"H…hello, my name is Viel", Viel politely introduced himself to the 3 strangers on the other side of the invisible barrier.
"It… it's really you…", the beautiful woman gasped. She kneeled down in order get a closer look at Viel, "B-but…how!?", Lu Yi glanced at the Judge of Karma, trying to find an answer.
Judge just shook his head. As he mentioned in their talks, the boy is a mystery to him. And now, that mystery just got even bigger.
"Y-yes? Have we… met?", Viel tilted his head when he saw the confused woman. He also took a glance to the 2 man that were beside her. For some reason, Viel felt a sense of familiarity and warmth towards these 3 people. It was as if they were not strangers at all.
"Oh… Viel", confirming that that little boy in front of them is truly Viel, a slight tear came out of the woman's eyes.
"N..no, we have not met yet. I am called Lu Yi. You can call me mother Lu Yi if you want to…", Lu Yi placed her hands on the invisible barrier, opposite of Viel's.
"You, a mother? What are you saying to the boy… tch tch. My name…", the tall man with horns on his body was about to introduce himself, but he stopped and put on a wry smile, "Well…I am a friend"
Although Viel was slightly disappointed that the tall man did not introduce himself, when he heard the word "friend", Viel's face lit up. He glanced at the remaining unnamed stranger with anticipation.
"I am… hmm", the Judge of Karma also stopped to think, definitely, the boy would be confused if he said that his name was Judge of Karma, so he decided to shorten it, "You may call me Jack, young one".
"Pffftt.. Jack!? What's up with that!?", Xanthus could not help but tap Judge, now Jack, wildly on the shoulders.
"Hello…hello!", Viel bowed when he saw how polite Jack introduced himself. He still looked at the tall man, waiting if he was going to say his name, but the tall man just smiled at him.
The group was quiet for a while, they really did not know what to say. The 3 thought that this was a meeting that was never going to happen, or at least not this soon. The first one to break the silence was Viel.
"Uhmm. Have you seen my friends? They were just with me…but then suddenly everything turned dark…", Viel recalled running around in the endless darkness, it truly was a horrifying experience for him.
"What exactly do you last remember, baby Viel?", Lu Yi spoke in a very gentle and soothing matter, truly befitting of being called a mother.
"Uhhmm… huck!", Viel tried to remember the events before everything became dark. He remembered his friends trying to stop him from fighting the man named Li Zhao, then things started to get hazy as soon as he saw the man with a wicked smile on his face.
Bit by bit, memories of him battling the man resurfaced. No, it can't even be called a battle. Viel shook his head as visions of him stomping the defenseless man to the point of his bones breaking was flowing through his mind.
It did not stop there, he felt himself feeling joy as he strangled the man. Viel then kneeled down in pain as his emotions ran wild.
"Viel, breathe. Like how I do it, follow me", Lu Yi then proceeded to make exaggerated exhaling noises.
Viel focused on Lu Yi's breathing as he tried to copy her.
"That's right, just like that"
It took a minute for Viel to completely recollect himself and calm down.
"There, better, is it not, my child?", Lu Yi once again smiled gently, justifying her want to be called mother by Viel.
"T-thank you, miss Lu…"
The breathing exercise that Lu Yi imparted Viel truly did calm him. However, Viel still felt perplexed as to why he would forget and do something like strangling someone to the point that his opponent was inches away from dying.
"Wow, I was not aware that you have this kind of side to you, oh Lord Mother", Xanthus playfully teased Lu Yi.
"Tch, what is it to you!?", Lu Yi immediately deflected the elbow that was poking at him.
Seeing this silly charade, Viel could not help but chuckle as he found the antics of the two funny. Both Lu Yi and Xanthus stopped bickering with each other as soon as they saw Viel laughing at them.
In truth, the two of them really did not know what to say to Viel, even Jack, who usually have all the answers, was quiet. Should they explain who they really were and what they were doing inside of Viel? They probably should, but they themselves do not really know their true purpose here.
Does the boy even know that his consciousness is currently inside his vast core? This would only confuse the boy if he comes to know of it.
There was so much they want to say and teach Viel, but for some reason, words are not really coming out of their mouth.
As the both of them were deliberating on what to say to Viel. A voice suddenly resounded through the darkness.
[Rebooting Sequence Complete… Thank you for your patience, Player]
"M…Mr. Voice!? Are you here!?"
Mr. Voice, however, did not answer Viel. It just continued to spout some random words and numbers.
[69%...]
Suddenly, Viel felt a force pulling him away from his 3 newly found friends.
"W-what's happening!?"
Viel placed his hands on the invisible barrier, trying to find a grip in order not to be pulled away.
"N-no... please help me!"
Lu Yi reached out for Viel's hand, but the barrier stopped them from catching each other, all they could do was create an illusion of attachment as their palms felt like they were separated by an island.
"Farewell, Baby Viel, we will meet each again" Lu Yi once again smiled towards Viel, a hint of sadness can be seen in her eyes.
"Take care of yourself, brat"
"Do not stumble, child. This world may not be ready for you, but remember to be strong"
It was a brief meeting, filled with only small talks. Perhaps it was better this way, perhaps once the boy was of age and able to understand more in life, he will return here. Then, they will be able to speak with him clearly, they will be ready to discuss things with the boy, teach him things about the world.
Viel looked on in worry as he felt himself being pulled away, but when he saw the 3 were smiling at him and telling him that they will meet again, he started to calm down.
"Uhn", Viel nodded.
Soon the force grew even stronger and Viel could no longer resist it.
"Don't be scared, brat. Nothing can hurt you out there"
And with Xanthus having the final word, Viel flew away in the darkness.
-‐---------------------------------------
"Viel!? Miss Xing Cai!? What happened!?"
Grandma Ling opened the door only to see Xing Cai carrying Viel in her arms, unconscious. Grandpa Ling immediately prepared the nearby couch for Viel to be layed down.
"Miss Xing Cai... what happened?"
"This...I'm sorry"
Xing Cai could not help but apologize to the Lings, it was not so long ago that they asked her to be Viel's guardian once they were gone. But who knew that something like this was going to happen.
No, she should have been prepared, she should have known that something like this would happen. Xing Cai once again apologized before explaining the situation to the Lings.
"He did that!? Our Viel!?", Grandma Ling could not believe what she heard as she almost passed out in shock. Xing Cai then said that Viel laughed while doing so, that his emotions were erratic.
"Who... exactly is Viel?", at the end of Xing Cai's story, she could not help but ask the Lings for Viel's origin. They said that he was orphaned because of the war, if so, then who was his father?
Xing Cai could not help but recall the visions she saw when she looked into Viel's eyes. Visions of unrelentless carnage. And the man she saw at the end of the vision... Can it be?
"T-this...", The Lings had a worried expression on their faces as they looked at Viel.
"Please. I need to know. If I am to be the guardian of the boy. I need to know his real identity"
Grandma Ling stuttered as she looked away, unwilling to tell a thing. Grandpa Ling however, decided to speak.
"D-dear!!"
"It is alright, dear. I know we can trust the sister here", Grandpa Ling winked at Xing Cai and he proceeded to tell the story of how they adopted Viel.
"P-please, don't take him away!" As soon as Grandpa Ling finished the story, Grandma Ling immediately kneeled down in front of Xing Cai.
Xing Cai quickly grabbed her and motioned her to stand up. "I am not a part of the guards, Mrs. Ling. I won't take away Viel"
It took a while before Grandma Ling calmed down. Grandpa Ling prepared tea before they started discussing again.
"Then her mother, did you know who she is?"
Grandma Ling could only shake her head.
"She was... a beautiful blonde woman. We tried to get back to her to atleast give her a proper funeral, but when we came back, she was already gone", Grandma Ling lamented as she remembered the bloody sight that night. It was truly horrifying. Whoever did that to that pitiful woman is a beast.
"We figured the guards already took her body. But we were too afraid to ask as they might question us, and even take away the brat.", Grandpa Ling lowered his shoulders in resignment as he gently rubbed the boy's hair. He noticed that the boy's hair was darker and not as colorful than it was before, maybe it was just dirty.
Xing Cai was lost in thought, she was trying to make sense of it all but deliberating it now is meaningless, the information the Lings gave her was not enough.
Should she pursue her curiosity? No, this was no longer a curiosity, if what Xing Cai saw was real, this indeed should be investigated.
She was sure of it now, the man she saw in the visions was none other than the Evil Monarch. There was no way she could have mistaken the owner of those unique features.
Hopefully, her visions were just that- visions.
Xing Cai needed more information, and the only connection left she could see was Viel's dead mother. She was the first key.
"Miss Xing Cai?", Grandma Ling called out to Xing Cai.
"Oh, yes?"
"Nothing, you just spaced out for a bit. Is something the matter?"
"No. I apologize. I still have matters to attend to. Please tell Viel that I will be gone for a while"
It was decided. Investigating Viel's background is a must, and for this, her authority was not enough. She needed her sect's help in order to move around freely in Taizhou City. Xing Cai then thanked the Lings for the tea before leaving and making preparations to return to her sect.
She did not know now, that this was the biggest mistake of her life.
A few hours after Xing Cai left the house, Viel finally woke up- shouting.
"WAH!"
"Ancient titties!"
Grandpa Ling, who was trying to wash the boy's hair jumped in shock from Viel suddenly waking up.
"What in the world, you brat!? Do you want me to die!?"
Grandpa Ling was seething in anger as he spilled the water in the basin.
Viel, however, immediately hugged Grandpa Ling when he saw him.
"Tch… this brat", Grandpa Ling couldn't do anything anymore as he just smiled wryly.
-------------------------------------
In a dark alley, a wounded man can be seen sitting on the floor, holding a bottle of booze.
"Shit…shit…shit…I will kill that fucking kid"
"Fuck that Headmaster… fuck"
Li Zhao was currently drowning himself in alcohol to ease the pain he was feeling. He could not believe that the Headmaster was just threw him out of the academy after the physicians were done tending to his wounds. Saying that he brought brought nothing but shame to the academy and that he was no longer a part of it.
Why!? Wasn't the Headmaster very fond of him? Always inviting him in the school and letting him brag about his prestige? Why would the Headmaster just suddenly throw their relationship down the drain? Why would the Headmaster abandon him? Him, the golden boy of the Academy.
Li Zhao laughed and spat alcohol and blood from his mouth.
Yes. It was because of that western brat. Why are all golden-haired westerners such a bane to his existence? Yes, this was not over. It will only be over once he sees the boy suffer.
"That runt… I will..I will"
Li Zhao stopped his words.
No, he can no longer go after the boy, all the eyes were on him. The Headmaster, the Golden Pavilion Elder, and now it seems that even the Royal Princess has taken a liking to the boy. Going after him will be tantamount to suicide.
While Li Zhao was lost in thought, a couple of familiar thugs walked on the alley.
"No one is taking us seriously now boss! Ever since… ever since that Taizhou student…"
The fat man almost cried as he stuttered on his words.
"S-shut up…"
If Viel was here, he would clearly recognize this group of ruffians. They were the thugs that were going to kidnap him just before he was about to take the entrance examination for the academy.
The skinny man kicked a nearby wooden crate in anger as he remembered what Viel did to them.
"Demon titties!"
He jumped out in surprise as he saw a man sitting on the corner, bloodied and drunk. He smiled immediately, this could be a good source of income.
"Well well, what do we have he-", however, before he can finish his words, his head split open in two.
Li Zhao threw the bottle he was holding in his hands. The skinny man's henchmen immediately tried to run away as soon as they saw this.
"Stop."
However, Li Zhao was suddenly in front of them, blocking their path to escape.
"P-please, great immortal. Do not kill us!"
The thugs immediately kneeled and begged for their lives. They saw how their boss was killed, they knew that this man in front of them had no qualms in killing them like insects.
��P-please… we will do anything!"
Hearing this, Li Zhao suddenly formed a smile. Yes, this was it. A plan suddenly came in to his mind.
"I need you to do something for me."
"A-anything… please!"
Li Zhao placed his feet on top of the kneeling man's head. His smile grew even wider so much so that it revealed his broken teeth.
"How would you like to hunt some old people?"