"Knock, knock, knock." The light knocking sound over the top floor within the highest building of the Sun City.
"Come in." A slight heavy voice could be heard as a black cloak figure enter the room. Another man beside him comes closer as he preparing the tea for both of them. "You can leave now."
Seeing the servant leave the room, the black cloak figure continues "Master, after a few investigations over the area where the battle occurred. I am determined that it is not a battle between spirit beasts." To avoid being punished for entering the forest without permission this time, the black cloak figure gets into the detail.
"Who is your master? I am your grandpa." An old man in a white attire in his middle-age appearance beside his white hair, no one would think he is a grandpa because of his appearance. He doesn't even care what the black cloak figure just said as he continues: "Monica, how could you go to the forest alone, at least take one of the bodyguards." The heavy knocks on the tea table from his left hand almost cause it to crumbles from pressure if he does not manage his strength well. He needs to shows this angry appearance because of his parental love for her. 'How dare she venture out all alone? The city is quite safe, but compare to the danger in the forest both from the spirit beast and human, who knows many adventurers already left this world?'
"What if something happened to you, how could I confess your mother? Your mother really spoils you too much. It is my mistake for taking you with me this time." He took her out to experience the world, yet, she always creates who knows how many headaches problems for him. Where there is fighting occurred, there would always be her within the crowd. How could he stay calm most of the time, the battle occurred because of her mischief? She dares to enter the forest alone, now, and she also going to the place the explosive sound occurred. "Wait, wait, what did you just say?"
"I said, there is no formation master appeared here in the first place. It is quite boring in the forest. Gramp, do you have any amusing thing for me to play?" Monica takes a bite from an apple on the table as she tried to find an excuse for going out again.
"You, you! Aiya..." The teacup in his hand already becomes fragments of powder because of the pressure, there is an only speechless expression from the old man.
"I will send you back to the imperial city first if you do no longer listen to me." kid you wanna play with this old man here, I have experienced the world before you could even see the light. Let see, if dare to be mischief again.
"Gramp, don't you bring me out to experience the world?" 'Grandpa, I am just following your instruction.' she rebukes him with his goal to bring her out in the first place.
When he heard what Monica just said, he knows cannot win over an argument with her, so he can only change the topic. "Okay, okay! I am lost. Now tell me more detail about what you found in the forest."
Monica narrates more detail about what she found in the forest where the explosion occurred to avoid her grandfather's radar for the time being. After speaking for more than two hours, Monica's throat becomes somewhat dry because over talking nonsense for the old man. From the old man's expression that changes from time to time as he indulges in the fantasy story that Monica sketches by herself so that her grandfather will leave her alone. She could see excite expression, and solemn from time to time on her grandpa's face, but even after she left the room, he still indulges in her story.
"..."
"What do you think about this Smith?" With the report from Monica, the old man has a meeting with the guild master of Sun city after sipping his tea, he asks.
"We have been seeking the clue of the explosive since it first appeared. At first, I think this might be a fight between higher rank spirit beast and silver rank adventure over treasure because many adventures from the city had never seen such remain of spirit beasts where it occurred. This is the second time, it has occurred and by the time we arrived there are only to see spirit beasts fighting each other headlessly. The ravaged from the scenes proves us that these spirit beasts definitely fighting over something. There is no way a human can create something like this, especially with the death of so many spirit beasts without looting. Not to mention there is no Soul realm expert in the city, so my conclusion is that a treasure has appeared in the forest. From the young lady description, my estimation is at least ninety percent accurate, now." Smith has been given this position as the guild master branch of Sun city for more than a decade ago, he knows everything in and out of the Amarilla forest like his back garden. As a late stage elemental refiner realm, how could he not know about a higher rank cultivator visited the city? It is impossible to slip through his eyes and ears in the city if someone of that kind appears here.
"Maybe, I should visit by myself since this is your conjecture. By the way, have you contact Diana clan about the business deal?" the old man does not have any higher expectations when he first visits Sun city as this place is very shallow compare to the robust imperial city. Yet, he surprises to find out something that occurred one after another when he arrived in the city one month ago.
"I have contacted them a few times already, but they said they cannot meet with the demand as they are short at hands and have had a deal with a merchant already." Smith sighs because of his late action. Such a big deal, how can he become too slow to set the deal with them?
There is a heavy footstep from the hallway toward the room as a male servant rushing toward this room, with his perception he knows that there is some urgent matter that might occur again, so Smith decided to take his leave from this luxury room.
"Master, there is some urgent matter that needs me to personally solve. So, I can only take my leave now." As Smith taking his leave, the old man in his white robe also silently looks over the back of Smith while he walking out.
'He becomes muddle as time passes by. Do power and authority really become his only purpose of living?' From his conversation and reviewing of the experienced that he saw personally in this city, he knew there is no returning back for Smith. He sighs and shakes his head, yet the room is already empty the moment that the old man folds his fan.
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"Finally, there is someone worthy arrived." A faint low voice could be heard by William after he entered the core of the fogging valley.
"Who? Who are you? Come out." William shouting yet there is no one coming out. But, the giant lizard who has had just followed behind William this entire time also arrived there, too. The giant lizard pupil becomes contracts as it sees the devastated environment that it has entered. Even though the spiritual wisdom of the spirit beast is low compare to humans, but they have higher perceptions than humans when there danger ahead.
In the beginning, this place is not like this, there were lusting green of the forest everywhere and its domain is not that small either. However, everything changed when there is suddenly heavy fog cover this entire place. From that moment on, it has always fought its ways to survive in this place, there is an attack from time to time of the other spirit beasts over its domain. The manpower becomes smaller and smaller as time passes by, too. And today is the day that the long awaiting for revenge over its subjects, but everything changes because of these greedy stupid animal has stolen its only treasure for revenge. Yet, it finally understands why so many spirit beasts fighting each other over the domain because they have to to survive. It could see its clansmen skeleton spread all over the place in this damn place. The rage that accumulates over the years focuses entirely on William's body become stronger. This is the chief criminal who stole its treasure.
"Bomb!" The red water or might be is blood itself explode and spread as the lizard shout with its might toward William.
William tries to dodge almost without enough time, he sent flying not far away because of the shock wave. The impact caused him to spread blood from his mouth as the skeleton of the spirit beasts sent flying everywhere. He almost forgets that there is someone accompany him here. But it is okay, now, no matter what he has a helper, right?
"You stupid beast! This father is here, follow me if you dare." William taunts the giant lizard again as he runs in a circle and dodges the attack from both of the shock wave and the worms in this bloody zone.
"..."
"Haha! Not bad, not bad, not bad!" Over three times of praising could be heard when William continues to avoid the attack from the giant lizard for an entire day without being exhausted. It seems like he never runs out of energy, to begin with.
Finally, a face baseless appears over the cave in the middle of this red zone. As it looks and full of a confident smile over William and the giant lizard as if everything acts according to what it has planted in the first place.
The lizard giant beast stops its attack over William because there is a barrier that separates William and it. Its angry vision focus on the blood-red face that condenses over the top of the cave instead. Both a beast and a human have varied expressions due to their own thought.
William tries to relax his exhausted body before said: "Finally, you dare to appear before me. You have made me run entire noon, almost exhausted me to death."
"If you cannot even endure this level of harassment, how could you pass the trail that waiting for you?"
William's face becomes red and he breathes heavily before continue to rebuke the blood-red face. "Trail? My ass, do you think I would believe you when I saw there is the only ruin in this place. I am not some idiot who would believe some baseless rumor when my eyes see clearly how devastated this place has had become. Even if you were to tell me, that you are a sage in the time of your life. Yet, since you have caused damage beyond repair toward this lusted green forest and many wild lives, you are beyond redemption."
The blood-red face still calms and smile at William even though its eyes already twitch several times because it never receives such a curse at its prime. "Since this is your answer, then I shall give you two choices. One becomes a vessel of mine, and your cultivation will be leap and bond in no time..."
William finally catches his breath after a moment of resting because he is no longer the target of the giant lizard spirit beast. "What! you still believe that I would accept your proposal?"
"Haha!" The eerie laughing echo as the blood-red face heard William's replied. "By your present situation, you think you can escape from here? Not to mention that little insect preying every movement of yours."
"Bomb, bomb, bomb." The ripple of the shockwave continues to bombard the barrier that separates William and the giant lizard spirit beast.
"Vile creature!" The spiritual suppression causing the giant lizard to shake and the blue liquid bleeding from many parts of its body. However, its pupils become contract as the air surrounding becomes more and more condensed. The moment it releases the particle of its strongest attack, the giant lizard also lifeless drops its head down. No one knows whether it is alive or dead, but everything else at this moment depends on William entirely.
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"Since no one will disturb us any further. What do you think of my proposal?" With this punny human as middle stage body refinement realm, how could he survive this long from this giant spirit beast? Not to mention the unknown secret treasure which could take such a small pond with ease. After toke possession of this body, everything will be in his pocket.
'I don't know if my hard work this entire noon will save my life.' To be able to stand when facing this blood-red face, William already tries his best not to faint countless times already. With the pressure that emits from this cave, he knows his enemy stronger than him who knows many times. With a thought the entire region shake and countless fragments of skeletons of death spirit beasts become powders.
"What have you done?" The core array of the energy gathering array cracking, not only one core but all every core in this ruin. The blood-red face also becomes blurry as there is no energy to support it.
William takes this chance to run over the place that the giant lizard slumber when he arrives beside the giant lizard. He hops over its head and lightly pats its head before sending the snow-white lotus on top of it. William smile toward the core region of this ruin and lightly said: "Stop playing dead, there is work to do now."
This sudden turn of the event causing the cave entrance blasted. No one would believe that it has fallen into a plot by a punny human and an insect.