Ben and Silverlina glanced at Kian, then spoke up. "He is Kian. He's part of our team as well. Can you take him with us?"
Apotheosis shifted her gaze to Kian, her beautiful gold-hued eyes examining him closely.
Soon, a gleam of interest lit up her expression.
"A Beyonder Soul Force Talent? What's your Talent grade, little one?" she asked with evident curiosity.
Kian stepped forward, intending to answer politely, but before he could speak, Xuan interrupted.
"Apotheosis, he has the lowest grade talent with Soul potential. It's marked clearly on the list because, well, he's the lowest talent there is..." Xuan said matter-of-factly, cutting Kian off.
"Oh... Can he be taken into our group in other way, Xuan?" Apotheosis asked, seeking confirmation.
Kian looked at the giant expectantly, clinging to a sliver of hope.
Xuan shook his massive head lightly and declared, "No."
Kian's heart sank.
Would he now have to wander alone in this perilous place, without any means of protection?
Ben and Silvy exchanged disappointed glances.
"Please take him in, ma'am. He's a good man. He stood up for us when they tried to take us away," Ben implored earnestly.
"Please, miss..." Silvy pleaded as well.
Apotheosis frowned in thought, clearly torn. The rules and regulations of a large, organized group like theirs were notoriously strict, and finding a way to bypass them was not easy.
She sighed, still unable to come up with a clear solution.
She noticed the duo's resolute expressions regarding the matter and couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy when she saw the boy's miserable face. It carried the weight of someone haunted by endless gloom, stirring her heart unexpectedly.
"Apotheosis, you can use your authority to take him as your servant, if you feel like it, of course. I would have done it myself, but I don't have enough authority," Xuan advised cautiously.
He hesitated earlier, knowing her aversion to keeping servants around, but seeing her indecision, he felt compelled to suggest it.
Apotheosis frowned. She clearly disliked the idea of having someone by her side. But as her gaze met the boy's pure and unguarded eyes, her expression softened.
"Do you really want to join our group as my servant? You could wait a little longer; perhaps another group might take an interest in you," she reminded looking at Kian's innocent eyes.
"But they wouldn't be the same as your Imperial Vanguard Group, I'm sure. I have no qualms about becoming your servant—or anyone else's—if it helps me achieve my goal," Kian answered respectfully, his resolve unwavering. He clenched his teeth, accepting the degrading role without hesitation.
Yes, it was humiliating, but he wouldn't let pride or other emotions deter him from his aspirations.
Apotheosis seemed momentarily shaken, her thoughts drifting to her own goal of becoming an Aspirant. Something in Kian's heartfelt words and determination struck a chord deep within her.
"Alright, are you two happy now? And don't worry, I won't treat your friend badly," Apotheosis said softly, her gaze lingering on Ben and Silvy.
"Thank you, thank you!" Ben and Silvy expressed their gratitude, bowing deeply.
Kian felt a long forgotten wave of emotion as Ben hugged him tightly, and Silvy allowed a small, genuine smile to grace her face.
From that moment, a new chapter of Kian's life began.
-
Dragzul watched them leave, scoffing with disdain as he glanced at the Blood Moon Group, his contempt for their cowardice evident.
Eagle instinctively glanced back.
"What is it brat? You're not going anywhere. And don't worry—we have powerful people like her in our group too. Besides, I didn't want to hurt a woman. It was a matter of a man's pride..." Eagle shamelessly declared, trying to save face as he dragged Dragzul away.
"Trash..."
Dragzul muttered inwardly, rolling his eyes as his disdain for Eagle and the group grew even stronger.
As the other summoned souls gradually chose their groups and dispersed, the once-crowded field emptied quickly.
---
Kian walked behind Apotheosis and Xuan, flanked by Ben and Silvy, his eyes wandering curiously over the magical buildings and intricate structures that lined the streets.
Ben, on the other hand, was overly excited, marveling at the glowing creations around them with childlike wonder.
They soon crossed a bustling market street, where various shops and vendors were set up, selling an array of goods. Strikingly, these vendors were also living ghosts, just like Kian and the others.
Kian's curiosity deepened as he observed his surroundings, particularly wondering about the materials used to construct the buildings and objects in this realm.
From his knowledge of old texts, he understood that souls were supposed to be invisible, intangible, and imperceptible to the living physical world.
That principle should theoretically apply to souls interacting with physical world as well, right?
If that were true, then everything in this place—the buildings, the streets, the goods—must be made of souls or some sort of concentrated essence derived from them.
A chilling thought crossed his mind:
"Would those who die here, proving themselves worthless, be reduced to mere resources? Would their existence be erased completely?"
It was a grim assumption but one that could not be ignored.
Another question rose in Kian's mind:
What kind of missions would they send us on in other worlds if we can't even intervene in the physical realm?
He shook his head, realizing he might be overthinking. He'll find out soon enough, he thought, pushing the question aside.
As they continued walking, people around them began pointing and murmuring in awe. The attention was not directed at Kian, Ben, or Silvy but rather at Apotheosis and Xuan.
"Hey, look! It's the Aspirants of the Imperial Vanguard Group!"
"Woawoaaaa, Flower Queen Apotheosis in the flesh! Am I dreaming? Wow, I'm so lucky! I won't have any regrets if I die right now!"
"Flower Queen, please look here! I'm your biggest follower! Please make me your slave!"
The reactions were over the top, and yet, despite their wild enthusiasm, no one dared approach. Apotheosis had a well-known reputation as the Ruthless Flowery Queen. Her demeanor towards strangers was notoriously cold and unwelcoming.
However, this only seemed to fuel the admiration of some, especially among men. She was the untouchable Goddess to them.
"Oh, sh*t! Some kids caught our goddess's attention!"
"Yeah, right. They're so lucky. Must be insanely talented too," others muttered, their envy evident as they watched Ben, Kian, and Silvy following behind the legendary pair.