"Zoe ! It's you ! But ..." Zach blurted out and everything dawned on him. He was surprised that Zoe wasn't in the genius squad but he forgot about the potion that Oscar had took that could change the appearance.
He didn't think that she would use it to change her features, however it was still confusing. 'Why would she change her features and hide her identity in the capital and the genius squad ?'
"I'm sure you are wondering why I disguised myself right ?" Zoe added with a smile, Zach only nodded stil trying to understand. "Simple, it's my father that wanted to make it like that, he didn't want my identity to be associated with my talent, as you know I have a great talent" She declared proudly.
What she declared made sense, after all she was only 15 and was already at the peak rank 2, it was unbelievable. 'There is still one question that last, who is her father ?' Zach was curious about this last unaswered question.
"So, who is your father ?" He inquired. She puffed her chest and replied proudly with a smile. "My father is the more powerful of the kingdom, it's Arkantos, the king !"
When Zach heard this he almost fell, he knew she had a powerful background but never did he expect her to be the king's daughter. After all she was alone in the dangerous dungeon, so he did not expect it.
"How did you join the genius squad Zach ?" Zoe inquired, she was curious about this because not just anyone could enter it and even less in the short time he could have.
Herself took a little less thank a week to reach the capital from the dungeon so it meant that he got into it at most 2 weeks ago which was totally unbelievable for a nameless in the kingdom like Zach.
"I proved to your father that I am worthy of it and I also brought back {The book of hidden Bloodlines}." It was Zach's time to be proud. And this time it was Zoe who almost fell when she heard that, her eyes were wide open.
"If I went in those ruins it's because I thought we lost it ! But you mean it's you who had it !?" When he heard what Zoe said he started to laugh out hard, the book would have been them, she moved thinking that they would not get it.
When thinking about it, Zach was happy she went in those ruins, otherwise he would have die there and the book would have been lost in his shadow forever, meaning that Delp's chances to win would have been ridicule.
However fate decided otherwise and Zach stumbled on Zoe in the dungeon which saved their life and gave a real chance to Delp in the upcoming war.
"Now can we talk about why you more or less attacked me in to take off my mask ?" Zach looked at Zoe and said in a dry tone, Zoe looked downed embarassed and explained.
"You grew so much that I wasn't sure if it was you, in case it wasn't you I would have said that it was to test you and your reflexes." Zach was amused, she had even prepared an explanation if it wasn't him.
"Not that I complain about it but what happened to Kimstros ? How did he end up in this state ?" Zach was curious about how it happened. "You remember Xaratus' threat when he arrived at the meeting point, he made it real." She answered in a mysterious tone, though there wasn't much mysteries left.
"I see, I am going to take a bath now, so you can wait me in the palace's garden I will come after I finish and we will be able to talk peacefully there." Zach declared, Zoe nodded and went towards the garden.
Zoe being the princess of the kingdom, she never really had a friend, after the life and death moments in the ruins she considered that Zach was a great friend, he was in fact her only friend, hence the happiness she felt when she discovered that it was really him the masked genius.
Zach took his bath, 10 minutes later he headed towards the garden to join Zoe. She was sat near a beatiful tree, Zach sat next to her and both of them started to talk about things and others.
While both of them were talking, the old elf who was present at the council had made great advancements in the understanding of the book. He now knew how to awake their bloodlines, they needed a full moon, a great density of mana and for each awakaned a plant that was quite rare, named spirit plant.
It was a plant used when cultivating, it greatly help when one wanted to calm his mind, this one was one of the greatest in the genre and the stocks were low but if they kept every new one and with the one they already had, they should be able to awaken about two thousands people.
It did not seem a lot but according to what was written in the book, once awaken one could compare to about 10 warriors of the same level. If they awoke the best of the best first they would have a chance against Kartelion, after all they had no interest in awakening nameless ones.
The king went to see the old elf and was pleasantly surprised by the news, he thought about it and he decided that they would awaken all the top powerhouses of the kingdom and also everyone in the genius squad.
Humans could not be awaken so Zach would have no interest in the awakening. The next full moon was in 20 days so the first batch of awakened would be there. For the mana density they had an object which would be great, it was the cube Zoe had brought back, with it they could attain a good enough density without trouble.
Back on Zoe and Zach who were discussing, Zach remebered about the cultivation method they found in the dungeon and asked to Zoe about it. "Have you practiced it ? What has it done ?" Zoe smiled and replied proudly.
"Yes ! I practiced it and it's very powerful. I've completed the initial stage, there is a seed in my dantian, I have to give it mana to make it grow and once sprouted according to the method I will truly start the path of life."
Zach was a bit confused about waht she meant but he was sure that it would be an extremely powerful method. Since the fight against the fox Zoe was curious about what method Zach practiced. "What method are you practicing ?" She asked with pleading eyes.
Zach smiled and only said one thing. "A pretty powerful one, trust me." When she heard his answer she was disappointed, she hoped more of Zach's answer but she knew that even if she asked again and again he wouldn't said anything more so she changed the subject.
"Do you want to play cards ? I'm sure I will beat you every single time ! Wanna bet ?" Zoe exclaimed in a cheerful voice, she never played cards with someone she could consider her friend, it was always one of her protector or a member of her family.
"Yeah, I will play but it's me who will beat you every single time, you won't be able to do anything." Zach boasted proudly, he was confident about his odds to win.
Zoe shook her head and took out a deck of card out of her spatial ring, she distributed the cards and they started playing.
After an hour of playing Zoe ended without winning a single round, she was crestfallen, she thought that she would be able to win against Zach but it never happened. "Let's stop there." She said in a low and bitter voice, Zach smiled and nodded.
Zoe looked in Zach's eyes and asked him a question that was in her mind since she knew that he brought back {The Book of hidden Bloodlines}. "You are from Kartelion so why have you brought this book back to us ?"
At the instant she asked this the atmosphere became tense and heavy, Zoe could see in Zach's eyes a burning wrath, in fact for the first time she met him she felt like at the moment he would slaughter everyone on his path.
He mumbled dryly. "I have matters to settle, and I can only settle them in their blood." While he mumbled this Zoe could see that the fluorescent green in his eyes was brighter than ever and the aura he was giving off was chilling and dreadful.
For an instant she almost mistook Zach for Death itself and was scared by him. "Sorry." Zach in a low voice. "No it's me I shouldn't have asked." Zoe was embarassed, she had touched upon a sensitive matter.
Not far away the same old elf who studied the book and was in the council saw everything that happened. "That's an interresting young man, he had the exact opposite aura of what the core of life techniques gives off. It should be worth to keep an eye on him." He muttered.