the oriole.
The truth was that they have discovered a precious fruit some few hundred meters away. The fruit was yellow and circular, hanging from a stout stem with a rosette of sword-shaped leaves. It was a vitality enhancing fruit, a truly rare item in this part of the forest.
While the extended vitality could buy a year at most since the fruit was not fully ripe, but for a man at the end of life, even a minute was as valuable as a year.
In the present era, most genetic experiments and research were focused on gaining strength and increase lifespan. Every year billions would be spent on finding new ways and exploiting the potential in genes for such causes.
Most of the research on these two fields was backed by the world government and top corporations. After all, those running the powerful organizations were mostly old men, and the thing which they dreaded the most was obviously death.
No matter the status and power, death was a common fate for all, regardless of background or race. Most of these men have spent decades to reach their current position of power, and when they finally they got the chance to enjoy the fruits of their hard work, they realized they were no longer in the primes of their youth. All the scheming, betrayal and dirty work would be for nothing if death embraces them.
This fear of death and loss of power, in a way, gave rise to the increase in the numbers of adventurers and treasure hunters. They would explore mutated forests and other deadly regions to find items that could help in extending the lifetime and strength.
The two teams were made of such adventurers. The fruit which they found was still undergrowth but they had no intention of waiting since for the fruit to fully ripe, it would take decades.
No, even if they were told the fruit would ripe tomorrow, they wouldn't wait. The risk of others knowing or someone else stealing was high.
"Please continue," Kiba waved his hand in a goodbye motion. "We are leaving."
While the fruit was rare, it couldn't help him or anyone close to him. Maybe if it was fully grown, then he would have even considered taking it but as of now, he has no interest.
Ashlyn's thinking was the same as him. She has fruits she wanted but they were in the core region. This was why they both wanted to avoid any unnecessary conflict.
"You take us for fools?" A man asked in an angry voice.
How was it possible for someone to not lust for such precious fruit? The two were obviously lying, and most likely, they would wait for an opportunity to strike or bring more companions. In either case, the two shouldn't leave this place to save future troubles.
"Actually yes, I take you all for fools," Kiba said with a heavy sigh. Neither of the teams wanted someone else to benefit from their conflict so their thoughts were pretty understandable.
Ashlyn put a hand on her other hand to take out a disc.
"No need," Kiba's voice entered her ears. "They are just fools so we don't need to dirty our hands."
"Son of a bitch!" A team leader loudly cursed. "I'm going to rip you apart!"
"Sure, go ahead and try," Kiba stretched his arms as if inviting him, "But when you are busy tearing me, who would guard that fruit? Your newfound friend?"
The team leader's expression turned ugly. He obviously was thinking the same. There was a strong risk of betrayal at the last moment when they tried to deal with this new enemy. After all, every one of them wanted that fruit.
"He is trying to demoralize us," The other team's leader said. "We should attack him together!"
"Good!"
The two teams agreed and they dashed towards Kiba.
"Well, that was rather easy," Kiba said with a smirk. "You left the fruit unguarded."
"Everyone is here so there is no risk to that fruit!" One of the team leaders waved his hand and the ground split apart. Hundreds of stone spikes shot out with a screeching sound.
The other team leader closed his hands and a sonic beam boomed out. Their subordinates took out guns and fired multiple shots.
Every one of them attacked to kill the duo so that they could concentrate on the fruit.
"Who said everyone is here?" Kiba put a hand on Ashlyn's shoulder before adding, "At least, we are not here any longer."
"What?!"
As the attacks were about to land on them, they both disappeared in a blinding flash.
"Fuck! Teleporter!"
Everyone's expression changed for worse. They turned around and saw the duo next to the fruit.
Kiba plucked the fruit, and with a smile, gave a low bow, and said, "Thank you."
Ashlyn has a strange expression on her face. She didn't know what to think of his action. He obviously didn't need the fruit and neither did he need to teleport.
The two teams stared at him with deep hatred. If looks could kill, he would have died a thousand times by now.
"Motherfucker!"
"Return that fruit to us!"
"We found it!"
"You have no right to take it!"
Both teams rushed towards him but they stopped in middle, afraid he would teleport again. While it was possible to stop a teleporter, that needed preparations and proper coordination. Something that wasn't possible in such a short time.
Kiba observed the fruit before bringing his eyes on the two teams.
"Actually, you guys are right," Kiba raised his hand and threw the fruit towards them. "The fruit is yours."
Everyone was startled. They didn't think he would return it just by their warnings.
Without caring about their temporary partnership or thinking much, everyone jumped in the air to catch the fruit. The only thing thought in their hearts was the fruit was their ticket to being millionaire, and they must absolutely get it. If they failed to grasp the fruit now, then there would be no other chance.
"It is mine!"
"No!"
"Get lost!"
"AHHH!"
Everyone started pushing each other to catch the fruit. As the fruit shot towards them, their struggle turned into a riot which soon transformed into a full-scale battle.
The present scene was akin to a human throwing a piece of meat among starved dogs. The desperate dogs would do anything to get meat, even killing each other, and that's what happened now.
One mutant has his heart pierced by a stone spike while other has his head exploded by a sonic boom.
BANG!
Bullets started shooting at each other, and everyone went all out using their abilities. In less than a minute, everyone except the team leaders was dead.
The team leaders collapsed on the floor, their bodies filled with heavy injuries.
The battle just now was short but it was far more intense. Earlier, the fruit was unplucked so they fought while ensuring no harm to self since they have to think of the future. Now, no such luxury was available which brought them to their current state.
The fruit which was responsible for this mess was actually on the ground. Neither of the teams could keep it when the battle began or ended.
~step~
The team leaders turned after hearing a stepping sound. Kiba was walking in a slow and relaxed manner. It was like he was in a park and not a forest.
"33% of the world's population is starving and living in extreme poverty," Kiba said as he stepped forward. "Yet, you guys are letting such a precious fruit go to waste by discarding it."
The team leaders almost coughed up blood in anger. If not for him, they would not be in their present situation, and now he was saying such words?!
They were not discarding the fruit! It was him who brought them to such a state that they could not take the treasure despite it being in front of their eyes!
"Oh well, since you guys don't want this," Kiba leaned down and retrieved the fruit. "I shall take it."
"Bastard! Stop!"
"That's mine!"
The team leaders felt their blood boiling. Their eyes were bloodshot and they cursed him nonstop. Their comrades were already dead, and if he takes the fruit, then what was the use of so many sacrifices?!
"You tricked us!"
"Don't you feel any shame to use such disgraceful scheme?!"
"The gods would punish you for using underhanded tactics!"
Kiba listened to their abuses with a nonchalant expression. A minute later, the two stopped after running out of breath.
"You are blaming me but shouldn't you blame your own foolishness instead?" Kiba asked.
The team leaders were in no state to argue. Kiba was responsible for their injuries and the death of their comrades, but he did so without attacking them! In a way, he only exploited their greed, and nothing else.
"Join your teams in the underworld!" Kiba said as he stretched his right hand and shot out two beams of energy. The team leaders cried and whimpered before evaporating into a crimson mist.
Behind, Ashlyn let out a low sigh as she reached a conclusion based on everything she has seen in the last few days.
"He is a sadist."