"It's a staff?!"
The disappointed voice of Hector's disciple rang out from the stage.
"Why would be staff, damn it?! I want a sword! It's supposed to be an elegant and heroic sword, ahh!"
Hector's disciple threw a tantrum as he climbed up the stage to appease the kid's anger.
"Hey, calm down, calm down. Now, retract your soul mark and star core back. You're in front of the queen right now."
Hector said with a calming voice.
"B-but, it's not cool. My star soul is not cool!", Jed cried out.
"Is it supposed to be cool for you to use it? No, it's what the heavens gave to you. You should accept it."
Hector lectured Jed as he take him in front of the queen to apologize.
"I'm sorry, Leader. My disciple's just unsatisfied that he got a staff as his weapon soul."
Hector bowed while holding down Jed's head to mend him bow too. He's disciple still hasn't retracted his weapon soul.
"What's it's name, Jed?, the queen asked Jed. She gazed at him while inspecting his aura.
"It's *sniff*... [Monkey King Bar].", Jed answered, still lowering his head.
"Okay then...".
The queen stood up her chair and walked in front of the stage. She watched her people with worry in their eyes.
"The Sanctuary's best student, Jebediah, has awakened his weapon soul with an innate star power of [Level 15], comparable to my son, Luke who had also awakened his star soul yesterday. The name of Jed's weapon soul is similar to the first king of beasts that ascended like our ancestors, the [Monkey King Bar]!"
The queen announced the final name of star soul with the loudest cheers of the people that day. Having his weapon soul announced personally by the queen herself is an honor for any demons that's in the Sanctuary.
Three years have passed since the awakening day and Hector found himself staring at his mirror.
'My beard grew so long again. I should shave or Mir will be angry if I kissed her and have her smooth, white cheeks be pricked by my beard.'
Hector thought to himself as he rubbed his beard for the last time.
Hector then got dressed and met Mir and Jed sitting at their dining table. As usual, their breakfast is a lamb curry coupled with fried rice and sunny-side up egg on top of it.
Seeing Jed's furrowed morning face and Mir cooking on the kitchen is also the routine that Hector is used of.
"Hey, Jed! Use your spoon, not your hands. I don't want another person in this house acting so... uncivilized.", Mir took a glance at her father, eating a lamb rib using his hand and gave him a sullen glance.
"What's the matter with eating using your hands, it is my own hands anyway.", Jed said while eating a mouthful of lamb meat.
"What I mean is, you will be judged as barbaric if you continue to eat like that in front of many people.", Mir said, keeping her back straight and standing in a dignified manner.
Hector watched his daughter act lady-like while she sat on her chair and eat her breakfast.
He's still not used in all of the things he saw Mir was doing. She's becoming a real lady now. Her hair is always combed and kept being oiled with scented flowers.
Hector just sighed at the sight of Mir looking like her mother every passing day. He had thought that raising her like how he was raised can change what she's going to be but, it was all for naught.
'Is it wrong to dream that our child become just like me, honey? I just wanted to keep Mir by my side. Please, guide me in raising her like you always did.'
Hector prayed to his deceased wife after he finished his meal. His wife's face always shows up everytime he looks at Mir. She was always smiling so brightly at him and loves to play tag with him.
'Hector, have you ever thought of being free?', his wife's voice lingered in his mind as he reminisce the moments he was with her, even the day that she passed away and Mir was born.
It was a lonely memory yet, it was the most precious memory of his life. The sight of his wife and daughter being together in a bed, him sitting beside them but with a sad face.
'Take Yumira away from the hands of the Empire. I can't have my younger brother get a hold of her.', that's the last words his wife said before she left the world.
He lost sight of what's going to happen next for his life, thinking of ending his own life to follow his wife but, the sound of his daughter made him snap out of it.
He felt like he was slapped in the face even though there's no one in there except him with his wife and daughter.
At that moment, Hector had found a new purpose for his life, that is to raise his beautiful daughter as a strong and capable lady.
"Hey... Dad! What's wrong with you? You're acting strange all of a sudden.", Mir's voice made Hector snapped out of his delusions and back to reality with a tears in his eyes.
"Oh, haha... Sorry about that. I was just remembering your mother's face from you, Mir. You look very pretty in your dress today.", Hector wiped his tears quickly and stare at his daughter with an honest face.
"Ugh, that's definitely weird, Master! Just what did you ate? Are you allergic in lamb ribs? Then don't worry, I'll go eat everything for you! Ack-!", Jed was kicked out of the house by Hector.
"Noisy monkey", Hector cleaned his handa by clapping while not minding the nuisance in the outside shouting at their door.
"Hey! Let me in! I'm sorry, okay?!", Jed shouted at the door but, no one opened it for him.
"Seriously, Dad. Are you really fine?"
Mir's worried tone made Hector's skipped a beat so, he immediately kissed her on her head and looked directly at her eyes.
"Daddy's fine, don't worry.", he reassured Mir.
"Though, I wouldn't say that YOU are gonna be fine too. Because we're going outside again later."
That statement made Mir body shiver at excitement.
"Finally! We're going out again!"
Hector was happy when he saw his daughter act like this once again. It felt like he was back to the time when Mir haven't taken any etiquette lessons from the queen yet.
It was the First Elder's idea to teach the girls to act like a noble lady when they turned ten. Hector thought that it was for his daughter because they're going to get missions that includes infiltration and blending in to other countries soon.
"We will meet at the academy with the others later. First, let's check if you can handle the star beasts outside by sparring a little quick...Jed, you join, too.", Hector walked outside and found Jed, practicing with his weapon soul.
"Yes, Master.", Jed gave him a quick bow.
Sparring was everyday life for the three. They will always fight one versus one and one versus two.
Today is a special day so, Hector is fighting Jed and Mir to warm them up. He thought sparring will make their instincts sharp for their ventures later.
"So, we're gonna get our third star core this time, huh. Last time we went out, the Elders took us again to the outer ring and that took three days for us just to get there, again."
Jed spoke to Mir, who was stretching her legs in the ground, and said the word 'again' repeatedly to let Hector hear what he's pointing out. Mir wore a black leather skirt that revealed her masculine, white legs.
"Yeah, we just ran throughout the journey and the go back the two times we looked for star cores.", Mir nodded while she reached for her toes.
"And this time, we're not running away from the beasts in the middle ring because we're going to fight them. And of course if I say 'we', I mean you two and the others are the fighters and me and the other Elders will just watch.", Hector came out of the cabin in their yard, wearing a leather wrist guard and a helmet.
He equipped all of this protections because, the two that he's sparring with are now in heroic level.
"Then let's get this party started!"
Jed then released all his star cores together with Mir. The both of them was wearing they're battle suits, Jed is in his favorite black silk shirt with ripped sleeves, showing his arms plus a leather wrist guards and shorts made from a skin of a [Blue Rank] Desert Gecko.
Mir wears a white blouse under a leather armor and a leather skirt below. She and Jed have star beast skin shoes, made for their taste and sizes.
'These kids, I'm so proud of them!'
Hector's eyes formed a tear that run down his right cheek. He teared up as he watched the best kids of their gender dashed at him at with their star cores released.
Jed attempted to attack first as he jumped in the air while he pulled back his two arms upwards, while holding his weapon soul.
[MONKEY KING'S PATH - DOUBLE GRAND CROSS]
Jed's two green star cores glowed simultaneously as he performed a combined activation. Readying his body to attack twice.
Hector just stood there while his arms are lifted up in the form of a cross to absorb the attack.
Then the attack landed, creating a consecutive loud clangs due to the wrist guard of Hector clashing with Jed's weapon soul.
Jed then jumped back while smirking as he saw his master's wrist guard was destroyed by him despite being coated in gracia.
"You already formed your star path in such a young age, I'm so proud of myself for teaching you.", Hector complemented his disciple mockingly.
"The one you should be proud of is your defense, Master. You even resisted my combined activation with just losing a wrist guard. But, you should focus on the battle... Mir, are you ready now?!", Jed just shrugged his shoulders while he distracted his master.
Hector then looked for his daughter and found her in a corner, her arms are covered on golden fur and her eyes changed into a lion's eyes. She looked more powerful now than her normal self.
"Yeah, thanks for the distraction...", She said while in the state of [FIRST STAR CORE - GOLDEN LION'S BLESSING]
"Now, let's see If I got stronger in these last few months."
Hector watched Mir stretched her arms and then vanish in the air. But, Hector wasn't surprised by that and turned around to catch his daughter's powerful punch using his left hand.
Mir, clicked her tongue and crouched low to let a golden staff pass her head and looked at Jed's face looking like a grinning demon who caught his opponent off guard.
[FIRST STAR CORE - MULTI PENANCE]
Jed activated his first star core as his golden staff hit his master's stomach. His first star core's ability is to double the damage he gives to his opponents repeatedly. It's effects multiplies as Jed's level rises.
Jed can only triple stack the hit for now as he is currently [Level 30]. He can also manipulate the power of the stacking damage and the number of repeated impacts.
That means if he hits an opponent, Jed can make the impact of his hit vibrate to the opponents body and Jed can also make him feel like he was hit three times in one hit.
And that's what happened to Hector's stomach. The hit vibrate into his organs repeatedly and it made him step backwards.
'This kid, he hit me once but, I felt that I was hit three times. That's a great ability.', Hector pondered to himself.
"Are you okay, dad? That one hit made you step back for the first time ever since we started sparring, right?", Mir asked her father that was wearing a surprised face.
"Hah! Of course it was powerful! It was because of this beautiful staff of mine! It's the best weapon in the world for me!"
Jed raised his arms up while holding his golden staff.
"Eh, weren't you the one who cried because his star soul is a staff?", Mir asked Jed with a smug face.
"That was in the past, okay?! Don't talk about it in front of my baby here!.. I'm sorry about that, Auri. Mir's just jealous because she's not prettier than you."
Jed hugged his golden staff while smooching it and that made Mir feel disgusted and just walked out.
Hector then approached Jed that was admiring his weapon soul and brushed his chestnut brown hair.
"You've grown, both of you... Now, let's get ready to depart. We only have a few hours left to pack up our things and get to the academy."
"Yes, Master!", Jed saluted and retracted his weapon soul back to his body.
Hector and Mir packed food and other things while Jed went to his home, the camp of the soldiers.
An hour later, they met at the waiting balcony of the academy where the First Elder, the Sixth Elder and Hector remained seated in the chairs alongside the balcony, watching the children played below them.
"Grandpa, we're here. I greet the Second and Sixth Elders, too."
They looked back to see Feng in his white robe filled with red flower patterns that matched his red hair that was tied, leaving a tail end at his nape.
"Yes, you're all here. Ready yourselves, we're going outside the Sanctuary.", The First Elder said with a calm tone.
The three elders stood up and walked inside the building and saw six children who are dressed in their prepared clothes.
"Just the six of us again, huh? I wonder why the younger three joins us in our ventures.", Jed asked while sitting on the floor and leaning with his arms.
"That's because they're still too young to go with you guys."
The Sixth Elder said, the black mask at his face moved as he talked.
"But, Mizu is the same age as Luke, why can't he go with us?"
Mimi asked the Elders. She is wearing a white wool jacket with a bunny ears shaped hood, a black soft boots and blueberry colored skirt that matched her hair color.
"Luke is... still training with the queen. So he can't go with you. But, don't worry, the queen will help him absorb star cores suitable for him."
Hector answered Mimi with a troubled tone. He can't give them the situation of Luke because he is sure the children will come to help him.
"For now, let's get your third star cores in the middle ring and come back safely. Put out your worry about Luke, he is fine, I assure you."
Then the First Elder walked in front of Hector to help him out. The kids are giving him the 'your lying' stare again. He really can't lie to these children.
It took a while for the First Elder to convince them not to know more about Luke's situation. They walked through the cliff, where the entrance to the Sanctuary is located.
"You should've done that the first time they asked about Luke. Now, they're suspicious of us. They will surely try to know more on their own when we get back."
The First Elder talked to Hector while watching the children walk I front of them. He looked at the old man's long, grey mustache as they walked and noticed that the First Elder's hair is also turning grey.
"How long until you make IT? Can you really do IT?"
Hector asked his old friend.
"I still have enough time to reach IT. But you, you're at the limit, right?", the First Elder's ocean blue eyes met with Hector's.
"The queen's blood have given me so much benefits. But, I will never forget the process of the blood change that we were forced to do when we got here.", Hector looked at his veins and imagined the demon's blood that was flowing in him.
"Turning your own human blood into demon's blood is a taboo to the heavens. Maybe that's why it hurt so much even though we did it little by little.", the First Elder looked at the sky when he talked.
"And that's why I'm reaching for the [Demi-god Rank] now that I turned into a demon. My human body has reached it's limits by the time I became [Level 70] but, that bottleneck was broken when I drank the leader's blood. I wouldn't have imagined turning myself into a demon if it weren't for Luce."
Hector watched his daughter throw a punch at Jed's face as the others laughed at him.
"Then become stronger than you are now to repay your debts to him. And you must do it for your daughter's sake and future. Turn evil to do good things... Ha! How ironic!", The First Elder chuckled a little then go in front of the kids.
The barrier is within their sight now.
"Let's make a formation first. The Second Elder will be the vanguard, me and the Sixth Elder in both flanks, while Jed and Earl watch the rear."
The First Elder announced as he stare at the children, turning his back on the barrier.
"It's gonna be okay because I'm here! Now, let's run like we are just running on a park."
Hector exited the barrier, followed by the children, the two Elders on their sides.
The temperature began to change and they were met with the cold air of the inner ring. The whole land was dry but, the air felt humid here.
The gracia inside the Sanctuary is filtered by the barrier that's why it never felt so heavy in there. But now that the children are outside, they were struggling to move because of the pressure of the inner ring itself.
They are not even seeing a [Black Rank] beast and they are now feeling oppressed.
"Protect yourself at all times with aura. Don't turn it off throughout the journey. We will not be protecting you from the pressure like we did previously now."
The Sixth Elder's voice echoed loudly as he commanded the kids while they run for the castle border. They aren't being treated like a kid now.
"Stay focused and report if you see a star beast! We will then change our path a little!"
Hector ordered them. And they all focused, looking out for star beasts that might come.
Luckily, they got to the castle border without fighting any [Black Rank] beasts. Their journey took around five hours of running while stopping for the children to rest. In the end, they reached the collapsed castle to rest at for the night.
"I always wondered everytime we got here, what happened to this castle for it to collapse badly.", Feng said beside the campfire that Mir made.
"My mother said that the Demon King and the heroes fought in here and the heroes won. They call themselves the Zodiacs for whatever reason they had but, Mother said that they were all weaklings back then.", Mimi said while swinging her legs in the air and laying on the ground.
"What about now, then?", Mizu curiously asked Mimi.
"Who knows? Maybe their all dead?", Mimi shrugged her shoulders.
"This castle... a battalion of mid-level demons used to camp in here. My stepmother, who was also a mid-level demon was a prostitute for the general that was stationed here."
Jed butted in their conversation.
"Then? What happened?", Feng asked him to go on.
"The heroes that time we're accompanied by our current Demon King, Luciel Amrita, Luke's father. He stormed the castle in a single night together with the Zodiacs but, all of the work was done by him.", Jed looked at Feng while telling his story.
"What? Why would he do that?!", Feng asked him.
"I don't know, but the one thing I know is, King Luciel was so angry that night, the whole castle's roof blew away just from his gracia. I was in the camp outside the castle when that happened together with my fake mother. She tried to kill me but, I was saved by the Second Elder. I woke up inside the Sanctuary after that.", He pointed his finger up to let them see that the castle had no roof.
"And that's why you all must sleep well tonight. We can't have you speaking the name of the king in front of other people outside the Sanctuary.", Hector barged in, his arms were around his waist.
"Oh man. We're just getting started. Sorry guys, Master's orders. Let's go to sleep now.", Jed stood up from the broken pillar he was seating on and found a soft spot where he can sleep.
The other boys followed him while the girls get in the tent that was prepared for them.
Seeing that they really were going to sleep, Hector nodded in satisfaction and go back to where the other elders are.
"Are they all asleep?", The First Elder asked him.
"Yeah... found them talking about the heroes and Luce.", Hector said beside the old man.
"Who said that?", the Sixth Elder said, he's laying on top of his pet.
"Jebediah... that kid grew up harshly. He even saw the whole massacre of his whole kind when he was a child."
Hector looked a little sad for his disciple.
"I hope Luke and others are safe."
The Sixth Elder huffed and stood up. He then looked at the horizon, nothing but sand was shown by the moonlight.
"Where are they, by the way?", Hector asked the First Elder.
"They're inside the Empire..."
The First Elder's words left Hector and even the emotionless Sixth Elder blackout.